December 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Gregg Rosenthal is joined Jourdan Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon to preview the Week 15 late and primetime games starting with Jaguars at Broncos followed by 49ers at Colts on Monday Night Football (11:20), Patriots at Ravens on Sunday Night Football (16:59), Steelers at Lions (23:41), Raiders at Texans (32:00), and Falcons at Cardinals (39:00).
Note: time codes approximate.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where it's time for a revenge game. Yes,
the revenge of the ambush at Mile High. I'm Greg
Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan Podcast studio with Jordan
Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Wow, I'm so excited, so excited.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It was a game when you were guys were just
the wee lasses, you know, and lad in your case Patrick,
when Mark Brunell and Natron Means and the Jaguars went
into Denver and stunned the John Elway Terrell Davis Denver
Broncos thirty to twenty seven in the Divisional round, one
(00:50):
of the big upsets, big moments, I would say, of
mid nineties football. And now it's back Jaguars at Broncos
is suddenly like a monster game.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, No longer this small franchise in these expanded NFL
where you're like, oh wow, this expansion team, these the
scrappy Jacks. Now they're a big part of this operation
and have been for a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That was their first season. That is outrageous that they
did that in their very first season as an expansion team.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
And and folks thought, you know, with a big game
coming up against the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Maybe this is a trap against the Jets.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
No, Trevor Lawrence had a game that no quarterback has
had in the NFL history, And now after both quarterbacks
lighted up, it's Bo Nicks and Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
In the game of the year in the AFC.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Denver Broncos, who were
favored by three. It is Kevin Coogler and Moose Johnston
on the call where Rick, I don't even know where
to start.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
These teams are red hot right now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, if I was going to get on Fox forgiving
you know, the battle for the NFC South Myers and schlera,
I'll give him a little little like side eye for
given this game Coogler Johnston, I mean, you're saying it
could be one of the games of the year.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's their number three team, I believe. But this is
what happens.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
We got, we got Joe and Greg on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, we got different doubleheaders and different things happen. It
doesn't It's not going to change my enjoyment of this game,
especially after I've watched the film and I wanted to
circle back to something we talked about in the in
the room in the newsroom on Sunday. I've now double
confrom first I checked the PFF scores and now I've
(02:28):
watched with my own eyes bow Knicks.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
He played well last week, very well.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I'm glad several believe.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I mean you need to see it with your own eyes.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, I mean you were telling me he was playing
well in the week's leading up and it was like that,
you know that commander's game.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
And I said he was playing was the other one.
Also in my community, we believe women. I guess that
doesn't apply to my right Greg.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Greg had to check the folks.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I had to watch it.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
He was sensational. You get both that Bonnix and on
Peyton Combo. Every week you're winning the Super Bowl this.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
I do have a request to make Greg a feeling
a little that you owe me.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
Can I have this game?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh well, you've already gotten your number one game.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
You gave me that game. You gave me that game.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Patrick's involved, Shook's involved. I mean, you can't just hog
it off for yourself.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
We'll see. I haven't thought about it.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
This is the This is a total like Unstoppable Force
meets immovable object game for both for both teams, because
the Jaguars are one of the most explosive offenses in
the league right now, and Trevor Lawrence seems like a
completely different version of Trevor Lawrence going against one of
the top three defenses in the NFL right now, and
(03:45):
certainly a veteran one, a savvy one, one that will
pressure him, one that will try to turn him into
pumpkin Trevor Lawrence once again. And also on the other side,
a Broncos offense that, while not the most explosive in
the league, has a quarterback playing like way up to
his potential, has put together a most complete game on
offense of their season. Is very very dangerous, especially against
(04:09):
his own coverage and going up against a Jaguars defense
that has been very respectable all season as well as
taking the ball away in aggressive fashion through most of
the year, especially with Devin Lloyd back in the mix.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
It's got everything.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
It's got the play caller matchup because Liam Cohen is
super dialed in. Of course, Sean Payton in that performance
against the Green Bay Packers was clearly like he saw
the way bo was going all right.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Playbook out the window, all right, ten.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Training wheels up he did.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
But you know, you saw, and I think we can't
necessarily extrapolate a whole lot from the Jets game where
that was that was Liam and Trevor Lawrence doing stuff.
Occasionally you had three passes to the running backs out
of the backfield that go for six, where it's like,
all right, the Jets are woeful right now, and you
know Trev's dialed in, But how do you deploy Cirtan
(04:58):
and Moss and tall know who funk who I think
is a big part of if the Broncos can win
this game. He's gonna have to play well because when
this Jacks group is fully operational, everybody's back other than Basialtoton.
So it's gonna be a lot of ETN and this
one because students just had finger surgery. But in how
you deploy your talent when Parker Washington, BTJ Jacobe Myers,
(05:20):
like everybody's there, there's just so many options for Liam.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Income Yeah, I think that's so key in this game
because obviously the Denver's strengths are really strong up up
front and how they are in third downs and how
they are in the red zone. But they are a
team you can move the ball on. I mean, the
Packers started that game with sixth straight scoring drives. And
they're a team I sometimes struggle with because they don't
(05:43):
look like the best defense you've ever seen. Except when
they're playing like terrible teams. They beat them down harder
than any other team we've ever seen. But against good teams,
they'll give you some and they'll take it back. You
can focus on our guy, Riley Moss. That's a guy
that will get thrown at a little bit. Drake Greenlaw
in coverage, I think is a guy who you want
(06:06):
to throw at, certainly when you can get one of
their linebackers kind of covering. Alex Singleton's good, but also
he's another guy. Riley Moss, though, had an answer I
don't know if you saw this on Instagram this week, uh,
saying he's lactose intolerant when you when you're trying to
throw it in his area.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
You don't like that one.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I think maybe the lactose intolerant could be related to
the cheese and related to yellow flags that have been
thrown at Riley Moss, because there were a couple last
week where I'm I'm with Riley.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
He is being unfairly Toak.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
You were ready to make the kickstarter because.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
We've seen guys get dragged down with one hand. Ley
Moss lays a finger on somebody. That flag is coming out,
and it's like he's got his arms out, and I understand, like.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Justice for Riley Moss, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I think that's what I think he was getting at
the other thing, that that that the officials here, they're
they're seeing color.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
They're not colorblind. No, I mean when it comes to
Riley Moss.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
And Riley Moss has every right, every right to field
that way.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I love though that the Jaguars like the Jaguars offense
now that it has so many different elements and now
that they are as healthy, and that Trevor Lawrence game
yet came against the Jets, but it came because he's
willing and is so confident coming off of multiple awesome performances.
These two guys. I think Lawrence is coming off the
(07:32):
best streak of his career. Nicks is coming off the
best game of his career. And yet if you look
at the numbers, and I kind of agree with the numbers,
both these teams defenses are better than their offenses. Like
Jaguars are a top ten DVOA team right now. They've
been on a roll, and the Broncos, as good as
they were offensively last week, it's been the defense that's
carrying them. So it's a it's a really good test
(07:52):
for these two young quarterbacks.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Yeah, I love it, And and bo Nix is pretty
solid against the blitz. I think they've got some really
good outlets for him. That shot Peyton just historically has
always built into his offense. The way that the Jaguars
like to mitigate pressure and confuse defensive backs, which you'll
see a ton of in this game, is they use
motion on like over seventy percent of their pass plays.
They also vacillate between their eleven personnel and twelve personnel.
(08:17):
So two tight ends and two tight ends is their
preferred like heavier package that they're in. And they've got
some obviously with Breton Strange being the lead the lead
canine there, like.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
They've they've got a lot of available.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Formation changes and mixed looks that they can throw at
a defense that is going to play them really really aggressively,
and like I said, try.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
To mess up Trevor Lawrence lead canine.
Speaker 6 (08:41):
You went with, I don't want to say alpha dog.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I feel like that's a cliche, right, lead canine, like you.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Know, lead canine. And also that's a less that's a
less sneadism.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
By the way.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Interesting, Yeah, it sounds better, I guess when it's coming
from a general manager of an NFL team.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And not from everything sounds better from Greg did even.
Speaker 6 (09:00):
Trust to watch tape?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
The the biologists who actually coined the term alpha did
come out and note that within the Wolf hierarchy, that
was all wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
He should not have not have done that.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
So people running around, they're more collaborators.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
They have a functional society. Yes, it's not organized from
the top down.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
It was Wow, could have really changed a lot.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think the people who lost that nomenclature would have
just went with some other pseudoscience to benefit their worldview.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
This, uh, this is amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
All of that information is a big moment for Anthony
Campanile going up against Don Payton. Hasn't got a lot
of pop, but has been pretty creative in what he's done,
and it's a real test for for that defense. He's healthier.
I really do think the Jaguars just having more guys
available is quietly a huge part of why they're playing
(09:55):
so well. I mean, if you think about it, at
different points of the year, they were without Brian Thomas, junior,
Arker Washington, he obviously didn't have Jacobe Myers, Breton Strange.
That's that's a lot of more players and a couple
of their interior starting offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So they're all out there right now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Trevon Walker is out there and looking one hundred percent
again finally, and Devin Lloyd. And this is a conference game,
and so it's big for both teams, but especially for
the Jaguars, who are one up on the Texans. And
I did do some some stimulations and whatnot because the
Jaguars and Texans don't play each other. But in a
(10:31):
scenario where the Jaguars lose this game and the Texans
win out and they tie, the Texans, you know, do
win that tiebreaker, that they would win the division even
though they both would be five and one inside the division.
It's this conference game that would be the difference than
losing this game.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
To the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
And that's like four tiebreakers down right, how many from.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
The well you go you go head to head, so
they split, you go division and then you go conference games.
