On today’s episode, Jason discusses his level of optimism surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the postseason after their thrilling AFC North-clinching win over the Baltimore Ravens, which AFC teams he's betting on during the Wild Card round of the playoffs, why the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets seem destined to be cellar dwellers again in 2026, why he has zero confidence in Sam Darnold and the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks making the Super Bowl out of the NFC, and how the firing of head coach Raheem Morris by the Atlanta Falcons could set off a chain reaction of NFL coaching changes on Black Monday.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is straight fire with Jason McIntire. What is up
straight fire?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I am It's me Jason McIntyre, straight all year or Monday,
January the fifth, we made it, Ladies and gentlemen, the
regular season of the NFL is over, and it went
out with a bang.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Holy cow, how.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good was Steelers twenty six Ravens twenty four. Some definite
out loud, Oh my gosh moments that my family was like,
what is happening? What's going on? It was just absolute
chaos in the fourth quarter. I mean, hell, the final
eleven minutes. So I had the under forty one that
was looking great eleven minutes left, you know, thirteen ten,
(00:48):
Oh yeah, we're looking good.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I think these guys are.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
They can't score no offense that went up in smoke.
I saw an unbelievable stat I mean, of the many
unbelievable stats from Steelers, Ravens, Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodger
combined for three deep TV passes, meaning twenty plus air
yards in the fourth quarter. That was the most in
any fourth quarter in the last decade. Folks. This game
may have surpassed Seahawks Rams as the game of the year.
(01:13):
When you give the stakes. I think that probably puts
it over the top. Ravens now going home A lot
of questions in the offseason about John Harbaugh, a lot
of questions maybe about Lamar Jackson. I know Derrick Henry does.
He cut a lot of issues for the Ravens, and
the Steelers are act like, oh my gosh, amazing. Now
they get to host the Houston Texans in a playoff game.
(01:39):
Texans started out, the lines just came out. We're recording
just as the game ended, Texans minus three and a half.
I almost bet it, but didn't. I did bet some
other games. We'll talk about the NFC later and the
coaching stuff. We'll start with the AFC and Pittsburgh getting in.
They will, like I said, host the Houston Texans. I mean,
(02:00):
I don't even I don't think this is a good
Pittsburgh team. Now they will get DK Metcalf back. The
two game suspension's over, and without him they really struggle
to the red zone. But I don't know, like Jalen
Warren run so hard. I mean, Calvin Austin, that move
that he put on O Woozia on the game winning
touchdown Cats was incredible. Maybe I'm uster underestimating the Steelers.
(02:22):
I don't know. I just don't think the back end
of their defense is any good. CJ. Stroud should be
able to take advantage. Actually, Rob, I walk away from
this with like, I think Baltimore's got more issues. I
think Pittsburgh. You know, we could talk about Aaron Rodgers
after he loses to the Texans or whatever. But I
think the bigger stories probably the Ravens. I don't know
(02:43):
how much of a crossroads they're at, but their kicker.
Remember they booted Justin Tucker because of his massage parlor
activity alleged I should say, spanning multiple years. They have
a rookie Tyler Loop who wasn't very good from deep
I think he was one for four from fifty or plus,
but the fourth down conversion to Isaiah likely an unbelievable catch.
(03:04):
Maybe his final catch is a Raven It sounds like
he's not gonna be returning and Lupas set up on
a forty four yarder. There's no wind none. I mean
you could see that the tassels or whatever they got
at the top of the goalpost, they weren't moving at all.
And just like Boswell, I don't know, five minutes before
missing his first extra point of the year. Luke pushes
it right. You gotta feel awful for the kid. Listen.
(03:26):
I've told the story. The last time I played youth
soccer I was it was like one of these State
Cup semifinal games or whatever, you know, seventh eighth grade.
I forget what it was, and I missed my penalty kick.
That wasn't the final deciding but when you you know,
when you miss your penalty kick and you lose in
PK season over everything you work for the whole season done.
And that was like the last club soccer guy I
(03:48):
ever played in my life. I didn't even go out
for the team the next year. I was so down
in the dumps. Do you just feel like you feel
like you're a failure? You failed everybody? And I don't
know how Luke feels. He's a rookie. Obviously he's gonna
get more chances. The game's not him, but I mean,
he had the game in his hands because bos Well missed.
So it just bonkers turn of events. I think Ravens
are at something of a crossroads. Steelers, Hey, congratulations, enjoy it.
(04:11):
It'll be a big celebration. I don't. I don't think
they're dangerous in the AFC, but hey, they made the
playoffs run.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah, man, I mean it's hard to be down on
the Steelers because of the way that they won the game, right,
because they did everything that they should have done to
win that game without, you know, disregarding the loop miss
like Boswell's normally is automatic. For him to miss like that,
it's kind of crazy. But for you to or for
anyone to see what happened with Pittsburgh. You know here
(04:39):
last night Sunday night, they fall behind early, they don't
have any receiving weapons to speak of, and yet they
just keep finding ways to kind of grind out these games.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Of the passes out of the backfield to Jalen Warren
and to Kenneth gain Well. These guys are breaking three
and four tackles out of a piece, and Aaron Rodgers
is always ornery, but you know, he's making things happen
and and and you know, accurate passes and then for
the games and the way that it did felt so
attic likemactic to me, especially because Mike Jerico says right
(05:12):
before he kicks it, he's like, you know, the Baltimore
Ravens had their chance of any kicker, and they decided
this was the guy who's gonna get it done for
him and then he promptly shanks it. You know, like
like that was tough. But I think the Steelers team
is live, I guess would be the word I he's
describing against Houston because Houston's offense is not very good.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Like the CJ. Stroud at peaked in high school. That's
that's the slogan us with the people that you know,
he peaked as a rookie. He has not gotten better
as a quarterback. Has he Wow? Has he gotten better
since rookie season?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
It's just rookies. No, But he was good in a
college so he was. He was.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I'm just like, that's the slogan people you talk about
other people like, Yeah, my man peaked in high school.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
CJ. Stroud peaked as a rookie. He's awesome.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
He was awesome, and then he's kind of tapered off.
Their defense is great. Now, what you need to do
if you're Pittsburgh is you need to find a way
to make it another ugly game like this was for
the most part to the last six seven minutes. You
need to find a way to hang around, hang around,
hang around, because it is unreasonable to expect any team,
including that vaunted Texas defense, to hold a playoff team,
(06:24):
you know, under seventeen points. Like, if you can get
into the middle of the fourth quarter and it's a
one score game, why why can't Aaron Rodgers make them
happen the way he did?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, I could, I just don't know how. Like, he's
so slow. There was a scramble in the first half
where you were like, oh, maybe he could get the
first down, and then he clearly decided I can't around
this outrun this defensive lineman went laterally and then just
went out of bound. And I was like, oh, geez,
he looked. He just looks slow. And now you have
the Texans defense, which is nasty. I know they didn't
look great Sunday, but they weren't playing a ton of
(06:54):
starters in the second half of Membory serves. But overall, hey,
congrats to the Seals. You made the playoff.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I was texting a couple of buddies who are big
Steelers fans. You're in the postseason as a Jets fan.
It's been fifteen years, So I don't know what that's like.
Maybe that's why I'm so down on them. We'll just
buzz through the AFC matchups real quick. Buffalo Jacksonville is
the first AFC game Sunday. Jacksonville a small home favorite. Honestly,
I don't really know what to do here, Rob. It's
(07:20):
like Josh Allen. If you ask me who are the
best quarterbacks in the playoffs, we rated all fourteen of them.
Josh Allen's won. I don't think there's any doubt. Yes,
Stafford's had a better year, But I mean, Josh Allen
has proven come on, he's gonna put this team on
his back. But can he do it against Jacksonville? I
saw a crazy stat that the Jags are the only team. Well,
then I have this nerdy document open for all my
(07:44):
NFL stats that I hear on the shows and what
have you. They're the only team in the NFL that
has not allowed a seventy five yard rusher this season
seventy five. So now we're talking about, oh, if they
can bottle up cook, can Josh Allen do it by himself?
And frankly, I don't know. I mean, my heart is saying, Okay,
come on, it's Josh Allen and Trovel Lord and saying
(08:05):
come on. But I think my head is saying I
think Jacksonville might be the better team. They're just they're
good with Liam cohen Man, and you know, then you
get in a situation, Rob, where if Josh Allen doesn't
deliver here, you're like, oh jeez, does McDermot get fired.
