2024 Week 16 Preview

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Walk up to NFL Daily presented by Draft Kings Sportsbook,
where it's feeling like week eighteen and Week sixteen. I'm
Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Westling podcast studio with
my friends Patrick, Claybond, and Steve Weiss.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Back from the road. Get to have you back, buddy,
Good to be back, man.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
You know we got we had some interesting games.

Speaker 4 (00:25):
You're looking at so many spreads like huh wait what Yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:28):
When I say that, it just it's got a December
vibe this slate. It's a lot of one good team
playing one bad team, and the one bad team just
made a quarterback change that just makes it feel like
where they're just kind of running out the string a
little bit.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
But we have three weeks left. We don't have one
week left.

Speaker 4 (00:45):
It's the back end preseason right now. Okay, we got
some guys coming back. Glad to have Steve back, because
without you we suffered. How oh no, our survivor has
knowed you guys. Would you guys take.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
But put them use gun?

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, we we got a little over our skis.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
We got a little confident over convident.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
We took a team that not only have we not
taken in survivor all year that Patrick and I actually
haven't picked to win a single game all year, thinking
we were just hot for reason the Carolina Panthers, and
they did.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Whoa of Chris.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I apologize to Patrick, who wanted to go Falcons, and
I said, I am not taking this Kirk Cousins team
right now.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
Kirk did not look great, but that would have kept
us going. So I apologize.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
All right, we lost. We lost as a team, and
we didn't have exactly. Dan Campbell says, you know that
he's not buying the whole injury thing.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I believe it.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
When you don't have one of your pieces and you.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Only have three of them, we needed you, Steve.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
That's all right, you know we made it. We made
it this far without mushrooms growing underneath the pile.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
You know what. And I shouldn't. I should have said,
like it's all one bad team, one good team.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Because the early part of the slate, the Saturday like
teams that are playing on Christmas, but now they're just
playing on Saturday before Christmas like, those are pretty spicy.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Real spy.

Speaker 5 (02:01):
We're doing the games chronologically this week, so we will
be starting with the Saturday game that a lot of
eyeballs are on the Houston Texans at the Kansas City Chiefs,
who are favored by three. We've seen their quarterback hop
up and down and win Super Bowls, hop off the
field on one leg, backup, quarterbacks get fourth downs that
can they keep it going over under forty one and

(02:23):
a half. It's no Eagle the baby Bird. Todd Blackliche
and Catherine Tappan on the call, Greg where we've seen
this Texans defense be great. Can the Texans offense do
enough to knock off the Chiefs?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (02:35):
So that's an NBC production on a Saturday afternoon that
is interesting to me. This is all new territory for
us here, and it could be new territory for the
Chiefs winning a game they need to win with Carson
Wentz potentially at quarterback. When we came into the week,
I was assuming it was Carson Wentz. As we get
closer to Saturday and they're listing Patrick Mahomes full on

(02:57):
the injury report and he's moving around back there, talking
a pretty confident game. It's feeling more Steve like we
will get Mahomes on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
We don't need to just guess the whole time. But
what do you think?

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, I mean my feeling is this.

Speaker 4 (03:10):
First off, if you watch the Quarterback series on Netflix,
you know he does a lot of his training outside
of the Chiefs facility, and he's got a mister Miyagi
who is taking care of his ankles, and where Patrick
Mahomes sprains his ankles like every other week, and this
is a high ankle for this time of year. This
is his non injured ankle. By the way, this is clever.
He hurt his right ankle, but the camera showed them
taping up the left ankle. So this is clever deception

(03:32):
by Patrick right here. But I do think he plays.
But my thing is whether he's healthy or not. I
still like Houston this game.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (03:41):
I was at the Chiefs Browns game last week and
their offense, Chiefs offense that can't protect. They had to
move left guard Joe Tuney out to left tackle. That
could change this week if DJ Humphreys comes back. But
just the fact that his overall protection, Patrick is not
trusting what's going on in front of him. You're in
the Cleveland Browns defensive front is really good, right, So

(04:01):
they were getting pressure on him. He was stepping up.
The Browns wild let him step up, and we know
the Tech has got guys who can do that. Patrick,
when he had receivers opened deep downfield was overshooting him.
Something just did not look right. And this is why
I like Houston in this game. I think they feel
good about getting back in the win column last week
and playing a pretty good overall ball game. I think
this is a chance for Houston to kind of get

(04:22):
his legs under it and get us kind of excited
again about them going into the playoffs.

Speaker 5 (04:27):
Yeah, it's gonna be a defense that bothers people. And
Jawan Taylor has been over there the whole time. They've
made the changes over on the other side. But now
it's Daniel Hunter who's going to be matched up against
the Jawan Taylor for the majority of this game. And
whether with Mahomes and the ankle, whether it's like Mike
mancias Lebron's trainer or the guy that was settled to

(04:48):
Tom Brady for such a long time. Oh yeah, the
secret to longevity isn't the trainers. It's Patrick Mahomes, it's
Tom Brady, it's Lebron.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
J What about that dude that once spoke to us
at the Town on Summit that he was Michael Jordan's
Kobe's guy.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
Both of them. Yeah, I know, Tim.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
Turns out the real key to those scenarios were Kobe,
Bean Bryant, Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Okay, the trainer.

Speaker 5 (05:13):
Stuff draws me nuts because we have Patrick doing all
these workouts and it's like, oh, he's on a bullsup ball. Now,
if you go out there, your ankle will be pliable
like his. No, that's him.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Okay, I don't know, man, some of that stuff's a
little different.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
See, if he was a believer, Patrick's a skeptic yells.

Speaker 5 (05:32):
Everybody would just be hopping off the field one play
and then coming back and winning Super Bowls.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
Dude is different.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
He is different, but he's looking as mortal as I've
ever seen him consistently as a pro. I didn't get
to watch that game until this morning, so it's really
fresh in my mind. That's on the short list of
the worst Patrick Mahomes games of all time. I play, well,
that's on the short list of just the worst Chiefs

(05:59):
offensive perform is because I'm obviously not putting at all
on Patrick Mahomes, but they had four point two yards
for play. They had fifteen drives in that game, which
is a crazy amount of drives.

Speaker 3 (06:08):
That's six takeaways.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
You know how many drives included more than two first
downs one fifth and that was the game. To me,
that was the most concerning of all the ones that
we've seen. Not that they can't have better weeks and
bad weeks, but for them to sink that low, the
alarm bell should be off. And now you're going to
put against the defense as you mentioned with the great

(06:31):
edge rushers, but is really sound on the back end
too and.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
The second level.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
And I know, yeah they probably they're not going to
have outside year back, but Kristin Harris is out there.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
In total, they had a good game last week.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Defensive players no one talks about.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
They are now actually up to number one on the
season in defensive efficiency.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
That's according to Dvowa.

Speaker 1 (06:51):
So I was thinking while watching the Chiefs Browns this morning, Man,
now you put the Texans in this mix in out
of the Browns who've given up a lot of big plays,
maybe that's why they were big play hunting like Mahomes
went three for thirteen and plus ten throws zero for
six deep and I thought oh you're gonna now you
got to go against the Texans. I don't think the
Texans are going to be able to score either. It's

(07:13):
crazy that we got Texans Chiefs on NBC and these
two great quarterbacks potentially, and I'm I'm taking the under
whatever that is. This thing is gonna be thirteen to nine.
Neither of these teams are gonna score. I have no
faith in the Texans offense either. So I definitely think
that the Chiefs can win this game and probably will
be picking them to win this game if Mahomes starts,
because I just I'm not gonna They're just gonna win

(07:35):
another freaking out gooly gamesh. Excuse me, excuse me.

Speaker 5 (07:37):
I mean, cumulatively, they do have a better offense than
the Texans, but it's by one tenth of a point.
They scored twenty three point five points a game. The
Texans scored twenty three point four YEP points per game.
And it's just in the way that the Texans have
done it, especially late this season, like in that win
against the Miami Dolphins. Like these grind out drives were
third and sometimes fourth down CJ. Stroud competing passes where

(08:01):
the Chiefs have had to grind things out too, but
it feels more reliable, Like they scored that twenty first
point on that worthy run and there's plenty of time
to go in the third quarter.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
Right, they don't sniff the end zone or close goal again.

Speaker 5 (08:13):
And so I just I take the Texans in this game,
not just because of the avalanche of everything and Patrick's ankle.
It's just one team I believe can consistently execute something
on offense.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
I don't, and the other deep I don't.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
I actually think the Texans are in a worse situation offensively,
even than the Chiefs. They came out for the first
drive last week against Miami, they started doing some of
their old concepts like last year. It was less shotguns
and play action CJ's getting rid of the ball on time.
Then they got stuffed on like a or they threw
a shot deep on third and one. They decided to

(08:47):
kick a field goal there. I was like, Okay, Texans offense,
maybe they're back. Rest of the game, they stunk. They
were worse than the Chiefs offense last week. They had
one hundred and eighty yards. Like people weren't watching that
game as much, but they look lost. CS strout Is
is under fire and not.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
Looking comfortable anything under pressure.

Speaker 1 (09:04):
She made a couple really nice second reaction plays to
score touchdowns, and they took advantage of the red zone trips,
and he had a couple of magical plays underheat. But
they've been bad all season too on offense. So that's
why I'm saying forty one is way too high, way
too high.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
I don't know who's going to.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
Win this game, but I feel amazing that it's going
under forty one.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
I like Houston, and part of it is also, you know,
watching the Chiefs, they look due, they like they look
due for what happened to the Lions last week.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
Okay, so that's true. That is true. They feel very ready.
You get picked off. And the argument for them would
be the Texans defense is the best unit in this
entire game.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
So you have you have two struggles.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
That I'm saying a lot. Yeah, Kanses defense is legit.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Stingley was just crazy last week.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
That Texans defense going on the road.

Speaker 5 (09:52):
Also a good defense on the road on Saturday as well,
the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens, who were favored
by six with the over under forty five. It is
Fox A one, Kevin Burkhart, Tom Brady Aeron and Tom
Ronaldi on the call, Steve to See Lamar and Derrick
Henry trying to get revenge against the Steelers team that
gave them that loss back in week eleven.

Speaker 4 (10:14):
Yeah, a two point loss, which is how these games go.
That's why obviously this number like this is crazy. Seven
of the last eight games, neither team has scored more
than twenty points, which when I look at the over underline, yeah, right,
and then we know Pittsburgh's won eight to the last nine.
But it's funny, man that that Eagles game we're talking about,
the Eagles put it on the Steelers, and everyone now

(10:35):
is like.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Are the Steelers fraudulent? Man?

