December 30, 2025 • 41 mins
Chris Plank and Arnie Spanier, in for Jason and Mike, react live to the Falcons holding off a late surge from the Rams on Monday night. The guys examine the NFC playoff picture after the Rams' surprising loss.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
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Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go. Monday Night football has been a thriller
in the second half. It least they'll miss the field
goal twenty five seconds left in the game. Zane Gonzalez,
who is nine of fourteen in his career on game
(00:48):
changing field goals, will have a fifty one yard attempt
to give Atlanta a twenty seven to twenty four lead.
He had a field goal block and he missed, and
he made a fifty six yard earlier. This is the
magnification of the Arnie span your curse, d FC dead
(01:14):
freaking center twenty seven twenty four. Atlanta has the lead
with just seconds left. Why did you trust the same Gonzalez, Arnie?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I don't I figure they were gonna screw this up
and it was gonna hit like the post and do
the doinker or something like that. Twenty one seconds left,
you have to call for a fair catch, get the
ball at the twenty five yard line. Uh, try to
get it to the fifty and then try to get
it to the forty and kick a long field goal
or something to that effect.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You got time, but you don't have any timeouts left.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That's a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, exactly. And I mean again, you don't need a touchdown,
so you don't need to hail Mary here. Just put
yourself in field goal range. And if there's one thing
we've seen this season with the kickers in this lead,
get around that midfield range. You're like, okay, maybe we
got a shot here. They just flashed the stat that
Matthew Stafford has fifty game winning drives in the fourth
(02:11):
quarter or overtime, which is the most by any active quarterback.
Now you're saying you'd fair catch here. You don't want
to try to bust something in a kick return.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
I don't think I can because that's gonna chew up clock.
I'd rather get the ball. Where is it the thirty
five yard lines that worre gonna go ahead and get
the ball without any time being wasted. I'd rather go
ahead and do something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, if you fair catch it, you get it. Yeah,
here you go, fair catch it. He downed it in
the end zone. So yeah, thirty five yard line. So
here we go.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
One range, habitation, field goal range.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
You know what's that?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Thirty yards to get you in the field goal range.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Right, but you don't have any timeouts left? I mean right,
if you're the Falcons, you're not letting anyman get near
the sidelines.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, but you could complete it down the middle and
spike it and get up there and still spike it up.
Plenty of time to do that, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I don't. I mean, who do you have Carl Lewis
running this show? I mean, I'm sorry, I said thirty
five thirty Yeah, thirty five yard line is where he is.
I don't. I don't know if you have enough time
to get a second playoff to get in field goal range.
You're gonna need three plays to get in field goal range.
But let's see stat Oh they're going deep and they've
(03:20):
got a man wide open and he missed him. Oh
my goodness. Somehow Smith broke wide open, would have been
able to make the catch, and probably what get out
of bounds and he missed him. Oh my goodness. And
I don't know, this was obviously a coverage bust on
the Falcons. Holy smokes, Arnie. He was wide open at
(03:44):
the thirty yard line, right.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Oh yet I was gonna say they didn't even need
that many yards, but you're right. He was wide open
and Stafford just holding on to his heldle like, oh,
I wish I had that one back. Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I mean, if you're the Falcons, now, you gotta be
in in fact in lam of calls a time out
before the snap.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, they're screw that up.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Man, we got a Atlanta calls it time out. It's like, listen,
let's regroup on this one.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
He was wide open.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Oh my goodness. That's and I don't know if Stafford
expected him to flatten out throughout.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, he wasn't to get toward the out of bounds.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Or if it was just a bad throw. I think
Safford's kind of putting that on himself. He didn't like
point at him or anything, but oh my gosh, what
a break. Well, there's a reason why the Falcons are
sitting here at six and nine heading into this game.
There's a reason why they're up twenty one to zip
and find themselves in a dog fight. They're not necessarily
(04:41):
a good football team, but in fairness, they've had some
good moments this year.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Didn't win the division this year. I thought this was
gonna be their year. I was hopping aboard saying, Okay,
they got their quarterback, this is all gonna happen for them,
and it never materialized. From the get go.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Stafford just had another pass. Now there's nine seconds left
in the game that looked like it hit his receiver
right in the hands. Now, that probably would have ended
the game. Watching the replay now at well, oh my gosh,
it did He should have caught that. He was hand
fighting with the dB it hit off his right hand.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Jeez, Yeah, that would have ended the game though.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
But you're right that he would have caught it, and
they wouldn't have had any time to get down there
and spike the football. So what are you hail marrying
it here, Troy?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
They played this whole thing wrong. Like I said, you
could have gotten ten to fifteen yards, got yourself in midfield,
gotten another ten to fifteen yards down to the thirty
five to forty and then kicked the long field.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
How are you talking about? They played it wrong. They
had a wide receiver running wide open at the thirty
yard line and they missed him.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah, they missed him. It didn't do him any good.
Now they got to throw up to hell Mary and
see if they they.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Should have thrown a shorter pass so you can get
up there and spike it. They had the dude running
wide open. What do you mean they played it all wrong?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Played it wrong, Chris plighted it all wrong.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I mean, that's easy to say. But they had a
dude running wide ass open and completely missed him. Well,
let's stay with this for at least the final ten
seconds and what is the Monday Night Football finale? No
Monday Night Football game next week, but ESPN does have
one of the wild card games. This I guess technically
doesn't have to be the last play of the game.
(06:25):
There's still ten seconds left, but you would imagine that
you're gonna throw a hail Mary here that's gonna eat
up a majority of the clock. Y of course, right, yeah, exactly.
It looks like they're throwing the same exact play and
Nikua caught it with five seconds left. Are you kidding me?
They're in field goal range. Oh my goodness, what a
(06:45):
catch by Pooka Nakua along the sidelines and the Rams
were watching the replay. Now Nikua goes up, has it
with both hands. Oh my gosh, he one handed it
and got both feet in. You have got to be.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Slow moving clock. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
He caught it with one hand down the sideline toe
drag swag and they're in field goal range at the
thirty yard line and it was contested. Arnie, that's one
of the best catches I've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
I'm looking at it now, that's incredible. How does he
have possession of that with one It was just his
hand with one hand like that, and that's incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Now the sager's got an angle on this burst. You've
got eyes. You got tie eyes on this too. Did
that ball? Did you guys see the ball moving his
hand at all?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
There may be slight movement at the end and going
to the ground, But I agree that's one of the
greatest catches I've seen. And consider the moment the context
of this. Yes, his arm was being pulled by the defender,
so the ball momentarily came loose in the air.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I don't think that's gonna be a cat.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
They're gonna take.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
The ball.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
That's a complete yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, And Nikoua just saw it. The ball just got
stripped as he was going. He still caught it, he
still secured it, but it just came out of his
hand as he was coming down, because oh my goodness,
that's a both feet are in, he's got the ball,
and then as he's going to the ground, it just
(08:27):
pops out and he resecures it against his body. Oh,
they're gonna say it stands as called.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
It was called incomplete.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh it was called bad. My bad, my bad. They
called it incomplete. Okay, I was like, whoa they called
it complete pass?
Speaker 5 (08:39):
So five seconds left, one play left, rams down by three.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Well, that last play took like four seconds, right or
five seconds. They could try to do it one more
time if they have.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
They're gonna have to throw it sixty five yards for
a winning touchdown on the final play because no more
time for a field goal and it's a fourth down
pass coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
I didn't realize they called that incomplete. On the field,
they're trying to get a reset of the play clock.
Looks like they're gonna get it.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
That is he's there was an obvious mispass interference before
on the long pass to at Will, his arm was
being pulled quite clearly by the defender.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Lanta's gonna Lanta the third time hooked ladder. Watch up
for the hooked ladder.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Baby, it's a later when you throw it sideways.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I'll teach you the language later on.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Thanks, Thanks, Arnie. We need to get learned up on
this from I'm sorry man. The fact that Nikua still
came down with that ball, yeah, we feed in unbelievable
and the slightest bobble was the difference in this football game.
And by the way, kudos to the officials that that
called it an incomplete pass on the field, because I
(09:49):
thought they called it a catch. That was un freaking believable.
This game has had more twists and turns in the
final three and a half minutes and I've ever seen
what's Rahie Morris his mind about. Right now, they're backing
everyone up all right, so the Rams will have it
on their own thirty five yard line. Now, I would
(10:09):
assume this will be the last play of the game.
Is fourth down and ten twenty seven to twenty four Falcons,
They're going to try the old hooking ladder quark incomplete ball.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Told you that's what they were gonna do.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
No, that was that just a sideline pattern? If that's
what they were doing, throw it shorter.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah yeah, rahem Morris will go over and shake hands.