They lose in the first round, they would have been regressing.
(08:25):
I don't know. It's a big one for Buffalo. They
did they rest their guys, Yeah, they rested their guys.
Jacksonville played their guys, so they have some continuity. But
Buffalo is a beat up team. Obviously, got to see
the injury report. Whether it will not be an issue,
I don't know. It feels like a toss up maybe Jacksonville, Rob,
I got nothing on this one yet.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It's I don't know how anyone can feel comfortent in Jacksonville.
And I'm not saying this because you know I'm speaking
at a turn. There was a good piece in the
athletic that came out before these games that played here
on Week eighteen, and you know there's a The big
headline was the comparison between the Lamar Jackson, Luka Donci situation,
Baltimore Dallas and whether or not you trade to the
Star or whatever. That was the headline, but buried in
(09:06):
there they had an anonymous coach from another team saying, Hey,
Jacksonville is looking pretty good. They're pretty hot. They're rolling
right now. And in it he says, is anybody worried
about Jacksonville? And it's like no, because history says that
they don't have much of a history, Like, were it
not for a colossal meltdown by Justin Herbert and coll
a couple of years ago, brand Staley, Like what history
(09:29):
does Liam Cohen then Trevor Lawrence have together? None? So
it's like, how do you go into any game thinking like, hey, man,
watch out for Jacksonville, Like you know, Parker Washington is
really gonna Jacoby.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Parker Washington got digged up. I did notice that, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And so it's nothing personal against them, but until you
see them do it, it's hard to really feel great
about anything that they're going to bring to the table
against a guy like Josh Allen.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, that that's a toss up, but it should be.
It should be a fun game. Then you've got the
night game on Sunday, Chargers at Patriots. Now this was
a game I think we've talked about on here. If
you can get a three and a half, I think
you got to ride with the Chargers. So I did
already some homework on this. Rob Let me know how
(10:14):
you what you think about this. So you look at weakness,
and the Charger's clear weakness is the offensive line, right
that has been a major problem down both tackles Alt
and Slater. When they face a really aggressive front, they struggle.
So I looked up the Patriots. They're middle of the
(10:34):
pack in blitzing, fourteenth, twenty fifth in pressure rate. That's
not good. So they don't get pressure on the quarterback.
And they're twenty fourth in satacks. So the biggest weakness
the Chargers have the Patriots cannot really take advantage. And
then you start looking, Oh, what about the narrative about
these West coast teams, these soft ones going going east?
It's not gonna be an issue. The weather. It looks
(10:56):
like it's gonna be the upper thirties, lower forties. That's
not bad. That's you know, a few mornings a year
in January in Los Angeles. Fine, maybe that's an exaggeration.
I don't really think that's an issue. And then I
got to ask Rob. I mean, I know we love Rabel.
He might win Coach of the Year. Do you remember
his last Playoff one twenty nineteen. Like, I mean again,
(11:20):
Rabel's a really good coach, no doubt about it, But
I don't know that he's the leader. I give the
edge to Harpball, so now you got the edge to
Harball in coaching. I know everybody loves Drake May. I
still don't understand the nickname Drake May May or whatever
it is. Drake May May, Drake May May. Okay, Drake
May May, Drake Drake May May. Okay, yes, there you are.
(11:45):
It's still stupid. But do you think it's funny at all?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Or it's funny because he doesn't have a nickname, so
his nickname is his whole name.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
That's his whole name. Okay, that makes sense. The problem
is I think Justin Herbert's a better quarterback. I'm sorry.
I know May's amazing this year and he's probably gonna
be runner up for the MVB. If you're asking me
who would I take, I take justin Herbert, and you know,
I'm assuming Herbert's healthy. He sat. The wide receivers should
be a full go. They've got o'mari and Hampton. They
(12:13):
faced off last year in December and the Charger beat
him forty to seven. I know, no Vray Bowl, but
they got after May big time. I think Jesse Minter
is a great defensive coordinator. I got to go look
up what history Mintor has facing Josh McDaniel's offenses. I
don't know. Man. For me, it's the Chargers. I think
the Chargers win this outright. I think they covered three
and a half. I don't know, And I'm not who
(12:37):
pooing the Patriots. They had a great season. I just
nothing here blows me away from the Patriots matchup wise.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That was probably the best explanation for anybody picking the
Charges that I've heard, you know, in the last twenty
four hours since we knew this was gonna be the showdown,
Because everything that I believe about this game is the
exact opposite. It's like, hey, the Chargers cannot protect anything,
Like you could have seven dudes standing in front of
a doorway and someone still gonna find as way steaking
to the club like, that's what they're dealing with with
(13:05):
that offensive line. Number one and number two. Justin Herbert
has quite possibly the worst playoff resume of any great
quarterback that we've seen, even including Lamar jacks Lamar Jackson's
reputation being a playoff flame out. Look at Justin Herbert's
numbers in the postseason. It's terrible. Well, last year it
was really bad and they had no receivers and Jacksonville
(13:26):
was not much better either Coute.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Or I don't remember that. I do know they were
up like twenty three nothing.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I think they were yeh think they are like four
scores and they found a way to lose that game.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
No, that wasn't Herbert though that I'm not harrball. That
was up.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I know it was the different regime, but Justin Herbert
was part of both of those games, so he has
to wear those. So that's my belief coming. That's been
my belief. I didn't realize, like, hey, you had said
that New England the one thing that they don't do
well is get after the quarterback, because that's their biggest weakness.
Of course, this was Houston and the Chargers. I'd say,
gimme Houston, you know, minus eight and a half, like
(13:58):
something crazy at that. But to your point, if you're
gonna pick the Patriots, it's because you don't think that
the old line can hold up for Los Angeles and
you don't trust that Justin Herbert is gonna be able
to play the way he has in the regular season
because play history tell us he's not going to. But
if that kind of gets washed away the first part
(14:19):
and he is able to stand back there and be
aggressive and be just all captures to Herbert, that completely
changes the calculats for that game. So I still would
probably lean Patriots, but if I can if he said
with the three and a half, I would definitely think
the charges to cover.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So I was looking so Herbert was that Eagles game
was Monday Night football. He was sacked seven times. It
was like, oh my gosh, he's never gonna survive forty
six percent completions. They were at home. They managed to
win that. I think that Eagles had a billion turnovers
in that game. But when guys get after him five sacks,
it's and it's gonna be a close game. Houston sacked
(14:56):
him five times and they survive. I was looking for
the second Denver meeting. He didn't Oh, he didn't play
in the second Denver meeting because it was Week eighteen.
I just I'm team Herbert Harball. Sorry, I am Rob. Uh.
And then there's Texan Steelers. I like Textans here, but
I haven't. I haven't betted at all. I just I
don't know that I believe in Rogers against this elite
(15:17):
defense and Baltimore defense is mediocre best come on good
and they were in the secondary. It was a mass
you plus, how beat up are the Steelers? How many
guys were dropping like flies in that game? I mean,
the good thing is they get DK metcalf back.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
That's a big game.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Man. I'm not even a big DK fan, but have
you seen the rest of the receiving options, Like it's
DK first, second, and third, and then maybe sprinkling Scottie Miller,
Adam DeLand after.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That, Yeah, Adam Deelan had one awesome catch on a
great pass by Rogers and it was like, oh my gosh,
Adam Deelan's alive right, well, what a catch. It was
just heroic stuff. I am curious, Rob, like, what was
your participation level in watching Week eighteen? Because for me,
this was the least by a mile, the games were
not compelled. Its Sunday at least Saturday night. You know
(16:01):
that was that was a good game, but well not
a good game, but it was a matchup you had
to watch. But like I just I didn't think the
football was good at all. I mean, the Packers couldn't
do anything. A lot of backup quarterbacks Layton tune Era,
you know, green backsh brutal. I will say, do you
want to go off about your Raiders getting the number
(16:21):
one pick? Any thoughts.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I just hope that it's not a lock and away,
throw away the key, we're gonna take Nano Mendoza.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
I hope that that is not the case.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I hope that they haven't already walked into this thinking, hey,
whoever our coaches, it's the Fernando Mendoza era. Then we'll
figure out the rest from there. Like I think that
they need to really evaluate the position, really evaluate the process,
because he is not a slam dunk prospect by any means.