Speaker 4 (10:39):
That narrative is freaking blasting over the speakers, right, And
I think they're a good team. I like Baltimore in this,
not by six. I do not like the over under.
But here's why this is gonna sound absolutely crazy coming
from me. The fact that Justin Tucker is five to
five on the pat. I think he might get his
mojo back. WHOA, he's at home, might get his mojo back.

(11:00):
I think that's going to be important for Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
I need more than just extra points.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
But that's that's what I'm saying. Yeah, those extra points
are for field goal rangers, so that that's what I'm saying.
Those Pat kicks, now he might he might have got
his win back. It's gonna be another closer.

Speaker 1 (11:13):
Okay, that that would make me feel better. I want
to see them just be more discipline about preventing the
deep ball, and if George Pickens is not playing, that
really helps their case.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
I mean even better though, with Hamilton playing that deep,
that deep third safety, He's They've been better.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
Man, they have.

Speaker 1 (11:31):
They made a lot of changes coming out of the bye.
So that game against the Giants, everyone will just say, Okay,
it was against the Giants, but they did do a
number of things that I think are interesting to watch
moving forward. Number one on my list, I made a
list of what changed Roquan Smith. I think the extra
week of rest that he had in the bye really
helped him. He looked like the old Roquon like he

(11:53):
was flying around and he left that game against the
Steelers the first time and that was when the Steelers
scored some points, was when broke one love. They benched
Trent Simpson. That was interesting. That was he's gone. It's
Chris Board Now they're playing some more safeties. Marcus Williams.
They came out of the by with him as a
healthy scratch and and so that's they've kind of made
what their decisions on who's going to be playing in

(12:15):
their back end. At at cornerback, it's the young kid Wiggins,
Brandon Stevens.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
Back out there. I trust them. They made it.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
They made a change at punt returner to Desmond King.
They've had some troubles with the punt returns. He had
a couple of nice plays, these little things that gives
me hope as a as a guy who wants to
see the Ravens close strong like you Patrick that maybe
this is the old Ravens magic.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Because I got to.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
Check the numbers on this, but I swear they're the
best team at improving in December, like in the entire NFL,
now that the old like Brady Patriots are gone.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
The ramps are.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
There too, but they always just do these little moves
and maybe these are the moves that that get it done.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think the defense was improving even before the Bible Well.

Speaker 5 (12:57):
And that's the thing right with the franchises in the
historic like historically looking back, it's front offices and coaching
staffs that have been together for a long time. They
know how to go through this personnel process and they're
on the same page with it. And we had Zach
Orr coming in as the new defensive coordinator and things
took time right to work out how they go about

(13:19):
defending these teams, and ultimately without George Pickens, it's a
fundamentally different Steelers offense, not just against balls right, really
against anybody, because you're asking now Mike Williams and Calvin
Austin to do George Pickens things that really right. He's
unique in more ways than one George Pickens.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
I think in the AFC North Hard Knocks, you know,
you get a different look at all the many ways
that George Pickens is different. But it's it comes down
to how healthy is TJ Watt after leaving this game,
because Lamar's consistent struggles against this team.

Speaker 3 (13:55):
Are directly related to number ninety. When things get.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Dicey and Lamar is out on the edge, others so
many players that he can make myths make look like fools.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
TJ's not one of them.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
No, No, they do a great job kind of elimitting
him going outside.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
It's a great strategy, you know. TJ. Watt looked. Let's
not forget they got Preston Smith there. They made a
great trade.

Speaker 4 (14:15):
This is there's some subtle trades and things like this
that we aren't really recognizing as much. Preston Smith has
helped out Nick herbig go on either side. Alex high
Smith is back. Now you're never gonna replace t J.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
Watt.

Speaker 4 (14:26):
But strategically what they've done, it has worked. And so
but to get back to your changes about Baltimore, Greg,
you know what they did.

Speaker 3 (14:33):
They got faster on defense.

Speaker 4 (14:34):
Even though Trenton Simpson could run, he was confused some
of the calls I think with Roquand they were asking
him to do too much man, some of the coverage
stuff they were asking to do. And was like, come on, man,
that's tough for anybody, Brian or Lacker type of thing
to do.

Speaker 3 (14:46):
You get faster on the back end.

Speaker 4 (14:48):
Something's been going off Marcus Williams all year because he's
been in and out of the lineup.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
But they're faster.

Speaker 4 (14:52):
They needed to improve that speed because teams were taking
advantage of it early on.

Speaker 1 (14:56):
That's a great point. And on offense did their number
one concern is their offensive line still. I actually believe
their guards in pass pro against the best teams are
gotta be a problem.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
They actually struggled.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
I thought against the Giants, you wouldn't have known it,
but those big guys like they're not good pass protectors.
But what they did was they got a little heavier.
They went really heavy on the two tight ends. Not
that they don't do that normally, but they cranked it
up to about their their highest that they've done it
all year last week. And I think that's having their
best players on the field, likely and Andrews at the
same time. So we'll see if they stay as heavy

(15:30):
and our friend hide them behind the glass supporting us
as our teammates. Gives me the stat that Lamar Jackson
is undefeated as a starter after week fifteen in his
career twelve and zero.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
So they really do.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
That's strong.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
They really do improve late in the season, and I
think they keep it going.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
I think they cover the six too. Wow, let's go.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
I'll take that.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
I don't we're not allowed to do.

Speaker 4 (15:56):
You just said the guards aren't play well. Cam Heyward's
playing better than any d tackle.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
I just believe if there's one team that has by
far the highest explosive play rate in the NFL, it's
not even close.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Like the Ravens are. They're just explosive explosives.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
And another team that if they don't have pickens, they
don't actually run the ball well.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
People just say that for some reason, don't that they don't.

Speaker 1 (16:16):
They don't, so you're gonna have to move the ball
down the field slow. I just I don't see it.
I think it's like a ten point game. It's nothing
crazy with it.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
If the Ravens win, though, I mean, that shakes up
the AFC nicely. That puts in a striking range, you
get that division.

Speaker 5 (16:28):
We want to talk about those AFC contenders that are
playing on Saturday. They're all four of them, the Steelers,
the Ravens, the Chiefs, and Texans will be back because
they're flip flopping. The one team to play the other
team on Saturday is playing the different team. It's like
a little nd season tournament. Shout out to the Cup
champions Chiefs, Steelers and Ravens Texans Christmas Day on Netflix.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
Let's go to our next game.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
Actually, if you're watching on YouTube here, Patrick, I just
wanted to point out the promotion out there for Netflix.
It's got all the biggest names in the industry. I
An Eagle, Greg Olsen, JJ Watt, you know, Stacey Dale's
is in the mix. And then who who is on

(17:13):
that that big promotion NFL Daily z own Steve Weish.
Now he might not, you know, list himself that way,
but that's how I list him. NFL Daily zwe Steve
Weish is on that promo with all the big hitters
like gene Sterritors on that.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Is that a connect for promo? It could be. It
really does look like it, doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
Drew Brees is on there.

Speaker 1 (17:33):
I think he's doing the international broadcast with Hanson on Netflix.
So I very cool that you're going to be on.
Fortunate the Netflix coverage on Christmas? How does the How
does the wife feel about that?

Speaker 2 (17:47):
The family? Is she going down there? You gotta celebrate?

Speaker 3 (17:50):
My wife will not be going down there.

Speaker 4 (17:51):
All of our kids will be home, so sorry, there'll
be some face times.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
It's all good. You know.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
I've covered the NBA. I've had to work Christmas days
for years. My kids are grown, so it's more important for.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
So you're not gonna do like a fake Christmas like
I do every year before my family leaves me.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
That's what we do.

Speaker 4 (18:07):
Nothing take fake. There's nothing fake about this, dude, Greg,
I'm all one hundred. If you're doing it, it's not fake.
It's legitimate.

Speaker 5 (18:15):
Who the day doesn't have to be the day people
celebrate on, not their birthdays all the time. It was
not Kirk Cousins birthday at all, Nora. Was it the
birthday of any Giants quarterback at all in twenty twenty four.
So we're gonna get Drew Locke against Michael PENNOCKX junior
in Atlanta.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
Greg the over under forty two.

Speaker 4 (18:34):
It's the Falcons with their quarterback making us first step
for start as an eight and a half point favorite.
Kevin Kougler, Moose Johnston and Laura Oakman on the call,
we had said it was going to be the last
game for several weeks.

Speaker 5 (18:48):
You called it after the last game for Kirk Cousins.
Now it's the rookie with a chance to get some
experience against the Giants.

Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, the bar is so low, and I don't think
we need to talk about this game too much. Although no,
with your lock, I give the Giants a better chance
to be competitive than they would have been with Tommy DeVito.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
And eight and a half is crazy.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
I mean it went down. It went down after the
quarterback change. It was ten.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
I know, I know, Yeah, why Pennox. I don't know
X improves him. So let's just talk Penex this whole time,
because it's a fascinating that they did make the decision.
I thought the way Cousins played kind of left them
almost no choice. They owed it to the rest of
the team. They still have an uphill battle to make
the playoffs. But you can do two things here. You
can get a little peak at Penix and help his development,

(19:31):
and I think he gives you a better chance to
win games because Cousins was playing that poorly. Yeah, what
do you what do you think it means for Cousins' future?
Let's just start there. It's hard to imagine him playing
for the Falcons ever again, unless Penix gets hurt in
the next three weeks.

Speaker 4 (19:48):
Well, I mean he's got no trade clause, right, So
we're looking at the Russell Wilson situation all over again.
Will they move him and pay pay pay for his
salary for someone else that could have but remember they
ate what was the number for Matt Ryan. Remember they
ate that type of cap space to move Matt Ryan.
So the Falcus front office is not afraid to make
a move.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
Like this man. But they just did that.

Speaker 3 (20:10):
They just did it.

Speaker 4 (20:11):
But they they've signed their younger players to long term deals.
I mean, they're they're pretty well situated cap wise, and
that number is going to be there anyway. And they've
got his backup on a rookie deal. But I think
for Cousins, they'll probably be some teams. I think he'll
waive it. What's interesting to note about the scenario he
could have done this with Minnesota. They're going to draft
a quarterback. He wasn't really happy about that thing. Well,

(20:34):
he wasn't really happy about this, So I think you
realized that Kirk might not be too cool being a
backup to Michael Pennick. So I think he will be
somewhere next year. It'll be interesting to see if he's
a starter. I think he could be kind of pick
up guy after all the other pieces you have been drafted.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
Why, I mean, I guess I'm going to convince yourself
that maybe he'd be healthier a year, you know, more
removed easily surgery, but he's also older and thirty seven.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
Yeah, it's almost like, would you take him over Daniel Jones?
I mean that that's kind of where, right, I mean,
that's kind of where I think some of that conversation
could go. I mean a lot of people would. A
lot of people wouldn't. You're sitting next to one. I
would gladly take Kirk.