Then it's common opponents. After that, that's where it's beyond
my pay grade. And you got to just check the
websites that you can trust.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
That's good info. But in order to believe you, I
think I'm gonna look that up.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I mean, you have to go to the PFF.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I think it's fair that you always want to have
your eyes on a game before you just are are
rolling with that assessment.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You know a game that some of us were guilty
of having our eyes on despite not being assigned it.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Myself highlighting in that was.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Philip Rivers playing against the Seattle Seahawks. And we get
Philip Rivers in a game where we won't have to
ignore any other game.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Because it's on Monday night football in prime time.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
We're the San Francisco forty nine ers are six point
favorites at the Indianapolis Colts. The over under is forty
six and a half Jordan, they're playing at home. Philip
Rivers has one game under his belt. What's it going
to show us here on Monday night football?
Speaker 6 (11:50):
Well, I thought he played fine.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Like it's not ideal It's not an ideal situation, obviously,
but I thought he, you know, executed the offense fine,
and and that defense played it's hard out and really
gave him, gave him a shot. What helps him is
that San Francisco cannot pressure. It can't get pressure. So
I think there's there's an okay chance that we see
Philip Rivers like last this entire game again.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
The layers of this, it's a low bar.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
I mean, I think everyone's kind of worried about the
forty four year old out there on an NFL football field.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Don't you think there's a scenario where he does look
better each week that he plays.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I think.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
So it's a totally different position, obviously, But I saw
this with Eric Weddle, when Eric Weddle came back in
again off the couch, and it advanced and age relative
to an NFL player, and it took like a couple
of weeks, and then he was the green dot calling
the game for the Rams and.
Speaker 6 (12:45):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
So it's I'm not saying it's the same trajectory, but
it's it is like and obviously a different position, but
you do need to get the wake those muscles back
up and wake the synapses back up, frankly to make
those decisions as quickly as as we know he can.
I like, there's little like connective tissue layers to this.
Gus Bradley is in San Francisco right now and he's
(13:08):
like buddies with Philip Rivers, and they were on the
phone and he was asking this is reported out of
San Francisco's great beat over there. They were on the
phone and Philip Rivers like, yeah, I'm thinking about doing it.
Gus Brad's like, yeah, you should do it. Kyle Shanahan
is in the room, intervenes, He's like, yeah, you should
do it, and then realizes they've got Philip Rivers a
week after and he said, no, no, actually you shouldn't
(13:30):
do it.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
So I love that. I thought that was pretty great.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
I love that too, and I love for Phil the
idea that he could be protected well. This week has
a pretty big difference, playing in Seattle and then playing
at home against this forty nine ers team whose best
two pass rushers are definitely Cleland Farrell and Keon White.
The last couple of weeks, which is crazy, Bryce Huff
should be in theory, but just the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
He hasn't been productive.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
The problem is there's a million injuries and the Colts
have been dealing with this all season, really down the stretch.
But on the offensive line, specifically Braydon Smith, their right tackle,
is not coming back. He is now out for the season,
and so that's a disappointment. And then Bernard Raymond, who
got hurt in that game in Seattle, their left tackle,
who is hurt during the game. We don't know his
(14:17):
Status's a Monday night game, so it's early in terms
of practice reports. We have to assume Sauce Gardner's not
coming back until he does. The same is true for
Tarvarius Ward. I do have a feeling to Forrest Buckner
could make his return this week. He did get some
practices in before last week's game. They didn't activate him,
so he might come back. But that's a lot of
(14:39):
your very best players shorthanded that the Cults won't have,
and especially if they're without their left if they're down
both their tackles, that does worry me for Big Phill.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Yeah, and I don't know how how much this defense
can continue to hold up in terms of Indianapolis, because
they've been they started out great and lou An Arumo
has as I think, gotten the most out of a
genuinely talented group of players, and they're getting better pressure
than they have, but I don't know how much can
actually affect the way that this forty nine ers offense
(15:10):
is playing right now.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
It's like the best, maybe the best coaching matchup of
the week because I think lou Ana Roumo can come
up with a designer game plan. It doesn't always work,
and sometimes they look bad, but sometimes they hit, and
they were playing with their hair on fire last week.
And Kyle versus this indie defense, you never know. They
are eleventh right now in Dboa. Their defensive efficiency overall,
like that's pretty good considering everything that's going on. And
(15:34):
so it's a big time test against a forty nine
ers offense that is rolling and might be without Ricky Piersall. Unfortunately,
even though he came back and finished that game out
the way Kyle Shanan was talking, it sounds like he's
hurt again. So that would be a big loss for them.
But there's still a lot to deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
With and they we have seen some success from coach
lou against the tree, but it's the trunk I'm agree
at this one, and you know the EU.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
I do want to say before we go to the
next game. When I'm looking at the passing the advanced
passing stats on next Gen, I'm like, tell me you're
old without telling me you're old with Philip Rivers because
he's got the lowest time to throw of qualifying quarterbacks
at two point three six seconds, and also the by
far the lowest.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Play action rate. So it's like, get the ball out
quick and please, for the love of God to turn.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Oh yeah, it was just phil I mean a lot
of it was under center, some of it was shotgunned. Yea,
was him knowing what he was going to do before
the play and usually making the right decision, which is
why they didn't have like a ton of three outs.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Oh yeah, you could see it all game.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
But it's just funny looking at those stats and being like,
oh yeah, I can point out the old.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Guy and highlighted in some of the worst tape of
the game where Josh Downs wins with the lone of
scrimmage calls for the ball, not knowing that the ball
has already been thrown. Oh yeah, you ready, the ball's
coming out Josh gotta get ready for it. It's time
for the Sunday I presented by Toyota. Let's go places.
The New England Patriots are on the road at the
(17:05):
Baltimore Ravens, who are favored by three because Vegas likes action.
Mike to Rico and Chris Collinsworth are on the call.
Of course, there's going to be a Sims. There's going
to be a florial. There's a whole pregame experience that
we you know, of course, are podcasting during that time,
so we generally missed that. So you guys are gonna
have to let us know how that goes. But it's
(17:26):
Drake May. It's a healthier Lamar Jackson. How do you
feel about this football game? Even though we've already.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Talked Lamar Jackson, who does have the fluid constantly constantly.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I need Lamar to like, you know, teen people, you
have them in your life, maybe even in your family.
I do at least like they're just some people that
are more sick than others. Lamar is one of those
people apparently, although always.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
At the gas station. Maybe it's like you know, like
hand sanitized.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
After the pump, Like don't like Okay, so I'm getting
sick a little sick.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
But he not only is feeling better, he is telling
everyone he's feeling better.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Yeah, I believe I told you guys early on in
the week I was feeling better, you know, like Thursday. Oh,
but I guess you guys have to see it to
believe it. I love that I was. We dispensed with
the fiction that he.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
Was right before he's gone on a Wednesday with the flu,
like that.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Was from postgame. And he did have some really good runs.
I thought he did two weeks ago too, but maybe
they were even better last week. Like it's hard to
judge explosiveness. He's still more explosive as a runner hurt
than almost any you know runner out there. And he
had a number of really nice throws last week, even
(18:42):
though he only had twelve attempts, Like three or four
of them were absolute dimes. And I think they're favored
in this game because the numbers will tell you this
is a bad Patriots defense.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
It just it just is.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
It's the worst, one of the worst red zone defenses
of the last ten years, fourth worst of the last
ten years in terms of if you get the ball,
you know, near the goal line they are going to cave.
It's been one of the worst rush defenses in the
league for the last six weeks or so. In the
Ravens running game has been better. So I kind of
like the offenses in this game.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Patrick.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I know Baltimore's defense has been playing better, but it
feels like it's the battle of the explosive play teams,
like who can get more explosive plays. I think it
could be a lot of fun because I think it
could be a game with a lot of possessions where
there are some three and outs, but there's also some
two play seventy yard drives from both these teams, and
I think the Ravens will be up for like a shootout.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah, this Patriots team said it for weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
It is reminiscent of some of these Ravens teams where
they got home run hitters. You know, the comeback is
in play for the opponent because when they're constantly hitting
home runs, like Kishan Budi catching touchdowns on upwards of
twenty percent of his reception. I'm good Trevion the franchise
history record holder in fifty yards touchdowns just nine games
(20:01):
into his career, where he's actually playing and starting in
these games where it's going to be back and forth,
I think they're going to go up and down the field.
I have wondered, you know, because statistically, you keep seeing
the Ravens pop up near the top of these categories
in rushing defense in past EPA, where it's like, how
are they doing this? It's like you're having to materialize
(20:24):
the pass rush in some games where I don't know
if it's if you're going to be able to apply
the pass rush that we saw against Burrow and the
Bengals every single week. But the Patriots banged up up front.
Perhaps you get the Kyle van neu revenge game, and
there's some calls for optimism, but I see nothing but
scorefest Jordan.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
That's all I can say.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Yeah, I think it has potential for that. I am
curious though, because you would think when you look at this,
it's who gets the ball last, that's who wins essentially.
So with that in mind, I'm curious if the Patriots
adjust and learn from a little bit of what happened
last week and they deploy a little bit more ball
control in a expert fashion or in a situational fashion
(21:05):
less so a product of the defense that they're playing,
and I feel like that's the way playing keep away
has to be the way that you win this game.
It only works if you can run the ball luckily
for them. Even though they haven't run the ball well
luckily for them, the Patriots run defense is certainly not
up to par.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Right, But they they're a hard team to figure out
because they change depending on the week. Like they're they're
rushing attack the last few weeks, and it granted one
was you know before the bye, has been better. I
think Ramandre has looked pretty good. Trevion Henderson's success rate
like has gone up. I just think they're a team
that really misses Milton Williams and like every team has
(21:44):
a million injuries, but the Patriots are a thinner team
where the drop off is significant, and they only play
their front four like the Eagles do. Those front four
aren't as good and so I think you're seeing some
wear and tear from Harold Landry in calevon jason'sif those
guys were at the center of a lot of the
best Bills plays last week, where they're not keeping their
(22:06):
rush lanes and they're not really creating much of a
pass rush without Milton Williams, and so there's opportunities for
the other team. And yet I still have a lot
of faith in Drake May to bounce back, even if
the Ravens defense has been playing better. The Ravens defense
got a couple of key players back last week, Patrick
ar Darius Washington safety who played quite well for them
(22:28):
last year, and then ta Various Robinson that their names
are just close enough to mess me up. But he
had a big play early in that game too. So
they are getting some guys who have been in the
system before and played a lot of snaps for them
in getting healthy there down the stretch run. And you
could say this is a revenge game, not just for
Kyle van Noy, but how about for John Harbaugh against
(22:50):
Mike Rabel some big wins over them in the past,
including that playoff game whenever that was I don't remember
twenty nineteen, twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, I think it was Lamar's first playoff game where
things with the things.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
With the other ree.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
They also had some beef at the time where like
the next year the Titans beat up on them and
they played a couple of times. There was there was
some stuff between them back in the day. Just two
I'm gonna say it, Alpha Males and John Harva two
lead k nines.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Should we take a break?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Let's take a break excited that these games are so
good that Pittsburgh Detroit didn't even make it in the
first block of the strip.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. Let's Go Places.
