The NFL regular season is almost done, so Chad Millman and Simon Hunter dive into their betting results from NFL Week 18, checking in on the gambling action after a tremendous Sunday of pre-playoff action. Plus, we get all their early 2026 NFL playoff predictions.
Games recapped today include Shadeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns defeating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, as Myles Garrett sets the NFL sack record. The guys discuss an epic Caleb Williams performance as the Chicago Bears battled Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions, and an easy victory of Mitchell Trubisky and the Buffalo Bills over the hapless New York Jets, in the Highmark Stadium finale. We hear about Matt Stafford's performance for the LA Rams as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals, and Clayton Tune's Green Bay Packers rolling over to the Minnesota Vikings.
And of course, we hear plenty of praise for potential Offensive Rookie of the Year Tyler Shough, who helped the New Orleans Saints cover against the Atlanta Falcons to send the Carolina Panthers to the playoffs. All of this, plus their Shame On You and Heroes of the Week, all in one prime time episode! #Volume
0:03:00 - START
0:06:33 - NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. ATLANTA FALCONS
0:11:36 - CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS RECAP
0:16:36 - DETROIT LIONS VS. CHICAGO BEARS RECAP
0:21:39 - ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LA RAMS RECAP
0:28:36 - DALLAS COWBOYS VS. NEW YORK GIANTS RECAP
0:30:30 - WASHINGTON COMMANDERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RECAP
0:36:00 - SHAME ON YOU, HERO OF THE WEEK
0:50:00 - EARLY NFL PLAYOFF BETS
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Sharper's Square, presented by a hard rock bet.
We are part of the Volume podcast Network. This is
the show that makes the squares. Sharper makes the wise
guys pay attention. I am Chad Milman. I am joined
tonight as always by my co host, my BFF, my companion,
(00:21):
my compadre professional better, Simon Hunter et o Simon Chad.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What a insane day, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The early games were so disgustingly bad. In the first five,
first fifteen minutes of combined game action for the Giants, Cowboys,
the Bengals, the Browns and New Orleans and Falcons. First
(00:52):
of those three games fifteen combined minutes, meaning the first
five minutes of each game, four total turnovers and a
Blox extra point. That's how bad these non playoff teams
were playing in these early windows. And then in the
afternoon we got some freaking burn burners, which was awesome.
(01:16):
Our final five were New Orleans plus three and a half,
Cincinnati minus seven and a half, Detroit plus three and
a half, Rams minus seven and a half. We got
the Steelers plus three and a half tonight, so we're
three and one on the day. We're hoping the Steelers
can close it out. Oh boy, dude. The other thing
I'd be worried about Simon as a Bears fan. I
(01:41):
watched them get shut out in the first three quarters.
The Rams nearly gave the game away. The Texans do
not let the score deceive you.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Like.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
There was some pretty inconsistent play from three playoff teams
that I think we're expecting a lot of, So I
want to get into it it.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, football is hard, buddy. I wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Uh, I mean, what can you do? But yeah, I
can't leave. You didn't mention it, Miles Garrett. I think
that was the most insane part of the day of
the Well, dude, sach record, but you.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Didn't get to it. That's the whole that's that's the
Cincinnati Cleveland breakdown.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, that's to me though off the top.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I h I should have mentioned it myself, but just
that was to me the most incredible part. I didn't
not honestly did not think he was going to get it.
I think there was like nine minutes left. It's like,
oh my god, they might just run it here and
never letting you get a chance at it. But yeah,
that was one of those moments you remember the rest
of your life, right, it could happened. Now they keep
adding games, it could happen. But you saw that last
(02:41):
one to get took him what three games. It was
just the hardest one to gets that last one. So
Joe Burrow, I don't know if he did him a favorite.
I think he was going to get him anyway, but
I think as soon as he felt him touch him,
he kind of.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Fell down there. So, yeah, that was a great, great moment.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
All right, let's get into it. We'll get to that
game in a second. I got a lot to say
about that game because it kind of ruined my day.
New Orleans play US three and a half at Atlanta. Look,
the Saints and the Falcons traded turnovers in those first
five minutes. The Saints got a blocked punt inside their
red zone that led to a Falcon's touchdown. But the
(03:14):
Saints were in it, man, that whole game, Like they
dominated the first half. They were only losing it because
of mistakes and being a bad team. And you know,
for a minute there, like Tyler Schock was playing like
rookie of the year in the first half. He was
looking great.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, if a lave played the kicker could make that
field goal in another life.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
They win that game easies. They dominated Robinson.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I couldn't believe. I knew they would try to take
him away. That was my whole mindset was they don't
try to take him away and make Kirk beat him right,
And Kirk wasn't good either. Like again, it's crazy they
even won this game.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
The Falcons. Props to them.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I really did think there's a world where the Saints
if they played this game, you know, nine out of
ten times out of ten, but eight out of ten
feels like the Saints with a lot they would beat
this Falcons.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Kirk Kirk was great and like he he had some
really good throws, and Kyle Pitts and Drake London made
some great catches today. Like it wasn't it wasn't perfect.
They played like the better team both offensively and defensively.
Their pass rush was all over Tyler Shuck for the
first three and a half quarters. The Falcons had the
(04:25):
second most sacks in the NFL this year, after spending
the past three years having the few sacks each season.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And if you're a New York child really likes Kirk Cousins.
Kirk was not good today. He threw for one to eighty.
I think he played like fifty five.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I said, he made good throws today, Like.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I think he got away on the one here, but shuck,
he threw that pick. I don't know if you felt
like we were better than deb but I did.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
When he threw that pick.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I thought that was the moment for him Rookie of
the year. Slipped away, got the ball back and drove
that field. And I know the announcer was saying, we're
they going to kick the field goal. But it's like,
just get to get the touchdown. You have all the
it's always easy to get to three and then get
the seven. Get down there and get the touchdown. He
just made a couple of great throws, a couple in
sant catches by the Northern receivers. But yeah, that was
(05:11):
a classic. You just bet the number. I hope it
comes through, and honestly to the day, it's like I said,
if Alave played, I felt like that they really could
have beat that Falcus team and web sidor Shock would
be Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
But it's all the odds of it came on. It's
not looking good for my bet.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Chat it looks like it gonna be Tyror McMillan, who
deserves it, Like we said, one rookie of the year
because they won the division. He hit over one thousand
receiving yards. YadA, YadA, YadA. I'm upset about it. I
thought Shuck played really well.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
But look, Shuck, I really thought at the end of
that game, he kind of played himself back into it.
That last drive, he had a pass he was They
were in desperation mode. They had no timeouts. They had
to push the ball down field just to get into
any kind of scoring range. He scrambled right. He was
about to go down through a perfect pass that he
(05:59):
layered over defensive back that one of the receivers caught
on the sidelines, and then they scored a touchdown. He
couldn't have put the ball in a better position if
he had placed it into Ronnie Bell's elbow. Ronnie Bell
had one hand that was being held by a defensive back.
(06:21):
He's got about two inches of space in the back
corner of the end zone, and the ball lands. You
know what it was. Old listeners of the show will
remember this. It was a Carson Palmer which Nipple throw
like he landed it in the crook of Ronnie Bell's elbow,
so all he had to do was literally just keep
his arm in an L shape. That was a great throw,
(06:43):
and for a second, I'm like, maybe people will see that.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Yeah again on nuance side kick rule, I think it
was a twelve percent. Yeah, we didn't really have a
chance there, but if it was just you know, I
never gave up that they might be able to win it.
But at the end of the day, like I texted you,
it all worked out. Our Panthers win the division, bet
hit and we won on the numbers, so I really
can't complain it all.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It all worked out.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
We get to think about the Panthers and betting the
Panthers for one more week. We'll get to that. They're
playing the Rams. By the way, you mentioned Tyler Shuk
and his odds. You looked at it before we came on,
So did I. Tedor Roll McMillan after yesterday's game, crossing
one thousand yards. Now the Panthers win the division, he's
minus one thousand to win. Offensive Rookie of the Year.
(07:28):
Jackson Dart after his win against the Cowboys today, had
a good game. A couple of touchdown passes, a lot
of ruggy yards, two hundred and fifty six yards passing,
no interceptions. He actually jumped over shook. He's at plus
nine hundred. Now, Shuck is you know, plus eleven plus
twelve hundred. So that's where we stand with the Tyler
(07:49):
Shuck Rookie of the Year. I hope maybe maybe some
people cashed out, maybe they got some money because they
were making they were making offers. Jesus Christ, this game
makes me sick. The Browns at Cincinnati Bengals were seven
and a half point favorites in the first quarter. The
(08:14):
Bengals had a block extra point after they scored their
first touchdown, Joe Burrow threw a pick six from his
own from the Browns five yard line. On the next series,
the Bengals fumbled the ball and the Browns were turned
that fumble for a touchdown. Are you fucking kidding me, Bengals?