Speaker 5 (21:15):
The people are doing the comparison right because Aaron is
forty one, correct, and Kirk Cousins is thirty six, And
it feels like simple math. Aaron Rodgers' Achilles injury happened
three months before Kirk Cousins did. Right, Kirk Cousins, it's
very difficult, Like we could talk like the state of health.
It's very difficult to become healthier playing in the National

(21:35):
Football League. Sure, And so I really think with more
time removed, Kirk Cousins like long term viability. I mean,
in the next three or four years, I think at
a certain point he will get closer to being the
Kirk Cousins that we know.

Speaker 4 (21:47):
This version is still clearly dealing with something. What's interesting.
Patrick moved what's interesting though, when people say that is
six weeks ago we were talking about that Kirk.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
He was Kirk co Chains. We were a little bit
on this show.

Speaker 1 (21:59):
We were saying where we're so impressed that he was
doing it despite the limitation.

Speaker 4 (22:03):
I remember, nothing got worse, And I think Patrick brought
up a stat like he was only move head the
least amount of movement like one and a half yards
in the pocket. So that part was there, But you
saw there was some stuff. He was stepping into his throws.
I don't know if there was a lack of confidence,
but he's stilling wiffle balls out there. I mean those
balls pop out of his hand and they die after
five yards. They were having to throw the ball between

(22:23):
the numbers because he couldn't get it outside. Teams knew
that that was leading to all the interceptions. That's why
they had to make a move. But you know, I
think I think Patrick, you know, it's an interesting point
because I do think he will get healthier.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
Does he want to? I mean, does he want to?
Does he want to?

Speaker 4 (22:40):
I bet he will so well, the money's gonna be there,
I mean, he's got a significant paycheck coming.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
I think he will too, so Michael Silver, our old coworker,
I saw him talking about that all all his old coaches,
they are fascinated by him still and that there will
be a market for him.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
And I had my doubts, but not now.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
You're you're making the case Patrick that there's a there's
always a market for a quarterback. But I sent a
couple of texts yesterday about this when it happened, and
I thought, oh, maybe Kirk actually, like, would Kirk ever
actually be okay being the backup to Pennix? It's not
that crazy, like if you've already got him under contract,

(23:15):
you have a good number two.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
And they were like, are you high.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
They're like, they thought, there's no way he is not
gonna be happy. He is, you know, they were surmising,
but they just did not think he would be okay
with that scenario.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
And that is essentially what you're saying too.

Speaker 5 (23:32):
We're on the verge of watching Sam Darnold and Baker
Mayfield after playing on that woeful Carolina Panthers team start
playoff games, yeah, in which they are teams of fan
bases believe that they give them the best chance to win.
We saw Peyton Manning come back from that neck injury
where there's like zu Bruder film of him throwing and training,
and all of a sudden, the whole league's like, all right,
we're back in, We're back in. I just don't think

(23:55):
I don't think it's that difficult to believe either Kirk
Cousins can be significantly better in the one.

Speaker 1 (24:00):
I'm glad you're presenting that side of the argument, even
though I am just even though I don't see it.
I think it's just closer to Matt Ryan in Indianapolis
that when you see something like that, and it was
why we felt confident, why I felt confident on the show,
like they are going to bench him.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
I don't care about the money, like when.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
You see that they're not coming back from that, they're
just I think it was more of a like whatever
he needed because he was always a confident player, He'll
always be willing to rip the ball.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
He had totally lost it this year.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
Maybe maybe you get that confidence back, but that was
as important to me as as what he lost in
terms of his movement. Let's give it a little up
to Pennix, though, what do we think, what do we
think he's going to look like the next couple of weeks.
He's a fascinating prospect. And uh, I'm really glad they
drafted him.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
For Faculo smart for drafting.

Speaker 1 (24:47):
I think they were smart at the time because you
always got to keep I think, invest as much as
you possibly can in quarterback until you're sure you got one.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
And they couldn't have been sure they got one with
Kirk Cousins.

Speaker 4 (24:55):
Well, they paid Kirk Cousin one hundred and hundred million dollars.
Now that was the issue. It's not this, it's not
them drafting Pendix. It was signed drafting him after signing.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
Kirk, I get it, which was bad process.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
I have heard speculation, I'm wondering what you think, Steve
is an insider, that there's a chance, once the Falcons
got Kirk in the building that they were a little
more skeptical of where he was at physically, and that
impacted that.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
You really couldn't have had as much.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Knowledge of where he was at physically before the trade.

Speaker 4 (25:28):
And I mean that might be to mean, I think
that might be hindsight, because remember when they did this,
Kirk's our guy.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
Kirk's our guy.

Speaker 4 (25:35):
They draft Penis, he's our guy. Yeah, So if they
had any questions about it. Physically, they sure weren't tipping
their hand. Plus, Michael Penix has not begetting first team reps. True,
he has not been getting first team reps. When you
watch an NFL practice, your starter gets ninety eight percent
of the reps. So they're going to have to un afford. Like,
I think he's going to know the playbook. It's just
the operation of things. And this is where a guy's

(25:55):
playing five years in college is going to help him.
He's going to understand cover. She's gonna understand how the
game flow is supposed to go. So I think that's
gonna help. And they're gonna be able to throw the
ball outside of the numbers. He can rip it. You
talk to people down there, they're like, we didn't show him.
Remember he only played one preseason game. We didn't show
him in pre season because that arm is a beautiful
thing to say, and we didn't want one. He you know,

(26:17):
I spoke to her he about this. We didn't want
the other team other show other teams at arm. But
I don't think we wanted to show their fans that
arm because they wouldn't been calling for this change a
lot earlier.

Speaker 3 (26:28):
That happened, that would be that would be even worse.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
Process.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
We are talking about the one winged bird. There aren't
two wings on that falcon on the helmet pass they
are for a long time.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, that's that is amazing.

Speaker 1 (26:44):
We we suddenly have one of the most interesting parts
of the last three weeks. Though, is Michael Pennock started
this game. So just as an an unbiased observer like
I'm kind of happy to have this. We needed some
injection of interesting storylines into the.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
End and that Division two and this is a very
winnable game.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
And then next week they have a game against another contender.
I'm forgetting who it is now at the top of
my head, I'll check.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
But they're in the mix.

Speaker 5 (27:13):
Yeah, they just need some help from the Dallas Cowboys
and they're right back in it with an opportunity. And yeah,
watching the Giants, my favorite player ever was playing the
Giants at five touchdowns last week.

Speaker 3 (27:23):
I could barely stand to watch it film.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
By the way, They're on Sunday Night football next week.
That was what I was thinking against the Commanders. Yes,
and they actually could even in a scenario where they
if they can win this week, they could actually get
into the wild card race. Even if the Bucks keep
winning to win the NFC South. If the Commanders lose
this week to the Eagles, yep, and then they can
beat them heads up next week, then it just makes

(27:46):
for an interesting stretch run. And frankly, he's my type
of quarterback that I've been wrong about and right about before.
Hefended no like big arm, anticipation, throws from the pocket
like to me, he's like he's like Herbert on the
high end. Jamis maybe in the mid in the middle,

(28:06):
lower end, like uh, Mike Glennon in the middle. Cutler
would be a better example, Cuddy Cutter. Cutler, let's get
let's give him, give me Cutler.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
But he cares. That would be a great player.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
And it's no longer Jay Cutler real quick.

Speaker 4 (28:19):
And this is and this is from the patch of Claiban,
Whole of Destiny, right, I tweeted it yesterday Michael Penniski
is named starter. And what else happened on that day?
Michael Vick gets named the head coach at Norfolk State.
So two left handed Falcons quarterbacks leading their programs in
new directions.

Speaker 3 (28:38):
You like that?

Speaker 2 (28:38):
I love it?

Speaker 3 (28:39):
Predestined.

Speaker 5 (28:40):
Yeah, it's symmetry, and we interrupt our Atlanta Falcons podcast
and take it to the Arizona Cardinals four and a
half point favorites on the road against the team that
sunk our Survivor picks last week, the Carolina Panthers, the
over under forty seven. Chris Meyers, Mark slaff and Jen
Hale on the call. All the pozzy Steve from the

(29:01):
previous you know, vibe boosting but still losses went out
the window. Or Carolina, how do they perform against the
Cardinals team that still has a little bit of hope
as well.

Speaker 4 (29:11):
Yeah, I think, you know, with Arizona and back in
the win column against you know, bad Patriots team last week,
this is gonna be a competitive game that six and
a half hour. I'm sorry that Ford was it four
to four and a half number? I like it for Arizona.
I think this is one where James Connor, he goes
over a thousand for the season. They pound the ball,
They kind of get back to where they were a
little bit and not relying so much on Kyler and

(29:34):
I think Carolina with that, I mean they did more
than stub their toe last week. I think that just
kind of they plateaued, and you know, if Arizona gets
up on him quickly.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
Maybe they'll respond.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
I think it's a good I think it's an important
month for Bryce to continue his progress in the program,
to continue it. They were do I guess to have
a bad week, and they certainly had one.

Speaker 3 (29:54):
I went bad week.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
Well, I just mean they've been competitive in all these games.
I think looked like a NFL team, and then last
week they went back to their worst habits. I went
through a lot of the playoff scenarios, okay, to make
the case for these teams that feel like they're a
little on the outside looking in. Arizona wins a three

(30:15):
way tie in the NFC West if they all go
ten and seven. Now, they got to win out to
do that, but they but they have two division games,
the Rams and the forty nine ers that will help them.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
So they would.

Speaker 1 (30:26):
If it's Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams at ten and seven,
Cardinals win the division, they also win the two way
if it's a two way tie with the Rams, assuming
that they beat the Rams on Saturday Night on NFL
Network next week, which is that's their do or die game.
Every game is basically a do or die game, But
it's not that crazy of a route. They basically win
these next two games in Carolina and against the Rams,

(30:49):
and they might be in the driver's seat two weeks
from now. So even though they I don't I was
not convinced by them last week. They didn't make me
feel any better or worse about them the way they
played against the Patriots. And Kyle had an okay game,
nothing great, But they have an opportunity here.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
It's still all right in front of him. By the way, Buddha.

Speaker 1 (31:07):
Baker, how about that got a nice little contract extension,
third contract, third contract.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
That is tough to do.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
David Mullagata represents him. Man, David David gets all these
guys taken care of.

Speaker 1 (31:19):
And the search Bar it's gotten some reinforcements. We got
Baron Browning. I mean, that's a guy people actually do know.
And then their first round pick, Darius Robinson played a
lot last week. So and they just gave a guy
a big contract. Buddha Baker. The search bar might they
might graduate from the search Bar at some point.

