January 14, 2025 • 54 mins
Richard Sherman reacts to Sam Darnold getting sacked nine times as the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated by Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. How much money did Darnold cost himself between this loss and getting blown out by Detroit? Will Sean McVay will his team past the Philadelphia Eagles to get to the NFC Championship game? Sherm also reacts to the news that the Dallas Cowboys parting ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after a disappointing season. Sherm explains why the odd timing confirms his theory that Dallas has had their sights locked on University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Finally, Sherm gives his predictions for the NFL Divisional Round, previewing the Detroit Lions looking to avoid the upset against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, Jalen Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles hosting Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, the Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson MVP clash in the Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens game, and C.J. Stroud leading the Houston Texans into Arrowhead to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Volume Football Championship that should always do the expectation.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
All right, man, at you go ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another day, another wild
Card wild game upset, kind of, I mean not by seeding,
but by record. A fourteen win Minnesota team goes into
Phoenix to play the La Rams, and the LA Rams
(00:38):
have their way. Their defense takes a page out of
Aaron Glenn's playbook and puts a lot of pressure on
Sam Donald to the tune of nine sacks in the game.
They come away with a twenty seven to nine victory.
Great game by matt Stafford and their offense. Really rough
game by Sam Donald in their offense. TJ Hawkinson and
(01:00):
those boys. But Mitchell, did you see this coming?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Because Richard, I'm telling you I kind of had a
gut instinct here that Matthew Stafford's not done yet.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I mean, this LA Rams team's a lot more locked
and loaded that I think they're giving credit for. And
they've come on strong late in the season, much like
they did last year. Matthew Stafford's tough man, and I
know they were not playing in LA but they had
They were very motivated coming into this game. With everything
going on in La. Prayers for La right now. But Richard,
(01:31):
I mean you got to think about how motivated they
were to put on for their city, and they did
just that from start to finish.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Today, I'm sure happy.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was a little bummed out the Commanders won because,
you know, Richard, I was looking forward to hopefully taking
on the Vikings again. But I'm so happy that Detroit
Lions do not have to face this team in round
two because that matchup against the Eagles is going to
be a while one. Let's look at this game, rich
because as good as Sam Donald has been all season,
(02:02):
he's looked equally bad the last two games. Oh boy,
I mean, Richard, what went wrong for Sam Donald tonight?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Everything everything that could go wrong? It was what do
they call it, Murphy's law? Everything that could go wrong
went wrong for Sam Donald in the Minnesota Vikings. What
I think happened, Mitchell, What I think happened is they
watched the Detroit Lions and Aaron Glenn's playing, and Aaron
Glenn had a decimated defensive line just like had a
(02:33):
rag tag defense, you know, so beat up, so injured,
and he said, you know what, all we can do
is trust our dbs and blitz them to all hell.
And they did that, and then Chris Shula comes in,
I'm sure watches that tape and says, why not, why not,
let's split them, Let's blit them to all hell. And
(02:55):
sometimes they didn't even need to blitz because they had
Jared Verse and Jared was getting home and a lot
of their d line was winning one on ones Kello
Witherspoon And we'll get to that later and break it
down in a lot of detail, because I'm pretty sure
I know what he was doing and what he was
thinking on that play, and it was an incredibly heady play.
Balls he played one of those plays that you know
(03:19):
it's feast or famine. Either he gets the sack on
that play or the tight ends wide open for a
huge game. And big time players make big time plays
in big time game, no hesitation, no hesitation. Big play
was made. But the Vikings defense, they didn't have answers
for Kyron Williams. They didn't have answers for Matt Stafford,
(03:41):
they didn't have answers for Higbee. He was open a
lot of the game poking. Nakula didn't have as big
of a game as he had the last time, but
still made really impactful plays.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But Kobe Turner, the two.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Sacks Byron Young, Neville Gallimore one and a half sacks each,
Kobe Durant sack and an interception in the game, and
that book was clean. They were playing a lot of
two man. They're not worried about Sam Donald running the football,
and it just worked out. And sometimes the lack of
expectations allow people to play free, you know. Sometimes the
(04:16):
burden of expectations, it's so much it paralyzes you.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It paralyzes you, it tightens you up.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
But the team that's playing it on house money, the
team that barely even made it into the playoffs, the
team that everybody's like, oh man, changed the seeding, they
shouldn't be here. They shouldn't have a home game. The
division winners shouldn't get this. Well, guess what, the fourteen
win team played the division winner that should have been
the sixth seed, and they beat him very handily. And
(04:48):
I think that that is the reason the league doesn't
change it, because it's still something about it being a
division champion that just feels earned.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
It does.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And now, sure you have the Tampa game that they
were in a dog fight with the to commanders, but
it wasn't like it was a blowout. But yes, I
think the Minnesota Vikings had a really cool season, really
fun season, exceeded expectations. But this isn't good enough. And
I think Sam Donald calls himself some money. It's been
a great story all season long. I think he played
(05:17):
really good football all season long. Now it's gonna be
the question, how did the Minnesota Vikings see him? Is
he the long term answer in Minnesota? Or do you
go with the kid next year? Is JJ McCarthy going
to be healthy? And if he's not healthy, do you
have enough time to make a decision in an interim?
Free agency starts in March?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I think they at least have Sam Donald for another year,
But what does that look like? Contract wise? What is
Sam Donald gonna ask for? Are there going to be
other teams that are looking to put their hat in
the ring that may not get the quarterback they want
in a draft because they're not in a draft position
to get them. Las Vegas Raiders being a team that
could potentially do that, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I will caution you with that, Richard. I mean as
much as I love guy Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson made
that man a lot of money and he made him
look awfully good. And he's doing the same thing with
Sam Donald. I mean, how much do you think Sam
Donald owes his success to the offensive weapons that are
in Minnesota? Because to me, if you have a quarterback
(06:17):
that could be a decent game manager, much like Kirk
Cousins has been in Minnesota throughout his career, insert Sam
Donald into that same equation. I mean, it seems like
a perfect fit for Sam Donald. How much do you
think that helped him in his ultimate success this year
versus him going to a place like the Raiders, like
back to the Jets, something like that. I just can't
(06:37):
see this guy having that level of success that a
payday would warrant.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I think it's tough because because yes, Justin Jefferson is
an incredible receiver, but there's also an aspect of Kevin
O'Connell in the way he's drawing it up. And he's
drawn up a really good game plan. He's got guys
wide open in the run game. Aaron Jones, you know,
it opens up lanes. Cam Akers started to get going
(07:04):
in this game a little bit early on. And sometimes
that's the thing. Hey, you're in the perfect situation for
your talents, for your mind, you're processing. He's putting him
into uh positions to be really successful throwing the football.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And so.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I'm sure Kevin, Kevin O'Connell and Justin Jefferson and all
those pieces are having a positive effect on what Sam
Darnold's able to do. But he's still doing it. So
I think there, you know, I think there's something to
be said about that. You know, they've won a lot
of games. It's it's a hand and glove fit. If
(07:44):
you're not willing to go into the unknown with JJ McCarthy,
because maybe JJ McCarthy is everything they thought he'd be.
And he goes he's healthy, he comes in there off
the off the injury, he's healthy, He's able to go
out there and execute and play run his offense at
a high level. Cool, we go with him. We let
Sam Donald walk make a lot of money in free agency.
(08:06):
If somebody wants to take a flyer on him, gotcha.
But if you think, hey, we want to run it
back with Sam Donald, you're gonna have to make that
decision so early and you're gonna have to give him
some money. I don't think he takes too much of
a discount. I mean at least thirty five million ish,
you know, maybe three four one hundred. The Baker Mayfield
deal with a little bit of extra, maybe less guaranteed
(08:26):
because he struggled. But remember he's he's a top three
draft pick coming out, so he's got money he can
he can pass the deal up and say, hey, I
want to test my test the waters. I think I've
proven myself. I think I've proven that I can be
a guy. We'll see, we'll see if they think he's
done enough to earn his money. Something tells me that
they'll believe in him at least for one more season.
(08:47):
But you know, I don't call the I don't make
the decisions in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, let's talk about the la Rams. They deserve to
be a part of this conversation. After that performance tonight, Richard,
do you view them as as a true Super Bowl
content after a performance like this tonight, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
You have to, because all year you can you can
put it all together and say, man, this offense was
ranked this, the defense was ranked this. What did they
do here? What did they do here? Did they get
an eat sacks? In the playoffs? Sometimes all that goes
away and you're you know, you have an idea what
the what they've done, so you can kind of figure
out what they should be doing. But the way the
(09:25):
Rams look tonight, they look like the best defense in football.
You know, it looked very dynamic, well prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Their defense played really good football. Uh Kello Witherspoon for
endo the program. Uh Kobe Durant played good football like
they made names for themselves and they were flying around
the field. So nothing tells me that they won't be
competitive against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And everybody talked.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
About Jalen hurts struggles, and you know, there's some of
it's rust and some of it is is play calling,
some of it's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
But if he plays like that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
In a game against the La Rams and Stafford gets
hot and Pokinakua gets hot, and they find a way
find some holes in that defense that the Green Bay
Packers weren't able to exploit, this is gonna be a
very interesting game. There's no fear there. And that's the thing.
Matthew Stafford has played so much football he's seen Vic Fangiol.
(10:22):
He has a notebook, I'm sure with notes on vic
Fangio's defense, whether it was with the San Francisco forty
nine ers, or it was with the Miami Dolphins, or
it was with the Denver Broncos. You gotta think how
many places did Matt Stanford play against Vic Fangio, Like,
that's how much football he's played. Vic Fangiol was with
(10:42):
the San Francisco forty nine ers in twenty twelve or
twenty ten or twenty I get there twenty eleven, from
twenty eleven to like twenty fourteen, then he head coached
for Denver for a couple of years. But Matthew Stafford,
I gotta look back, probably played him at every place.
That helps you in your preparation for these games. So
I think he'll be prepared. McVeigh will be prepared and
(11:04):
they'll have a good plan. So they got as good
a chance as any. And again you're Detroit Lions. They
if they beat the Washington Commanders and they see the
Rams in the NFC Championship, Ye, Mitchell, it's fright.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
They could write about that.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
They can write a book about this matchup between the Rams,
and the Lions and everything that is taking place with
Matthew Stafford and Jerry Goff. Richard, I want to talk
to you about the axes and os of football. We
had a good Chad off air, but you need to
break it down for the listeners because I left very impressed.
We were talking about the Kello Withers thro spoon strips
strip sack which resulted in a scoop and score a touchdown. Richard,
(11:42):
you broke down the play. I mean, just describe when
what you think went on there for our listeners.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Well, in that situation, if you look at it, it's
a closed partner of the formation, which is just a
tight end by himself, no receiver outside to open the
formation up. Both receivers are to the opposite side. So
in my mind, usually if it's man to man coverage,
then a Kello would have would have traveled to the
other side, covered one of the receivers or covered the
other tight end, or whatever the case may be. They
(12:09):
were playing some kind of zone we used to call
it reno, where the backside corner is man to man
on a tight end, he's locked in coverage, and then
the rest of.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
The three dbs or four dbs if they if.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
They're in a nickel situation, they're covering the two receivers,
so they're zoning that off. It's too high, you know.
