Richard Sherman breaks down a huge Week 17 across the NFL — starting with the Seattle Seahawks’ dominant defensive win over the Carolina Panthers and standout performances from Zach Charbonnet, JSN, AJ Barner, and DeMarcus Lawrence. Sherm reacts to Sam Darnold’s turnovers, Seattle’s Pro Bowl surge, and what it means for the NFC playoff race. Sherman also explores the NFC South and AFC West chaos: Tampa Bay’s struggles, Baker Mayfield’s inconsistency, Denver’s Christmas Day win over the Chiefs, Bo Nix’s development, and the Texans’ elite defense led by Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and Derek Stingley. He also analyzes Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ surge, the Chargers’ offensive struggles, and the Colts’ season falling apart. Sherm recaps the Steelers’ heartbreaking loss to the Browns, Shadur Sanders’ development, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ concerns, and Drake Maye’s breakthrough performance for the Patriots. Plus: what went wrong with the Lions, Green Bay’s ups and downs, and what to expect heading into Week 18. NFL playoff picture, quarterback storylines, injuries, Pro Bowlers — Sherm hits every angle.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, everybody, I appreciate you joining us as always. You
guys are phenomenal. You're the best in the world. You're
watching the Richard Sherman Podcast. But if you could do
me a huge favor and hit that sub button, it
would be greatly appreciated. You would do a service for
your boys. SHERV And I'll tell you what. I got
your back, you got my back, all love. Welcome back
(00:27):
to the Richard Sherman Podcast. And what another great week
for the Seattle Seahawks. Mitchell. They go on the road
and do what they do best on the road. They
played great defense, they ran the ball really well Zach
Sharberney eighteen carris for one hundred and ten yards in
two touchdowns, and they come away with the victory, holding
the Carolina Panthers to ten points. A great day by
(00:50):
them on a week where they found out they had
six Pro Bowlers this year, Jackson Smith and Jigba Witherspoon.
Sam Darnold makes another great for him. Rashid Shahid makes
a Pro Bowl after making an incredible impact this season,
especially last week versus the Rams and DeMarcus Lawrence, one
(01:11):
of the tone setters for this defense. Makes yet another
Pro Bowl in a season where his stats weren't the flashiest,
but his impact was multiple touchdowns this season, multiple force fumbles,
just huge impact on the culture and the energy of
this team. It's been phenomenal. But in this game, the
(01:32):
Seahawks looked like they should. Obviously, there was a little
bit of a sputtery start by Sam Donold early on.
He had the interception, he had the fumble, two turnovers
in the game, and again you want to get those
things cleaned up before the playoffs. But the thing that
gives me a little bit of calm and a little
bit of promise is the run game. The run game
on the ground. There were some you know, poppy plays
(01:56):
by kenniths Walker, but Sharburney was a steady force today,
getting the gritty yards, getting getting four and five yards
a pop. It's the best their run game, I think
is looked for majority of this season. I thought it
was consistent. Our guy AJ Barner got a touchdown in
this game and got to do his dance. You know,
I like a J Barner. I feel like he needs
(02:18):
to be a bigger part of this offense. JNSCN nine
receptions for seventy two yards and again he got a
Pro Bowl this season. But the story was the defense.
DeMarcus Lawrence we talked about earlier Pro Bowl season, forced
to fumble punched it out in a huge situation after
the Seattle Seahawks had just given the ball away on
(02:38):
an interception in the end zone to former Seahawks Mike Jackson,
who played with some enthusiasm and energy and was on
a bit of a revenge stour and had a pretty
good revenge game if you if you ask me. But
the defense of the Seattle Seahawks was able to turn
them away give the offensive ball back in the red
zone in the same position. They were able to capitalize
(02:59):
on that. That was their first touchdown of the game,
and then things started to snowball for the Seattle Seahawks.
They got an interception Julian Love Bates Bryce Young into
an interception that the Seahawks turned into more points. It
was a fun game and a great reassuring game if
you're a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, because you feel
(03:20):
you feel like, hey, we've been waiting for this run
game to get going. Obviously, this isn't a great, great
Carolina Panthers team, but It's a team that's won some
games and showed some promise throughout the season. So to
hold Bryce Young to fifty four yards passing at home
a team that scored thirty one points on the Rams
just a few weeks ago. So let's not act like
(03:41):
this team hasn't played any good football down in stretch.
They have and it was great this season. It looks
like it's gonna come down to the wire. Like we
talked about before the season started, they have the Seattle
Seahawks have a game and Levi Stadium with the San
Francisco forty nine ers. This game at the end of
the season. It's it's gonna be as meaningful as ever
(04:04):
because these two teams have played well enough to put
themselves in position. I can't wait to see how it
turns out. Richard.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The Seattle fan base has got to be thrilled. I mean,
coming into the season, you called it, man, you had
a peak behind the curtain, you know, in OTAs and
in training camp, and you said, there's there's a different
fire within this organization and it stems from the defense.
They have so many bodies that can throw at you defensively,
specifically on that D line. And then you look at
that secondary. My goodness, man, this team is the most
(04:33):
complete roster I've seen in Seattle since you're playing days,
since the glory days, Richard, when you guys were eating
for Super Bowls year in and year out, and then
you look offensively throughout this roster, it reminds me of
those days, Richard. There's players that are stepping up and
are going to become household names in Seattle. Look at
one AJ Barner, like you said with that dance in
(04:55):
the end zone. He played for Michigan. You of M,
who I do not like. I'm a mission and state
a lump, so I do not like. But the reality
is this guy didn't get as much attention at U
of M because he was playing with Colston Levelin, who
was the top ten pick by the Chicago Bears this year.
Enter him into Seattle and he's exactly what they need
from a tight end, a guy that can give them
(05:17):
some pop offensively, catch these touchdown passes. And then obviously
we've talked about one hundred times this year, JSN, mister consistency,
another nine reception game. The construction of this roster. You
know what Schneider has done over the last couple of
years is very impressive. It starts with the acquisition of
Sam Darnold, and then he's kind of sprinkled the lawn
(05:38):
man and he's made this lawn flourish and we're seeing
it pay dividends here in Seattle thirteen and three. Who
would have saw this coming. I didn't, Richard, but you did.
Credit to you at the beginning of the season. We're
gonna have to pull it from the archives because Seattle
thirteen and three in line to win this division and
potentially have the one seed, is beyond impressive. Richard. They
(06:00):
got it done against a team that was in desperate
need of a win. I know it's the Carolina Panthers
five hundred, but we cannot undersell this game, like you said,
rainy conditions. But when they when Sam Darnold was turning
the ball over, their defense stepped up and another major acquisition,
DeMarcus Lawrence. He was noted for saying he wanted to
come to Seattle because he wanted to win a Super Bowl.
(06:21):
Another guy that is being proven right. They are in
prime position right now. Richard. You got to be fired
up to be up in Seattle. I for one will
be rooting for you. I know I'm gonna be called
a band wagon fan. I'm switching the hat over to
Seattle now that my Detroit Lions have been formally eliminated
from playoff contention. But I will be rooting for the
Seattle Seahawks going forward. That is that is what I got.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
To say, no question about it. And I appreciate that
the bandwagon's always open. And you got to talk about
John Snyder for potential Executive of the Year, especially with
all the preseason moves he made with his signing DeMarcus Lawrence,
the draft picks that they made that are thriving, the
way m and war he is playing. But you go
(07:02):
back to Byron Murphy, Witherspoon, foundational pieces, Charles Cross, et cetera,
Grey's Abel and what he's done to revamp this offensive line.
Then you go to signings like DeMarcus Lawrence, then Leonard Williams,
who made yet another Pro Bowl. It's just it's just
been fantastic by him. And then you go Rashid Shahait,
the end season addition that's made huge impacts in this season.
(07:26):
So if he's not executive the year, obviously there's a
lot of teams playing well, it's it's surprising for me
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talk about the NFC South for a second, because nobody
wants to win this division and that seems to be
(08:54):
the case every single year. You look up and a
team that has been leading a division all season long
starts to stumble. And then here comes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been leading off season
and then they start to stumble down the stretch and
somehow still pull this division out. And that's what it
looks like it's about to happen. Now. The Carolina Panthers
(09:16):
are losing games they shouldn't lose down the stretch. I
think both teams have lost their New Orleans Saints, who
are trying to figure out how they can pick number
one and number two in the draft this season. And
then you look up into Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lose
to the Miami Dolphins. So I don't really know what's
gonna happen with this division. It doesn't look like either
team wants to win it. Both teams take a loss
(09:39):
this week against I mean, i'd say Carolina, you expected
to lose against a really good Seattle Seyhawks team. But
I don't think the Bucks expected to lose to the
Miami Dolphins the way they did. Quinny Ewers at the
Helm fourteen to twenty two, one hundred and seventy two yards,
two touchdowns, Devin n Chain having a Pro Bowl season
eighteen carries for eighty three yards. But I don't really
(10:01):
understand this one.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I don't get it either, Richard. We talked about it
all year, you know, and look at this. I mean,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with everything in front of them,
all they got to do is win a handful of
games down the stretch. They've lost four in a row.
And we talked about it once Mike Evans went down
against Detroit with the collar bone injury, being out you know,
six to eight weeks whatever it was. That was what
(10:23):
we pointed to, Hey, Baker doesn't look the same because
he doesn't have his full arsenal of weapons. Well, now
they're healthy you know, they got Jalen McMillan back from
ir Obviously, I don't know what happened to a Mecca Buca.
I mean, he was a revelation. He was the front
runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and he's just
trailed off of late to end this season. You know,
with a Tampa Bay Bucks team that has that many weapons.
(10:45):
They got Chris Godwin back, they got Mike Evans back.
This is just unacceptable. I don't get it. Would you
say Todd Bowles is on the hot seat even if
they do win this division?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I don't know if I'm saying he's on the hot seat.