Speaker 4 (31:36):
The links are gonna be purple because everybody's gonna have seen.

Speaker 1 (31:40):
All right, we are just getting going here on NFL Daily.
We got we got a lot of games to get to.
We're gonna hit some fun ones after the break and
including the Lions.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
See if they can bounce back this week. Back on
NFL Daily, Patrick.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
Before you set up this next game, Okay, can you
just remind me what the quote you read to me
from Kirk Cousins during the break was.

Speaker 2 (32:13):
Because it was it was beautiful.

Speaker 4 (32:15):
So he did call Michael Pennock Jr. They asked him
at his availability why he called him, and he said, quote,
I like to shoot elephants in the room, so I
just wanted to shoot one.

Speaker 5 (32:25):
And they said he couldn't execute the big game. But
there he is, well done.

Speaker 1 (32:29):
Oh wait, good job, nicely shoot the elephant in the room.

Speaker 3 (32:34):
My god.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
And then he circled back to it. I like to
shoot elephants sweat.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Hey, man, that's poaching. You can't do it too much.

Speaker 5 (32:40):
Kirk oh Cousins, Oh, Kirk, how we love the Yes,
that's a look back, but let's look forward to the
Detroit Lions. The very very injured Detroit Lions, but still
very very good six and a half point favorites in
Chicago against the Bears with the over under forty eight,
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Ville make Aan Olivy on the call,

(33:03):
Coach Campbell said, Greg, he's not buying the injury stuff.
It's gonna be tough no more. David Montgomery for the
rest of the season. Ilan McNeil hoping to get good
news on Carlton Davis. It's not gonna matter against the Bears,
but what can they show you that they can get
it done without.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
Those guys defensively?

Speaker 1 (33:22):
I just think they want to stabilize and have a
positive performance. As banged up as they are, and losing
McNeil is huge for that defensive line.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
Huge.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
They still do have Zadaria Smith and they got it
for everyone, you know, talking about the injuries last week,
they did get Owen Wuzuriki and DJ Reader back on
the field. So that's three starters there on your defensive line.
Jack Campbell and that linebacker group behind him. That's really
where opposing teams are gonna make them pay. I don't
know if the Bears are the team to do that,

(33:52):
but just to play Devil's advocate a little bit, you
still have a creditable defensive line and some really good
players in the secondary, like I don't think hope is lost.
And oh, by the way, maybe the number one offense
in the league, which they'll be okay without Montgomery, like
he's a big loss, but they'll be okay, they'll be great.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
I'm with you.

Speaker 4 (34:11):
I still think I think Detroit overcomes it at least
to win the NFC North. I think they're gonna go
ahead and win the division just because they can score,
which is why I think that over underline is what
it is at forty eight, because I don't think the
Bears are hanging twenty five on them. But you know,
at some point, playing the type of football they like
to play where they've got it, where they can go

(34:32):
down and grind out ten and twelve play drives, when
teams start doing that to them because of some of
the injuries that they have and the lack of depth
they have, that's where it's gonna catch up to them.
But in the short term, I think they're still too
explosive and just too creative offensively to really fall off
right now.

Speaker 3 (34:46):
Yeah, it's gonna be more volume for Jamier Gibbs. Obviously.

Speaker 5 (34:49):
I guess Craig Reynolds slides and he has the most
non Jared Goff actually has the third most carries on
the team, But then you go down to Craig Reynolds
as far as at the running back position, so he
comes in he fills nicely the role that I think
it hurts the offense. But over on the defensive side
of the ball, even when they did have everybody, it's
not like the Lions were shutting people down on defense

(35:11):
that I back to the shootout against Gino, one of
many shootouts against Gino that the Lions have had in
the past few years where they've had to score in
the past, and they can still do that. It's not
a problem against Chicago. But I think we're going to
learn a little bit about this team in this game
in terms of how they approach a game against the

(35:34):
team that they're significantly better than the loss against Buffalo.
Buffalo is still a very good team with the generational quarterback.
Right there's a lot of defenses problems.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Might just be the Super Bowl favorites on a neutral
field Bills.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
It's not.

Speaker 5 (35:47):
I feel like there's this tendency because we want so
much from the Lions and there it's been such a
great story to feel like this is it, this is
over this is still one of the best.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
Yeah, that their fans haven't been in this position, and
I saw some of the reaction online to their great
beat writer, Colton Pouncy, and he's answering questions from the
fans and they're like, well, what even hope do we
have left?

Speaker 2 (36:08):
Is it over now?

Speaker 1 (36:09):
And it's like, no, you guys lost the game and
you've had an incredible amount of injuries that is going
to make this path tougher. But let's not get it twisted.
You're still one of the favorites. You're still one of
the five teams five or six that if you're hosting,
you're winning the Lombardi in a couple months. Then I
won't be surprised because Jared Goff has never played better.

(36:29):
I am convinced he is absolutely peaking. So your quarterback
is peaking. You have playmakers on defense, but you have
even more of them on offense, and every the continuity,
everything is there for them. This is one of my
favorite picks of the week is them minus six and
a half. I will be putting it out there with
Cynthia on our man versus Machine picks because I think

(36:52):
great teams respond. I think Caleb Williams is a little
lost at see right now. And even though the Bears
defense competed really well, it's a division game, this game
was on Thanksgiving. In the end, I just think great
teams respawn and they'll respond in this game.

Speaker 3 (37:04):
I agree.

Speaker 4 (37:05):
I can't wait that Week eighteen game to them in
the vikings. I mean that could be for the division,
could be for top seed. So I mean they're gonna
have to play all the way through. They've got to
stay healthy all the way through.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
Here go to.

Speaker 5 (37:17):
Our next home team, a seven and a half point
favorite at home, the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Cleveland Browns.
Greg mentioned Steve the very reasonable path for a team
like the Arizona Cardinals. The Bengals need an incalculable amount
of help. It's absolutely in saying we saw Joe Burrow's
frustrations even in the win against the Tennessee Titans. The

(37:38):
Browns are going to be starting DTR Spirodidas, Adam Archoletta,
and A D. D. Kikawalla on the CALLI over under
is forty seven?

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Is it that crazy a path? Though? Okay, let's put
it out there. Let's put it out there.

Speaker 1 (37:53):
Patrick, you win this game against the Browns, now the
Thursday night game, which some of you maybe even watch
by the time you listen to this, it's so important
for Cincinnati. The Broncos Chargers game. You could look at
it two different ways. You could want the Chargers to
lose because they'll be easier to catch, but they lose
the head to head against the Chargers, so you actually
would need the Chargers to lose another game after that

(38:15):
and win out, and the Chargers have two quite winnable
road games. You could look at it the other way
and look at where the Broncos are at right now.
They would have the head to head over the Broncos.
If the Bengals could win out the Broncos lose on
Thursday Night, then next week they play against the Broncos.
The Bengals play the Broncos in Week seventeen. That's a

(38:38):
really big game and you could take out the team
that's right in front of you, and the Broncos finished
with the Chiefs. We don't know if the Chiefs are
going to be playing for the one seed or not,
but there are a couple pass that aren't that crazy
to me. That's not crazy to see whether the Broncos
lose out or the Chargers lose a couple games here,
it's not over.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
It's not over, no, I mean the only challenge is
Cincinnati winning out.

Speaker 1 (38:58):
Yes, I mean they've they're slopping as hell. Good point,
thank you, that's an issue. I've been making that point
all year, thank you.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
Good fight.

Speaker 4 (39:05):
Sorry penalties, negative plays, Yes, you're right. I mean look
this week. First off, I don't like that number. What
is the number?

Speaker 2 (39:13):
I don't like playing DTR.

Speaker 3 (39:15):
They're playing DTR. But Cleveland's defense is good man.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
I mean you talked about how they hell can't see
the twenty one points with six takeaways. That defense. Guys
in the secondary are playing well, they're competing. I mean,
they've got some pros on that side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
They should beat DTR. But who knows. If he pulls it.

Speaker 4 (39:32):
Down and starts running on him, doesn't give it away,
I don't. I mean, Cleveland, they'd have their just speed
on the offense. Isn't there in the run game. Well,
Jerome Ford had the big hit last week, but it's
just with Cincinnati they still I mean it is the
Burrow and those two stud wide receivers. Everywhere else, he
just keep making so many mistakes just when you want

(39:54):
to buy into him, like, gosh, these guys are self destructive.
I love that scenario you rolled out. I don't see
the Chargers or the Broncos making the mistakes that the
Bengals do when it comes to winning ball games and
not beating well.

Speaker 1 (40:07):
At least win this game, and you give yourself another
week to go to that Broncos game and yeah, Joe
Burrow do something that would be awesome, extraordinary, and you're
right watching them have I think it was like twelve
penalties and four turnovers against the Titans.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
It's not going to inspire a ton of confidence. That's fair.

Speaker 4 (40:25):
I think the problem with the one Path right, other
than the most significant issue being the Bengals being the Bengals,
is you get in a situation where you're relying on
a Carson Wentz led Chiefs team that's sitting everybody like
Christian's gonna be playing in that game, No, no, ma homes.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
It probably get Hollywood maybe though, like not.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
If you guys are right and the Chiefs are going
to lose this week against the Texans, then then they
will be playing for Week eighteen most likely. So just
just saying chance one of these is going to hit
one of these crazy, like one of the teams one
right now that that is around three teen percent and lower.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
There's about five or six teams between the two covers.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
One of them's at least going to get to Week
eighteen with a real chance and the Bengals.

Speaker 5 (41:07):
There was a team last week that had a chance
to be in this discussion but absolutely melted down. It's
the Indianapolis Colts. They are at home in the Division
three and a half point favorites against the Tennessee Titans.
That will start Mason Rudolph, Tom McCarthy, j Freeley, Ross
Tucker and our dear friend Tiffany Blackman on the call,

(41:27):
Greg where we've finally seen the results of the season
long Will Levis experiment and the results are back to
Mason Rudolph. Meanwhile, the Colts would like to have that
one back they lost their season.

Speaker 1 (41:41):
They would, but they actually have a higher percentage chance
of making a playoffs. See, everyone just wants to cross
these teams out because it just feels like it's better.

Speaker 4 (41:49):
Yeah, but you're you're so analytical, man. Watch just some
of the dumb stuff some of these teams do where
you have no faith, and that's where we're coming from.