Toyota is all in all season with another year of
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Speaker 7 (23:58):
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Speaker 2 (24:14):
Back on NFL Daily. Don't read text between.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You know, our little break here, because sometimes you'll read
a text and it'll really surprise you. It might be
from your personal life, your business life, and then suddenly
you hear the music and the show has started again.
Oh no, and you're not calm, cool and collected. You're
like Quinn yours back there in the pocket, You're like,
what is going on?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
That's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Everything's great, Everything's always great.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Steelers Lions. It's the Jim Nansen Tony Room.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yes, and they the Lions are favored by seven.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Wow. I haven't looked at these lines yet.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Dan Campbell is calling the place, and they've been explosive
on offense. They've looked great. The Pittsburgh Steelers. A couple
of weeks after fire, Tomlin Chance in the Catburg seat
in the AFC North and yeah, we get a chance
to see this over under at forty nine and a
half where Jordan do Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steels
(25:19):
keep this hot streak going.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Man, it would be hard to see Detroit kind of
fall apart.
Speaker 6 (25:26):
I think because they are so well cooked, because we.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Love them, we love them because they're America, because they
want them to do well.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
You want them to be in pain, and they seem
they're just hurting right now.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
Guys.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
They're they're having trouble consistently getting pressure. Outside of Aiden Hutchinson,
They're decimated in their secondary Throughout their secondary and they
are having trouble containing explosive plays. They the Steelers are
running the ball pretty well these days, they're not faring
well against as well as they want to against the run.
(25:59):
This on paper, if you're taking the last week or
so or a couple of weeks of Steelers and the
last couple of weeks of Lions, on paper, it does
feature of the Pittsburgh It does favor the Pittsburgh Steelers, and.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yet they're a touchdown underdog.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Col guys at quarterback.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
That's a huge That's a huge number to me. It
speaks to a couple of things that I do find interesting.
You know, when you're talking about you know the numbers
in Vegas and all that, which is that do you
value what you've seen lately or do you value the
whole course of the season. And it's like it's a
push and pull when evaluating these teams, coaches look at
(26:35):
the last four weeks. I tend to think that is
what's more important. And I think the Steelers' offense has
shown signs of I don't know if they've been transformed,
but playing their best football now. And this is a
really positive matchup against the Lions defense that I believe
is twenty ninth in the in the last month or so,
uh in terms of EPA per play allowed, Like they're
(26:57):
just not a good defense lately, and so I kind
of like this this one being a score fest as well.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Indoors we got we got breaking news from NFL insider
JJ Watt, who has some insight into the hell status
of Little brother says he's quote working through it was
I don't know if that necessarily that is a lot
of confidence regarding t J watts status, which I think
is huge here because the this this most recent edition
(27:27):
of the two tongue of Ioloa Miami Dolphins, didn't really
allow me a chance to evaluate how the Pittsburgh Steelers
pass defense was. Okay, I understand the last four weeks
a part of that evaluation that version of the Dolphins
not necessarily inspiring the threat uh that jg And and
(27:48):
JMO and aman rah Ejamier Gibbs do where seven makes
sense to me, seven makes perfect sense.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So yeah, Week twelve was the cutoff where they're twenty
ninth in EPA per play the Lions and they're first
in points by the way this season just like flat
out points points.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
Per game someone tell Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
First, I guess Jared Goff's not letting his team down.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
He really is.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
He's pointing the fingers at the guy that celebrate in
touchdown he just threw.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
That's who Jared pointing.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Jared Goff has responded to being dismissed from QB Island
by playing his best on the football of the season
over the last month. Even when they were they've lost
some of these games. I think he is playing outstanding
and so that's that's a good point Patrick about the
Steelers defense. It's more of the Steelers offense, which I
I kind of felt like was dead on arrival almost
(28:42):
all season long because of their passing game. And I
still think the ceiling's relatively low, but I've raised it
like if they can just be a competitive to decent
passing game, then then they're a little more dangerous in
a spot like this against a team that that will
put up some points.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
That's all. It has to be a big I mean
Robertson game.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Just the way that this defense consistently, regardless of which
pieces are missing, have schemed up to bother opposing quarterbacks
and be in the passing lanes where if you can
make Aaron Rodgers hesitate, not trust what he sees. You know,
the balls. First of all, it's going out of bounds.
But if he can't get there, if he's still in
(29:23):
the pocket, then there's an opportunity to have those negative plays.
And maybe Aiden Hutchinson, despite not being able to cress
nineteen miles per hour when he's running down the field
by himself, is able to get some quick pressure on
Aaron Rodds.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
I just think this is a high end, high potential
game for the Lions to just be a explosively smothering
group because it almost happened to the Rams. The Rams
fought their way back in it, but hitting those explosive
plays early almost put that one out of reach in
a big way. And they can do it again against
the Steelers. The third and fourth most explosive plays allowed
(29:56):
this season. Third most is the Detroit Lion defense and
fourth most is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
And they're so close.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Together, just three explosive plays apart, uh one thirty three
for Detroit and one thirty for the Steelers per Next
Gen Stats. That that to me shows me that the better,
the more explosive offense will win this game, and that's
the Lions.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
It should be.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
DK's finally gotten some big plays the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
It's good to see him a bigger part of the offense.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I don't think of the running game as explosive, although
it's quietly effective. The Steelers with with Jalen Warren, who's
more likely to make a man missattackle than he is
to like bust it for forty.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Is it my fault that Kenneth Gambles is subtracted from
your Steelers running back analysis?
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Maybe subconsciously that is true. He shouldn't be because having
a great season. Yeah, he really is, And the Steelers
are telling me, you ye, first to now running backs,
that's easier, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
I don't even know what that means.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Kenneth Gainwell, look he was the primary ball carrier on
a team that put up over thirty points in a
super Bowl. He's also the primary carrier like right now
on the Steelers. Quietly he's playing a little more than
Jalen Moore. Although it's a great it's a great one
two punch. It's been a quiet three weeks for Jamiir Gibbs.
Right since he had that nuclear game where he went
(31:16):
over two hundred yards, right, or maybe it's just been
two weeks, but he's had a couple quiet weeks, and
you do miss Sam Laporta.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I do think the culture of it all.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Like they can't lose this game in Campbell, they could
technically be eliminated. Remember I said at the like hours ago,
years ago before I received life changing news by a text.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
And I'm joking everything, Okay.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
I pointed out only one team could be eliminated this week,
and that was the Dallas Cowboy. There is a very
unlikely scenario in which the Lions lose and the Bears
and the Packers tie where the Lions would be eliminated. So,
even though it wouldn't be official if that they would
be eliminated, if they lose this game, likely they would
(32:02):
be all but eliminated and would need an incredible amount
of help in the final two weeks. If Detroit doesn't win,
come on coming through, Dan Campbell, Mike Tomlin, I mean,
how much more.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
Do it for America?
Speaker 2 (32:13):
We need it so bad? How much cooler can it get?
Speaker 1 (32:16):
In terms of like a head coaching matchup, I feel
like Mike Tomlin walked so Dan Campbell can run.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
You know.
Speaker 6 (32:21):
Oh that's that's cool. I like that a lot.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Well, I guess Mike Tomlin ran too. He won a
lot of games and won a super Bowl. But you
know what I mean, They're like, I feel like two
guys in the same mold.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Well you like cool head coaches? Greg? Yes? Can I
interest you on now? Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders?
Oh okay, Well, the Raiders are playing the Houston Texans,
who favor.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I wasn't ready to read this fourteen and a half boys,
the over Hunders thirty seven and a half Andrew Catalog,
Charles Davis, and Jason mccordy will have the task of
making it interesting, Greg, because the Raiders are playing against
the team that's significantly better.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Than them, and they always do one of my favorite trios.
I'm talking about Catalan Davison mccordy. I've had enough broadcaster.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
You know, hate lately.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I want to give the good Cruise some credit and
that the Texans offense, that's a good crew. I wondered
aloud on that on that Cynthia pod last week where
we do our picks, like do we really trust the
Texans favored by like ten points last week, like ready
to just like blow a team out. It didn't end
up taking that game. It's like, yeah, we kind of
(33:29):
do trust them. They've they've gotten through this gauntlet, and
they could be ten and two in their last twelve
games if they win this game, and they've done it
against a top five, difficult schedule, and now they finally
get to a softer portion. And you watched that game
closely last week, Jordan. The offense look great and it
just is awesome to see c. J. Stroud in rhythm.
(33:51):
And one thing that stuck out to me watching is
just he's.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Moving really well.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Yes, and he talked in the off season about really
working on his movement skills, and I do think you
saw that, like right at the beginning of the season,
but then he got hurt in the offensive line has
been bad, but he has been great, I think lately,
and he's moving really well well.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
There's a more of a rapport with some of the
younger players too, the younger receivers, the two guys out
of Iowa State, and then Xavier Hutchinson coming in as well,
and then you know, obviously Nico is Nico, but it's
all of the young players seem to have grown up
through part of the grueling nature of what the season
has been. I was delighted to see now Woody Marx
(34:30):
is kind of in and out with an ankle injury,
so he's kind of if he plays, he'll be playing.