And the Rams in the playoffs clinched. But a tough
one tonight.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Wow, what the Rams could be as low as a
sixth seed a team that was nearly the one seed.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
About a week ago.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Arnie sent me a tweet from Joe Buck. Joe Buck
had a note a sheet.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Of I thought of you when I saw that today.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I don't think I've The only thing that confused me
more than that was your roman numeral rundown. Did you
actually get that thing? Like? What?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
What?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
What is he trying to figure out with that?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
That was the playoff format or something.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
It shouldn't makes sense to me. Okay, hey, it doesn't
need to make sense to me. It needs to make
sense to him.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Is that the way you have your play by play
when you're doing it with all the writing?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I am very much a handwritten guy, So there is that.
But as it stands right now, according to the most
recent playoff update, if the season weren't in to day,
which it doesn't. One seeds are both up for grabs,
and either the Panthers or the Box are going to
be and it is the four seed in the NFC,
and there's all kinds of seating to debate. As it
(11:35):
stands right now, you would have a Rams Eagles game
in the first round. How about that?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Rams in Philadelphia they were leading in the fourth quarter
with two blocked kicks by the Eagles on special teams
in the one the Jalen Carter took to the house
and they.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Rams have changed kickers and changed special teams coordinator since then.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I love that the San Francisco could possibly go twelve
and five and have to go on the road to Carolina,
who could be eight and nine. I mean, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
It makes zerous in it the day one when I
become commissioner of the NFL. If you don't have a
winning record, you're not hosting a playoff game.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
That's I'm okay with it. If yeah, I'm okay, because
I keep wanting to say, it doesn't not been all
that often except for every year in the last like
five years or something.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
I don't mean that's not bad. I mean a losing record.
You have not earned a home.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Game either the the Panthers. Well, I guess the Panthers
would be the only team that could finish.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Eight nine nine.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Yeah, three teams could finish eight and nine in that division.
So whoever represents the NFC South, it's possible.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
It's's gonna be eight and nine. That's terrible. All right.
Here's what it would look like as it stands right now,
either the Seahawks or the Niners would be one or five.
The Bears would host the Packers and the Eagles would
host the Rams. Well, let's just say the Seahawks went
on Sunday night. It would be the forty nine Ers
(13:08):
at the Panthers. As Steve just talked about it.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
And there used to be a rule that you couldn't host
the team in the first round if they were in
your division or no.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Yeah, it's long ago.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And then they expanded the playoffs. Yes' going to be
pulled that out. Wow, AFC. The Broncos right now hold
the one, but the Patriots are still very much alive,
as are the Jaguars. Slightly. The Patriots host the Bills.
The Jaguars would host the Chargers, and the Steelers would
host the Texans. The one team that I could find
and so you guys can help me fill in the
(13:38):
blanks throughout the night. But the one team that I
feel really secure about their playoff path and having it
all figured out is the Bills. So are you ready?
The Bills could be the five to six or the
seventh seed. They're the five seed with a win, and
they wrap up their season against two the Jets. So
(13:58):
with a win, then they need a Houston and a
Chargers loss. If the Bills win and Houston and the
Chargers lose, the Bills are the five seed. They're the
sixth seed with the win and a Texans or Chargers loss.
But they can also be the sixth seed with a
(14:19):
Texans and Chargers win and a Jaguars loss.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And if none of the things on the long list happens,
they stay at the seventh seeds.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
They don't want to be a seventh seed. They want
anyone other than the seven seers. They don't want to
play the Patriots in the first round. Well, the Patriots
have played only one team above five hundred. They got
a win. That's crazy. But as we said on the
last night's show.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
The Patriots lost the opener against the Raiders, and that's
what's going to cost them the one seed because the
percentage in common games on your schedule, that tiebreaker goes
to Denver. They beat the Raiders twice. New England lost
to Las Vegas, and the Buffalo Bills currently the seventh seed,
the last team in in the AFC playoffs. They would
lose a tiebreaker to Houston above them, and lose a
(14:59):
tiebreaker the Chargers above them, So that lost by one point,
missing the two point pass at the end at Buffalo.
That is a killer for where the Bills are in
the standings.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
The way the Patriots played such an easy schedule, it's
not even funny. They should be embarrassed with their schedule.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I don't think anyone is embarrassed to sit two and
three with a chance to go to the playoffs. But
there is a four way tie twelve and five scenario
where Jacksonville, Houston, the Chargers, and the Bills would all
finish twelve and five. If that happens, Houston wins the
(15:38):
AFC South, the Chargers would be the five seed, the
Bills would be the six, and the Jaguars would be
the seven.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
So they go from three to seven to the Jaguars.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
But I would add to the scenario. You're right mathematically,
but the Chargers are resting quarterback Justin Herbert and starters plural,
apparently in the Sunday game at Denver, which the Bronz goes, No,
they need to clinch the one seed.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
With a victim. Why why why are they doing that?
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Because because they really need to buy Honestly, Okay, all right.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Just because Burrow's hand looks like it's gonna fall off for.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
Crying out Herbert, I'm sorry, Barrow is gonna play this weekend.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, he's playing too. Why why what you're saying rest
is more important? They're just gonna go ahead and give
the Broncos the one.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Yeah, as Harbaugh said, we're going to leave it up
to the football gods. Is like actually being healthy going
into a potential postseason run was more important to them.
And you know, we've talked about offensive line problems with
the Chargers, for example, but this is this game tonight
that we saw is a great example of what an
(16:45):
offensive line switch can mean for an offense. Because the
tackle that subbed for Alaric Jackson, the Rams tonight out
with a knee injury was horrendous, consistently horrendous, and the
guy the Chargers had sub at left tackle on Saturday
was even worse. A guy who hadn't played that position
(17:05):
in three years had to start for them on Saturday.
By the time Justin Herbert had been hit five times,
he was pulled from the game. A guy starting at
tackle in an NFL game was benched.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
During the game. It got that beat.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Can't they get like a forty five year old guy
like Philip Rivers like they got them? Just hey, you
big old fat guy, get out.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Of that on all right, we gotta get a break
when we come back with Arnie Spaniel. I'm Chris Plank
that Steve Disager, so I've got a good handle on
the Bills, But that's about it. Disager's got a pretty
good handle on the Charger. So we'll roll through that
scenario where they could end up based on what happens
this weekend, and we're obviously keeping our eyes on the
(17:47):
NBA Tonight Football Heavy show. With Week seventeen in the
books now completely, we'll talk about what we learned Arnie's
Roman numeral number twelve has a new game show called
Staying or Gone, which we'll dive into, but the end
is demanding our attention tonight with the injury to Nicol Jokich.
We'll effort an update when we come back with Arnie
and Plank on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
(18:40):
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
All right, welcome back. It's Arnie and Plank here on
Fox Sports Radio. Rams find a way to blow it
even though they had really been in big trouble. They
rallied from down twenty one to zip I can't believe
I'm watching all the replays now that deep pass, I
mean that's pass interference.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Oh gosh, yeah, there was a there was a couple
of them that they let go.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
That's bad. And I am still just I can't stop
watching the replays of Nikkua near catch that would have
put the Rams right in field goal range to potentially
tie the game.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
They used to be able to allow you to challenge
past interference, did they not? Once they took Yeah, and
they took that away real quick.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Well, it was the funniest thing ever. Everyone was outrighty
you know what precipitated it, right? No, the Rams Saints
game in.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
The playoffs, Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Sean Payton was still with New Orleans and you had
that terrible pass interference no call. And then they experimented
with it in the in the preseason and they're like, hey, yeah,
let's do it, and it was a revealable, challengeable play
and then it just disappeared.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
One year was done. That was it.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Like now with it, you know, no one ever talks
about it. That's that's so rare in sports. I'm sure
tonight on Twitter there'll be people that will be well,
actually fan, but it's so rare in sports. We have
a rule change that doesn't even make it out of
at least a second season, right, you at least give
it two to three years.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
But we told you. The SEGA even brought it up.
It used to be that you couldn't play a team
in your division in the first round. They would change.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
All you brought it up. The SEGA confirmed it right, right?
What was I don't remember that? How would they How
would they do that then?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Like if it had Green Bay in Chicago in the
first round, they would just change the order of who
you would play. They would they would not allow that matchup. Uh,
I don't know. It would change it though, I'm not
sure who would they go up one or down one
or whatever they would do, but they wouldn't allow it.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
And realize that was ever a thing. I thought it
was always you are where you are.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
And it was like the eighties or something.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Oh, so we're really going back here. You realize when
we talk about things from the eighties, we're going back
like forty decades now. Right. You can't just sit here
and say, yeah, you remember that George him baseball player,
I mean Blonnie Smith. I mean, you're going way back
as far as that it's concerned. All Right, we have
that a couple of tweets. I want to get to
here tonight, and it's the best way to stay in
(21:28):
touch with the show JV JV. Right, tro He Morris
isn't even the first person the Atlanta Falcons have to
get rid of. That honor belongs to Kirk Cousins. Awful.