So if he ends up being the guy, great, But
I want them to go into with an open mind
and evaluate every option at quarterback real quick.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I do want to wrap up rup. Are you at
the stage where you're already looking at the Raiders' opponents
for next season, because I'm not gonna lie. I looked
at the Jets opponents outside the division, and it's almost like, well,
we should just keep Aaron Glynt because I don't care
who's coming in they could, you know, bring in Bill Belichick,
Exhuom Bart's Star whoever Vince Lombardi the greatest coach is ever?
(17:16):
Bartstar was a quarterback. I don't know what I was thinking,
and it's not gonna matter. They have road games against
the Bears, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers. Wow, they're not winning any
of those. They have home games against Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota,
which is gonna be good, and then they have a
couple of dubs against your Vegas Raiders. I wouldn't go
(17:37):
that far.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I don't think even you or I can say, hey,
guaranteed dub for our team, you know, going forward.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I don't think either one canna say that, Oh, okay,
five five Vegas, Arizona, Tennessee and Cleveland. I mean, the
Jets are winning five games next year, and I think
then we reboot the next year, hopefully with a home
run coach and get excited. But yeah, it's gonna be
sixteen years. Don't playoffs. We can already record next assuming
this thing is still going at that point. All right,
(18:03):
Thanks Rob, and here's my riff on the NFC.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
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Speaker 2 (18:20):
All right now of the NFC, where chaos may or
may not rain in this postseason Saturday Night obviously didn't
go my way, you know. It was one of those
heart overhead deals. I went Niners and then the Trent
Williams news didn't come out my way. Kittle did play,
but he was clearly not one hundred percent, and Sam
Frey couldn't do a damn thing. Seattle wins, Seattle's the
number one seed. I just can't wrap my head around
(18:41):
the fact that Seattle is going to go to the
Super Bowl as the number one seed. All they need
is to wins. But I just I watched Sam Donald. Folks,
we watch that Niners defense for weeks get shredded. Caleb
Williams look like an all pro okay, and Sam Donald
couldn't do anything. Now. I know they did miss two
field goals, they had the turnover on downs inside the five.
(19:03):
Donald missed a wide open touchdown to the running back
in the flat there. But I just I can't wrap
my head around it now.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I am a Donald fan. I was super geeked when
the Jets drafted him. I watched him at USC. He
was so good in that Rose Bowl against Penn State.
I like the guy. I just don't think he's like
that good. Have a quarterback and in the NFC, Like,
if you're ranking the quarterbacks, I mean, I don't think so.
(19:30):
Obviously Bryce Young would be would be seven, Caleb or
I don't know, Caleb or Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
That's tough.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I don't know either way. In some way, shape or form,
they're five and six. Jordan Love for me, would be four,
Stafford one, Hurts two perty three, So I would go Stafford. Yeah,
Stafford has to be one. There's no way me. He's
probably gonna win the MVP, not that it matters. I
(20:02):
still think Hurts is extremely good. I know a lot
of people say he's not. By the way, he is
gonna absolutely cook this Niners defense. And I like Salah
a lot, but they've gotten They're going to get destroyed.
I have a bad feeling about Sam Fred. I'll just
say that I would go Perty three pretty could be
as high as too. I think Jordan Love is four.
I like Jordan Love a lot. I just I just
(20:23):
don't think as highly of Darnold in the NFL. I've
seen this now. Maybe I'm I'm destroyed by what I
saw with him in the Jets, the scene ghosts and
all that wacky stuff. But I just don't think Seattle's
going to prevail and get through the NFC. So for
the wildcard games, Packers Bears is really to me a
toss up. I had want to go Bears, right, I
(20:46):
thought Bears Bears Bears would be my pick. Packers are
leaking oil. I just looked up the last four games.
Packers have lost four in a row. Even if you
throw out Week eight team where they had sixty sixty
eight yards or something with Clayton Looney tun at quarterback.
The Packers gave up thirty four to the Broncos, twenty
two to the Bears and that grueling overtime loss, and
(21:06):
forty one to the Ravens Now. I know They did
largely dominate the Bears in the two meetings this season,
but they ended up win and one, and the Bears
had a chance in the first one. It was twenty
eight twenty one, great game. I did hit the Packers
in that one. The second one just an unbelievable comeback
down sixteen to six with two minutes left. They hit
the field goal, they get the on side kick, then
(21:29):
they win an overtime on the Caleb walk off touchdown pass.
Do you know how many things had to go right
for them to win that game? Folks that I'm sorry
if you don't want to admit that was luck, I
don't want to tell you that. Being said, I don't
like the trend lines right now for Green Bay. The
problem is Matt Lafleur is really freaking smart. I like
Ben Johnson, but Matt Lafleur is really really good. He's
(21:51):
an excellent coach. And I don't know. I may have
nothing on this game. I might tease the Packers up.
I don't see the Packers getting blown out here. In
no way, shape or form me. They getting blasted. Great
teaser like San fran Philly is interesting. I don't know
how on Earth this opens at two and a half.
Just that made zero sense to me. You're not respecting
(22:13):
Philly at home to give them at least three what
So obviously the Niners cooked were on fire for a
few weeks at this offense, and then uh oh yeah,
they had to face a real defense in Seattle and
they had three points. Now we expect Trump Williams back
Kittle at full strength, probably Ricky Piersaw, the offense should
(22:33):
be good again. But Seattle rushed for one hundred and eighty.
What do you think the Eagles are gonna do? He's
gonna line up in smash mouth football, and I think
the Eagles d's better than Seattle. So I just I
can't make a case for the Niners really, and that
leaves us Rams Panthers, and folks, I remember betting the
Rams in the last meeting. It was November thirty. Not
(22:54):
a lot has changed in six weeks, folks. The Rams
average seven point four yards per play in that game,
Panthers five point eight. Rams had more first downs, had
more yards. How's this trips to the red zone? Rams
four for six Panthers over one. Guys, the Rams totally
(23:18):
dominated that game. The only reason the Panthers won. They
had the pick six off Stafford and then they had
the high leverage place three for three on fourth down.
I believe two were bomb touchdowns, like fluky stuff you
can't replicate, Okay, And I did see a report Quentin Lake,
the dB for the Rams, expected back next week along
with DeVante Adams. I don't know if the Rams have
(23:41):
fixed their special teams issues by firing their special teams coach.
I mean, I can't see a world where Carolina wins
this game. No, no shot, I don't see it. I
kind of want to lay the ten now. The ten
and a half was not available to me as of
now watching the end of Steelers Ravens, the ten is
not available to me. So I'm of the belief that,
(24:05):
you know, if this is nine and a half, oh
my gosh, give it to me baby, one more time.
Like seriously, like I think the Rams, you know, kind
of destroy Bryce Young company here. Remember Bryce Young, first
time playoff quarterback here? You know the history. You're gonna
see the stats all week. They are awful, absolutely awful.
So I am of the belief the Rams are going
(24:29):
to take care of business there. Now, what would be interesting,
is it the Seahawks get the lowest seed. The lowest
winner could be Green Bay, could be if the Bears
win and Philly wins and the Rams win, the Rams
would go to Seattle. I like the Rams there, I mean,
(24:52):
and honestly I don't. I don't see why the Packers
aren't going to compete again. The teams that I expect
to win, Eagles, Rams, well just those two. They've got
better quarterbacks than Sam Donald. So I don't feel bad.
I'm not nervous about them. And in a road spot,
I don't know. I know I sound down on Seattle,
(25:12):
and I know the advanced stats absolutely love them. But
we'll see.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Obviously, this is a Black Monday, big big Monday for firings,
but it's really unclear how many are gonna happen. So
let's start with the one that did on Sunday night
almost you know, almost immediately at before this was before
I think Steelers Ravens started, and after uh the four
(25:53):
four pm window closed and you had the Atlanta Falcons
dusting their head coach Recky Morris and their g Terry
Fontano now famously Terry Fontane talked to Arthur Blank out
of Bill Belichick a couple of years ago. At least
that's the story that was going around. Remember Arthur Blank
was intrigued by Belichick. I mean, how could you not
(26:14):
be the guy's, you know, the winningest coach, the greatest
coach whatever at NFL history. And Arthur Blank wont it.