Speaker 6 (34:34):
Through a little of that. But I was absolutely delighted to.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
See that they promoted Juar Jordan off the practice squad again,
and he should stay on this active roster for as
long as they can keep him there because the burst
that he gave them on the ground. You know, Woody
marks Is clearly can be a very explosive player, but
it was almost like a spark plug, just little like
flashes with Juar Jordan. Who could who showed this burst
(34:59):
that was awesome, that was badly needed. It was exciting
to watch this Houston Texans offense move the ball and
stay ahead of the sticks in such a functional way.
You combine that with c. J. Stroud's ability as a
quarterback making some of the highest difficulty level throws. It
just it's all coming together, and it's coming together at
(35:20):
the right time, and thank God, because they're giving this
defense some help finally.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
And a opportunity where you can both rest Woody marks
for this upcoming postseason run and get Jaward Jordan a
chance to get more carries as far as NFL debuts. Yeah,
fifteen carries over one hundred involved in the receiving game
as well. I'd like to see more of them as well.
And because again, you trust stuff against this team.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
I like how we've we're politely calling these miserable teams
to try stuff against them.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, but the Raiders are the Quinn essential. Yeah, they can.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
You can work on your offensive line Texans, like, you're
not gonna have to worry about any crazy blitz is.
These are two teams that both like to play that
like to play bass defense. Having three linebackers on the field,
it can work. I mean the forty nine ers do
it pretty well.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
With one of these teams.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
And the Texans.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
I noticed with Christian Harris back last week or maybe
it's the last two weeks, I'm not sure, but he's
playing a decent amount of snaps and he adds a
little bit of a different element, and I think they're
gonna want him, like getting ready for the playoffs, to
at least be like an important player for them. And yeah,
that's what the types of stuff you can do against
the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Yeah, and thank you for putting me on the Jalen
Peatrie smelling salt yes situation, because I saw the video.
Not only did he take a hit of the smelling salts,
he no sold it like, no reaction, facial indications.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
And just casually drops it to the ground and then
goes and sprints to.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
The That's just Wednesday for him. Yeah, that's just nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I'm up across from that sideline. Hey, on the top
of my head.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
I love the sense so much.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Uh, and yeah, if they if we don't know if
Geno is going to be back for this game, we
should have pointed out, by the way, Uh for the
Jets it is Brady Cook.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Again we didn't get that information. But uh, we don't
know if it's you know or Kenny Pickett.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
You either way? Rip.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Yes again, you were asking earlier on the show this
week what players we think that Wes would have liked.
I look at will Anderson Junior, and I think that
the exuberance and the joy that that guy, that young
man plays with and the uh the ferocity despite being
like such a seems like just a joy for his
(37:45):
teammates to be around. He just he's incredible watching him
plays incredible.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
I think Wes would have really, I totally agree, loved
loved like an edge with his hair on fire, and
really realizing when they talked about will Anderson before the
draft and when it came to that trade, there was
this idea that the ceiling wasn't somehow quite as high
as like top edge type of guys, that it was
more like safe versus like crazy ceiling. I mean, this
(38:10):
is the ceiling right now. He's a He's a first
team All Pro. I think with Miles Garrett, I think
those are the two. Speaking of which you mentioned Nico
as Nico and I and I often think this when
I'm watching Nego Collins, who I think is my favorite
wide receiver in the league. Like we say, oh, he's
one of the best receivers in league. It's like, but
he's still better than you think. I'm thinking about if
(38:30):
I'm making an All Pro team this year, I gotta
I actually got to make a list, like how high
are we talking If we're putting three receivers on, which
I think they do now, it's probably JSN and Puka
are the easy top two and then after that you
could go Chase certainly having a good year. It's kind
(38:51):
of tough to put Justin Jefferson on the team this
year because he's not going to break a thousand yards.
I don't think I think you're I would maybe put
Nico right there on the first team, and if not,
he's there on the second team with aman Ra and
CD or whoever else George Pickens you want to put
on the second team, But like, I think that's the
floor for Nico, and I don't think it's crazy to
(39:13):
have him right there number three.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
And that's why it was.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
It was so important for your call for the Texans
office line to be normal, to be standard issue. Yes,
so more people could appreciate how good of a football player, Yes,
Nico Collins is, and thankfully more people are.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Let's go to our final game, guys.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
The Atlanta falcon are favored by two and a half points,
fresh off of the Kyle Pitts game on the road
against the Arizona Cardinals. The over unders forty seven and
a half. Jason By and Brady Quinn on the call.
The Cardinals have looked like can kuon on three the
past couple of weeks of Jordan. Do they provide the
(39:51):
early season Cardinals scare where they lose this game by
three points.
Speaker 6 (39:56):
I think the Cardinals can win this game.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
Oh, I think it's the vibes down horrendous in Atlanta
right now, the kiss of death for the quarterbacks in
any building. The theme this year seems to be everything
is on the table if the head coach says that,
And that is what Raheem Morris told the media this
week when asked about the future of the quarterback situation.
(40:19):
It bears repeating that Atlanta does not have their initial
first round pick with which they could potentially go make
a decision at quarterback. It also bears noting that they
might not even be the ones in the building making
that decision, nor the Arizona Cardinals. So this is a
whose vibes are slightly less bad than others game.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
That is absolutely all true.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And yet when I think about this game versus let's
say Bengals Dolphins, this is this is fun. This is
the sort of chaos that I'll embrace on the field.
Off the field, You're right, the vibes are bad.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
I liked I liked both of these teams Schematically on
defense at least on the field, and I know the
defense for the Cardinals hasn't been good, but I still I.
Speaker 6 (40:59):
Still hold for the possibility of what could be.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
I mean, Kyle Pitts is coming off one of the
most legendary fantasy football performances of all time, if not
T and f performances of all time. That's fun. Drake
London sounds like he could be back for this game.
We got to give Kirk Cousins credit for playing very
well in that game, and I think it's been a
steady incline where he's looked better each and every week.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
I think it's a little crazy to talk about.
Speaker 6 (41:24):
Do you think he's playing himself into another job?
Speaker 2 (41:27):
No, but there are only thirty two jobs. Yeah, I
kind of.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Very notable one in Kansas City where maybe they need
somebody to play three or four games.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I get see you.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too here,
Like wouldn't it wouldn't surprise me if he has a
starting quarterback in Week one next year. But I don't
think he's going to get like a starting quarterback like contract.
So that's where I would separate him, Like maybe he's
paired with a rookie or he's paired with.
Speaker 5 (41:53):
A Yes, Michael pennant to be a bridge guy again.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Well that's what Well, what is he gotta do?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Like he just accept I think Raheem is just too honest, Like,
of course they're considering everything. Michael Pennox is coming off
of attorney CL. He might not be ready for the
start of next season. And if he is, he's coming
off at TOURNEYCL. There's no they think that he was.
Speaker 6 (42:12):
Not playing well before the injury too.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
So for sure.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
But I mean even if he was playing well, I
feel like they would have to be, you know, readying
as an organization for that position, considering his injury history.
And yeah, it would surprise me if Raheem is there,
But you never know.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
Jacoby Brissett might throw it a hundred times this game,
another player goes to injured reserve.
Speaker 6 (42:35):
I think Bam Knight this time.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
Cardinals have just had the worst luck with their running
backs room all year. They down they'll be down to
like their sixth starting running back this in this game,
and is the season.
Speaker 6 (42:50):
Creaks to a close on the Arizona card.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
I keep going back to that their defense is not
that injured. In fact, up front, they're as healthy as
they've been all season, and they are somewhere between twenty
fifth and twenty seventh and basically every defensive stat and
he's a defensive coach and he's been there for three years,
and so you're starting to hear the national of like well,
like Tom Pelisera said this week, they they want to
(43:15):
keep them, but the results right, like.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Basically they've been planning to keep them, but at a.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
Sid point, last three games matter.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
Yeah, if at a certain point, if the results continue
to be really lopsided, yeah, I mean, it's not gonna
be great for Jonathan Gannon and I do I do
want to finish. You mentioned that it's been a sign
all season. It's been kind of a trend when they
talk about their young quarterbacks that way. I'm not overly
comfortable with the fact that Shane Steichen is more or
(43:45):
less saying going back to the Colts that like, oh, yeah,
Anthony Richardson might be cleared for activities, but yeah, we're
we didn't bring in Philip Rivers for anything but to start.
I'm not surprised by that, but it sounds like they're
not even gonna let like Anthony Richardson be a backup
and just being weird about it.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
I don't I don't know.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
Yeah, they've not handled that. Just be honest about it.
Maybe like we don't see him as the few whatever
it is. He's like refusing to answer questions. Anthony Richardson,
was I think cleared to for football?
Speaker 6 (44:13):
Yeah he is, he's cleared for football activities, but he's
not the backup.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Yeah, and they probably aren't going to. I don't even
think put him on the active rosters. That's another quarterback
that'll be available for someone this offseason. We have a
whole three weeks to get through before we get there.
We also have a really exciting addition to the feed.
Tell us about this week's NFL Power Players, which is
coming up.
Speaker 6 (44:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:37):
Yeah, we talked to Chad Alexander, the assistant general manager
of the Los Angeles Chargers this week, and I love
we talked about the Chargers earlier.
Speaker 6 (44:45):
What was that the other show?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Right, they're all they're all one show. I just consider
this show.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
We talked about the Chargers earlier today, and I love
what you said because you have not heard the interview yet, Greg,
but you talked about winning ugly and no style points.
And that's exactly what Chad Alexander was talking about as
well as just like really rebuilding what it means to
have an identity as a football team in that building
of late.
Speaker 6 (45:11):
It was a pretty cool interview. I'm excited for people
to listen to it.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Okay, so that is going to go up on Thursday.
We will also be back Thursday Night Jordan and I
recapping Ramseyahawk Big.
