December 16, 2024 • 43 mins
Richard Sherman reacts to Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season, including the Seattle Seahawks losing Geno Smith in a wire-to-wire loss to Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, Josh Allen out-dueling Jared Goff in the Buffalo Bills’ high-scoring victory over the Detroit Lions, Jalen Hurts leading the Philadelphia Eagles over Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Cleveland Browns but losing Patrick Mahomes to injury in the process, Baker Mayfield putting up numbers as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew out the Los Angeles Chargers, and DeVondre Campbell stealing the headlines by walking out on the San Francisco 49ers in their Thursday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
For these don't two championship that should always do the expectation.
All right, man Ax, you go ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another crazy week.
NFC West just cannot get figured out. Every time you
think you gotta figure it out, you don't. Jordan Love
twenty of twenty seven for two twenty nine, two touchdowns.
Josh Jacobs twenty six cares for a little under one
hundred yards ninety four yards, one touchdown, four catches forty
two yards, did lose a fumble punched out by Ernest Jones.
(00:40):
They controlled the game from start to finish. But Geno
Smith is the big story of this game. Obviously the
Seahawks losing being tied with the Rams for first in division,
but the Rams have the tiebreaker, so currently they're on
the outside looking into the playoffs. But Geno Smith fifteen
or nineteen, one hundred and forty nine yards did have
the interception in the zone to Valentine. That injury is
(01:03):
going to tell the season for the Seahawks. It's gonna
you know, if he doesn't come back. I think that
wraps it up for the Seattle Seahawks. You know, you
need to starting quarterback in the National Football League, and
he's leading the NFC in a number of categories, so
to lose him as a critical blow to this team,
who have been rolling since the buye week their first
loss since the buye week. Their defense have been playing
(01:24):
incredibly well. This game obviously didn't play their best and
just struggled on both sides of the football. Struggles and
moved the ball offensively when they got down there, couldn't
execute in the red zone, couldn't get the ball on
the end zone, didn't run the ball as well as
they had in previous weeks. They did have a big
run by Zach Charbonnay, but he only had eight carriages
for fifty four yards because they were trailing so much
(01:46):
of the game. They were down fourteen points before you
could blink and never really recovered Whenever they got opportunities
like the Ernest Jones fumbled. They did turn that into
seven points, but you know, two trips to the red
zone and you know two field goals out of it
isn't going to get the job done. They do have
an opportunity against the Rams late in the season if
(02:07):
they can keep up with them and keep it tied
you know, to settle this thing once and for all.
But Jackson Smith and Jigbudd another consistent game. Ten catches
eighty three yards, DK only three catches, Tyler only one catch,
and Leonard Williams still has a good game but no sacks,
no interceptions in this game. Leonard did have a couple
(02:27):
of TFLs on very critical plays on third and fourth down,
but that's the story. They weren't able to get to
Jordan Love and get him on the ground. They were
able to put some pressure on him, put him under
the rest, but it didn't lead to any interceptions. They
weren't able to get the force bumble from Jacobs, which
was you know, led to points, but just not enough.
And it seemed like in the second half they found
(02:47):
their rhythm, found a way to get these guys stop,
found a way to stop the run. You know, outside
of the chunk played to Romeo Dobbs on Witherspoon, they
pretty much held him in check, held him in three
points until that point where they took a shot late
in the game. Unexpected situation. You thought they were gonna
keep running the football and they didn't. This is a
tough loss for the Seattle Seahawks. You know, obviously still
(03:10):
first year coach Mike McDonald. You know, things to overcome
and things to clean up, but this one hurts. And
for all the fans that thought, hey, Sam Howe, like
we need to replace, you know, we can do so
much better than Geno.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Again, I've been telling you.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Behind this offensive line, who has struggled most of the season,
it's tough for any quarterback to be successful. This offensive
line gave up seven sacks today. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Some of them were on Sam Howe holding the ball
too long, but literally the pocket crumbled in front of him,
it crumbled around him. You know, there have been some
good plays, some good changes in this offensive line, but
they lost another center today. The new right guard, the
new right tackle, Abe Lucas, has been really solid this season.
But this is one of those games you're playing against
the team that's really talented, that has a lot of
(03:55):
really talented pass rushers, and you saw it. You saw
what a difference that can make against this team. And
this was a potential three to six playoff matchup. And
thank god you didn't have to wait to the playoffs
to see that this would be an issue. And That's
how they're going to attack you. If they see you again,
if they do run into the Seattle Seahawks again in
the playoffs, They're going to attack. They're gonna bring pressure consistently.
(04:16):
Whether it's Sam Howard Gino banged up back there, Jeff
Hafley sees that they can get to the quarterback. Whether
it's rushing four or sending five, they're gonna be able
to get there. And I think that's something that isn't
going to get cleaned up this season. It's been a
really good season to figure out who your playmakers are,
developing identity for this defense, and I think they have
(04:37):
done that. I think they found out Ernest Jones and
Tyrese Knight are their linebackers of the future. I think
they understand they have a really good defensive line. They
got a really talented secondary, really talented receiving core, and
you have to clean up this offensive line. Obviously K
nine is injured. You know what you have in him,
but right now that offensive line is going to be
the thing that holds you back. And I know everybody's
(04:58):
gonna say, oh man, that Geno play if he would have.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Just done it.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
When you're under the rest and under constant pressure, knowing
that there's only so many opportunities you're gonna get to
get to the red zone and a chance at points,
you've got to give your team a chance to make
a play. He tried to give his receiver a chance
to make a play. Unfortunately it landed in the defender's
hands and it didn't work out.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But if the.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Seahawks can find a way to compete in this game
versus the Vikings, which is going to be a tough ass.
The Vikings are eleven to two, and they're not a
fluke eleven and two. They have a really good defense.
Flores is gonna bring a lot of pressure, a lot
of very exotic looks, and offensively, Kevin O'Connell is going
to draw it up as good as anybody. So they're
gonna have to find some answers to that and find
a way to change the narrative and be really disruptive.
(05:39):
On the defensive side of the ball, they're gonna have
to block, maybe block a kick or something, make a
play on special teams. Darden has come in and really
energized the special teams unit in terms of the returns
that he had you know, giving good field position to
the offense. But that was a tough one to watch.
That was a tough one to watch because every time
you felt like a team was going to make a play,
that they were gonna do something great, that they're gonna
(06:00):
they're gonna this is gonna be the one that turns
it around green Bay muff to punt, nobody recovered it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
They got it back.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They made a play on Jordan Love where it looked
like it could have been a bumble. He recovered it,
So not even worth challenging. You've got to find a
way to make those plays. You gotta find a way
to get those That's the way you win those games,
especially out at home. But the most discouraging part was
probably the green Bay fans.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The go Pack go.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Chance that you're hearing in Looming Field, you know, that's
that's that's something I don't ever remember hearing. I don't
ever remember hearing the opposite the opposing team's chance in
our home stadium. But that's a story for a different day.
I think this is gonna be one of those situations
they're gonna look and they're gonna learn from and hopefully
Geno's okay. And it's not a serious injury. He wasn't
(06:43):
able to come back, but hopefully he's able to bounce
back by next week and he's able to play against
the Minnesota Vikings or I think that's gonna be a
tough one to come out of with a win. Oh,
that's gonna be a tough one. That's gonna be a
really tough one. If Geno Smith isn't able to play,
I think you know, and people don't appreciate him and Sea.
Like I told people, it's not easy to play the
quarterback position under this. It's kind of pressure consistently and
(07:07):
you think you can do so much better than him,
But you're not going to be drafting high enough. You're
already eight wins then, so you're probably picking sixteen seventeen.
If you get two more wins, you're probably picking twenty
four twenty three. You're not going to be able to
get a quarterback next year. So ginos Theianta right now.
So support the quarterback you have and a quarterback who
actually has been putting up good numbers behind an offensive
(07:28):
line that hasn't been blocking great.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So this was a tough one.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I thought this would be a good game for if
Seattle won this one, to be able to like put
a stamp on this season and have a real quality
win and going to next week feeling really good that
you beat the Green Bay Packers and you can beat
the Minnesota Vikings. Not that they can't beat the Minnesota
Vikings even after this, but it just looks really bleak
right now. And if you're the Rams, you got a
(07:54):
much easier schedule going down a stretch and hopefully, you know,
if loses this game, it gives a cushion to the
La Rams and that's you know, it's gonna be exciting
down stretch. It's gonna be exciting. That's why the league
designs the scheduled this way, because they wanted to be excited.
They wanted to be nail biting down a stretch. And
that's what they got. They got what they wanted, they
(08:16):
got what they deserved, and I ain't mad at them
for it. But now we got to talk about this
Buffalo game. And this is our Uber eight segment. So
you know what time it is, time for a hat switch.
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Speaker 1 (10:02):
Now it's time for a look at this week's tastiest
matchup in a segment we're calling Sunday Night food Ball,
brought to you by Uber Eats. It's the Buffalo Bills
versus the Detroit Lions and an incredible shootout. Clearly, clearly
not a lot of defense played in this game, the
highest scoring NFL game this season just surpasses last week's
(10:28):
Buffalo Bills versus the Rams game. It was an incredible
performance by Josh Allen, actually an incredible performance by Jared
Golf as well. Just the Detroit Lions defense couldn't get
a stop, couldn't find a stop, and Josh Allen, I mean,
he poured it on early, got.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Up to a fourteen zero lead.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The Detroit Lions were able to claw their way back
in the second quarter, but steal down seven points and
they were relentless. And obviously, after everything that was said
last week, Teddy Bruski's comments about Dan Campbell being reckless
and everything, clearly all the attention and energy is going
to be spent on his decision to kick the on
(11:09):
side kick with twelve minutes to go in the fourth quarter,
after your defense got a semi stop held Buffalo to
a field goal. Mac Collins takes the ball, gets vertical,
gets all the way to the five yard line, thirty
eight yard game, and sets the Buffalo Bills up for
another touchdown and what ended up being the deciding touchdown
(11:30):
and the game changer, and who knows.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
What could have happened.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You know, maybe you kick it and your defense gets
to stop, but they hadn't got many stops in the game.