Was interested, and Fontane reportedly and others in that front
office were like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no,
he look at this. We don't want to get in.
We don't want this guy. And they settle on Rahee
Morris and Rahie Morris. A fine coach, but let's be real.
(26:35):
He had three years in Tampa, no playoff trips seventeen
and thirty one, and then a decade later he gets
three years in Atlanta. The first year was an interim,
so you know, not totally fair eight and nine the
last two years, and I don't I think Braggie Moorees
is a really sharp defensive mind. My guess is, if
(26:57):
Chris Shula leaves the Rams as DC, I would be
surprised personally that Rahie Morris will just land back with
the Rams. That makes sense. He was excellent with the
Rams as a defensive coordinator. It just it didn't work.
It it lit and I don't want to hear that. They
they finished strong with four wins. No, they didn't get
to the playoffs. This is a team with legit expectations. Fontano,
(27:20):
by the way, the architect of the Michael Pennix trade,
which has not really resulted in much yet. It is early.
I know, I get that, but Penix is now injured.
We know the injury history dating back to college. Really
talented player. I mean, they got dudes, Bijon Drake, like
this is their window right quarterback on the rookie deal.
(27:42):
What do you do with Kirk Cousins. Can you can
you flip him for something or do you want to say, hey,
we can't risk not having a backup given the Pennix injuries.
I don't know. Atlanta's in a tough spot because they
have like high end Drake London is a top ten
receiver in the league period. Bjeon Robinson is a top
three running back in the league period. The defense eight listen,
(28:03):
they took some swings in the draft. They got Pierce
that he was awesome. I think it's Pierce, the edge
rusher from Tennessee. They had a good season, they just
ended up losing to you know, the Jets. I mean
really like that kind of cost them if you look
back at that. If they don't lose to the Jets. A,
the Jets get the number one pick, and B the
(28:26):
Falcons are in the playoffs three team tie of a
pooh pooh platter of mediocrity at eight and nine in
that wretched division, and as a result, Falcons fired their coach.
Now interestingly, Jay Glazer had a report on Sunday before
the game's kicked, and it's funny. I took a picture
(28:50):
on my phone about the potential and it's absolutely bizarre because,
as you would believe it, he said to be iran
or not enough info yet. Matt Lafleur was on that list.
I was like, what the hell is Lafleour doing in
that list? That doesn't make any sense. Also in that list,
Kevin Stefanski of the Browns. We will see. It's kind
(29:15):
of unclear, like what's gonna happen in Cleveland. Honestly, I
would run off Aaron Glenn in a heartbeat if I
could get Kevin Stefanski two time Coach of the Year. Oh.
The exact phrase was time will tell for Glazer and
that involved Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, Todd Bowles in Tampa,
Mike McDaniel in Miami, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh some surprises
(29:42):
on that list. He did say, Glazer did, and by
the time this podcast is posted, Pete Carroll maybe fired.
Pete Carroll did go out with a dub nice win
over the Chiefs on the Daniel Carlson field goal at
the end there, but that was that was that was
a nice win for Pete and he needed it. I'm
happy for him, and now he's, you know, obviously pretty
much done. I would say with the Raiders, I don't
know where they turned. But I did float it multiple
(30:05):
times on the Herd last week, because you know, the
show was on air. Why don't you at least ask
Kurt Signetti. By the way, he's crushing it in the
transfer portal right now at Indiana, So I don't think
he leaves. But I just think as an owner, you've
got to do your diligence and just be like, hey,
we want Mendozo. We got four months left in the NFL.
(30:26):
Would be super pissed if it was obvious that the
Raiders won a Mendozo because then there's no drama at
the top of the draft, right. They love drama. They
need to manufacture it and create it so you can
have this off season that's allegedly incredible when it's it's
not really that amazing. Could you get Signetti to come
(30:46):
to the NFL? I get My guess is no, I
don't think he'll do it. But as a business guy,
you've got to at least ask. You've got to have
Tom Brady go to the meeting with the Super Bowl rings.
Put him on the table. But hey, how are you Kurt?
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Now?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
What's going on? Pal? Hey? You can amazing job with
the Hoosiers. So any interest in the Raiders, I mean,
they've got at least asked. Now. The other rumor I
did see was texted to me by a buddy who's
I would say, quasi plugged in. What if they went
and got Brian Flores as their head coach from the
(31:21):
Vikings and Brian Dabole Brian Dabole as the OC. Now,
before you say hmm, Brian and Brian. Where do I
know that from? Let me look back to twoenty twenty
two headline CBS News. This was just one of the
places accidental Bill Belichick text messages at center of Brian
(31:43):
Florees's racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and the Giants. So,
as the story goes, you guys may have forgotten it.
It's almost three years old. Bill Belichick got win that
Brian Dabole was getting the New York Giants job. He
accidentally texted it to Brian Flores. Meanwhile, Flores was set
(32:08):
to interview, hadn't even interviewed yet, and word had got
out to Belichick that Daboll got it. So I guess
around the league, if it would, would the Raiders do
a make what is it called him, make make good,
make make up, I don't know, and say, hey, let's
(32:29):
go Flores is head coach. Maybe he'll drop his lawsuit
and we'll put dabol under him as the OC. Now
that's just fun speculation. I'm sure that's making the rounds.
Flores is a really good defensive coach. The Vikings defense
is formidable. I just I do find that a little
it feels a little bit out there, Flores and Dabel together.
(32:51):
Now listen, I think Dabe's super sharp. I think he's good.
You know me. At this point in the game, we're
like ten years in. Guys, we know you got to
hire offensive guys. You have to. If you hire a
defensive guy, wonderful. Guess what once the offense starts clicking,
the offensive coordinator is going to go and interview for jobs. Kubiak,
(33:12):
by the way in Seattle's going to be interviewing for jobs,
and they might lose him. Demiko Ryans as offensive coordinator.
Actually no, they fired his offensive coordinator after last year.
But these defensive coaches, right, if their OC does anything great, Oh,
Dan Campbell's the one. Ben Johnson pops. Ben Johnson's the
bell of the ball, the most coveted coach out there.
(33:32):
Now he's gone. What happened? Lions missed the playoffs and
now they've got to reboot under a new offensive coordinator.
That's why nobody. Offensive coordinators who become head coaches, they
don't leave for other jobs. They've got a head coaching job.
OC's who are behind the defensive coordinator head coach, they
will leave, and then you've got to start all over again.
(33:54):
So like Ben Johnson, they're set in Chicago. It's awesome.
He's a smart guy, he's sharp. He's coaching Caleb, but
not Rahie Morris, Demiko Ryans in Houston. Like I don't know,
if the Houston Texans go on to tear, obviously the
defense will have carried them. But the offense for sure
is right there and CJ. I know. The red zone
(34:18):
stuff has been just disgusting. It's horrible. I had an
unbelievable stat they had heading into week eighteen twenty three
carries from inside the four yard line, inside the five
or four No inside the five yard line, and they
had four yards total rushing. Because they just go backwards
(34:38):
all the time, it's very predictable what they're doing. They've
got to figure that out. I don't know how far
they'll go, but bottom line is you need to hire
an offensive coach. The Raiders are fascinating Giants by the way,
tumble a little bit in the draft. Well, we'll have
plenty of time to do the draft. Very excited. College
football has a big week. We've got the College Football
Playoff coming up. I want to talk a little portal.
(35:02):
I'm just kind of really into the Transfer portal, mostly
because it's a disruptor to college football. It's such a
big deal that Texas Tech can go and battle LSU
and all these other programs for the top quarterback on
the portal, this kid out of Cincinnati and they can
(35:22):
get up. I mean Texas Tech now. In recruiting, historically,
the best quarterbacks usually go to you knows six programs right,
five or six. They're in the mix all the time.
Right transfer portal? Now, what do I need to go
get an eighteen nineteen year old high school quarterback for?
Why wouldn't I just go to the portal and get
(35:44):
the best twenty one year old, twenty two year old
who's fully formed, has seen a bunch of defenses over
the last two or three years, and is going to
hit the ground running and I'm going to be a
nine or ten win potential team. It's a no brainer.