(08:35):
Are you seriously kidding me that you were going against
a quarterback who could not move the ball down the
field and you decided today was the day were you're
going to put the ball on the carpet and just
let that defense. That is very good score at will
I don't even know what to say.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, we got that one's stung.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I mean, you knew as soon as I got what
was it, the second defensive touchdown.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
It's like, you can't you can't cover for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
A good comparable team like the Rams. Maybe we have
a chance of coming back. But when Joe Burro doesn't
have it, he just doesn't. He doesn't have it. It
was just one of those days for him where you
can't blame that fumble on him. But there's plenty of
thirds down, third down place. He just was not hitting
it and they punted a bunch and you know, they
got the late lead, didn't get the two pointer, and
(09:25):
you feel bad about your day. Chad, there's a man
out there and one of the biggest known survivor contests
in America. He took the Cincinnati Bengals, and he three
million dollars today. I believe he's the only one in
the whole contest that lost the other seven. I believe one. So, yeah,
you think you're having a bad day that that field goal,
(09:45):
that laid field goal. If someone lost three million dollars
on so that's uh.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I'm trying to.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Put that perspective because I I add the Bengals money
on as well, but hey, Brown's over four and a
half wins at it, Let's go.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The Bengals were so bad, and I've got a lot
more to say about this game.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
In mind, I hated this game, like you did.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Well, look Zach Taylor. Every every this is Zach Taylor.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I moved on. You watched the whole thing, didn't you.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I moved on as soon as I got that second
touch and I go, all right, this this game is done.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I watched the whole freaking thing. I wanted to suffer
in my agony. I like, and you know, like some days,
I'm just trying to keep it together. Okay, I'm taking notes,
and like my wife comes in, she had had a meeting,
(10:38):
and she's like, hey, how's it going. What's going on?
And I keep telling her I'm not here, Pretend I
met my office four hours away. But then my son
is there and they're having a conversation, and I'm trying
to be like a good husband and a good father.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I love you, like slowly turned into from always done.
You're about to tell I'm gonna put you in a
little glass.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I'm not like I don't want to be like the
dude who's losing it because the fucking bangles sounds it
terrible and Zach Taylor is truly awful as a coach.
I don't want to be the person who wants to
throw the remote through the television because they're just making
so many stupid, egregious, fundamental mistakes that are so elementary
(11:23):
to winning a football game. You know, I got a
nice life. I want to be nice to my family,
and so inside I'm not just boiling, I'm broiling. I
can feel my inside being cooked, absolutely cooked in these moments.
(11:43):
So we'll talk about this game a little bit more
because I did watch every single second of this game,
including the Miles Garrett sack. Good for him, I'm happy
for him. I think he's a class act. I want
him to win, I want him to get his awards.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, I don't know about him being a class but
he's seems like a class act, a great player, And
one of my favorite quotes ever is by arguably the
greatest tackle ever, Lane Johnson. They basically we scrimmaged him
every year in the summer before the season, like we
have those like you know, those fake game Yeah, practice,
he said he's the only player's ever gone against where
every time he knows.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
He's gonna lose one on one because.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
He's never had that his entire life. He's never looked
at another man said no matter what, doesn't matter what
I do. If this guy wants to beat me here,
I'm gonna lose. And you know, it's just crazy. We
are living in our lifetime. This record just keeps getting broken.
I know the extra game helps, obviously, but it's it's
really special. We got to see something like that today.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Well, you could argue the extra game helps, but Miles
Garrett is also double and triple team done practically every play,
and as they noted throughout the year, he was facing
considerably fewer pass rush snaps, fewer past attempts than anyone
else who's ever chased this record by a wide margin.
(12:57):
So he's getting it in a much more efficient way
than anyone who's ever done it. Boy Detroit plus three
and a half at the Chicago Bears, we snuck by
with this one. This is one where you know, I
(13:17):
got a text chain with my Chicago buddy. Is it's
going the whole day and early in the day when
it's like the Bengals game one of the reasons I'm
so sick to my stomach because my phone is buzzing
every thirty seconds, but then during the Bears game, it's
every fifteen seconds. And whatever I felt early in the day,
(13:41):
collectively this group felt in the afternoon watching this game
because these Bears did not give us anything, to give
us any confidence whatsoever heading into the playoffs. I can't
stand this defense, and I can't stand the flowers that
every broadcaster gives Dennis Allen like he's so good. This
defense continues to get annihilated every single week, and then
(14:04):
they get a miracle freaking turnover and everyone thinks they're
just geniuses. It's driving me nuts.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
But looking for you got a buddy Simon who told
you what the deal was a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Chat is just you said that, and I was thinking
about that.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
If this is the exact thing you see coming though,
and you do this long enough where it's history constantly
repeats itself, I know you don't believe in it, but
we are stuck in the matrix, my friend, all of it,
this has all already happened. And as soon as they
lost that game in Santa Clair, I was like, oh,
my god, Now they're going to lose to Detroit? Are
you kidding me? And my favorite part is this morning,
you're like, why do we even.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Like this game?
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And they try to pull you back in where I
get it. You're a Bears fan. You were believing. I mean,
the cutest thing ever was you were like, you're ready
get four thousand yards today?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No, you're not. Chat by the way, Wims is not
thrown for four thousand yards.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
For a second in the second half, I'm like, this
is our time, this is our time.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
And they almost got me because they came back. But
I never thought we were never going to cover the
three and a half. It was like, even if they
get this two pointers and happened, least we'll get this.
But yeah, the Bears may be pulling off the win
at the end. I mean they certainly tried. But the
Detroit team, I know, I get your upset about your defense.
They were moving the ball. I will I cannot believe
all the field goals they settled for. I mean, talk
(15:21):
about being a beaten down man. Campbell, he is a
shadow of his former self. Now he's kicking field goals
on fourth and five from your guys, like six or seven.
It was like, oh my god, it's worked. Whatever happened
this season is just taking a toll on him. He's
just Coley totally gone the other way where he was
playing very safe, just simply trying to beat you guys.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
He really wanted to win that game. You could tell
by the way he was playing.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Yes, very conservative, and it worked. But Caleb tried the
magic at the end there. Like you said, I was
really really fun excited fourth quartering. Who knows, you know,
we'll talk about the lines coming up here with this
Bear team. I don't want to be the payer of
bad news continuously.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But I'm the other way.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
It's like you guys, just it doesn't matter the game,
you find a way to make it a three point game.
It's this was a really special team in a really
special season. So congrats chat on the two seat. I'm
bitter as an Eagles fan, but it's a big deal.
Like you got a new head coach, second year quarterback.
He took that step number two seed pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It is amazing, and I don't like, I'm not I'm
not that disappointed in this game. I love watching Caleb
play and he was so magnificent in that fourth quarter,
especially on the drive that tied the game. Him and
Colston Loveland, that's going to be a magical connection. I
(16:38):
mean in that last drive, Caleb was seven of nine
eighty six yards a touchdown to Loveland, and he was
throwing dimes. At one point the Bears had like I
don't know, he had fumbled a snap, picked it up,
threw it fifty yards downfield and had an intentional grounding
(16:58):
on it. So it was like third and two twenty
from their own ten, and they still figured out a
way to convert and get down the field. Luther Burden
was amazing in the second half, really just an incredible playmaker,
like you can see, once they get Romadunze back, this
is going to be a really special offense the way
(17:20):
Ben Johnson is running it. So yeah, Noe, not wild
disappointment in this game at all.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Like I mean, it looks like it was a close game.
You guys got I mean that.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
We about sixteen nothing in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Or not even like the amount of play your defense
played as well. I mean they one of they almost
had one hundred and fifty more yards and you guys
offensively Detroit, like they really did dominate. But like I said,
you guys are you can't kill you like you just
keep coming back. So yeah that it's a it's a
brutal loss. But now yeah, good man, move on playoffs.
You've made it my friend. At home Round one, hosting.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
The number two against number two seed, we got to
play our biggest rivals again. We're getting him at home.
I think we're up for the challenge. Arizona Cardinals at
Los Angeles Rams. This was Chad's choice. Rams made it
a little bit closer than I would have liked in
(18:17):
the second half. In the first half, they were getting
field goals, they were turning the Cardinals turnovers into points.
They were up by ten. Stafford had one of his
touchdown passes, and then in the third quarter, Jacoby Brissette
turned back the clock and looked like he was playing
(18:39):
for his next ten year, five hundred million dollar contract,
and Michael Wilson was catching bombs, and Trey McBride was
starting to challenge Pukin Nakua to catch him for the
season leading receptions season receptions leader. It was a brilliant
(19:02):
too drive for the Arizona Cardinals, and all of a
sudden they're in the lead, like twenty to sixteen, I'm like,
what the fuck, What the fuck just happened here?
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah, they try to blow it.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I mean that, like you said, they played well enough
at the first have to be up ten points or
whatever it was, and second half kind of started collapsing themselves.
But we honestly got built up by their reps. And
that's when it feels like. There was a couple of
huge calls, like Wilson had an insane catch. Yes, they
brought it all the way back. Yes, you know, a
couple of plays for the Rams that they got first
downs on, and you know, we talked about Stafford, this
(19:36):
was gonna be an opportunity to try to pad the
stats and you little loss to start the game, like
they were settling for field goals.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I think they settled for what two field goals to start?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, but yeah, four touchdowns, two fifty passing, even had
a rush for three yards, which was pretty shocking. It's
like you heard the noise that he never runs the
ball just because everyone's looking with the Drake may running numbers.
But yeah, yeah, yeah, really gonna be once again tough
for these voters.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I don't know what they're gonna do well.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Look right now, Matthew Stafford, we talked about it on Tuesday,
was plus three hundred to win MVP. He's now minus
one twenty five and Drake May is plus one oh
six and minus one thirty five, and Drake May is
plus one oh six.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
It's just tough, Like that's what I mean, Like I
don't they're trying, They're trying to guess what these was
the fifty guys that vote on it. It's really hard
to know what these writers are going to do, right
and these people in meet it where everyone has a
different opinion on it, and you could kind of tell
the way people speak where some guys really do have
an attachment to Stafford over Drake.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Look, it's forty six touchdown passes, like he had four
touchdown passes today in football? And did he lead me? Michell?