Todd Bowles has done a great job. They've won four
straight division titles, working on a fifth. So regardless of
how everything's gone, they've gone to the playoffs the last
four years, and I think it's tough to say you're
firing the coach after that and a potential fifth straight
season going to the playoffs. But there is some concern
about how Baker Mayfield's play. Obviously, the stats thirty three
(11:20):
of forty four thirty forty six, two touchdowns, two interception
look great, but not'scoring enough points. Obviously, they lose to
the Miami Dolphins twenty to seventeen, at least going seventeen
points after throwing for three forty six. Something's not adding
up there. Not getting the run game going Bucky Irvin
with only nine carries for nineteen yards, so that's been
(11:41):
a huge deal. And then defensively they're just out making
enough plays. You're not turning the ball over, You're not
getting the sack production that you would expect from a
Todd Bowles defense. So all those things have contributed to
this four game losing streak, and hopefully they can find
a way to steal one for the Carolina Panthers and
get themselves back in the playoffs. But it's just not
(12:03):
looking great heading into the playoffs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
no question.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I mean Week eight team, we got a couple of
showdowns that are gonna be with everything on the line,
and the NFC South is one of them. Who do
you like in this matchup Carolina against Tampa Bay Bucks,
someone's gonna inevitably have to win this division.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean, can I say neither? I like Tampa just
because just because they have more star power. I played
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a cup of coffee.
And I think with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield
and what they could do offensively, they'd be the more
dangerous team going into the playoffs. It'd be a fun
story for a guy that I was with in Seattle,
(12:44):
for Dave Canalis and his team to go to the
playoffs after everything they deal with dealt with last season,
after the scrutiny that they've dealt with in terms of
Bryce Young and the pick picking him above c J. Stroud,
and all the headache and things that have surrounded the
Carolina Panthers franchise for the last few years. So that
would be really cool. But I just don't think either
(13:04):
team will be relevant in the playoffs. With the way
some of these teams are playing, They're gonna play, inevitably
play one of these NFC West teams, whether it's the Rams,
the Seahawks of the forty nine ers, and I think
it'd be a very difficult team. Well, I mean, Carolina
just beat them, but I wouldn't expect them to beat
the Rams again if they come to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I'm right there with you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Richard.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Let's move back, rewind the clock. Of time here, the
hands of time, if you will. To Christmas Day, you
were in Denver as part of the Thursday Night Football
Crew taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos
squeaked away with a twenty to thirteen win. It wasn't
the most impressive win, especially going against a rookie third
(13:44):
string quarterback in his first career start, but ultimately the
Broncos get away with the win. They're in line to
win the AFC West, you know, and obviously the Chargers
have looked good at times this year as well, and Richard,
they're in line to take the one seed here. How
much do you like this Denver Broncos team? You saw
him first hand in Denver.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I really like him defensively, and I think that's that's
always what gives you the chance in the playoffs. I
think everybody says the defense wins championships, and I've obviously
been a part of that and a testament to it.
But it's it's gonna come down to bow Knicks and
and how he can manage this team, and how Sean
Payton manages him throughout this playoff run keeps him under wraps.
(14:28):
He does, He's pushing the ball down the field more
than he ever has, and it's kind of a mixed
bag right now. And if he can continue to do
that at a high level, if he can do that
at a high level in the playoffs, they'll have a
great chance. And his defense has to get pressure. They
have to get home. They only had one sack against
(14:49):
the Kansas City Chiefs, which was unlike this defense. They're
gonna have to change that. This is a defense that's
I mean, if they would have got a few in
this game, could come close to setting the record. I
think they had sixty four sacks the record of seventy two,
So I don't think they're getting eight sacks versus versus
Justin Herbert and the Chargers, But who knows. I think
(15:11):
it's still a great defense, and it's gonna come down
to that ken bone Knicks execute. Can they keep the
run game consistent and then can that defense get home
and play as well as they have all season With
Nick Benito and Jonathan Cooper and John Franklin Myers and
Zach Yallen and the boys. You know, they have so
many guys that can get home. DJ Jones. Can they
(15:32):
play to that level in the playoffs. That's what it's
gonna come down to, and if they can, they'll be
a dangerous team. But I still like the Houston Texans
sneaking in there and another dangerous defense.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
No question about it. The AFC is gonna be a
totally different story than we're used to seeing over the
last decade. The Patriots are back to relevance. I mean,
the Kansas City Chiefs are out of it for the
first time in years. And the major question around the
Chiefs obviously Patrick Mahomes acln injury and I'm sure he'll
you know, just with his track record, he'll make a
speedy recovery. But you gotta look at the rest of
(16:05):
the roster. Travis Kelcey, I mean, do you think he's
got another year lefter? You think he calls it and
sails off into the sunset with Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Well, I had a good conversation with Travis after the game,
and he doesn't know, man, and I don't think anybody knows.
After a season that doesn't end the way you want it,
you never want to ride off into the sunset with
a with a sour taste in your mouth. That's when
you live with regret and what could have been. Obviously,
they've had a tremendous amount of success over the last decade,
(16:35):
and I'm sure he feels good about that. But I
think I think even if he retired this off season
or announced his retirement, I think there would in this
day and age, just like Philip Rivers, there's gonna be
grumblings as soon as things aren't going great in Kansas City.
They're like, oh, man, old times he comes here, comes
Patrick Mahomes back. Man, it sure would be nice to
have Travis Kelsey. They'll forget about, you know, how things
(16:57):
look this season, how things transpired, and they'll want that feeling.
That nostalgia will kick you in and I think he'll
get a call to say, hey, come in here. You
don't have to practice on Wednesdays. You will keep you
as healthy as we can. It's fresh for game day.
So I think he may retire, but I think he
comes back and play some football in twenty twenty six,
(17:20):
And that would be my expectation.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Now, this Kansas City Chiefs team, we're not used to
not seeing them in competition this late in the season.
Do you think it's as easy for them to just
turn the page and move to next season. Are they
going to be back to contenders or has too many
teams caught up to them? Because this year we were
talking about it off here. It's a weird one. There's
a lot of good teams in both the NFC and AFC,
but we don't really know who's the best, right I mean,
(17:44):
is it safe to say the Chiefs time has come
to a close where they are? Every time I ask you, Richard,
who's gonna win the Super Bowl? You tell me the
Chiefs because they got Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
No, I don't think their time has passed. I think
after everything that's happened, you have a down year, and
that's what's happened to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have
a down year. It catches up to you. Attrition catches
up to everybody you play every season into February. They
can never book any vacations until after February, have the
(18:15):
shortest off season of any team every single season, so
eventually that catches up to you. We saw it with
the San Francisco forty nine ers last season, and you
saw them they're just too beat up, too tired down
the stretch and couldn't figure it out, couldn't couldn't make
it work. And then they come back refreshed, and even
with all the injuries, even with all the turmoil that's
(18:36):
been going on with Brandon Ayuk and all that, that
team is in a position to potentially have the one
seat going into the final week. And so I don't know,
I don't know if if that's enough, They'll they'll revamp,
They'll they'll get some strength along that offensive line. Trading
away Joe Tooney proved to be a bad decision. He's
doing great with the Chicago Bears, and I think they're
(18:59):
gonna have to find to replenish that offensive line, especially
those tackles. They they drafted Simmons from Ohio State, but
he's had his own issues and and and problems that
he's dealt with. So hopefully they can get that figured out,
and then defensively, just replenishing that pass rush, helping Chris
Jones out. Does he come back. What are they going
to do in terms of drafting the next big time playmaker?
(19:22):
Do they address the running back room or do they
stick with Kareem Hunt and what they've been doing. Those
are the things I think they need to get answered. Uh,
this season, and you gotta appreciate the rest of the
division catching up too. You got to appreciate what the
Denver Broncos are doing, what the the Chargers are doing.
Even without their star tackles and Rashaun Slater and Joe All,
they're still finding ways to win. They're eleven and five
(19:45):
right now, even without Rishawn Slater for the entire season
and without Joe All for majority of the season, They're
finding ways to still win these games. Sure, justin Herbert's
getting beat up. He was sacked five times against the
Houston Houston Texans, he was intercepted, he fumbled, but he's
still finding a way to battle. Their defense is getting better.
So yes, it's not going to be as easy of
(20:07):
a role for the Kennessey Chiefs as it has been
for the past five six years.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
No question about the LA Chargers or another team. Like
you said, Rashaun Slater, Joe Walt wants to get those
guys back next year lookout. But they're still very competitive
this year even without them, which is wild to see.
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Speaker 2 (21:54):
And team Richard, we've been talking about for the last six, seven,
eight weeks now, the Houston Texans won the hottest teams
in the NFL. I know you love them. I certainly
like them a lot too. They go into LA and
take care of business against these Chargers, a team that
has been really playing well themselves, and they leaned again
heavily on their defense. Richard, how impressed are you with
(22:14):
these Houston Texans? I know you are scared of any
team to play against them in the playoffs. They certainly
present a daunting task. Are they your favorite in the
AFC right now?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
They're definitely my favorite team to watch in AFC. They
have so many playmakers on defense. They have a ziz
Al Shair, they have Derek Stingley, they have Kamari Lassiter,
Kaylin Bullocks, they have Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, they have
so many playmakers. Al Shaear making his first Pro Bowl,
Derek Stingley making yet another one. And then offensively, they're
(22:47):
starting to find their rhythm. They're starting to find themselves.