Speaker 3 (41:56):
Greg.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
I don't think they're good.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
I just think they have the easiest schedule in the
NFL the last three weeks. If you could construct this
schedule that did not include the Patriots and maybe the
Pages wouldn't be in this mix, could you come up
with an easier three pack of games than home for
Tennessee at the Giants home for Jacksonville. I actually think
even if they don't make the playoffs at nine and
eight and they're in one of the scenarios I laid

(42:19):
out for Cincinnati, and I was playing with the playoff
machine last night. Actually they didn't get in because Indianapolis
gets in at nine and eight over Cincinnati. I'm just
saying they have a chance even if they don't get in.
I actually do think nine and eight and Anthony Richardson
plays competent football the last three weeks against these three
bad defenses will make the offseason feel different, feel better

(42:42):
than it does right now. So I do think these
late season games matter whether whether you make the playoffs
or now.

Speaker 4 (42:47):
I get that point, but if they lose this game,
I mean tennise, well, that's the big yeah. I mean
Tennessee is just such a wildcard. I mean some days
it can get you inspired. I have no faith in
them right now. But like the Colts don't win this game,
it's like you're gonna look back on Jonathan Taylor that
fumble like wow, that that's what broke our backs, And
to me, that goes he you maybe aren't mentally tough

(43:08):
as you need to be. I do like Indianapolis in
this game. I just I mean, Tennessee's packed the bags.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
We talked about it at the start of the show Man.

Speaker 4 (43:18):
There's some team that's what I mean, final three preseason game.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
Richardson's so hard because that first drive he had last
week where he had a couple just beautiful throws and
then they call the Reid option and he he just
looks like a faster Cam Newton out there and you're thinking,
and he throws really difficult middle of the field throws.
He's so hard to take down and but but it's
just not consistent.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
No, it's not.

Speaker 5 (43:43):
And even even on the drive right where he steps
through a defender, defender is gator rolling on his ankle
and like.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
Richardson just pulls away.

Speaker 5 (43:51):
That's just like he's playing with his cousins, like his
baby cousins are in the backyard trying to It's like, no,
I will not be sacked. And then a couple players
later has an inexplicable turnover. You know, it's just it's
up and down. That's that's the nature of the Colts.
But perhaps not out of it. As Greg Rosenthal says,
there's always, gosh always.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
It's a real chance. It's a real chance.

Speaker 4 (44:12):
NFL optimism daily, a chance to see two two really
good quarterbacks, a couple of the best of their generations.
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets not favored at home against
Matthew Stafford and the Rams, who are favored about three
and a half points. Kevin Harland, Trent Green, Melanie Collins
on the call the Jets guy win that they desperately

(44:33):
still came down to the wire.

Speaker 5 (44:35):
Can they be the spoiler against the Rams? Steve Well,
They absolutely can be the spoiler.

Speaker 4 (44:40):
I mean if they played to some degree like they
did last week on offense. I mean, DeVante Adams is fantastic,
better veet Garrett Wilson. Otherwise, the more problems are coming
because that's very talented. But you know, they they look
like a legit football team against a football team that
has also packed their bags and Jackson Bill Chaguars, that's

(45:00):
two from the NFC South who've already gone fishing. But
I just think the Rams man the way they're playing,
the way they're running the ball is physicals are playing
on the offensive line up front, those young dudes up
front on the defensive front. You can't stop talking about
him enough. They have not hit a rookie wall. They
have built a rookie wall. I love the way they're

(45:21):
playing some of the stuff for getting out the kicking
game as well special teams. I just think the Rams
are playing too well. I mean, the just can go
out and play a really good game. I think Stafford's
Rams all three phases, are one of the most dangerous
teams and if they get in that's the team you
don't want to face.

Speaker 1 (45:35):
Absolutely, And although the NFC's filled with them, it's a
really deep, compelling playoff field, where like I wouldn't want
to play the Packers, No, we wouldn't want to play
the Bucks like and that these are the teams that
are a little I wouldn't want to play the Vikings like.
They're all it's a really it's gonna be a great
NFC tournament, especially if the Rams are in it. Just
they haven't played their best for what it's worth on

(45:57):
these longer road trips. I don't know if this is
a under just random, but the Saint that Saints game,
they didn't have any points at halftime. They lost to
the Bears early. That was way early in the season,
but they lost to the Bears. The Patriots game came
right down to the wire. So they haven't done great
with these longer road trips. Outdoor, you know, outdoors, we'll
see And Aaron Rodgers is unquestionably playing better, looking better,

(46:20):
looking healthier than he has all season. He rushed for
forty five yards led the.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
Team last week.

Speaker 1 (46:26):
So to day they're a little more dangerous I think,
and even sas Gardner Jeff Ulbrooks said, has played his
best two games of the season last two weeks. That
it's like kind of the sauce we knew he's playing
with better spirit. They're just a little more dangerous I
think than they were about a month ago, so they
got to be careful.

Speaker 5 (46:43):
It was Gardener in the game on an inexplicable Max
Schill's throw last week, which is a big part of
while the Jets were able to be celebratory and happy
as we can celebrate the fact that it's time for
the Game of the Week presented by DraftKings Sportsbook. Yes,
it's bad in the NFC East of Philadelphia Eagles three

(47:03):
and a half point favorites on the road against Jaden
Daniels and the Washington Commanders forty five and a half.
See over under Joe Davis, g reg and Pam Oliver
on the call. Greg the Commander's surviving a late push
by the Rizzy Saints where a two point conversion was
the difference. They are in the thick of a playoff

(47:23):
race against the Philadelphia team that dispatched their in state
rival a week ago.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
Yeah, and dispatched the Commanders, Remember on that Thursday night
football game that was kind of a two teams heading
in a little separate directions at that point where Philadelphia
had one of their wins. And they've had a lot
like this where it's close for a while, even though
it doesn't feel close, and then they just they just
wear you down. And if you think about what's happened

(47:51):
since Philly's actually had a tougher schedule, and yet they've
won all their games. I thought when the two teams
played against each other again like that Washington might still
be in it. But they really aren't, and quietly they're
not quite the same team that they were before. Noah
Brown is out for the season. Austin Ekeler, you really
feel for him because of that concussion that he suffered,

(48:12):
might be out for the season. I'm guessing that he is,
and Zach Ertz is in the concussion protocol this week.
So they were already a little thin on offense. Their
center Tyler Biattish was hurt last week as well, heat
he is supposed to play, yeah, so, and Jonathan Allen,
their talented defensive lineman, might be back for this game.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
So that's good.

Speaker 1 (48:29):
But I look at one team to me that other
than Jalen Hurts being up and down, is you know,
gathering strength almost at every position group the Philadelphia Eagles.
And another that is not improving necessarily, the Commanders.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
As the season goes on, I think.

Speaker 4 (48:45):
They're gonna give Philadelphia hell of a game here, Okay,
because you remember you talk about that last game Saquon
rushed for As a team, they rushed for like two
hundred and thirty yards.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
Saquan was most that hit some big runs late.

Speaker 4 (48:56):
I think Washington's gonna deny some of those explosive plays
and that's gonna balance things out of little bit they did.
They were doing some things to Frankie Louver, a linebacker
the game. I remember they were putting him out on
the edge a lot to create some pressure and that
opened up the middle of the field for Saquon. I
don't think that's gonna happen again. I just think this
is gonna be a hell of a game, Phillya.

Speaker 3 (49:13):
Three and a half. Maybe Philly gets to win. Three
and a half might be much.

Speaker 4 (49:16):
I think Washington and Marshaw Lattimore coming out in his
debut and shutting things down. I think he's gonna he's
gonna help the defense. No, I mean, I'm just saying
I just.

Speaker 1 (49:25):
Think no, no, No, you're right. I'm laughing about that happened
on this show last week.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
Yeah, I'm saying schematic he's gonna allow them to do
some things that are gonna deny some of those run
yards that Philly got last time.

Speaker 1 (49:34):
I'm glad you brought that up, Steve, because We had
a we had a mole inside the Saints building last
week and we actually heard that Mickey Loomis. He said,
I don't care what you guys do in this game, Rizzy,
no matter what, you are not throwing it to Marshawn Lattimore.
We will not be embarrassed. Okay, that was We revealed
that on the show last week, right right, Okay that

(49:57):
that no matter what, we're not letting mar Latimer have
a highlight. He did not have a target, not one
single target. So our moles, they knew what they were
talking about.

Speaker 5 (50:07):
Yeah, the right way to play a game probably best
to not have JK and or target anybody. It's Spencer Radler,
come fit point and salvage is the game. It makes
it somewhat watchable. Where I'm just was I was skeptical
about late season, Cliff, very very skeptical.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
We've seen more Terry from the right.

Speaker 4 (50:25):
He scored another touchdown from the right side of the
field last week. Where just being able to utilize one
of the best players in the game that we've had
for a long time that it hasn't seen this level
of play from the quarterback position. And we say it,
but it's still worth celebrating that Terry gets this opportunity
to play with Jayden and they need him. They need

(50:45):
him now.

Speaker 5 (50:46):
The run game you mentioned, Eckler Brian Robinson Junior left
the game against the Saints, and so it's all five
and seventeen and those two can do it. But to
do it against Philly at this point, the way that
Quinn is playing, Cooper Degen coming on that the time,

(51:07):
the season that Bond has had as well, it's.

Speaker 1 (51:10):
Just Nolan Smith is getting better every week, becoming a
difference maker for this team. I looked at the numbers
since Week seven, when when there was a little bit
of a downturn for Washington in terms of explosive play rate,
Eagles third in the league. They've cranked it up more
big plays. A lot of those are runs to a
Saquon Washington twenty fifth. So Philly is gonna make you

(51:31):
work down the field. That's gonna be a really big
test for Jayden Daniels. Can he be patient and avoid mistakes?
He looked god last week Jade datis yeah.

Speaker 4 (51:39):
And they've got the speed to track him down when
he tries to break the pocket. I mean, that's one
thing he's got to be cognizant.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
Of all right.

Speaker 2 (51:43):
That was our game of the week.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now use the code daily.
New customers can bet just five bucks. You get two
hundred dollars in bonus bets only at DraftKings Sportsbook with
Code Daily. The crown is yours. That's that's our headliner.
By the way of the early games, I like that
that we have one big one early Philly in Washington

(52:05):
with g Reg on the call. We are going to
be back and we're gonna start talking some late games.
My god, Gino needs a bounce back. It's one of
the bigger four oh five games of the year. Seattle
always in big four oh five games, no respect. Oh yeah,

(52:32):
you big Christmas music guy.

Speaker 4 (52:34):
Hold, it depends on on the day. I don't like
to be saturated with it. But nothing like some good
Donny Hathaway, you know, every now and then.

Speaker 5 (52:43):
It's anything that's not that Waitresses Christmas rapping song and
Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
That's that doesn't that doesn't get to that.

Speaker 5 (52:53):
Not just bad Christmas all. In my opinion, a person
who knows nothing about music. Two of the worst songs.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
I've wow, I'll take but not really wrong.