Maybe you can look this up. Did he lead the
league in passing yards? Did he did he beat out Dak?
I know in the end of it like it was
Dak and I.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Believe he did.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
It was him, And golf actually came down him in
golf because that Dak sat it for throw I think
only seventy yards. Yeah, but yeah, you know, we talked.
We talked about there's there's a bunch of stats out
there to do you favorite Stafford. But I don't know
if we've ever had a six seat or maybe maybe
what he's in the five seed now. So we had
Peyton Manning right, Paynon Maye was a five seed when
(21:13):
he won one, So it has happened before, but it's
definitely unique.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
McVeigh was definitely trying to get it to him, you know,
like after that fourth touchdown pass, they went over to
the sideline and they had this shot on television of
McVeigh and Stafford hugging and McVeigh talking in his ear,
not just like haky gratulations, but he was in his
ear for long enough that they had to cut away
to a commercial, right, So you can only imagine what
(21:36):
he was saying and being excited about the fact he
got that extra touchdown pass and he's over forty five
for the year, Like he was saying to him, that
was your MVP, right, go get it and so and.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
My favorite part was he he lasted Stafford this season,
right with all the noise coming in here, he lasted
this whole season, stayed out. Yeah, and the biggest one
that I'll just ended on is just that you saw
how great that Seattle defenses all year. A Stafford offense
would have like over five hundred yards against them, Yeah,
over three fifty and three touchdowns. So I know he
lost that game. But again, I don't put that. I
(22:07):
don't put all that on him. There's so many things
that went Seattle's way with the refs like that. So yeah,
it's uh, it's it's really gonna be tough. If I
if I did have a vote I've talked about, I
would give it to Stafford just because of the career.
But Drake May if he does win it, I'll fess
up to it.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
He's worthy. Man.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
The kid is just played out of his mind. It's
it's not his fault about the schedule. But yeah, Patriots
fan saying they have nobody Digs. I think I checked
my rankings. He might be great at as my third
best receiver this season.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Diggs for what he.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Does per PLA, EPA, per play break routes, all of that.
He's just had a really great season. I think I
get it. They're trying to make him more of the
victim Drake May, But no, he had weapons right, he
had good running backs. I know the offense line of injuries,
but you know Diggs is Diggs is no pushover.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
He was great this season.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
He actually played really well for them.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
I watched that Rams offense and thought to myself, if
they play the Bears, they are going to eat the
Bears up alive. That defense they will have no they
will have no way to stop what Matthew Stafford can
do with Puka Nukua, they can't stop.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I'm telling you, I'm interested about this Bears scene.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
I can't wait. You guys can run the ball. I
know you couldn't today, but that was that was just
the visional game. Shit got weird.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
All right, Let's let's get a quick word in from
our friends at hard Rock Bet. Today's show is brought
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New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. All right, we're going
to get to the I want to do a little
bit on the Ravens and Steelers because that line has
(25:32):
moved aggressively, like we talked about it would this morning.
Before we get to that. Dallas, we made sure we
didn't put it in the contest. Thank god. They were
a shit show that game. They were terrible everything that
is wrong with the Cowboys. They couldn't stop anyone on defense,
(25:54):
made Jackson Dart look like he might be the second
best odds to win Rookie of the Year. And they
had personal fouls and penalties, and they were undisciplined and
they were just to train and rack and atrocious and
you get what you deserve. Why what do you guys
something to say about that?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I was I think we avoided it. It's just something
was fishy about it. And uh yeah, the Dak being
taken out, I know, I know Matt Mitchell thinks that
maybe there's a world that Dak did when the passing
record or whatever it was, he threw for seventy yards
and I think it was only up forty yards coming
to the game. So just simple math, two fifty by Stafford.
No matter what, he threw for the most shards or
(26:29):
at least over Dak. I don't know about golf because
golf threw for three thirty. But yeah, just I didn't
see them sitting Dak. I'm shocked at then too. They
could have set a record for the Cowboys. And as
an Eagles fan, thank you Dallas. I mean they got
a boorish draft picks or better. Draft picks are good
good for the Dallas Cowboys, but the Giants now don't
(26:50):
have the number two pick.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
I believe. I think they dropped in the order. And
I mean, we'll get into the offseason.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
I've been here in some crazy rumors about the Giants
and getting arch Manning and all the stuff going on
behind the scenes, and like, I haven't seen much about
the media about it, but I've been hearing something about
it for a while about like a handshake deal with
him and him leaving, and I'm shocked he's not coming out.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Apparently he's going to stay.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
But arch Manning, I think he would have gone number
two to the Gihnts if they kept that pick. But
we'll see what's gonna happen in that. But yeah, now
Dart maybe played himself out of it. Smart man. I
don't think they take a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
They'll have what to pick four or five something like that,
because they they obviously have more wins than a couple
of teams.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now, Oh look, maybe they can suck next year and
get arch Manning next year. There you go, anything that
you want to say about Washington and Philadelphia. The game
closed four and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
I think it got to three, just like the Bears
got all way down the three, which is crazy. Right
before kickoff.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
They didn't look.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Honestly, not much a sale. It was painful because they
should have won the game.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I guess that would probably be the biggest takeaway. But
we talk all the time the refs. They have all
the power. I think Washington had four penalties for nineteen yards.
The Eagles had nine penalties for one hundred and twenty five.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
And it was like.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
All three touchdowns were passing interferences at the end zone.
They give him the ball to one and it was
just that type of game, right. Eagles were playing backups.
Think McLaurin played, Deebot played.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So yeah, Eagles.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
You know, if they can't go to Chicago and beat
the Bears, I guess they don't deserve to go to
the super Bowl anyway. But yeah, it's kind of heartbreaking.
They could add the two seed. I'm not gonna lie,
it's uh.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I don't want to go. I don't want them going
to Chicago.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Coglay beat our asses earlier this year, So it's pretty
wild that Sirianni just give that game away in the
sense he really away.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Yeah, totally totally gave it away. It was kind of weird.
Before we get to heroes and shame of the week.
Let's talk about the Steelers and the Ravens because I
know people are going to want to go watch that
in a few minutes, so I don't want to short
change it before the line has moved to four and
a half. Yeah, I'm only emboldened to take the Steelers now.
(29:07):
Like to me, this is an over correction in the
market compared to what we believed it should be.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It could be.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I have no reason. I honestly hate this bet. I
hate that we have to do it, and that's why
I made it. Simon says, it's like I knew I
was gonna hate it, but I have to do it.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
I once again, I'm living with the shame forever.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Betting the Ravens is a five and a half point
favorite in this matchup ear year so Pittsburgh. I thought
this line would keep getting higher. It went to three
and a half after our show down from four and
we talked about it. It's gonna team up right the public.
It's the last game of the season. They're gonna come
in with whatever money they won or whatever they're chasing
on and bet this Ravens team. So yeah, no problem.
Grabbed the four and a half, like, I'm not gonna
(29:48):
keep giving out the stats. It's just you bet the
dog here. It's what we do. So I'm with you people.
It's not fun like that. Saints bet. Not fun like
betting these ugly dogs. It's never fun, but it is
when they win.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Shame shame, shame of the week. Can I go first?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Go ahead, brother Zach Taylor.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
If I get one more shot of Zach Taylor standing
on the sideline and pursing his lips as if he
is stoic and unemotional in the face of complete and
total incompetency. If I were a Bengals fan, I would
(30:35):
be losing my shit knowing that this guy is my
coach and that this is my team. Forget about all
the mistakes that were made. There's things he can't control. Right.
They missed the first extra point, they missed the second
extra point. Their offense gave up fourteen points. Their defense, oh,
(30:56):
their defense only gave up six points in the entire game.
But he did not give them the chances that they
needed to win that game. At the in the middle
of the third quarter, they have a fourth and one
from midfield. And this is by the way, after they
started with a second and two, could not get closer
(31:18):
to the could not get the first down. He decides
to punt it instead of going for it. It's the
eighteenth game of the year. You got a losing record.
What are you playing for? And then at the end
of the game, when it's one thirty four left, they've
got a first and goal from the four. You've got time.
(31:39):
Why are you not running the ball and burning more clock? Instead,
they immediately go for the touchdown they score, give the
Browns plenty of time to come back and win the game.
But mostly my issue with Zach Taylor in this game
was their game plan wasn't let's win the game. Their
game plan was, let's try to keep Miles Garrett from
(32:01):
getting the sack record. So both of the Browns cornerbacks
were out for the game. You've got Joe Burrow, who's
a brilliant downfield passer. You've got Teagans the Jamar Chase,
who are the best receiving cores in the NFL, and
every single throw is short at the line of scrimmage
across the middle, desperate to not let Miles Garrett get
(32:22):
the sack. And what does he do? He gets the sack.
And as soon as he gets the sack, what do
the Bengals do? They start throwing the ball downfield and
they score an easy touchdown? Like, what was he coaching
for it? It was cowardly the way he coached this game.
I thought it was pathetic. I thought it was an embarrassment.
I thought it was indicative of everything is wrong with
(32:42):
the Bengals organization and why they haven't fired. This guy
is beyond me.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Shame shame. Yeah, So for my shame, Chad, I'm gonna
shame the US government. What us coming?
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Where is this guy going with this on a sports podcast? No, people,
I'm not talking about shame them for those reasons. I'm
talking about shame them for this ten percent tax on
my losses.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Chat.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
People don't know you were looking at me. I'm in
Bermuda right now. I have left my country of America,
my favorite country. I am gone, people, I am no
longer in America because of this tax law. People aren't
talking about it, and again I hate it.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I'm one of these sheep.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I didn't care about either because I was like, there's
no way, there's no way they're going to tax ten
percent of our losses and they are this is really happening.