I mean, obviously he's playing because Pennis got hurt, right,
(21:49):
but they did invest in him to be their guy.
There's there's no way he's going to be back there
next year, right.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
I know a story about him going into the No,
that wasn't him, about him going to the front office somewhere.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
You think you're thinking of Matt Ryan, Oh.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Matt right, Okay, there you go. I get to get
my washed up white quarterbacks mixed up. Sorry about that.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
You're also falling for a fake tweet on Derek Carr too, Chris's.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
That's not a real tweet. Oh my goodness. I was like, oh,
I can't wait to get to this one. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Chris Olave did not pull back his retirement papers when
he found out Derek Carr was retiring. I mean, he's
telling me he's gonna stick around for Spencer Rattler in
a third round pick out of Louisville.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
I saw that. I go, I gotta get this to
plank right away.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
Man.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
That's Saints fans, who Saints fans who are now gosh? Man,
you guys are you guys are gosh? I hate to
use this analogy, but you're like that late night female
or male at the end of the bar that believes
we're gonna give you a call. You know, it's not
happening with your quarterback position. Have fun with Tyler Shuck
and this is awesome, But I mean, the dude, basically
(22:56):
outside of Sunday, he's putting up the same numbers as
Spencer Rattler did. You're just playing crappy teams Kirk Cousins.
As it stands right now, Arnie is heading into the
third year of a four year deal that pays him
one hundred and eighty million dollars. Now again, me, I
sometimes get confused by the SPO track numbers because it
(23:18):
does say that there is a potential out in twenty
twenty six. But as far as what they have right now,
he will account for thirty five million dollars of dead
cap money ve on from him. Yeah, and it's a
fifty seven million dollar cap hit if he's still around,
In fact, fifty seven point five Mel.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
He would have to kill Goodbye to you at this point.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Eighteen percent of the Falcons cap for next year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
No way, right, No, I can't bring him back. Got
that type of money, and no, not at all. What
are you insane? I'm gonna have to go in a
different direction.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Thank you. You're gonna have to eat that too. No
one's gonna be out there to get him. I know
that we're looking at a league that's gonna watch Kenny
Pickett starred against I don't even know the dude's name.
For the Kansas City Chiefs. It's going to start on Sunday.
You've also got Josh Johnson who's starting games right now.
I get it that we're very much in a lean
(24:12):
time when it comes to backup quarterbacks, But I mean,
this has got to be it for Kirk Cousins, right.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
I would think so that type of money. If I'm Cousins,
I don't think I want to come back to the
NFL after I've made all that type of money. I
didn't think he was making that much one hundred and
eighty million four years. Oh my goodness, man, geez.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
His base salary this year was twenty seven point five
million dollars. He accounted for fourteen percent of the Falcons
cap and he was going to be the backup quarterback.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
That's just played football instead of basketball in high school.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's right. You'd be making millions, right, millions million even
still be in the league. Well, our millionaire is Steve Desager,
who is very busy tonight because there's been a lot
of breaking news. We're following beyond what happened on Monday
night football NBA news as well. What's going on, Steve.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
Yeah, let me preface by saying that Denver lost at
Miami and the NBA superstar in a left with a
knee injury. Well, you guys were talking about with the
NFL playoff formats.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
If you look at the old.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
NFL films like Bob Greasy's undefeated Dolphins team. Yes, their
championship game in the AFC is not a home game.
They had a system back then where they just would
rotate since it wasn't three rounds of playoffs back then,
they just said, okay, this year, this division's champion that
(25:27):
year that division they had decided in advance, And so
here you wind up with a Dolphins team that's completely
undefeated and still to get to the Super Bowl, had
to beat the Steelers at three Rivers Stadium in the
AFC Championship game. So that's another one of the nineteen
seventies quirks that Arnie referenced as well, because when there
were fewer rounds, they also had a thing back then
(25:49):
you could not even if you were top seed and
the four seed was in your division, sorry, you're not
playing the four See.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Was that like the Roy Jirella Pittsburgh Steelers or yeah, yeah,
Brad Chirella's Gorillas, right, that's what they were.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Called, or something like that, something like that. We had
tonight a shockingly great game. Atlanta, which was six and nine,
beat the LA Rams twenty seven to twenty four on
a fifty one yard field goal with under thirty seconds left.
Rams were down twenty one nothing at the half, but
tied it up with under three minutes left. Part of
the comeback was Jared Verse with a seventy six yard
(26:23):
block return of his That was his block and his
return of a field goal attempt, and the big man
reached a top speed of twenty miles an hour on
the return to the n since they've had next gen
stats for this type of thing the past decade. That
is the fastest speed by any defender that weighs two
hundred and sixty pounds or more.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Who's the fastest guy at Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Oh well, it's you, of course, and I'll just end
the conversation. The Rams had not returned a block field
goal for a touchdown since nineteen eighty six until tonight,
so it was looking like they were going to be
able to steal this on because that got him within seven.
By the way, this season, we can update the stat
what is the record of a team this NFL season?
(27:08):
Down by twenty one in the second half?
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Oh, I know this, Owen sixty seven.
Speaker 5 (27:12):
It is Owen sixty eight after tonight because the Rams
came back to tye but did not win. Bijon Robinson
had twenty two carries one hundred and ninety five yards rushing,
and a majority of those rushing yards came after first contact.
He had a ninety three yard touchdown run before halftime.
He had a touchdown reception first half as well. Falcons
(27:36):
win at home. Matthew Stafford two touchdown passes, three interceptions
in the loss, including what turns out to be a
very costly pick six in the second quarter. So the
Rams fall to eleven and five, and as you mentioned earlier,
it's possible that a six seed Rams plays at three
seed Philadelphia in the first round of the postseason. The
(27:57):
Rams still will finish out the schedule comes Sunday, when
they'll be facing Arizona. By the way, Arizona's three and
thirteen with eight straight losses. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said
he expects to retain his job chiefs coaching. He's very confident.
Andy Reid plans to return next season. He turned sixty
(28:17):
eight in March. The Chargers will rest quarterback Justin Herbert
this Sunday at Denver. Noted aame coach Marcus Freeman is
staying with an enhanced contract. Reportedly, Penn State's new defensive
coordinator will be dan Ton Lynn from USC. He went
to Penn State. North Texas star quarterback Drew Mestmaker will
enter the transfer Portal, which opens this Friday. His head
(28:39):
coach left for Oklahoma State. Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman
will transfer. Clemson fired offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. There was
a bowl game today. Georgia Southern defeated app State twenty
nine to ten. Attendance in Birmingham twelve thousand. App State
went five and eight this year. They lost six of
(28:59):
their last seven games. So what are they doing in
a bowl game?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
You might say.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Nobody else would play exactly.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Notre Dame Wicher from bowl season after it wasn't picked
for the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Iowa State, Kansas.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Iowa stayed out, like twelve people on the team.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
They just got new head coaches in those programs.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
The odd thing is both of these teams that played
today are in the Sun Belt Conference, same division, no less.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
Georgia Southern had already beaten them in November, and now
in December they beat them again. Twelve thousand people quote
enjoyed it.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
In the end, twelve thousand, I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
Oklahoma City won again twenty eight and five. The record
after beating Atlanta won forty to one, twenty nine thirty
nine points for Shay Gilgess Alexander One game still going
at Portland's second quarter Blazers sixty two forty five over Dallas.
No Anthony Davis is not playing again. Aductor Soreness the
reason New York won at New Orleans one thirty to
(29:55):
one twenty five despite thirty two points from Zion Williamson.
A reminder, as you talked about earlier, University of Miami
will play number two Ohio State on New Year's Eve,
that's Wednesday, at the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal. Ohio State head
coach Ryan Day due to call the offensive plays in
that playoff opener. Brian Hartline is leaving later for us
aspect to you, thanks.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
The hardline is still going to be there. He's still
going to coach receivers, but they've taken away the play calling.
Responsive is that.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
The old dolphin you'ldo Ohio State wide receives. Damn he
gave up on his career early.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
He's the offensive coordinator for a team that's in the
playoffs and just got a head coaches job.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Because it seems like he was just playing college just
the other day.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
You know.
Speaker 5 (30:40):
And as we mentioned, for some of these playoff games,
there are good seats still available.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yes, quite a few of them to be exact. Hey,
I'm working on different scenarios okay of who is going
to play when or where in the NFL playoffs. Like
I said, I have a good feel on the Bills,
So I was trying to work through the forty nine
ers seeding possibilities. Here's what Nick Wagner tweeted moments ago.