I think they're doing a great job of controlling a
clock and then CJ strorout finding his rhythm in the
first half, he looked fantastic, his longest completion of his career,
longest touchdown of his career against the Chargers, and then
he kind of cooled off and made some mistakes, some
(23:07):
Aaron passes and through two interceptions. Then you got Marx,
who's a young guy finding his way on the ground,
seventy one yards on nineteen carries, and Jaydon Higgins two
catches for eighty eight yards and that touchdown we talked
about earlier. And then the defense had five sacks in
that game. So if they can play like that, they're
gonna be a very fun team to watch in a
(23:28):
very dangerous team to go against. If they played the
Jacksonville Jaguars, for instance, in a division game in the
playoffs in the wild card, you know it could be
anybody's bet. And again, even if they played in New
England or something like that, you still feel really good
about what they can bring. Obviously, New England has been
consistently consistent on offense, but defensively, there's some holes there
(23:50):
if the Texans can expose it. So I feel really
good about them going into these playoffs and hopefully I
can't wait to see it.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Ques about it. They do have game wreckers on the
defensive side of the ball. Like you said, there's secondaries
playing lights out, but the tone setters are your guy
will Anderson and Danil Hunter. Five sacks again, totally disrupting
this game for the Chargers. And like you said, CJ.
Stroud is starting to look like his self old. I
mean he's leaning more on Higgins, leaning more on Noel.
(24:20):
We didn't see a whole lot of Eco Collins in
this game, but the deep ball to Higgins to start
the game. When you can set the tone like that
that early and then lean on your defense, they're going
to be a very, very difficult team to watch. And
they're doing all this, by the way, without Tank Dell
and Joe Mixon. So it's impressive to see guys like
Willie Mark step up and take over the lead role.
You know, Nick Chubb was toting the rock early in
(24:43):
the season, and Willie Marx has risen to the occasion.
This team started zero to three, Richard, and now they're
eleven and five. They're eleven and two in their last
thirteen games. I don't know if there's a more impressive
team in football during that stretch. They are certainly going
to be a tough team in the playoffs, and I
would not want to play. And by the way, Richard,
it looks like your favorites, the Jacksonville Jaguars, are gonna
(25:05):
win that division more than likely, which is wild to see.
I mean, they're playing this level of football and they're
not even gonna win their own division. So it is
gonna present a tough matchup in wild card weekend for
whoever's got to play them. But let's talk a little
bit more about the Chargers. I mean, obviously this wasn't
their best showing, but they made it a game. You
know that they've got They really have not been utilizing
(25:28):
Lad McConkey. It's been Quintin Johnson. Over these last few weeks.
We finally saw a little bit more of a Ronde Gatson,
who have been not existing over the last month. What
has got to give for this team to fully connect
on all cylinders because they have a lot of weapons offensively.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Uh, they gotta they gotta find a way to execute
it and protect Justin Herbert so he can execute. So
they have all these weapons, but it's it's it's a
tall task, but they're doing as good of a job
as they can, and they're gonna have a chance to
to upset the Broncos at the end of the season
and give their team a chance to improve their playoff seeding.
(26:03):
Because it's coming down to the wire. Who's gonna be
the seventh seed, who's gonna be the sixth seed, Who's
gonna be the five seed in AFC? And that's gonna
matter because do you who wants to play that either
play the Denver Broncos. Are you playing the New England Patriots?
Are you playing these Jacksonville Jaguars that we talked about?
All those things matter. Are you the fifth seed and
you're playing whoever wins the AFC South or whoever wins
(26:25):
the AFC North. Is it gonna be the Baltimore Ravens.
Is it gonna be the Pittsburgh Steelers who took a
bad loss today to the Cleveland Browns and Shador Sanders.
So everything's coming down to the wire. And the NFL
schedule makers did a phenomenal job. These division matchups at
(26:45):
the end are what matters.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
They sure did, They sure did. And then your boy
Trevor Lawrence Man delivers another solid game, dude, and I
like I said, I've talked about it over the last
couple weeks. What I feel like is the difference in
Trevor Lawrence's game this year versus last is his He's
not waiting around with the ball when he sees an opportunity.
He's utilizing his legs, specifically in the red zone. He
(27:09):
had two more rushing touchdowns to Gate today. That opens
up this offense so much more. And Travis etn Man,
I mean, I know he's going to be a free
agent after the season. You can tell that he wants
this season as bad as anyone else on this Jaguars roster.
I know you're not the biggest Jacksonville Jaguars fan, that's
well documented, Richard, but twelve and four you have to
(27:29):
be somewhat impressed by how they finished out this season.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Yeah. Yeah, you're impressed because we weren't expecting this kind
of season from the Jacksonville Jaguars. And Trevor Lawrence has
played really good football this especially this last month. But
it's gonna come down to what happens in the playoffs.
You know. I think they're going to have a really
tough matchup with the Houston Texans, and that'll tell the
tail if they can find a way to win in
the playoffs to get out of that first round to
get the division. I'd consider this an incredible remarkable season
(27:56):
for the Jacksonville Jaguars for Liam coleb Liam Cohen in
his first season with the team, exceeding all expectations for
them and showing a lot of promise for the future
when they get Travis Hunter back and what he can bring,
whether it's offensively our defensively, and to do all the
things that they're able to do without him and to
(28:16):
continue to grow this team on both sides of the
football is really cool to see. But again, we pay
these people for playoff performance, and I can't wait to
see what they're going to be able to do in
a few weeks in January when it gets played in
January football, no.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Question about it. I personally love what the Jaguars did
offensively in their wide receiver room, Jacoby Myers. Again, they
injected a veteran presence in this wide receiving room. You
can see everyone else flourishing because of Parker. Washington has
had a back to back big games. You know, obviously
we've seen Brian Thomas kind of stumble at times this season,
but he seems they've turn it on as if late
(28:53):
as well. And then of course, you know, when they
bring back their number two overall pick next year, this
offense is going to be a tough one to mess with.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
But on the other side of the football, the Indianapolis Colts,
obviously it's got to be tough for them to go
out the way they did without Indiana Jones, Daniel Jones
out there suffering the devastating injury. This team just looks
completely different. You know, credit to Philip Rivers for at
least keeping this team competitive. You know they were. They
were tough to beat down the stretch with them there,
but obviously they lost them their gusto offensively. So the
(29:26):
Indianapolis Colts, they're going to go into this offseason with
a couple question marks, specifically at quarterback. But you gotta
feel confident on what you have in Indianapolis with this
ross or outside of the quarterback position right now.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, on paper, especially defensive, like they're one of the
more talented units if you look at Tarvarius Ward Sauce
Gardner on outside. They haven't had a chance to have
both them healthy at the same time yet, but once
they do, they can play some man a man defense
and lou An Arumo, I'm sure he's excited about that.
DeForest Bucker just ended his season and got next surgery,
so you hate see that for this team, but again
(30:01):
for the future, you're you're excited for them and what
they have going. So, yeah, they got some foundational pieces
they got, but you got to figure out the quarterback spot.
What are you going to do with Daniel Jones. They're
saying they're gonna sit Philip Rivers for this last game
because obviously they're out of the playoffs and he did
everything he could to try to give this team a chance.
But yeah, I think there's some optimism there, but there's
(30:24):
definitely some disappointment with how they started the season.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
No question. Let's move over to the battle in the
AFC North, and if there's one team that got the
best Christmas present this Christmas season, it was the Baltimore
Ravens going on the road taking care of the Packers
and then seeing the Steelers get upset by Cleveland Browns.
This Steelers team, the team that we saw in Detroit
take care of the Lions that had their entire season
(30:49):
to play for that game. The Pittsburgh Steelers were a
no show today completely Aaron Rodgers twenty one to thirty
nine for one hundred and sixty eight yards, and they
get beat by shad Or Sam who has looked better
over the last couple of weeks and obviously closing out
this season with a win is a big deal for him.
How devastating of a loss is this for Pittsburgh, who
(31:10):
could have won the division by beating the Cleveland Browns today?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
It was really devastating and even more insult to injury
is the dk metcalf suspension. And you look offensively and
what could they have used today? An offensive injection from
the receiver room and they had it. They have a
guy they're paying thirty million dollars a year, over thirty
million dollars a year that could provide that, but unfortunately
he's unavailable because of the stake he made in Detroit.
(31:36):
And that's a story for a different day. But you can't.
It's it's frustrating because the Ravens obviously took care of
business against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, a
phenomenal game, and Tyler Huntley did just enough to get
that game. But Derek hen Rec carried the ball thirty
six times for two hundred and sixteen yards and another
(31:57):
four TD game for him. And you look at the
Steelers and they just have no momentum. They have no
momentum offensively. I think defensively, they played a solid game
and you feel good about that performance if you're the
Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They calls two turnovers, they had two
sacks in a game. It made life really tough for
(32:19):
Shador Sanders could have had three sacks. I mean, could
have had three interceptions and a pick six, but it
was a dropped interception. I think it's hard for me
to and I said this earlier. I thought Baltimore was
gonna make the playoffs because the Pittsburgh Steelers, you just
never know what you're gonna get from them week from
week to week. And without DK Metcalf in the fold
the last game of the season, for all the marbles,
(32:42):
I really can't see them winning this game. And it's
not because of anything that the Baltimore Ravens are doing necessarily,
It's because I just don't I don't believe in the
Pittsburgh Steelers and what they put on tape the last
few weeks, so I'd be surprised if Baltimore doesn't give
them a heavy dose of Derrick Henry throughout this game
the clock and run the ball and try to bully
their way to I mean an AFC North title, no
(33:05):
question about it. I mean the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
This is a team that was down and out, horrendous
start to the season, and they have not gotten any
more luck with this this AFC North Division, the way
it's played out, Lamar Jackson not playing last game against
the Green Bay Packers, I mean, who would have thought
that they would have won? The Packers have everything to
play for, you know, and they got to be a
(33:28):
dangerous team to want to play against. I unlike the
NFC sided thing with the NFC South, I think anyone's
gonna beat whoever comes out of the NFC South, whoever
comes out of the AFC North. I'm sorry if it's
Lamar Jackson at home Week one in the wild card.
I know they haven't had their best year, Richard, but
come on, man, I mean this is Lamar Jackson MVP.
