2025 NFL Week 16 Recap: Bears and Jags Statement wins, Another Ravens Collapse and Crazy Lions-Steelers Ending

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where the holidays are coming. Holidays
are coming, Holidays are coming. Hall It's just stuck in
my head.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's gotta be.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Stuck in all the years. And the playoffs are coming too.
I'm Greg Rosenthal here and the Chris Wesley Podcast Dudio
with my friends Jordan Rodrieg and Patrick Claybond for a
very important Week sixteen recap.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Most importantly, how you nailed the exact cadence of the
commercial I would argue better than the one that's on
the Apple.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Well, that's because it never stops. I just walk around
all day. That's all I hear in my house. Everyone
was annoyed by that commercial too, so of course we
just were saying that all the time and it just
never ends.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
The best part is sitting next to Greg in the
newsroom and every once in a while there's like a
lull in the game action and then all of a
sudden it's very quiet.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
It's just Greg to gregli Okay, let's just stop it.

Speaker 5 (00:54):
You know where they're not celebrating.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh boy.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
On Sunday, December twenty First, the great city of Detroit.

Speaker 5 (01:02):
We got to start there.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Two man Rush coming here, for the shoots golf guns.

Speaker 6 (01:05):
Towards the end zone, caught tackled short of the end zone.

Speaker 7 (01:09):
There is a flag as a'm on ROSSI promise.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Oh did they called the whistle? There was a nateral? Oh,
there's all.

Speaker 8 (01:16):
Kinds of craziness going on here.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Really on the field is a touchdown?

Speaker 9 (01:22):
However, half in three number fourteen hol on the offense.

Speaker 10 (01:27):
My rule that penalty is not enforced and there is
no replay.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
The game is over.

Speaker 7 (01:35):
There is no touchdown.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
It's a great lesson how you present a set of facts.
The order of those facts can sometimes be almost more
important than the facts themselves. He should not have led
with the touchdown. It was not a touchdown, and I
understand that's just how they do it. But all those
Lions fans and Patrick Clayvin and myself and anyone that

(02:01):
wanted to see a good NFC Wildcard race was disappointed
in that moment although we saw it coming. That was
Rob King on WDV. Let's get into the Steelers going
into Detroit beating the Lions twenty nine to twenty four
and a game that I was not expecting to lead
the show with Bears Packers on Saturday night to me,

(02:24):
was the game of the year. But what this means
in the NFC North and the rest of the NFC
and the way this finished, I felt like we just
had to start at the end. So let's start there
with that final sequence. Patrick and how the Lions failed
to win this game.

Speaker 11 (02:38):
Well, ultimately it wasn't just the order of operations, because
the way he explained it was that the penalty was
not enforced, which would have caused the crowd to celebrate
once again.

Speaker 12 (02:46):
The doctors did the best, the best they.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Could, and he's gonna make it. Actually know he's not.
You know, we couldn't save him. We did all we could.
You know, it's heart still beating, but everything else didn't
really working. So it's all off. It's a pass interference,
which is a loss of down. The penalty is enforced,
and so the Lions lose the game. After aman Ra
pitches it to Jared Goff, they call him running into

(03:09):
Jalen Ramsey right there at the at the end zone,
which is the line of game because it was fourth
and goal, call him for offensive passer and interference. Four plays
after Isaac Teslaw has called for offensive pass interference that
gives the Lions what would have been a touchdown to
aman Ross Saint Brown, which is legitimately the story of
the actual game. You get it, they're in the call

(03:31):
from the official and do you hear the crowd celebrating
and then going back to being sad because that was
the extent of the game. The Lions could do nothing
on offense for a majority of the first half. The
Steelers have a three point lead, and then there's an
Isaac Tesla touchdown and the Lions have the lead, and
you're thinking, yes, Lions back in this. Kenneth Gainwell catches

(03:53):
the most improbable touchdown where I thought the ball hit
the ground. No, Kenny g caught it, gets back up,
goes passed out Casanzeloni into the end zone for a touchdown.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Just one of the best plays they've seen all year.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
I think, I think that might be the catch of
the year. I mean, it is up there, certainly one
of the biggest plays of the year in terms of
it combined insane skill by Gainwell, I mean to somehow
get his arm under that, the presence of mind to
get up and score, but more that they did score
with like no time left on the clock at the
end of a first half where they couldn't do anything

(04:27):
and got it.

Speaker 5 (04:28):
What was that to tie it at ten? And you
said at.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
That moment, oh, the Steelers are going to win this game.
And they came out in the second half, and to
be fair, they earned this win four hundred and eighty
one yards. They put it on a Lions defense, which
just I know they're injured, but they're just terrible right
now and it's sad that they are almost certainly now
going to miss the playoffs.

Speaker 11 (04:50):
The second week in row with the Steelers have come
out and we put it a lot on the Miami
Dolphins defense last week. At a certain point in the
third quarter, they had run twenty five plays to the
Lions three. They couldn't get off the field. They get
huge chunk plays from Kenneth gainwell as well as Jayalen
Warren who hit two home run balls. And again the
theme the Lions were out of this game. I'm thinking,

(05:12):
it's this game's over. Uh, they get it, they come back,
get a touchdown ultimately late in the fourth quarter, and
I'm thinking, well that they can't stop the Steelers on
the ground. They ultimately still don't stop the Steelers on
the ground. But Chris Boswell misses an improbable field goal.
I remember earlier in the series, or maybe that was
last season. Go back and look for Chris Boswell missing

(05:33):
field goals in that situation literally has not happened.