It's it's kind of like a palm's look for people
who know what palms is. But with the with the
rules tweaked a little bit. So anything quick to the flat,
you know, the opposite side corner triggers the safety goes
over the top. All that's good stuff, but that corner
(12:41):
is man to man. And a Kello was with me
in San Francisco when I've only got two career sacks, Mitchell,
I only have two career sacks, and both of them
were in this coverage where the tight end block.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Both situations.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Uh, the tight end ended up being an extra tackle,
and so I was already had my mind made up
that I was triggering. As soon as the ball was snapped,
Kello waited for a second, He took a step, He
took a bad to reach the situation. Soon as he
saw the tight end engaged with the end, he made
a very fast decision. People don't understand. Things happened really
fast out there, and when you're making a decision like that,
(13:16):
everything can go through your mind like what if?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
What if? What if?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
There was no hesitation, There was no what if in
that situation in his thoughts. Soon as he saw him engage,
he triggered. Sam Darnold didn't have a chance to even
look up and see the tight end. The tight end
was wide open. The tight end was wide open because
he blocked and then he released. But Kello had already
made the call and he played fast enough. So that's
one of those plays where the coach would probably be like, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes,
(13:43):
oh great, great job, Chris Jule, a great call. But
that call was totally made by Kello Witherspoon. He made
the decision, He took the risk, He went out there
and made a split second decision that led to a
huge play in the ball game. And really the play
of the game is that play because it opened it up.
That was a defensive touchdown, and after that, I think
(14:06):
it pretty much broke the backs of the Minnesota Vikings.
They were reeling from that point forward. They were able
the ends in the tackles of the La Rams were
able to pin their ears back and go to work.
They had the lead, but that was just an outstanding
play by Kello Witherspoon, and he should be commended that
that is the play of the game because it's a play.
(14:27):
It's not the way the defensive coordinator drew it up
when he called the play. A Kello made that play
come to life with a decision and a reaction and
smart heady football love to see it.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Richard.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
You had a similar sack against Mark Sanchez and the
Jets resulting also and a sack fumble. Walk through that
play a little bit. I mean, what was Pete's reaction
after he saw you do that?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I mean I had to tackle, and you know, they
never gave us a rule that, hey, if the tackle blocks,
if there's a tackle, you can trigger. But I'm a
smart ball player and I'm not gonna I don't need
you to tell me rules. I'll make rules and then
maybe you'll put this in the notebook as a role
for everybody else to play. And so when the tackle blocks,
I have nothing to do with Either I can go
deep down the field and try to find some work,
(15:17):
or I can just trigger and sack the quarterback. And
I saw I did it a few times in practice,
and I don't think Pete ever thought thought about it
that way. He thought I was just joking around or
just messing around because the tackle was just blocking. And
when I did it in the game, I went to
the sideline. People was like, hey, Sharan, great play, you
know sa first bumble, But what the hell were you doing?
(15:37):
And I was like, you didn't see the tackle? Do
you want me to cover the tackle? He's like, no,
why would you cover the tackle? Like exactly, So I blitched.
It's like, what great play. Yeah, that's a great play, Sharan,
that's a great play. Like, yeah, I know, I'm a
good player. She always the tone.
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Speaker 3 (18:46):
Let's talk about the Dallas Cowboys. We had some news break.
I don't really want to call it breaking news because
I don't think it really comes with much of a shock,
but Mike McCarthy was let go, which opens the floodgates
to a bunch of rumors and speculation about something you
brought to life about a month ago. Eon Dion coach Prime.
Dion Sanders is rumored as one of the leaders in
(19:08):
the clubhouse for that job. I mean, Richard, first off,
what are your thoughts on this move to get rid
of McCarthy And do you see do you see Dion
Sanders as coach Prime of the Dallas Cowboys in the
near future.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Things are playing out in a way that makes it
very difficult to say it. It can't happen, because how
curious is this whole thing, this whole Dallas Cowboys debacle,
Because the Bears request an interview with McCarthy, and then
the Cowboys say, no, you can't interview our coach. He's
(19:47):
our coach. We're gonna work on an extension with him.
But then they don't, and then they fire him. I said, look,
there's been a couple dick moves by the Cowboys. The
Cooper Rush situation where he had just to play that
game and he got two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
bonus and they played Trey Lance Dick move, not allowing
(20:09):
McCarthy to interview with the Bears when you knew you
were gonna.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Fire him, dick move.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
But then to wait this long and not be in
the first window to interview Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
What why?
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And that's the part I don't get unless you're telling
me that, Hey, you talk to Dion and he says
for the right price, I'd hear y'all, Jerry, And Jerry said,
well that's enough for me. See you seea Mike, I
sure do appreciate everything you did for us, and you man,
(20:50):
you're a good old coach. We wish you the best.
If you need letters of recommendation from the Dallas Cowboys,
we'd be happy to tell him everything that you did
for program. And uh, we sure do love you and
and and don't don't let the door hit you on
the way out. But Brian brother, I'm on here for
a interview now. Then it makes a little sense, Mitchell,
(21:15):
Then it makes a little sense because you would have
thought they would have been high on trying to get
Ben Johnson, or you would have thought, hey, call Bill
Belichick and tell him not to take the n SAT
North Carolina job because we're gonna be interested in you
and we're gonna get rid of McCarthy. But they didn't
do that, and so now I'm like, what was your
(21:38):
what was your plan?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Mitchell? I think it's prime the way you painted that picture. Richard,
I have to agree with you one hundred percent. I mean,
it makes no other sense. But you know what I mean.
Jerry Jones has been doing this for the last several years. Hey, Hey,
why don't you get ahead of the game and extend
Dak Prescott. I know I'm not gonna do that. I'm
gonna wait the next five quarterbacks sign and then pay
(22:02):
him close to sixty million dollars a year. Hey what
about Ceedee Lamb. No, I'm gonna wait for I'm on
Rod to get paid. I'm gonna rate for all these
guys to get paid. I'm gonna pay him more than
all of those guys. Hey, how about MICHAEH. Parsons? Why
don't you sign him early? Nah, I'm gonna hold out
until I can pay him the absolute most I can
possibly pay him.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Richard.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
You know, Jerry Jones is one of the staples in
the NFL. No question about He's one of the biggest
names in sports, but I gotta question some of these
decisions at point blank period. But the way you painted
things with Dion Sanders to the Cowboys, I'm fully on
board with that, But the question is do you think
it'd be a good fit. I mean, is that gonna
(22:42):
bring wins to Dallas?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (22:51):
But the wins, I don't think we're the problem. Like,
and I know I'm I was tough on Mike McCarthy
as anybody, but I've said this too. There are very
few coaches that have won as many games as Mike
McCarthy in the last five years. I think it's Andy Reid,
I think Sirianni, maybe Kyle Shanahan.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Like all the guys.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
That have won more than than Mike McCarthy have probably
been to a Super Bowl or been to an NFC
Championship game, and he just hasn't had the playoff success,
which leads to criticism. That's it's it's welcome, it's it's
what comes with the job. Hey, you win in twelve
games every year, thirteen games, but then you get to
the playoffs and do I need to start the song? No,
(23:36):
you guys already know it. Vision and done, the visional
and done. But do I think that Dion would come
in and push them over twelve and five or thirteen
and four?
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Probably not, you know what I mean. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I don't know if he could push him further than
Mike McCarthy did record wise. Now, what I do think
he would be able to do is put butts in
the seats like you thought they were a draw before.
When Prime gets there, you've never well, we've never seen it.
I don't think we've seen it yet. We've not seen
(24:18):
fans come wearing the coaches jersey. There'll be more fans
in these stadiums wearing the coaches jersey. Then there will
be the players jersey. And that's everybody included. I mean,
Dak Prescott might have a couple, but they're gonna be
in that pro shop. It's gonna be Sanders twenty one's
being sold. If he's the head coach and they're gonna
sell out, I just don't know if it's a it's up,
(24:41):
you know what I mean. And that's what I That's
what I'm concerned about for any coach that goes to
coach the Dallas Cowboys right now that's a tough act
to follow, Like that's a lot of wins over four
or five year year span. Now you didn't have the
playoff success, which is the ultimate success that defines a
coach his legacy and does all that.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
But regular season.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
He did phenomenal, built good offenses, The offenses succeeds, solid defenses,
had multiple dbs with nine to ten interceptions. Deron Bland
was having crazy years. Trevon Diggs was playing great, which
means I mean al Harris, al Harris. I look for
him to get a hit head coaching interview or a
DC's interview, like he did a great job with those
(25:23):
guys in Dallas. But that's the part that concerns me,
is anybody gonna be able to live up to what
Mike McCarthy did, because otherwise they're gonna get fired in
two years. And so that would be my concern with
Dehon if he can't turn it around, Because now you
have to deal with the big contracts of CD Lamb,
the big contract to Dak Prescott, the big contract for
Micah Parsons, the big contract for Trey Diggs. So it
(25:46):
changes the way you build a roster. It limits your
resources and sure there will be guys that take pay
cuts to maybe play for Dion, but not that great
and not taken half. And so that's the part that
concerns me. And then again, Dion has only he's only
coached his son at quarterback for a long time now.
(26:08):
He has not coached another quarterback for a long time,
and he won't be able to coach his son in Dallas.
The Dak Prescott is going to be the quarterback for
the Dallas Cowboys for the foreseeable future. There's no trade
partner I think that'll take him. There's no out of
this contract anytime soon. And I don't think there's any
world where you draft sha Door Sanders with your first
(26:28):
round pick if you're the Dallas Cowboys, and if it,
you know, with everything being said, he should be gone
within the top five picks. So that's where it doesn't
make as much sense for Dion to take take the
job in my opinion, but for speculatory purposes makes all
the sense in the world.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I love it. I love it well, Richard.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
We have a final eight in the NFL playoffs. The
Commanders are taken on the Lions. This guy, Jayden daniels
Man he's future star, Richard. I mean, we might be
talking to NFL MVP in the next five years with
this guy. The way he plays in the pocket and
is able to scramble. I mean, he plays this game
wise beyond his years. How much of a threat do
(27:13):
you think he can be to an injured and batter
Detroit Lions team.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It's gonna be a challenge because it has to be contained, contained, contained,
and some of the things he does you can't simulate.
You know, they're gonna have to put a receiver or
a dB at quarterback just to give you an idea
of the kind of speed that you're gonna be dealing
with in dynamic elusiveness that you're gonna be dealing with
at the quarterback position. And it's a little easier when
(27:38):
you got tape that of your team going against him.
You have the tape of you dealing with him at
times or somebody, you know what I mean, a plan.
And now he has gotten stopped at times, like people
have had success stopping him, but not a lot and
not lately. And so that's the part that concerns me,
is that if they can consistently stop him and this
(28:02):
ends up being a shootout and just like with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if he gets the ball last and
he's only down three, he's gonna win. And that's what
he's shown. I mean, I think he has the most
fourth quarter first downs and touchdowns of just about any quarterback.
And whether it's rushing or passing, like, he finds a
way to make winning plays in the fourth quarter consistently,
(28:26):
and his team knows it and his team believes it.
So when you have an unwavering belief in faith, it's powerful.
It's powerful for a team, and it allows guys to
unlock their true potential. And defensively, that defense is playing better.