Speaker 3 (53:02):
What about you, Greg? I do.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
As I've gotten older, I've gotten more in the holiday spirit.

Speaker 1 (53:08):
I grew up not really celebrating Christmas exactly like we
would give gifts on the twenty fifth. But my parents
are Jewish and they didn't really want to get behind that.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
But now I think.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
I'm I'm trying to live out the childhood I didn't have,
but my family is not that into it. They almost
make fun of me of being like the guy who's
trying to get into it. Come on, I mean they
like getting present.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
Just roasted them, like you're all about consumerism.

Speaker 1 (53:31):
Do not about that, but like going out to the
holiday lights and doing all that sort of stuff. Like
the kids, they've changed. They begged off the holiday lights
this year.

Speaker 3 (53:39):
Just watch Netflix game on Go. It'll be cool.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
Walker will be watching from Japan. You can. You can
watch it all over the world.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Look when I mentioned no respect for the Seahawks at
four oh five, just in case, like there's sometimes some
new fans to the mix, Like four oh five means
you're not in the four to twenty five window, which
is where they show most of the country stands four
or five. They're just kind of trying to bury it
in your local markets and have it end, and they're
not giving it full respect. So that's why I say

(54:10):
Viking Seahawks, and I think it's just bad luck that
that's a Fox game that should be the game of
the afternoon and yet it's buried there.

Speaker 5 (54:16):
Yeah, a team that's contending for not just the best
record in the NFC, I mean at this point they
could be finished with the best record in the entire NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings three and a half point favorites on
the road Steve against the Seattle team that saw Sam Howell,
and they needed Gino Smith back in that game against
the Packers. On Sunday Night Football, Adam Me and Mark

(54:38):
Sanchez Christina Pink on the call over under forty two
and a half, where you start to wonder where can
the Vikings stutter late in the season. Well, here's an
opportunity on the road with Gino feeling better than we thought.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
Yeah, it's real tough to play the practice sports team.
Good on Gino, And I'm just gonna go off a
little bit now on Gino. But you know last year
when a backup quarterback. I had to come in for
like a half and play and he was terrible. And
after the game I spoke to a high ranking execution
I never want to see that player in our uniform again.
I don't think this Seahawks ever want to see Sam

(55:12):
Howell oh snap again. That dude was taking twenty yards,
you know, a runway to get it and he was
popping it out five yards with problems.

Speaker 3 (55:21):
They didn't want to ever see him take another snap.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
I want to know who the other quarterback was last year.

Speaker 3 (55:26):
I can't see it right now. Can't do that.

Speaker 1 (55:29):
That would be you're you're right though confidence I follow
I follow a lot of Seahawks fans on social media,
and there was a lot of curse words being sent
towards John Schneider for making the trade to acquire Sam
Howell and and kind of sell him as an intriguing prospect.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
They missed Drew Locke luckily. Gina Smith gotta be back.

Speaker 4 (55:49):
This is This is gonna be a good game. And
and you know, Minnesota's a three and a half point favorite.

Speaker 3 (55:54):
I like it.

Speaker 4 (55:55):
Seattle's gonna play tough this game. This is this is
kind of a good matchup. We know that McDonald was
brought in to be kind of the McVeigh stopera. We know,
you know, Kevin O'Connell runs at McVeigh offense. Sam donald
was not great Monday night. He was good, It was
good enough, but Aaron Jones showed out. You know, the
superstars showed out. And I think that's where you know,

(56:16):
the Vikings have the matchup. Their skilled players and their
superstar players are legit. The guys on the back end
are legit. They take the ball away. Seattle's got to
be very careful and if they don't, Seattle is not
able to get the run game going. And it is
look Gino, as much as I kind of mock up
to you on quarterback, he's a hell of a player.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
Like if they've got a rate, you know, lean on Gino.
He can win ball games.

Speaker 4 (56:37):
But against this defense and the different looks they give
you many Brian Flores, the second half of games is
insane with the looks he gives you.

Speaker 3 (56:44):
It is going to be tough.

Speaker 4 (56:45):
So I like Minnesota in this game, but I think
this is going to be the late game of.

Speaker 1 (56:50):
The day really important for both teams. Minnesota to keep
that pole position to win the NFC North. If they
win out, they will win the DIVS Vision Seattle to
try to stay right there in the NFC West, or
suddenly they have a skid and Seahawks fans probably feel like, man,
we finally felt like we had something and then the

(57:12):
floor just falls out last week. And I felt that
way too, But it's like, yeah, that's what ten and
even seven seasons look like. You're not gonna win every game.
This is the first year under this program. They have
been streaky, a little up and down. But I don't
think just because they looked awful last week against a
team that is more talented than that, they're at least

(57:33):
just better than them. I don't think that means they're
done their defensive improvement up front. They got it settled
down in the second half of that game. I think
they can give Minnesota real problems because I think Minnesota's
offensive line is a little overrated. O'Neill hasn't really been
playing well. They're not great on the interior, and so
I know Donold's been great under pressure all year. As

(57:55):
you mentioned, he wasn't on Monday night, and you would
love to just keep pressuring him.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
Stop the run.

Speaker 1 (58:01):
See if this is an ugly weather type of game,
you get ken Walker back, you get Olawa Teamy back,
who I wouldn't have thought was such an important player
for the Seahawks, but he's their center and he got
hurt right away in that that's destabilizing for that to happen,
and he's supposed to return for this game, so I
think they will respond. I like them as an underdog,
at least to cover. I'm not sure if I'll pick

(58:23):
them to win, but it wouldn't It wouldn't surprise me
the won this game.

Speaker 3 (58:27):
No, not at all.

Speaker 5 (58:28):
And I think as the as as Mike mac being
the tree Stopper and the Shanahan Tree, I feel like
there's there's so many times where I've I don't know
if I want to count Matt Lafleur as.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
Part of it.

Speaker 5 (58:41):
I know, I know he's in the tree, but it's
just so different, right, it feels like a departure. Kevin
O'Connell feels more in line with the with the original tree,
and maybe maybe we I mean, what is it.

Speaker 1 (58:52):
That he really does that's like the magic sprinkling of
this tree? I don't know, do you think there is
something to it?

Speaker 3 (58:58):
Yeah. I mean, look, it does come to ex's and o's.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
I mean even though they were is there anything specific?

Speaker 3 (59:03):
There is a communication factor.

Speaker 4 (59:05):
You talk to people about sean Emvay and why he's
so good, especially later of the seasons. One they developed
guys and just think about all the coaches they've lost
and they still develop young players.

Speaker 3 (59:14):
We talked about that, but its communication.

Speaker 4 (59:16):
They're like, Sewan doesn't just sit in the quarterbacks room
or he goes in here and he makes every player
at every position to understand why they're doing individually, what
they're doing is okay, what they're doing on that side
of the ball, what the team is trying to accomplish.
So everybody is invested and you and Kevin O'Connell does
that as well as anybody.

Speaker 3 (59:32):
Man.

Speaker 4 (59:32):
They they've got a great staff in Minnesota. Kevin O'Connell
could do it. Matt Lafleur is the same.

Speaker 2 (59:37):
What does Mike McDonald do.

Speaker 4 (59:41):
Well, he's he's the stopper, He's he does the stuff
kind of like what Fangio did, what Belichick did? You know,
he kind of understands, let's five man and six man
defense in front of them, and let's just beat the
hell out of their offensive lineman. Let's let our linebackers
run free and make plays.

Speaker 3 (59:55):
So they they got.

Speaker 5 (59:58):
Some, they got some small Okay, I've I've officially confirmed
my priors on this correct. So the Rams line up
under center of forty four percent of the time, Yeah,
the Vikings of the time. The Green Bay Packers line
up under center twenty three percent.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
They they have been, they have been different, and.

Speaker 3 (01:00:18):
It's not in the tree anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:00:20):
I love that the Vikings essentially start their playoffs now.
They they do not play any bad teams the rest
of the way like they have Seahawks, Packers, Lions and
then playoffs and so it's on and we're gonna learn

(01:00:41):
about them, and we're gonna learn about this Seattle team.
Like there is a tendency I think after a game
that poor on Sunday Night football, and it was poor,
I mean they got it handed to them by the Packers,
that just like, Okay, I guess they're a pretender. It's like, no,
that's what I in six teams look like the Rams
have had those games too, they just haven't had them
in the last handful of weeks, and so they just

(01:01:02):
they just need to respond let's go real quick.

Speaker 4 (01:01:03):
She lude to Patrick Clayo offer calling Mike MacDonald the
mcface STOPPERA So he's the Ruben Patterson.

Speaker 3 (01:01:08):
Yeah, he's yeah, the Kobe, the Ruby.

Speaker 5 (01:01:10):
If you want to go, I guess to Michael Petrice, right,
like any number of stoppers who Michael pet stopping, well,
Michael Petrice was allegedly stopping Lebron. Okay at a certain
point that that that never came to be. Much like
Andrea Goodalla, who had Lebron have the one of the
greatest seasons ever, series ever and somehow got an MVP.

Speaker 1 (01:01:32):
About how about Celtics. Tony Allen was kind of an
early Lebron staff.

Speaker 4 (01:01:36):
Tony Allen Man, Yeah, Tonya Allen was a hell with
defensive player.

Speaker 5 (01:01:40):
I could talk association with you guys all the time.
But let's get to the one the only thing that matters.
As Greg Rosenthal has called him several times. The season
Drake May and the New England Patriots on the road
where the Bills are fourteen point favorite vibes immaculate. Josh
Allen got engaged to Hailey Steinfeld. It says that everything's
been coming up Buffalo for forty six is the over

(01:02:01):
under Iron Eagle Charles Davis and Evan Washburn on the call.
But fourteen points in the division, I know you're skeptical, Greg,
of your New England Patriots. That feels like a lot
of points.

Speaker 1 (01:02:13):
Yeah, I think they could. I think they could cover that.
I think there could be a little bit of a
letdown factor. It's a weird stretch. Now the Bills after
getting through these big games, have the Patriots a couple
of times, and the Jets teams that they're they're certainly
better than and offensively they're going to put up thirty plus.

Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
Yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
But the reason why fourteen is a lot is that
you could see Drake May exposing some of the weaknesses
that we've seen out of Buffalo if he can just
get a little bit of time.

Speaker 2 (01:02:43):
And yes, he is the one thing that matters in
New England.

Speaker 3 (01:02:45):
He is the one thing that matters.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
But actually there's two him and Christian Gonzales. Okay, yeah, it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
Is kind of in you know, they do have maybe
the best young cornerback and the best young quarterback in
the league.

Speaker 3 (01:02:56):
There we go.