Speaker 5 (05:36):
That was in the season.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
It was coming off the idea when Mike Tomlin called
them a serial killer. So serial killers, sometimes they missed too.

Speaker 12 (05:44):
And so thank god what they do right in real life.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
Shout out Dexter.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Sometimes I get in my mentions that I look like
Thomas C. Hall, which is I know it.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
I don't necessarily think.

Speaker 12 (05:59):
Is it your burner account typing that to yourself?

Speaker 5 (06:01):
I mean sure, I uh.

Speaker 11 (06:05):
In the Riders strike having a Dexter on CBS, UH
brought a lot of people to that show.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Great program.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
So the end sequence where Yeah, Boswell misses that they
go down the field, it felt indicative of where this
Lions team has been lately, which is no running game whatsoever.
And that was the case to the extreme today they
had fifteen yards.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
I mean, that's.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Outrageous, Jamir Gibbs with two yards on the ground. But
Goff has been really up for the fight, and I
think overall, playing really well, and it looked like they
had had scored the game when he touched on. I
think the offensive pass interference on a Monra on the
last play of the game was absolutely the right call.
I'm shocked, actually, I haven't seen a lot of people saying, like,

(06:47):
how could you call that? And that'spot how can you
even call that? It's like that was literally the reason
he was opening. He pushed as hard as he could.
That was a good calls. The first down call I
thought was great. It was a little crazy to slow
and they would have scored it anyway, so unnecessary.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
Well, you think about how rare it is in a
game that even one offensive pass interference is called, let
alone multiple offensive pass interference calls on the same drive,
including in the same area general area of the field,
to dramatically affect the game in multiple ways. I mean, yeah,
you can say what you want about fair or not fair, whatever.

(07:22):
I think it bothers the collective society, whether or not
you agree with the calls or not, when the officials
insert themselves into the game like.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well, especially when it takes away the most athletic moment
of Jared Goff's career taking that pitch jumping into the
end zone. What a finishing moment that would be, and
yet it's not. And it's basically the finishing moment for
this Detroit Lions team.

Speaker 5 (07:45):
I mean, it really is.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
They are now a game and a half back of
the Packers. We're going to get to the Packers Bears game.
If you're listening to this, you obviously know the results
of that. And this win by the Steelers inches a
playoff spot for two separate teams, the forty nine Ers
before playing Monday night. They're in the playoffs. The Bears

(08:06):
officially are now in the playoffs, and the Lions are
going to have to win their last two games and
basically have the Packers lose out for any chance to
make the playoffs, which we'll just say it. Crazier things
have happened, but not a good spot obviously, And I
hate to say it, Patrick, but you do got to

(08:29):
give him credit. You got to give Aaron the Rogers
sons is on. He's playing his best ball in the
last three weeks. Their offense is getting it done, and the.

Speaker 11 (08:36):
Protection of the play calls from Arthur Smith, especially in
the second half of these last two weeks.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
As much as I have not wanted it to happen.

Speaker 11 (08:42):
There was a first and twenty in the fourth quarter
where they get a holding call and Rogers with, you know,
just pre cognition on a ball to dk Metcalf down
the sideline that he's able to turn around and get,
and then Warren has a long forty five yard touchdown
run right after that. Where it's just consistently, over and
over again, the physicality even when things weren't working. Darnell

(09:04):
Washington got called for an offensive pass interference. If you
want to put the two opis on split screen and
see one, that's easily an offensive pass interference where Darnell
Washington sets a moving Andrew Boget's screen on DJ Reid
that actually takes him out of the game. He would
go on to run over DJ Reid later on on
a reception where DJ Reid the last thing he wants
to see is big number eighty moving on a football
field anywhere. But just that physicality, even when they don't

(09:28):
work out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's having an impact
late in these games.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
It is, and it haunts me still that moment after
the NFC Championship game with the Lions two years ago
when Dan Campbell said, you know, we don't know, this
might have been our only shot. I don't think Lions
fans should feel that way, but they're going to very
likely have to wait another year to get a real
shot to get that close again. And you wonder, like, man,
how in the year twenty twenty five do you win

(09:55):
a game, dominate offensively, almost get five hundred yards and
your leading wide receiver is Adam Feeling with forty nine hoards.
Here's how you do it. You mentioned Jalen Warren's forty
five yard touchdown. He had two of those two forty
five yard touchdowns, and then Kenny Gainwell with that catch
ends up getting one hundred and twenty eight yards from scrimmage.
They have been dynamite in the backfield and the offensive line,

(10:16):
and they are playing their best ball. We're wrapping up
this recap with the Ravens Patriots, so we don't know
that result as we're taping it. That obviously is going
to be big in the AFC North. But the Steelers
put themselves into a very nice position with a win.
That's the AFC North. Let's talk about the NFC North
and the latest entrance into the game of the year

(10:37):
of the week. We've had two of them this week.

Speaker 13 (10:39):
First down in ten I formation with comet Wright snap
Caleb playfa looking a throw, going deep, searching for DJ
more over the shoulder catch.

Speaker 7 (10:50):
May touchdown.

Speaker 14 (10:51):
Theirs HiT's over at Soldier Field? Do you Ice Smack
come it? Do I Smith take it? Forty six yard
spirals to the end zone to DJ Moore.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
What a strike.