Like I can't get over it. I really cannot where
something like me. I'm gonna fly a waned around of people.
This is what I do for a living. I will
find a way around this ten percent tax.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
All of you.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
This isn't This is the most Unamerican tax in our
entire existence. This is a country that went to war
with a tea tax, and now we're paying a ten
percent tax on our losses with sports betting because we
choose to illegally sports bet and now they're going to
taxes ten percent on our losses. It's it's truly blowing
my mind. I can't believe it's not a bigger deal.
More people aren't crying about it. I guess it's because
(34:07):
no one cares, but you should. You were going to
lose your mind next year when this year is over
twenty twenty six and you go to pay your taxes,
you're paying ten percent on top of your losses. It
truly isn't our manageable. Again, every dollar I make in
this country, I pay over thirty percent in taxes on
and then I pay taxes if I want to buy something,
if I to buy food, everything, my taxes and my property.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
We're all getting it done by the man. It's it's
a corrupt world we live in. But I cannot believe
this happened. I cannot believe we're paying ten six ten
percent of our taxes on losses. It's it's true. It's
blowing my mind. I really cannot believe it's someone like me.
I BET's big money. That is going to be a
huge amount of money. I am going to pay on
my losses because everyone loses, so it is. It's truly
(34:50):
blowing my mind. And I can't believe when the calendar turned,
it was so bittersweet in the book with all the
boys in ac It's like, we may never be here
ever again. It's it's crazy. It's just over. It was
a great run, but it is over. Shame on you
US government.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Look, that's a feature or it's a part of the
one big beautiful bill that was passed for those who
didn't pay attention, because it's a very inside professional sports
betting thing is you are now getting taxed on losses
(35:26):
as a professional. Better We're going to dig into this
more in the off season because I do think it's fascinating,
not just professional, right, it's injurious for anyone who bets,
but all of a sudden, like you used to be
able to deduct all of your losses. So if you
made one hundred dollars but you lost one hundred dollars,
you were now paying taxes on the zero. But now
(35:47):
if you make one hundred dollars and you lose one
hundred dollars, you are actually paying taxes on the amount
that you lost. So you've made zero, but you're paying
taxes on the ten dollars. That is the delta.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I'll bet won twenty lines like it's never been worse.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I cannot go to a route that it is right now.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
It's bad. It's bad. By the way, Shame on the AGA,
the American Gaming Association, which did not do anything to
stop this. In fact, after the One Big Beautiful Bill
was passed, they were touting how fantastic it was for
betters and didn't even notice that this was in the bill,
So shame on them and their ineffectiveness. Okay, hero of
(36:32):
the Week, Simon, I don't know how it can't be
Tyler Shock who gave us such a glorious ride the
past few weeks even if I wasn't along for it.
He's been great and was a guy who we consistently
wanted to bet on, and it came through for us
today at the end of the year, in the last game,
in the last quarter, in the last minutes, he found
(36:55):
a way to get us to win by playing the number.
Tyler Shock. Congrats to you on a glorious, glorious season.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
We love you, Shuck.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
I's sad this might be it for us, Like I
bet next year the magic will be gone.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
He'll be You'll go back to being.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Terrible because he is like, oh my god, five years
old already. But what a moment we had here in
his rookie season.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Yeah, totally, totally. Who's your hero?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
My hair of the week, I'm going with Atlantic City.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
I know it should be a player, but I'm going
with my favorite place to be, the City.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Just a little history.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
June fourteenth, twenty eighteen, at the mo Month Racetrack. I
believe our Governor Philip Murphy placed the first bet. Yes,
and that you know, same night I went down to
Borgata and was one of the few people that play
place the Future.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think my first future was literly on the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
It was it was just like even talking on the guys,
it's just been in a magical run these last couple
of years in Atlantic City. It was just brought back
new life to the city. The books were always packed,
concerts came back, like the music came back, you know,
the talent came back. A lot of great comedians came back,
especially Oceans. You know, all these was hard rock. You know,
(38:13):
they had some great shows, like all of them, and
you know, I can't go over how great it was
a sports But when I first came back, because all
the books were new, you know, they brought in a
lot of people from Vegas and a lot of old
faces that I knew, and it was just a really
fun time.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
It really was someone that lives to bet.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
You know, all these different weekends time spent in the books,
going from casino.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Walk on the boardwalk.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
I mean, the amount of drunk dights I had just
laying on the beach there being like what am I
doing here?
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Like what am I doing? Playing this money? Why?
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Why am I laying on this beach? But I'm gonna
miss it. It was just a very unique city. I
love and I guy said, I hope they changed these
tackle tax laws, and I'll be back in New Jersey
because it's just there's nothing better. It was the wild
West when it got approved. I feel like we had
twenty sports books. I think online came to pass like that.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Maybe it was like August. It was just it was
the best.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
It was the best because Vegas felt like it was
the past and it was all old and everything was
new and better and you know, easier to make a
buck in the state. And yeah, it was just like
I said here of the Week at Lantic, City of
my Life, that was it was a great six years
and I honestly can't believe it's over.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
It's bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
New Jersey did it right. As soon as it passed,
they did it right. Simon says this week was Pittsburgh
plus three and a half. We will get there. Chad's
choice was the Rams minus seven. That's a win, Brass
Balls Carolina plus three and a half. That's a win.
Rock in a hard place, Bengals minus seven.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
And a half.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Motherfucker sharp versus square, we're double losers. Chat at Cincinnati,
Simon at San Francisco. Favorites Parlay Cincinnati, Philly, Minnesota, Rams
underdog Parlay, Pittsburgh, Carolina, San Francisco, New Orleans Man. All right,
let's talk about some playoff leans quickly. Bills one and
(40:04):
a half point favorites over the Jaguars. The Bills currently
do not have a placekicker. They cut Michael Bagley, Matt
Prater got hurt again today. I don't know what they're
gonna do. Matt Mitchell is apoplectic. The Jags are one
and a half point dogs at home, the small market
team getting disrespected.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Yeah, and it's I don't know. Does I'm gonna hit it.
I'll hit the plus one and a half now and
the Jags obviously, But I would opinion here, I would
be shocked if this line flipped. I just can see
the public doing what they all are gonna do. They're
gonna hammer the Bills, the only quarterback they know and trust,
right like the AFC is all these people, you can
(40:48):
have a million different reasons not to trust. And the
one true fact is Josh Allen. Yes, he's never been
to a super Bowl. It's never I mean a couple
of games. I guess you could say his fault. Ready,
he has done things to be his fault, but it's
always been the defense that's disappointing them.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
So once again, can the defense show up here? I
don't think so.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
This Jags offense, man, they are a yeah, they're that good.
And this is an Orchard Park, So I know it's
painful to do. I mean, who cares. If you're a
man Mitroy, you gotta believe it's Josh Allen. But if I,
you know, get word that the foot stuff is all good,
the lower body is all good, maybe I could waiver
(41:28):
a little bit. But right now that I'm very, very confident,
I'm taking this Jaguars team, especially as a home dog
on the spot.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Uh. I want to think about how we're going to
do this because I don't want to go too deep
into every game because we've got so much to research.
But there's not that many games and.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Throw them all ayain, I'm not going to bet them.
That's just a game. I better right away, just because
they are a dog.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
The Jags bears one and a half home dogs.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
Also they're already minus wanting to yeah minus one and
a half favorite, like I told you that. Yeah, so
that's another game. I'll probably take a position, but I'm
in no rush now that it's already flipped Eagles open
two and a half.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
It's yep.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
So you know, if Brock pretty gets so a three
and a half dog, that's a conversation. But if you
want the Eagles, I would say, it looks like the
pros are coming on them. It's minus three minus one
fifteen now, So not only did it move off the
two and a half, it's already minus one fifteen on
the threes, So it's it's an interesting movement. And yeah,
Panthers plus ten and a half against the Rams. I
(42:27):
know Chad's already thinking his mind, we got to take
the Panthers, but I'll see if I can talk them
off that.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I don't actually feel that way. I don't feel that way.
You know why, because look, I love the Rams. I
think they're amazing, and I think they're a juggernaut and
I love watching them. And I do think that the Panthers,
while they didn't play great, they played well enough for
them to go stink it up in the next game.
And honestly, at home against the Rams, if the Panthers
(42:55):
hadn't picked off Stafford multiple times and had multiple touchdowns
on defense, they lose that game going away. So I'm
not entirely convinced the Panthers are going to be the
side that we want in that game. The last game
we got to make one comment about we said, we
can't wait to fade the Patriots in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
Easiest bad grab it now, say plus three and a
half charger and a half, got it? Yeah, Patriots fans.
In my mind, i'd be excited because it is Herbert
who is I went to. But I'm gonna give you
guys all the stats. It's just it's always really tough
for the first year quarterback in the sense first year
(43:37):
in the playoffs quarterback. It's just different. The speed's different,
everything about that mentor. You know, he's getting the offers
for coaching jobs. He's the DC of his Chargers team.
They're just a good defense. It's gonna be interest see
how Drake made plays because they're one of the best
defense against deep ball. So I'm just gonna give it
out now just in case it does move. I could
easily see this being three once we hop on a
(43:59):
Tuesday morning.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
All Right, we're going to dig in deeper. If you're
playing the contest, you'll be getting totals in the contest.
Moving forward, so be advised. We'll announce all the contest
details on Tuesday show, but obviously you're gonna be able
to We're going to expand the pool on what you
can choose from final review of our games. We had
(44:21):
the Bengals minus seven and a half. That was a loss.