And Texas Tech now has the money to make that
stuff happen. I'm just I'm loving, absolutely loving to transfer portal. Anyways,
(36:04):
plenty of stuff ahead this week. Just because the regular
season's over doesn't mean we're stopping football. Tons of action.
It's gonna be fun, gonna be exciting. We'll see tomorrow
This is straight fire with Jason McIntire. What is up
straight fire?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I am It's me Jason McIntyre, straight all year or Monday,
January the fifth, we made it, Ladies and gentlemen, the
regular season of the NFL is over, and it went
out with a bang.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Holy cow, how.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good was Steelers twenty six Ravens twenty four. Some definite
out loud, Oh my gosh moments that my family was like,
what is happening? What's going on? It was just absolute
chaos in the fourth quarter. I mean, hell, the final
eleven minutes. So I had the under forty one that
was looking great eleven minutes left, you know, thirteen ten,
(00:48):
Oh yeah, we're looking good.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I think these guys are.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
They can't score no offense that went up in smoke.
I saw an unbelievable stat I mean, of the many
unbelievable stats from Steelers, Ravens, Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodger
combined for three deep TV passes, meaning twenty plus air
yards in the fourth quarter. That was the most in
any fourth quarter in the last decade. Folks. This game
may have surpassed Seahawks Rams as the game of the year.
(01:13):
When you give the stakes. I think that probably puts
it over the top. Ravens now going home A lot
of questions in the offseason about John Harbaugh, a lot
of questions maybe about Lamar Jackson. I know Derrick Henry does.
He cut a lot of issues for the Ravens, and
the Steelers are act like, oh my gosh, amazing. Now
they get to host the Houston Texans in a playoff game.
(01:39):
Texans started out, the lines just came out. We're recording
just as the game ended, Texans minus three and a half.
I almost bet it, but didn't. I did bet some
other games. We'll talk about the NFC later and the
coaching stuff. We'll start with the AFC and Pittsburgh getting in.
They will, like I said, host the Houston Texans. I mean,
(02:00):
I don't even I don't think this is a good
Pittsburgh team. Now they will get DK Metcalf back. The
two game suspension's over, and without him they really struggle
to the red zone. But I don't know, like Jalen
Warren run so hard. I mean, Calvin Austin, that move
that he put on O Woozia on the game winning
touchdown Cats was incredible. Maybe I'm uster underestimating the Steelers.
(02:22):
I don't know. I just don't think the back end
of their defense is any good. CJ. Stroud should be
able to take advantage. Actually, Rob, I walk away from
this with like, I think Baltimore's got more issues. I
think Pittsburgh. You know, we could talk about Aaron Rodgers
after he loses to the Texans or whatever. But I
think the bigger stories probably the Ravens. I don't know
(02:43):
how much of a crossroads they're at, but their kicker.
Remember they booted Justin Tucker because of his massage parlor
activity alleged I should say, spanning multiple years. They have
a rookie Tyler Loop who wasn't very good from deep
I think he was one for four from fifty or plus,
but the fourth down conversion to Isaiah likely an unbelievable catch.
(03:04):
Maybe his final catch is a Raven It sounds like
he's not gonna be returning and Lupas set up on
a forty four yarder. There's no wind none. I mean
you could see that the tassels or whatever they got
at the top of the goalpost, they weren't moving at all.
And just like Boswell, I don't know, five minutes before
missing his first extra point of the year. Luke pushes
it right. You gotta feel awful for the kid. Listen.
(03:26):
I've told the story. The last time I played youth
soccer I was it was like one of these State
Cup semifinal games or whatever, you know, seventh eighth grade.
I forget what it was, and I missed my penalty kick.
That wasn't the final deciding but when you you know,
when you miss your penalty kick and you lose in
PK season over everything you work for the whole season done.
And that was like the last club soccer guy I
(03:48):
ever played in my life. I didn't even go out
for the team the next year. I was so down
in the dumps. Do you just feel like you feel
like you're a failure? You failed everybody? And I don't
know how Luke feels. He's a rookie. Obviously he's gonna
get more chances. The game's not him, but I mean,
he had the game in his hands because bos Well missed.
So it just bonkers turn of events. I think Ravens
are at something of a crossroads. Steelers, Hey, congratulations, enjoy it.
(04:11):
It'll be a big celebration. I don't. I don't think
they're dangerous in the AFC, but hey, they made the
playoffs run.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah, man, I mean it's hard to be down on
the Steelers because of the way that they won the game, right,
because they did everything that they should have done to
win that game without, you know, disregarding the loop miss
like Boswell's normally is automatic. For him to miss like that,
it's kind of crazy. But for you to or for
anyone to see what happened with Pittsburgh. You know here
(04:39):
last night Sunday night, they fall behind early, they don't
have any receiving weapons to speak of, and yet they
just keep finding ways to kind of grind out these games.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Of the passes out of the backfield to Jalen Warren
and to Kenneth gain Well. These guys are breaking three
and four tackles out of a piece, and Aaron Rodgers
is always ornery, but you know, he's making things happen
and and and you know, accurate passes and then for
the games and the way that it did felt so
attic likemactic to me, especially because Mike Jerico says right
(05:12):
before he kicks it, he's like, you know, the Baltimore
Ravens had their chance of any kicker, and they decided
this was the guy who's gonna get it done for
him and then he promptly shanks it. You know, like
like that was tough. But I think the Steelers team
is live, I guess would be the word I he's
describing against Houston because Houston's offense is not very good.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Like the CJ. Stroud at peaked in high school. That's
that's the slogan us with the people that you know,
he peaked as a rookie. He has not gotten better
as a quarterback. Has he Wow? Has he gotten better
since rookie season?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
It's just rookies. No, But he was good in a
college so he was. He was.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I'm just like, that's the slogan people you talk about
other people like, Yeah, my man peaked in high school.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
CJ. Stroud peaked as a rookie. He's awesome.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
He was awesome, and then he's kind of tapered off.
Their defense is great. Now, what you need to do
if you're Pittsburgh is you need to find a way
to make it another ugly game like this was for
the most part to the last six seven minutes. You
need to find a way to hang around, hang around,
hang around, because it is unreasonable to expect any team,
including that vaunted Texas defense, to hold a playoff team,
(06:24):
you know, under seventeen points. Like, if you can get
into the middle of the fourth quarter and it's a
one score game, why why can't Aaron Rodgers make them
happen the way he did?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, I could, I just don't know how. Like, he's
so slow. There was a scramble in the first half
where you were like, oh, maybe he could get the
first down, and then he clearly decided I can't around
this outrun this defensive lineman went laterally and then just
went out of bound. And I was like, oh, geez,
he looked. He just looks slow. And now you have
the Texans defense, which is nasty. I know they didn't
look great Sunday, but they weren't playing a ton of
(06:54):
starters in the second half of Membory serves. But overall, hey,
congrats to the Seals. You made the playoff.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I was texting a couple of buddies who are big
Steelers fans. You're in the postseason as a Jets fan.
It's been fifteen years, So I don't know what that's like.
Maybe that's why I'm so down on them. We'll just
buzz through the AFC matchups real quick. Buffalo Jacksonville is
the first AFC game Sunday. Jacksonville a small home favorite. Honestly,
I don't really know what to do here, Rob. It's
(07:20):
like Josh Allen. If you ask me who are the
best quarterbacks in the playoffs, we rated all fourteen of them.
Josh Allen's won. I don't think there's any doubt. Yes,
Stafford's had a better year, But I mean, Josh Allen
has proven come on, he's gonna put this team on
his back. But can he do it against Jacksonville? I
saw a crazy stat that the Jags are the only team. Well,
then I have this nerdy document open for all my
(07:44):
NFL stats that I hear on the shows and what
have you. They're the only team in the NFL that
has not allowed a seventy five yard rusher this season
seventy five. So now we're talking about, oh, if they
can bottle up cook, can Josh Allen do it by himself?
And frankly, I don't know. I mean, my heart is saying, Okay,
come on, it's Josh Allen and Trovel Lord and saying
(08:05):
come on. But I think my head is saying I
think Jacksonville might be the better team. They're just they're
good with Liam cohen Man, and you know, then you
get in a situation, Rob, where if Josh Allen doesn't
deliver here, you're like, oh jeez, does McDermot get fired.
They lose in the first round, they would have been regressing.