(33:51):
You know, do you have any hope if the Baltimore
Ravens are to make this playoffs. Do you have any
hope in them to make a run?
Speaker 1 (33:59):
I do not. I do sure, I do not. I'm
not in that ball club. I'm not in that fan
club right now because of what they've had surrounding them
and how Lamar Jackson has played this season. Now, Lamars
Jackson's resume is what it is. He's been phenomenal, outstanding,
But the news coming out of Baltimore has not been
good this season, and it's starting to seem like things
(34:19):
are cracking for that franchise, whether it's John Harball, is
it gonna be John Harbor or Lamar Jackson. Like we
haven't had those conversations in the past, we haven't had
those kind of distractions. I'm sure they're playing well enough
to potentially make a playoff. But the last game, Derrick Henry,
I don't think he was even in the game for
like the last few driver or the last quarter of
(34:40):
the game. It was very weird and it was having
a great game and you could say, oh man, we
couldn't run the ball there. You still don't take Derrick
Henry out the game, like, you still have to have
the threat, you have to have the king on the field.
He's one of your best players, if not your best
player at the time. And I think that's the issue,
and there's too much surrounding and if I felt like, Hey,
this is a healthy Lamar and he's gonna go out
there and put on the show, I don't think Lamar
(35:02):
Jackson's healthy. And I think that's the issue that I
run into to that I don't have confidence in, is
that he's not healthy. And if Derrick Henry's all you got,
then I don't think that's enough right now as they
sit to go into the playoffs in AFC and expect
to win. Now, maybe they could pull it off, but
it just doesn't give me confidence with how Lamar's played
the last month of the season and with all the
(35:26):
distractions around that team, and then even defensively, they gave
up twenty four points to Malik Willis. Malik Willis was
eighteen to twenty one for two to eighty eight in
a touchdown with sixty yards and two rushing touchdowns on
the ground. I mean, they made Milik Willis look look
like he's a starting NFL caliber quarterback. And if he
played like that for seventeen games, you'd be talking about
(35:47):
him being top fifteen top ten quarterback in this National
Football League, and so you really, I really don't feel
great about them defensively either. So I don't know. I'm
not sitting there like I'm not in this in the
same standing as you about that.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Fair enough, fair enough. A team that's been hot as
a skill at all season long, New England Patriots. Man,
they go in and dominate the New York Jets. And
I know it's the Jets, but we got to talk
a little bit about Drake May here. Man, if five
touchdown passes all in the first half, right, I mean,
what else does he have to do? I know you
love Matthew Stafford as the MVP candidate, and his numbers
(36:25):
certainly do speak for themselves, but is Drake May the
top quarterback in the AFC? Is that safe to say?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
No, No, Josh, we're not. We're not. We're not going
crazy now. I'm not sure we're not going to lose
side of things. If you take Josh Allen out, I
guess you know, if you take him and put him
somewhere else on another planet, then sure we'll go with
Drake May. But he is having a phenomenal season and
you can't take anything away from him this season and
what he's done for this team. But he's got ten
(36:54):
touchdowns less than Matthew Stafford. And I'm not at least
it's me and I've been wrong before. I thought Lamar
shouldn't have got it that year and Josh Allen should
have got and they gave it to Lamar Jackson would
about twenty twenty two, twenty one or twenty two passing
touchdowns and Matthew Stafford is having what may be the
best season of his career forty touchdowns, five interceptions, and
(37:15):
you can has the chance to add to that with
two games to go. So I have a hard time
saying a kid with thirty touchdowns and eight interceptions is
having a better season than Matthew Stafford. And I understand
that they've won more games, they're the number one seed
in the AFC, they've played fantastic or they have a
chance to be the number one seed in AFC and
they played fantastic football, But it doesn't take away from
(37:38):
what Matthew Stafford has done this season. He's had a
phenomenal season, led the Rams to a chance at a
number one seed in a very tough division. And if
we're if we're judging it about if we're judging it
by the stats and who's playing quarterback at the highest level,
I think it's hard to argue Matthew Stafford, is it.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
We talked about New England all year long and their schedule.
I mean, let's let's call it how it is. It
was a cakewalk for him outside of having to play
the Bills a couple of times. Do you think that
they can, you know, stand up to the test of
playing against other division winners in the playoffs? Do you
think they are that good or do you think they're,
you know, more of a product of their easy schedule
(38:18):
this year?
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Man, I don't think they're a product of the very
easy schedule. I think they've taken advantage and they've done
what they're supposed to do if you have a schedule
like this. But I do think if they run into
a very tough matchup that it's going to be hard
for him. If you if you think about them running
into the Houston Texans in the first round, you know
they'd be favored, I'm sure, but that's not a mathship
that you would hope for. If you're the New England
(38:41):
Patriots Now if they run into Chargers, sure you'd feel
a little better about that, but you still feel a
little uneasy about it. So I'm not sure you If
you're the New England Patriots and their fan base, you
feel comfortable with any team you You're very excited about
your team in the future of Drake May and everything
they have going for him. They're very scrappy on defense.
They fight hard, they they played to the whistle, everything
(39:02):
that you would expect from a Mike Rabel coach team.
But I'm not I'm again the playoffs tell the tale
for them as well. I mean, this is an AFC
that's wide open, and I need a team to stand
out and need a team to show that they belong,
that showed that they're an AFC contender. This is when
(39:22):
you get it done. We've been talking all season about
records and wins and losses, but until the playoffs, nobody's
a true contender and nobody gains the respect and honor
until they do. That's why Buffalo gets held in such
high regard. They've gone to the playoffs, they've won. Their
quarterback has played well in the playoffs, even in losses.
I think Josh Allen has played well in just about
(39:43):
every game, So I'm looking forward to seeing which team
separates themselves in January.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
No question about it. And finally, before he wrapped, Richard,
I got to talk a little bit about my Detroit Lions.
What an absolute brutal Christmas Day game against the Vikings.
The lines going to the Minnesota with absolute nothing to
play for, really and lose twenty three to ten. This
was the worst performance I've seen the Detroit Lions play
in the last three years. Six turnovers. But candidly, Richard,
(40:13):
I'm glad the season ended the way it did. You know,
if the Lions can finish last in their division, they
should have a very easy schedule going in the next year.
That being said, you know, I don't think the window
for Detroit is closed. I think this offseat is going
to be a very important one for Brad Holmes in
this front office for the Lions. They have glaring issues
on the interior of their offensive line. I think this
(40:35):
might be the easiest team to fix in the NFL
because their issues are so obvious. They need to go
out and be aggressive and get a center. Whether that's
sweet talking Frank Ragnow to come out of retirement, or what,
and then they need to get another guard and then
potentially a backup left tackle to help in the transition
that inevitably will occur with whatever happens with Taylor Decker
(40:56):
going forward, Richard, this season for the Detroit Lions will
go down is an absolute failure in my opinion. It's
fresh off of fifteen and two outing last year. To
go five hundred and potentially be looking at a sub
five hundred season is nothing short of devastating for Detroiters.
But do you share the same mindset as me? You
(41:17):
think the Lions window is closed or do you think
they have life going the next year?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I think it's going to be very difficult. I don't
share the optimism that it's going to be an easy
fix or a quick fix just because of what everybody
else is doing. In Division. You have Ben Johnson now
with the Chicago Bears, getting Caleb Williams to believe and
play at a high level. He made a critical pass
to beat the Green Bay Packers, who can are struggling
(41:43):
right now but still have a very solid foundation for
a future with Micah Parsons and whatever you believe Jordan
loved to be and they'll stack and get better, and
then you lose to in the Minnesota Vikings, who are
struggling this season. They had Matt Brouzmer at quarterback, who
I think they said had seven net passing yards in
(42:04):
a win, and you lose to him so bad it's
not giving me a lot of hope for the future.
You lost to the worst team in the division and
they beat the crap out of your quarterback to the
tune of four fumbles or three fumbles, two interceptions, and
just looked uneasy the entire night. And you don't think
(42:25):
I mean, I'm sure Brian Forores is gonna get some
interviews for a head coaching position, but if he comes back,
you're terrified to that team, and this is the worst
team in your division, So I'm not sure in the
same optimism for the Honolulu Blue Boys. Hopefully they can
figure some things out and offensively and defensively, I mean,
they had six sacs in the game, but again, you're
playing prosmer and you're not feeling fantastic about that. You
(42:49):
have to be better defensively, and you got to get
those those All Pro and Pro Bowl safeties.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Healthy, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
All odds and lines come from our partners at hard Rock.
We've got the Rams at the Falcons on Monday Night
Football tomorrow. Hard Rock Bet has the Rams at a
seven and a half point spread. I think that's accurate.
I think the Rams are a good football team. They're
playing for something. They're excited, they're energized. They need a chance.
(43:16):
They need to win these games for a chance at
the one seed. They're gonna be going, Mitchell.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I'm with you. I think the La Rams cover this
no problem. I think they go on the road, take
care of business against the Atlanta Falcons, who have absolutely
nothing to play for. I think it's going to be
a high scoring affair for the Rams, you know. And
let's be real, the Atlanta Falcons. Falcons have been playing
better offensively the last few games too, so they could
put a couple of touchdowns on the board if you
had to pick. I got a little little parley I
(43:44):
can throw out there at anytime touchdown scores. I like
Pooka Nakoa. The guy's been absolutely dynamic for this offense
for the last several years. He's really, you know, in
a league of his own in this NFL. And then
Kyron Williams, another guy I know Blake Koram has been
hitting the ball more and this more of an equal
share between him and Kyraen Williams right now. But I
(44:04):
think Kyraen Williams gets in the end zone and then
finally the revelation late in the season, Kyle Pitts man,
he's gonna find the end zone as well. We'll see
what happens. But I got Pooka, Kyron and Kyle Pitts
as anytime touchdown scores.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Those are great picks. I think there's have a chance.