We had the Saints plus three and a half. That's
a win. We had the Rams minus seven and a half,
that is a win. We had the Lions plus three
and a half. That is a win. We're on the
Steelers tonight plus three and a half. Hopefully go four
and one. This week. This has been Sharper Square presented
by hard Rock Bet, part of the Volume podcast Network.
(44:43):
We will be back with our next Sharper Square on Tuesday.
To go over the entire playoff slate, watch or listen
on YouTube at Sharper Square. Like the video, subscribe to
the channel, download us from Spotify, Apple Pods wherever you
get your pods, rate review, subscribe webs five stars, say
whatever you want. Feedback is a gift. Until next time.
(45:04):
I love you in.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Your seat belts.
Speaker 1 (45:06):
It's playoff time. M h m hm
Welcome to Sharper's Square, presented by a hard rock bet.
We are part of the Volume podcast Network. This is
the show that makes the squares. Sharper makes the wise
guys pay attention. I am Chad Milman. I am joined
tonight as always by my co host, my BFF, my companion,
(00:21):
my compadre professional better, Simon Hunter et o Simon Chad.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What a insane day, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The early games were so disgustingly bad. In the first five,
first fifteen minutes of combined game action for the Giants, Cowboys,
the Bengals, the Browns and New Orleans and Falcons. First
(00:52):
of those three games fifteen combined minutes, meaning the first
five minutes of each game, four total turnovers and a
Blox extra point. That's how bad these non playoff teams
were playing in these early windows. And then in the
afternoon we got some freaking burn burners, which was awesome.
(01:16):
Our final five were New Orleans plus three and a half,
Cincinnati minus seven and a half, Detroit plus three and
a half, Rams minus seven and a half. We got
the Steelers plus three and a half tonight, so we're
three and one on the day. We're hoping the Steelers
can close it out. Oh boy, dude. The other thing
I'd be worried about Simon as a Bears fan. I
(01:41):
watched them get shut out in the first three quarters.
The Rams nearly gave the game away. The Texans do
not let the score deceive you.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Like.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
There was some pretty inconsistent play from three playoff teams
that I think we're expecting a lot of, So I
want to get into it it.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, football is hard, buddy. I wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Uh, I mean, what can you do? But yeah, I
can't leave. You didn't mention it, Miles Garrett. I think
that was the most insane part of the day of
the Well, dude, sach record, but you.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Didn't get to it. That's the whole that's that's the
Cincinnati Cleveland breakdown.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, that's to me though off the top.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I h I should have mentioned it myself, but just
that was to me the most incredible part. I didn't
not honestly did not think he was going to get it.
I think there was like nine minutes left. It's like,
oh my god, they might just run it here and
never letting you get a chance at it. But yeah,
that was one of those moments you remember the rest
of your life, right, it could happened. Now they keep
adding games, it could happen. But you saw that last
(02:41):
one to get took him what three games. It was
just the hardest one to gets that last one. So
Joe Burrow, I don't know if he did him a favorite.
I think he was going to get him anyway, but
I think as soon as he felt him touch him,
he kind of.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Fell down there. So, yeah, that was a great, great moment.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
All right, let's get into it. We'll get to that
game in a second. I got a lot to say
about that game because it kind of ruined my day.
New Orleans play US three and a half at Atlanta. Look,
the Saints and the Falcons traded turnovers in those first
five minutes. The Saints got a blocked punt inside their
red zone that led to a Falcon's touchdown. But the
(03:14):
Saints were in it, man, that whole game, Like they
dominated the first half. They were only losing it because
of mistakes and being a bad team. And you know,
for a minute there, like Tyler Schock was playing like
rookie of the year in the first half. He was
looking great.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, if a lave played the kicker could make that
field goal in another life.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
They win that game easies. They dominated Robinson.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I couldn't believe. I knew they would try to take
him away. That was my whole mindset was they don't
try to take him away and make Kirk beat him right,
And Kirk wasn't good either. Like again, it's crazy they
even won this game.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
The Falcons. Props to them.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I really did think there's a world where the Saints
if they played this game, you know, nine out of
ten times out of ten, but eight out of ten
feels like the Saints with a lot they would beat
this Falcons.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Kirk Kirk was great and like he he had some
really good throws, and Kyle Pitts and Drake London made
some great catches today. Like it wasn't it wasn't perfect.
They played like the better team both offensively and defensively.
Their pass rush was all over Tyler Shuck for the
first three and a half quarters. The Falcons had the
(04:25):
second most sacks in the NFL this year, after spending
the past three years having the few sacks each season.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And if you're a New York child really likes Kirk Cousins.
Kirk was not good today. He threw for one to eighty.
I think he played like fifty five.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I said, he made good throws today, Like.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I think he got away on the one here, but shuck,
he threw that pick. I don't know if you felt
like we were better than deb but I did.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
When he threw that pick.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I thought that was the moment for him Rookie of
the year. Slipped away, got the ball back and drove
that field. And I know the announcer was saying, we're
they going to kick the field goal. But it's like,
just get to get the touchdown. You have all the
it's always easy to get to three and then get
the seven. Get down there and get the touchdown. He
just made a couple of great throws, a couple in
sant catches by the Northern receivers. But yeah, that was
(05:11):
a classic. You just bet the number. I hope it
comes through, and honestly to the day, it's like I said,
if Alave played, I felt like that they really could
have beat that Falcus team and web sidor Shock would
be Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
But it's all the odds of it came on. It's
not looking good for my bet.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Chat it looks like it gonna be Tyror McMillan, who
deserves it, Like we said, one rookie of the year
because they won the division. He hit over one thousand
receiving yards. YadA, YadA, YadA. I'm upset about it. I
thought Shuck played really well.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
But look, Shuck, I really thought at the end of
that game, he kind of played himself back into it.
That last drive, he had a pass he was They
were in desperation mode. They had no timeouts. They had
to push the ball down field just to get into
any kind of scoring range. He scrambled right. He was
about to go down through a perfect pass that he
(05:59):
layered over defensive back that one of the receivers caught
on the sidelines, and then they scored a touchdown. He
couldn't have put the ball in a better position if
he had placed it into Ronnie Bell's elbow. Ronnie Bell
had one hand that was being held by a defensive back.
(06:21):
He's got about two inches of space in the back
corner of the end zone, and the ball lands. You
know what it was. Old listeners of the show will
remember this. It was a Carson Palmer which Nipple throw
like he landed it in the crook of Ronnie Bell's elbow,
so all he had to do was literally just keep
his arm in an L shape. That was a great throw,
(06:43):
and for a second, I'm like, maybe people will see that.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Yeah again on nuance side kick rule, I think it
was a twelve percent. Yeah, we didn't really have a
chance there, but if it was just you know, I
never gave up that they might be able to win it.
But at the end of the day, like I texted you,
it all worked out. Our Panthers win the division, bet
hit and we won on the numbers, so I really
can't complain it all.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It all worked out.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
We get to think about the Panthers and betting the
Panthers for one more week. We'll get to that. They're
playing the Rams. By the way, you mentioned Tyler Shuk
and his odds. You looked at it before we came on,
So did I. Tedor Roll McMillan after yesterday's game, crossing
one thousand yards. Now the Panthers win the division, he's
minus one thousand to win. Offensive Rookie of the Year.
(07:28):
Jackson Dart after his win against the Cowboys today, had
a good game. A couple of touchdown passes, a lot
of ruggy yards, two hundred and fifty six yards passing,
no interceptions. He actually jumped over shook. He's at plus
nine hundred. Now, Shuck is you know, plus eleven plus
twelve hundred. So that's where we stand with the Tyler
(07:49):
Shuck Rookie of the Year. I hope maybe maybe some
people cashed out, maybe they got some money because they
were making they were making offers. Jesus Christ, this game
makes me sick. The Browns at Cincinnati Bengals were seven
and a half point favorites in the first quarter. The
(08:14):
Bengals had a block extra point after they scored their
first touchdown, Joe Burrow threw a pick six from his
own from the Browns five yard line. On the next series,
the Bengals fumbled the ball and the Browns were turned
that fumble for a touchdown. Are you fucking kidding me, Bengals?
(08:35):
Are you seriously kidding me that you were going against
a quarterback who could not move the ball down the
field and you decided today was the day were you're
going to put the ball on the carpet and just
let that defense. That is very good score at will
I don't even know what to say.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, we got that one's stung.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I mean, you knew as soon as I got what
was it, the second defensive touchdown.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
It's like, you can't you can't cover for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
A good comparable team like the Rams. Maybe we have
a chance of coming back. But when Joe Burro doesn't
have it, he just doesn't. He doesn't have it. It
was just one of those days for him where you
can't blame that fumble on him. But there's plenty of
thirds down, third down place. He just was not hitting
it and they punted a bunch and you know, they
got the late lead, didn't get the two pointer, and
(09:25):
you feel bad about your day. Chad, there's a man
out there and one of the biggest known survivor contests
in America. He took the Cincinnati Bengals, and he three
million dollars today. I believe he's the only one in
the whole contest that lost the other seven. I believe one. So, yeah,
you think you're having a bad day that that field goal,
(09:45):
that laid field goal. If someone lost three million dollars
on so that's uh.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I'm trying to.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Put that perspective because I I add the Bengals money
on as well, but hey, Brown's over four and a
half wins at it, Let's go.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The Bengals were so bad, and I've got a lot
more to say about this game.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
In mind, I hated this game, like you did.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Well, look Zach Taylor. Every every this is Zach Taylor.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I moved on. You watched the whole thing, didn't you.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I moved on as soon as I got that second
touch and I go, all right, this this game is done.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I watched the whole freaking thing. I wanted to suffer
in my agony. I like, and you know, like some days,
I'm just trying to keep it together. Okay, I'm taking notes,
and like my wife comes in, she had had a meeting,
(10:38):
and she's like, hey, how's it going. What's going on?