You got veterans who have been there, done that. Bobby Wagner,
friend of the program, been there, done that. Hey got
Super Bowls, been to Super Bowls, been eleven times straight
(28:49):
All Pro And people are like, oh, he's getting it
from name. Where you think the name came from, it's synonymous.
I think there's only two or three people with more
All Pros than Bobby in the history of the National
Football League. He's talking about a Hall of Famers, Hall
of Famer, like you're talking about a goats goough And
I don't care how much you watch football, how much
(29:11):
you appreciate football. You have to appreciate the greatness of
a player like Bobby Wagner, what he's been able to
sustain as long as he has in different places. Went
to the Rams for a year. All Pro came back
to Seattle. They said, I love him, Welcome home, all
bro Hey, Seattle were moving on new direction, new coach,
commanders Hey, dan Quinn, Bobby old friend, Kenny Norton, I
(29:34):
love you to death. Back home, back together, All Pro
like he's a guy in this defense, rallies behind him,
lou Fu. There's a number of guys. They got guys
that believe in, that play hard and that really make plays.
I think she and the safety he plays hard, he
makes plays. Last week it was Latimore Latimore against Mike
(29:58):
Evans was a big storyline in Mike had a really
good game, but a Lottimore and his defense didn't just
enough to squeak out the win.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Because they kept fighting and they kept believing.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
And the reason they kept believing is because they knew
if their offense got the ball last and had a
chance and it was twenty to twenty, oh, I know
they felt great. Mitchell I knew they felt like they
could go out there and win that game, and he did.
He made plays, whether it's with his legs or his arms.
And just like the Detroit Lions, they go for it
on fourth down. They go for it consistently on fourth down.
(30:29):
And I don't think they hesitate. I think they're the
most efficient fourth down team in the National Football League.
It's got to beat them in Detroit right there, one
and two. But that's what scares me about this matchup, Mitchell,
because they they don't know they shouldn't be there.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You know what I mean? Does that make sense? Well, Richard?
Speaker 3 (30:46):
I mean this team, we talked about it in our
season intro said, if Jaden Daniels plays at the level
that CJ. Strouded last year, this team could be very
competitive and could sweak into the playoffs. And here they are.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
The one thing when you analyze this matchup. As good
as the Commanders are offensively and as good as they
are at certain position position groups defensively, where they lack
is in the defense run game. I mean, their run
defense ranks one of the worst in the league. And
when you go against a team like the Detroit Lions
that lean heavily on their run game, and they do
it from a bunch of different ways, and they're getting
(31:21):
David Montgomery back. Like, how big of advantage is that
matchup for the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
That's huge advantage and that may be the advantage, the
winning advantage for the Detroit Lions, because it does a
number of things. It keeps Jaydon Daniels off the field,
and you're running the ball, you're controlling it. And one
thing about the Washington Commanders, they have long drives. It
takes them a long time to get there. They had
they had a seventeen play drive the other day and
(31:48):
I think it took nine minutes, you know, seventeen plays,
Like that's a long time to get to the end zone.
And so if somehow the Lions, you know, are doing
their meticulous just run it five yards of pop, Jamira
Gibbs pops one, then the defense gets to stop and
they go up fourteen points, ten fourteen points, it becomes
a really difficult game for the Washington Comanders to play
(32:09):
because they do not score quick. They're not a quick
strike offense. Really, they take time. They didn't and dunk sometimes.
He's very very accurate and very efficient with the football,
but he doesn't take a ton of risks. He's not
gonna put the ball in harm's way if he can
help it. So, if the Detroit Lions are playing great defense,
(32:30):
and they're playing the way they have all year defensively,
if their corners are playing as good of man coverage
as they have been under Aaron Glenn, it's gonna be
very small windows and it's gonna be up to Jason Daniels'
legs to get it done. And I just I'm worried
that if Detroit gets up and they're able to control
the clock running the ball, that he will run out
of time in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Well, Richard, the Lions finally, for the first time in
their franchise in history, have the one seed and earn
a first round. By how big is that bye week
for them? I mean, you've played with so many different
teams Seattle and San Francisco where you earned that first round.
By how big is it to have that bye week
this late in the season and be able to see
(33:11):
who you're playing with battle it out the weekend before.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It's really important. It's really important, and it's interesting because
some people think it's tough you know, if you look
at college football, every team that got the bye week loss,
and when you look in the league, it's not usually
how it happens. I mean it's at times it does happen.
You know, the bye week team lost. I think maybe
last year they struggled, but it was it last year
(33:36):
Baltimore Baltimore and losing in the NFC champion or AFC
Championship to the Kansas City Chiefs at home. But for
a team like Detroit, they're so banged up, they got
so many guys on IR you got David Montgomery right
on their edge of coming back. You got guys that
could potentially impactful players that just needed one more week.
(33:58):
This is critical for them, and it's critical because it's
it's them getting to take their time rehabbing and coming
back and getting the reps and really making sure those
injuries are a lot healthier than they would have been
if you try to force yourself to come back for
a wild card and battle for the team, because you
never know if this is the last game of the season.
So it definitely helps a team like Detroit who's gotten
(34:20):
so many guys on the IR to get more guys
healthy to give them more chances to be whole because
you need it.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Maybe you don't need totally hold to.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Beat the Washington Commanders, even though they're playing really good
football right now, but you'll need it for the NFC Championship,
regardless of who it is you're playing, whether it's the
Philadelphia Eagles or the LA Rams. And so if they
could get some of those defensive players back, and then
you know, Aiden Hutchinson said a long time ago that hey,
you make it to the Super Bowl, he'll be back.
Do you make that decision to play him? You know,
(34:50):
is that the right decision or do you play the
hot hands? I think obviously the fans would say put
him out there, like that's our guy and all that,
but you don't, you know, from it depends on how
he look in practice and what he looks like. Does
he look like the player he was. You don't want
your first game back. You don't get a preseason, you
don't get live reps before the Super Bowl, and you
don't want your first game back to beat the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
And then something.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Happens, like something a setback happens in the Super Bowl.
You only get forty six men that you can call
active on that game day. You cannot have an injury
on the Super Bowl day to a pass rusher that
you're depending on. So that's a story for down the line,
But just something to keep in mind when you're talking
about activating these players and the way fans are thinking
about things down the line, Like, if you can get
(35:34):
guys healthy, great, but if not, you got to start
getting guys into the mindset that we're gonna go all
the way with you.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Well, let's just say, I mean this Lion's defense that
had so many injuries, and DJ Reider was on air.
I forget what broadcaster was on, but he was on
air and he was basically saying what happened. They asked
him what happened in the Minnesota game. He just said,
they finally got time together. They've finally been able to
communicate with each other better on the field. Like when
(36:02):
you're mixing things up, and if so many injuries, how
difficult is it just a sub and play next man up.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
It's really difficult because some of these guys haven't even
been on a team for weeks or a month, and
so just to understanding the defensive scheme, understanding the philosophy,
understanding what the expectations are from your peers, from the coaches,
the techniques that they want you to play, you know,
the picks or you know the games, what the signals are,
things like that that are that our second nature for
some of these players. Some of these new guys are like, Hey,
(36:30):
I'm learning on the fly. I'm trying to figure it out.
You know, you got Zadarias Smith who just got there
just trying to figure it out on the fly. He
could be a really dynamic, helpful pass rusher, but it's
hard for them to scheme up what he does well
and really play to his talents and make him fit
within this game and him understand this game so that
he could showcase his talents. So it's really important in
(36:52):
another week together, another week without the chaos of game
planning and football allows that to grow and allows that.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
To g The Rams are going to Philly, and the
line just came out. It's Philly favored by six points.
The last time these two teams met, the Eagles dominated
the Rams thirty seven to twenty on the road. And
week eleven, Richard, you already broke it down a little
bit here, but who do you favor in this matchup momentum.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I favor momentum because that's what it's going to come
down to. You know, everybody's criticized Jalen Hurts for his
performance last week, and again I've said it all season.
I just something about me just doesn't trust these Philadelphia
Eagles because of that. Because if somebody can stop Saquon,
it becomes a whole different game from the Philadelphia Eagles,
a very different game. And that is the concern. Nobody
(37:42):
has been able to stop Saquon for good reason. This
is one of the best offensive lines in football. They
man handled everybody and they're going to continue to do that.
But if the Rams, somehow can can find a way
to bottle him up a little bit? Can they Can
they find a way to not shut him down, because
that's pretty impossible on this day and age. But can
they stifle him just enough times to give him Matt
(38:05):
Stafford and those guys a chance to get a lead.
Can they make enough plays? Can they Can they create
a turnover like they did tonight against the Minnesota Vikings.
They can they get an interception and jump around like
they did tonight against the Minnesota Vikings and give them
that Stafford one extra possession. That is when I would
get concerned for the Philadelphia Eagles if they can if
they get behind two scores and they can't just consistently
(38:29):
ground and pound and run Saquon Barkley and they have
to lean on Jalen Hurts his arm consistently. That is
where we'll learn a lot about the Philadelphia Eagles. We
know they have the dynamic playmakers Goddard, aj Brown, Devontae Smith.
Even in the past game, you still got Saquon Barkley,
who's the dangerous in the pass game. Can Jalen Hurts
(38:50):
shake off the rust that he's shown over the past
four or five games that he's played, He just has
not looked the same he did have the one game
Or is that what y'all wanted where he threw for
I think over two fifty and he looked really good,
and he's just like that what y'all wanted that, that's
what y'all wanted, That's what y'all wanted to see. Gotcha that?
But we need to see that in the playoffs. And
if he does that and he's done it, he's done
(39:12):
it before. Let's not act like he hasn't played well
in the playoffs. He played well on his way to
the super Bowl. He got to the Super Bowl against
Patrick Mahomes and some would argue he outplayed Patrick Mahomes.
But this season he's just had a lot of ups
and downs. And this Rams defense has shown they can
be relentless, they can be disruptive, they can cause issues,
(39:32):
and they can play a lot better than their seventeenth
ranking over the season, and they've gotten healthier, they've gotten
more experienced, and their offense has gotten more experienced. But
the Philadelphia Eagles are just a more talented team. They're
a more complete team. Their offensive line full of All
Pros and Pro Bowlers, their defensive line Jalen Carter, full
of All Pros and Pro Bowlers. Their secondary quin Jon Mitchell,
(39:56):
they call it Quintanamo Bank. Locking you know a rookie,
he's playing at a really high level. Cooper Degene impactful player,
big play, safe for end of the program, impactful player, CJ. Gardner,
Johnson Blankenship. They all really experienced, really impactful players that
play well together. Na Kobe Dean is going to be
(40:16):
a big issue, though, second leading tackler on the team
has it looks like he's out for the rest of
the playoffs. With the ruptured Patetel Intendon, that's a big loss.
What will his replacement do and how will he fare
and how will he factor into this game. But you know,
their d line is playing as good, Nolan Smith playing
some of their best football of their careers. So that's
(40:39):
what has allowed this Philadelphia defense to be number one
in the Land or number two defense in the Land.
But it's it's that offense that sometimes kind of kind
of struggles. And if they struggle in this game and
it's just the wrong time, anything can happen.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
So who do you like, rich, I mean, you think
the Rams go on the road and squeak one out,
or you think Philly's gonna be heading hopefully to Detroit
to take on the Lions in the NFC Championship game.