Speaker 4 (01:02:57):
That's something that build off, that's something and those are
two key positions where at some point you're gonna have
to pay him well, as Jered Mayo could come under
some smoke this week.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
My god, he's getting cooked up in that market.

Speaker 4 (01:03:08):
By the way, fourteen not enough, I think even if
Buffalo is just because on both sides of the ball, man,
both sides of the ball, Buffalo is they're too talented,
they're playing too well right now. You know, Sean mcdermot's
you know, he's not mentioned enough in the Coach of
the Year conversation.

Speaker 3 (01:03:24):
He needs to start, we know, you start dialing that
temperature up a little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:03:27):
Josh Allen whatever, James Cook is the guy who's been
impressing me in their offense. I mean, it seems like
he's hitting two or three explosive plays off tackle like
this every game.

Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Yeah, and the Pagriots cannot defend the run, which is
no one of the many ways that you can tell
they're you know, not as well coached as they were
a year ago when they were still a good defense.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
On defense.

Speaker 4 (01:03:46):
There's a chance though, for Drake to air it out here.
Because of all the success the Bills have had, they
still given up eighty four points in the last two weeks. Yeah,
and you know Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff very very good.

Speaker 3 (01:03:58):
Quarterbacks that were traded for each other.

Speaker 5 (01:04:00):
It's still this is this is a chance for Newland
to work on this passive games showcase how gifted their
quarterback is. Who gets some comps to the guy on
the other side, and I think that those those comps
aren't silly or legit.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
I like those cops.

Speaker 1 (01:04:15):
Yeah, he's not quite there physically. I mean, who is
other than Cam Newton, maybe Richardson. I just mean he's
just not as big as as as Josh Allen is,
and I don't think he's as risk taking. That's been
the thing that that has been surprised. I actually thought
he was based on his tape at unc AND early
this season.

Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
But go go.

Speaker 1 (01:04:37):
Back in the tape, find me the negative plays Drake
May has made. The last couple of weeks. There have
not been many bad decisions, bad plays, and I have
some numbers.

Speaker 2 (01:04:43):
That it's going to back back.

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
I did some next Greg stats research this morning, did
my own little.

Speaker 2 (01:04:50):
Stuff since uh week ten.

Speaker 1 (01:04:55):
It's pretty long sample size five games, fourth in the
NFL and completion percentage quarterbacks seventh in completion percentage over expected.
And then here's the one that really gets me. Going
fourth in success rate in the entire NFL despite what's
around him, that's a minor miracle. The only guys in

(01:05:15):
front of him are Goff, I would and Jared Allen
and Josh Allen and Tua actually was in front of him.

Speaker 4 (01:05:21):
I would never have guessed that, even if a lot
of those come in garbage time, he's still throwing the
majority of the game.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
He's not taking negative plays.

Speaker 1 (01:05:28):
PFF has some fourteenth that feels more appropriate too. Overall,
but that's ahead of guys like Baker and Purdy and
Mahomes and just on their individual Gradinges says, he's just
not making many mistakes, and he's making a lot of
really heady plays.

Speaker 3 (01:05:41):
Under a lot of pressure. Too.

Speaker 4 (01:05:42):
Good for him. He's real, Patrick, He's real. It's fun.
It's fun to see.

Speaker 5 (01:05:48):
Speaking of fun, the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road against
the Las Vegas Raiders, who were favored by one over
under his sixteen points just getting thirty nine and a
half points. Andrew catial on, t Kee Barber, Jason mccordy,
and aj Ross on the call. It is McCorkle, Jones
going up against Desmond Ritter. We think, Steve, Yeah, your

(01:06:11):
thoughts on this football game?

Speaker 4 (01:06:13):
Yeah, I don't know how the Raiders are favored, but.

Speaker 1 (01:06:18):
Gosh, man, big game for the picks. Here's a dirty secret.
I actually wish there was a couple games like this
every week. This is the only one because I want
to save time on my tape watching and I do
not want to watch this tape. No, I feel comfortable
about it. Sorry, Brian Thomas Jr. I love you.

Speaker 3 (01:06:36):
I like the Jags on this.

Speaker 4 (01:06:38):
You know, everything with the Raiders is not great, even
getting kicks, block punts, block things like that.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
I think the Jackson It's only it's actually the only
game like this this week between two teams that are
totally out of it, which you wouldn't expect because there's
a lot of teams that are out of it, but
each one is playing like this is the only dead game.

Speaker 4 (01:06:55):
Emphasize the totally out of it part. They've not just
gone fishing and they are on the boat in their gear.

Speaker 1 (01:07:03):
It's and yet, if the Raiders win this game and
their favorite swim, Yeah, if their favorites and they win
this game, they could hurt their draft pick. Giants are
watching this game and they're saying, let's go Jags, I mean,
let's go Raiders.

Speaker 2 (01:07:19):
Jags lose it for us.

Speaker 5 (01:07:21):
Not all quit, not only quitting the Raiders team. We'll
see how things go. Uh there, We'll move on in
that game, which is a joy to the game that
at the start of the season had so much promise,
so much in fact, that it's jim Nance, Tony Romo,
and Tracy Wolfson who on the call to see the
San Francisco forty nine Ers go into Miami against the Dolphins,
who are a one point home favorite greg the over

(01:07:42):
under forty four.

Speaker 3 (01:07:43):
And a half.

Speaker 5 (01:07:44):
They got stung by Derek Stingley's interceptions last week.

Speaker 3 (01:07:47):
They remained in that game.

Speaker 5 (01:07:49):
They've had some heartbreakers, They've been trying to get back
in the picture.

Speaker 1 (01:07:52):
How do you view we couldn't get a better game
for CBS in the afternoon window.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
That's wild.

Speaker 1 (01:07:58):
I think people would rather see Josh Allen and Drake
may just because Josh Allen is the story in the
in the league right now. So I think they I
think they made against Rogers that that's true. That's early though,
like they would I would give Josh Allen that spot
but you know when they make these decisions a couple
of weeks ago, I guess they were hoping for some
more wins out of these two teams, the forty nine

(01:08:20):
ers actually, of all the teams that are left them,
and the Saints have the lowest chance to make the playoffs,
they're they're right there at one percent, so they they
have a very good chance to get eliminated this week.
I am curious to see how Tua in this offense
bounces back because last week's performance was so bad and

(01:08:41):
so out of nowhere. After they were what I called
on this offense the most I mean on this show,
the most consistent unit in the league.

Speaker 2 (01:08:49):
They were.

Speaker 1 (01:08:49):
They were the exact same every week you watch the Dolphins,
you knew what you were going to get, and it
was extremely efficient. That's why Tua was up there ahead
Drake Man's success, right, and yet last week they got
it put to them. That was a defensive master class
there by Damico Ryans and kind of humbled this Dolphins team.

Speaker 4 (01:09:06):
Well, and he humbled the coach who used to coach
with up in San Francisco. So maybe there were some
things going on right there. Miami's booncing back this week.
I think, I mean, look, San Francisco's proud, They're gonna
go out there. It's gonna be a good game, but
just too many injuries in the run game. Talking about
Trent Williams is probably done for the season at left
tackle for the forty nine ers. I think Miami's offense
gets going, its defense, we'll do some things against the

(01:09:28):
forty nine ers. I like Miami plus the one point
that they're getting, it's gonna be tough. The passing game
has to be short.

Speaker 5 (01:09:36):
They they don't seem to be able to protect Tua
long enough to have the deep passing game. And if
you want to rush yards over expected step, the Dolphins
have negative two hundred and fifty seven rush yards over
expected on designed run this season.

Speaker 3 (01:09:53):
No explosives.

Speaker 5 (01:09:54):
It's they cannot run the ball, even though Raheem Moster
back in these past couple of weeks, and they haven't
been able to do anything on the ground. And it's
just all has to be to operating quick passes right
around the line of scrimmage.

Speaker 3 (01:10:06):
It's just tough.

Speaker 1 (01:10:07):
These teams are kind of mirror images of each other.
When you think about the high expectations on offense, the
offensive coaches and Kyle Shanahan at least still has that
running game. The Dolphins not having a running game is
one of the more surprising elements of the year. And
I think Tua deserves some blame for last week too.
I think people want to put it on just the

(01:10:28):
offensive line and everything, but Trent Green in that game,
he never criticizes anything, and he was pointing out some
passes that he thought Tua was passing up not going
down the field. And I've seen some other analysts kind
of look at the tape a little bit, and even
on some plays that he was protected, he wasn't pulling
the trigger. And whether it's a coaching point or who

(01:10:49):
knows why, but that is just totally gone from their offense,
and so that gives them a small margin for error.

Speaker 4 (01:10:55):
Two my early season MVP can I'm just joking. I'm
not going to talk with Baker in Baker anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:11:01):
Greg. It's Sunday Night football.

Speaker 5 (01:11:03):
It's Tampa Bay Buccaneers four point favorites against the scrappy
late season push by the Dallas Cowboys. Forty eight and
a half is the over under. It's Sunday Night. So
Mike to Rico, Chris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark on the call.
The Cowboys broke our survivor hearts last week. Could they
break the hearts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are

(01:11:26):
playing really good football right now, especially across the street
last week at so Far Stadium.

Speaker 4 (01:11:30):
Tampa's playing well. I like him in this game, Dallas.
I mean, they compete. I mean, ever since Michael Parsons
come back, their defenses has been good. It sucks about
overshowing getting that injury, and I think you know, Trey
Diggs is out, so I think Baker could have another game.
Mike Evans is doing it the run game, getting both
those guys going.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
I like Tampa Bay. I like the points.

Speaker 4 (01:11:54):
I don't know if Dallas is going to put up
a ton of points given to Cooper Rush has showing
why they're playing him over three Lance. I like the
Buccaneers in this game. Go ahead and take another step
to win that NFC Shu.

Speaker 1 (01:12:07):
It's funny watching that Cowboys game last week. I started thinking, like,
man if Dak was on this team. Yeah, it's funny
how that works. You lose a franchise quarterback and you
don't have as much hope, but they've actually won a
bunch of games now since he's got hurt. Because I
went back and I looked, I was like, what games
would they have won with him?

Speaker 3 (01:12:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
They lost, They got waxed by the Eagles, they got
waxed by the Texans. Maybe they would have been more
competitive there, Maybe they would have beat the Bengals. That
would have been the difference, because yeah, Micah Parsons makes
this pass rush alone, one of the best pass russes.

Speaker 2 (01:12:41):
In the league. That is how amazing a player he is.

Speaker 3 (01:12:44):
He was.

Speaker 1 (01:12:45):
He has been my pick in back to back seasons
before the seasons to be Defensive Player of the Year.
It hasn't happened yet, and yet I feel like he
is the best defensive player in the league. Like he's
my if I could pick one, I still think he
Like he's playing better right now. If I could take
someone for this week and for the last month than
anyone in the league, it is Micah Parsons. Now, he

(01:13:05):
wasn't healthy enough that he's going to get considered for
that award, but that's how good he is, So who knows,
Maybe he could scare up the Bucks.