Speaker 14 (11:05):
Ben Junson going for the big balls and it's Captain Trutchhime.

Speaker 7 (11:11):
Caleb does it again.

Speaker 12 (11:14):
What a call?

Speaker 1 (11:15):
What a catch up?

Speaker 12 (11:16):
Wow?

Speaker 1 (11:17):
What a call. Jeff Joniac on WMVP. We got about
sixty four percent of the precincts reporting.

Speaker 5 (11:26):
I think we have our throw of the year.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
It is hard for me to imagine a better combination
of skill and moment than that Caleb Williams throw to
DJ Moore. And the crazy part is Caleb's throw last
week for the touchdown is on the short list. I
think it's on the podium. It's in the top five
for throws of the year. That was a week ago,

(11:49):
and he had another throw in this game that at
least is getting nominated on the long list. Hell, let's
listen to it. This is the fourth down to help
end regulation to today Walker.

Speaker 15 (12:02):
Fourth and four, twenty eight seconds to go. Walker's a
kis out to the right. Packers are gonna blitz Caleb
Williams would swift to his left, takes the snap. Blitzes
on beaches.

Speaker 7 (12:13):
Got allot it work for the end zone.

Speaker 14 (12:15):
Up in the area, catch made by James Walker, touch off,
What are you kidding me?

Speaker 7 (12:20):
Got thrown to your day Walkers fair right corner of
the end zone. Have the Joobie shuffle by the roof.

Speaker 1 (12:27):
He had a Texas A and M great play call,
great throw. That's one of those plays where as it's happening,
like I felt like the fans in Detroit going through
the up through the down, you see the free rusher.
It is right onto Caleb and you're thinking, oh, this
play is over.

Speaker 5 (12:47):
He's sprinting right.

Speaker 1 (12:49):
And then if you're looking in the back, he say,
oh what Walker's open as he throws it, and that
ball is so high in the air during the play,
I think he is not going to catch that ball.
This game is over. The Packers are going to pull
out a signature win in the Mattlefleur era, and instead
it falls perfectly into the hands of Walker. What a
performance at the end of this game by Caleb Williams

(13:11):
and this Bears team.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
Oh, it was a classic instantly in those two plays specifically,
are so indicative and descriptive of the Caleb Williams experience
because he was otherwise not good under pressure through most
of the game five for eleven when pressured on his dropbacks.
But those two touchdowns stick out like a sore thumb

(13:32):
on his Advance Next Next Gen stats chart, because those
two touchdowns are what ultimately wins this game for the Bears,
of showing up in the absolute most crucial moments against
a Packers defense that battled man the entire game. And
there's nothing you can do about that, because when magic

(13:55):
decides to happen, when lightning decides to strike, it's an
act of God.

Speaker 12 (13:59):
You cannot.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
I mean, you could have done a couple of things,
but we'll get to this. Yeah, maybe not the defense,
but but the offense at least.

Speaker 11 (14:05):
And those both of those touchdowns come when Jeff Affley,
you know, in those moments, decides to blitz Caleb Williams
and he.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Comes up and he makes them pay with the you know, the.

Speaker 11 (14:15):
Ball to Walker is that there was only one place
honestly that the ball could be considering where the pressure was,
what was getting to him, and he did a good
job of evading pressure and running over the course of
the game, where obviously, you know, Packers fans, uh, it's
frustrating to have Jordan Love be hit, you know, just
a helmet to helmet shot that should not have happened.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
We got to get that out of the game. And
he's he's able to you know, he's he leaves the
game and Malik Willis comes in and plays well. But clearly,
you know that clouds the view for Packers fans.

Speaker 11 (14:46):
Well, you know, because last night I'm thinking, Wow, what
a magical night in Chicago. Bears fans have been waiting
for this for a while, and you know, folks in
Green Bay or you know, adjacent point out today a
lot of things happened that you know, probably shouldn't.

Speaker 1 (14:58):
Sure, Yeah, Jordan Love leaves with a concussion, and they're
missing their two best offensive linemen. The Bears, to be fair,
are missing two of their best pass catchers in this game. Well,
it has to be Joe day Walker right right exactly,
and the fact that he was like well coached enough
to do it in that spot. And yet you know,
the Bears are having kind of a negative eight days

(15:20):
until their next game, and all the coverage is going
to be negatively slanted and everyone's going to talk about Oh,
I guess the Bears just aren't ready to win with
the big boys. The Packers without their guys are going
to be five and zero in the division if not
for a fumble on special teams by Romeo Dobs Did
they count that as a fumble? I guess they don't

(15:41):
because he never had possession of it. But you have
that on side kick Romeo Dobbs, as you know, he's
known for his hands, and he gets hurt on the
play too. He hurts his wrist. But they ask him
out him afterwards and he just said, look, that's all
on me.

Speaker 5 (15:58):
It's one hundred percent on me.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
I backed up up, you know, not to back up
on an on side kick, and the kind of in
between hop gotam and I just you know, completely made
a mistake and then he got injured on the play
as well. And if you're Packers fans, you're getting flashbacks
to twenty fifteen NFC Championship game. If you're watching us
on YouTube. We got all the rights, we could show

(16:20):
the highlights. Sorry to Brandon Bostic. You know what's crazy too,
is that game ended too with a big bomb down
the field that has kind of gotten lost, at least
to me, in a history. And I'm sure Seahawks fans
don't forget it, but that Jermaine Curse catch from Russell
Wilson was not that dissimilar to this dj More play.