I mean Kyle Williams, I mean Kyle Pitts has been
really hot the last few weeks, no question about it.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Richard. It's always a pleasure sitting down with you every Sunday.
This concludes our week seventeen recap. I will let you
sign us off, my friend well Mitchell. As always, we
appreciate you guys joining us.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
You could be anywhere in the world, but you're here
with us and we dang sure appreciate it. Thank you, guys,
Thank you for all the new subs, thank you for
all the old subs, and everybody who checks in every
week to see what we have to say. You want,
guys are the best. We hope you have a happy
holiday season, a happy New Year's all.
Hey, everybody, I appreciate you joining us as always. You
guys are phenomenal. You're the best in the world. You're
watching the Richard Sherman Podcast. But if you could do
me a huge favor and hit that sub button, it
would be greatly appreciated. You would do a service for
your boys. SHERV And I'll tell you what. I got
your back, you got my back, all love. Welcome back
(00:27):
to the Richard Sherman Podcast. And what another great week
for the Seattle Seahawks. Mitchell. They go on the road
and do what they do best on the road. They
played great defense, they ran the ball really well Zach
Sharberney eighteen carris for one hundred and ten yards in
two touchdowns, and they come away with the victory, holding
the Carolina Panthers to ten points. A great day by
(00:50):
them on a week where they found out they had
six Pro Bowlers this year, Jackson Smith and Jigba Witherspoon.
Sam Darnold makes another great for him. Rashid Shahid makes
a Pro Bowl after making an incredible impact this season,
especially last week versus the Rams and DeMarcus Lawrence, one
(01:11):
of the tone setters for this defense. Makes yet another
Pro Bowl in a season where his stats weren't the flashiest,
but his impact was multiple touchdowns this season, multiple force fumbles,
just huge impact on the culture and the energy of
this team. It's been phenomenal. But in this game, the
(01:32):
Seahawks looked like they should. Obviously, there was a little
bit of a sputtery start by Sam Donold early on.
He had the interception, he had the fumble, two turnovers
in the game, and again you want to get those
things cleaned up before the playoffs. But the thing that
gives me a little bit of calm and a little
bit of promise is the run game. The run game
on the ground. There were some you know, poppy plays
(01:56):
by kenniths Walker, but Sharburney was a steady force today,
getting the gritty yards, getting getting four and five yards
a pop. It's the best their run game, I think
is looked for majority of this season. I thought it
was consistent. Our guy AJ Barner got a touchdown in
this game and got to do his dance. You know,
I like a J Barner. I feel like he needs
(02:18):
to be a bigger part of this offense. JNSCN nine
receptions for seventy two yards and again he got a
Pro Bowl this season. But the story was the defense.
DeMarcus Lawrence we talked about earlier Pro Bowl season, forced
to fumble punched it out in a huge situation after
the Seattle Seahawks had just given the ball away on
(02:38):
an interception in the end zone to former Seahawks Mike Jackson,
who played with some enthusiasm and energy and was on
a bit of a revenge stour and had a pretty
good revenge game if you if you ask me. But
the defense of the Seattle Seahawks was able to turn
them away give the offensive ball back in the red
zone in the same position. They were able to capitalize
(02:59):
on that. That was their first touchdown of the game,
and then things started to snowball for the Seattle Seahawks.
They got an interception Julian Love Bates Bryce Young into
an interception that the Seahawks turned into more points. It
was a fun game and a great reassuring game if
you're a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, because you feel
(03:20):
you feel like, hey, we've been waiting for this run
game to get going. Obviously, this isn't a great, great
Carolina Panthers team, but It's a team that's won some
games and showed some promise throughout the season. So to
hold Bryce Young to fifty four yards passing at home
a team that scored thirty one points on the Rams
just a few weeks ago. So let's not act like
(03:41):
this team hasn't played any good football down in stretch.
They have and it was great this season. It looks
like it's gonna come down to the wire. Like we
talked about before the season started, they have the Seattle
Seahawks have a game and Levi Stadium with the San
Francisco forty nine ers. This game at the end of
the season. It's it's gonna be as meaningful as ever
(04:04):
because these two teams have played well enough to put
themselves in position. I can't wait to see how it
turns out. Richard.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The Seattle fan base has got to be thrilled. I mean,
coming into the season, you called it, man, you had
a peak behind the curtain, you know, in OTAs and
in training camp, and you said, there's there's a different
fire within this organization and it stems from the defense.
They have so many bodies that can throw at you defensively,
specifically on that D line. And then you look at
that secondary. My goodness, man, this team is the most
(04:33):
complete roster I've seen in Seattle since you're playing days,
since the glory days, Richard, when you guys were eating
for Super Bowls year in and year out, and then
you look offensively throughout this roster, it reminds me of
those days, Richard. There's players that are stepping up and
are going to become household names in Seattle. Look at
one AJ Barner, like you said with that dance in
(04:55):
the end zone. He played for Michigan. You of M,
who I do not like. I'm a mission and state
a lump, so I do not like. But the reality
is this guy didn't get as much attention at U
of M because he was playing with Colston Levelin, who
was the top ten pick by the Chicago Bears this year.
Enter him into Seattle and he's exactly what they need
from a tight end, a guy that can give them
(05:17):
some pop offensively, catch these touchdown passes. And then obviously
we've talked about one hundred times this year, JSN, mister consistency,
another nine reception game. The construction of this roster. You
know what Schneider has done over the last couple of
years is very impressive. It starts with the acquisition of
Sam Darnold, and then he's kind of sprinkled the lawn
(05:38):
man and he's made this lawn flourish and we're seeing
it pay dividends here in Seattle thirteen and three. Who
would have saw this coming. I didn't, Richard, but you did.
Credit to you at the beginning of the season. We're
gonna have to pull it from the archives because Seattle
thirteen and three in line to win this division and
potentially have the one seed, is beyond impressive. Richard. They
(06:00):
got it done against a team that was in desperate
need of a win. I know it's the Carolina Panthers
five hundred, but we cannot undersell this game, like you said,
rainy conditions. But when they when Sam Darnold was turning
the ball over, their defense stepped up and another major acquisition,
DeMarcus Lawrence. He was noted for saying he wanted to
come to Seattle because he wanted to win a Super Bowl.
(06:21):
Another guy that is being proven right. They are in
prime position right now. Richard. You got to be fired
up to be up in Seattle. I for one will
be rooting for you. I know I'm gonna be called
a band wagon fan. I'm switching the hat over to
Seattle now that my Detroit Lions have been formally eliminated
from playoff contention. But I will be rooting for the
Seattle Seahawks going forward. That is that is what I got.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
To say, no question about it. And I appreciate that
the bandwagon's always open. And you got to talk about
John Snyder for potential Executive of the Year, especially with
all the preseason moves he made with his signing DeMarcus Lawrence,
the draft picks that they made that are thriving, the
way m and war he is playing. But you go
(07:02):
back to Byron Murphy, Witherspoon, foundational pieces, Charles Cross, et cetera,
Grey's Abel and what he's done to revamp this offensive line.
Then you go to signings like DeMarcus Lawrence, then Leonard Williams,
who made yet another Pro Bowl. It's just it's just
been fantastic by him. And then you go Rashid Shahait,
the end season addition that's made huge impacts in this season.
(07:26):
So if he's not executive the year, obviously there's a
lot of teams playing well, it's it's surprising for me
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make your first deposit today. But the NFC souths Let's
talk about the NFC South for a second, because nobody
wants to win this division and that seems to be
(08:54):
the case every single year. You look up and a
team that has been leading a division all season long
starts to stumble. And then here comes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been leading off season
and then they start to stumble down the stretch and
somehow still pull this division out. And that's what it
looks like it's about to happen. Now. The Carolina Panthers
(09:16):
are losing games they shouldn't lose down the stretch. I
think both teams have lost their New Orleans Saints, who
are trying to figure out how they can pick number
one and number two in the draft this season. And
then you look up into Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lose
to the Miami Dolphins. So I don't really know what's
gonna happen with this division. It doesn't look like either
team wants to win it. Both teams take a loss
(09:39):
this week against I mean, i'd say Carolina, you expected
to lose against a really good Seattle Seyhawks team. But
I don't think the Bucks expected to lose to the
Miami Dolphins the way they did. Quinny Ewers at the
Helm fourteen to twenty two, one hundred and seventy two yards,
two touchdowns, Devin n Chain having a Pro Bowl season
eighteen carries for eighty three yards. But I don't really
(10:01):
understand this one.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I don't get it either, Richard. We talked about it
all year, you know, and look at this. I mean,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with everything in front of them,
all they got to do is win a handful of
games down the stretch. They've lost four in a row.
And we talked about it once Mike Evans went down
against Detroit with the collar bone injury, being out you know,
six to eight weeks whatever it was. That was what
(10:23):
we pointed to, Hey, Baker doesn't look the same because
he doesn't have his full arsenal of weapons. Well, now
they're healthy you know, they got Jalen McMillan back from
ir Obviously, I don't know what happened to a Mecca Buca.
I mean, he was a revelation. He was the front
runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and he's just
trailed off of late to end this season. You know,
with a Tampa Bay Bucks team that has that many weapons.
(10:45):
They got Chris Godwin back, they got Mike Evans back.
This is just unacceptable. I don't get it. Would you
say Todd Bowles is on the hot seat even if
they do win this division?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I don't know if I'm saying he's on the hot seat.