Speaker 6 (45:24):
Best Thursday Night football game of all time.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Greg, that's right, no Hyperboley here, I think so, I'd
have to go through the records.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
But the legendary seventeen point Baker Mayfield, I'll see then
Welcome to NFL Daily, where it's time for a revenge game. Yes,
the revenge of the ambush at Mile High. I'm Greg
Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan Podcast studio with Jordan
Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Wow, I'm so excited, so excited.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It was a game when you were guys were just
the wee lasses, you know, and lad in your case Patrick,
when Mark Brunell and Natron Means and the Jaguars went
into Denver and stunned the John Elway Terrell Davis Denver
Broncos thirty to twenty seven in the Divisional round, one
(00:50):
of the big upsets, big moments, I would say, of
mid nineties football. And now it's back Jaguars at Broncos
is suddenly like a monster game.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, No longer this small franchise in these expanded NFL
where you're like, oh wow, this expansion team, these the
scrappy Jacks. Now they're a big part of this operation
and have been for a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That was their first season. That is outrageous that they
did that in their very first season as an expansion team.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
And and folks thought, you know, with a big game
coming up against the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Maybe this is a trap against the Jets.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
No, Trevor Lawrence had a game that no quarterback has
had in the NFL history, And now after both quarterbacks
lighted up, it's Bo Nicks and Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
In the game of the year in the AFC.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Denver Broncos, who were
favored by three. It is Kevin Coogler and Moose Johnston
on the call where Rick, I don't even know where
to start.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
These teams are red hot right now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, if I was going to get on Fox forgiving
you know, the battle for the NFC South Myers and schlera,
I'll give him a little little like side eye for
given this game Coogler Johnston, I mean, you're saying it
could be one of the games of the year.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's their number three team, I believe. But this is
what happens.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
We got, we got Joe and Greg on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, we got different doubleheaders and different things happen. It
doesn't It's not going to change my enjoyment of this game,
especially after I've watched the film and I wanted to
circle back to something we talked about in the in
the room in the newsroom on Sunday. I've now double
confrom first I checked the PFF scores and now I've
(02:28):
watched with my own eyes bow Knicks.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
He played well last week, very well.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I'm glad several believe.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I mean you need to see it with your own eyes.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, I mean you were telling me he was playing
well in the week's leading up and it was like that,
you know that commander's game.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
And I said he was playing was the other one.
Also in my community, we believe women. I guess that
doesn't apply to my right Greg.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Greg had to check the folks.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I had to watch it.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
He was sensational. You get both that Bonnix and on
Peyton Combo. Every week you're winning the Super Bowl this.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
I do have a request to make Greg a feeling
a little that you owe me.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
Can I have this game?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh well, you've already gotten your number one game.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
You gave me that game. You gave me that game.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Patrick's involved, Shook's involved. I mean, you can't just hog
it off for yourself.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
We'll see. I haven't thought about it.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
This is the This is a total like Unstoppable Force
meets immovable object game for both for both teams, because
the Jaguars are one of the most explosive offenses in
the league right now, and Trevor Lawrence seems like a
completely different version of Trevor Lawrence going against one of
the top three defenses in the NFL right now, and
(03:45):
certainly a veteran one, a savvy one, one that will
pressure him, one that will try to turn him into
pumpkin Trevor Lawrence once again. And also on the other side,
a Broncos offense that, while not the most explosive in
the league, has a quarterback playing like way up to
his potential, has put together a most complete game on
offense of their season. Is very very dangerous, especially against
(04:09):
his own coverage and going up against a Jaguars defense
that has been very respectable all season as well as
taking the ball away in aggressive fashion through most of
the year, especially with Devin Lloyd back in the mix.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
It's got everything.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
It's got the play caller matchup because Liam Cohen is
super dialed in. Of course, Sean Payton in that performance
against the Green Bay Packers was clearly like he saw
the way bo was going all right.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Playbook out the window, all right, ten.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Training wheels up he did.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
But you know, you saw, and I think we can't
necessarily extrapolate a whole lot from the Jets game where
that was that was Liam and Trevor Lawrence doing stuff.
Occasionally you had three passes to the running backs out
of the backfield that go for six, where it's like,
all right, the Jets are woeful right now, and you
know Trev's dialed in, But how do you deploy Cirtan
(04:58):
and Moss and tall know who funk who I think
is a big part of if the Broncos can win
this game. He's gonna have to play well because when
this Jacks group is fully operational, everybody's back other than Basialtoton.
So it's gonna be a lot of ETN and this
one because students just had finger surgery. But in how
you deploy your talent when Parker Washington, BTJ Jacobe Myers,
(05:20):
like everybody's there, there's just so many options for Liam.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Income Yeah, I think that's so key in this game
because obviously the Denver's strengths are really strong up up
front and how they are in third downs and how
they are in the red zone. But they are a
team you can move the ball on. I mean, the
Packers started that game with sixth straight scoring drives. And
they're a team I sometimes struggle with because they don't
(05:43):
look like the best defense you've ever seen. Except when
they're playing like terrible teams. They beat them down harder
than any other team we've ever seen. But against good teams,
they'll give you some and they'll take it back. You
can focus on our guy, Riley Moss. That's a guy
that will get thrown at a little bit. Drake Greenlaw
in coverage, I think is a guy who you want
(06:06):
to throw at, certainly when you can get one of
their linebackers kind of covering. Alex Singleton's good, but also
he's another guy. Riley Moss, though, had an answer I
don't know if you saw this on Instagram this week, uh,
saying he's lactose intolerant when you when you're trying to
throw it in his area.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
You don't like that one.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I think maybe the lactose intolerant could be related to
the cheese and related to yellow flags that have been
thrown at Riley Moss, because there were a couple last
week where I'm I'm with Riley.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
He is being unfairly Toak.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
You were ready to make the kickstarter because.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
We've seen guys get dragged down with one hand. Ley
Moss lays a finger on somebody. That flag is coming out,
and it's like he's got his arms out, and I understand, like.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Justice for Riley Moss, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I think that's what I think he was getting at
the other thing, that that that the officials here, they're
they're seeing color.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
They're not colorblind. No, I mean when it comes to
Riley Moss.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
And Riley Moss has every right, every right to field
that way.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I love though that the Jaguars like the Jaguars offense
now that it has so many different elements and now
that they are as healthy, and that Trevor Lawrence game
yet came against the Jets, but it came because he's
willing and is so confident coming off of multiple awesome performances.
These two guys. I think Lawrence is coming off the
(07:32):
best streak of his career. Nicks is coming off the
best game of his career. And yet if you look
at the numbers, and I kind of agree with the numbers,
both these teams defenses are better than their offenses. Like
Jaguars are a top ten DVOA team right now. They've
been on a roll, and the Broncos, as good as
they were offensively last week, it's been the defense that's
carrying them. So it's a it's a really good test
(07:52):
for these two young quarterbacks.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Yeah, I love it, And and bo Nix is pretty
solid against the blitz. I think they've got some really
good outlets for him. That shot Peyton just historically has
always built into his offense. The way that the Jaguars
like to mitigate pressure and confuse defensive backs, which you'll
see a ton of in this game, is they use
motion on like over seventy percent of their pass plays.
They also vacillate between their eleven personnel and twelve personnel.
(08:17):
So two tight ends and two tight ends is their
preferred like heavier package that they're in. And they've got
some obviously with Breton Strange being the lead the lead
canine there, like.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
They've they've got a lot of available.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Formation changes and mixed looks that they can throw at
a defense that is going to play them really really aggressively,
and like I said, try.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
To mess up Trevor Lawrence lead canine.
Speaker 6 (08:41):
You went with, I don't want to say alpha dog.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I feel like that's a cliche, right, lead canine, like you.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Know, lead canine. And also that's a less that's a
less sneadism.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
By the way.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Interesting, Yeah, it sounds better, I guess when it's coming
from a general manager of an NFL team.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And not from everything sounds better from Greg did even.
Speaker 6 (09:00):
Trust to watch tape?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
The the biologists who actually coined the term alpha did
come out and note that within the Wolf hierarchy, that
was all wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
He should not have not have done that.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
So people running around, they're more collaborators.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
They have a functional society. Yes, it's not organized from
the top down.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
It was Wow, could have really changed a lot.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think the people who lost that nomenclature would have
just went with some other pseudoscience to benefit their worldview.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
This, uh, this is amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
All of that information is a big moment for Anthony
Campanile going up against Don Payton. Hasn't got a lot
of pop, but has been pretty creative in what he's done,
and it's a real test for for that defense. He's healthier.
I really do think the Jaguars just having more guys
available is quietly a huge part of why they're playing
(09:55):
so well. I mean, if you think about it, at
different points of the year, they were without Brian Thomas, junior,
Arker Washington, he obviously didn't have Jacobe Myers, Breton Strange.
That's that's a lot of more players and a couple
of their interior starting offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So they're all out there right now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Trevon Walker is out there and looking one hundred percent
again finally, and Devin Lloyd. And this is a conference game,
and so it's big for both teams, but especially for
the Jaguars, who are one up on the Texans. And
I did do some some stimulations and whatnot because the
Jaguars and Texans don't play each other. But in a
(10:31):
scenario where the Jaguars lose this game and the Texans
win out and they tie, the Texans, you know, do
win that tiebreaker, that they would win the division even
though they both would be five and one inside the division.
It's this conference game that would be the difference than
losing this game.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
To the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
And that's like four tiebreakers down right, how many from.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
The well you go you go head to head, so
they split, you go division and then you go conference games.
Then it's common opponents. After that, that's where it's beyond
my pay grade. And you got to just check the
websites that you can trust.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
That's good info. But in order to believe you, I
think I'm gonna look that up.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I mean, you have to go to the PFF.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I think it's fair that you always want to have
your eyes on a game before you just are are
rolling with that assessment.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You know a game that some of us were guilty
of having our eyes on despite not being assigned it.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Myself highlighting in that was.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Philip Rivers playing against the Seattle Seahawks. And we get
Philip Rivers in a game where we won't have to
ignore any other game.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Because it's on Monday night football in prime time.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
We're the San Francisco forty nine ers are six point
favorites at the Indianapolis Colts. The over under is forty
six and a half Jordan, they're playing at home. Philip
Rivers has one game under his belt. What's it going
to show us here on Monday night football?