And so when you're a head coach in this league
and you're seeing the writing on the wall, you're seeing, hey,
they have answers for us this week, and we don't
have the answers for what they're giving us. I'm not
incredibly upset with that call. You know, you're trying to
find a way to get a possession. It just sucks
(11:54):
the rules or the way they are now where it's
so obvious and apparent that you're kicking on side kick,
so that obviously changes the makeup of the play and
surprising somebody versus kicking it to a team that's expecting
it to come because you have to announce it. I
think that's what makes it a really difficult play to call.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
You know, back in the day, if he called a
surprise on sidekick right there in that situation and they
somehow got it, which more than likely you would because
nobody's expecting it in that scenario, I think it's a
good call. But under this situation, it's tough to have
an on side kick at all. And I think he
just realized that and he learned that you can't do that.
I think they, you know, still played a really good game,
(12:34):
only lost by seven points. The offense scored forty two points.
The Buffalo Bills offense looks incredible. Another forty point game
for them, you know. I think once this Detroit Lions
defense gets healthy, it's gonna be a whole different ballgame.
If this is a Super Bowl preview, I think everybody
would be excited to see it again. Two really good teams.
(12:55):
Josh Allen played a good game obviously. James Cook had
a really incredible game, only fourteen carries but one hundred
and five yards and two touchdowns, had the forty one
yard breakout run to really really take this game over.
Tyd Johnson five catches for one hundred and fourteen yards.
But Jared Goff, Jared Golf. What a game by Jared Golf.
If he hadn't had the five turnover game, we'd be
(13:17):
having entirely different conversations about Jared Goff. He threw for
five touchdowns almost five hundred yards through the air. Jamir
Gibbs eight carries for thirty one yards, but five catches
for eighty three yards one touchdown.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Made his impact that way. Not a lot of.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Production out David Montgomery this game. Only four yards on
the ground. But i'm Andro Saint Brown and Sam Laporta
really really took over this game at times. You know,
they were the reason that Detroit even had a chance
in this game. I'm Andro had fourteen catches for almost
two hundred yards on hundred ninety three yards one touchdown.
Sam Laporta seven catches for one hundred and eleven yards.
(13:53):
Jamison Williams three catches for thirty seven yards in a
one touchdown. But the real story is Detroit's defense. They
had no sacks, no turnovers in this game. And obviously
that's something that's gonna have to be addressed, and it's
something that will change once they get healthier and they
get all their players back. But still, in a game
like this, after coming off a really good win against
(14:14):
Green Bay Packers, you would thought they would play a
little bit better than they played.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
But what you're gonna do.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
You got to give Buffalo Bills a lot of credit
offensively the last two weeks, They've played incredible. Josh Allen's
played incredible. Looks like the MVP candidate that everybody is
crowning him to be. Three hundred and sixty two yards passing,
two touchdowns, ten carries, another two touchdowns on the ground,
sixty nine yards rushing. For some people, that's gonna put
him over the top. But again, I hate to keep
(14:42):
reiterating myself, but the numbers, you know, this is a
statement win versus the best team in the NFC. He
deserves credit for that. He's pushing his team over the top.
He had four touchdowns told in this game, almost a
little over four hundred total yards in this game. James
Cook also had a really good game. But I just
(15:03):
think the numbers have to matter at some point. They're
ten and three, are eleven and three at this point,
clearly the class of the NFC, but they're not the
one seed in AFC. They're not the one seed in AFC.
The Kansas City Chiefs are still the one seed in AFC,
and I think that has to factor in to this discussion,
and the numbers have to factor in. You look at
the game that Lamar Jackson just had and again they're
(15:26):
nine and five and they're fighting for a chance to
win their division, so that matters.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
That factors in.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You talk about the Philadelphia Eagles and Saquon Barkley had
an off game this game, but the Philadelphia Eagles have
a better record than the Buffalo Bills. So if you're
talking about records being the reason why somebody's MVP, then okay,
you can kind of give it to Josh Allen, but
you can give it to other people if records are
the only thing that matters.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
I think that in this discussion you have to be nuanced.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You have to look at the numbers, and you have
to say, Lamar Jackson beat them straight up, and I
remember that being a factor last year when they talked
about the MVP race late in the season.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
He beat them obviously earlier in the season.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
They won't face each other until probably the playoffs if
they play again. But Lamar Jackson has thirty four passing
touchdowns right now, only three interceptions on the season, having
a really, really, really incredible season, numbers that are comparable
to his MVP year in twenty nineteen when he had
thirty six passing touchdowns on the season. He has what
(16:23):
a little over thirty five hundred yards. It's a lot
closer than people are thinking. And I just want people
to have that discussion because before last season, the last
five winners, the last five winners of the MVP Trophy
led the league in passing touchdowns. Now, all of a sudden,
(16:43):
that's changed. Suddenly the MVP goes to whoever has the
best storyline and meaningful wins laten the season, not the stats.
You have dominating performances late in the season, then you're
the MVP, regardless of what the numbers say. Sometimes it
would be the team with the best record in the
league in the best passing stats. Then you're like oh, okay,
(17:05):
because there were sometimes that the year Aaron wanted the
last Aaron Rodgers MVP, Tom Brady had really incredible numbers.
I think he threw for five thousand yards. You know,
he was pushing the ball down the field. But Aaron
had those touchdowns, had less interceptions, you know, the efficient
Aaron that he usually is when he wins MVP. But
I just think it's more nuanced conversation. I don't think
(17:26):
anybody's walked away with it right now. And if you're
saying somebody walked away with it, then I'm scratching my
head because I don't know. I don't know what the
criteria is for MVP anymore. I don't understand the criteria,
and somebody has to explain that, Like I'm five years old,
what the criteria for MVP is. If it's not the
numbers anymore, is it, Hey, you're the most important player
(17:48):
on your team, because just about every contender's quarterback is
the most important player on their team. Is that you're
the best player on the best team with the best record.
Is it?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Because I don't understand it. If the numbers don't matter,
if you don't have to be top five in categories
anymore because you used to have to lead the league
to win MVP, and now you don't. Not that Josh
Allen doesn't deserve it. If they give it to him,
they give it to him. You know who am I.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I'm just a guy who's explaining the trends and.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
The way things have been in the past, and I
need to understand so that I can make better predictions.
What's the criteria? But great game and great win for
the Buffalo Bills in Detroit. That makes this an even
more meaningful when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who
are number one in the AFC. They beat the Detroit
Lions with number one in the NFC, but they also
(18:37):
just lost to the Rams last week, so you got
to have the conversation both ways. It's not like they're
just winning and winning, winning, winning, winning. They just lost
to the Rams, but they are having a really great
season and they continue to push the envelope and continue
to win ball games. The Bills have the Patriots next week,
and that should be another pretty pretty cruise easy game
(18:57):
for him. The Lions have the Bears, a simple easy
for them. You know, there's no such thing as East
games in the National Football League. But the Bears haven't
looked very good, especially over the scretch, giving up a
lot of sacks, and they look dejected, look like they're
ready to go on vacation. The Patriots are still somewhat
trying to compete, but don't have the star power, don't
have the talent right now to compete with a team
(19:18):
like the Buffalo Bills. But it's a divisional game, so
you know, anything could happen. I wouldn't put past them,
and I don't think Buffalo loses that game. I think
they continue to win and they win out the rest
of the season, and I'm looking forward to these playoffs
and seeing how that shakes out. That was this week's
Sunday Night Foodball, brought to you by Uber eats, the
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(19:40):
has the best game day deals all season long. Order
now for game Day. Another huge game happened in Pennsylvania
between the two Pennsylvania teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the
Pittsburgh Steelers. What a game we thought it was gonna be.
But the Philadelphia Eagles defense has been on a ten
of late, especially against the run. They've been phenomenal against
(20:03):
the run. They did a really good job limiting Russell
Wilson in this game fourteen for twenty two one hundred
and twenty eight yards. Also caused a turnover on a
fumble that they recovered. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing
really really good football this year. But one common theme
that's happened is they've been able to run the ball
well and it's complimenting and opening up their passing game
(20:25):
with George Pickens making big plays, fire Mouth Calvin Austin,
and they've had really really good success when they run
the ball consistently and effectively, and they play good defense.
They turn the ball over on defense, they put pressure
on the quarterback, they get sacks.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Watt got hot this game. He cast some big plays,
but Jalen Hurts probably had his best game of the season.
He was twenty five to thirty two to one hundred
and ninety yards, two touchdowns. He carried the ball a
little more than usual this game, fifteen carriers for forty
five yards in a touchdown. AJ Brown, you know, he
was in the news last week and earlier this week
just talking about how what the offense seats do to
(21:04):
be more productive. That message was obviously received well by
their coordinator because he got the aj Brown the ball
early and often. He had five catches for sixty five
yards by the beginning of the second quarter, and Devonte
Smith had eleven catches for one hundred and nine yards
and a touchdown on twelve targets. So they found both
of their star receivers fed them appeased them. But Saquon
(21:27):
Barkley nineteen carries for sixty five yards a rare, very
rare off day for Saquon Barkley, and his teammates were
still able to pick him up. And you see, when
the run game struggles, the pass game thrives. When the
pass game struggles, the run game thrives. It was still
a really complete game for the Philadelphia Eagles both sides
of the football. They did such a great job stopping
(21:48):
the run. They held Naji Harris to fourteen yards on
six carries. They really just had to go away from
the run game. They didn't have any answers. They didn't
have any answers for the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line. Jalen
Carter and the Boys are are so stout up front
and making plays in the back end, even when they
gave up a muffed punt and early in the game,
(22:10):
you thought, oh my god, that's gonna be the chance
Pittsburgh needs to get on the board early and flip
this game. And they were able to get a stop,
they were able to sack the quarterback, they were able
to put pressure on Russell Wilson, and he wasn't able
to have the game he needed to have.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
But there's bigger news coming out of Pittsburgh. TJ.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Watt leaves the game with an apparent foot injury. He
came he came up lame on a pass rush where
he rushed over the quarterback and he just started to lamp.