Speaker 5 (16:40):
It's just this is.

Speaker 1 (16:41):
Kind of an all time game, all time play, and
now the Bears are in control of the NFC North.

Speaker 11 (16:48):
And in defense of Bostic and to Romeo Dobbs, you know,
there's any number of plays where things, you know, in
onside kick late comeback situations, it's like as.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
Just a absolutely and a lot more happened before and afterwards,
but that is the one where you think like it
because it's just so rare that if he catches it,
the game is over there. But to your point, and
Matt Lafleur was quick to point this out afterwards, they
went over five in the red zone. They really dominated
kind of the time of possession, the really the play

(17:20):
throughout the game. They went over five cups selling for
field goals. They had the fumble inside the five yard line.
That was Josh Jacobs, right, you had the on side kick.
And then in overtime, I mean, they got a chance
to win the game in overtime, and Malik Willis played awesome.
That's the thing is, I can't I don't think Love's
injury matter at all because I can't imagine playing that
much better than Malik Willis played at qarterback.

Speaker 5 (17:41):
He was great, But they.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
Fumble the snap on a fourth and one in overtime,
and maybe that's where his inexperience showed up.

Speaker 4 (17:47):
Well, I actually want to give Malik Willis a little
bit more benefit of the doubt than that, because yes,
he's an experience, but he had had like the crap
knocked out of his hand earlier, so you.

Speaker 12 (17:59):
Could really tell he was in a great deal of pain.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
And obviously that's the hand that collects the snap and
then exchanges the ball with that sort of center to
quarterback to running back, et cetera exchange, and so I
don't necessarily it obviously was a huge title moment in
the game.

Speaker 12 (18:16):
It swung so many things.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
It gave the Bears the ball with a chance to
hit the walk off situation because of these overtime rules,
and so I feel terrible for Leeke Willis, who, oh
my god, made through a couple of dimes, including a
fade away jump shot down the field, And we were
texting each other all game, Greg it was throw the
year this nominee and throw the Year that nominee, And

(18:38):
every time, like five game minutes went by, there was
another nomination.

Speaker 1 (18:41):
Now, let's listen to Willis's touchdown pass to Romeo Dobson.

Speaker 5 (18:45):
Happier times for the Packers.

Speaker 10 (18:47):
Well, Willis in the shotgun with the scent back too
is right.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Here's the snap till whats he looks to throw.

Speaker 16 (18:53):
He loft it left side for times on a sectional
from from m Leak Willis a thirty three yard touchdown
pass to be Kevin byern.

Speaker 1 (19:08):
He he was throwing dimes and he threw in an
overtime too to get to that, you know, set up
that fourth one. He was incredible. I think just as
a pure runner, I don't know if there is a
better quarterback at running the football. Now I'm knocking where
Lamar is at at this point in his career. He
is so talented as a runner and he's spun it

(19:29):
throwing the ball and that at this game. To me,
it really is it would be my pick for the
Game of the year, and which is crazy because that
made it just thirteen to three after three. But the
whole thing was just great gameplay and back and forth.

Speaker 11 (19:40):
It really showed that having Malik Willis as a backup
quarterback is such a weapon because those two are so
dramatically different, and it took time for the Bears to adjust.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
One big part.

Speaker 11 (19:51):
I think the play of the game before the bad
snap or you know, fumbled exchange between Willis and the center,
was TJ. Edwards actually tracking down Malik Willis for what
felt like the first time. On the play before that
where the play breaks down, He's rolling to his left,
decides to go for a run for the first down,
and Edward's gonna gets a nice stop that ultimately sets

(20:12):
up the turnover on fourth down where they couldn't stop
Milik Willis running the ball. It was just like it
was in the shotgun, like.

Speaker 1 (20:20):
Yeah, McNish and yet Willis they did. And that's the
thing with this Bears team. It seems like it's not
repeatable week after week, and then they keep repeating it
like this Dennis Allen team, which had no pass rush
during the game. They really did bow up in the
red zone. They really did get that one key turnover
and it was Naseean Wright as all always like, send

(20:41):
him to.

Speaker 12 (20:42):
The right place a time. I'm trying to make it
a thing.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
And and you know, before this game, Caleb Williams had
already tied the NFL record for comeback wins in the
final two minutes of a game with Peyton Manning. And
technically this doesn't count as one, I don't think because
it wasn't in regulation, but they essentially did it at
the end too. And even then you mentioned he wasn't
like playing that great, but he did have that throw

(21:06):
and DJ Moore who had the touchdo he had the
throw to DJ Moore on the drive to tie the
game right before that jday Walker and that drive at
the end of regulation. Yes, was absolutely money from him.
Just an awesome football game and a game that puts
Chicago in position to have a higher seed in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (21:26):
And listen, even though some of the stuff is going
to look maybe to our eyes a little bit more
out of structure than it feels to him, because he's
used to playing this way, like he was in total
command the entire game. He was in total command when
they come down to the crunch time of this game,
even that entire fourth quarter, even when they were in
a deficit, even when this defense had totally figured out,

(21:47):
and compliments to the Packers defense here had totally figured
out by rearranging their safeties how to completely neutralize Colstuon
Loveland in this football game, and one of his favorite
targets that already missing two of his favorite targets, and
then one of his favorite targets was all but absent
from the game at that point because of the way
that the Packers adjusted total command and control for Caleb

(22:10):
Williams this entire time, and when you feel that you're
going to make the right decisions in the right plays
in crunch time, even if they look like magic miracles
to us, it just is a it's a given. Did
you hear what he said after he said I can
make any throw? They're like throwing across your body, like
are He's like, I can make any throw?