Speaker 6 (11:50):
Well, I thought he played fine.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Like it's not ideal It's not an ideal situation, obviously,
but I thought he, you know, executed the offense fine,
and and that defense played it's hard out and really
gave him, gave him a shot. What helps him is
that San Francisco cannot pressure. It can't get pressure. So
I think there's there's an okay chance that we see
Philip Rivers like last this entire game again.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
The layers of this, it's a low bar.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
I mean, I think everyone's kind of worried about the
forty four year old out there on an NFL football field.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Don't you think there's a scenario where he does look
better each week that he plays.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I think.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
So it's a totally different position, obviously, But I saw
this with Eric Weddle, when Eric Weddle came back in
again off the couch, and it advanced and age relative
to an NFL player, and it took like a couple
of weeks, and then he was the green dot calling
the game for the Rams and.
Speaker 6 (12:45):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
So it's I'm not saying it's the same trajectory, but
it's it is like and obviously a different position, but
you do need to get the wake those muscles back
up and wake the synapses back up, frankly to make
those decisions as quickly as as we know he can.
I like, there's little like connective tissue layers to this.
Gus Bradley is in San Francisco right now and he's
(13:08):
like buddies with Philip Rivers, and they were on the
phone and he was asking this is reported out of
San Francisco's great beat over there. They were on the
phone and Philip Rivers like, yeah, I'm thinking about doing it.
Gus Brad's like, yeah, you should do it. Kyle Shanahan
is in the room, intervenes, He's like, yeah, you should
do it, and then realizes they've got Philip Rivers a
week after and he said, no, no, actually you shouldn't
(13:30):
do it.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
So I love that. I thought that was pretty great.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
I love that too, and I love for Phil the
idea that he could be protected well. This week has
a pretty big difference, playing in Seattle and then playing
at home against this forty nine ers team whose best
two pass rushers are definitely Cleland Farrell and Keon White.
The last couple of weeks, which is crazy, Bryce Huff
should be in theory, but just the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
He hasn't been productive.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
The problem is there's a million injuries and the Colts
have been dealing with this all season, really down the stretch.
But on the offensive line, specifically Braydon Smith, their right tackle,
is not coming back. He is now out for the season,
and so that's a disappointment. And then Bernard Raymond, who
got hurt in that game in Seattle, their left tackle,
who is hurt during the game. We don't know his
(14:17):
Status's a Monday night game, so it's early in terms
of practice reports. We have to assume Sauce Gardner's not
coming back until he does. The same is true for
Tarvarius Ward. I do have a feeling to Forrest Buckner
could make his return this week. He did get some
practices in before last week's game. They didn't activate him,
so he might come back. But that's a lot of
(14:39):
your very best players shorthanded that the Cults won't have,
and especially if they're without their left if they're down
both their tackles, that does worry me for Big Phill.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Yeah, and I don't know how how much this defense
can continue to hold up in terms of Indianapolis, because
they've been they started out great and lou An Arumo
has as I think, gotten the most out of a
genuinely talented group of players, and they're getting better pressure
than they have, but I don't know how much can
actually affect the way that this forty nine ers offense
(15:10):
is playing right now.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
It's like the best, maybe the best coaching matchup of
the week because I think lou Ana Roumo can come
up with a designer game plan. It doesn't always work,
and sometimes they look bad, but sometimes they hit, and
they were playing with their hair on fire last week.
And Kyle versus this indie defense, you never know. They
are eleventh right now in Dboa. Their defensive efficiency overall,
like that's pretty good considering everything that's going on. And
(15:34):
so it's a big time test against a forty nine
ers offense that is rolling and might be without Ricky Piersall. Unfortunately,
even though he came back and finished that game out
the way Kyle Shanan was talking, it sounds like he's
hurt again. So that would be a big loss for them.
But there's still a lot to deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
With and they we have seen some success from coach
lou against the tree, but it's the trunk I'm agree
at this one, and you know the EU.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
I do want to say before we go to the
next game. When I'm looking at the passing the advanced
passing stats on next Gen, I'm like, tell me you're
old without telling me you're old with Philip Rivers because
he's got the lowest time to throw of qualifying quarterbacks
at two point three six seconds, and also the by
far the lowest.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Play action rate. So it's like, get the ball out
quick and please, for the love of God to turn.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Oh yeah, it was just phil I mean a lot
of it was under center, some of it was shotgunned. Yea,
was him knowing what he was going to do before
the play and usually making the right decision, which is
why they didn't have like a ton of three outs.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Oh yeah, you could see it all game.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
But it's just funny looking at those stats and being like,
oh yeah, I can point out the old.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Guy and highlighted in some of the worst tape of
the game where Josh Downs wins with the lone of
scrimmage calls for the ball, not knowing that the ball
has already been thrown. Oh yeah, you ready, the ball's
coming out Josh gotta get ready for it. It's time
for the Sunday I presented by Toyota. Let's go places.
The New England Patriots are on the road at the
(17:05):
Baltimore Ravens, who are favored by three because Vegas likes action.
Mike to Rico and Chris Collinsworth are on the call.
Of course, there's going to be a Sims. There's going
to be a florial. There's a whole pregame experience that
we you know, of course, are podcasting during that time,
so we generally missed that. So you guys are gonna
have to let us know how that goes. But it's
(17:26):
Drake May. It's a healthier Lamar Jackson. How do you
feel about this football game? Even though we've already.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Talked Lamar Jackson, who does have the fluid constantly constantly.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I need Lamar to like, you know, teen people, you
have them in your life, maybe even in your family.
I do at least like they're just some people that
are more sick than others. Lamar is one of those
people apparently, although always.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
At the gas station. Maybe it's like you know, like
hand sanitized.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
After the pump, Like don't like Okay, so I'm getting
sick a little sick.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
But he not only is feeling better, he is telling
everyone he's feeling better.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Yeah, I believe I told you guys early on in
the week I was feeling better, you know, like Thursday. Oh,
but I guess you guys have to see it to
believe it. I love that I was. We dispensed with
the fiction that he.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
Was right before he's gone on a Wednesday with the flu,
like that.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Was from postgame. And he did have some really good runs.
I thought he did two weeks ago too, but maybe
they were even better last week. Like it's hard to
judge explosiveness. He's still more explosive as a runner hurt
than almost any you know runner out there. And he
had a number of really nice throws last week, even
(18:42):
though he only had twelve attempts, Like three or four
of them were absolute dimes. And I think they're favored
in this game because the numbers will tell you this
is a bad Patriots defense.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
It just it just is.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
It's the worst, one of the worst red zone defenses
of the last ten years, fourth worst of the last
ten years in terms of if you get the ball,
you know, near the goal line they are going to cave.
It's been one of the worst rush defenses in the
league for the last six weeks or so. In the
Ravens running game has been better. So I kind of
like the offenses in this game.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Patrick.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I know Baltimore's defense has been playing better, but it
feels like it's the battle of the explosive play teams,
like who can get more explosive plays. I think it
could be a lot of fun because I think it
could be a game with a lot of possessions where
there are some three and outs, but there's also some
two play seventy yard drives from both these teams, and
I think the Ravens will be up for like a shootout.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah, this Patriots team said it for weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
It is reminiscent of some of these Ravens teams where
they got home run hitters. You know, the comeback is
in play for the opponent because when they're constantly hitting
home runs, like Kishan Budi catching touchdowns on upwards of
twenty percent of his reception. I'm good Trevion the franchise
history record holder in fifty yards touchdowns just nine games
(20:01):
into his career, where he's actually playing and starting in
these games where it's going to be back and forth,
I think they're going to go up and down the field.
I have wondered, you know, because statistically, you keep seeing
the Ravens pop up near the top of these categories
in rushing defense in past EPA, where it's like, how
are they doing this? It's like you're having to materialize
(20:24):
the pass rush in some games where I don't know
if it's if you're going to be able to apply
the pass rush that we saw against Burrow and the
Bengals every single week. But the Patriots banged up up front.
Perhaps you get the Kyle van neu revenge game, and
there's some calls for optimism, but I see nothing but
scorefest Jordan.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
That's all I can say.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Yeah, I think it has potential for that. I am
curious though, because you would think when you look at this,
it's who gets the ball last, that's who wins essentially.
So with that in mind, I'm curious if the Patriots
adjust and learn from a little bit of what happened
last week and they deploy a little bit more ball
control in a expert fashion or in a situational fashion
(21:05):
less so a product of the defense that they're playing,
and I feel like that's the way playing keep away
has to be the way that you win this game.
It only works if you can run the ball luckily
for them. Even though they haven't run the ball well
luckily for them, the Patriots run defense is certainly not
up to par.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Right, But they they're a hard team to figure out
because they change depending on the week. Like they're they're
rushing attack the last few weeks, and it granted one
was you know before the bye, has been better. I
think Ramandre has looked pretty good. Trevion Henderson's success rate
like has gone up. I just think they're a team
that really misses Milton Williams and like every team has
(21:44):
a million injuries, but the Patriots are a thinner team
where the drop off is significant, and they only play
their front four like the Eagles do. Those front four
aren't as good and so I think you're seeing some
wear and tear from Harold Landry in calevon jason'sif those
guys were at the center of a lot of the
best Bills plays last week, where they're not keeping their
(22:06):
rush lanes and they're not really creating much of a
pass rush without Milton Williams, and so there's opportunities for
the other team. And yet I still have a lot
of faith in Drake May to bounce back, even if
the Ravens defense has been playing better. The Ravens defense
got a couple of key players back last week, Patrick
ar Darius Washington safety who played quite well for them
(22:28):
last year, and then ta Various Robinson that their names
are just close enough to mess me up. But he
had a big play early in that game too. So
they are getting some guys who have been in the
system before and played a lot of snaps for them
in getting healthy there down the stretch run. And you
could say this is a revenge game, not just for
Kyle van Noy, but how about for John Harbaugh against
(22:50):
Mike Rabel some big wins over them in the past,
including that playoff game whenever that was I don't remember
twenty nineteen, twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, I think it was Lamar's first playoff game where
things with the things.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
With the other ree.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
They also had some beef at the time where like
the next year the Titans beat up on them and
they played a couple of times. There was there was
some stuff between them back in the day. Just two
I'm gonna say it, Alpha Males and John Harva two
lead k nines.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Should we take a break?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Let's take a break excited that these games are so
good that Pittsburgh Detroit didn't even make it in the
first block of the strip.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. Let's Go Places.