He grabbed the back of his heel. You hope it's
nothing serious, but that's something that we have to continue
to monitor because he's such an engine for this defense.
He's such an engine in a Star Wars in the
face of this franchise that without him it changes the
(22:51):
whole makeup of this team. It changed the whole makeup
of the defense, It changes the whole way you prepare
to play the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
So let's all put our prayers up and our strength up.
To TJ.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Watt and hope that hope that he's healthy for the
rest of the season or at least the playoffs when
they need him to come back again. A great game
for Jalen Hurts, getting his top receivers the football, getting
out of harm's way, using his legs when he had
to accurate with the football. You need to give him
a lot of credit for this win. They've really Philadelphia
has been undefeated since Sirianni got the bus cut. I
(23:24):
don't know if it's the buzz cut that that hasn't
but since Sirianni got it, they.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Haven't lost the game.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So they were calling for his job earlier in the season,
and now I'm sure they're calling for an extension. It's
crazy how how quickly the tide changes in Philadelphia. They're
they're twelve and two. The Philadelphia Eagles are still the
two seed, but it's a close neck and neck race
and the Lions have no margin prayer now. After that
(23:51):
loss to the Buffalo Bills, Nick Sirianni becomes the second
coach in Eagles history with multiple twelve win seasons, only
other coach being the great Andy Reid, who's in Kansas City.
Doing numbers right now, trying to chase his third Super
Bowl ring in a row. Philly settle Down. You got
(24:13):
your coach, give him an extension, support him, he's running
the ball. You got a great team. I look forward
to seeing what they're able to do in the playoffs.
Because the way Vic Fangio has his defense playing, the
way this offense is rolling, the way Sat Kawan has
been rolling all season long, They're gonna be a tough
out in the playoffs, especially if somebody has to roll
into Philadelphia to do it.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Can't wait to see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a really tough game divisional game
that could decide the AFC North next week against the
Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. I think that's gonna be a
really exciting game. It's on a short week for them,
a Saturday game, one less day to prepare, one less
day of rest, and the Baltimore Ravens are gonna be
playing with that sense of urgency they need to have
(24:56):
this game, and with TJ. Watt potentially sideline, that's to
be a huge factor in that game. And you looked
at what Lamar Jackson did this week, five passing touchdowns,
sixty nine yards on the ground. I think they're gonna
be primed and ready if they can find a way
to win that game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and recapture
the division league going into the playoffs, gain him momentum.
(25:19):
Everybody knew this would be a tough stretch for the
Pittsburgh Steelers, having all these division games late in the season.
If even as Cincinnati Bengals offensively are playing out of
their minds. I mean, we can talk about Joe Burrow.
He's not going to get the MVP, but he's putting
up MVP numbers over thirty touchdowns, I think he has
seven interceptions, close to four thousand yards passing, and Jamar
(25:40):
Chase having an all Pro season himself to Higgins having
a really good season being kind of banged up, It's
going to be a really tough road for Pittsburgh down
the stretch. They're gonna have to figure it out offensively,
figure out a way to score more points to put
more pressure on these defenses. Hopefully George Pickens Hamstring gets healthy,
because he's a huge factor in this offense and what
(26:00):
they're able to do, how they're able to stretch the
field and what that opens up for Najie Harrison this
run game, So hopefully he's able to get back or
else it's going to be a really, really tough finish
for the Pittsburgh Steelers on what has been a really
really good and promising season for him. Obviously, they got
some things to answer this offseason and what they're going
to do with Russell Wilson likely going to sign him
(26:22):
to a new contract and bring him back at least
for another couple of years until they find somebody else
or draft somebody else to succeed him. That he's been
having a really good season helping them win ball games,
I'm looking forward to that. Another important AFC matchup happening.
The Kansas City Chiefs go into Cleveland to play the
(26:42):
Cleveland Browns and Jamis Winston. Kansas City controls this game
for most of the game.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Again.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Patrick Mahomes semi underwhelming game nineteen to thirty eight, passing
one hundred and fifty nine yards, two touchdowns. Xavier Worthy
six catches for forty six yards, three rushs for thirty
in a rushing touchdown. Trent McDuffie. Trent McDuffie, friend of
the program gets his first career interception. So happy for him.
We talked about it on the podcast. We hope he
(27:10):
would get it this season. He finally got it. Love
to see it. Jamis Winston three interception game. He acts
the Good Lord to deliver him from interceptions, and I
guess the Good Lord sent him a few more struggles
before he delivers them from these interceptions. Right now, Jerome
Ford seven carries for eighty four yards. Jerry Judy eleven
catches for one hundred and eight yards, continues his strong season.
(27:33):
Since Jameis Winston has taken the reins of this offense,
seems like they have a really good connection and this
could be something that the Cleveland Browns could build on
in the future. But the Kansas City Chiefs, I have
two games in the next ten days versus Houston, and
then they have Christmas versus Pittsburgh. Another tough game for
the Pittsburgh Steelers. After playing the Baltimore Ravens, they play
(27:56):
Kansas City Chiefs. That's a gauntlet if I've ever seen one.
And it looks like even though the Kansas City Chiefs
aren't playing their best football, they held the Cleveland Browns
to seven points, their defense is still playing well. George
Carloff this two sacks in the game we talked about
the interception for Trip McDuffie, and Jaden Hicks gets interception.
Brian Cook and Nick Boden all get an interception in
(28:18):
a game. The Kansas City defense ends the game with
four interceptions. That's why this Kansas City Chiefs team is
now considered a defensive football team because even when their
offense struggles, they don't have their best game, still haven't
had a game in which they score thirty points or more.
They find a way to win in their twelve to
one on the season. But Patrick Mahomes is getting hit,
(28:41):
and he's getting hit a lot. If there's one thing
that's a threat to their three peat, it's those tackles.
And they're gonna have to get that figured out before
the playoffs because in the playoffs, if they continue to
let him get hit like that, he's just a human being.
He's already day to day with the ankle injury. I mean,
I know what you expect him to do. I don't
know what you're expecting to do. I mean, it's been
(29:02):
some really, really bad tackle play. They have some of
the best interior offensive linemen in the National Football League,
but on the edges there are very weak and they're vulnerable.
And I think if there's an achilles heel to the
Kansas City Chiefs team, it's the tackle play, and it's
shown weekend and week out, and it's only gotten worse
as the season's progressed. Hopefully they can find a way
(29:23):
to get that fixed. But usually you aren't getting big
things fixed in December and January. If you haven't got
it fixed by now, it's probably not getting fixed. And
if you go home, it's gonna because of those tackles,
and everybody knows it. But they've overcome that before in
the playoffs. Andy Reid is a wizard, and hopefully he
can find a way to mask that, to help those
(29:43):
guys to chip, to keep an extra man in, maybe
bring another tackle in. I mean, I guess that'd be
three bad tackles. I don't know, but right now they
don't have answers and their quarterback, who's the start of
the National Football League. The face of the National Football
League is getting hit. A lot has to change. Kansas
City Chiefs played to Houston, Texas next week in a
(30:04):
great matchup A matchup that I'll be looking forward to
see seeing. The Houston Texans are playing good football. They
just locked up a playoff spot winning the AFC South
with the Coat's loss to the Broncos. That's great for
Dmiico Ryans, a friend of the program, a friend of mine.
This team got Nico Collins back and they're gonna be
rolling in the playoffs. They're gonna be a tough out.
(30:26):
Their defense is playing well, got a number of turnovers
in that game, and I'm looking forward to seeing that game.
The Browns are at the Bengals, who are playing some
of the best offensive football of their season.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
We'll see how that one goes.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Now, let's move over to another game that has some
playoff implications. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the LA Chargers,
who have been playing some really stout defense, but this
game a lot of things changed. Baker Mayfield twenty two
of twenty seven, two hundred and eighty eight yards, four
touchdowns and the one interception, also ran for twenty five yards.
(30:59):
Bucky Irv fifteen carries for one hundred and seventeen yards.
Rashard White fifteen carries for sixty four yards and eleven
yard receiving touchdown. But the Hall of Famer Mike Evans
continues to do it, and they continue to feed him
on his quest to get his eleventh straight thousand yard season.
Nine catches for one hundred and fifty nine yards, two touchdowns,
(31:20):
a beautiful, beautiful catch late in the game to pretty
much put a dagger in the LA Chargers. The Tampa
Bay Buccaneers score forty points. Levonte David sack and a half.
I mean, turning back the hands of time looks incredible.
Another game with a sack Jamil Dean who has hands
like a snake usually and yes I'm talking to you,
(31:41):
Jaml but caught him a pick in this game.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Logan Hall sack and a half.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Jalen McMillan five catches for seventy five yards in a touchdown.
This is the best that Stampa Bay offense has looked
all season. Obviously, healthy Mike Evans changes the whole complexity
and dynamic of this offense. But their defense, the pressure,
the pressure, the pressure on a banged up Justin Herbert,
I think was the difference in this game. Justin Herbert
(32:07):
twenty one to thirty three, one hundred ninety five yards,
two touchdowns one interception that were able to stop the run.
Chargers ran only eleven times for thirty two yards. Lab
McConkey five catches for fifty eight yards in a touchdown.