(08:25):
I don't know. It's a big one for Buffalo. They
did they rest their guys, Yeah, they rested their guys.
Jacksonville played their guys, so they have some continuity. But
Buffalo is a beat up team. Obviously, got to see
the injury report. Whether it will not be an issue,
I don't know. It feels like a toss up maybe Jacksonville, Rob,
I got nothing on this one yet.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It's I don't know how anyone can feel comfortent in Jacksonville.
And I'm not saying this because you know I'm speaking
at a turn. There was a good piece in the
athletic that came out before these games that played here
on Week eighteen, and you know there's a The big
headline was the comparison between the Lamar Jackson, Luka Donci situation,
Baltimore Dallas and whether or not you trade to the
Star or whatever. That was the headline, but buried in
(09:06):
there they had an anonymous coach from another team saying, Hey,
Jacksonville is looking pretty good. They're pretty hot. They're rolling
right now. And in it he says, is anybody worried
about Jacksonville? And it's like no, because history says that
they don't have much of a history, Like, were it
not for a colossal meltdown by Justin Herbert and coll
a couple of years ago, brand Staley, Like what history
(09:29):
does Liam Cohen then Trevor Lawrence have together? None? So
it's like, how do you go into any game thinking like, hey, man,
watch out for Jacksonville, Like you know, Parker Washington is
really gonna Jacoby.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Parker Washington got digged up. I did notice that, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And so it's nothing personal against them, but until you
see them do it, it's hard to really feel great
about anything that they're going to bring to the table
against a guy like Josh Allen.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, that that's a toss up, but it should be.
It should be a fun game. Then you've got the
night game on Sunday, Chargers at Patriots. Now this was
a game I think we've talked about on here. If
you can get a three and a half, I think
you got to ride with the Chargers. So I did
already some homework on this. Rob Let me know how
(10:14):
you what you think about this. So you look at weakness,
and the Charger's clear weakness is the offensive line, right
that has been a major problem down both tackles Alt
and Slater. When they face a really aggressive front, they struggle.
So I looked up the Patriots. They're middle of the
(10:34):
pack in blitzing, fourteenth, twenty fifth in pressure rate. That's
not good. So they don't get pressure on the quarterback.
And they're twenty fourth in satacks. So the biggest weakness
the Chargers have the Patriots cannot really take advantage. And
then you start looking, Oh, what about the narrative about
these West coast teams, these soft ones going going east?
It's not gonna be an issue. The weather. It looks
(10:56):
like it's gonna be the upper thirties, lower forties. That's
not bad. That's you know, a few mornings a year
in January in Los Angeles. Fine, maybe that's an exaggeration.
I don't really think that's an issue. And then I
got to ask Rob. I mean, I know we love Rabel.
He might win Coach of the Year. Do you remember
his last Playoff one twenty nineteen. Like, I mean again,
(11:20):
Rabel's a really good coach, no doubt about it, But
I don't know that he's the leader. I give the
edge to Harpball, so now you got the edge to
Harball in coaching. I know everybody loves Drake May. I
still don't understand the nickname Drake May May or whatever
it is. Drake May May, Drake May May. Okay, Drake
May May, Drake Drake May May. Okay, yes, there you are.
(11:45):
It's still stupid. But do you think it's funny at all?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Or it's funny because he doesn't have a nickname, so
his nickname is his whole name.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
That's his whole name. Okay, that makes sense. The problem
is I think Justin Herbert's a better quarterback. I'm sorry.
I know May's amazing this year and he's probably gonna
be runner up for the MVB. If you're asking me
who would I take, I take justin Herbert, and you know,
I'm assuming Herbert's healthy. He sat. The wide receivers should
be a full go. They've got o'mari and Hampton. They
(12:13):
faced off last year in December and the Charger beat
him forty to seven. I know, no Vray Bowl, but
they got after May big time. I think Jesse Minter
is a great defensive coordinator. I got to go look
up what history Mintor has facing Josh McDaniel's offenses. I
don't know. Man. For me, it's the Chargers. I think
the Chargers win this outright. I think they covered three
and a half. I don't know, And I'm not who
(12:37):
pooing the Patriots. They had a great season. I just
nothing here blows me away from the Patriots matchup wise.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That was probably the best explanation for anybody picking the
Charges that I've heard, you know, in the last twenty
four hours since we knew this was gonna be the showdown,
Because everything that I believe about this game is the
exact opposite. It's like, hey, the Chargers cannot protect anything,
Like you could have seven dudes standing in front of
a doorway and someone still gonna find as way steaking
to the club like, that's what they're dealing with with
(13:05):
that offensive line. Number one and number two. Justin Herbert
has quite possibly the worst playoff resume of any great
quarterback that we've seen, even including Lamar jacks Lamar Jackson's
reputation being a playoff flame out. Look at Justin Herbert's
numbers in the postseason. It's terrible. Well, last year it
was really bad and they had no receivers and Jacksonville
(13:26):
was not much better either Coute.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Or I don't remember that. I do know they were
up like twenty three nothing.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I think they were yeh think they are like four
scores and they found a way to lose that game.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
No, that wasn't Herbert though that I'm not harrball. That
was up.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I know it was the different regime, but Justin Herbert
was part of both of those games, so he has
to wear those. So that's my belief coming. That's been
my belief. I didn't realize, like, hey, you had said
that New England the one thing that they don't do
well is get after the quarterback, because that's their biggest weakness.
Of course, this was Houston and the Chargers. I'd say,
gimme Houston, you know, minus eight and a half, like
(13:58):
something crazy at that. But to your point, if you're
gonna pick the Patriots, it's because you don't think that
the old line can hold up for Los Angeles and
you don't trust that Justin Herbert is gonna be able
to play the way he has in the regular season
because play history tell us he's not going to. But
if that kind of gets washed away the first part
(14:19):
and he is able to stand back there and be
aggressive and be just all captures to Herbert, that completely
changes the calculats for that game. So I still would
probably lean Patriots, but if I can if he said
with the three and a half, I would definitely think
the charges to cover.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So I was looking so Herbert was that Eagles game
was Monday Night football. He was sacked seven times. It
was like, oh my gosh, he's never gonna survive forty
six percent completions. They were at home. They managed to
win that. I think that Eagles had a billion turnovers
in that game. But when guys get after him five sacks,
it's and it's gonna be a close game. Houston sacked
(14:56):
him five times and they survive. I was looking for
the second Denver meeting. He didn't Oh, he didn't play
in the second Denver meeting because it was Week eighteen.
I just I'm team Herbert Harball. Sorry, I am Rob. Uh.
And then there's Texan Steelers. I like Textans here, but
I haven't. I haven't betted at all. I just I
don't know that I believe in Rogers against this elite
(15:17):
defense and Baltimore defense is mediocre best come on good
and they were in the secondary. It was a mass
you plus, how beat up are the Steelers? How many
guys were dropping like flies in that game? I mean,
the good thing is they get DK metcalf back.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
That's a big game.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Man. I'm not even a big DK fan, but have
you seen the rest of the receiving options, Like it's
DK first, second, and third, and then maybe sprinkling Scottie Miller,
Adam DeLand after.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That, Yeah, Adam Deelan had one awesome catch on a
great pass by Rogers and it was like, oh my gosh,
Adam Deelan's alive right, well, what a catch. It was
just heroic stuff. I am curious, Rob, like, what was
your participation level in watching Week eighteen? Because for me,
this was the least by a mile, the games were
not compelled. Its Sunday at least Saturday night. You know
(16:01):
that was that was a good game, but well not
a good game, but it was a matchup you had
to watch. But like I just I didn't think the
football was good at all. I mean, the Packers couldn't
do anything. A lot of backup quarterbacks Layton tune Era,
you know, green backsh brutal. I will say, do you
want to go off about your Raiders getting the number
(16:21):
one pick? Any thoughts.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I just hope that it's not a lock and away,
throw away the key, we're gonna take Nano Mendoza.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
I hope that that is not the case.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I hope that they haven't already walked into this thinking, hey,
whoever our coaches, it's the Fernando Mendoza era. Then we'll
figure out the rest from there. Like I think that
they need to really evaluate the position, really evaluate the process,
because he is not a slam dunk prospect by any means.