Toyota is all in all season with another year of
Toyota Game Day Giveaways, giving football fans the chance to
win big every week at the NFL season. Terms of
conditions applied to individual giveaways. Enter to win and learn
more at Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot Com.
Speaker 7 (23:58):
No purchase necessary, We're prohibited ends two eight twenty six.
Open to legal residents of the fifty US States and
DC eighteen and over. For complete details, how to enter
prizes and official rules, visit Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot com.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Back on NFL Daily. Don't read text between.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You know, our little break here, because sometimes you'll read
a text and it'll really surprise you. It might be
from your personal life, your business life, and then suddenly
you hear the music and the show has started again.
Oh no, and you're not calm, cool and collected. You're
like Quinn yours back there in the pocket, You're like,
what is going on?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
That's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Everything's great, Everything's always great.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Steelers Lions. It's the Jim Nansen Tony Room.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yes, and they the Lions are favored by seven.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Wow. I haven't looked at these lines yet.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Dan Campbell is calling the place, and they've been explosive
on offense. They've looked great. The Pittsburgh Steelers. A couple
of weeks after fire, Tomlin Chance in the Catburg seat
in the AFC North and yeah, we get a chance
to see this over under at forty nine and a
half where Jordan do Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steels
(25:19):
keep this hot streak going.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Man, it would be hard to see Detroit kind of
fall apart.
Speaker 6 (25:26):
I think because they are so well cooked, because we.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Love them, we love them because they're America, because they
want them to do well.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
You want them to be in pain, and they seem
they're just hurting right now.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
Guys.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
They're they're having trouble consistently getting pressure. Outside of Aiden Hutchinson,
They're decimated in their secondary Throughout their secondary and they
are having trouble containing explosive plays. They the Steelers are
running the ball pretty well these days, they're not faring
well against as well as they want to against the run.
(25:59):
This on paper, if you're taking the last week or
so or a couple of weeks of Steelers and the
last couple of weeks of Lions, on paper, it does
feature of the Pittsburgh It does favor the Pittsburgh Steelers, and.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yet they're a touchdown underdog.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Col guys at quarterback.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
That's a huge That's a huge number to me. It
speaks to a couple of things that I do find interesting.
You know, when you're talking about you know the numbers
in Vegas and all that, which is that do you
value what you've seen lately or do you value the
whole course of the season. And it's like it's a
push and pull when evaluating these teams, coaches look at
(26:35):
the last four weeks. I tend to think that is
what's more important. And I think the Steelers' offense has
shown signs of I don't know if they've been transformed,
but playing their best football now. And this is a
really positive matchup against the Lions defense that I believe
is twenty ninth in the in the last month or so,
uh in terms of EPA per play allowed, Like they're
(26:57):
just not a good defense lately, and so I kind
of like this this one being a score fest as well.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Indoors we got we got breaking news from NFL insider
JJ Watt, who has some insight into the hell status
of Little brother says he's quote working through it was
I don't know if that necessarily that is a lot
of confidence regarding t J watts status, which I think
is huge here because the this this most recent edition
(27:27):
of the two tongue of Ioloa Miami Dolphins, didn't really
allow me a chance to evaluate how the Pittsburgh Steelers
pass defense was. Okay, I understand the last four weeks
a part of that evaluation that version of the Dolphins
not necessarily inspiring the threat uh that jg And and
(27:48):
JMO and aman rah Ejamier Gibbs do where seven makes
sense to me, seven makes perfect sense.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So yeah, Week twelve was the cutoff where they're twenty
ninth in EPA per play the Lions and they're first
in points by the way this season just like flat
out points points.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
Per game someone tell Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
First, I guess Jared Goff's not letting his team down.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
He really is.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
He's pointing the fingers at the guy that celebrate in
touchdown he just threw.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
That's who Jared pointing.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Jared Goff has responded to being dismissed from QB Island
by playing his best on the football of the season
over the last month. Even when they were they've lost
some of these games. I think he is playing outstanding
and so that's that's a good point Patrick about the
Steelers defense. It's more of the Steelers offense, which I
I kind of felt like was dead on arrival almost
(28:42):
all season long because of their passing game. And I
still think the ceiling's relatively low, but I've raised it
like if they can just be a competitive to decent
passing game, then then they're a little more dangerous in
a spot like this against a team that that will
put up some points.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
That's all. It has to be a big I mean
Robertson game.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Just the way that this defense consistently, regardless of which
pieces are missing, have schemed up to bother opposing quarterbacks
and be in the passing lanes where if you can
make Aaron Rodgers hesitate, not trust what he sees. You know,
the balls. First of all, it's going out of bounds.
But if he can't get there, if he's still in
(29:23):
the pocket, then there's an opportunity to have those negative plays.
And maybe Aiden Hutchinson, despite not being able to cress
nineteen miles per hour when he's running down the field
by himself, is able to get some quick pressure on
Aaron Rodds.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
I just think this is a high end, high potential
game for the Lions to just be a explosively smothering
group because it almost happened to the Rams. The Rams
fought their way back in it, but hitting those explosive
plays early almost put that one out of reach in
a big way. And they can do it again against
the Steelers. The third and fourth most explosive plays allowed
(29:56):
this season. Third most is the Detroit Lion defense and
fourth most is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
And they're so close.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Together, just three explosive plays apart, uh one thirty three
for Detroit and one thirty for the Steelers per Next
Gen Stats. That that to me shows me that the better,
the more explosive offense will win this game, and that's
the Lions.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
It should be.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
DK's finally gotten some big plays the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
It's good to see him a bigger part of the offense.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I don't think of the running game as explosive, although
it's quietly effective. The Steelers with with Jalen Warren, who's
more likely to make a man missattackle than he is
to like bust it for forty.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Is it my fault that Kenneth Gambles is subtracted from
your Steelers running back analysis?
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Maybe subconsciously that is true. He shouldn't be because having
a great season. Yeah, he really is, And the Steelers
are telling me, you ye, first to now running backs,
that's easier, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
I don't even know what that means.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Kenneth Gainwell, look he was the primary ball carrier on
a team that put up over thirty points in a
super Bowl. He's also the primary carrier like right now
on the Steelers. Quietly he's playing a little more than
Jalen Moore. Although it's a great it's a great one
two punch. It's been a quiet three weeks for Jamiir Gibbs.
Right since he had that nuclear game where he went
(31:16):
over two hundred yards, right, or maybe it's just been
two weeks, but he's had a couple quiet weeks, and
you do miss Sam Laporta.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I do think the culture of it all.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Like they can't lose this game in Campbell, they could
technically be eliminated. Remember I said at the like hours ago,
years ago before I received life changing news by a text.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
And I'm joking everything, Okay.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
I pointed out only one team could be eliminated this week,
and that was the Dallas Cowboy. There is a very
unlikely scenario in which the Lions lose and the Bears
and the Packers tie where the Lions would be eliminated. So,
even though it wouldn't be official if that they would
be eliminated, if they lose this game, likely they would
(32:02):
be all but eliminated and would need an incredible amount
of help in the final two weeks. If Detroit doesn't win,
come on coming through, Dan Campbell, Mike Tomlin, I mean,
how much more.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
Do it for America?
Speaker 2 (32:13):
We need it so bad? How much cooler can it get?
Speaker 1 (32:16):
In terms of like a head coaching matchup, I feel
like Mike Tomlin walked so Dan Campbell can run.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
You know.
Speaker 6 (32:21):
Oh that's that's cool. I like that a lot.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Well, I guess Mike Tomlin ran too. He won a
lot of games and won a super Bowl. But you
know what I mean, They're like, I feel like two
guys in the same mold.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Well you like cool head coaches? Greg? Yes? Can I
interest you on now? Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders?
Oh okay, Well, the Raiders are playing the Houston Texans,
who favor.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I wasn't ready to read this fourteen and a half boys,
the over Hunders thirty seven and a half Andrew Catalog,
Charles Davis, and Jason mccordy will have the task of
making it interesting, Greg, because the Raiders are playing against
the team that's significantly better.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Than them, and they always do one of my favorite trios.
I'm talking about Catalan Davison mccordy. I've had enough broadcaster.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
You know, hate lately.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I want to give the good Cruise some credit and
that the Texans offense, that's a good crew. I wondered
aloud on that on that Cynthia pod last week where
we do our picks, like do we really trust the
Texans favored by like ten points last week, like ready
to just like blow a team out. It didn't end
up taking that game. It's like, yeah, we kind of
(33:29):
do trust them. They've they've gotten through this gauntlet, and
they could be ten and two in their last twelve
games if they win this game, and they've done it
against a top five, difficult schedule, and now they finally
get to a softer portion. And you watched that game
closely last week, Jordan. The offense look great and it
just is awesome to see c. J. Stroud in rhythm.
(33:51):
And one thing that stuck out to me watching is
just he's.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Moving really well.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Yes, and he talked in the off season about really
working on his movement skills, and I do think you
saw that, like right at the beginning of the season,
but then he got hurt in the offensive line has
been bad, but he has been great, I think lately,
and he's moving really well well.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
There's a more of a rapport with some of the
younger players too, the younger receivers, the two guys out
of Iowa State, and then Xavier Hutchinson coming in as well,
and then you know, obviously Nico is Nico, but it's
all of the young players seem to have grown up
through part of the grueling nature of what the season
has been. I was delighted to see now Woody Marx
(34:30):
is kind of in and out with an ankle injury,
so he's kind of if he plays, he'll be playing.