Quinton Johnson five catches forty five yards in touchdown. If
this Tampa Bay team continues to play like this, Atlanta
has obviously taken a slide this season, and Tampa Bay
(32:31):
is playing some of their best football. They played the
Cowboys next week on Sunday Night Football, another game they
could win on their way to potentially a ten win
season going into these playoffs, which would be phenomenal. I mean,
it's gonna set them up with a date with either
the Minnesota Vikings or the Green Bay Packers potentially, which
isn't a matchup I think you necessarily want, but those
(32:54):
that's a matchup this team can win if they're playing
the way they have and Mike Evans and its offense
is rolling like they have, and this defense is playing
with the kind of ferocity and intensity that they're playing
with right now. The Chargers play the Broncos this Thursday
night in a matchup that's gonna decide who's second in
this division and have a lot of playoff implications. The
(33:15):
Chargers are going to be licking their wounds from this game.
This defense has played really, really well all season long,
have been consistently a top three defense and yards and points.
To give up forty points this late in the season
is I'm sure frustrating. But they get a chance to
wash that taste out of their mouth off a short
week at home versus the Broncos. I'm sure they're going
(33:36):
to be looking forward to being able to get back
out there and put a better performance up against a
Broncos team that struggled a lot of this game against
the Indianapolis Colts, bow knicks through a number of interceptions.
I think he threw three interceptions in the ball game
and showed some vulnerability there, some youth, but still they
found a way to win that ball game. He found
(33:57):
a way to make plays when they needed to have it,
and that what they're gonna need this week against the
LA Chargers. I can't wait to watch that game. Now
it's time for one of my favorite segments, are Brightling
Players in prime Time? This week it goes to Baker Mayfield.
Of course, because Baker was out there cheffing up and
he schefed up that Chargers defense, who's been, like I said,
(34:19):
been playing some of their best football. Four touchdowns, passing
two hundred and eighty eight yards, very efficient, two twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
What are we.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Gonna do if Baker Mayfield messes around and gets this
Tampa Bay team hot and rolling into the playoffs and
they make some noise in the playoffs and we see
them in a championship matchup NFC championship matchup against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Could that happen?
Speaker 1 (34:44):
I'm gonna say it here on the show just in
case we can cut it up later and say I
said it. Because the way they're playing right now, they
can get that done. And Baker's crazy enough to go
into these games, the gunslinger he is. If they can
get some stops on defense and make some plays and
it's Todd Bowle coach defense, he's known to put pressure
on quarterbacks to give him really exotic looks that they
(35:05):
haven't seen before. Anything can happen in these playoffs. That's
why we love football. That's why we love this game.
That's why we watched, that is why he is this
week's player in prime Time. Shout out to Baker Mayfield,
great game, brother, now we have to move on to
this game. The Thursday night game between the San Francisco
forty nine ers and the La Rams, a defensive slub
(35:29):
fest in some rainy conditions. Matthew Stafford makes him plays
late to give his team the lead. Kyron Williams has
a really good game running the football. Brod Perdy with
a bad interception late in the game. He predetermined where
he was going with the football and it was a mistake.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
I think he thought, Hey, they're going to bite on
this double move to Juwan Jennings. They didn't bite. He
put the ball up in a place where he thought
it only his receiver could get it, but the corner
state on top. Incredible play by them that ended up
being the deciding factor in the game. Not a lot
of offense from anybody. The biggest storyline came from the
Deebo Samuel drop which could potentially have been a touchdown
(36:11):
and broke this game open for the San Francisco forty
nine ers, or the Devondre Campbell incident where he refused
to go in the game and then John Lynch tells
him to leave the sideline as he should. They're trying
to work with the league on a way to suspend
him and make sure he's not able to sign with
another team, that he's not able to be rewarded for
quitting on his team, that he's not able to get
(36:33):
the salary and things that he's going to get because
you can't do it. And I can understand frustration.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
I can't.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
You're a veteran player, You're on a one year deal.
You have incentives that are based on playing time and
the amount of playing time you have on the season,
and it seems as though the team is doing something
to jeopardize your ability to make the money that you
could potentially make if you're out there playing. But this
isn't one of those situations. They're playing the guy that
(37:01):
is a heartbeat and is going to inject a lot
of energy into this defense. And that's exactly what Drake
Greenlaw did when he came in there. He had nine
tackles in a half. He was everywhere, he was popping
off the screen. I'm sorry, but Devondre Campbell, You've played
all season and you have not popped off the screen
like that one game, and that's why the Packers cut him.
And you don't ever want to really talk bad about
(37:21):
a guy because there's no reason to in this situation.
What should have happened is, hey, Drake Greenlaw got banged
up in the game.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Devondre Campbell goes in there. The Rams are trying to
run the ball.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Devondra Campbell is a pretty solid linebacker against the run.
He stuffs, helps his defense get some stops, the offense
gets the ball, they find a way to win the game,
and then they're talking and clapping you up for being
able to step up in a tough situation and being
a veteran and being a pro in this situation, and
being a guy that the team could depend on even
(37:51):
those circumstances weren't what you wanted them to be.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
But instead you walk off on your team. They lose
the ball game.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Now, this is going to be probably what the story
that is written about your career, Like this is what
they're gonna say. I don't know, Devondre Campbell, I don't
know enough of its. Plays like this will overshadow just
about everything you did in your career, unfortunately, and that's
the sad part. Because you've been in the league long enough,
you've played well, You've played on teams that have made
(38:19):
the playoffs. You don't want this to be the kind
of thing that defines your career, but these days, this
is the kind of thing that defines your career because
most people have never seen it before when Antonio Brown
does something like that and it's crazy and it's all that, well,
they just won a Super Bowl with Antonio Brown. He
had a Hall of Fame career, So sure we'll laugh
about that moment and be like, man, Antonio Brown did
some crazy stuff at that point. But Antonio Brown is
(38:41):
a Hall of Famer and he's he freaking took over
the league. He was the best receiver in the league
in his prime. That's a much different situation. It's not right,
but it's not gonna overshadow everything that he's done and
accomplished in his career, all the All Pros and Pro Bowls,
in the illustrious career that he's had, and even the
Super Bowl win with Tom Brady. But this for a
(39:01):
guy without that kind of resume, you can't do it.
You can't do it because it's going to overshadow everything
that you've done. And that's the sad part. You hurt
your team, You made yourself the storyline. You couldn't if
the team couldn't even talk about the loss to the Rams,
because they got to talk about the guy who quit
on the team, and you don't want to be that guy.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And it's unfortunate that cooler heads didn't.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Prevail and that you didn't just just go out there
and be a pro, help your team get this win
and then we could deal with the rest of it afterwards.
You can go up to Kyle and say, hey, you
know I got these incentive Don't do me like this, Kyle,
Don't do me like this. Don't sit me when you
know I'm close to hitting them like who knows if
Draven plays the rest of the season. If you would
have just stayed the course, it would have worked out
(39:45):
how it needed to work out for you.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
That's the hardest part.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
But again, the story in this game Deviondre Campbell leaving
the game. Obviously, this is a tough lost to the
San Francisco forty nine ers on top of an incredibly
disappointing season in which they're six and eight right now
now doesn't look like they have any chance to make
the playoffs. They're gonna have to answer a lot of
questions this offseason you know, you're hearing rumors that brock
Purty wants fifty five plus million, which is what you
(40:10):
expect him to want after what he's done for this team.
We'll see if the San Francisco forty nine ers are
going to pay him that. You know, every seeds, every
off season, it seems like they have a player or
two holding out for more money or a better contract,
or you know, whatever the case may be. So hopefully
they're able to get this one situated early enough in
the offseason so they don't have distractions going into the
(40:31):
season for the third or is it for you, a
third consecutive season, and then they can just reset and
go into a season as underdogs for a change.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
You know, you don't have to go into seasons as
front runners.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And you can retool, you can refocus, recalibrate, fix the things.
You know, look in the mirrors, see what you've done well,
what you've done wrong, and it's time for a number
of changes at a number of places. You know, maybe
you need to rethink the way you're drafting, address that
offensive line. Think that's something they're going to do this
all season, something they're gonna they're going to do in a.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Draft and hopefully they come back retool it.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
I don't think this. Everybody keeps saying the windows closing
on this team. I don't think so. I think this
is a rough season in the midst of a really
good run for the San Francisco forty nine ers. This
will be the year that they don't go to an
NFC Championship over a Super Bowl. You know, it's not
the end of the world. It's frustrating because it's such
a talented team that you don't expect a season like
this from them, But it doesn't mean it's the end
(41:26):
of the road. So I still have faith. The La
Rams look like they're rolling. Matthew Stafford is playing really well.
This is a good game from their defense. You talked
about Jared Verst and their young guys up front really
starting to flourish. Kello Witherspoon, who left San Francisco, had
a really good game with three PBUs hook in the court.
Looks like an All Pro player again. Seven catches for
(41:48):
ninety seven yards. Kyron Williams twenty nine carries for one
hundred and eight yards. He says they'd a big brother
right now, and it's hard to argue that when they're winning.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
The ball games.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
So we'll see what that this season means for the Rams.
And if they get in these playoffs, they're gonna be
a tough out for somebody. And you never know what's
gonna happen in these playoffs. But the Rams are earning
them a spot if they continue to play the way
they have.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
But I can't wait. That's what December is about.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
It's playoff football, it's playoff atmospheres, it's intensity, it's sense
an urgency.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I can't wait to see how this one shakes out.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
This has been another Sunday Night recap of the Richard
Sherman Podcast. I really appreciate you guys joining me every
single week, whether you listen for an hour, a minute,
a second, you're supporting me and what I do, and
I really appreciate it. I'm thankful for you. I hope
you're having a great holiday season. Playing you some Mariah
Carey Christmas songs or Run Run Rudolph, whatever you're into.