That's my whole bridge. I think Philly goes.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
You know, I think Philly just you know, sa Quon
is just having a special season.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
He's running the ball well.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Their offensive line is really really tough to deal with
for a lot of people, you know, Lane Johnson, my Lotta,
There's just so much talent on that team. So I
think they're gonna figure it out. And I just don't
know if the Rams have enough experience and enough beef
upfront to really deal with that consistently. And if they
get to Detroit, you know, you get Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Detroit.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Guess what we go back to, Mitchell. Guess what gets
you today? It's the championship games, Mitchell. Momentum, momentum and
old line, d line Mitchell. It's built in the trenches.
Trench work, trinch work.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
You gotta have it.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
You gotta have great trenches if you want to win
in this league.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
I'm with you, and that would be Both of those
matchups would be incredible matchups. But the AFC man, I mean,
like we talked about last Bad Cut podcast, the AFC,
once he's playoffs start, they hit you quick because we
see in the divisional round the Ravens are going on
(42:19):
the road to take on the Buffalo Bills in a
must see matchup, one of the best games of the year,
no question about that. In terms of matchup, we get
two great teams and two great quarterbacks who are gonna
be battling out for the MVP as well. Vegas likes
the Ravens, giving them a one and a half point
edge over the Bills, Richard, Who do you like in
(42:39):
this game?
Speaker 1 (42:41):
I like who Vegas likes this time, because that's the
team I think has the advantage. You know, I think
Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson had the advantage they played
this Buffalo Bills team obviously was without Matt Milano in
the lineup, so it's gonna be a little different here.
But they've seen success. On that tape. It looks like success.
It looks like they have answers. It looks like Derrick
Henry of old, it looked like Lamar Jackson had answers.
(43:04):
That they'll be likely getting Zave Flowers back for this game,
who they didn't have last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
So I like them.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Usually when you get a point and a half from
Vegas and you're the when you're the away team, you're
the road team, that's really like four and a half
because they give the home team three just for being home.
If you're the home team, you get three points. Like
if you see a three point margin, hey they're three
point favorites. They're really just the home team. That's what
(43:30):
they give you for being home. And if you see
them down by three, that's really six points like they're saying,
you know, this is a six point doll, but that's
you know, a low background info about how that goes.
But I give it to Buffalo. They're playing good football
and they've shown they can run the football really well.
James Cook has been incredible. Seventeen rushing touchdowns on the
(43:52):
season now has been a great compliment to Josh Allen
and what he's been able to do. When Josh Allen
isn't having a big game, it's usually because James Cook
is running the ball really well in that game and
he doesn't need to pass it that much, or he
himself is running the ball well and he had twelve
touchdowns on the year rushing the football.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
So it's gonna be a good game.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
I don't think it'll be the thirty five to ten
game that it was when they played earlier in the year.
But I still think Buffalo struggles to stop the Baltimore Ravens,
and I think the Baltimore Ravens defense is playing as
well as they have all season, and they'll find ways.
They're number one in just about every category pass yards,
yards per play, scoring since Week eleven. The adjustments they
(44:36):
made have just been great Now, Josh Allen isn't going
quietly into the night, especially when the MVP conversation has
been happening all year long, especially in the last month
between he and Lamar Jackson. Who deserves it more. They
gave it to Lamar last year with stats that weren't
as great as the stats he put up this year,
and obviously Josh Allen with the forty one touchdowns are
(44:59):
forty touchdowns is going to say, hey man, this team
was projected not to be in the playoffs this season,
with the departures of a lot of veterans, a lot
of captains, a lot of production offensively with Stefan Diggs
and the Boys. But he wield this team with rookies
and young players Khalil Shakier and Kean Coleman and James
(45:21):
James Cook who we talked about, Dalton kin Kai the Titians.
They've willed this team to a very good record, second
ranked offense in the National Football League, the eleventh ranked defense.
So they're not going to be an easy out. But
I think the Baltimore Ravens pull this one.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Out, Richard.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
While Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are on their way
to the camp. Let's be real, these guys are playing
like Pro Football Hall of famers in the future, no
question about it, but neither one of them has been
able to get to that top level, that Super Bowl.
How important is this game? How important is one of
these guys making a run and getting their teams over
(45:58):
the final hurdle, which is Patrick Mahomes and get out
of this AFC and out of the Super Bowl? How
important is this to their legacies?
Speaker 2 (46:06):
It's incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
This is essential because whoever loses this game takes a knock,
you know what I mean, They take a step down
on the pedestal, and whoever wins it takes a step up. Now,
Mahomes is at the top of the mountain, regardless of
how he's been playing, regardless of if you think he's
played elite this year or last year, but what you
think of him, Patrick Mahomes is at the top of
(46:29):
the mountain. Three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs,
two MVPs in the National Football League. If he retired today,
some would call him the greatest quarterback to ever play,
no offense to the goat Tom twelve. But the things
he's been able to do early in his career have
given him the leeway in the space he's the greatest.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
The only way anybody takes a step closer and separates
himself from the pack more is winning this game.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Now.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
If Josh Allen wins this game, then it's Patrick mahone,
Josh Allen, then Burrow and Lamar and then everybody else
after that. And if vice versa happens and Lamar wins,
then is Patrick Mahomes, Lamar, Josh Allen, Burrow and everybody else.
That's how it's gonna work, and that's how it's gonna
(47:18):
shake out. For whoever wins, it's gonna give themself a
chance to go against the top of the mountain and
potentially inch themselves closer to greatness and too closer to
him in comparison. But you're not gonna be able to
catch him because you're not gonna be able to win
three Super Bowls this year. You can only win one.
So that's what's on the line right now. The other
will deal with a lot of criticism in the offseason
(47:40):
about how they can't win the big game. You know,
I think if Josh Allen loses, he'll be a little
bit lighter because he just doesn't have the talent offensively,
and that's what they'll say. He doesn't have the weapons.
That's what they said in the preseason, that's what they
said all year long. But he is a two seed
right now, so you kind of eliminate that that conversation.
But I'm sure that's what they'll say if he loses that,
(48:00):
Hey man, he doesn't have the receivers yet, They're gonna
get more experienced, They're gonna get more pieces, they're gonna
get better in that space, and they'll be better next
year if Lamar Jackson loses, though Mitchell, with everything that
they've been have and everything they've been able to do,
that's gonna be a lot different a lot more noise
coming out about Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens if
(48:23):
they're unable to win this game and unable to make
it further, if they're unable to make it to the
super Bowl this season. So I think a lot more
pressure is on the Baltimore Ravens because their expectation and
their disappointment would be so much greater because coming into
this season, they were supposed to be one of the
best teams in football and it was supposed to be
them in the Kansas City Chiefs in then AFC Championship,
(48:45):
and again you're expecting that to be a battle, but
we're expecting it to be in Baltimore. Again, it's gonna
be in Kansas City if it happens. So they would
have to go through Buffalo and go through Kansas City
on the road to get to a Super Bowl, then
potentially go through one of these great quarterbacks and one
of these great teams in the NFC, and that would
get them a lot of acclaim. So I'm looking forward
(49:06):
to watching this game in this result, it'll a lot
Ryan know this one.
Speaker 3 (49:10):
And then finally let's talk about Kansas City. They're hosting
the Houston Texans. A lot of folks, including myself, were
surprised at how dominant the Houston Texas were in that
last game, especially in the second half, absolutely killing the
La Chargers in every facet of the game offensively, defensively,
special teams.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
It just looked like.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
They wanted it a lot more. A lot of people
were talking about them as a possible Super Bowl contender,
I mean, coming out of the AFC this year, Richard,
how do you view this matchup I mean, it's big
mo momentum on Houston side or do you think they
just get they get tossed out of side easily with
going into Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
It depends, and I do think they're riding high. They
have momentum.
Speaker 2 (49:55):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Stroud has just struggled a little bit and regressed a
little bit this year, but look like he and Nico
Collins found a bit of rhythm. But they're gonna have
an even tougher matchup than they did last week against
this Spag No Spags coach defense and all the talent
that Chris Jones and and and uh Carl Loftis and
(50:16):
and Bolton and McDuffie and etcetera, etcetera, justin Reid. Uh,
they have a lot of talent on this secondary. They're
getting Watson back at the corner, and that's where I'm concerned,
Like are they gonna be able to score enough points?
I think the defense may be able to get it done.
I love the corner matchups. I love lasseter and and
(50:38):
Derek Stingley are are playing as good a football as
they've played all season. You talked about Petrie, I think
they could be really problematic, Like Patrick Mahomes has turned
the ball over and this defense has been one of
the best in the National Football League this year of
taking the football. So they're gonna be able to potentially
give their offense a few more possessions. But are they
gonna be able to run the ball as Joe Mixon
(50:59):
gonna be effective? Like, how do they manufacture points? Because
I think they can get enough stops. I think, you know,
we talked about this Kansas City offense. This isn't their
best offensive year. This isn't their most talented offense. They
don't have a ton of big time playmakers. Xavier Worthy
is a speedy guy, but I think you put a
guy like Stingley on him, they can handle it. You
got veteran receivers in Juju Smith Schuster, you got NW Hopkins,
(51:23):
but they can be handled. You got the veteran in
Kelsey who hasn't looked like he has in the past.
You know, he'll find his spots, he'll get open. He
has his rapport with Patrick. But their tackles have struggled.
You know, they've moved one of the best guards in
National Football League to tackle to try to just band
aid their way through these playoffs. And he's done a
(51:44):
great job. Tony's done a great job at tackle. They've
been able to fix some things. But now he's gonna
go against Danil Hunter and Will Anderson, and those are
two of the premier pass rushers in the National Football League.
How do they both stand up? And you talk about
on the right side, the right tackle. He's had a
lot of penalty issues and he you know, whether it's
(52:04):
a lineman or whether it's holding. I think he's one
of the most penalized offensive linemen in National Football League.
And they'll attack him relentlessly in this game. So there
is a space where the Houston Texans defensively can hold
their own, but kim their offense survive. That's the part
that I'm most concerned about. And I just think Andy
Reid and Spags just are gonna be too much for
(52:27):
this team in the end. And they're gonna they're gonna
put out a win.
Speaker 3 (52:30):
Well, yeah, I mean they get Isaiah to check go
back to I mean they're well rested. This Kansas City
Chiefs team quietly went fifteen and two this season and
return and are looking for a three peat. I don't
know if anyone's gonna want to see him again in
the Super Bowl. Like I think folks are rooting for
somebody else, but I just don't know how you stop them.
They're an absolute juggernaut. I gotta believe Kansas City comes
(52:53):
out of this victorious and then, my goodness, we'll see
who comes out of the Bills and Ravens game alive,
because that AFC title game is going to be an
absolute wild one again, Richard, this is amazing. Wildcar Weekend
is already coming gone. We're going onto the divisional round.
Now the NFL, there's no greater sport in the world
(53:15):
than the NFL. You're winning, you move on, you don't
and you go home, or you go to can Kun. Richard,
this final eight is gonna We're gonna have a heck
of arrest of the run here. I will let you
sign us off, my friend.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
I wonder how Mexico feels about always being the butt
of the jokes of teams getting eliminated from major sports.