(31:11):
For the forty nine ers, Obviously, if they beat Seattle,
they're the one seed. If San Francisco loses to Seattle,
they could still be the five seed if the Rams
lose to Arizona. But if San Francisco loses to Seattle
and the Rams beat Arizona, then San fran would be
(31:33):
the sixth seed. He can get to the playoffs. The
Rams have obviously then the benefit of seeing what happens
in that Seattle San Francisco game on Saturday night before
deciding if they can rest starters. LA would not be
able to move to the five seed if San Francisco wins,
and they would five seed. Yeah, and the five seed
would still be in play if they if the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Win, everybody wants the five seed play the winner of
that division with Carolina and at Tampa. So everybody wants
that five seed, six seed. You have to play Philadelphia
in Philadelphia. So that's that's the problem there, you know.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I mean, I don't think if you're looking at that
and you're thinking of the top four, you want to
play Carolina, of course, I mean, that's that's where you
want to be. But I mean, do you really want
to worry too much about trying to manipulate? I mean,
I'd much rather see Chicago in the first round than Philadelphia.
(32:31):
But I'm not shaking in my boots if I have
to go to Philadelphia, Arnie. Their offense is concerning, and
I don't know if they're just gonna flip a switch
and magically get things going.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
No, I agree with you there, though, I don't want
to play Chicago after what I saw last night. That's
that's for damn sure. If that Chicago team plays like that,
they could find their way into the super Bowl with
the with the way their offense looked.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Did they win their r last night? What did they
win that game last night?
Speaker 4 (32:57):
No? I think they did lose that game, but they
look they'll do it. Everybody, all the Bears fans are
happy with the loss. I've never seen that before they lost.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
I mean it's just they they look like a team
that couldn't stop another team to me.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
So it's something like you're not impressed with what they
did yesterday.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
I mean, there's two sides to the ball. And if
you're gonna tell me that you don't want to face Chicago,
I understand it, and I get it. I like them
a lot. I think they might win their first playoff game.
But if you're asking me if I'd rather play a
team that doesn't have a defense like Chicago doesn't appear
to have, as opposed to a team like the Eagles
that can probably shut you down defensively, I take my
(33:35):
chances with Chicago. That's like, yeah, well.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
The Eagles offense, they like you just said, they don't
scare me much. Matter of fact, as we brought up yesterday,
I mean, they're not even completing passes in the second
avenues though won two games by doing that, which is insane.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
What was the stat do you remember the stat you had?
By the way, not to completely shift gears here, but
we are doing break What was the stat you had
on the Steelers losing games to teams under.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Eight games on their five hundred, right thenents they've lost
I think it was five games in a row. Oh,
the teams that were eight games on their five hundred.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's just terrible.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
And that's horrible. That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
And it was my second favorite stat behind this one,
which was this season in the National Football League, there
have been let to make sure I get my number
right on the actual occasions, all right, this season in
the NFL, there has been ten occasions where a team
did not have ten games where a team had fewer
(34:37):
than five passing yards and a half. So just to
get there have been ten occasions ten games this year
where a team had fewer than five yards passing and
a half. The Eagles have three.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Of them and won two of them.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
They've won all three.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Oh, they went all three. I thought they won two
of them.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
They won all three of them.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
So again, I guess it's one of those questions, do
you worry about playing a defensive oriented team and the
defending champs or would you rather see a couple of nubs? Right,
Chicago's new in this mindset, Carolina new untested? Hell yeah,
give me give me two or four in that instance,
as opposed to ever having to worry about playing number three.
So I don't know how much you want to strategize
(35:18):
around that. There's teams like the Chargers on the AFC
side that are like, we don't care where we end up.
We're going to be on the road. We're going to
rest our starters. But I think you can be a
little bit more strategic in the NFC, right you can.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
But I can see what the Chargers try to do,
especially with the injuries they have, especially at quarterback. It's
just too much. You gotta go ahead and rest these guys.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Hey, guys, don't forget. We got a college football Playoff
Bracket Challenge that is up and available for you to
participate in right now. There's eight teams left. The playoffs
start on Wednesday, and it is Bracket Challenge time. Compete
against your favorite Fox Sports radio hosts and against fellow
listeners to see who is the best college football playoff
bracket you can play for your chance to win one
thousand dollars. All you have to do is visit Fox
(35:59):
Sports Radio dot iHeart dot com to register, get rules,
and to fill out your bracket. Intrigues will be available
and open until just before kickoff. It's seven thirty Eastern
on New Year's Eve. Again, fill out your bracket at
Foxsports Radio dot iHeart dot com for your chance to
win one thousand dollars. Tonight, it's Arnie and Planks sitting
in on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
All right, welcome back, Arnie and Plank. Care on Fox
Sports Radio. Four hours still haul baby? What do you
call the fourth hour? Here is?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
It's bonus bonus hour?
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Right, we'll have the Sager's Report coming up in our
third hour.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
We should ask Mike and Jason to give us one
of their four hours every night for the one Well,
we could do one hour a day for five days.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Well, I mean I think that's a little bit like,
I mean, at least have to do two. Don't you
to be considered a radio show?
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yeah, we could ask him for just one hour. They
may not want to give up two hours. Who knows.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I split it in half, two apiece, make it fair.
We'll do the late too, Aren'tie like staying up late?
You're not doing it?
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Maybe an hour and twenty minutes. How about that?
Speaker 3 (37:11):
How's your Arizona Wildcats doing it?
Speaker 4 (37:12):
I sure we're kicking butt, is what we're doing. We
we beat some slubs South Dakota, Northeast State or something
like that, beat them by twenty eight. We didn't even cover.
We were a thirty point favorite. And then while I'm
filling in on Friday though with VJ. Husky, the we
play Arizona, play some maloney team in football. I don't
(37:36):
even know who we played. Someone gonna smack around like
a redheaded step child, no disrespect to red.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Don't think say that anymore?
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Can you not say that anymore?
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Is that? Is that?
Speaker 4 (37:45):
I think that used to be an expression. You know that,
don't you?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Well? I mean there's a lot of expressions that used
to be us that we can't say anymore. Kind of
don't want to get canceled. He're right, the one fill
and I get you get all of them. I'll get
a damn one.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
We played a s SEMU I guess is the school.
I've never heard of them?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
But we yeah, a team that's been to the playoffs
more than Arizona.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Haf Wow. Well we'll smack them around pretty bad, so
I won't even be a game, be over my halftime.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
What's the spread?
Speaker 4 (38:11):
We're a three point favorite?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yeah, see, I'm smacking around. Show me you guys have
any opt outs.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Or would be like a twenty point favorite? Is what
we should be.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
You should be in charge of spreads. You would be
fired so quickly.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
Not true. I've been pretty good on that. I'm telling you,
I think you.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Want to make Arizona a twenty point favorite. In every
game you would be gone. He would not last. You
would be out before you even think about it.
Speaker 4 (38:35):
But at least when I'm filling in, the game will
be over at halftime so I can concentrate on the show.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Well you hope that's the case. Wait, who is it
that you're doing the show with VJ hust Oh you
chose VJ over me?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
I had to, you know, I understand, but it.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Is also you don't have to. Well, you never talk,
so you'll be good to go. You'll be set with VJ.
Tennis Data asks a question on the X before we
dive into Roman numeral number twelve to kick off our
number three, which is Arnie's new smash hit Staying or Gone,
which will debut here on Fox Sports Radio. Tenn's dad
asks one question, have you seen the pictures of Nicholas
(39:14):
Cage as John Madden for the upcoming movie?
Speaker 4 (39:17):
I just saw the one still shot. Is that the
one that he's talking about?
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Oh, there's a lot of them that are out there yet.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Is did he have to gain waiter or is that
a suit that he's wearing a fat suit underneath.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I would assume it's gotta be a bit of a
suit maybe, But I don't know why people are getting
so mad. We haven't seen him act, we haven't really
seen a trailer for it yet. And what do you
expect him to look? Just like John Madden? I mean,
it's a movie, it's gonna it's a whatever it's gonna be.
I mean, I don't know why anyone we triggered or
(39:50):
upset about it. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
I don't think that would have been my first pick.
I'm not sure who I would have taken by.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
John Goodman.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Yeah, John Goodman would have been good one. I like that.
That would have been a nice p.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I have seen them. I don't get too mad about
movies or anything like that. It's never really been a
big deal in my world. But I would say I'm
here for it. I can't wait to watch it. I'm
intrigued by it.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Really. So you're all in on this, huh yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Why not? I mean, we don't get anymore. The sports
side of things has gone all to documentaries. We don't
get a good old fashioned sports movie.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
I know we're short on time and maybe I missed this.
I'm curious to see the financial aspect of the whole
Madden game and how much they get. Is it for life,
well as children get money, that old thing, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
Yeah, I don't know if we'll learn that in the movie. No,
that's your Netflix documentary that you're gonna get on it
at some point. But I'm here for it. I think
it'll be awesome. All right. We got Marcus Freeman news
that drop today. We're monitoring the nicolea jokicch injury. Nothing
new that has popped so far. And we had a
thriller on Monday night football Well halfway home. That's the
stinking genius Army Spaniard. I'm Chris Plank. We're sitting in
(40:58):
for Jason and Mike on a busy Monday night on
Fox Sports Radio
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go. Monday Night football has been a thriller
in the second half. It least they'll miss the field
goal twenty five seconds left in the game. Zane Gonzalez,
who is nine of fourteen in his career on game
(00:48):
changing field goals, will have a fifty one yard attempt
to give Atlanta a twenty seven to twenty four lead.