(42:43):
Make sure you're enjoying the holiday seasons. And if you're
not celebrating Christmas and you're celebrating some other holiday or
not a holiday at all, I hope you have a
great winner in a great New Year's. You could be
anywhere in the world, but you're here with us and
we appreciate it. Hit that sub button if you know
(43:17):
the volume
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
For these don't two championship that should always do the expectation.
All right, man Ax, you go ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another crazy week.
NFC West just cannot get figured out. Every time you
think you gotta figure it out, you don't. Jordan Love
twenty of twenty seven for two twenty nine, two touchdowns.
Josh Jacobs twenty six cares for a little under one
hundred yards ninety four yards, one touchdown, four catches forty
two yards, did lose a fumble punched out by Ernest Jones.
(00:40):
They controlled the game from start to finish. But Geno
Smith is the big story of this game. Obviously the
Seahawks losing being tied with the Rams for first in division,
but the Rams have the tiebreaker, so currently they're on
the outside looking into the playoffs. But Geno Smith fifteen
or nineteen, one hundred and forty nine yards did have
the interception in the zone to Valentine. That injury is
(01:03):
going to tell the season for the Seahawks. It's gonna
you know, if he doesn't come back. I think that
wraps it up for the Seattle Seahawks. You know, you
need to starting quarterback in the National Football League, and
he's leading the NFC in a number of categories, so
to lose him as a critical blow to this team,
who have been rolling since the buye week their first
loss since the buye week. Their defense have been playing
(01:24):
incredibly well. This game obviously didn't play their best and
just struggled on both sides of the football. Struggles and
moved the ball offensively when they got down there, couldn't
execute in the red zone, couldn't get the ball on
the end zone, didn't run the ball as well as
they had in previous weeks. They did have a big
run by Zach Charbonnay, but he only had eight carriages
for fifty four yards because they were trailing so much
(01:46):
of the game. They were down fourteen points before you
could blink and never really recovered Whenever they got opportunities
like the Ernest Jones fumbled. They did turn that into
seven points, but you know, two trips to the red
zone and you know two field goals out of it
isn't going to get the job done. They do have
an opportunity against the Rams late in the season if
(02:07):
they can keep up with them and keep it tied
you know, to settle this thing once and for all.
But Jackson Smith and Jigbudd another consistent game. Ten catches
eighty three yards, DK only three catches, Tyler only one catch,
and Leonard Williams still has a good game but no sacks,
no interceptions in this game. Leonard did have a couple
(02:27):
of TFLs on very critical plays on third and fourth down,
but that's the story. They weren't able to get to
Jordan Love and get him on the ground. They were
able to put some pressure on him, put him under
the rest, but it didn't lead to any interceptions. They
weren't able to get the force bumble from Jacobs, which
was you know, led to points, but just not enough.
And it seemed like in the second half they found
(02:47):
their rhythm, found a way to get these guys stop,
found a way to stop the run. You know, outside
of the chunk played to Romeo Dobbs on Witherspoon, they
pretty much held him in check, held him in three
points until that point where they took a shot late
in the game. Unexpected situation. You thought they were gonna
keep running the football and they didn't. This is a
tough loss for the Seattle Seahawks. You know, obviously still
(03:10):
first year coach Mike McDonald. You know, things to overcome
and things to clean up, but this one hurts. And
for all the fans that thought, hey, Sam Howe, like
we need to replace, you know, we can do so
much better than Geno.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Again, I've been telling you.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Behind this offensive line, who has struggled most of the season,
it's tough for any quarterback to be successful. This offensive
line gave up seven sacks today. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Some of them were on Sam Howe holding the ball
too long, but literally the pocket crumbled in front of him,
it crumbled around him. You know, there have been some
good plays, some good changes in this offensive line, but
they lost another center today. The new right guard, the
new right tackle, Abe Lucas, has been really solid this season.
But this is one of those games you're playing against
the team that's really talented, that has a lot of
(03:55):
really talented pass rushers, and you saw it. You saw
what a difference that can make against this team. And
this was a potential three to six playoff matchup. And
thank god you didn't have to wait to the playoffs
to see that this would be an issue. And That's
how they're going to attack you. If they see you again,
if they do run into the Seattle Seahawks again in
the playoffs, They're going to attack. They're gonna bring pressure consistently.
(04:16):
Whether it's Sam Howard Gino banged up back there, Jeff
Hafley sees that they can get to the quarterback. Whether
it's rushing four or sending five, they're gonna be able
to get there. And I think that's something that isn't
going to get cleaned up this season. It's been a
really good season to figure out who your playmakers are,
developing identity for this defense, and I think they have
(04:37):
done that. I think they found out Ernest Jones and
Tyrese Knight are their linebackers of the future. I think
they understand they have a really good defensive line. They
got a really talented secondary, really talented receiving core, and
you have to clean up this offensive line. Obviously K
nine is injured. You know what you have in him,
but right now that offensive line is going to be
the thing that holds you back. And I know everybody's
(04:58):
gonna say, oh man, that Geno play if he would have.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Just done it.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
When you're under the rest and under constant pressure, knowing
that there's only so many opportunities you're gonna get to
get to the red zone and a chance at points,
you've got to give your team a chance to make
a play. He tried to give his receiver a chance
to make a play. Unfortunately it landed in the defender's
hands and it didn't work out.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But if the.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Seahawks can find a way to compete in this game
versus the Vikings, which is going to be a tough ass.
The Vikings are eleven to two, and they're not a
fluke eleven and two. They have a really good defense.
Flores is gonna bring a lot of pressure, a lot
of very exotic looks, and offensively, Kevin O'Connell is going
to draw it up as good as anybody. So they're
gonna have to find some answers to that and find
a way to change the narrative and be really disruptive.
(05:39):
On the defensive side of the ball, they're gonna have
to block, maybe block a kick or something, make a
play on special teams. Darden has come in and really
energized the special teams unit in terms of the returns
that he had you know, giving good field position to
the offense. But that was a tough one to watch.
That was a tough one to watch because every time
you felt like a team was going to make a play,
that they were gonna do something great, that they're gonna
(06:00):
they're gonna this is gonna be the one that turns
it around green Bay muff to punt, nobody recovered it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
They got it back.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They made a play on Jordan Love where it looked
like it could have been a bumble. He recovered it,
So not even worth challenging. You've got to find a
way to make those plays. You gotta find a way
to get those That's the way you win those games,
especially out at home. But the most discouraging part was
probably the green Bay fans.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The go Pack go.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Chance that you're hearing in Looming Field, you know, that's
that's that's something I don't ever remember hearing. I don't
ever remember hearing the opposite the opposing team's chance in
our home stadium. But that's a story for a different day.
I think this is gonna be one of those situations
they're gonna look and they're gonna learn from and hopefully
Geno's okay. And it's not a serious injury. He wasn't
(06:43):
able to come back, but hopefully he's able to bounce
back by next week and he's able to play against
the Minnesota Vikings or I think that's gonna be a
tough one to come out of with a win. Oh,
that's gonna be a tough one. That's gonna be a
really tough one. If Geno Smith isn't able to play,
I think you know, and people don't appreciate him and Sea.
Like I told people, it's not easy to play the
quarterback position under this. It's kind of pressure consistently and
(07:07):
you think you can do so much better than him,
But you're not going to be drafting high enough. You're
already eight wins then, so you're probably picking sixteen seventeen.
If you get two more wins, you're probably picking twenty
four twenty three. You're not going to be able to
get a quarterback next year. So ginos Theianta right now.
So support the quarterback you have and a quarterback who
actually has been putting up good numbers behind an offensive
(07:28):
line that hasn't been blocking great.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So this was a tough one.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I thought this would be a good game for if
Seattle won this one, to be able to like put
a stamp on this season and have a real quality
win and going to next week feeling really good that
you beat the Green Bay Packers and you can beat
the Minnesota Vikings. Not that they can't beat the Minnesota
Vikings even after this, but it just looks really bleak
right now. And if you're the Rams, you got a
(07:54):
much easier schedule going down a stretch and hopefully, you know,
if loses this game, it gives a cushion to the
La Rams and that's you know, it's gonna be exciting
down stretch. It's gonna be exciting. That's why the league
designs the scheduled this way, because they wanted to be excited.
They wanted to be nail biting down a stretch. And
that's what they got. They got what they wanted, they
(08:16):
got what they deserved, and I ain't mad at them
for it. But now we got to talk about this
Buffalo game. And this is our Uber eight segment. So
you know what time it is, time for a hat switch.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
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Speaker 1 (10:02):
Now it's time for a look at this week's tastiest
matchup in a segment we're calling Sunday Night food Ball,
brought to you by Uber Eats. It's the Buffalo Bills
versus the Detroit Lions and an incredible shootout. Clearly, clearly
not a lot of defense played in this game, the
highest scoring NFL game this season just surpasses last week's
(10:28):
Buffalo Bills versus the Rams game. It was an incredible
performance by Josh Allen, actually an incredible performance by Jared
Golf as well. Just the Detroit Lions defense couldn't get
a stop, couldn't find a stop, and Josh Allen, I mean,
he poured it on early, got.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Up to a fourteen zero lead.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The Detroit Lions were able to claw their way back
in the second quarter, but steal down seven points and
they were relentless. And obviously, after everything that was said
last week, Teddy Bruski's comments about Dan Campbell being reckless
and everything, clearly all the attention and energy is going
to be spent on his decision to kick the on
(11:09):
side kick with twelve minutes to go in the fourth quarter,
after your defense got a semi stop held Buffalo to
a field goal. Mac Collins takes the ball, gets vertical,
gets all the way to the five yard line, thirty
eight yard game, and sets the Buffalo Bills up for
another touchdown and what ended up being the deciding touchdown
(11:30):
and the game changer, and who knows.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
What could have happened.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You know, maybe you kick it and your defense gets
to stop, but they hadn't got many stops in the game.