Speaker 12 (22:28):
Yes, yes, he cares.

Speaker 5 (22:28):
I practice that backplay this week and they hit it
then too.

Speaker 11 (22:32):
And he's having to throw in a game where you
had gusts of up to twenty six miles an hour,
so woo ball was affecting the passes. But also shout
out the Cairo Santos. Yeah, who hit a field goal
that I did not. I thought it was a rough decision.
I love kicking field goals.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
I'm looking from the end zone angle, both of the
goalposts are doing the wave and I'm like, there's no way.

Speaker 11 (22:52):
He plays the outside of the upright and the ball
comes back in and he has the on side kick.
Great kicking game from Cairo's.

Speaker 1 (23:00):
Ira Santo's giving us two lane Greenway fans something to
smile about on a rough saturday.

Speaker 12 (23:07):
He waxed that on side kick too.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
He did a fantastic job. And I know we've gone
so long. This is a This is a game that
I could have done. We could have done forty minutes
on like we did for Rams and Seahawks, but I
don't care. We still got to hear what the Ben
Johnson locker room was like.

Speaker 5 (23:23):
Afterwards.

Speaker 17 (23:24):
Well, yeah, let me tell you something right now.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
This is a special group. And before we go, I mean,
you saw him in the background. This was I don't
know if you guys know this, but the second throw
of the year to feature DJ Moore in the last
four years. If you remember, one of the greatest plays

(24:03):
of the entire decade. It was controversially named by me
in twenty twenty two as the best throw of the year.
And yes, DJ Moore was on the other side of it.

Speaker 10 (24:14):
Walker on first out, we'll get George left and now
Walker fires downfield looking for DJI.

Speaker 1 (24:24):
Didn't catch bro Panthers touchdown.

Speaker 9 (24:27):
Whoa sixty two yards Carolina, that's tied the game.

Speaker 7 (24:38):
Oh my goodness, the flag.

Speaker 1 (24:41):
Shout out to Kendy Albert. We don't talk about the
flag in this house. Yes, DJ Ware got a penalty there,
so there wasn't a walk off, but it was good
and it was John ay Walker here, not a PJ Walker,
but man, PJ Walker will always have that that play.
And look, yes, this game is gonna live in the
kind of like that Jayden Daniels hail Mary from a

(25:02):
year ago. The division's not quite over yet, but the
magic number is essentially one for the Bears in terms
of wins or Packers losses. Now the Bears are at
San Francisco and home for the Lions. The Lions have
been known to win games in Week eighteen with nothing
on the line for them, and maybe that'll be the case.

Speaker 5 (25:21):
But those aren't gimmes.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
So they got to win one of those, or they
have to have the Packers lose to either of the
Ravens or the Vikings. All Right, we got to speed
it up. We'll go to Carolina where the NFC South,
part one of a great two part movie series was
on Sunday.

Speaker 10 (25:38):
Mayfield in the shotgun, twins to the right chest, Hive
snap deep in the pocket, Mayfield bouncing around the pocket.

Speaker 18 (25:45):
Throves how picked off the thirty Haydall by Carolina Panthers
football like the Ransom. The rookie comes up with one
of the biggest plays in this season.

Speaker 7 (25:59):
I'm diving in reception forty two seconds word.

Speaker 1 (26:06):
Great call there by anistrophe on w rf X. Luke
Kickley's in the booth there supper, but I don't think
I heard him. Twenty three to twenty the Panthers win
it again late. I gotta say this NFL product, they
got something here that's good stuff.

Speaker 5 (26:25):
It's good stuff this week.

Speaker 12 (26:26):
Yeah, HiT's hitting.

Speaker 5 (26:28):
How about Baker Mayfield.

Speaker 12 (26:30):
Not not Baker ball has gotten sad.

Speaker 4 (26:34):
Okay, it was Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, who were
not on the same page. At the very end of
this game, under two minutes driving trying to make yet
another one of his improbable comebacks, trying to go for
an eighteenth game winning drive, specifically under two minutes, and

(26:54):
the irony is for most of the first half, I
was lamenting how the Panthers needed more out of their receivers.
Teturo Millan was getting bodied around by rookie cornerback snap
after snap. A lot of contact there. I don't want
to hear it Panthers fans. I will admit there was
a lot of contact there. Xavier Lagett had a drop
and bad sideline awareness at one point. And then right
before the half, they all came to life in the

(27:16):
coolest way, and it was Bryce freaking Young leading them
on a drive where he starts really using his legs,
either on scramble drill.

Speaker 12 (27:24):
Throws or carries.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
Bryce Young gets a ball to Tetuo McMillan that was
probably a degree of ten difficulty to corral and hold
on to because of a the contact, the difficulty of
the catch, and also just the position that his body
was in and going to the ground. It's an immediate
vibe shift. Every receiver steps up the rest of the game.
And a couple of plays later, Bryce Young on the

(27:47):
scramble drill, avoids pressure, gets a touchdown pass to a
wide open Jatavian Sanders, and we've got the sound.