And I keep telling her I'm not here, Pretend I
met my office four hours away. But then my son
is there and they're having a conversation, and I'm trying
to be like a good husband and a good father.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I love you, like slowly turned into from always done.
You're about to tell I'm gonna put you in a
little glass.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I'm not like I don't want to be like the
dude who's losing it because the fucking bangles sounds it
terrible and Zach Taylor is truly awful as a coach.
I don't want to be the person who wants to
throw the remote through the television because they're just making
so many stupid, egregious, fundamental mistakes that are so elementary
(11:23):
to winning a football game. You know, I got a
nice life. I want to be nice to my family,
and so inside I'm not just boiling, I'm broiling. I
can feel my inside being cooked, absolutely cooked in these moments.
(11:43):
So we'll talk about this game a little bit more
because I did watch every single second of this game,
including the Miles Garrett sack. Good for him, I'm happy
for him. I think he's a class act. I want
him to win, I want him to get his awards.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, I don't know about him being a class but
he's seems like a class act, a great player, And
one of my favorite quotes ever is by arguably the
greatest tackle ever, Lane Johnson. They basically we scrimmaged him
every year in the summer before the season, like we
have those like you know, those fake game Yeah, practice,
he said he's the only player's ever gone against where
every time he knows.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
He's gonna lose one on one because.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
He's never had that his entire life. He's never looked
at another man said no matter what, doesn't matter what
I do. If this guy wants to beat me here,
I'm gonna lose. And you know, it's just crazy. We
are living in our lifetime. This record just keeps getting broken.
I know the extra game helps, obviously, but it's it's
really special. We got to see something like that today.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Well, you could argue the extra game helps, but Miles
Garrett is also double and triple team done practically every play,
and as they noted throughout the year, he was facing
considerably fewer pass rush snaps, fewer past attempts than anyone
else who's ever chased this record by a wide margin.
(12:57):
So he's getting it in a much more efficient way
than anyone who's ever done it. Boy Detroit plus three
and a half at the Chicago Bears, we snuck by
with this one. This is one where you know, I
(13:17):
got a text chain with my Chicago buddy. Is it's
going the whole day and early in the day when
it's like the Bengals game one of the reasons I'm
so sick to my stomach because my phone is buzzing
every thirty seconds, but then during the Bears game, it's
every fifteen seconds. And whatever I felt early in the day,
(13:41):
collectively this group felt in the afternoon watching this game
because these Bears did not give us anything, to give
us any confidence whatsoever heading into the playoffs. I can't
stand this defense, and I can't stand the flowers that
every broadcaster gives Dennis Allen like he's so good. This
defense continues to get annihilated every single week, and then
(14:04):
they get a miracle freaking turnover and everyone thinks they're
just geniuses. It's driving me nuts.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
But looking for you got a buddy Simon who told
you what the deal was a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Chat is just you said that, and I was thinking
about that.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
If this is the exact thing you see coming though,
and you do this long enough where it's history constantly
repeats itself, I know you don't believe in it, but
we are stuck in the matrix, my friend, all of it,
this has all already happened. And as soon as they
lost that game in Santa Clair, I was like, oh,
my god, Now they're going to lose to Detroit? Are
you kidding me? And my favorite part is this morning,
you're like, why do we even.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Like this game?
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And they try to pull you back in where I
get it. You're a Bears fan. You were believing. I mean,
the cutest thing ever was you were like, you're ready
get four thousand yards today?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No, you're not. Chat by the way, Wims is not
thrown for four thousand yards.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
For a second in the second half, I'm like, this
is our time, this is our time.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
And they almost got me because they came back. But
I never thought we were never going to cover the
three and a half. It was like, even if they
get this two pointers and happened, least we'll get this.
But yeah, the Bears may be pulling off the win
at the end. I mean they certainly tried. But the
Detroit team, I know, I get your upset about your defense.
They were moving the ball. I will I cannot believe
all the field goals they settled for. I mean, talk
(15:21):
about being a beaten down man. Campbell, he is a
shadow of his former self. Now he's kicking field goals
on fourth and five from your guys, like six or seven.
It was like, oh my god, it's worked. Whatever happened
this season is just taking a toll on him. He's
just Coley totally gone the other way where he was
playing very safe, just simply trying to beat you guys.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
He really wanted to win that game. You could tell
by the way he was playing.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Yes, very conservative, and it worked. But Caleb tried the
magic at the end there. Like you said, I was
really really fun excited fourth quartering. Who knows, you know,
we'll talk about the lines coming up here with this
Bear team. I don't want to be the payer of
bad news continuously.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But I'm the other way.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
It's like you guys, just it doesn't matter the game,
you find a way to make it a three point game.
It's this was a really special team in a really
special season. So congrats chat on the two seat. I'm
bitter as an Eagles fan, but it's a big deal.
Like you got a new head coach, second year quarterback.
He took that step number two seed pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It is amazing, and I don't like, I'm not I'm
not that disappointed in this game. I love watching Caleb
play and he was so magnificent in that fourth quarter,
especially on the drive that tied the game. Him and
Colston Loveland, that's going to be a magical connection. I
(16:38):
mean in that last drive, Caleb was seven of nine
eighty six yards a touchdown to Loveland, and he was
throwing dimes. At one point the Bears had like I
don't know, he had fumbled a snap, picked it up,
threw it fifty yards downfield and had an intentional grounding
(16:58):
on it. So it was like third and two twenty
from their own ten, and they still figured out a
way to convert and get down the field. Luther Burden
was amazing in the second half, really just an incredible playmaker,
like you can see, once they get Romadunze back, this
is going to be a really special offense the way
(17:20):
Ben Johnson is running it. So yeah, Noe, not wild
disappointment in this game at all.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Like I mean, it looks like it was a close game.
You guys got I mean that.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
We about sixteen nothing in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Or not even like the amount of play your defense
played as well. I mean they one of they almost
had one hundred and fifty more yards and you guys
offensively Detroit, like they really did dominate. But like I said,
you guys are you can't kill you like you just
keep coming back. So yeah that it's a it's a
brutal loss. But now yeah, good man, move on playoffs.
You've made it my friend. At home Round one, hosting.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
The number two against number two seed, we got to
play our biggest rivals again. We're getting him at home.
I think we're up for the challenge. Arizona Cardinals at
Los Angeles Rams. This was Chad's choice. Rams made it
a little bit closer than I would have liked in
(18:17):
the second half. In the first half, they were getting
field goals, they were turning the Cardinals turnovers into points.
They were up by ten. Stafford had one of his
touchdown passes, and then in the third quarter, Jacoby Brissette
turned back the clock and looked like he was playing
(18:39):
for his next ten year, five hundred million dollar contract,
and Michael Wilson was catching bombs, and Trey McBride was
starting to challenge Pukin Nakua to catch him for the
season leading receptions season receptions leader. It was a brilliant
(19:02):
too drive for the Arizona Cardinals, and all of a
sudden they're in the lead, like twenty to sixteen, I'm like,
what the fuck, What the fuck just happened here?
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah, they try to blow it.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I mean that, like you said, they played well enough
at the first have to be up ten points or
whatever it was, and second half kind of started collapsing themselves.
But we honestly got built up by their reps. And
that's when it feels like. There was a couple of
huge calls, like Wilson had an insane catch. Yes, they
brought it all the way back. Yes, you know, a
couple of plays for the Rams that they got first
downs on, and you know, we talked about Stafford, this
(19:36):
was gonna be an opportunity to try to pad the
stats and you little loss to start the game, like
they were settling for field goals.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I think they settled for what two field goals to start?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, but yeah, four touchdowns, two fifty passing, even had
a rush for three yards, which was pretty shocking. It's
like you heard the noise that he never runs the
ball just because everyone's looking with the Drake may running numbers.
But yeah, yeah, yeah, really gonna be once again tough
for these voters.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I don't know what they're gonna do well.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Look right now, Matthew Stafford, we talked about it on Tuesday,
was plus three hundred to win MVP. He's now minus
one twenty five and Drake May is plus one oh
six and minus one thirty five, and Drake May is
plus one oh six.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
It's just tough, Like that's what I mean, Like I
don't they're trying, They're trying to guess what these was
the fifty guys that vote on it. It's really hard
to know what these writers are going to do, right
and these people in meet it where everyone has a
different opinion on it, and you could kind of tell
the way people speak where some guys really do have
an attachment to Stafford over Drake.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Look, it's forty six touchdown passes, like he had four
touchdown passes today in football? And did he lead me? Michell?
Maybe you can look this up. Did he lead the
league in passing yards? Did he did he beat out Dak?
I know in the end of it like it was
Dak and I.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Believe he did.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
It was him, And golf actually came down him in
golf because that Dak sat it for throw I think
only seventy yards. Yeah, but yeah, you know, we talked.