And so when you're a head coach in this league
and you're seeing the writing on the wall, you're seeing, hey,
they have answers for us this week, and we don't
have the answers for what they're giving us. I'm not
incredibly upset with that call. You know, you're trying to
find a way to get a possession. It just sucks
(11:54):
the rules or the way they are now where it's
so obvious and apparent that you're kicking on side kick,
so that obviously changes the makeup of the play and
surprising somebody versus kicking it to a team that's expecting
it to come because you have to announce it. I
think that's what makes it a really difficult play to call.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
You know, back in the day, if he called a
surprise on sidekick right there in that situation and they
somehow got it, which more than likely you would because
nobody's expecting it in that scenario, I think it's a
good call. But under this situation, it's tough to have
an on side kick at all. And I think he
just realized that and he learned that you can't do that.
I think they, you know, still played a really good game,
(12:34):
only lost by seven points. The offense scored forty two points.
The Buffalo Bills offense looks incredible. Another forty point game
for them, you know. I think once this Detroit Lions
defense gets healthy, it's gonna be a whole different ballgame.
If this is a Super Bowl preview, I think everybody
would be excited to see it again. Two really good teams.
(12:55):
Josh Allen played a good game obviously. James Cook had
a really incredible game, only fourteen carries but one hundred
and five yards and two touchdowns, had the forty one
yard breakout run to really really take this game over.
Tyd Johnson five catches for one hundred and fourteen yards.
But Jared Goff, Jared Golf. What a game by Jared Golf.
If he hadn't had the five turnover game, we'd be
(13:17):
having entirely different conversations about Jared Goff. He threw for
five touchdowns almost five hundred yards through the air. Jamir
Gibbs eight carries for thirty one yards, but five catches
for eighty three yards one touchdown.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Made his impact that way. Not a lot of.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Production out David Montgomery this game. Only four yards on
the ground. But i'm Andro Saint Brown and Sam Laporta
really really took over this game at times. You know,
they were the reason that Detroit even had a chance
in this game. I'm Andro had fourteen catches for almost
two hundred yards on hundred ninety three yards one touchdown.
Sam Laporta seven catches for one hundred and eleven yards.
(13:53):
Jamison Williams three catches for thirty seven yards in a
one touchdown. But the real story is Detroit's defense. They
had no sacks, no turnovers in this game. And obviously
that's something that's gonna have to be addressed, and it's
something that will change once they get healthier and they
get all their players back. But still, in a game
like this, after coming off a really good win against
(14:14):
Green Bay Packers, you would thought they would play a
little bit better than they played.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
But what you're gonna do.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
You got to give Buffalo Bills a lot of credit
offensively the last two weeks, They've played incredible. Josh Allen's
played incredible. Looks like the MVP candidate that everybody is
crowning him to be. Three hundred and sixty two yards passing,
two touchdowns, ten carries, another two touchdowns on the ground,
sixty nine yards rushing. For some people, that's gonna put
him over the top. But again, I hate to keep
(14:42):
reiterating myself, but the numbers, you know, this is a
statement win versus the best team in the NFC. He
deserves credit for that. He's pushing his team over the top.
He had four touchdowns told in this game, almost a
little over four hundred total yards in this game. James
Cook also had a really good game. But I just
(15:03):
think the numbers have to matter at some point. They're
ten and three, are eleven and three at this point,
clearly the class of the NFC, but they're not the
one seed in AFC. They're not the one seed in AFC.
The Kansas City Chiefs are still the one seed in AFC,
and I think that has to factor in to this discussion,
and the numbers have to factor in. You look at
the game that Lamar Jackson just had and again they're
(15:26):
nine and five and they're fighting for a chance to
win their division, so that matters.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
That factors in.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You talk about the Philadelphia Eagles and Saquon Barkley had
an off game this game, but the Philadelphia Eagles have
a better record than the Buffalo Bills. So if you're
talking about records being the reason why somebody's MVP, then okay,
you can kind of give it to Josh Allen, but
you can give it to other people if records are
the only thing that matters.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
I think that in this discussion you have to be nuanced.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You have to look at the numbers, and you have
to say, Lamar Jackson beat them straight up, and I
remember that being a factor last year when they talked
about the MVP race late in the season.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
He beat them obviously earlier in the season.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
They won't face each other until probably the playoffs if
they play again. But Lamar Jackson has thirty four passing
touchdowns right now, only three interceptions on the season, having
a really, really, really incredible season, numbers that are comparable
to his MVP year in twenty nineteen when he had
thirty six passing touchdowns on the season. He has what
(16:23):
a little over thirty five hundred yards. It's a lot
closer than people are thinking. And I just want people
to have that discussion because before last season, the last
five winners, the last five winners of the MVP Trophy
led the league in passing touchdowns. Now, all of a sudden,
(16:43):
that's changed. Suddenly the MVP goes to whoever has the
best storyline and meaningful wins laten the season, not the stats.
You have dominating performances late in the season, then you're
the MVP, regardless of what the numbers say. Sometimes it
would be the team with the best record in the
league in the best passing stats. Then you're like oh, okay,
(17:05):
because there were sometimes that the year Aaron wanted the
last Aaron Rodgers MVP, Tom Brady had really incredible numbers.
I think he threw for five thousand yards. You know,
he was pushing the ball down the field. But Aaron
had those touchdowns, had less interceptions, you know, the efficient
Aaron that he usually is when he wins MVP. But
I just think it's more nuanced conversation. I don't think
(17:26):
anybody's walked away with it right now. And if you're
saying somebody walked away with it, then I'm scratching my
head because I don't know. I don't know what the
criteria is for MVP anymore. I don't understand the criteria,
and somebody has to explain that, Like I'm five years old,
what the criteria for MVP is. If it's not the
numbers anymore, is it, Hey, you're the most important player
(17:48):
on your team, because just about every contender's quarterback is
the most important player on their team. Is that you're
the best player on the best team with the best record.
Is it?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Because I don't understand it. If the numbers don't matter,
if you don't have to be top five in categories
anymore because you used to have to lead the league
to win MVP, and now you don't. Not that Josh
Allen doesn't deserve it. If they give it to him,
they give it to him. You know who am I.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I'm just a guy who's explaining the trends and.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
The way things have been in the past, and I
need to understand so that I can make better predictions.
What's the criteria? But great game and great win for
the Buffalo Bills in Detroit. That makes this an even
more meaningful when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who
are number one in the AFC. They beat the Detroit
Lions with number one in the NFC, but they also
(18:37):
just lost to the Rams last week, so you got
to have the conversation both ways. It's not like they're
just winning and winning, winning, winning, winning. They just lost
to the Rams, but they are having a really great
season and they continue to push the envelope and continue
to win ball games. The Bills have the Patriots next week,
and that should be another pretty pretty cruise easy game
(18:57):
for him. The Lions have the Bears, a simple easy
for them. You know, there's no such thing as East
games in the National Football League. But the Bears haven't
looked very good, especially over the scretch, giving up a
lot of sacks, and they look dejected, look like they're
ready to go on vacation. The Patriots are still somewhat
trying to compete, but don't have the star power, don't
have the talent right now to compete with a team
(19:18):
like the Buffalo Bills. But it's a divisional game, so
you know, anything could happen. I wouldn't put past them,
and I don't think Buffalo loses that game. I think
they continue to win and they win out the rest
of the season, and I'm looking forward to these playoffs
and seeing how that shakes out. That was this week's
Sunday Night Foodball, brought to you by Uber eats, the
official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Uber eats
(19:40):
has the best game day deals all season long. Order
now for game Day. Another huge game happened in Pennsylvania
between the two Pennsylvania teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the
Pittsburgh Steelers. What a game we thought it was gonna be.
But the Philadelphia Eagles defense has been on a ten
of late, especially against the run. They've been phenomenal against
(20:03):
the run. They did a really good job limiting Russell
Wilson in this game fourteen for twenty two one hundred
and twenty eight yards. Also caused a turnover on a
fumble that they recovered. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing
really really good football this year. But one common theme
that's happened is they've been able to run the ball
well and it's complimenting and opening up their passing game
(20:25):
with George Pickens making big plays, fire Mouth Calvin Austin,
and they've had really really good success when they run
the ball consistently and effectively, and they play good defense.
They turn the ball over on defense, they put pressure
on the quarterback, they get sacks.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Watt got hot this game. He cast some big plays,
but Jalen Hurts probably had his best game of the season.
He was twenty five to thirty two to one hundred
and ninety yards, two touchdowns. He carried the ball a
little more than usual this game, fifteen carriers for forty
five yards in a touchdown. AJ Brown, you know, he
was in the news last week and earlier this week
just talking about how what the offense seats do to
(21:04):
be more productive. That message was obviously received well by
their coordinator because he got the aj Brown the ball
early and often. He had five catches for sixty five
yards by the beginning of the second quarter, and Devonte
Smith had eleven catches for one hundred and nine yards
and a touchdown on twelve targets. So they found both
of their star receivers fed them appeased them. But Saquon
(21:27):
Barkley nineteen carries for sixty five yards a rare, very
rare off day for Saquon Barkley, and his teammates were
still able to pick him up. And you see, when
the run game struggles, the pass game thrives. When the
pass game struggles, the run game thrives. It was still
a really complete game for the Philadelphia Eagles both sides
of the football. They did such a great job stopping
(21:48):
the run. They held Naji Harris to fourteen yards on
six carries. They really just had to go away from
the run game. They didn't have any answers. They didn't
have any answers for the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line. Jalen
Carter and the Boys are are so stout up front
and making plays in the back end, even when they
gave up a muffed punt and early in the game,
(22:10):
you thought, oh my god, that's gonna be the chance
Pittsburgh needs to get on the board early and flip
this game. And they were able to get a stop,
they were able to sack the quarterback, they were able
to put pressure on Russell Wilson, and he wasn't able
to have the game he needed to have.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
But there's bigger news coming out of Pittsburgh. TJ.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Watt leaves the game with an apparent foot injury. He
came he came up lame on a pass rush where
he rushed over the quarterback and he just started to lamp.