Speaker 10 (27:56):
Buccaneers have not blitzed much today. Here's the snap pressure
off the edge, Bryce dancing in the pocket, tried old
Vada sack.

Speaker 7 (28:03):
He does rose back.

Speaker 18 (28:05):
Of the touchdown Carolina JT. Sanders all alone, And that
play happened because Bryce was nimble.

Speaker 10 (28:21):
Bryce be quick, and he finds a wide open JT.
Sanders for a touchdown. The Panthers back on top with
eight seconds to go here.

Speaker 12 (28:31):
On the third Such a cool play.

Speaker 4 (28:33):
And you guys, let me tell you this because I
know the box score will tell you where this game
flipped on the field. But this moment I'm about to
describe to you is when the tide turned for not
only these Carolina Panthers and their fans and what this
organization has.

Speaker 12 (28:49):
Been, but what it will be.

Speaker 4 (28:51):
Because later in the fourth quarter, this game was tied
twenty to twenty. And defensive play, the defense, the Panthers
defense steps up. Nick s Gorton blows into the backfield
to make a run stop for a loss, sets up
a long third down that eventually fails. And the time
between those two plays, the broadcast booth was quiet, and

(29:12):
they let the crowd do their thing, and that Carolina
crowd was absolutely electric for the first time in a
December game that had meaning to it, you guys in
as long as I can remember, and what a beautiful thing.
And there was no way after Nick Gordon made that play,
there was no way this Panthers team was losing that

(29:34):
football game.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
It's incredible they have the vibes. They have the players too. Look,
I don't think that wide receiver wins is a thing,
but I do think that Teteroa McMillan having a good
game today six for seventy three and a touchdown in
a game where Abuka only had two targets one long
catch by him that looked like a key play in
that game is a nice check on his side. And

(29:56):
the Bucks, who have had so many injuries all season,
being a little healthier right now in a game where
the Panthers don't have their left tackle and that was
a huge factor in this game. Diabi had nine pressures,
four quick pressures, almost all of them against the replacement
at left tackle, and the Panthers are able to get
over that. And even the rushing numbers like they don't

(30:18):
look amazing, but the success rate was better today overall,
and ultimately their defense holds Baker Mayfield to one hundred
and twenty seven yards net passing.

Speaker 5 (30:29):
And I don't think there's one.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
Answer for why the Bucks aren't the Bucks, but they're
not the Bucks. And they have to be so thrilled
that the Saints won that game last week against Carolina
r else this division would literally be over. But there's
still a very real chance that the division will be
up for grabs if the Bucks can can win next week.
And that you know in week eighteen that this was

(30:51):
just kind of a precursor.

Speaker 11 (30:53):
Well, we saw Baker Mayfield again, like in the intermediate areas.
He was one of five thirteen yards with a pick
where you know, the around the line of scrimmage, working
the screens to both White as well as Bucky Irving,
who had a nice game on the ground.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
In fact, both of them did with shot.

Speaker 11 (31:06):
White had a big carry in this game, and he
hits the deep completion to a Mecca Buca. But other
than that, like the intermediate operation for this Bucks passing
game just seems to disappear for large stretches of the
game where the Panthers finally started moving the ball, and
even when they did, you know, the Bucks Baker had
a big run on the drive where he throws the
interception to Mike Evans. It was him operating in the

(31:28):
pocket and trying to escape where he flashes like he's
gonna escape to his right.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
So that's why Mike Evans turned.

Speaker 11 (31:35):
But that's right when Baker Mayfield threw the ball to
where Mike Evans was gonna be yeah, and it gets
picked off where it's it's like they have to manufacture
things in a scramble drill, and that's really that's really
the Bucks offense late.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
To your point, there was not a single completion over
thirteen yards other than that Abuka play no.

Speaker 4 (31:53):
And they're not getting enough of the things that usually
like lift up the the like meat and potatoes, or
like the skeleton of their passing game, which is a
not making dumb mistakes at the line of scrimmage, and
they're not getting enough out of their tight end position
right now and to the point where some of the

(32:14):
plays that are the most successful have been when Cayotten
is like a decoy on some of these plays, or
when he's reassigning leverage versus being an actual threat. And
so some of these self inflicted mistakes, like over and
over and over again, set the Bucks back. They're dis jointed.
It's why they don't look like the Bucks. It was,
you know, snap issues before the panthers last scoring drive

(32:35):
of the half. On back to back plays, Gadeki false
starts on a promising drive and that's his second false start.
After a really great kickoff return to open the fourth quarter,
the drive stalls out. Gadeki was called again for a hold,
which set up a long first down on a drive
in the fourth quarter with the game tied twenty all,
and after the Panthers went ahead three points, the Bucks
then lost ten yards of field position on the touchback

(32:57):
for another penalty bad personal foul penalty on special teams.
So it's like self inflicted wounds are also what's part
of the problem for this group.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
Shout out to the Panthers, anyone that's working for that.
I mean, it's been it's been a tough road here
and They've had a great social team forever. I liked
what they're doing with the game picks. If you're watching,
you can see that. And I don't even really remember
why I asked for this, so I'm gonna have to
see it. Oh yeah, given a little love in terms
of Bryce Young and Teto McMillan saluting all the good

(33:30):
picks from the NFL, including our very own Nick Shook.