We talked about there's there's a bunch of stats out
there to do you favorite Stafford. But I don't know
if we've ever had a six seat or maybe maybe
what he's in the five seed now. So we had
Peyton Manning right, Paynon Maye was a five seed when
(21:13):
he won one, So it has happened before, but it's
definitely unique.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
McVeigh was definitely trying to get it to him, you know,
like after that fourth touchdown pass, they went over to
the sideline and they had this shot on television of
McVeigh and Stafford hugging and McVeigh talking in his ear,
not just like haky gratulations, but he was in his
ear for long enough that they had to cut away
to a commercial, right, So you can only imagine what
(21:36):
he was saying and being excited about the fact he
got that extra touchdown pass and he's over forty five
for the year, Like he was saying to him, that
was your MVP, right, go get it and so and.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
My favorite part was he he lasted Stafford this season,
right with all the noise coming in here, he lasted
this whole season, stayed out. Yeah, and the biggest one
that I'll just ended on is just that you saw
how great that Seattle defenses all year. A Stafford offense
would have like over five hundred yards against them, Yeah,
over three fifty and three touchdowns. So I know he
lost that game. But again, I don't put that. I
(22:07):
don't put all that on him. There's so many things
that went Seattle's way with the refs like that. So yeah,
it's uh, it's it's really gonna be tough. If I
if I did have a vote I've talked about, I
would give it to Stafford just because of the career.
But Drake May if he does win it, I'll fess
up to it.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
He's worthy. Man.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
The kid is just played out of his mind. It's
it's not his fault about the schedule. But yeah, Patriots
fan saying they have nobody Digs. I think I checked
my rankings. He might be great at as my third
best receiver this season.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Diggs for what he.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Does per PLA, EPA, per play break routes, all of that.
He's just had a really great season. I think I
get it. They're trying to make him more of the
victim Drake May, But no, he had weapons right, he
had good running backs. I know the offense line of injuries,
but you know Diggs is Diggs is no pushover.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
He was great this season.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
He actually played really well for them.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
I watched that Rams offense and thought to myself, if
they play the Bears, they are going to eat the
Bears up alive. That defense they will have no they
will have no way to stop what Matthew Stafford can
do with Puka Nukua, they can't stop.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I'm telling you, I'm interested about this Bears scene.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
I can't wait. You guys can run the ball. I
know you couldn't today, but that was that was just
the visional game. Shit got weird.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
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to get to the I want to do a little
bit on the Ravens and Steelers because that line has
(25:32):
moved aggressively, like we talked about it would this morning.
Before we get to that. Dallas, we made sure we
didn't put it in the contest. Thank god. They were
a shit show that game. They were terrible everything that
is wrong with the Cowboys. They couldn't stop anyone on defense,
(25:54):
made Jackson Dart look like he might be the second
best odds to win Rookie of the Year. And they
had personal fouls and penalties, and they were undisciplined and
they were just to train and rack and atrocious and
you get what you deserve. Why what do you guys
something to say about that?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I was I think we avoided it. It's just something
was fishy about it. And uh yeah, the Dak being
taken out, I know, I know Matt Mitchell thinks that
maybe there's a world that Dak did when the passing
record or whatever it was, he threw for seventy yards
and I think it was only up forty yards coming
to the game. So just simple math, two fifty by Stafford.
No matter what, he threw for the most shards or
(26:29):
at least over Dak. I don't know about golf because
golf threw for three thirty. But yeah, just I didn't
see them sitting Dak. I'm shocked at then too. They
could have set a record for the Cowboys. And as
an Eagles fan, thank you Dallas. I mean they got
a boorish draft picks or better. Draft picks are good
good for the Dallas Cowboys, but the Giants now don't
(26:50):
have the number two pick.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
I believe. I think they dropped in the order. And
I mean, we'll get into the offseason.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
I've been here in some crazy rumors about the Giants
and getting arch Manning and all the stuff going on
behind the scenes, and like, I haven't seen much about
the media about it, but I've been hearing something about
it for a while about like a handshake deal with
him and him leaving, and I'm shocked he's not coming out.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Apparently he's going to stay.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
But arch Manning, I think he would have gone number
two to the Gihnts if they kept that pick. But
we'll see what's gonna happen in that. But yeah, now
Dart maybe played himself out of it. Smart man. I
don't think they take a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
They'll have what to pick four or five something like that,
because they they obviously have more wins than a couple
of teams.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now, Oh look, maybe they can suck next year and
get arch Manning next year. There you go, anything that
you want to say about Washington and Philadelphia. The game
closed four and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
I think it got to three, just like the Bears
got all way down the three, which is crazy. Right
before kickoff.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
They didn't look.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Honestly, not much a sale. It was painful because they
should have won the game.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I guess that would probably be the biggest takeaway. But
we talk all the time the refs. They have all
the power. I think Washington had four penalties for nineteen yards.
The Eagles had nine penalties for one hundred and twenty five.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
And it was like.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
All three touchdowns were passing interferences at the end zone.
They give him the ball to one and it was
just that type of game, right. Eagles were playing backups.
Think McLaurin played, Deebot played.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So yeah, Eagles.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
You know, if they can't go to Chicago and beat
the Bears, I guess they don't deserve to go to
the super Bowl anyway. But yeah, it's kind of heartbreaking.
They could add the two seed. I'm not gonna lie,
it's uh.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I don't want to go. I don't want them going
to Chicago.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Coglay beat our asses earlier this year, So it's pretty
wild that Sirianni just give that game away in the
sense he really away.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Yeah, totally totally gave it away. It was kind of weird.
Before we get to heroes and shame of the week.
Let's talk about the Steelers and the Ravens because I
know people are going to want to go watch that
in a few minutes, so I don't want to short
change it before the line has moved to four and
a half. Yeah, I'm only emboldened to take the Steelers now.
(29:07):
Like to me, this is an over correction in the
market compared to what we believed it should be.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It could be.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I have no reason. I honestly hate this bet. I
hate that we have to do it, and that's why
I made it. Simon says, it's like I knew I
was gonna hate it, but I have to do it.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
I once again, I'm living with the shame forever.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Betting the Ravens is a five and a half point
favorite in this matchup ear year so Pittsburgh. I thought
this line would keep getting higher. It went to three
and a half after our show down from four and
we talked about it. It's gonna team up right the public.
It's the last game of the season. They're gonna come
in with whatever money they won or whatever they're chasing
on and bet this Ravens team. So yeah, no problem.
Grabbed the four and a half, like, I'm not gonna
(29:48):
keep giving out the stats. It's just you bet the
dog here. It's what we do. So I'm with you people.
It's not fun like that. Saints bet. Not fun like
betting these ugly dogs. It's never fun, but it is
when they win.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Shame shame, shame of the week. Can I go first?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Go ahead, brother Zach Taylor.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
If I get one more shot of Zach Taylor standing
on the sideline and pursing his lips as if he
is stoic and unemotional in the face of complete and
total incompetency. If I were a Bengals fan, I would
(30:35):
be losing my shit knowing that this guy is my
coach and that this is my team. Forget about all
the mistakes that were made. There's things he can't control. Right.
They missed the first extra point, they missed the second
extra point. Their offense gave up fourteen points. Their defense, oh,
(30:56):
their defense only gave up six points in the entire game.
But he did not give them the chances that they
needed to win that game. At the in the middle
of the third quarter, they have a fourth and one
from midfield. And this is by the way, after they
started with a second and two, could not get closer
(31:18):
to the could not get the first down. He decides
to punt it instead of going for it. It's the
eighteenth game of the year. You got a losing record.
What are you playing for? And then at the end
of the game, when it's one thirty four left, they've
got a first and goal from the four. You've got time.
(31:39):
Why are you not running the ball and burning more clock? Instead,
they immediately go for the touchdown they score, give the
Browns plenty of time to come back and win the game.
But mostly my issue with Zach Taylor in this game
was their game plan wasn't let's win the game. Their
game plan was, let's try to keep Miles Garrett from
(32:01):
getting the sack record. So both of the Browns cornerbacks
were out for the game. You've got Joe Burrow, who's
a brilliant downfield passer. You've got Teagans the Jamar Chase,
who are the best receiving cores in the NFL, and
every single throw is short at the line of scrimmage
across the middle, desperate to not let Miles Garrett get
(32:22):
the sack. And what does he do? He gets the sack.
And as soon as he gets the sack, what do
the Bengals do? They start throwing the ball downfield and
they score an easy touchdown? Like, what was he coaching
for it? It was cowardly the way he coached this game.
I thought it was pathetic. I thought it was an embarrassment.
I thought it was indicative of everything is wrong with
(32:42):
the Bengals organization and why they haven't fired. This guy
is beyond me.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Shame shame. Yeah, So for my shame, Chad, I'm gonna
shame the US government. What us coming?
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Where is this guy going with this on a sports podcast? No, people,
I'm not talking about shame them for those reasons. I'm
talking about shame them for this ten percent tax on
my losses.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Chat.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
People don't know you were looking at me. I'm in
Bermuda right now. I have left my country of America,
my favorite country. I am gone, people, I am no
longer in America because of this tax law. People aren't
talking about it, and again I hate it.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I'm one of these sheep.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I didn't care about either because I was like, there's
no way, there's no way they're going to tax ten
percent of our losses and they are this is really happening.
Like I can't get over it. I really cannot where
something like me. I'm gonna fly a waned around of people.
This is what I do for a living. I will
find a way around this ten percent tax.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
All of you.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
This isn't This is the most Unamerican tax in our
entire existence. This is a country that went to war
with a tea tax, and now we're paying a ten
percent tax on our losses with sports betting because we
choose to illegally sports bet and now they're going to
taxes ten percent on our losses. It's it's truly blowing
my mind. I can't believe it's not a bigger deal.