He had a field goal block and he missed, and
he made a fifty six yard earlier. This is the
magnification of the Arnie span your curse, d FC dead
(01:14):
freaking center twenty seven twenty four. Atlanta has the lead
with just seconds left. Why did you trust the same Gonzalez, Arnie?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I don't I figure they were gonna screw this up
and it was gonna hit like the post and do
the doinker or something like that. Twenty one seconds left,
you have to call for a fair catch, get the
ball at the twenty five yard line. Uh, try to
get it to the fifty and then try to get
it to the forty and kick a long field goal
or something to that effect.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You got time, but you don't have any timeouts left.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That's a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, exactly. And I mean again, you don't need a touchdown,
so you don't need to hail Mary here. Just put
yourself in field goal range. And if there's one thing
we've seen this season with the kickers in this lead,
get around that midfield range. You're like, okay, maybe we
got a shot here. They just flashed the stat that
Matthew Stafford has fifty game winning drives in the fourth
(02:11):
quarter or overtime, which is the most by any active quarterback.
Now you're saying you'd fair catch here. You don't want
to try to bust something in a kick return.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
I don't think I can because that's gonna chew up clock.
I'd rather get the ball. Where is it the thirty
five yard lines that worre gonna go ahead and get
the ball without any time being wasted. I'd rather go
ahead and do something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, if you fair catch it, you get it. Yeah,
here you go, fair catch it. He downed it in
the end zone. So yeah, thirty five yard line. So
here we go.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
One range, habitation, field goal range.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
You know what's that?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Thirty yards to get you in the field goal range.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Right, but you don't have any timeouts left? I mean right,
if you're the Falcons, you're not letting anyman get near
the sidelines.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, but you could complete it down the middle and
spike it and get up there and still spike it up.
Plenty of time to do that, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I don't. I mean, who do you have Carl Lewis
running this show? I mean, I'm sorry, I said thirty
five thirty Yeah, thirty five yard line is where he is.
I don't. I don't know if you have enough time
to get a second playoff to get in field goal range.
You're gonna need three plays to get in field goal range.
But let's see stat Oh they're going deep and they've
(03:20):
got a man wide open and he missed him. Oh
my goodness. Somehow Smith broke wide open, would have been
able to make the catch, and probably what get out
of bounds and he missed him. Oh my goodness. And
I don't know, this was obviously a coverage bust on
the Falcons. Holy smokes, Arnie. He was wide open at
(03:44):
the thirty yard line, right.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Oh yet I was gonna say they didn't even need
that many yards, but you're right. He was wide open
and Stafford just holding on to his heldle like, oh,
I wish I had that one back. Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I mean, if you're the Falcons, now, you gotta be
in in fact in lam of calls a time out
before the snap.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, they're screw that up.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Man, we got a Atlanta calls it time out. It's like, listen,
let's regroup on this one.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
He was wide open.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Oh my goodness. That's and I don't know if Stafford
expected him to flatten out throughout.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, he wasn't to get toward the out of bounds.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Or if it was just a bad throw. I think
Safford's kind of putting that on himself. He didn't like
point at him or anything, but oh my gosh, what
a break. Well, there's a reason why the Falcons are
sitting here at six and nine heading into this game.
There's a reason why they're up twenty one to zip
and find themselves in a dog fight. They're not necessarily
(04:41):
a good football team, but in fairness, they've had some
good moments this year.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Didn't win the division this year. I thought this was
gonna be their year. I was hopping aboard saying, Okay,
they got their quarterback, this is all gonna happen for them,
and it never materialized. From the get go.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Stafford just had another pass. Now there's nine seconds left
in the game that looked like it hit his receiver
right in the hands. Now, that probably would have ended
the game. Watching the replay now at well, oh my gosh,
it did He should have caught that. He was hand
fighting with the dB it hit off his right hand.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Jeez, Yeah, that would have ended the game though.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
But you're right that he would have caught it, and
they wouldn't have had any time to get down there
and spike the football. So what are you hail marrying
it here, Troy?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
They played this whole thing wrong. Like I said, you
could have gotten ten to fifteen yards, got yourself in midfield,
gotten another ten to fifteen yards down to the thirty
five to forty and then kicked the long field.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
How are you talking about? They played it wrong. They
had a wide receiver running wide open at the thirty
yard line and they missed him.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah, they missed him. It didn't do him any good.
Now they got to throw up to hell Mary and
see if they they.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Should have thrown a shorter pass so you can get
up there and spike it. They had the dude running
wide open. What do you mean they played it all wrong?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Played it wrong, Chris plighted it all wrong.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I mean, that's easy to say. But they had a
dude running wide ass open and completely missed him. Well,
let's stay with this for at least the final ten
seconds and what is the Monday Night Football finale? No
Monday Night Football game next week, but ESPN does have
one of the wild card games. This I guess technically
doesn't have to be the last play of the game.
(06:25):
There's still ten seconds left, but you would imagine that
you're gonna throw a hail Mary here that's gonna eat
up a majority of the clock. Y of course, right, yeah, exactly.
It looks like they're throwing the same exact play and
Nikua caught it with five seconds left. Are you kidding me?
They're in field goal range. Oh my goodness, what a
(06:45):
catch by Pooka Nakua along the sidelines and the Rams
were watching the replay. Now Nikua goes up, has it
with both hands. Oh my gosh, he one handed it
and got both feet in. You have got to be.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Slow moving clock. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
He caught it with one hand down the sideline toe
drag swag and they're in field goal range at the
thirty yard line and it was contested. Arnie, that's one
of the best catches I've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
I'm looking at it now, that's incredible. How does he
have possession of that with one It was just his
hand with one hand like that, and that's incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Now the sager's got an angle on this burst. You've
got eyes. You got tie eyes on this too. Did
that ball? Did you guys see the ball moving his
hand at all?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
There may be slight movement at the end and going
to the ground, But I agree that's one of the
greatest catches I've seen. And consider the moment the context
of this. Yes, his arm was being pulled by the defender,
so the ball momentarily came loose in the air.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I don't think that's gonna be a cat.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
They're gonna take.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
The ball.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
That's a complete yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, And Nikoua just saw it. The ball just got
stripped as he was going. He still caught it, he
still secured it, but it just came out of his
hand as he was coming down, because oh my goodness,
that's a both feet are in, he's got the ball,
and then as he's going to the ground, it just
(08:27):
pops out and he resecures it against his body. Oh,
they're gonna say it stands as called.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
It was called incomplete.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh it was called bad. My bad, my bad. They
called it incomplete. Okay, I was like, whoa they called
it complete pass?
Speaker 5 (08:39):
So five seconds left, one play left, rams down by three.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Well, that last play took like four seconds, right or
five seconds. They could try to do it one more
time if they have.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
They're gonna have to throw it sixty five yards for
a winning touchdown on the final play because no more
time for a field goal and it's a fourth down
pass coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
I didn't realize they called that incomplete. On the field,
they're trying to get a reset of the play clock.
Looks like they're gonna get it.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
That is he's there was an obvious mispass interference before
on the long pass to at Will, his arm was
being pulled quite clearly by the defender.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Lanta's gonna Lanta the third time hooked ladder. Watch up
for the hooked ladder.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Baby, it's a later when you throw it sideways.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I'll teach you the language later on.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Thanks, Thanks, Arnie. We need to get learned up on
this from I'm sorry man. The fact that Nikua still
came down with that ball, yeah, we feed in unbelievable
and the slightest bobble was the difference in this football game.
And by the way, kudos to the officials that that
called it an incomplete pass on the field, because I
(09:49):
thought they called it a catch. That was un freaking believable.
This game has had more twists and turns in the
final three and a half minutes and I've ever seen
what's Rahie Morris his mind about. Right now, they're backing
everyone up all right, so the Rams will have it
on their own thirty five yard line. Now, I would
(10:09):
assume this will be the last play of the game.
Is fourth down and ten twenty seven to twenty four Falcons,
They're going to try the old hooking ladder quark incomplete ball.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Told you that's what they were gonna do.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
No, that was that just a sideline pattern? If that's
what they were doing, throw it shorter.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah yeah, rahem Morris will go over and shake hands.