Speaker 5 (33:33):
So that's why I just I love it.

Speaker 4 (33:35):
I know a lot of people over there still, guys,
and I you know, I can't even tell you how
happy I am that the energy feels like this right now,
because when it's not good in a building on the field,
you feel it everywhere else in the organization. And there's
a lot of really good people over there in every
corner of that building, and it's like you could feel
just this crowd, this great bunch of Panthers fans in

(33:59):
that outdoor stadium, and it's cold and it's football weather,
and the skyline is in the horizon, and it's just
like some of the magic is starting to creep back
into the atmosphere, and I just I think that's wonderful.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
They host the Seahawks next week. If they win that game,
they will be the division champions. But that's a tough
game to win. The Buccaneers, who are just in a
free fall, can't be counted on to win any game.
They are in Miami next week. But if the Buccaneers
were to win in Miami and the Panthers loss, then
the Week eighteen game is for the NFC South title,

(34:33):
so the Panthers can easily fall right back out of
the division leads. Speaking of division leads, let's go to
the NFC East where the Eagles were trying to do something.
For the first time in over two decades.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
Ers have been gone again. Ers looks give it off.

Speaker 7 (34:52):
It is Barkley spinning forward down across the five. He
is in for the touchdown. Not to say I didn't
play left for not to be denied.

Speaker 19 (35:04):
A twelve yard run by Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
It's kind of nice to seeing Saquon Barkley doing Saquon
Barkley things again, like breaking tackles. You were on the
rush yards over expected beat Patrick. He went over forty
plus forty in this game because there was another big
run later where he broke some tackles. Eagles win twenty
nine to eighteen, and if you've been paying close attention

(35:29):
at home, you'll notice we've gone NFC playoff picture here
all in a row. So don't be mad, Jaguars fans.
We're not disrespecting you that you're in the second block
or round.

Speaker 12 (35:38):
But did you get back to me on that.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah, we're on NFC Watch first. And the Eagles sewed
up an NFC East title, and yeah, that was the
first time a team has done that, winning back to
back titles in twenty one years. So for as weird
as this season has been, Patrick, it was it was
nice to see something so familiar and to me that

(36:01):
was Saquon running well, Hurts scrambling, and the Eagles kind
of saying, oh yeah, you thought all that under center
stuff was cool. How about we just win the way
that we've been winning for a while and spread you
out and just pick on the mismatches and let Jalen
Hurts do what he wants to do.

Speaker 5 (36:17):
It work pretty well in this game.

Speaker 11 (36:18):
Yeah, I had a chance to see the Eagles inspired tank.
Bigsby had big runs in the second half where Landon
Dickerson was running down the field and celebrated with them.
He's had you know his health problems this season, where
the run game looks like it's back in shape. AJ
Brown doing what he does and just bullying the Washington
Commanders franchise. I felt like a magical Forbes was getting.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
Justice because the Commanders could do nothing with AJ Brown
In that game, DeVonta Smith gets a touchdown, all the
Eagles things hit, and for the Commanders, you know, Marcus
Mariota gets hurt, they get multiple quarterbacks with elbow injuries.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
Josh Johnson glad to see him back playing. I hate
the circumstance.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
Yeah, didn't necessarily play well, which is tough to do
against the stefense.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
Yeah, didn't play great, and that you mentioned all the
Eagles things happening, That includes only playing great for one
half and AJ Brown just being a weird presence because
he had more targets in the first half than any
half of his entire career and he went nine for
ninety five with those targets. He didn't get another target
the rest of the game. But then they did the
one half good, one half bad, and it was without
AJ Brown the good half, and they were trailing in

(37:21):
this game ten seven, and they didn't even take a
lead till like late in the third So it wasn't
It wasn't like a dominating performance, but it wasn't Eagles performance.
Seventeen play drive in the third quarter is what kind
of did it?

Speaker 4 (37:32):
Sometimes I have intrusive thoughts, and this one is with
the meme of the crowd of people standing in the
room and the one guy standing in the corner and
there's a thought bubble over his head that's like, they
don't know I'm about to This one is aj Brown
standing in the corner of the room of crowded people
in the first half of this game and thinking, they
don't know I'm about to bully the Washington come in.

Speaker 12 (37:51):
For franch heights like it is true.

Speaker 4 (37:53):
It's and you know what's crazy to me about the Eagles,
and it's uncanny. You could almost predict it, like the
tides in the moon is they will do the thing
that everybody is shouting at them to do for one
game and then be like there, you got it.

Speaker 5 (38:08):
They did it for a couple of games, but you're
right right then they.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
Come right back to it.

Speaker 4 (38:12):
They look like they just they always have looked when
people are mad. They win this time, which is great,
but like they do the same thing they always do.

Speaker 5 (38:18):
And I couldn't hate it.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
Our friend Zach Boerban pointed out, Yeah, they had more
empty formation plays on their first touchdown drive than any
drive all season long. So yes, the complete opposite of
all those under center plays. But they were moving the
ball all game here and they were getting bogged down
and missed. You know, Jake Elliott is a problem right now.
They missed a couple field goals and so that they
were playing better in the first half than the score indicated.