More people aren't crying about it. I guess it's because
(34:07):
no one cares, but you should. You were going to
lose your mind next year when this year is over
twenty twenty six and you go to pay your taxes,
you're paying ten percent on top of your losses. It
truly isn't our manageable. Again, every dollar I make in
this country, I pay over thirty percent in taxes on
and then I pay taxes if I want to buy something,
if I to buy food, everything, my taxes and my property.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
We're all getting it done by the man. It's it's
a corrupt world we live in. But I cannot believe
this happened. I cannot believe we're paying ten six ten
percent of our taxes on losses. It's it's true. It's
blowing my mind. I really cannot believe it's someone like me.
I BET's big money. That is going to be a
huge amount of money. I am going to pay on
my losses because everyone loses, so it is. It's truly
(34:50):
blowing my mind. And I can't believe when the calendar turned,
it was so bittersweet in the book with all the
boys in ac It's like, we may never be here
ever again. It's it's crazy. It's just over. It was
a great run, but it is over. Shame on you
US government.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Look, that's a feature or it's a part of the
one big beautiful bill that was passed for those who
didn't pay attention, because it's a very inside professional sports
betting thing is you are now getting taxed on losses
(35:26):
as a professional. Better We're going to dig into this
more in the off season because I do think it's fascinating,
not just professional, right, it's injurious for anyone who bets,
but all of a sudden, like you used to be
able to deduct all of your losses. So if you
made one hundred dollars but you lost one hundred dollars,
you were now paying taxes on the zero. But now
(35:47):
if you make one hundred dollars and you lose one
hundred dollars, you are actually paying taxes on the amount
that you lost. So you've made zero, but you're paying
taxes on the ten dollars. That is the delta.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I'll bet won twenty lines like it's never been worse.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I cannot go to a route that it is right now.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
It's bad. It's bad. By the way, Shame on the AGA,
the American Gaming Association, which did not do anything to
stop this. In fact, after the One Big Beautiful Bill
was passed, they were touting how fantastic it was for
betters and didn't even notice that this was in the bill,
So shame on them and their ineffectiveness. Okay, hero of
(36:32):
the Week, Simon, I don't know how it can't be
Tyler Shock who gave us such a glorious ride the
past few weeks even if I wasn't along for it.
He's been great and was a guy who we consistently
wanted to bet on, and it came through for us
today at the end of the year, in the last game,
in the last quarter, in the last minutes, he found
(36:55):
a way to get us to win by playing the number.
Tyler Shock. Congrats to you on a glorious, glorious season.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
We love you, Shuck.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
I's sad this might be it for us, Like I
bet next year the magic will be gone.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
He'll be You'll go back to being.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Terrible because he is like, oh my god, five years
old already. But what a moment we had here in
his rookie season.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Yeah, totally, totally. Who's your hero?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
My hair of the week, I'm going with Atlantic City.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
I know it should be a player, but I'm going
with my favorite place to be, the City.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Just a little history.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
June fourteenth, twenty eighteen, at the mo Month Racetrack. I
believe our Governor Philip Murphy placed the first bet. Yes,
and that you know, same night I went down to
Borgata and was one of the few people that play
place the Future.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think my first future was literly on the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
It was it was just like even talking on the guys,
it's just been in a magical run these last couple
of years in Atlantic City. It was just brought back
new life to the city. The books were always packed,
concerts came back, like the music came back, you know,
the talent came back. A lot of great comedians came back,
especially Oceans. You know, all these was hard rock. You know,
(38:13):
they had some great shows, like all of them, and
you know, I can't go over how great it was
a sports But when I first came back, because all
the books were new, you know, they brought in a
lot of people from Vegas and a lot of old
faces that I knew, and it was just a really
fun time.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
It really was someone that lives to bet.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
You know, all these different weekends time spent in the books,
going from casino.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Walk on the boardwalk.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
I mean, the amount of drunk dights I had just
laying on the beach there being like what am I
doing here?
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Like what am I doing? Playing this money? Why?
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Why am I laying on this beach? But I'm gonna
miss it. It was just a very unique city. I
love and I guy said, I hope they changed these
tackle tax laws, and I'll be back in New Jersey
because it's just there's nothing better. It was the wild
West when it got approved. I feel like we had
twenty sports books. I think online came to pass like that.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Maybe it was like August. It was just it was
the best.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
It was the best because Vegas felt like it was
the past and it was all old and everything was
new and better and you know, easier to make a
buck in the state. And yeah, it was just like
I said here of the Week at Lantic, City of
my Life, that was it was a great six years
and I honestly can't believe it's over.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
It's bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
New Jersey did it right. As soon as it passed,
they did it right. Simon says this week was Pittsburgh
plus three and a half. We will get there. Chad's
choice was the Rams minus seven. That's a win, Brass
Balls Carolina plus three and a half. That's a win.
Rock in a hard place, Bengals minus seven.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
And a half.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Motherfucker sharp versus square, we're double losers. Chat at Cincinnati,
Simon at San Francisco. Favorites Parlay Cincinnati, Philly, Minnesota, Rams
underdog Parlay, Pittsburgh, Carolina, San Francisco, New Orleans Man. All right,
let's talk about some playoff leans quickly. Bills one and
(40:04):
a half point favorites over the Jaguars. The Bills currently
do not have a placekicker. They cut Michael Bagley, Matt
Prater got hurt again today. I don't know what they're
gonna do. Matt Mitchell is apoplectic. The Jags are one
and a half point dogs at home, the small market
team getting disrespected.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Yeah, and it's I don't know. Does I'm gonna hit it.
I'll hit the plus one and a half now and
the Jags obviously, But I would opinion here, I would
be shocked if this line flipped. I just can see
the public doing what they all are gonna do. They're
gonna hammer the Bills, the only quarterback they know and trust,
right like the AFC is all these people, you can
(40:48):
have a million different reasons not to trust. And the
one true fact is Josh Allen. Yes, he's never been
to a super Bowl. It's never I mean a couple
of games. I guess you could say his fault. Ready,
he has done things to be his fault, but it's
always been the defense that's disappointing them.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
So once again, can the defense show up here? I
don't think so.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
This Jags offense, man, they are a yeah, they're that good.
And this is an Orchard Park, So I know it's
painful to do. I mean, who cares. If you're a
man Mitroy, you gotta believe it's Josh Allen. But if I,
you know, get word that the foot stuff is all good,
the lower body is all good, maybe I could waiver
(41:28):
a little bit. But right now that I'm very, very confident,
I'm taking this Jaguars team, especially as a home dog
on the spot.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Uh. I want to think about how we're going to
do this because I don't want to go too deep
into every game because we've got so much to research.
But there's not that many games and.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Throw them all ayain, I'm not going to bet them.
That's just a game. I better right away, just because
they are a dog.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
The Jags bears one and a half home dogs.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
Also they're already minus wanting to yeah minus one and
a half favorite, like I told you that. Yeah, so
that's another game. I'll probably take a position, but I'm
in no rush now that it's already flipped Eagles open
two and a half.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
It's yep.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
So you know, if Brock pretty gets so a three
and a half dog, that's a conversation. But if you
want the Eagles, I would say, it looks like the
pros are coming on them. It's minus three minus one
fifteen now, So not only did it move off the
two and a half, it's already minus one fifteen on
the threes, So it's it's an interesting movement. And yeah,
Panthers plus ten and a half against the Rams. I
(42:27):
know Chad's already thinking his mind, we got to take
the Panthers, but I'll see if I can talk them
off that.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I don't actually feel that way. I don't feel that way.
You know why, because look, I love the Rams. I
think they're amazing, and I think they're a juggernaut and
I love watching them. And I do think that the Panthers,
while they didn't play great, they played well enough for
them to go stink it up in the next game.
And honestly, at home against the Rams, if the Panthers
(42:55):
hadn't picked off Stafford multiple times and had multiple touchdowns
on defense, they lose that game going away. So I'm
not entirely convinced the Panthers are going to be the
side that we want in that game. The last game
we got to make one comment about we said, we
can't wait to fade the Patriots in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
Easiest bad grab it now, say plus three and a
half charger and a half, got it? Yeah, Patriots fans.
In my mind, i'd be excited because it is Herbert
who is I went to. But I'm gonna give you
guys all the stats. It's just it's always really tough
for the first year quarterback in the sense first year
(43:37):
in the playoffs quarterback. It's just different. The speed's different,
everything about that mentor. You know, he's getting the offers
for coaching jobs. He's the DC of his Chargers team.
They're just a good defense. It's gonna be interest see
how Drake made plays because they're one of the best
defense against deep ball. So I'm just gonna give it
out now just in case it does move. I could
easily see this being three once we hop on a
(43:59):
Tuesday morning.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
All Right, we're going to dig in deeper. If you're
playing the contest, you'll be getting totals in the contest.
Moving forward, so be advised. We'll announce all the contest
details on Tuesday show, but obviously you're gonna be able
to We're going to expand the pool on what you
can choose from final review of our games. We had
(44:21):
the Bengals minus seven and a half. That was a loss.
We had the Saints plus three and a half. That's
a win. We had the Rams minus seven and a half,
that is a win. We had the Lions plus three
and a half. That is a win. We're on the
Steelers tonight plus three and a half. Hopefully go four
and one. This week. This has been Sharper Square presented
by hard Rock Bet, part of the Volume podcast Network.
(44:43):
We will be back with our next Sharper Square on Tuesday.
To go over the entire playoff slate, watch or listen
on YouTube at Sharper Square. Like the video, subscribe to
the channel, download us from Spotify, Apple Pods wherever you
get your pods, rate review, subscribe webs five stars, say
whatever you want. Feedback is a gift. Until next time.
(45:04):
I love you in.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Your seat belts.
Speaker 1 (45:06):
It's playoff time. M h m hm
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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