And the Rams in the playoffs clinched. But a tough
one tonight.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Wow, what the Rams could be as low as a
sixth seed a team that was nearly the one seed.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
About a week ago.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Arnie sent me a tweet from Joe Buck. Joe Buck
had a note a sheet.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Of I thought of you when I saw that today.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I don't think I've The only thing that confused me
more than that was your roman numeral rundown. Did you
actually get that thing? Like? What?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
What?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
What is he trying to figure out with that?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
That was the playoff format or something.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
It shouldn't makes sense to me. Okay, hey, it doesn't
need to make sense to me. It needs to make
sense to him.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Is that the way you have your play by play
when you're doing it with all the writing?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I am very much a handwritten guy, So there is that.
But as it stands right now, according to the most
recent playoff update, if the season weren't in to day,
which it doesn't. One seeds are both up for grabs,
and either the Panthers or the Box are going to
be and it is the four seed in the NFC,
and there's all kinds of seating to debate. As it
(11:35):
stands right now, you would have a Rams Eagles game
in the first round. How about that?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Rams in Philadelphia they were leading in the fourth quarter
with two blocked kicks by the Eagles on special teams
in the one the Jalen Carter took to the house
and they.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Rams have changed kickers and changed special teams coordinator since then.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I love that the San Francisco could possibly go twelve
and five and have to go on the road to Carolina,
who could be eight and nine. I mean, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
It makes zerous in it the day one when I
become commissioner of the NFL. If you don't have a
winning record, you're not hosting a playoff game.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
That's I'm okay with it. If yeah, I'm okay, because
I keep wanting to say, it doesn't not been all
that often except for every year in the last like
five years or something.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
I don't mean that's not bad. I mean a losing record.
You have not earned a home.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Game either the the Panthers. Well, I guess the Panthers
would be the only team that could finish.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Eight nine nine.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Yeah, three teams could finish eight and nine in that division.
So whoever represents the NFC South, it's possible.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
It's's gonna be eight and nine. That's terrible. All right.
Here's what it would look like as it stands right now,
either the Seahawks or the Niners would be one or five.
The Bears would host the Packers and the Eagles would
host the Rams. Well, let's just say the Seahawks went
on Sunday night. It would be the forty nine Ers
(13:08):
at the Panthers. As Steve just talked about it.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
And there used to be a rule that you couldn't host
the team in the first round if they were in
your division or no.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Yeah, it's long ago.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And then they expanded the playoffs. Yes' going to be
pulled that out. Wow, AFC. The Broncos right now hold
the one, but the Patriots are still very much alive,
as are the Jaguars. Slightly. The Patriots host the Bills.
The Jaguars would host the Chargers, and the Steelers would
host the Texans. The one team that I could find
and so you guys can help me fill in the
(13:38):
blanks throughout the night. But the one team that I
feel really secure about their playoff path and having it
all figured out is the Bills. So are you ready?
The Bills could be the five to six or the
seventh seed. They're the five seed with a win, and
they wrap up their season against two the Jets. So
(13:58):
with a win, then they need a Houston and a
Chargers loss. If the Bills win and Houston and the
Chargers lose, the Bills are the five seed. They're the
sixth seed with the win and a Texans or Chargers loss.
But they can also be the sixth seed with a
(14:19):
Texans and Chargers win and a Jaguars loss.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And if none of the things on the long list happens,
they stay at the seventh seeds.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
They don't want to be a seventh seed. They want
anyone other than the seven seers. They don't want to
play the Patriots in the first round. Well, the Patriots
have played only one team above five hundred. They got
a win. That's crazy. But as we said on the
last night's show.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
The Patriots lost the opener against the Raiders, and that's
what's going to cost them the one seed because the
percentage in common games on your schedule, that tiebreaker goes
to Denver. They beat the Raiders twice. New England lost
to Las Vegas, and the Buffalo Bills currently the seventh seed,
the last team in in the AFC playoffs. They would
lose a tiebreaker to Houston above them, and lose a
(14:59):
tiebreaker the Chargers above them, So that lost by one point,
missing the two point pass at the end at Buffalo.
That is a killer for where the Bills are in
the standings.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
The way the Patriots played such an easy schedule, it's
not even funny. They should be embarrassed with their schedule.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I don't think anyone is embarrassed to sit two and
three with a chance to go to the playoffs. But
there is a four way tie twelve and five scenario
where Jacksonville, Houston, the Chargers, and the Bills would all
finish twelve and five. If that happens, Houston wins the
(15:38):
AFC South, the Chargers would be the five seed, the
Bills would be the six, and the Jaguars would be
the seven.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
So they go from three to seven to the Jaguars.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
But I would add to the scenario. You're right mathematically,
but the Chargers are resting quarterback Justin Herbert and starters plural,
apparently in the Sunday game at Denver, which the Bronz goes, No,
they need to clinch the one seed.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
With a victim. Why why why are they doing that?
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Because because they really need to buy Honestly, Okay, all right.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Just because Burrow's hand looks like it's gonna fall off for.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
Crying out Herbert, I'm sorry, Barrow is gonna play this weekend.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, he's playing too. Why why what you're saying rest
is more important? They're just gonna go ahead and give
the Broncos the one.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Yeah, as Harbaugh said, we're going to leave it up
to the football gods. Is like actually being healthy going
into a potential postseason run was more important to them.
And you know, we've talked about offensive line problems with
the Chargers, for example, but this is this game tonight
that we saw is a great example of what an
(16:45):
offensive line switch can mean for an offense. Because the
tackle that subbed for Alaric Jackson, the Rams tonight out
with a knee injury was horrendous, consistently horrendous, and the
guy the Chargers had sub at left tackle on Saturday
was even worse. A guy who hadn't played that position
(17:05):
in three years had to start for them on Saturday.
By the time Justin Herbert had been hit five times,
he was pulled from the game. A guy starting at
tackle in an NFL game was benched.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
During the game. It got that beat.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Can't they get like a forty five year old guy
like Philip Rivers like they got them? Just hey, you
big old fat guy, get out.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Of that on all right, we gotta get a break
when we come back with Arnie Spaniel. I'm Chris Plank
that Steve Disager, so I've got a good handle on
the Bills, But that's about it. Disager's got a pretty
good handle on the Charger. So we'll roll through that
scenario where they could end up based on what happens
this weekend, and we're obviously keeping our eyes on the
(17:47):
NBA Tonight Football Heavy show. With Week seventeen in the
books now completely, we'll talk about what we learned Arnie's
Roman numeral number twelve has a new game show called
Staying or Gone, which we'll dive into, but the end
is demanding our attention tonight with the injury to Nicol Jokich.
We'll effort an update when we come back with Arnie
and Plank on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
(18:40):
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
All right, welcome back. It's Arnie and Plank here on
Fox Sports Radio. Rams find a way to blow it
even though they had really been in big trouble. They
rallied from down twenty one to zip I can't believe
I'm watching all the replays now that deep pass, I
mean that's pass interference.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Oh gosh, yeah, there was a there was a couple
of them that they let go.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
That's bad. And I am still just I can't stop
watching the replays of Nikkua near catch that would have
put the Rams right in field goal range to potentially
tie the game.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
They used to be able to allow you to challenge
past interference, did they not? Once they took Yeah, and
they took that away real quick.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Well, it was the funniest thing ever. Everyone was outrighty
you know what precipitated it, right? No, the Rams Saints
game in.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
The playoffs, Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Sean Payton was still with New Orleans and you had
that terrible pass interference no call. And then they experimented
with it in the in the preseason and they're like, hey, yeah,
let's do it, and it was a revealable, challengeable play
and then it just disappeared.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
One year was done. That was it.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Like now with it, you know, no one ever talks
about it. That's that's so rare in sports. I'm sure
tonight on Twitter there'll be people that will be well,
actually fan, but it's so rare in sports. We have
a rule change that doesn't even make it out of
at least a second season, right, you at least give
it two to three years.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
But we told you. The SEGA even brought it up.
It used to be that you couldn't play a team
in your division in the first round. They would change.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
All you brought it up. The SEGA confirmed it right, right?
What was I don't remember that? How would they How
would they do that then?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Like if it had Green Bay in Chicago in the
first round, they would just change the order of who
you would play. They would they would not allow that matchup. Uh,
I don't know. It would change it though, I'm not
sure who would they go up one or down one
or whatever they would do, but they wouldn't allow it.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
And realize that was ever a thing. I thought it
was always you are where you are.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
And it was like the eighties or something.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Oh, so we're really going back here. You realize when
we talk about things from the eighties, we're going back
like forty decades now. Right. You can't just sit here
and say, yeah, you remember that George him baseball player,
I mean Blonnie Smith. I mean, you're going way back
as far as that it's concerned. All Right, we have
that a couple of tweets. I want to get to
here tonight, and it's the best way to stay in
(21:28):
touch with the show JV JV. Right, tro He Morris
isn't even the first person the Atlanta Falcons have to
get rid of. That honor belongs to Kirk Cousins. Awful.
I mean, obviously he's playing because Pennis got hurt, right,
(21:49):
but they did invest in him to be their guy.