Todd Bowles has done a great job. They've won four
straight division titles, working on a fifth. So regardless of
how everything's gone, they've gone to the playoffs the last
four years, and I think it's tough to say you're
firing the coach after that and a potential fifth straight
season going to the playoffs. But there is some concern
about how Baker Mayfield's play. Obviously, the stats thirty three
(11:20):
of forty four thirty forty six, two touchdowns, two interception
look great, but not'scoring enough points. Obviously, they lose to
the Miami Dolphins twenty to seventeen, at least going seventeen
points after throwing for three forty six. Something's not adding
up there. Not getting the run game going Bucky Irvin
with only nine carries for nineteen yards, so that's been
(11:41):
a huge deal. And then defensively they're just out making
enough plays. You're not turning the ball over, You're not
getting the sack production that you would expect from a
Todd Bowles defense. So all those things have contributed to
this four game losing streak, and hopefully they can find
a way to steal one for the Carolina Panthers and
get themselves back in the playoffs. But it's just not
(12:03):
looking great heading into the playoffs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
no question.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I mean Week eight team, we got a couple of
showdowns that are gonna be with everything on the line,
and the NFC South is one of them. Who do
you like in this matchup Carolina against Tampa Bay Bucks,
someone's gonna inevitably have to win this division.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean, can I say neither? I like Tampa just
because just because they have more star power. I played
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a cup of coffee.
And I think with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield
and what they could do offensively, they'd be the more
dangerous team going into the playoffs. It'd be a fun
story for a guy that I was with in Seattle,
(12:44):
for Dave Canalis and his team to go to the
playoffs after everything they deal with dealt with last season,
after the scrutiny that they've dealt with in terms of
Bryce Young and the pick picking him above c J. Stroud,
and all the headache and things that have surrounded the
Carolina Panthers franchise for the last few years. So that
would be really cool. But I just don't think either
(13:04):
team will be relevant in the playoffs. With the way
some of these teams are playing, They're gonna play, inevitably
play one of these NFC West teams, whether it's the Rams,
the Seahawks of the forty nine ers, and I think
it'd be a very difficult team. Well, I mean, Carolina
just beat them, but I wouldn't expect them to beat
the Rams again if they come to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I'm right there with you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Richard.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Let's move back, rewind the clock. Of time here, the
hands of time, if you will. To Christmas Day, you
were in Denver as part of the Thursday Night Football
Crew taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos
squeaked away with a twenty to thirteen win. It wasn't
the most impressive win, especially going against a rookie third
(13:44):
string quarterback in his first career start, but ultimately the
Broncos get away with the win. They're in line to
win the AFC West, you know, and obviously the Chargers
have looked good at times this year as well, and Richard,
they're in line to take the one seed here. How
much do you like this Denver Broncos team? You saw
him first hand in Denver.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I really like him defensively, and I think that's that's
always what gives you the chance in the playoffs. I
think everybody says the defense wins championships, and I've obviously
been a part of that and a testament to it.
But it's it's gonna come down to bow Knicks and
and how he can manage this team, and how Sean
Payton manages him throughout this playoff run keeps him under wraps.
(14:28):
He does, He's pushing the ball down the field more
than he ever has, and it's kind of a mixed
bag right now. And if he can continue to do
that at a high level, if he can do that
at a high level in the playoffs, they'll have a
great chance. And his defense has to get pressure. They
have to get home. They only had one sack against
(14:49):
the Kansas City Chiefs, which was unlike this defense. They're
gonna have to change that. This is a defense that's
I mean, if they would have got a few in
this game, could come close to setting the record. I
think they had sixty four sacks the record of seventy two,
So I don't think they're getting eight sacks versus versus
Justin Herbert and the Chargers, But who knows. I think
(15:11):
it's still a great defense, and it's gonna come down
to that ken bone Knicks execute. Can they keep the
run game consistent and then can that defense get home
and play as well as they have all season With
Nick Benito and Jonathan Cooper and John Franklin Myers and
Zach Yallen and the boys. You know, they have so
many guys that can get home. DJ Jones. Can they
(15:32):
play to that level in the playoffs. That's what it's
gonna come down to, and if they can, they'll be
a dangerous team. But I still like the Houston Texans
sneaking in there and another dangerous defense.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
No question about it. The AFC is gonna be a
totally different story than we're used to seeing over the
last decade. The Patriots are back to relevance. I mean,
the Kansas City Chiefs are out of it for the
first time in years. And the major question around the
Chiefs obviously Patrick Mahomes acln injury and I'm sure he'll
you know, just with his track record, he'll make a
speedy recovery. But you gotta look at the rest of
(16:05):
the roster. Travis Kelcey, I mean, do you think he's
got another year lefter? You think he calls it and
sails off into the sunset with Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Well, I had a good conversation with Travis after the game,
and he doesn't know, man, and I don't think anybody knows.
After a season that doesn't end the way you want it,
you never want to ride off into the sunset with
a with a sour taste in your mouth. That's when
you live with regret and what could have been. Obviously,
they've had a tremendous amount of success over the last decade,
(16:35):
and I'm sure he feels good about that. But I
think I think even if he retired this off season
or announced his retirement, I think there would in this
day and age, just like Philip Rivers, there's gonna be
grumblings as soon as things aren't going great in Kansas City.
They're like, oh, man, old times he comes here, comes
Patrick Mahomes back. Man, it sure would be nice to
have Travis Kelsey. They'll forget about, you know, how things
(16:57):
look this season, how things transpired, and they'll want that feeling.
That nostalgia will kick you in and I think he'll
get a call to say, hey, come in here. You
don't have to practice on Wednesdays. You will keep you
as healthy as we can. It's fresh for game day.
So I think he may retire, but I think he
comes back and play some football in twenty twenty six,
(17:20):
And that would be my expectation.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Now, this Kansas City Chiefs team, we're not used to
not seeing them in competition this late in the season.
Do you think it's as easy for them to just
turn the page and move to next season. Are they
going to be back to contenders or has too many
teams caught up to them? Because this year we were
talking about it off here. It's a weird one. There's
a lot of good teams in both the NFC and AFC,
but we don't really know who's the best, right I mean,
(17:44):
is it safe to say the Chiefs time has come
to a close where they are? Every time I ask you, Richard,
who's gonna win the Super Bowl? You tell me the
Chiefs because they got Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
No, I don't think their time has passed. I think
after everything that's happened, you have a down year, and
that's what's happened to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have
a down year. It catches up to you. Attrition catches
up to everybody you play every season into February. They
can never book any vacations until after February, have the
(18:15):
shortest off season of any team every single season, so
eventually that catches up to you. We saw it with
the San Francisco forty nine ers last season, and you
saw them they're just too beat up, too tired down
the stretch and couldn't figure it out, couldn't couldn't make
it work. And then they come back refreshed, and even
with all the injuries, even with all the turmoil that's
(18:36):
been going on with Brandon Ayuk and all that, that
team is in a position to potentially have the one
seat going into the final week. And so I don't know,
I don't know if if that's enough, They'll they'll revamp,
They'll they'll get some strength along that offensive line. Trading
away Joe Tooney proved to be a bad decision. He's
doing great with the Chicago Bears, and I think they're
(18:59):
gonna have to find to replenish that offensive line, especially
those tackles. They they drafted Simmons from Ohio State, but
he's had his own issues and and and problems that
he's dealt with. So hopefully they can get that figured out,
and then defensively, just replenishing that pass rush, helping Chris
Jones out. Does he come back. What are they going
to do in terms of drafting the next big time playmaker?
(19:22):
Do they address the running back room or do they
stick with Kareem Hunt and what they've been doing. Those
are the things I think they need to get answered. Uh,
this season, and you gotta appreciate the rest of the
division catching up too. You got to appreciate what the
Denver Broncos are doing, what the the Chargers are doing.
Even without their star tackles and Rashaun Slater and Joe All,
they're still finding ways to win. They're eleven and five
(19:45):
right now, even without Rishawn Slater for the entire season
and without Joe All for majority of the season, They're
finding ways to still win these games. Sure, justin Herbert's
getting beat up. He was sacked five times against the
Houston Houston Texans, he was intercepted, he fumbled, but he's
still finding a way to battle. Their defense is getting better.
So yes, it's not going to be as easy of
(20:07):
a role for the Kennessey Chiefs as it has been
for the past five six years.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
No question about the LA Chargers or another team. Like
you said, Rashaun Slater, Joe Walt wants to get those
guys back next year lookout. But they're still very competitive
this year even without them, which is wild to see.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
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(20:51):
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Speaker 2 (21:54):
And team Richard, we've been talking about for the last six, seven,
eight weeks now, the Houston Texans won the hottest teams
in the NFL. I know you love them. I certainly
like them a lot too. They go into LA and
take care of business against these Chargers, a team that
has been really playing well themselves, and they leaned again
heavily on their defense. Richard, how impressed are you with
(22:14):
these Houston Texans? I know you are scared of any
team to play against them in the playoffs. They certainly
present a daunting task. Are they your favorite in the
AFC right now?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
They're definitely my favorite team to watch in AFC. They
have so many playmakers on defense. They have a ziz
Al Shair, they have Derek Stingley, they have Kamari Lassiter,
Kaylin Bullocks, they have Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, they have
so many playmakers. Al Shaear making his first Pro Bowl,
Derek Stingley making yet another one. And then offensively, they're
(22:47):
starting to find their rhythm. They're starting to find themselves.
I think they're doing a great job of controlling a
clock and then CJ strorout finding his rhythm in the
first half, he looked fantastic, his longest completion of his career,
longest touchdown of his career against the Chargers, and then
he kind of cooled off and made some mistakes, some
(23:07):
Aaron passes and through two interceptions. Then you got Marx,
who's a young guy finding his way on the ground,
seventy one yards on nineteen carries, and Jaydon Higgins two
catches for eighty eight yards and that touchdown we talked
about earlier. And then the defense had five sacks in
that game. So if they can play like that, they're
gonna be a very fun team to watch in a
(23:28):
very dangerous team to go against. If they played the
Jacksonville Jaguars, for instance, in a division game in the
playoffs in the wild card, you know it could be
anybody's bet. And again, even if they played in New
England or something like that, you still feel really good
about what they can bring. Obviously, New England has been
consistently consistent on offense, but defensively, there's some holes there
(23:50):
if the Texans can expose it. So I feel really
good about them going into these playoffs and hopefully I
can't wait to see it.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Ques about it. They do have game wreckers on the
defensive side of the ball. Like you said, there's secondaries
playing lights out, but the tone setters are your guy
will Anderson and Danil Hunter. Five sacks again, totally disrupting
this game for the Chargers. And like you said, CJ.