Speaker 3 (53:37):
Either it's free advertisement, man, I would love to go
to Cancun right.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
Now, so me too. Weather's great. But as always, thank
you guys for joining us at the rich Term Podcast.
We know you could be anywhere in the world for
your sports covered and you're here with us and we
surely appreciate it. Thank you guys, have a beautiful, blessed day.
Thanks for joining us, and please hit that SUP button
if you're new. See you next week. The volume
The Volume Football Championship that should always do the expectation.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
All right, man, at you go ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another day, another wild
Card wild game upset, kind of, I mean not by seeding,
but by record. A fourteen win Minnesota team goes into
Phoenix to play the La Rams, and the LA Rams
(00:38):
have their way. Their defense takes a page out of
Aaron Glenn's playbook and puts a lot of pressure on
Sam Donald to the tune of nine sacks in the game.
They come away with a twenty seven to nine victory.
Great game by matt Stafford and their offense. Really rough
game by Sam Donald in their offense. TJ Hawkinson and
(01:00):
those boys. But Mitchell, did you see this coming?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Because Richard, I'm telling you I kind of had a
gut instinct here that Matthew Stafford's not done yet.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I mean, this LA Rams team's a lot more locked
and loaded that I think they're giving credit for. And
they've come on strong late in the season, much like
they did last year. Matthew Stafford's tough man, and I
know they were not playing in LA but they had
They were very motivated coming into this game. With everything
going on in La. Prayers for La right now. But Richard,
(01:31):
I mean you got to think about how motivated they
were to put on for their city, and they did
just that from start to finish.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Today, I'm sure happy.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was a little bummed out the Commanders won because,
you know, Richard, I was looking forward to hopefully taking
on the Vikings again. But I'm so happy that Detroit
Lions do not have to face this team in round
two because that matchup against the Eagles is going to
be a while one. Let's look at this game, rich
because as good as Sam Donald has been all season,
(02:02):
he's looked equally bad the last two games. Oh boy,
I mean, Richard, what went wrong for Sam Donald tonight?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Everything everything that could go wrong? It was what do
they call it, Murphy's law? Everything that could go wrong
went wrong for Sam Donald in the Minnesota Vikings. What
I think happened, Mitchell, What I think happened is they
watched the Detroit Lions and Aaron Glenn's playing, and Aaron
Glenn had a decimated defensive line just like had a
(02:33):
rag tag defense, you know, so beat up, so injured,
and he said, you know what, all we can do
is trust our dbs and blitz them to all hell.
And they did that, and then Chris Shula comes in,
I'm sure watches that tape and says, why not, why not,
let's split them, Let's blit them to all hell. And
(02:55):
sometimes they didn't even need to blitz because they had
Jared Verse and Jared was getting home and a lot
of their d line was winning one on ones Kello
Witherspoon And we'll get to that later and break it
down in a lot of detail, because I'm pretty sure
I know what he was doing and what he was
thinking on that play, and it was an incredibly heady play.
Balls he played one of those plays that you know
(03:19):
it's feast or famine. Either he gets the sack on
that play or the tight ends wide open for a
huge game. And big time players make big time plays
in big time game, no hesitation, no hesitation. Big play
was made. But the Vikings defense, they didn't have answers
for Kyron Williams. They didn't have answers for Matt Stafford,
(03:41):
they didn't have answers for Higbee. He was open a
lot of the game poking. Nakula didn't have as big
of a game as he had the last time, but
still made really impactful plays.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But Kobe Turner, the two.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Sacks Byron Young, Neville Gallimore one and a half sacks each,
Kobe Durant sack and an interception in the game, and
that book was clean. They were playing a lot of
two man. They're not worried about Sam Donald running the football,
and it just worked out. And sometimes the lack of
expectations allow people to play free, you know. Sometimes the
(04:16):
burden of expectations, it's so much it paralyzes you.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It paralyzes you, it tightens you up.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
But the team that's playing it on house money, the
team that barely even made it into the playoffs, the
team that everybody's like, oh man, changed the seeding, they
shouldn't be here. They shouldn't have a home game. The
division winners shouldn't get this. Well, guess what, the fourteen
win team played the division winner that should have been
the sixth seed, and they beat him very handily. And
(04:48):
I think that that is the reason the league doesn't
change it, because it's still something about it being a
division champion that just feels earned.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
It does.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And now, sure you have the Tampa game that they
were in a dog fight with the to commanders, but
it wasn't like it was a blowout. But yes, I
think the Minnesota Vikings had a really cool season, really
fun season, exceeded expectations. But this isn't good enough. And
I think Sam Donald calls himself some money. It's been
a great story all season long. I think he played
(05:17):
really good football all season long. Now it's gonna be
the question, how did the Minnesota Vikings see him? Is
he the long term answer in Minnesota? Or do you
go with the kid next year? Is JJ McCarthy going
to be healthy? And if he's not healthy, do you
have enough time to make a decision in an interim?
Free agency starts in March?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I think they at least have Sam Donald for another year,
But what does that look like? Contract wise? What is
Sam Donald gonna ask for? Are there going to be
other teams that are looking to put their hat in
the ring that may not get the quarterback they want
in a draft because they're not in a draft position
to get them. Las Vegas Raiders being a team that
could potentially do that, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I will caution you with that, Richard. I mean as
much as I love guy Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson made
that man a lot of money and he made him
look awfully good. And he's doing the same thing with
Sam Donald. I mean, how much do you think Sam
Donald owes his success to the offensive weapons that are
in Minnesota? Because to me, if you have a quarterback
(06:17):
that could be a decent game manager, much like Kirk
Cousins has been in Minnesota throughout his career, insert Sam
Donald into that same equation. I mean, it seems like
a perfect fit for Sam Donald. How much do you
think that helped him in his ultimate success this year
versus him going to a place like the Raiders, like
back to the Jets, something like that. I just can't
(06:37):
see this guy having that level of success that a
payday would warrant.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I think it's tough because because yes, Justin Jefferson is
an incredible receiver, but there's also an aspect of Kevin
O'Connell in the way he's drawing it up. And he's
drawn up a really good game plan. He's got guys
wide open in the run game. Aaron Jones, you know,
it opens up lanes. Cam Akers started to get going
(07:04):
in this game a little bit early on. And sometimes
that's the thing. Hey, you're in the perfect situation for
your talents, for your mind, you're processing. He's putting him
into uh positions to be really successful throwing the football.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And so.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I'm sure Kevin, Kevin O'Connell and Justin Jefferson and all
those pieces are having a positive effect on what Sam
Darnold's able to do. But he's still doing it. So
I think there, you know, I think there's something to
be said about that. You know, they've won a lot
of games. It's it's a hand and glove fit. If
(07:44):
you're not willing to go into the unknown with JJ McCarthy,
because maybe JJ McCarthy is everything they thought he'd be.
And he goes he's healthy, he comes in there off
the off the injury, he's healthy, He's able to go
out there and execute and play run his offense at
a high level. Cool, we go with him. We let
Sam Donald walk make a lot of money in free agency.
(08:06):
If somebody wants to take a flyer on him, gotcha.
But if you think, hey, we want to run it
back with Sam Donald, you're gonna have to make that
decision so early and you're gonna have to give him
some money. I don't think he takes too much of
a discount. I mean at least thirty five million ish,
you know, maybe three four one hundred. The Baker Mayfield
deal with a little bit of extra, maybe less guaranteed
(08:26):
because he struggled. But remember he's he's a top three
draft pick coming out, so he's got money he can
he can pass the deal up and say, hey, I
want to test my test the waters. I think I've
proven myself. I think I've proven that I can be
a guy. We'll see, we'll see if they think he's
done enough to earn his money. Something tells me that
they'll believe in him at least for one more season.
(08:47):
But you know, I don't call the I don't make
the decisions in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, let's talk about the la Rams. They deserve to
be a part of this conversation. After that performance tonight, Richard,
do you view them as as a true Super Bowl
content after a performance like this tonight, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
You have to, because all year you can you can
put it all together and say, man, this offense was
ranked this, the defense was ranked this. What did they
do here? What did they do here? Did they get
an eat sacks? In the playoffs? Sometimes all that goes
away and you're you know, you have an idea what
the what they've done, so you can kind of figure
out what they should be doing. But the way the
(09:25):
Rams look tonight, they look like the best defense in football.
You know, it looked very dynamic, well prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Their defense played really good football. Uh Kello Witherspoon for
endo the program. Uh Kobe Durant played good football like
they made names for themselves and they were flying around
the field. So nothing tells me that they won't be
competitive against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And everybody talked.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
About Jalen hurts struggles, and you know, there's some of
it's rust and some of it is is play calling,
some of it's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
But if he plays like that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
In a game against the La Rams and Stafford gets
hot and Pokinakua gets hot, and they find a way
find some holes in that defense that the Green Bay
Packers weren't able to exploit, this is gonna be a
very interesting game. There's no fear there. And that's the thing.
Matthew Stafford has played so much football he's seen Vic Fangiol.
(10:22):
He has a notebook, I'm sure with notes on vic
Fangio's defense, whether it was with the San Francisco forty
nine ers, or it was with the Miami Dolphins, or
it was with the Denver Broncos. You gotta think how
many places did Matt Stanford play against Vic Fangio, Like,
that's how much football he's played. Vic Fangiol was with
(10:42):
the San Francisco forty nine ers in twenty twelve or
twenty ten or twenty I get there twenty eleven, from
twenty eleven to like twenty fourteen, then he head coached
for Denver for a couple of years. But Matthew Stafford,
I gotta look back, probably played him at every place.
That helps you in your preparation for these games. So
I think he'll be prepared. McVeigh will be prepared and
(11:04):
they'll have a good plan. So they got as good
a chance as any. And again you're Detroit Lions. They
if they beat the Washington Commanders and they see the
Rams in the NFC Championship, Ye, Mitchell, it's fright.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
They could write about that.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
They can write a book about this matchup between the Rams,
and the Lions and everything that is taking place with
Matthew Stafford and Jerry Goff. Richard, I want to talk
to you about the axes and os of football. We
had a good Chad off air, but you need to
break it down for the listeners because I left very impressed.
We were talking about the Kello Withers thro spoon strips
strip sack which resulted in a scoop and score a touchdown. Richard,
(11:42):
you broke down the play. I mean, just describe when
what you think went on there for our listeners.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Well, in that situation, if you look at it, it's
a closed partner of the formation, which is just a
tight end by himself, no receiver outside to open the
formation up. Both receivers are to the opposite side. So
in my mind, usually if it's man to man coverage,
then a Kello would have would have traveled to the
other side, covered one of the receivers or covered the
other tight end, or whatever the case may be. They
(12:09):
were playing some kind of zone we used to call
it reno, where the backside corner is man to man
on a tight end, he's locked in coverage, and then
the rest of.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
The three dbs or four dbs if they if.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
They're in a nickel situation, they're covering the two receivers,
so they're zoning that off. It's too high, you know.