He grabbed the back of his heel. You hope it's
nothing serious, but that's something that we have to continue
to monitor because he's such an engine for this defense.
He's such an engine in a Star Wars in the
face of this franchise that without him it changes the
(22:51):
whole makeup of this team. It changed the whole makeup
of the defense, It changes the whole way you prepare
to play the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
So let's all put our prayers up and our strength up.
To TJ.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Watt and hope that hope that he's healthy for the
rest of the season or at least the playoffs when
they need him to come back again. A great game
for Jalen Hurts, getting his top receivers the football, getting
out of harm's way, using his legs when he had
to accurate with the football. You need to give him
a lot of credit for this win. They've really Philadelphia
has been undefeated since Sirianni got the bus cut. I
(23:24):
don't know if it's the buzz cut that that hasn't
but since Sirianni got it, they.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Haven't lost the game.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So they were calling for his job earlier in the season,
and now I'm sure they're calling for an extension. It's
crazy how how quickly the tide changes in Philadelphia. They're
they're twelve and two. The Philadelphia Eagles are still the
two seed, but it's a close neck and neck race
and the Lions have no margin prayer now. After that
(23:51):
loss to the Buffalo Bills, Nick Sirianni becomes the second
coach in Eagles history with multiple twelve win seasons, only
other coach being the great Andy Reid, who's in Kansas City.
Doing numbers right now, trying to chase his third Super
Bowl ring in a row. Philly settle Down. You got
(24:13):
your coach, give him an extension, support him, he's running
the ball. You got a great team. I look forward
to seeing what they're able to do in the playoffs.
Because the way Vic Fangio has his defense playing, the
way this offense is rolling, the way Sat Kawan has
been rolling all season long, They're gonna be a tough
out in the playoffs, especially if somebody has to roll
into Philadelphia to do it.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Can't wait to see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a really tough game divisional game
that could decide the AFC North next week against the
Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. I think that's gonna be a
really exciting game. It's on a short week for them,
a Saturday game, one less day to prepare, one less
day of rest, and the Baltimore Ravens are gonna be
playing with that sense of urgency they need to have
(24:56):
this game, and with TJ. Watt potentially sideline, that's to
be a huge factor in that game. And you looked
at what Lamar Jackson did this week, five passing touchdowns,
sixty nine yards on the ground. I think they're gonna
be primed and ready if they can find a way
to win that game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and recapture
the division league going into the playoffs, gain him momentum.
(25:19):
Everybody knew this would be a tough stretch for the
Pittsburgh Steelers, having all these division games late in the season.
If even as Cincinnati Bengals offensively are playing out of
their minds. I mean, we can talk about Joe Burrow.
He's not going to get the MVP, but he's putting
up MVP numbers over thirty touchdowns, I think he has
seven interceptions, close to four thousand yards passing, and Jamar
(25:40):
Chase having an all Pro season himself to Higgins having
a really good season being kind of banged up, It's
going to be a really tough road for Pittsburgh down
the stretch. They're gonna have to figure it out offensively,
figure out a way to score more points to put
more pressure on these defenses. Hopefully George Pickens Hamstring gets healthy,
because he's a huge factor in this offense and what
(26:00):
they're able to do, how they're able to stretch the
field and what that opens up for Najie Harrison this
run game, So hopefully he's able to get back or
else it's going to be a really, really tough finish
for the Pittsburgh Steelers on what has been a really
really good and promising season for him. Obviously, they got
some things to answer this offseason and what they're going
to do with Russell Wilson likely going to sign him
(26:22):
to a new contract and bring him back at least
for another couple of years until they find somebody else
or draft somebody else to succeed him. That he's been
having a really good season helping them win ball games,
I'm looking forward to that. Another important AFC matchup happening.
The Kansas City Chiefs go into Cleveland to play the
(26:42):
Cleveland Browns and Jamis Winston. Kansas City controls this game
for most of the game.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Again.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Patrick Mahomes semi underwhelming game nineteen to thirty eight, passing
one hundred and fifty nine yards, two touchdowns. Xavier Worthy
six catches for forty six yards, three rushs for thirty
in a rushing touchdown. Trent McDuffie. Trent McDuffie, friend of
the program gets his first career interception. So happy for him.
We talked about it on the podcast. We hope he
(27:10):
would get it this season. He finally got it. Love
to see it. Jamis Winston three interception game. He acts
the Good Lord to deliver him from interceptions, and I
guess the Good Lord sent him a few more struggles
before he delivers them from these interceptions. Right now, Jerome
Ford seven carries for eighty four yards. Jerry Judy eleven
catches for one hundred and eight yards, continues his strong season.
(27:33):
Since Jameis Winston has taken the reins of this offense,
seems like they have a really good connection and this
could be something that the Cleveland Browns could build on
in the future. But the Kansas City Chiefs, I have
two games in the next ten days versus Houston, and
then they have Christmas versus Pittsburgh. Another tough game for
the Pittsburgh Steelers. After playing the Baltimore Ravens, they play
(27:56):
Kansas City Chiefs. That's a gauntlet if I've ever seen one.
And it looks like even though the Kansas City Chiefs
aren't playing their best football, they held the Cleveland Browns
to seven points, their defense is still playing well. George
Carloff this two sacks in the game we talked about
the interception for Trip McDuffie, and Jaden Hicks gets interception.
Brian Cook and Nick Boden all get an interception in
(28:18):
a game. The Kansas City defense ends the game with
four interceptions. That's why this Kansas City Chiefs team is
now considered a defensive football team because even when their
offense struggles, they don't have their best game, still haven't
had a game in which they score thirty points or more.
They find a way to win in their twelve to
one on the season. But Patrick Mahomes is getting hit,
(28:41):
and he's getting hit a lot. If there's one thing
that's a threat to their three peat, it's those tackles.
And they're gonna have to get that figured out before
the playoffs because in the playoffs, if they continue to
let him get hit like that, he's just a human being.
He's already day to day with the ankle injury. I mean,
I know what you expect him to do. I don't
know what you're expecting to do. I mean, it's been
(29:02):
some really, really bad tackle play. They have some of
the best interior offensive linemen in the National Football League,
but on the edges there are very weak and they're vulnerable.
And I think if there's an achilles heel to the
Kansas City Chiefs team, it's the tackle play, and it's
shown weekend and week out, and it's only gotten worse
as the season's progressed. Hopefully they can find a way
(29:23):
to get that fixed. But usually you aren't getting big
things fixed in December and January. If you haven't got
it fixed by now, it's probably not getting fixed. And
if you go home, it's gonna because of those tackles,
and everybody knows it. But they've overcome that before in
the playoffs. Andy Reid is a wizard, and hopefully he
can find a way to mask that, to help those
(29:43):
guys to chip, to keep an extra man in, maybe
bring another tackle in. I mean, I guess that'd be
three bad tackles. I don't know, but right now they
don't have answers and their quarterback, who's the start of
the National Football League. The face of the National Football
League is getting hit. A lot has to change. Kansas
City Chiefs played to Houston, Texas next week in a
(30:04):
great matchup A matchup that I'll be looking forward to
see seeing. The Houston Texans are playing good football. They
just locked up a playoff spot winning the AFC South
with the Coat's loss to the Broncos. That's great for
Dmiico Ryans, a friend of the program, a friend of mine.
This team got Nico Collins back and they're gonna be
rolling in the playoffs. They're gonna be a tough out.
(30:26):
Their defense is playing well, got a number of turnovers
in that game, and I'm looking forward to seeing that game.
The Browns are at the Bengals, who are playing some
of the best offensive football of their season.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
We'll see how that one goes.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Now, let's move over to another game that has some
playoff implications. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the LA Chargers,
who have been playing some really stout defense, but this
game a lot of things changed. Baker Mayfield twenty two
of twenty seven, two hundred and eighty eight yards, four
touchdowns and the one interception, also ran for twenty five yards.
(30:59):
Bucky Irv fifteen carries for one hundred and seventeen yards.
Rashard White fifteen carries for sixty four yards and eleven
yard receiving touchdown. But the Hall of Famer Mike Evans
continues to do it, and they continue to feed him
on his quest to get his eleventh straight thousand yard season.
Nine catches for one hundred and fifty nine yards, two touchdowns,
(31:20):
a beautiful, beautiful catch late in the game to pretty
much put a dagger in the LA Chargers. The Tampa
Bay Buccaneers score forty points. Levonte David sack and a half.
I mean, turning back the hands of time looks incredible.
Another game with a sack Jamil Dean who has hands
like a snake usually and yes I'm talking to you,
(31:41):
Jaml but caught him a pick in this game.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Logan Hall sack and a half.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Jalen McMillan five catches for seventy five yards in a touchdown.
This is the best that Stampa Bay offense has looked
all season. Obviously, healthy Mike Evans changes the whole complexity
and dynamic of this offense. But their defense, the pressure,
the pressure, the pressure on a banged up Justin Herbert,
I think was the difference in this game. Justin Herbert
(32:07):
twenty one to thirty three, one hundred ninety five yards,
two touchdowns one interception that were able to stop the run.
Chargers ran only eleven times for thirty two yards. Lab
McConkey five catches for fifty eight yards in a touchdown.