Speaker 6 (34:34):
Through a little of that. But I was absolutely delighted to.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
See that they promoted Juar Jordan off the practice squad again,
and he should stay on this active roster for as
long as they can keep him there because the burst
that he gave them on the ground. You know, Woody
marks Is clearly can be a very explosive player, but
it was almost like a spark plug, just little like
flashes with Juar Jordan. Who could who showed this burst
(34:59):
that was awesome, that was badly needed. It was exciting
to watch this Houston Texans offense move the ball and
stay ahead of the sticks in such a functional way.
You combine that with c. J. Stroud's ability as a
quarterback making some of the highest difficulty level throws. It
just it's all coming together, and it's coming together at
(35:20):
the right time, and thank God, because they're giving this
defense some help finally.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
And a opportunity where you can both rest Woody marks
for this upcoming postseason run and get Jaward Jordan a
chance to get more carries as far as NFL debuts. Yeah,
fifteen carries over one hundred involved in the receiving game
as well. I'd like to see more of them as well.
And because again, you trust stuff against this team.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
I like how we've we're politely calling these miserable teams
to try stuff against them.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, but the Raiders are the Quinn essential. Yeah, they can.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
You can work on your offensive line Texans, like, you're
not gonna have to worry about any crazy blitz is.
These are two teams that both like to play that
like to play bass defense. Having three linebackers on the field,
it can work. I mean the forty nine ers do
it pretty well.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
With one of these teams.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
And the Texans.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
I noticed with Christian Harris back last week or maybe
it's the last two weeks, I'm not sure, but he's
playing a decent amount of snaps and he adds a
little bit of a different element, and I think they're
gonna want him, like getting ready for the playoffs, to
at least be like an important player for them. And yeah,
that's what the types of stuff you can do against
the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Yeah, and thank you for putting me on the Jalen
Peatrie smelling salt yes situation, because I saw the video.
Not only did he take a hit of the smelling salts,
he no sold it like, no reaction, facial indications.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
And just casually drops it to the ground and then
goes and sprints to.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
The That's just Wednesday for him. Yeah, that's just nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I'm up across from that sideline. Hey, on the top
of my head.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
I love the sense so much.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Uh, and yeah, if they if we don't know if
Geno is going to be back for this game, we
should have pointed out, by the way, Uh for the
Jets it is Brady Cook.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Again we didn't get that information. But uh, we don't
know if it's you know or Kenny Pickett.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
You either way? Rip.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Yes again, you were asking earlier on the show this
week what players we think that Wes would have liked.
I look at will Anderson Junior, and I think that
the exuberance and the joy that that guy, that young
man plays with and the uh the ferocity despite being
like such a seems like just a joy for his
(37:45):
teammates to be around. He just he's incredible watching him
plays incredible.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
I think Wes would have really, I totally agree, loved
loved like an edge with his hair on fire, and
really realizing when they talked about will Anderson before the
draft and when it came to that trade, there was
this idea that the ceiling wasn't somehow quite as high
as like top edge type of guys, that it was
more like safe versus like crazy ceiling. I mean, this
(38:10):
is the ceiling right now. He's a He's a first
team All Pro. I think with Miles Garrett, I think
those are the two. Speaking of which you mentioned Nico
as Nico and I and I often think this when
I'm watching Nego Collins, who I think is my favorite
wide receiver in the league. Like we say, oh, he's
one of the best receivers in league. It's like, but
he's still better than you think. I'm thinking about if
(38:30):
I'm making an All Pro team this year, I gotta
I actually got to make a list, like how high
are we talking If we're putting three receivers on, which
I think they do now, it's probably JSN and Puka
are the easy top two and then after that you
could go Chase certainly having a good year. It's kind
(38:51):
of tough to put Justin Jefferson on the team this
year because he's not going to break a thousand yards.
I don't think I think you're I would maybe put
Nico right there on the first team, and if not,
he's there on the second team with aman Ra and
CD or whoever else George Pickens you want to put
on the second team, But like, I think that's the
floor for Nico, and I don't think it's crazy to
(39:13):
have him right there number three.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
And that's why it was.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
It was so important for your call for the Texans
office line to be normal, to be standard issue. Yes,
so more people could appreciate how good of a football player, Yes,
Nico Collins is, and thankfully more people are.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Let's go to our final game, guys.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
The Atlanta falcon are favored by two and a half points,
fresh off of the Kyle Pitts game on the road
against the Arizona Cardinals. The over unders forty seven and
a half. Jason By and Brady Quinn on the call.
The Cardinals have looked like can kuon on three the
past couple of weeks of Jordan. Do they provide the
(39:51):
early season Cardinals scare where they lose this game by
three points.
Speaker 6 (39:56):
I think the Cardinals can win this game.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
Oh, I think it's the vibes down horrendous in Atlanta
right now, the kiss of death for the quarterbacks in
any building. The theme this year seems to be everything
is on the table if the head coach says that,
And that is what Raheem Morris told the media this
week when asked about the future of the quarterback situation.
(40:19):
It bears repeating that Atlanta does not have their initial
first round pick with which they could potentially go make
a decision at quarterback. It also bears noting that they
might not even be the ones in the building making
that decision, nor the Arizona Cardinals. So this is a
whose vibes are slightly less bad than others game.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
That is absolutely all true.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And yet when I think about this game versus let's
say Bengals Dolphins, this is this is fun. This is
the sort of chaos that I'll embrace on the field.
Off the field, You're right, the vibes are bad.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
I liked I liked both of these teams Schematically on
defense at least on the field, and I know the
defense for the Cardinals hasn't been good, but I still I.
Speaker 6 (40:59):
Still hold for the possibility of what could be.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
I mean, Kyle Pitts is coming off one of the
most legendary fantasy football performances of all time, if not
T and f performances of all time. That's fun. Drake
London sounds like he could be back for this game.
We got to give Kirk Cousins credit for playing very
well in that game, and I think it's been a
steady incline where he's looked better each and every week.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
I think it's a little crazy to talk about.
Speaker 6 (41:24):
Do you think he's playing himself into another job?
Speaker 2 (41:27):
No, but there are only thirty two jobs. Yeah, I
kind of.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Very notable one in Kansas City where maybe they need
somebody to play three or four games.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I get see you.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too here,
Like wouldn't it wouldn't surprise me if he has a
starting quarterback in Week one next year. But I don't
think he's going to get like a starting quarterback like contract.
So that's where I would separate him, Like maybe he's
paired with a rookie or he's paired with.
Speaker 5 (41:53):
A Yes, Michael pennant to be a bridge guy again.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Well that's what Well, what is he gotta do?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Like he just accept I think Raheem is just too honest, Like,
of course they're considering everything. Michael Pennox is coming off
of attorney CL. He might not be ready for the
start of next season. And if he is, he's coming
off at TOURNEYCL. There's no they think that he was.
Speaker 6 (42:12):
Not playing well before the injury too.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
So for sure.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
But I mean even if he was playing well, I
feel like they would have to be, you know, readying
as an organization for that position, considering his injury history.
And yeah, it would surprise me if Raheem is there,
But you never know.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
Jacoby Brissett might throw it a hundred times this game,
another player goes to injured reserve.
Speaker 6 (42:35):
I think Bam Knight this time.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
Cardinals have just had the worst luck with their running
backs room all year. They down they'll be down to
like their sixth starting running back this in this game,
and is the season.
Speaker 6 (42:50):
Creaks to a close on the Arizona card.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
I keep going back to that their defense is not
that injured. In fact, up front, they're as healthy as
they've been all season, and they are somewhere between twenty
fifth and twenty seventh and basically every defensive stat and
he's a defensive coach and he's been there for three years,
and so you're starting to hear the national of like well,
like Tom Pelisera said this week, they they want to
(43:15):
keep them, but the results right, like.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Basically they've been planning to keep them, but at a.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
Sid point, last three games matter.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
Yeah, if at a certain point, if the results continue
to be really lopsided, yeah, I mean, it's not gonna
be great for Jonathan Gannon and I do I do
want to finish. You mentioned that it's been a sign
all season. It's been kind of a trend when they
talk about their young quarterbacks that way. I'm not overly
comfortable with the fact that Shane Steichen is more or
(43:45):
less saying going back to the Colts that like, oh, yeah,
Anthony Richardson might be cleared for activities, but yeah, we're
we didn't bring in Philip Rivers for anything but to start.
I'm not surprised by that, but it sounds like they're
not even gonna let like Anthony Richardson be a backup
and just being weird about it.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
I don't I don't know.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
Yeah, they've not handled that. Just be honest about it.
Maybe like we don't see him as the few whatever
it is. He's like refusing to answer questions. Anthony Richardson,
was I think cleared to for football?
Speaker 6 (44:13):
Yeah he is, he's cleared for football activities, but he's
not the backup.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Yeah, and they probably aren't going to. I don't even
think put him on the active rosters. That's another quarterback
that'll be available for someone this offseason. We have a
whole three weeks to get through before we get there.
We also have a really exciting addition to the feed.
Tell us about this week's NFL Power Players, which is
coming up.
Speaker 6 (44:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:37):
Yeah, we talked to Chad Alexander, the assistant general manager
of the Los Angeles Chargers this week, and I love
we talked about the Chargers earlier.
Speaker 6 (44:45):
What was that the other show?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Right, they're all they're all one show. I just consider
this show.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
We talked about the Chargers earlier today, and I love
what you said because you have not heard the interview yet, Greg,
but you talked about winning ugly and no style points.
And that's exactly what Chad Alexander was talking about as
well as just like really rebuilding what it means to
have an identity as a football team in that building
of late.
Speaker 6 (45:11):
It was a pretty cool interview. I'm excited for people
to listen to it.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Okay, so that is going to go up on Thursday.
We will also be back Thursday Night Jordan and I
recapping Ramseyahawk Big.
Speaker 6 (45:24):
Best Thursday Night football game of all time.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Greg, that's right, no Hyperboley here, I think so, I'd
have to go through the records.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
But the legendary seventeen point Baker Mayfield, I'll see then
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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