Speaker 2 (01:13:13):
I kind of doubt it.

Speaker 4 (01:13:14):
Well, the issue for Dallas, and I think the one
big Dack on and off thing. I don't think the
run game ever gets to where it is right now
with Rico Dawdell. If Dak's playing, because they wouldn't rely
on it. That's a great point.

Speaker 5 (01:13:27):
Week thirteen, one hundred and twenty two yards, a week fourteen,
one hundred and thirty one yards.

Speaker 3 (01:13:31):
And then against Carolina.

Speaker 5 (01:13:32):
Again it's Carolina, it's a historically bad run defense, but
one hundred and forty nine yards from a Cowboys offense
that didn't seem to be remotely interested in being able
to run the ball at the start of the year.
Right now that it's something that they can do, and
what a time for it against the Bucks team where
it's not a give up play anymore, like they're actually
having success running the football.

Speaker 1 (01:13:53):
Yeah, they've been impressive, really, how that line has come
together running the ball now, Zach Martin now too, that'll
be hard this week because the Bucks have played better
run defense over the last five or six weeks, and
then their blitz rate has gone from like normal Bulls level,
which is right at the top league, to just insane.

(01:14:13):
They blitzed Justin Herbert sixty two percent of the time
last week.

Speaker 2 (01:14:18):
That's just crazy, man, and it's it's working.

Speaker 1 (01:14:21):
I don't know, like they they've gotten it going a
little bit defensively where they were a below average defense
and now they've gotten to average or better. And it's
a lot of it. As Levante David actually that they
just blitz him like crazy, and then they are the
explosive play Maschin on offense. They are the NFC's Ravens,
which is crazy because Baker's their quarterback. But in terms

(01:14:44):
of just like hitting forty to fifty thirty yard plays.

Speaker 5 (01:14:48):
Sorry, no, they gave They gave Todd Bowles a giggle
fit this week because they they asked about Baker and
his rushing and compared him to Josh Allen and Lamar
and Jay Daniels and coach Bowls.

Speaker 3 (01:15:02):
Is like, well maybe not maybe not those three. And
then he went into a chuckle fit.

Speaker 5 (01:15:06):
He had a good time with that, and then they
asked Baker about it, and you know, he just grab
himself with a scrappy runner.

Speaker 1 (01:15:11):
You know what, though he's he's hit enough big running
plays at really important moments last week that that big
run that he had against the Chargers was an important
run in that game. And he's making full field reads.
I give him a lot of credit where he'll start
in the left. So that's coaching and that's maturation from
from Baker. He really is a great quarterback, except like

(01:15:32):
he'll make a handful of decision that you're like, why
did he do that?

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
But other than that, like he's been awesome.

Speaker 4 (01:15:38):
And here's how great he's really going to show himself
because he's gonna have another offensive coordinator next year to
because Liam Cohen's probably gonna be on the short list
of a lot of teams to get hired as a
head coach next year as well.

Speaker 5 (01:15:48):
I really just want that quote graphic made. He really
is a great quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:15:52):
He really is.

Speaker 4 (01:15:53):
Greg Wilsenthal on Baker Mayfield. We've got there, We got there,
and we've got to our final game of the season.

Speaker 5 (01:16:00):
It is Spencer Rattler and the New Orleans Saints on
the road against the Buzzsaw that is these late season
Toyota than edition Green Bay Packers, who are favored by
fourteen and a half points forty two is over under
Joe Troy and Lisa on the call. As it is
Monday Night Football, No. Doubleheader and probably Steve no shot

(01:16:22):
for the Saints.

Speaker 3 (01:16:22):
They're right now.

Speaker 4 (01:16:23):
They are filming so many Christmas packages to run by
the time they get to the fourth quarter.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
Monday Night football.

Speaker 4 (01:16:31):
Look the Packers you mentioned earlier, Greg, They're a team
you don't want to mess with. Defensively, they look, I
mean they are so physical upfront the team, what Rashaan
Gary linebackers are doing. And then offensively, Jordan Love, I mean,
just everything to go.

Speaker 3 (01:16:48):
I mean the run game.

Speaker 4 (01:16:48):
This is going to be so tough for New Orleans.
A Dome team going up here. Spencer Rattler faced some
of the looks. But you know, let's talk a little
bit about Josh Jacobs, I mean, in what he's been
able to do leading all of these veteran running backs
who change teams, who are eating I'm happy for a
guy like lot like Josh Jacobs because he's finally getting

(01:17:09):
to taste some type of success. I mean, he was
like non diasin wah with the Raiders, like never playing
on a team with a winning record.

Speaker 3 (01:17:16):
And now he's like, oh, this is what this feels like.

Speaker 1 (01:17:19):
And they and they, I think have recognized that he
needs to be the foundation of their offense, Like they
came into that game last week and they realized the
week before that he wasn't central enough to their opening script,
and they.

Speaker 2 (01:17:34):
Made sure it's all about Jacobs.

Speaker 1 (01:17:36):
And it's really interesting to see Lafleur and Jordan Love
become what I would call a run first offense that
Malik Willis stretch. I don't know if they would have
really good point been't like that otherwise, but I think
they are a run based offense in part because of
that Malik Willis stretch.

Speaker 5 (01:17:53):
It kind of allowed him to get into groove as
a play caller with this line, which has been together
all season.

Speaker 3 (01:18:00):
They haven't had a lot of pieces to.

Speaker 5 (01:18:02):
Move around, and Josh Jacobs being a part of that
as well central to the game during that stretch. And
then Love comes back and I don't think he was
one hundred percent as he slowly got worked in and
so they had to lean on it a little bit more.
And it's gotten to the point where, not in the
same way as the Dallas Cowboys, but they realize that
this is this is where they can be successful and

(01:18:24):
running the ball, and they don't they do it in
the shotgun. They'll bring Jacob's in a round in motion
and have him stop. They do the same thing with
love and pistol in so many different ways, which is
why he's not in the Shanahan Tree.

Speaker 3 (01:18:36):
Matt Lafleur is his own.

Speaker 4 (01:18:38):
So Glad Patrick is talking about this, but two percent
is all they get to understand.

Speaker 3 (01:18:42):
So you're doing pistol, you're doing shotgun.

Speaker 4 (01:18:44):
You do some offset stuff that is not easy to
do to coordinate that, but to an offensive line, quarterback
and run back because you tip a lot more of
your plays when you're in shotgun.

Speaker 3 (01:18:55):
Right, That's what teams will tell you. Okay, we know
in this situation is they like to do.

Speaker 4 (01:18:58):
To be able to run out of shotgun is really
going to open some things up for what Laflora can
do when this offense can do. So, I mean, that's
such a great point when you said that twenty two percent,
I thought they were under center a lot more.

Speaker 3 (01:19:11):
Having that watch every moment of every game.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
And love his numbers.

Speaker 1 (01:19:16):
He's only throwing the ball twenty five times a week,
but he's over nine adjusted yards per attempt over the
last month, which is sky high, which is higher than
lamar Is, who's leading the league in it for the season,
so when he throws it, it's become efficient. And one
thing I thought watching that last game is it took
a minute, but I think they've sort of figured out

(01:19:37):
everyone's roles at receiver, Like Dobbs does what Dobbs does,
and he's really good at it. And Christian Watson is
adding a lot of value and making big plays, and
he'll have one head scratching play a week for you,
but otherwise he's really playing well. And then Jaden Reid
is in the backfield with Jacobs. At least lately, they're
playing two backs back there and it's Emmanuel Wilson and

(01:19:59):
Jacob's or it's reading Jacobs and Reid is is doing
all sorts of crazy stuff. He's not usually carrying the ball,
but they'll let him carry the ball a handful of
times too. And so you're right, they just they throw
so many things at you, and it's kind of like
these young players they are growing up. They just happen
to be in the best division I've ever seen, or
else we talk about them even more.

Speaker 4 (01:20:18):
Right, Well, two two backs now he's back in the
Shanahan Tree Patrick.

Speaker 2 (01:20:21):
Yeah, right, but.

Speaker 1 (01:20:23):
It's two backs out a shotgun and one of them
is a like a one hundred and seventy pound wide receiver.
It's crazy on the Saints just for a second. Rattler
And this is only like a local controversy, but there's
like been conflicting reports. Arian Rapaport says Derek Carr is
very unlikely to return this season. Right There were like
a local report from Nick Underhill that said Carr was

(01:20:45):
kind of pushing and checking with all these different specialists
and thinks maybe he could return, And even the coaching
staff said he could play this week. And I think
it's unlikely, and maybe the coaching staff is just throwing
that out there was like why would you go back
to Derek Carr right now?

Speaker 2 (01:21:02):
Anyways?

Speaker 1 (01:21:03):
Like can't don't We want to take a look at
this kid, Rattler. He did some fun things last week.

Speaker 4 (01:21:07):
Yeah, I mean I was talking to some folks past
week and they're like, Spencer Ratler so talented. He just
he's got to get his head wrapped around a lot
of things with talent wise, that's somebody want to get
reps and see if they can handle it.

Speaker 1 (01:21:18):
And Rizzi ball Man fun, We've got a five game sample,
so if you're thinking about that fourteen point line there.
We got a five point five game sample, and we
have three wins out of Rizzie Ball, and we have
two other very competitive games against teams in the NFC
that are right now in the playoffs, the Rams and

(01:21:39):
the Commanders.

Speaker 2 (01:21:40):
So maybe that's a little high. Maybe Rizzie Ball keeps
him close.

Speaker 1 (01:21:44):
We got Cam Jordan out there making a lot of
plays our our podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:21:47):
NFL uh Davis looking great.

Speaker 4 (01:21:50):
Then yeah, let's go with significant injuries right on both sides.

Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Right, so they're finding a way. I would stay away
from that. I wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (01:21:57):
I wouldn't want to deal with the fortunate stress of
a December twenty third Spencer Rattler situation. But I just
stay away, stay away, Just chill with your family alone,
enjoy it. That's it. That's it for our show today.
Wish Patrick you've done it again. Steve, no survivor picked though,
no survivor pick.

Speaker 3 (01:22:19):
We didn't survive. That's why.

Speaker 1 (01:22:21):
Look, I don't think. I don't think Steve's with us
next week. So when no, I'll but watch me on
Netflix right when it's when it's the last Steve Weisch
game before Christmas or podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:22:32):
You know football is back. Yeah, we'll see you next time.
Enjoy Christmas, Steve,

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Gregg Rosenthal

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