It's it's kind of like a palm's look for people
who know what palms is. But with the with the
rules tweaked a little bit. So anything quick to the flat,
you know, the opposite side corner triggers the safety goes
over the top. All that's good stuff, but that corner
(12:41):
is man to man. And a Kello was with me
in San Francisco when I've only got two career sacks, Mitchell,
I only have two career sacks, and both of them
were in this coverage where the tight end block.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Both situations.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Uh, the tight end ended up being an extra tackle,
and so I was already had my mind made up
that I was triggering. As soon as the ball was snapped,
Kello waited for a second, He took a step, He
took a bad to reach the situation. Soon as he
saw the tight end engaged with the end, he made
a very fast decision. People don't understand. Things happened really
fast out there, and when you're making a decision like that,
(13:16):
everything can go through your mind like what if?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
What if? What if?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
There was no hesitation, There was no what if in
that situation in his thoughts. Soon as he saw him engage,
he triggered. Sam Darnold didn't have a chance to even
look up and see the tight end. The tight end
was wide open. The tight end was wide open because
he blocked and then he released. But Kello had already
made the call and he played fast enough. So that's
one of those plays where the coach would probably be like, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes,
(13:43):
oh great, great job, Chris Jule, a great call. But
that call was totally made by Kello Witherspoon. He made
the decision, He took the risk, He went out there
and made a split second decision that led to a
huge play in the ball game. And really the play
of the game is that play because it opened it up.
That was a defensive touchdown, and after that, I think
(14:06):
it pretty much broke the backs of the Minnesota Vikings.
They were reeling from that point forward. They were able
the ends in the tackles of the La Rams were
able to pin their ears back and go to work.
They had the lead, but that was just an outstanding
play by Kello Witherspoon, and he should be commended that
that is the play of the game because it's a play.
(14:27):
It's not the way the defensive coordinator drew it up
when he called the play. A Kello made that play
come to life with a decision and a reaction and
smart heady football love to see it.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Richard.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
You had a similar sack against Mark Sanchez and the
Jets resulting also and a sack fumble. Walk through that
play a little bit. I mean, what was Pete's reaction
after he saw you do that?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I mean I had to tackle, and you know, they
never gave us a rule that, hey, if the tackle blocks,
if there's a tackle, you can trigger. But I'm a
smart ball player and I'm not gonna I don't need
you to tell me rules. I'll make rules and then
maybe you'll put this in the notebook as a role
for everybody else to play. And so when the tackle blocks,
I have nothing to do with Either I can go
deep down the field and try to find some work,
(15:17):
or I can just trigger and sack the quarterback. And
I saw I did it a few times in practice,
and I don't think Pete ever thought thought about it
that way. He thought I was just joking around or
just messing around because the tackle was just blocking. And
when I did it in the game, I went to
the sideline. People was like, hey, Sharan, great play, you
know sa first bumble, But what the hell were you doing?
(15:37):
And I was like, you didn't see the tackle? Do
you want me to cover the tackle? He's like, no,
why would you cover the tackle? Like exactly, So I blitched.
It's like, what great play. Yeah, that's a great play, Sharan,
that's a great play. Like, yeah, I know, I'm a
good player. She always the tone.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
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Speaker 3 (18:46):
Let's talk about the Dallas Cowboys. We had some news break.
I don't really want to call it breaking news because
I don't think it really comes with much of a shock,
but Mike McCarthy was let go, which opens the floodgates
to a bunch of rumors and speculation about something you
brought to life about a month ago. Eon Dion coach Prime.
Dion Sanders is rumored as one of the leaders in
(19:08):
the clubhouse for that job. I mean, Richard, first off,
what are your thoughts on this move to get rid
of McCarthy And do you see do you see Dion
Sanders as coach Prime of the Dallas Cowboys in the
near future.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Things are playing out in a way that makes it
very difficult to say it. It can't happen, because how
curious is this whole thing, this whole Dallas Cowboys debacle,
Because the Bears request an interview with McCarthy, and then
the Cowboys say, no, you can't interview our coach. He's
(19:47):
our coach. We're gonna work on an extension with him.
But then they don't, and then they fire him. I said, look,
there's been a couple dick moves by the Cowboys. The
Cooper Rush situation where he had just to play that
game and he got two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
bonus and they played Trey Lance Dick move, not allowing
(20:09):
McCarthy to interview with the Bears when you knew you
were gonna.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Fire him, dick move.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
But then to wait this long and not be in
the first window to interview Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
What why?
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And that's the part I don't get unless you're telling
me that, Hey, you talk to Dion and he says
for the right price, I'd hear y'all, Jerry, And Jerry said,
well that's enough for me. See you seea Mike, I
sure do appreciate everything you did for us, and you man,
(20:50):
you're a good old coach. We wish you the best.
If you need letters of recommendation from the Dallas Cowboys,
we'd be happy to tell him everything that you did
for program. And uh, we sure do love you and
and and don't don't let the door hit you on
the way out. But Brian brother, I'm on here for
a interview now. Then it makes a little sense, Mitchell,
(21:15):
Then it makes a little sense because you would have
thought they would have been high on trying to get
Ben Johnson, or you would have thought, hey, call Bill
Belichick and tell him not to take the n SAT
North Carolina job because we're gonna be interested in you
and we're gonna get rid of McCarthy. But they didn't
do that, and so now I'm like, what was your
(21:38):
what was your plan?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Mitchell? I think it's prime the way you painted that picture. Richard,
I have to agree with you one hundred percent. I mean,
it makes no other sense. But you know what I mean.
Jerry Jones has been doing this for the last several years. Hey, Hey,
why don't you get ahead of the game and extend
Dak Prescott. I know I'm not gonna do that. I'm
gonna wait the next five quarterbacks sign and then pay
(22:02):
him close to sixty million dollars a year. Hey what
about Ceedee Lamb. No, I'm gonna wait for I'm on
Rod to get paid. I'm gonna rate for all these
guys to get paid. I'm gonna pay him more than
all of those guys. Hey, how about MICHAEH. Parsons? Why
don't you sign him early? Nah, I'm gonna hold out
until I can pay him the absolute most I can
possibly pay him.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Richard.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
You know, Jerry Jones is one of the staples in
the NFL. No question about He's one of the biggest
names in sports, but I gotta question some of these
decisions at point blank period. But the way you painted
things with Dion Sanders to the Cowboys, I'm fully on
board with that, But the question is do you think
it'd be a good fit. I mean, is that gonna
(22:42):
bring wins to Dallas?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (22:51):
But the wins, I don't think we're the problem. Like,
and I know I'm I was tough on Mike McCarthy
as anybody, but I've said this too. There are very
few coaches that have won as many games as Mike
McCarthy in the last five years. I think it's Andy Reid,
I think Sirianni, maybe Kyle Shanahan.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Like all the guys.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
That have won more than than Mike McCarthy have probably
been to a Super Bowl or been to an NFC
Championship game, and he just hasn't had the playoff success,
which leads to criticism. That's it's it's welcome, it's it's
what comes with the job. Hey, you win in twelve
games every year, thirteen games, but then you get to
the playoffs and do I need to start the song? No,
(23:36):
you guys already know it. Vision and done, the visional
and done. But do I think that Dion would come
in and push them over twelve and five or thirteen
and four?
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Probably not, you know what I mean. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I don't know if he could push him further than
Mike McCarthy did record wise. Now, what I do think
he would be able to do is put butts in
the seats like you thought they were a draw before.
When Prime gets there, you've never well, we've never seen it.
I don't think we've seen it yet. We've not seen
(24:18):
fans come wearing the coaches jersey. There'll be more fans
in these stadiums wearing the coaches jersey. Then there will
be the players jersey. And that's everybody included. I mean,
Dak Prescott might have a couple, but they're gonna be
in that pro shop. It's gonna be Sanders twenty one's
being sold. If he's the head coach and they're gonna
sell out, I just don't know if it's a it's up,
(24:41):
you know what I mean. And that's what I That's
what I'm concerned about for any coach that goes to
coach the Dallas Cowboys right now that's a tough act
to follow, Like that's a lot of wins over four
or five year year span. Now you didn't have the
playoff success, which is the ultimate success that defines a
coach his legacy and does all that.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
But regular season.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
He did phenomenal, built good offenses, The offenses succeeds, solid defenses,
had multiple dbs with nine to ten interceptions. Deron Bland
was having crazy years. Trevon Diggs was playing great, which
means I mean al Harris, al Harris. I look for
him to get a hit head coaching interview or a
DC's interview, like he did a great job with those
(25:23):
guys in Dallas. But that's the part that concerns me,
is anybody gonna be able to live up to what
Mike McCarthy did, because otherwise they're gonna get fired in
two years. And so that would be my concern with
Dehon if he can't turn it around, Because now you
have to deal with the big contracts of CD Lamb,
the big contract to Dak Prescott, the big contract for
Micah Parsons, the big contract for Trey Diggs. So it
(25:46):
changes the way you build a roster. It limits your
resources and sure there will be guys that take pay
cuts to maybe play for Dion, but not that great
and not taken half. And so that's the part that
concerns me. And then again, Dion has only he's only
coached his son at quarterback for a long time now.
(26:08):
He has not coached another quarterback for a long time,
and he won't be able to coach his son in Dallas.
The Dak Prescott is going to be the quarterback for
the Dallas Cowboys for the foreseeable future. There's no trade
partner I think that'll take him. There's no out of
this contract anytime soon. And I don't think there's any
world where you draft sha Door Sanders with your first
(26:28):
round pick if you're the Dallas Cowboys, and if it,
you know, with everything being said, he should be gone
within the top five picks. So that's where it doesn't
make as much sense for Dion to take take the
job in my opinion, but for speculatory purposes makes all
the sense in the world.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I love it. I love it well, Richard.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
We have a final eight in the NFL playoffs. The
Commanders are taken on the Lions. This guy, Jayden daniels
Man he's future star, Richard. I mean, we might be
talking to NFL MVP in the next five years with
this guy. The way he plays in the pocket and
is able to scramble. I mean, he plays this game
wise beyond his years. How much of a threat do
(27:13):
you think he can be to an injured and batter
Detroit Lions team.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It's gonna be a challenge because it has to be contained, contained, contained,
and some of the things he does you can't simulate.
You know, they're gonna have to put a receiver or
a dB at quarterback just to give you an idea
of the kind of speed that you're gonna be dealing
with in dynamic elusiveness that you're gonna be dealing with
at the quarterback position. And it's a little easier when
(27:38):
you got tape that of your team going against him.
You have the tape of you dealing with him at
times or somebody, you know what I mean, a plan.
And now he has gotten stopped at times, like people
have had success stopping him, but not a lot and
not lately. And so that's the part that concerns me,
is that if they can consistently stop him and this
(28:02):
ends up being a shootout and just like with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if he gets the ball last and
he's only down three, he's gonna win. And that's what
he's shown. I mean, I think he has the most
fourth quarter first downs and touchdowns of just about any quarterback.
And whether it's rushing or passing, like, he finds a
way to make winning plays in the fourth quarter consistently,
(28:26):
and his team knows it and his team believes it.
So when you have an unwavering belief in faith, it's powerful.
It's powerful for a team, and it allows guys to
unlock their true potential. And defensively, that defense is playing better.
You got veterans who have been there, done that. Bobby Wagner,
friend of the program, been there, done that. Hey got
Super Bowls, been to Super Bowls, been eleven times straight
(28:49):
All Pro And people are like, oh, he's getting it
from name. Where you think the name came from, it's synonymous.