So if he ends up being the guy, great, But
I want them to go into with an open mind
and evaluate every option at quarterback real quick.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I do want to wrap up rup. Are you at
the stage where you're already looking at the Raiders' opponents
for next season, because I'm not gonna lie. I looked
at the Jets opponents outside the division, and it's almost like, well,
we should just keep Aaron Glynt because I don't care
who's coming in they could, you know, bring in Bill Belichick,
Exhuom Bart's Star whoever Vince Lombardi the greatest coach is ever?
(17:16):
Bartstar was a quarterback. I don't know what I was thinking,
and it's not gonna matter. They have road games against
the Bears, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers. Wow, they're not winning any
of those. They have home games against Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota,
which is gonna be good, and then they have a
couple of dubs against your Vegas Raiders. I wouldn't go
(17:37):
that far.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I don't think even you or I can say, hey,
guaranteed dub for our team, you know, going forward.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I don't think either one canna say that, Oh, okay,
five five Vegas, Arizona, Tennessee and Cleveland. I mean, the
Jets are winning five games next year, and I think
then we reboot the next year, hopefully with a home
run coach and get excited. But yeah, it's gonna be
sixteen years. Don't playoffs. We can already record next assuming
this thing is still going at that point. All right,
(18:03):
Thanks Rob, and here's my riff on the NFC.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
All right now of the NFC, where chaos may or
may not rain in this postseason Saturday Night obviously didn't
go my way, you know. It was one of those
heart overhead deals. I went Niners and then the Trent
Williams news didn't come out my way. Kittle did play,
but he was clearly not one hundred percent, and Sam
Frey couldn't do a damn thing. Seattle wins, Seattle's the
number one seed. I just can't wrap my head around
(18:41):
the fact that Seattle is going to go to the
Super Bowl as the number one seed. All they need
is to wins. But I just I watched Sam Donald. Folks,
we watch that Niners defense for weeks get shredded. Caleb
Williams look like an all pro okay, and Sam Donald
couldn't do anything. Now. I know they did miss two
field goals, they had the turnover on downs inside the five.
(19:03):
Donald missed a wide open touchdown to the running back
in the flat there. But I just I can't wrap
my head around it now.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I am a Donald fan. I was super geeked when
the Jets drafted him. I watched him at USC. He
was so good in that Rose Bowl against Penn State.
I like the guy. I just don't think he's like
that good. Have a quarterback and in the NFC, Like,
if you're ranking the quarterbacks, I mean, I don't think so.
(19:30):
Obviously Bryce Young would be would be seven, Caleb or
I don't know, Caleb or Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
That's tough.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I don't know either way. In some way, shape or form,
they're five and six. Jordan Love for me, would be four,
Stafford one, Hurts two perty three, So I would go Stafford. Yeah,
Stafford has to be one. There's no way me. He's
probably gonna win the MVP, not that it matters. I
(20:02):
still think Hurts is extremely good. I know a lot
of people say he's not. By the way, he is
gonna absolutely cook this Niners defense. And I like Salah
a lot, but they've gotten They're going to get destroyed.
I have a bad feeling about Sam Fred. I'll just
say that I would go Perty three pretty could be
as high as too. I think Jordan Love is four.
I like Jordan Love a lot. I just I just
(20:23):
don't think as highly of Darnold in the NFL. I've
seen this now. Maybe I'm I'm destroyed by what I
saw with him in the Jets, the scene ghosts and
all that wacky stuff. But I just don't think Seattle's
going to prevail and get through the NFC. So for
the wildcard games, Packers Bears is really to me a
toss up. I had want to go Bears, right, I
(20:46):
thought Bears Bears Bears would be my pick. Packers are
leaking oil. I just looked up the last four games.
Packers have lost four in a row. Even if you
throw out Week eight team where they had sixty sixty
eight yards or something with Clayton Looney tun at quarterback.
The Packers gave up thirty four to the Broncos, twenty
two to the Bears and that grueling overtime loss, and
(21:06):
forty one to the Ravens Now. I know They did
largely dominate the Bears in the two meetings this season,
but they ended up win and one, and the Bears
had a chance in the first one. It was twenty
eight twenty one, great game. I did hit the Packers
in that one. The second one just an unbelievable comeback
down sixteen to six with two minutes left. They hit
the field goal, they get the on side kick, then
(21:29):
they win an overtime on the Caleb walk off touchdown pass.
Do you know how many things had to go right
for them to win that game? Folks that I'm sorry
if you don't want to admit that was luck, I
don't want to tell you that. Being said, I don't
like the trend lines right now for Green Bay. The
problem is Matt Lafleur is really freaking smart. I like
Ben Johnson, but Matt Lafleur is really really good. He's
(21:51):
an excellent coach. And I don't know. I may have
nothing on this game. I might tease the Packers up.
I don't see the Packers getting blown out here. In
no way, shape or form me. They getting blasted. Great
teaser like San fran Philly is interesting. I don't know
how on Earth this opens at two and a half.
Just that made zero sense to me. You're not respecting
(22:13):
Philly at home to give them at least three what
So obviously the Niners cooked were on fire for a
few weeks at this offense, and then uh oh yeah,
they had to face a real defense in Seattle and
they had three points. Now we expect Trump Williams back
Kittle at full strength, probably Ricky Piersaw, the offense should
(22:33):
be good again. But Seattle rushed for one hundred and eighty.
What do you think the Eagles are gonna do? He's
gonna line up in smash mouth football, and I think
the Eagles d's better than Seattle. So I just I
can't make a case for the Niners really, and that
leaves us Rams Panthers, and folks, I remember betting the
Rams in the last meeting. It was November thirty. Not
(22:54):
a lot has changed in six weeks, folks. The Rams
average seven point four yards per play in that game,
Panthers five point eight. Rams had more first downs, had
more yards. How's this trips to the red zone? Rams
four for six Panthers over one. Guys, the Rams totally
(23:18):
dominated that game. The only reason the Panthers won. They
had the pick six off Stafford and then they had
the high leverage place three for three on fourth down.
I believe two were bomb touchdowns, like fluky stuff you
can't replicate, Okay, And I did see a report Quentin Lake,
the dB for the Rams, expected back next week along
with DeVante Adams. I don't know if the Rams have
(23:41):
fixed their special teams issues by firing their special teams coach.
I mean, I can't see a world where Carolina wins
this game. No, no shot, I don't see it. I
kind of want to lay the ten now. The ten
and a half was not available to me as of
now watching the end of Steelers Ravens, the ten is
not available to me. So I'm of the belief that,
(24:05):
you know, if this is nine and a half, oh
my gosh, give it to me baby, one more time.
Like seriously, like I think the Rams, you know, kind
of destroy Bryce Young company here. Remember Bryce Young, first
time playoff quarterback here? You know the history. You're gonna
see the stats all week. They are awful, absolutely awful.
So I am of the belief the Rams are going
(24:29):
to take care of business there. Now, what would be interesting,
is it the Seahawks get the lowest seed. The lowest
winner could be Green Bay, could be if the Bears
win and Philly wins and the Rams win, the Rams
would go to Seattle. I like the Rams there, I mean,
(24:52):
and honestly I don't. I don't see why the Packers
aren't going to compete again. The teams that I expect
to win, Eagles, Rams, well just those two. They've got
better quarterbacks than Sam Donald. So I don't feel bad.
I'm not nervous about them. And in a road spot,
I don't know. I know I sound down on Seattle,
(25:12):
and I know the advanced stats absolutely love them. But
we'll see.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Obviously, this is a Black Monday, big big Monday for firings,
but it's really unclear how many are gonna happen. So
let's start with the one that did on Sunday night
almost you know, almost immediately at before this was before
I think Steelers Ravens started, and after uh the four
(25:53):
four pm window closed and you had the Atlanta Falcons
dusting their head coach Recky Morris and their g Terry
Fontano now famously Terry Fontane talked to Arthur Blank out
of Bill Belichick a couple of years ago. At least
that's the story that was going around. Remember Arthur Blank
was intrigued by Belichick. I mean, how could you not
(26:14):
be the guy's, you know, the winningest coach, the greatest
coach whatever at NFL history. And Arthur Blank wont it.
Was interested, and Fontane reportedly and others in that front
office were like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no,
he look at this. We don't want to get in.