Stroud is starting to look like his self old. I
mean he's leaning more on Higgins, leaning more on Noel.
(24:20):
We didn't see a whole lot of Eco Collins in
this game, but the deep ball to Higgins to start
the game. When you can set the tone like that
that early and then lean on your defense, they're going
to be a very, very difficult team to watch. And
they're doing all this, by the way, without Tank Dell
and Joe Mixon. So it's impressive to see guys like
Willie Mark step up and take over the lead role.
You know, Nick Chubb was toting the rock early in
(24:43):
the season, and Willie Marx has risen to the occasion.
This team started zero to three, Richard, and now they're
eleven and five. They're eleven and two in their last
thirteen games. I don't know if there's a more impressive
team in football during that stretch. They are certainly going
to be a tough team in the playoffs, and I
would not want to play. And by the way, Richard,
it looks like your favorites, the Jacksonville Jaguars, are gonna
(25:05):
win that division more than likely, which is wild to see.
I mean, they're playing this level of football and they're
not even gonna win their own division. So it is
gonna present a tough matchup in wild card weekend for
whoever's got to play them. But let's talk a little
bit more about the Chargers. I mean, obviously this wasn't
their best showing, but they made it a game. You
know that they've got They really have not been utilizing
(25:28):
Lad McConkey. It's been Quintin Johnson. Over these last few weeks.
We finally saw a little bit more of a Ronde Gatson,
who have been not existing over the last month. What
has got to give for this team to fully connect
on all cylinders because they have a lot of weapons offensively.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Uh, they gotta they gotta find a way to execute
it and protect Justin Herbert so he can execute. So
they have all these weapons, but it's it's it's a
tall task, but they're doing as good of a job
as they can, and they're gonna have a chance to
to upset the Broncos at the end of the season
and give their team a chance to improve their playoff seeding.
(26:03):
Because it's coming down to the wire. Who's gonna be
the seventh seed, who's gonna be the sixth seed, Who's
gonna be the five seed in AFC? And that's gonna
matter because do you who wants to play that either
play the Denver Broncos. Are you playing the New England Patriots?
Are you playing these Jacksonville Jaguars that we talked about?
All those things matter. Are you the fifth seed and
you're playing whoever wins the AFC South or whoever wins
(26:25):
the AFC North. Is it gonna be the Baltimore Ravens.
Is it gonna be the Pittsburgh Steelers who took a
bad loss today to the Cleveland Browns and Shador Sanders.
So everything's coming down to the wire. And the NFL
schedule makers did a phenomenal job. These division matchups at
(26:45):
the end are what matters.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
They sure did, They sure did. And then your boy
Trevor Lawrence Man delivers another solid game, dude, and I
like I said, I've talked about it over the last
couple weeks. What I feel like is the difference in
Trevor Lawrence's game this year versus last is his He's
not waiting around with the ball when he sees an opportunity.
He's utilizing his legs, specifically in the red zone. He
(27:09):
had two more rushing touchdowns to Gate today. That opens
up this offense so much more. And Travis etn Man,
I mean, I know he's going to be a free
agent after the season. You can tell that he wants
this season as bad as anyone else on this Jaguars roster.
I know you're not the biggest Jacksonville Jaguars fan, that's
well documented, Richard, but twelve and four you have to
(27:29):
be somewhat impressed by how they finished out this season.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Yeah. Yeah, you're impressed because we weren't expecting this kind
of season from the Jacksonville Jaguars. And Trevor Lawrence has
played really good football this especially this last month. But
it's gonna come down to what happens in the playoffs.
You know. I think they're going to have a really
tough matchup with the Houston Texans, and that'll tell the
tail if they can find a way to win in
the playoffs to get out of that first round to
get the division. I'd consider this an incredible remarkable season
(27:56):
for the Jacksonville Jaguars for Liam coleb Liam Cohen in
his first season with the team, exceeding all expectations for
them and showing a lot of promise for the future
when they get Travis Hunter back and what he can bring,
whether it's offensively our defensively, and to do all the
things that they're able to do without him and to
(28:16):
continue to grow this team on both sides of the
football is really cool to see. But again, we pay
these people for playoff performance, and I can't wait to
see what they're going to be able to do in
a few weeks in January when it gets played in
January football, no.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Question about it. I personally love what the Jaguars did
offensively in their wide receiver room, Jacoby Myers. Again, they
injected a veteran presence in this wide receiving room. You
can see everyone else flourishing because of Parker. Washington has
had a back to back big games. You know, obviously
we've seen Brian Thomas kind of stumble at times this season,
but he seems they've turn it on as if late
(28:53):
as well. And then of course, you know, when they
bring back their number two overall pick next year, this
offense is going to be a tough one to mess with.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
But on the other side of the football, the Indianapolis Colts,
obviously it's got to be tough for them to go
out the way they did without Indiana Jones, Daniel Jones
out there suffering the devastating injury. This team just looks
completely different. You know, credit to Philip Rivers for at
least keeping this team competitive. You know they were. They
were tough to beat down the stretch with them there,
but obviously they lost them their gusto offensively. So the
(29:26):
Indianapolis Colts, they're going to go into this offseason with
a couple question marks, specifically at quarterback. But you gotta
feel confident on what you have in Indianapolis with this
ross or outside of the quarterback position right now.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, on paper, especially defensive, like they're one of the
more talented units if you look at Tarvarius Ward Sauce
Gardner on outside. They haven't had a chance to have
both them healthy at the same time yet, but once
they do, they can play some man a man defense
and lou An Arumo, I'm sure he's excited about that.
DeForest Bucker just ended his season and got next surgery,
so you hate see that for this team, but again
(30:01):
for the future, you're you're excited for them and what
they have going. So, yeah, they got some foundational pieces
they got, but you got to figure out the quarterback spot.
What are you going to do with Daniel Jones. They're
saying they're gonna sit Philip Rivers for this last game
because obviously they're out of the playoffs and he did
everything he could to try to give this team a chance.
But yeah, I think there's some optimism there, but there's
(30:24):
definitely some disappointment with how they started the season.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
No question. Let's move over to the battle in the
AFC North, and if there's one team that got the
best Christmas present this Christmas season, it was the Baltimore
Ravens going on the road taking care of the Packers
and then seeing the Steelers get upset by Cleveland Browns.
This Steelers team, the team that we saw in Detroit
take care of the Lions that had their entire season
(30:49):
to play for that game. The Pittsburgh Steelers were a
no show today completely Aaron Rodgers twenty one to thirty
nine for one hundred and sixty eight yards, and they
get beat by shad Or Sam who has looked better
over the last couple of weeks and obviously closing out
this season with a win is a big deal for him.
How devastating of a loss is this for Pittsburgh, who
(31:10):
could have won the division by beating the Cleveland Browns today?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
It was really devastating and even more insult to injury
is the dk metcalf suspension. And you look offensively and
what could they have used today? An offensive injection from
the receiver room and they had it. They have a
guy they're paying thirty million dollars a year, over thirty
million dollars a year that could provide that, but unfortunately
he's unavailable because of the stake he made in Detroit.
(31:36):
And that's a story for a different day. But you can't.
It's it's frustrating because the Ravens obviously took care of
business against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, a
phenomenal game, and Tyler Huntley did just enough to get
that game. But Derek hen Rec carried the ball thirty
six times for two hundred and sixteen yards and another
(31:57):
four TD game for him. And you look at the
Steelers and they just have no momentum. They have no
momentum offensively. I think defensively, they played a solid game
and you feel good about that performance if you're the
Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They calls two turnovers, they had two
sacks in a game. It made life really tough for
(32:19):
Shador Sanders could have had three sacks. I mean, could
have had three interceptions and a pick six, but it
was a dropped interception. I think it's hard for me
to and I said this earlier. I thought Baltimore was
gonna make the playoffs because the Pittsburgh Steelers, you just
never know what you're gonna get from them week from
week to week. And without DK Metcalf in the fold
the last game of the season, for all the marbles,
(32:42):
I really can't see them winning this game. And it's
not because of anything that the Baltimore Ravens are doing necessarily,
It's because I just don't I don't believe in the
Pittsburgh Steelers and what they put on tape the last
few weeks, so I'd be surprised if Baltimore doesn't give
them a heavy dose of Derrick Henry throughout this game
the clock and run the ball and try to bully
their way to I mean an AFC North title, no
(33:05):
question about it. I mean the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
This is a team that was down and out, horrendous
start to the season, and they have not gotten any
more luck with this this AFC North Division, the way
it's played out, Lamar Jackson not playing last game against
the Green Bay Packers, I mean, who would have thought
that they would have won? The Packers have everything to
play for, you know, and they got to be a
(33:28):
dangerous team to want to play against. I unlike the
NFC sided thing with the NFC South, I think anyone's
gonna beat whoever comes out of the NFC South, whoever
comes out of the AFC North. I'm sorry if it's
Lamar Jackson at home Week one in the wild card.
I know they haven't had their best year, Richard, but
come on, man, I mean this is Lamar Jackson MVP.
(33:51):
You know, do you have any hope if the Baltimore
Ravens are to make this playoffs. Do you have any
hope in them to make a run?