Quinton Johnson five catches forty five yards in touchdown. If
this Tampa Bay team continues to play like this, Atlanta
has obviously taken a slide this season, and Tampa Bay
(32:31):
is playing some of their best football. They played the
Cowboys next week on Sunday Night Football, another game they
could win on their way to potentially a ten win
season going into these playoffs, which would be phenomenal. I mean,
it's gonna set them up with a date with either
the Minnesota Vikings or the Green Bay Packers potentially, which
isn't a matchup I think you necessarily want, but those
(32:54):
that's a matchup this team can win if they're playing
the way they have and Mike Evans and its offense
is rolling like they have, and this defense is playing
with the kind of ferocity and intensity that they're playing
with right now. The Chargers play the Broncos this Thursday
night in a matchup that's gonna decide who's second in
this division and have a lot of playoff implications. The
(33:15):
Chargers are going to be licking their wounds from this game.
This defense has played really, really well all season long,
have been consistently a top three defense and yards and points.
To give up forty points this late in the season
is I'm sure frustrating. But they get a chance to
wash that taste out of their mouth off a short
week at home versus the Broncos. I'm sure they're going
(33:36):
to be looking forward to being able to get back
out there and put a better performance up against a
Broncos team that struggled a lot of this game against
the Indianapolis Colts, bow knicks through a number of interceptions.
I think he threw three interceptions in the ball game
and showed some vulnerability there, some youth, but still they
found a way to win that ball game. He found
(33:57):
a way to make plays when they needed to have it,
and that what they're gonna need this week against the
LA Chargers. I can't wait to watch that game. Now
it's time for one of my favorite segments, are Brightling
Players in prime Time? This week it goes to Baker Mayfield.
Of course, because Baker was out there cheffing up and
he schefed up that Chargers defense, who's been, like I said,
(34:19):
been playing some of their best football. Four touchdowns, passing
two hundred and eighty eight yards, very efficient, two twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
What are we.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Gonna do if Baker Mayfield messes around and gets this
Tampa Bay team hot and rolling into the playoffs and
they make some noise in the playoffs and we see
them in a championship matchup NFC championship matchup against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Could that happen?
Speaker 1 (34:44):
I'm gonna say it here on the show just in
case we can cut it up later and say I
said it. Because the way they're playing right now, they
can get that done. And Baker's crazy enough to go
into these games, the gunslinger he is. If they can
get some stops on defense and make some plays and
it's Todd Bowle coach defense, he's known to put pressure
on quarterbacks to give him really exotic looks that they
(35:05):
haven't seen before. Anything can happen in these playoffs. That's
why we love football. That's why we love this game.
That's why we watched, that is why he is this
week's player in prime Time. Shout out to Baker Mayfield,
great game, brother, now we have to move on to
this game. The Thursday night game between the San Francisco
forty nine ers and the La Rams, a defensive slub
(35:29):
fest in some rainy conditions. Matthew Stafford makes him plays
late to give his team the lead. Kyron Williams has
a really good game running the football. Brod Perdy with
a bad interception late in the game. He predetermined where
he was going with the football and it was a mistake.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
I think he thought, Hey, they're going to bite on
this double move to Juwan Jennings. They didn't bite. He
put the ball up in a place where he thought
it only his receiver could get it, but the corner
state on top. Incredible play by them that ended up
being the deciding factor in the game. Not a lot
of offense from anybody. The biggest storyline came from the
Deebo Samuel drop which could potentially have been a touchdown
(36:11):
and broke this game open for the San Francisco forty
nine ers, or the Devondre Campbell incident where he refused
to go in the game and then John Lynch tells
him to leave the sideline as he should. They're trying
to work with the league on a way to suspend
him and make sure he's not able to sign with
another team, that he's not able to be rewarded for
quitting on his team, that he's not able to get
(36:33):
the salary and things that he's going to get because
you can't do it. And I can understand frustration.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
I can't.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
You're a veteran player, You're on a one year deal.
You have incentives that are based on playing time and
the amount of playing time you have on the season,
and it seems as though the team is doing something
to jeopardize your ability to make the money that you
could potentially make if you're out there playing. But this
isn't one of those situations. They're playing the guy that
(37:01):
is a heartbeat and is going to inject a lot
of energy into this defense. And that's exactly what Drake
Greenlaw did when he came in there. He had nine
tackles in a half. He was everywhere, he was popping
off the screen. I'm sorry, but Devondre Campbell, You've played
all season and you have not popped off the screen
like that one game, and that's why the Packers cut him.
And you don't ever want to really talk bad about
(37:21):
a guy because there's no reason to in this situation.
What should have happened is, hey, Drake Greenlaw got banged
up in the game.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Devondre Campbell goes in there. The Rams are trying to
run the ball.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Devondra Campbell is a pretty solid linebacker against the run.
He stuffs, helps his defense get some stops, the offense
gets the ball, they find a way to win the game,
and then they're talking and clapping you up for being
able to step up in a tough situation and being
a veteran and being a pro in this situation, and
being a guy that the team could depend on even
(37:51):
those circumstances weren't what you wanted them to be.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
But instead you walk off on your team. They lose
the ball game.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Now, this is going to be probably what the story
that is written about your career, Like this is what
they're gonna say. I don't know, Devondre Campbell, I don't
know enough of its. Plays like this will overshadow just
about everything you did in your career, unfortunately, and that's
the sad part. Because you've been in the league long enough,
you've played well, You've played on teams that have made
(38:19):
the playoffs. You don't want this to be the kind
of thing that defines your career, but these days, this
is the kind of thing that defines your career because
most people have never seen it before when Antonio Brown
does something like that and it's crazy and it's all that, well,
they just won a Super Bowl with Antonio Brown. He
had a Hall of Fame career, So sure we'll laugh
about that moment and be like, man, Antonio Brown did
some crazy stuff at that point. But Antonio Brown is
(38:41):
a Hall of Famer and he's he freaking took over
the league. He was the best receiver in the league
in his prime. That's a much different situation. It's not right,
but it's not gonna overshadow everything that he's done and
accomplished in his career, all the All Pros and Pro Bowls,
in the illustrious career that he's had, and even the
Super Bowl win with Tom Brady. But this for a
(39:01):
guy without that kind of resume, you can't do it.
You can't do it because it's going to overshadow everything
that you've done. And that's the sad part. You hurt
your team, You made yourself the storyline. You couldn't if
the team couldn't even talk about the loss to the Rams,
because they got to talk about the guy who quit
on the team, and you don't want to be that guy.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And it's unfortunate that cooler heads didn't.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Prevail and that you didn't just just go out there
and be a pro, help your team get this win
and then we could deal with the rest of it afterwards.
You can go up to Kyle and say, hey, you
know I got these incentive Don't do me like this, Kyle,
Don't do me like this. Don't sit me when you
know I'm close to hitting them like who knows if
Draven plays the rest of the season. If you would
have just stayed the course, it would have worked out
(39:45):
how it needed to work out for you.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
That's the hardest part.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
But again, the story in this game Deviondre Campbell leaving
the game. Obviously, this is a tough lost to the
San Francisco forty nine ers on top of an incredibly
disappointing season in which they're six and eight right now
now doesn't look like they have any chance to make
the playoffs. They're gonna have to answer a lot of
questions this offseason you know, you're hearing rumors that brock
Purty wants fifty five plus million, which is what you
(40:10):
expect him to want after what he's done for this team.
We'll see if the San Francisco forty nine ers are
going to pay him that. You know, every seeds, every
off season, it seems like they have a player or
two holding out for more money or a better contract,
or you know, whatever the case may be. So hopefully
they're able to get this one situated early enough in
the offseason so they don't have distractions going into the
(40:31):
season for the third or is it for you, a
third consecutive season, and then they can just reset and
go into a season as underdogs for a change.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
You know, you don't have to go into seasons as
front runners.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And you can retool, you can refocus, recalibrate, fix the things.
You know, look in the mirrors, see what you've done well,
what you've done wrong, and it's time for a number
of changes at a number of places. You know, maybe
you need to rethink the way you're drafting, address that
offensive line. Think that's something they're going to do this
all season, something they're gonna they're going to do in a.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Draft and hopefully they come back retool it.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
I don't think this. Everybody keeps saying the windows closing
on this team. I don't think so. I think this
is a rough season in the midst of a really
good run for the San Francisco forty nine ers. This
will be the year that they don't go to an
NFC Championship over a Super Bowl. You know, it's not
the end of the world. It's frustrating because it's such
a talented team that you don't expect a season like
this from them, But it doesn't mean it's the end
(41:26):
of the road. So I still have faith. The La
Rams look like they're rolling. Matthew Stafford is playing really well.
This is a good game from their defense. You talked
about Jared Verst and their young guys up front really
starting to flourish. Kello Witherspoon, who left San Francisco, had
a really good game with three PBUs hook in the court.
Looks like an All Pro player again. Seven catches for
(41:48):
ninety seven yards. Kyron Williams twenty nine carries for one
hundred and eight yards. He says they'd a big brother
right now, and it's hard to argue that when they're winning.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
The ball games.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
So we'll see what that this season means for the Rams.
And if they get in these playoffs, they're gonna be
a tough out for somebody. And you never know what's
gonna happen in these playoffs. But the Rams are earning
them a spot if they continue to play the way
they have.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
But I can't wait. That's what December is about.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
It's playoff football, it's playoff atmospheres, it's intensity, it's sense
an urgency.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I can't wait to see how this one shakes out.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
This has been another Sunday Night recap of the Richard
Sherman Podcast. I really appreciate you guys joining me every
single week, whether you listen for an hour, a minute,
a second, you're supporting me and what I do, and
I really appreciate it. I'm thankful for you. I hope
you're having a great holiday season. Playing you some Mariah
Carey Christmas songs or Run Run Rudolph, whatever you're into.
(42:43):
Make sure you're enjoying the holiday seasons. And if you're
not celebrating Christmas and you're celebrating some other holiday or
not a holiday at all, I hope you have a
great winner in a great New Year's. You could be
anywhere in the world, but you're here with us and
we appreciate it. Hit that sub button if you know
(43:17):
the volume
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