We don't want this guy. And they settle on Rahee
Morris and Rahie Morris. A fine coach, but let's be real.
(26:35):
He had three years in Tampa, no playoff trips seventeen
and thirty one, and then a decade later he gets
three years in Atlanta. The first year was an interim,
so you know, not totally fair eight and nine the
last two years, and I don't I think Braggie Moorees
is a really sharp defensive mind. My guess is, if
(26:57):
Chris Shula leaves the Rams as DC, I would be
surprised personally that Rahie Morris will just land back with
the Rams. That makes sense. He was excellent with the
Rams as a defensive coordinator. It just it didn't work.
It it lit and I don't want to hear that. They
they finished strong with four wins. No, they didn't get
to the playoffs. This is a team with legit expectations. Fontano,
(27:20):
by the way, the architect of the Michael Pennix trade,
which has not really resulted in much yet. It is early.
I know, I get that, but Penix is now injured.
We know the injury history dating back to college. Really
talented player. I mean, they got dudes, Bijon Drake, like
this is their window right quarterback on the rookie deal.
(27:42):
What do you do with Kirk Cousins. Can you can
you flip him for something or do you want to say, hey,
we can't risk not having a backup given the Pennix injuries.
I don't know. Atlanta's in a tough spot because they
have like high end Drake London is a top ten
receiver in the league period. Bjeon Robinson is a top
three running back in the league period. The defense eight listen,
(28:03):
they took some swings in the draft. They got Pierce
that he was awesome. I think it's Pierce, the edge
rusher from Tennessee. They had a good season, they just
ended up losing to you know, the Jets. I mean
really like that kind of cost them if you look
back at that. If they don't lose to the Jets. A,
the Jets get the number one pick, and B the
(28:26):
Falcons are in the playoffs three team tie of a
pooh pooh platter of mediocrity at eight and nine in
that wretched division, and as a result, Falcons fired their coach.
Now interestingly, Jay Glazer had a report on Sunday before
the game's kicked, and it's funny. I took a picture
(28:50):
on my phone about the potential and it's absolutely bizarre because,
as you would believe it, he said to be iran
or not enough info yet. Matt Lafleur was on that list.
I was like, what the hell is Lafleour doing in
that list? That doesn't make any sense. Also in that list,
Kevin Stefanski of the Browns. We will see. It's kind
(29:15):
of unclear, like what's gonna happen in Cleveland. Honestly, I
would run off Aaron Glenn in a heartbeat if I
could get Kevin Stefanski two time Coach of the Year. Oh.
The exact phrase was time will tell for Glazer and
that involved Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, Todd Bowles in Tampa,
Mike McDaniel in Miami, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh some surprises
(29:42):
on that list. He did say, Glazer did, and by
the time this podcast is posted, Pete Carroll maybe fired.
Pete Carroll did go out with a dub nice win
over the Chiefs on the Daniel Carlson field goal at
the end there, but that was that was that was
a nice win for Pete and he needed it. I'm
happy for him, and now he's, you know, obviously pretty
much done. I would say with the Raiders, I don't
know where they turned. But I did float it multiple
(30:05):
times on the Herd last week, because you know, the
show was on air. Why don't you at least ask
Kurt Signetti. By the way, he's crushing it in the
transfer portal right now at Indiana, So I don't think
he leaves. But I just think as an owner, you've
got to do your diligence and just be like, hey,
we want Mendozo. We got four months left in the NFL.
(30:26):
Would be super pissed if it was obvious that the
Raiders won a Mendozo because then there's no drama at
the top of the draft, right. They love drama. They
need to manufacture it and create it so you can
have this off season that's allegedly incredible when it's it's
not really that amazing. Could you get Signetti to come
(30:46):
to the NFL? I get My guess is no, I
don't think he'll do it. But as a business guy,
you've got to at least ask. You've got to have
Tom Brady go to the meeting with the Super Bowl rings.
Put him on the table. But hey, how are you Kurt?
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Now?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
What's going on? Pal? Hey? You can amazing job with
the Hoosiers. So any interest in the Raiders, I mean,
they've got at least asked. Now. The other rumor I
did see was texted to me by a buddy who's
I would say, quasi plugged in. What if they went
and got Brian Flores as their head coach from the
(31:21):
Vikings and Brian Dabole Brian Dabole as the OC. Now,
before you say hmm, Brian and Brian. Where do I
know that from? Let me look back to twoenty twenty
two headline CBS News. This was just one of the
places accidental Bill Belichick text messages at center of Brian
(31:43):
Florees's racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and the Giants. So,
as the story goes, you guys may have forgotten it.
It's almost three years old. Bill Belichick got win that
Brian Dabole was getting the New York Giants job. He
accidentally texted it to Brian Flores. Meanwhile, Flores was set
(32:08):
to interview, hadn't even interviewed yet, and word had got
out to Belichick that Daboll got it. So I guess
around the league, if it would, would the Raiders do
a make what is it called him, make make good,
make make up, I don't know, and say, hey, let's
(32:29):
go Flores is head coach. Maybe he'll drop his lawsuit
and we'll put dabol under him as the OC. Now
that's just fun speculation. I'm sure that's making the rounds.
Flores is a really good defensive coach. The Vikings defense
is formidable. I just I do find that a little
it feels a little bit out there, Flores and Dabel together.
(32:51):
Now listen, I think Dabe's super sharp. I think he's good.
You know me. At this point in the game, we're
like ten years in. Guys, we know you got to
hire offensive guys. You have to. If you hire a
defensive guy, wonderful. Guess what once the offense starts clicking,
the offensive coordinator is going to go and interview for jobs. Kubiak,
(33:12):
by the way in Seattle's going to be interviewing for jobs,
and they might lose him. Demiko Ryans as offensive coordinator.
Actually no, they fired his offensive coordinator after last year.
But these defensive coaches, right, if their OC does anything great, Oh,
Dan Campbell's the one. Ben Johnson pops. Ben Johnson's the
bell of the ball, the most coveted coach out there.
(33:32):
Now he's gone. What happened? Lions missed the playoffs and
now they've got to reboot under a new offensive coordinator.
That's why nobody. Offensive coordinators who become head coaches, they
don't leave for other jobs. They've got a head coaching job.
OC's who are behind the defensive coordinator head coach, they
will leave, and then you've got to start all over again.
(33:54):
So like Ben Johnson, they're set in Chicago. It's awesome.
He's a smart guy, he's sharp. He's coaching Caleb, but
not Rahie Morris, Demiko Ryans in Houston. Like I don't know,
if the Houston Texans go on to tear, obviously the
defense will have carried them. But the offense for sure
is right there and CJ. I know. The red zone
(34:18):
stuff has been just disgusting. It's horrible. I had an
unbelievable stat they had heading into week eighteen twenty three
carries from inside the four yard line, inside the five
or four No inside the five yard line, and they
had four yards total rushing. Because they just go backwards
(34:38):
all the time, it's very predictable what they're doing. They've
got to figure that out. I don't know how far
they'll go, but bottom line is you need to hire
an offensive coach. The Raiders are fascinating Giants by the way,
tumble a little bit in the draft. Well, we'll have
plenty of time to do the draft. Very excited. College
football has a big week. We've got the College Football
Playoff coming up. I want to talk a little portal.
(35:02):
I'm just kind of really into the Transfer portal, mostly
because it's a disruptor to college football. It's such a
big deal that Texas Tech can go and battle LSU
and all these other programs for the top quarterback on
the portal, this kid out of Cincinnati and they can
(35:22):
get up. I mean Texas Tech now. In recruiting, historically,
the best quarterbacks usually go to you knows six programs right,
five or six. They're in the mix all the time.
Right transfer portal? Now, what do I need to go
get an eighteen nineteen year old high school quarterback for?
Why wouldn't I just go to the portal and get
(35:44):
the best twenty one year old, twenty two year old
who's fully formed, has seen a bunch of defenses over
the last two or three years, and is going to
hit the ground running and I'm going to be a
nine or ten win potential team. It's a no brainer.
And Texas Tech now has the money to make that
stuff happen. I'm just I'm loving, absolutely loving to transfer portal. Anyways,
(36:04):
plenty of stuff ahead this week. Just because the regular
season's over doesn't mean we're stopping football. Tons of action.
It's gonna be fun, gonna be exciting. We'll see tomorrow
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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