Speaker 1 (33:59):
I do not. I do sure, I do not. I'm
not in that ball club. I'm not in that fan
club right now because of what they've had surrounding them
and how Lamar Jackson has played this season. Now, Lamars
Jackson's resume is what it is. He's been phenomenal, outstanding,
But the news coming out of Baltimore has not been
good this season, and it's starting to seem like things
(34:19):
are cracking for that franchise, whether it's John Harball, is
it gonna be John Harbor or Lamar Jackson. Like we
haven't had those conversations in the past, we haven't had
those kind of distractions. I'm sure they're playing well enough
to potentially make a playoff. But the last game, Derrick Henry,
I don't think he was even in the game for
like the last few driver or the last quarter of
(34:40):
the game. It was very weird and it was having
a great game and you could say, oh man, we
couldn't run the ball there. You still don't take Derrick
Henry out the game, like, you still have to have
the threat, you have to have the king on the field.
He's one of your best players, if not your best
player at the time. And I think that's the issue,
and there's too much surrounding and if I felt like, Hey,
this is a healthy Lamar and he's gonna go out
there and put on the show, I don't think Lamar
(35:02):
Jackson's healthy. And I think that's the issue that I
run into to that I don't have confidence in, is
that he's not healthy. And if Derrick Henry's all you got,
then I don't think that's enough right now as they
sit to go into the playoffs in AFC and expect
to win. Now, maybe they could pull it off, but
it just doesn't give me confidence with how Lamar's played
the last month of the season and with all the
(35:26):
distractions around that team, and then even defensively, they gave
up twenty four points to Malik Willis. Malik Willis was
eighteen to twenty one for two to eighty eight in
a touchdown with sixty yards and two rushing touchdowns on
the ground. I mean, they made Milik Willis look look
like he's a starting NFL caliber quarterback. And if he
played like that for seventeen games, you'd be talking about
(35:47):
him being top fifteen top ten quarterback in this National
Football League, and so you really, I really don't feel
great about them defensively either. So I don't know. I'm
not sitting there like I'm not in this in the
same standing as you about that.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Fair enough, fair enough. A team that's been hot as
a skill at all season long, New England Patriots. Man,
they go in and dominate the New York Jets. And
I know it's the Jets, but we got to talk
a little bit about Drake May here. Man, if five
touchdown passes all in the first half, right, I mean,
what else does he have to do? I know you
love Matthew Stafford as the MVP candidate, and his numbers
(36:25):
certainly do speak for themselves, but is Drake May the
top quarterback in the AFC? Is that safe to say?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
No, No, Josh, we're not. We're not. We're not going
crazy now. I'm not sure we're not going to lose
side of things. If you take Josh Allen out, I
guess you know, if you take him and put him
somewhere else on another planet, then sure we'll go with
Drake May. But he is having a phenomenal season and
you can't take anything away from him this season and
what he's done for this team. But he's got ten
(36:54):
touchdowns less than Matthew Stafford. And I'm not at least
it's me and I've been wrong before. I thought Lamar
shouldn't have got it that year and Josh Allen should
have got and they gave it to Lamar Jackson would
about twenty twenty two, twenty one or twenty two passing
touchdowns and Matthew Stafford is having what may be the
best season of his career forty touchdowns, five interceptions, and
(37:15):
you can has the chance to add to that with
two games to go. So I have a hard time
saying a kid with thirty touchdowns and eight interceptions is
having a better season than Matthew Stafford. And I understand
that they've won more games, they're the number one seed
in the AFC, they've played fantastic or they have a
chance to be the number one seed in AFC and
they played fantastic football, But it doesn't take away from
(37:38):
what Matthew Stafford has done this season. He's had a
phenomenal season, led the Rams to a chance at a
number one seed in a very tough division. And if
we're if we're judging it about if we're judging it
by the stats and who's playing quarterback at the highest level,
I think it's hard to argue Matthew Stafford, is it.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
We talked about New England all year long and their schedule.
I mean, let's let's call it how it is. It
was a cakewalk for him outside of having to play
the Bills a couple of times. Do you think that
they can, you know, stand up to the test of
playing against other division winners in the playoffs? Do you
think they are that good or do you think they're,
you know, more of a product of their easy schedule
(38:18):
this year?
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Man, I don't think they're a product of the very
easy schedule. I think they've taken advantage and they've done
what they're supposed to do if you have a schedule
like this. But I do think if they run into
a very tough matchup that it's going to be hard
for him. If you if you think about them running
into the Houston Texans in the first round, you know
they'd be favored, I'm sure, but that's not a mathship
that you would hope for. If you're the New England
(38:41):
Patriots Now if they run into Chargers, sure you'd feel
a little better about that, but you still feel a
little uneasy about it. So I'm not sure you If
you're the New England Patriots and their fan base, you
feel comfortable with any team you You're very excited about
your team in the future of Drake May and everything
they have going for him. They're very scrappy on defense.
They fight hard, they they played to the whistle, everything
(39:02):
that you would expect from a Mike Rabel coach team.
But I'm not I'm again the playoffs tell the tale
for them as well. I mean, this is an AFC
that's wide open, and I need a team to stand
out and need a team to show that they belong,
that showed that they're an AFC contender. This is when
(39:22):
you get it done. We've been talking all season about
records and wins and losses, but until the playoffs, nobody's
a true contender and nobody gains the respect and honor
until they do. That's why Buffalo gets held in such
high regard. They've gone to the playoffs, they've won. Their
quarterback has played well in the playoffs, even in losses.
I think Josh Allen has played well in just about
(39:43):
every game, So I'm looking forward to seeing which team
separates themselves in January.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
No question about it. And finally, before he wrapped, Richard,
I got to talk a little bit about my Detroit Lions.
What an absolute brutal Christmas Day game against the Vikings.
The lines going to the Minnesota with absolute nothing to
play for, really and lose twenty three to ten. This
was the worst performance I've seen the Detroit Lions play
in the last three years. Six turnovers. But candidly, Richard,
(40:13):
I'm glad the season ended the way it did. You know,
if the Lions can finish last in their division, they
should have a very easy schedule going in the next year.
That being said, you know, I don't think the window
for Detroit is closed. I think this offseat is going
to be a very important one for Brad Holmes in
this front office for the Lions. They have glaring issues
on the interior of their offensive line. I think this
(40:35):
might be the easiest team to fix in the NFL
because their issues are so obvious. They need to go
out and be aggressive and get a center. Whether that's
sweet talking Frank Ragnow to come out of retirement, or what,
and then they need to get another guard and then
potentially a backup left tackle to help in the transition
that inevitably will occur with whatever happens with Taylor Decker
(40:56):
going forward, Richard, this season for the Detroit Lions will
go down is an absolute failure in my opinion. It's
fresh off of fifteen and two outing last year. To
go five hundred and potentially be looking at a sub
five hundred season is nothing short of devastating for Detroiters.
But do you share the same mindset as me? You
(41:17):
think the Lions window is closed or do you think
they have life going the next year?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I think it's going to be very difficult. I don't
share the optimism that it's going to be an easy
fix or a quick fix just because of what everybody
else is doing. In Division. You have Ben Johnson now
with the Chicago Bears, getting Caleb Williams to believe and
play at a high level. He made a critical pass
to beat the Green Bay Packers, who can are struggling
(41:43):
right now but still have a very solid foundation for
a future with Micah Parsons and whatever you believe Jordan
loved to be and they'll stack and get better, and
then you lose to in the Minnesota Vikings, who are
struggling this season. They had Matt Brouzmer at quarterback, who
I think they said had seven net passing yards in
(42:04):
a win, and you lose to him so bad it's
not giving me a lot of hope for the future.
You lost to the worst team in the division and
they beat the crap out of your quarterback to the
tune of four fumbles or three fumbles, two interceptions, and
just looked uneasy the entire night. And you don't think
(42:25):
I mean, I'm sure Brian Forores is gonna get some
interviews for a head coaching position, but if he comes back,
you're terrified to that team, and this is the worst
team in your division, So I'm not sure in the
same optimism for the Honolulu Blue Boys. Hopefully they can
figure some things out and offensively and defensively, I mean,
they had six sacs in the game, but again, you're
playing prosmer and you're not feeling fantastic about that. You
(42:49):
have to be better defensively, and you got to get
those those All Pro and Pro Bowl safeties.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Healthy, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
All odds and lines come from our partners at hard Rock.
We've got the Rams at the Falcons on Monday Night
Football tomorrow. Hard Rock Bet has the Rams at a
seven and a half point spread. I think that's accurate.
I think the Rams are a good football team. They're
playing for something. They're excited, they're energized. They need a chance.
(43:16):
They need to win these games for a chance at
the one seed. They're gonna be going, Mitchell.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I'm with you. I think the La Rams cover this
no problem. I think they go on the road, take
care of business against the Atlanta Falcons, who have absolutely
nothing to play for. I think it's going to be
a high scoring affair for the Rams, you know. And
let's be real, the Atlanta Falcons. Falcons have been playing
better offensively the last few games too, so they could
put a couple of touchdowns on the board if you
had to pick. I got a little little parley I
(43:44):
can throw out there at anytime touchdown scores. I like
Pooka Nakoa. The guy's been absolutely dynamic for this offense
for the last several years. He's really, you know, in
a league of his own in this NFL. And then
Kyron Williams, another guy I know Blake Koram has been
hitting the ball more and this more of an equal
share between him and Kyraen Williams right now. But I
(44:04):
think Kyraen Williams gets in the end zone and then
finally the revelation late in the season, Kyle Pitts man,
he's gonna find the end zone as well. We'll see
what happens. But I got Pooka, Kyron and Kyle Pitts
as anytime touchdown scores.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Those are great picks. I think there's have a chance.
I mean Kyle Williams, I mean Kyle Pitts has been
really hot the last few weeks, no question about it.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Richard. It's always a pleasure sitting down with you every Sunday.
This concludes our week seventeen recap. I will let you
sign us off, my friend well Mitchell. As always, we
appreciate you guys joining us.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
You could be anywhere in the world, but you're here
with us and we dang sure appreciate it. Thank you, guys,
Thank you for all the new subs, thank you for
all the old subs, and everybody who checks in every
week to see what we have to say. You want,
guys are the best. We hope you have a happy
holiday season, a happy New Year's all.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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