I think there's only two or three people with more
All Pros than Bobby in the history of the National
Football League. He's talking about a Hall of Famers, Hall
of Famer, like you're talking about a goats goough And
I don't care how much you watch football, how much
(29:11):
you appreciate football. You have to appreciate the greatness of
a player like Bobby Wagner, what he's been able to
sustain as long as he has in different places. Went
to the Rams for a year. All Pro came back
to Seattle. They said, I love him, Welcome home, all
bro Hey, Seattle were moving on new direction, new coach,
commanders Hey, dan Quinn, Bobby old friend, Kenny Norton, I
(29:34):
love you to death. Back home, back together, All Pro
like he's a guy in this defense, rallies behind him,
lou Fu. There's a number of guys. They got guys
that believe in, that play hard and that really make plays.
I think she and the safety he plays hard, he
makes plays. Last week it was Latimore Latimore against Mike
(29:58):
Evans was a big storyline in Mike had a really
good game, but a Lottimore and his defense didn't just
enough to squeak out the win.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Because they kept fighting and they kept believing.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
And the reason they kept believing is because they knew
if their offense got the ball last and had a
chance and it was twenty to twenty, oh, I know
they felt great. Mitchell I knew they felt like they
could go out there and win that game, and he did.
He made plays, whether it's with his legs or his arms.
And just like the Detroit Lions, they go for it
on fourth down. They go for it consistently on fourth down.
(30:29):
And I don't think they hesitate. I think they're the
most efficient fourth down team in the National Football League.
It's got to beat them in Detroit right there, one
and two. But that's what scares me about this matchup, Mitchell,
because they they don't know they shouldn't be there.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You know what I mean? Does that make sense? Well, Richard?
Speaker 3 (30:46):
I mean this team, we talked about it in our
season intro said, if Jaden Daniels plays at the level
that CJ. Strouded last year, this team could be very
competitive and could sweak into the playoffs. And here they are.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
The one thing when you analyze this matchup. As good
as the Commanders are offensively and as good as they
are at certain position position groups defensively, where they lack
is in the defense run game. I mean, their run
defense ranks one of the worst in the league. And
when you go against a team like the Detroit Lions
that lean heavily on their run game, and they do
it from a bunch of different ways, and they're getting
(31:21):
David Montgomery back. Like, how big of advantage is that
matchup for the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
That's huge advantage and that may be the advantage, the
winning advantage for the Detroit Lions, because it does a
number of things. It keeps Jaydon Daniels off the field,
and you're running the ball, you're controlling it. And one
thing about the Washington Commanders, they have long drives. It
takes them a long time to get there. They had
they had a seventeen play drive the other day and
(31:48):
I think it took nine minutes, you know, seventeen plays,
Like that's a long time to get to the end zone.
And so if somehow the Lions, you know, are doing
their meticulous just run it five yards of pop, Jamira
Gibbs pops one, then the defense gets to stop and
they go up fourteen points, ten fourteen points, it becomes
a really difficult game for the Washington Comanders to play
(32:09):
because they do not score quick. They're not a quick
strike offense. Really, they take time. They didn't and dunk sometimes.
He's very very accurate and very efficient with the football,
but he doesn't take a ton of risks. He's not
gonna put the ball in harm's way if he can
help it. So, if the Detroit Lions are playing great defense,
(32:30):
and they're playing the way they have all year defensively,
if their corners are playing as good of man coverage
as they have been under Aaron Glenn, it's gonna be
very small windows and it's gonna be up to Jason Daniels'
legs to get it done. And I just I'm worried
that if Detroit gets up and they're able to control
the clock running the ball, that he will run out
of time in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Well, Richard, the Lions finally, for the first time in
their franchise in history, have the one seed and earn
a first round. By how big is that bye week
for them? I mean, you've played with so many different
teams Seattle and San Francisco where you earned that first round.
By how big is it to have that bye week
this late in the season and be able to see
(33:11):
who you're playing with battle it out the weekend before.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It's really important. It's really important, and it's interesting because
some people think it's tough you know, if you look
at college football, every team that got the bye week loss,
and when you look in the league, it's not usually
how it happens. I mean it's at times it does happen.
You know, the bye week team lost. I think maybe
last year they struggled, but it was it last year
(33:36):
Baltimore Baltimore and losing in the NFC champion or AFC
Championship to the Kansas City Chiefs at home. But for
a team like Detroit, they're so banged up, they got
so many guys on IR you got David Montgomery right
on their edge of coming back. You got guys that
could potentially impactful players that just needed one more week.
(33:58):
This is critical for them, and it's critical because it's
it's them getting to take their time rehabbing and coming
back and getting the reps and really making sure those
injuries are a lot healthier than they would have been
if you try to force yourself to come back for
a wild card and battle for the team, because you
never know if this is the last game of the season.
So it definitely helps a team like Detroit who's gotten
(34:20):
so many guys on the IR to get more guys
healthy to give them more chances to be whole because
you need it.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Maybe you don't need totally hold to.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Beat the Washington Commanders, even though they're playing really good
football right now, but you'll need it for the NFC Championship,
regardless of who it is you're playing, whether it's the
Philadelphia Eagles or the LA Rams. And so if they
could get some of those defensive players back, and then
you know, Aiden Hutchinson said a long time ago that hey,
you make it to the Super Bowl, he'll be back.
Do you make that decision to play him? You know,
(34:50):
is that the right decision or do you play the
hot hands? I think obviously the fans would say put
him out there, like that's our guy and all that,
but you don't, you know, from it depends on how
he look in practice and what he looks like. Does
he look like the player he was. You don't want
your first game back. You don't get a preseason, you
don't get live reps before the Super Bowl, and you
don't want your first game back to beat the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
And then something.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Happens, like something a setback happens in the Super Bowl.
You only get forty six men that you can call
active on that game day. You cannot have an injury
on the Super Bowl day to a pass rusher that
you're depending on. So that's a story for down the line,
But just something to keep in mind when you're talking
about activating these players and the way fans are thinking
about things down the line, Like, if you can get
(35:34):
guys healthy, great, but if not, you got to start
getting guys into the mindset that we're gonna go all
the way with you.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Well, let's just say, I mean this Lion's defense that
had so many injuries, and DJ Reider was on air.
I forget what broadcaster was on, but he was on
air and he was basically saying what happened. They asked
him what happened in the Minnesota game. He just said,
they finally got time together. They've finally been able to
communicate with each other better on the field. Like when
(36:02):
you're mixing things up, and if so many injuries, how
difficult is it just a sub and play next man up.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
It's really difficult because some of these guys haven't even
been on a team for weeks or a month, and
so just to understanding the defensive scheme, understanding the philosophy,
understanding what the expectations are from your peers, from the coaches,
the techniques that they want you to play, you know,
the picks or you know the games, what the signals are,
things like that that are that our second nature for
some of these players. Some of these new guys are like, Hey,
(36:30):
I'm learning on the fly. I'm trying to figure it out.
You know, you got Zadarias Smith who just got there
just trying to figure it out on the fly. He
could be a really dynamic, helpful pass rusher, but it's
hard for them to scheme up what he does well
and really play to his talents and make him fit
within this game and him understand this game so that
he could showcase his talents. So it's really important in
(36:52):
another week together, another week without the chaos of game
planning and football allows that to grow and allows that.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
To g The Rams are going to Philly, and the
line just came out. It's Philly favored by six points.
The last time these two teams met, the Eagles dominated
the Rams thirty seven to twenty on the road. And
week eleven, Richard, you already broke it down a little
bit here, but who do you favor in this matchup momentum.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I favor momentum because that's what it's going to come
down to. You know, everybody's criticized Jalen Hurts for his
performance last week, and again I've said it all season.
I just something about me just doesn't trust these Philadelphia
Eagles because of that. Because if somebody can stop Saquon,
it becomes a whole different game from the Philadelphia Eagles,
a very different game. And that is the concern. Nobody
(37:42):
has been able to stop Saquon for good reason. This
is one of the best offensive lines in football. They
man handled everybody and they're going to continue to do that.
But if the Rams, somehow can can find a way
to bottle him up a little bit? Can they Can
they find a way to not shut him down, because
that's pretty impossible on this day and age. But can
they stifle him just enough times to give him Matt
(38:05):
Stafford and those guys a chance to get a lead.
Can they make enough plays? Can they Can they create
a turnover like they did tonight against the Minnesota Vikings.
They can they get an interception and jump around like
they did tonight against the Minnesota Vikings and give them
that Stafford one extra possession. That is when I would
get concerned for the Philadelphia Eagles if they can if
they get behind two scores and they can't just consistently
(38:29):
ground and pound and run Saquon Barkley and they have
to lean on Jalen Hurts his arm consistently. That is
where we'll learn a lot about the Philadelphia Eagles. We
know they have the dynamic playmakers Goddard, aj Brown, Devontae Smith.
Even in the past game, you still got Saquon Barkley,
who's the dangerous in the pass game. Can Jalen Hurts
(38:50):
shake off the rust that he's shown over the past
four or five games that he's played, He just has
not looked the same he did have the one game
Or is that what y'all wanted where he threw for
I think over two fifty and he looked really good,
and he's just like that what y'all wanted that, that's
what y'all wanted, That's what y'all wanted to see. Gotcha that?
But we need to see that in the playoffs. And
if he does that and he's done it, he's done
(39:12):
it before. Let's not act like he hasn't played well
in the playoffs. He played well on his way to
the super Bowl. He got to the Super Bowl against
Patrick Mahomes and some would argue he outplayed Patrick Mahomes.
But this season he's just had a lot of ups
and downs. And this Rams defense has shown they can
be relentless, they can be disruptive, they can cause issues,
(39:32):
and they can play a lot better than their seventeenth
ranking over the season, and they've gotten healthier, they've gotten
more experienced, and their offense has gotten more experienced. But
the Philadelphia Eagles are just a more talented team. They're
a more complete team. Their offensive line full of All
Pros and Pro Bowlers, their defensive line Jalen Carter, full
of All Pros and Pro Bowlers. Their secondary quin Jon Mitchell,
(39:56):
they call it Quintanamo Bank. Locking you know a rookie,
he's playing at a really high level. Cooper Degene impactful player,
big play, safe for end of the program, impactful player, CJ. Gardner,
Johnson Blankenship. They all really experienced, really impactful players that
play well together. Na Kobe Dean is going to be
(40:16):
a big issue, though, second leading tackler on the team
has it looks like he's out for the rest of
the playoffs. With the ruptured Patetel Intendon, that's a big loss.
What will his replacement do and how will he fare
and how will he factor into this game. But you know,
their d line is playing as good, Nolan Smith playing
some of their best football of their careers. So that's
(40:39):
what has allowed this Philadelphia defense to be number one
in the Land or number two defense in the Land.
But it's it's that offense that sometimes kind of kind
of struggles. And if they struggle in this game and
it's just the wrong time, anything can happen.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
So who do you like, rich, I mean, you think
the Rams go on the road and squeak one out,
or you think Philly's gonna be heading hopefully to Detroit
to take on the Lions in the NFC Championship game.
That's my whole bridge. I think Philly goes.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
You know, I think Philly just you know, sa Quon
is just having a special season.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
He's running the ball well.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Their offensive line is really really tough to deal with
for a lot of people, you know, Lane Johnson, my Lotta,
There's just so much talent on that team. So I
think they're gonna figure it out. And I just don't
know if the Rams have enough experience and enough beef
upfront to really deal with that consistently. And if they
get to Detroit, you know, you get Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Detroit.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Guess what we go back to, Mitchell. Guess what gets
you today? It's the championship games, Mitchell. Momentum, momentum and
old line, d line Mitchell. It's built in the trenches.