There's there's no way he's going to be back there
next year, right.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
I know a story about him going into the No,
that wasn't him, about him going to the front office somewhere.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
You think you're thinking of Matt Ryan, Oh.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Matt right, Okay, there you go. I get to get
my washed up white quarterbacks mixed up. Sorry about that.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
You're also falling for a fake tweet on Derek Carr too, Chris's.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
That's not a real tweet. Oh my goodness. I was like, oh,
I can't wait to get to this one. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Chris Olave did not pull back his retirement papers when
he found out Derek Carr was retiring. I mean, he's
telling me he's gonna stick around for Spencer Rattler in
a third round pick out of Louisville.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
I saw that. I go, I gotta get this to
plank right away.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
Man.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
That's Saints fans, who Saints fans who are now gosh? Man,
you guys are you guys are gosh? I hate to
use this analogy, but you're like that late night female
or male at the end of the bar that believes
we're gonna give you a call. You know, it's not
happening with your quarterback position. Have fun with Tyler Shuck
and this is awesome, But I mean, the dude, basically
(22:56):
outside of Sunday, he's putting up the same numbers as
Spencer Rattler did. You're just playing crappy teams Kirk Cousins.
As it stands right now, Arnie is heading into the
third year of a four year deal that pays him
one hundred and eighty million dollars. Now again, me, I
sometimes get confused by the SPO track numbers because it
(23:18):
does say that there is a potential out in twenty
twenty six. But as far as what they have right now,
he will account for thirty five million dollars of dead
cap money ve on from him. Yeah, and it's a
fifty seven million dollar cap hit if he's still around,
In fact, fifty seven point five Mel.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
He would have to kill Goodbye to you at this point.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Eighteen percent of the Falcons cap for next year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
No way, right, No, I can't bring him back. Got
that type of money, and no, not at all. What
are you insane? I'm gonna have to go in a
different direction.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Thank you. You're gonna have to eat that too. No
one's gonna be out there to get him. I know
that we're looking at a league that's gonna watch Kenny
Pickett starred against I don't even know the dude's name.
For the Kansas City Chiefs. It's going to start on Sunday.
You've also got Josh Johnson who's starting games right now.
I get it that we're very much in a lean
(24:12):
time when it comes to backup quarterbacks, But I mean,
this has got to be it for Kirk Cousins, right.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
I would think so that type of money. If I'm Cousins,
I don't think I want to come back to the
NFL after I've made all that type of money. I
didn't think he was making that much one hundred and
eighty million four years. Oh my goodness, man, geez.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
His base salary this year was twenty seven point five
million dollars. He accounted for fourteen percent of the Falcons
cap and he was going to be the backup quarterback.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
That's just played football instead of basketball in high school.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's right. You'd be making millions, right, millions million even
still be in the league. Well, our millionaire is Steve Desager,
who is very busy tonight because there's been a lot
of breaking news. We're following beyond what happened on Monday
night football NBA news as well. What's going on, Steve.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
Yeah, let me preface by saying that Denver lost at
Miami and the NBA superstar in a left with a
knee injury. Well, you guys were talking about with the
NFL playoff formats.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
If you look at the old.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
NFL films like Bob Greasy's undefeated Dolphins team. Yes, their
championship game in the AFC is not a home game.
They had a system back then where they just would
rotate since it wasn't three rounds of playoffs back then,
they just said, okay, this year, this division's champion that
(25:27):
year that division they had decided in advance, And so
here you wind up with a Dolphins team that's completely
undefeated and still to get to the Super Bowl, had
to beat the Steelers at three Rivers Stadium in the
AFC Championship game. So that's another one of the nineteen
seventies quirks that Arnie referenced as well, because when there
were fewer rounds, they also had a thing back then
(25:49):
you could not even if you were top seed and
the four seed was in your division, sorry, you're not
playing the four See.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Was that like the Roy Jirella Pittsburgh Steelers or yeah, yeah,
Brad Chirella's Gorillas, right, that's what they were.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Called, or something like that, something like that. We had
tonight a shockingly great game. Atlanta, which was six and nine,
beat the LA Rams twenty seven to twenty four on
a fifty one yard field goal with under thirty seconds left.
Rams were down twenty one nothing at the half, but
tied it up with under three minutes left. Part of
the comeback was Jared Verse with a seventy six yard
(26:23):
block return of his That was his block and his
return of a field goal attempt, and the big man
reached a top speed of twenty miles an hour on
the return to the n since they've had next gen
stats for this type of thing the past decade. That
is the fastest speed by any defender that weighs two
hundred and sixty pounds or more.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Who's the fastest guy at Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Oh well, it's you, of course, and I'll just end
the conversation. The Rams had not returned a block field
goal for a touchdown since nineteen eighty six until tonight,
so it was looking like they were going to be
able to steal this on because that got him within seven.
By the way, this season, we can update the stat
what is the record of a team this NFL season?
(27:08):
Down by twenty one in the second half?
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Oh, I know this, Owen sixty seven.
Speaker 5 (27:12):
It is Owen sixty eight after tonight because the Rams
came back to tye but did not win. Bijon Robinson
had twenty two carries one hundred and ninety five yards rushing,
and a majority of those rushing yards came after first contact.
He had a ninety three yard touchdown run before halftime.
He had a touchdown reception first half as well. Falcons
(27:36):
win at home. Matthew Stafford two touchdown passes, three interceptions
in the loss, including what turns out to be a
very costly pick six in the second quarter. So the
Rams fall to eleven and five, and as you mentioned earlier,
it's possible that a six seed Rams plays at three
seed Philadelphia in the first round of the postseason. The
(27:57):
Rams still will finish out the schedule comes Sunday, when
they'll be facing Arizona. By the way, Arizona's three and
thirteen with eight straight losses. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said
he expects to retain his job chiefs coaching. He's very confident.
Andy Reid plans to return next season. He turned sixty
(28:17):
eight in March. The Chargers will rest quarterback Justin Herbert
this Sunday at Denver. Noted aame coach Marcus Freeman is
staying with an enhanced contract. Reportedly, Penn State's new defensive
coordinator will be dan Ton Lynn from USC. He went
to Penn State. North Texas star quarterback Drew Mestmaker will
enter the transfer Portal, which opens this Friday. His head
(28:39):
coach left for Oklahoma State. Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman
will transfer. Clemson fired offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. There was
a bowl game today. Georgia Southern defeated app State twenty
nine to ten. Attendance in Birmingham twelve thousand. App State
went five and eight this year. They lost six of
(28:59):
their last seven games. So what are they doing in
a bowl game?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
You might say.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Nobody else would play exactly.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Notre Dame Wicher from bowl season after it wasn't picked
for the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Iowa State, Kansas.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Iowa stayed out, like twelve people on the team.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
They just got new head coaches in those programs.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
The odd thing is both of these teams that played
today are in the Sun Belt Conference, same division, no less.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
Georgia Southern had already beaten them in November, and now
in December they beat them again. Twelve thousand people quote
enjoyed it.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
In the end, twelve thousand, I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
Oklahoma City won again twenty eight and five. The record
after beating Atlanta won forty to one, twenty nine thirty
nine points for Shay Gilgess Alexander One game still going
at Portland's second quarter Blazers sixty two forty five over Dallas.
No Anthony Davis is not playing again. Aductor Soreness the
reason New York won at New Orleans one thirty to
(29:55):
one twenty five despite thirty two points from Zion Williamson.
A reminder, as you talked about earlier, University of Miami
will play number two Ohio State on New Year's Eve,
that's Wednesday, at the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal. Ohio State head
coach Ryan Day due to call the offensive plays in
that playoff opener. Brian Hartline is leaving later for us
aspect to you, thanks.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
The hardline is still going to be there. He's still
going to coach receivers, but they've taken away the play calling.
Responsive is that.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
The old dolphin you'ldo Ohio State wide receives. Damn he
gave up on his career early.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
He's the offensive coordinator for a team that's in the
playoffs and just got a head coaches job.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Because it seems like he was just playing college just
the other day.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
You know.
Speaker 5 (30:40):
And as we mentioned, for some of these playoff games,
there are good seats still available.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yes, quite a few of them to be exact. Hey,
I'm working on different scenarios okay of who is going
to play when or where in the NFL playoffs. Like
I said, I have a good feel on the Bills,
So I was trying to work through the forty nine
ers seeding possibilities. Here's what Nick Wagner tweeted moments ago.