Trench work, trinch work.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
You gotta have it.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
You gotta have great trenches if you want to win
in this league.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
I'm with you, and that would be Both of those
matchups would be incredible matchups. But the AFC man, I mean,
like we talked about last Bad Cut podcast, the AFC,
once he's playoffs start, they hit you quick because we
see in the divisional round the Ravens are going on
(42:19):
the road to take on the Buffalo Bills in a
must see matchup, one of the best games of the year,
no question about that. In terms of matchup, we get
two great teams and two great quarterbacks who are gonna
be battling out for the MVP as well. Vegas likes
the Ravens, giving them a one and a half point
edge over the Bills, Richard, Who do you like in
(42:39):
this game?
Speaker 1 (42:41):
I like who Vegas likes this time, because that's the
team I think has the advantage. You know, I think
Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson had the advantage they played
this Buffalo Bills team obviously was without Matt Milano in
the lineup, so it's gonna be a little different here.
But they've seen success. On that tape. It looks like success.
It looks like they have answers. It looks like Derrick
Henry of old, it looked like Lamar Jackson had answers.
(43:04):
That they'll be likely getting Zave Flowers back for this game,
who they didn't have last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
So I like them.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Usually when you get a point and a half from
Vegas and you're the when you're the away team, you're
the road team, that's really like four and a half
because they give the home team three just for being home.
If you're the home team, you get three points. Like
if you see a three point margin, hey they're three
point favorites. They're really just the home team. That's what
(43:30):
they give you for being home. And if you see
them down by three, that's really six points like they're saying,
you know, this is a six point doll, but that's
you know, a low background info about how that goes.
But I give it to Buffalo. They're playing good football
and they've shown they can run the football really well.
James Cook has been incredible. Seventeen rushing touchdowns on the
(43:52):
season now has been a great compliment to Josh Allen
and what he's been able to do. When Josh Allen
isn't having a big game, it's usually because James Cook
is running the ball really well in that game and
he doesn't need to pass it that much, or he
himself is running the ball well and he had twelve
touchdowns on the year rushing the football.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
So it's gonna be a good game.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
I don't think it'll be the thirty five to ten
game that it was when they played earlier in the year.
But I still think Buffalo struggles to stop the Baltimore Ravens,
and I think the Baltimore Ravens defense is playing as
well as they have all season, and they'll find ways.
They're number one in just about every category pass yards,
yards per play, scoring since Week eleven. The adjustments they
(44:36):
made have just been great Now, Josh Allen isn't going
quietly into the night, especially when the MVP conversation has
been happening all year long, especially in the last month
between he and Lamar Jackson. Who deserves it more. They
gave it to Lamar last year with stats that weren't
as great as the stats he put up this year,
and obviously Josh Allen with the forty one touchdowns are
(44:59):
forty touchdowns is going to say, hey man, this team
was projected not to be in the playoffs this season,
with the departures of a lot of veterans, a lot
of captains, a lot of production offensively with Stefan Diggs
and the Boys. But he wield this team with rookies
and young players Khalil Shakier and Kean Coleman and James
(45:21):
James Cook who we talked about, Dalton kin Kai the Titians.
They've willed this team to a very good record, second
ranked offense in the National Football League, the eleventh ranked defense.
So they're not going to be an easy out. But
I think the Baltimore Ravens pull this one.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Out, Richard.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
While Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are on their way
to the camp. Let's be real, these guys are playing
like Pro Football Hall of famers in the future, no
question about it, but neither one of them has been
able to get to that top level, that Super Bowl.
How important is this game? How important is one of
these guys making a run and getting their teams over
(45:58):
the final hurdle, which is Patrick Mahomes and get out
of this AFC and out of the Super Bowl? How
important is this to their legacies?
Speaker 2 (46:06):
It's incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
This is essential because whoever loses this game takes a knock,
you know what I mean, They take a step down
on the pedestal, and whoever wins it takes a step up. Now,
Mahomes is at the top of the mountain, regardless of
how he's been playing, regardless of if you think he's
played elite this year or last year, but what you
think of him, Patrick Mahomes is at the top of
(46:29):
the mountain. Three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs,
two MVPs in the National Football League. If he retired today,
some would call him the greatest quarterback to ever play,
no offense to the goat Tom twelve. But the things
he's been able to do early in his career have
given him the leeway in the space he's the greatest.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
The only way anybody takes a step closer and separates
himself from the pack more is winning this game.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Now.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
If Josh Allen wins this game, then it's Patrick mahone,
Josh Allen, then Burrow and Lamar and then everybody else
after that. And if vice versa happens and Lamar wins,
then is Patrick Mahomes, Lamar, Josh Allen, Burrow and everybody else.
That's how it's gonna work, and that's how it's gonna
(47:18):
shake out. For whoever wins, it's gonna give themself a
chance to go against the top of the mountain and
potentially inch themselves closer to greatness and too closer to
him in comparison. But you're not gonna be able to
catch him because you're not gonna be able to win
three Super Bowls this year. You can only win one.
So that's what's on the line right now. The other
will deal with a lot of criticism in the offseason
(47:40):
about how they can't win the big game. You know,
I think if Josh Allen loses, he'll be a little
bit lighter because he just doesn't have the talent offensively,
and that's what they'll say. He doesn't have the weapons.
That's what they said in the preseason, that's what they
said all year long. But he is a two seed
right now, so you kind of eliminate that that conversation.
But I'm sure that's what they'll say if he loses that,
(48:00):
Hey man, he doesn't have the receivers yet, They're gonna
get more experienced, They're gonna get more pieces, they're gonna
get better in that space, and they'll be better next
year if Lamar Jackson loses, though Mitchell, with everything that
they've been have and everything they've been able to do,
that's gonna be a lot different a lot more noise
coming out about Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens if
(48:23):
they're unable to win this game and unable to make
it further, if they're unable to make it to the
super Bowl this season. So I think a lot more
pressure is on the Baltimore Ravens because their expectation and
their disappointment would be so much greater because coming into
this season, they were supposed to be one of the
best teams in football and it was supposed to be
them in the Kansas City Chiefs in then AFC Championship,
(48:45):
and again you're expecting that to be a battle, but
we're expecting it to be in Baltimore. Again, it's gonna
be in Kansas City if it happens. So they would
have to go through Buffalo and go through Kansas City
on the road to get to a Super Bowl, then
potentially go through one of these great quarterbacks and one
of these great teams in the NFC, and that would
get them a lot of acclaim. So I'm looking forward
(49:06):
to watching this game in this result, it'll a lot
Ryan know this one.
Speaker 3 (49:10):
And then finally let's talk about Kansas City. They're hosting
the Houston Texans. A lot of folks, including myself, were
surprised at how dominant the Houston Texas were in that
last game, especially in the second half, absolutely killing the
La Chargers in every facet of the game offensively, defensively,
special teams.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
It just looked like.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
They wanted it a lot more. A lot of people
were talking about them as a possible Super Bowl contender,
I mean, coming out of the AFC this year, Richard,
how do you view this matchup I mean, it's big
mo momentum on Houston side or do you think they
just get they get tossed out of side easily with
going into Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
It depends, and I do think they're riding high. They
have momentum.
Speaker 2 (49:55):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Stroud has just struggled a little bit and regressed a
little bit this year, but look like he and Nico
Collins found a bit of rhythm. But they're gonna have
an even tougher matchup than they did last week against
this Spag No Spags coach defense and all the talent
that Chris Jones and and and uh Carl Loftis and
(50:16):
and Bolton and McDuffie and etcetera, etcetera, justin Reid. Uh,
they have a lot of talent on this secondary. They're
getting Watson back at the corner, and that's where I'm concerned,
Like are they gonna be able to score enough points?
I think the defense may be able to get it done.
I love the corner matchups. I love lasseter and and
(50:38):
Derek Stingley are are playing as good a football as
they've played all season. You talked about Petrie, I think
they could be really problematic, Like Patrick Mahomes has turned
the ball over and this defense has been one of
the best in the National Football League this year of
taking the football. So they're gonna be able to potentially
give their offense a few more possessions. But are they
gonna be able to run the ball as Joe Mixon
(50:59):
gonna be effective? Like, how do they manufacture points? Because
I think they can get enough stops. I think, you know,
we talked about this Kansas City offense. This isn't their
best offensive year. This isn't their most talented offense. They
don't have a ton of big time playmakers. Xavier Worthy
is a speedy guy, but I think you put a
guy like Stingley on him, they can handle it. You
got veteran receivers in Juju Smith Schuster, you got NW Hopkins,
(51:23):
but they can be handled. You got the veteran in
Kelsey who hasn't looked like he has in the past.
You know, he'll find his spots, he'll get open. He
has his rapport with Patrick. But their tackles have struggled.
You know, they've moved one of the best guards in
National Football League to tackle to try to just band
aid their way through these playoffs. And he's done a
(51:44):
great job. Tony's done a great job at tackle. They've
been able to fix some things. But now he's gonna
go against Danil Hunter and Will Anderson, and those are
two of the premier pass rushers in the National Football League.
How do they both stand up? And you talk about
on the right side, the right tackle. He's had a
lot of penalty issues and he you know, whether it's
(52:04):
a lineman or whether it's holding. I think he's one
of the most penalized offensive linemen in National Football League.
And they'll attack him relentlessly in this game. So there
is a space where the Houston Texans defensively can hold
their own, but kim their offense survive. That's the part
that I'm most concerned about. And I just think Andy
Reid and Spags just are gonna be too much for
(52:27):
this team in the end. And they're gonna they're gonna
put out a win.
Speaker 3 (52:30):
Well, yeah, I mean they get Isaiah to check go
back to I mean they're well rested. This Kansas City
Chiefs team quietly went fifteen and two this season and
return and are looking for a three peat. I don't
know if anyone's gonna want to see him again in
the Super Bowl. Like I think folks are rooting for
somebody else, but I just don't know how you stop them.
They're an absolute juggernaut. I gotta believe Kansas City comes
(52:53):
out of this victorious and then, my goodness, we'll see
who comes out of the Bills and Ravens game alive,
because that AFC title game is going to be an
absolute wild one again, Richard, this is amazing. Wildcar Weekend
is already coming gone. We're going onto the divisional round.
Now the NFL, there's no greater sport in the world
(53:15):
than the NFL. You're winning, you move on, you don't
and you go home, or you go to can Kun. Richard,
this final eight is gonna We're gonna have a heck
of arrest of the run here. I will let you
sign us off, my friend.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
I wonder how Mexico feels about always being the butt
of the jokes of teams getting eliminated from major sports.
Speaker 3 (53:37):
Either it's free advertisement, man, I would love to go
to Cancun right.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
Now, so me too. Weather's great. But as always, thank
you guys for joining us at the rich Term Podcast.
We know you could be anywhere in the world for
your sports covered and you're here with us and we
surely appreciate it. Thank you guys, have a beautiful, blessed day.
Thanks for joining us, and please hit that SUP button
if you're new. See you next week. The volume
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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