(31:11):
For the forty nine ers, Obviously, if they beat Seattle,
they're the one seed. If San Francisco loses to Seattle,
they could still be the five seed if the Rams
lose to Arizona. But if San Francisco loses to Seattle
and the Rams beat Arizona, then San fran would be
(31:33):
the sixth seed. He can get to the playoffs. The
Rams have obviously then the benefit of seeing what happens
in that Seattle San Francisco game on Saturday night before
deciding if they can rest starters. LA would not be
able to move to the five seed if San Francisco wins,
and they would five seed. Yeah, and the five seed
would still be in play if they if the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Win, everybody wants the five seed play the winner of
that division with Carolina and at Tampa. So everybody wants
that five seed, six seed. You have to play Philadelphia
in Philadelphia. So that's that's the problem there, you know.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I mean, I don't think if you're looking at that
and you're thinking of the top four, you want to
play Carolina, of course, I mean, that's that's where you
want to be. But I mean, do you really want
to worry too much about trying to manipulate? I mean,
I'd much rather see Chicago in the first round than Philadelphia.
(32:31):
But I'm not shaking in my boots if I have
to go to Philadelphia, Arnie. Their offense is concerning, and
I don't know if they're just gonna flip a switch
and magically get things going.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
No, I agree with you there, though, I don't want
to play Chicago after what I saw last night. That's
that's for damn sure. If that Chicago team plays like that,
they could find their way into the super Bowl with
the with the way their offense looked.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Did they win their r last night? What did they
win that game last night?
Speaker 4 (32:57):
No? I think they did lose that game, but they
look they'll do it. Everybody, all the Bears fans are
happy with the loss. I've never seen that before they lost.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
I mean it's just they they look like a team
that couldn't stop another team to me.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
So it's something like you're not impressed with what they
did yesterday.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
I mean, there's two sides to the ball. And if
you're gonna tell me that you don't want to face Chicago,
I understand it, and I get it. I like them
a lot. I think they might win their first playoff game.
But if you're asking me if I'd rather play a
team that doesn't have a defense like Chicago doesn't appear
to have, as opposed to a team like the Eagles
that can probably shut you down defensively, I take my
(33:35):
chances with Chicago. That's like, yeah, well.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
The Eagles offense, they like you just said, they don't
scare me much. Matter of fact, as we brought up yesterday,
I mean, they're not even completing passes in the second
avenues though won two games by doing that, which is insane.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
What was the stat do you remember the stat you had?
By the way, not to completely shift gears here, but
we are doing break What was the stat you had
on the Steelers losing games to teams under.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Eight games on their five hundred, right thenents they've lost
I think it was five games in a row. Oh,
the teams that were eight games on their five hundred.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's just terrible.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
And that's horrible. That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
And it was my second favorite stat behind this one,
which was this season in the National Football League, there
have been let to make sure I get my number
right on the actual occasions, all right, this season in
the NFL, there has been ten occasions where a team
did not have ten games where a team had fewer
(34:37):
than five passing yards and a half. So just to
get there have been ten occasions ten games this year
where a team had fewer than five yards passing and
a half. The Eagles have three.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Of them and won two of them.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
They've won all three.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Oh, they went all three. I thought they won two
of them.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
They won all three of them.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
So again, I guess it's one of those questions, do
you worry about playing a defensive oriented team and the
defending champs or would you rather see a couple of nubs? Right,
Chicago's new in this mindset, Carolina new untested? Hell yeah,
give me give me two or four in that instance,
as opposed to ever having to worry about playing number three.
So I don't know how much you want to strategize
(35:18):
around that. There's teams like the Chargers on the AFC
side that are like, we don't care where we end up.
We're going to be on the road. We're going to
rest our starters. But I think you can be a
little bit more strategic in the NFC, right you can.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
But I can see what the Chargers try to do,
especially with the injuries they have, especially at quarterback. It's
just too much. You gotta go ahead and rest these guys.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Hey, guys, don't forget. We got a college football Playoff
Bracket Challenge that is up and available for you to
participate in right now. There's eight teams left. The playoffs
start on Wednesday, and it is Bracket Challenge time. Compete
against your favorite Fox Sports radio hosts and against fellow
listeners to see who is the best college football playoff
bracket you can play for your chance to win one
thousand dollars. All you have to do is visit Fox
(35:59):
Sports Radio dot iHeart dot com to register, get rules,
and to fill out your bracket. Intrigues will be available
and open until just before kickoff. It's seven thirty Eastern
on New Year's Eve. Again, fill out your bracket at
Foxsports Radio dot iHeart dot com for your chance to
win one thousand dollars. Tonight, it's Arnie and Planks sitting
in on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
All right, welcome back, Arnie and Plank. Care on Fox
Sports Radio. Four hours still haul baby? What do you
call the fourth hour? Here is?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
It's bonus bonus hour?
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Right, we'll have the Sager's Report coming up in our
third hour.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
We should ask Mike and Jason to give us one
of their four hours every night for the one Well,
we could do one hour a day for five days.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Well, I mean I think that's a little bit like,
I mean, at least have to do two. Don't you
to be considered a radio show?
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yeah, we could ask him for just one hour. They
may not want to give up two hours. Who knows.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I split it in half, two apiece, make it fair.
We'll do the late too, Aren'tie like staying up late?
You're not doing it?
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Maybe an hour and twenty minutes. How about that?
Speaker 3 (37:11):
How's your Arizona Wildcats doing it?
Speaker 4 (37:12):
I sure we're kicking butt, is what we're doing. We
we beat some slubs South Dakota, Northeast State or something
like that, beat them by twenty eight. We didn't even cover.
We were a thirty point favorite. And then while I'm
filling in on Friday though with VJ. Husky, the we
play Arizona, play some maloney team in football. I don't
(37:36):
even know who we played. Someone gonna smack around like
a redheaded step child, no disrespect to red.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Don't think say that anymore?
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Can you not say that anymore?
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Is that? Is that?
Speaker 4 (37:45):
I think that used to be an expression. You know that,
don't you?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Well? I mean there's a lot of expressions that used
to be us that we can't say anymore. Kind of
don't want to get canceled. He're right, the one fill
and I get you get all of them. I'll get
a damn one.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
We played a s SEMU I guess is the school.
I've never heard of them?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
But we yeah, a team that's been to the playoffs
more than Arizona.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Haf Wow. Well we'll smack them around pretty bad, so
I won't even be a game, be over my halftime.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
What's the spread?
Speaker 4 (38:11):
We're a three point favorite?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yeah, see, I'm smacking around. Show me you guys have
any opt outs.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Or would be like a twenty point favorite? Is what
we should be.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
You should be in charge of spreads. You would be
fired so quickly.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
Not true. I've been pretty good on that. I'm telling you,
I think you.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Want to make Arizona a twenty point favorite. In every
game you would be gone. He would not last. You
would be out before you even think about it.
Speaker 4 (38:35):
But at least when I'm filling in, the game will
be over at halftime so I can concentrate on the show.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Well you hope that's the case. Wait, who is it
that you're doing the show with VJ hust Oh you
chose VJ over me?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
I had to, you know, I understand, but it.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Is also you don't have to. Well, you never talk,
so you'll be good to go. You'll be set with VJ.
Tennis Data asks a question on the X before we
dive into Roman numeral number twelve to kick off our
number three, which is Arnie's new smash hit Staying or Gone,
which will debut here on Fox Sports Radio. Tenn's dad
asks one question, have you seen the pictures of Nicholas
(39:14):
Cage as John Madden for the upcoming movie?
Speaker 4 (39:17):
I just saw the one still shot. Is that the
one that he's talking about?
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Oh, there's a lot of them that are out there yet.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Is did he have to gain waiter or is that
a suit that he's wearing a fat suit underneath.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I would assume it's gotta be a bit of a
suit maybe, But I don't know why people are getting
so mad. We haven't seen him act, we haven't really
seen a trailer for it yet. And what do you
expect him to look? Just like John Madden? I mean,
it's a movie, it's gonna it's a whatever it's gonna be.
I mean, I don't know why anyone we triggered or
(39:50):
upset about it. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
I don't think that would have been my first pick.
I'm not sure who I would have taken by.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
John Goodman.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Yeah, John Goodman would have been good one. I like that.
That would have been a nice p.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I have seen them. I don't get too mad about
movies or anything like that. It's never really been a
big deal in my world. But I would say I'm
here for it. I can't wait to watch it. I'm
intrigued by it.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Really. So you're all in on this, huh yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Why not? I mean, we don't get anymore. The sports
side of things has gone all to documentaries. We don't
get a good old fashioned sports movie.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
I know we're short on time and maybe I missed this.
I'm curious to see the financial aspect of the whole
Madden game and how much they get. Is it for life,
well as children get money, that old thing, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
Yeah, I don't know if we'll learn that in the movie. No,
that's your Netflix documentary that you're gonna get on it
at some point. But I'm here for it. I think
it'll be awesome. All right. We got Marcus Freeman news
that drop today. We're monitoring the nicolea jokicch injury. Nothing
new that has popped so far. And we had a
thriller on Monday night football Well halfway home. That's the
stinking genius Army Spaniard. I'm Chris Plank. We're sitting in
(40:58):
for Jason and Mike on a busy Monday night on
Fox Sports Radio
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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