(38:42):
But yeah, it was a lot. They are consistent. They
are also awesome in the red zone three for three,
Like every week. They are awesome in the red zone,
in large part because of Jalen Hurts and not because
of the tushbush. The tushbush is kind of dying right now.
It's been an unsuccessful play now for more than a month.
They had two false starts. It was a bit of
a problem in this game, the tushbush, and so that's

(39:02):
an interesting thing to watch. Jordan Davis was maybe the
best defensive player on the field, having just like a
monster game, two tackles for loss, a couple hurries, six
total run stops.

Speaker 5 (39:13):
He has more.

Speaker 1 (39:16):
Games with at least four run stops than any player
in the NFL this year, and Brandon Graham like he's
heating up another.

Speaker 11 (39:22):
Sack working his way back healthy after coming off the couch.

Speaker 1 (39:26):
Also one last thing in this game, Dan Quinn did
not cover himself in glory. He punted the ball on
fourth and four from his own forty plus down eleven
points with under seven minutes to go, which was one
of the most insane, gutless punts I've ever seen, and

(39:46):
Sakun punished them with a big run afterwards, and they
scored almost immediately, like an insane punt. And to do
that and then after the game to have the golf
to say this, I don't get it.

Speaker 20 (39:57):
It's there a choice to go for two there you
know your job to stop them. But is there an
unspoken respect between coaches teams where you know, in a
game and that situation you don't do that and kind
of did you feel like it was a little bit
of a sign of disrespect?

Speaker 2 (40:10):
Yeah, I can only answer for you know my side
what I would do.

Speaker 20 (40:15):
But hey, man, like that's how they want to get down,
then like all good, We play them again in two weeks.

Speaker 1 (40:20):
Oh brother, come on apparently, Yeah, some of the Commanders
players weren't happy and got a big, big ol' ball
t You know, Bro, they were just going for two
because that's what the math says, and they're just trying
to make sure they're they're trying to win the game.

Speaker 4 (40:33):
In football, you score points exactly exactly.

Speaker 12 (40:37):
I hear this, I hear this.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
But after that punt, it was sad an injury. To
keep an eye on the Kobe Dean went out in
this game. We'll see how serious that is. But we've
already heard that Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson are expected
to return after the Well, they're little mini by one
extra day. We're going to take a quick break and
we will be back to AFC.

Speaker 5 (41:02):
Was that fast enough?

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Eric?

Speaker 5 (41:04):
Did I do well?

Speaker 1 (41:04):
Dad dlopping looking close?

Speaker 21 (41:15):
Another bath from segn talking about miss talking to five dots.

Speaker 14 (41:19):
All that touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, a tenure touchdown past the
Travis ets to judge an extend of the late house.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
Good is that it's really good. The Jaguars are really good.
They put thirty four on the Broncos in Denver, thirty
four to twenty. That's Frank FRANGI that's Trevor Lawrence as
part of his month long out of body experience Jordan.

(41:50):
They stopped bo Nicks from being fourth quarter bo Nicks,
and they cruised for a statement victory. The Jaguars have arrived.

Speaker 12 (42:00):
They've been arrived, Greg, They've been arrived. It felt like
a playoff game at Mile High.

Speaker 4 (42:06):
It was so loud that early in the game players
could not hear the whistle to whistle a play dead
and they played through the whistle. Trevor Lawrence got creamed.
It was a good clean hit, but he got creamed
and there was a you know, it was loud. Cameras
were shaking, insane, and we found out what happened as
we wondered, when an unstoppable force, this Trevor lawnsissance Jaguars

(42:30):
offense meets in immovable object the league leading Broncos red
zone defense, and Trevor and the Jags won, especially in
that phase, hugely in that phase, because the Jags went
four to four of touchdowns in the red zone before
finally getting held to a field goal there early in
the fourth quarter. At that time, they were already up

(42:50):
thirty four to seventeen, and still there was a worry
that they could not salt this game away because the
entire game they could not run the ball. And Travis
Etan was great in the pass game, but the Jaguars
non quarterback run game at about a thirteen percent success
rate through this entire game. And I say non quarterback
you guys, because it was Trevor Lawrence who made the

(43:13):
difference on the ground. He ran in a touchdown on
a design run, scrambled to make throws, scrambled for this
third and eight conversion that helped it enough clock to
make this all but impossible for the Broncos to overcome.

Speaker 1 (43:26):
Third and eight Jags from their own thirty two. Trevor drops,
it's a blitz. He scrambles.

Speaker 10 (43:31):
Those left still looking down field, still looking, still looking now,
Trevor wants.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
A run for Stavan Bounds drives, call the first down.
I think you got it, let me do it.

Speaker 14 (43:38):
In Mark, he left that he die in Trevor warre
fed a first down as a runner. Yet again, how
many third downs is he converted as a runner?

Speaker 7 (43:46):
Ten?

Speaker 1 (43:47):
You are jet a first out?

Speaker 12 (43:48):
Yeah? No sliding.

Speaker 4 (43:49):
And also, you guys, in eight games since the Rams
game in London and week seven when the Jaguars only
scored seven points. The Jacksonville Jaguars are averaging thirty three
points per game.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
It is incredible, and I think him running has been
a huge key to all of it. You mentioned the
red zone, you know, touchdown today, but he has been
just playmaking in a freeway on the ground, running and
design runs that we just haven't seen. And it's interesting because, yeah,
you mentioned the red zone stuff. You look at thirty

(44:23):
four points and you think they dominated, and they were
great when they were great, but they had four to
three and outs today. They finished with three straight punts,
including two that weren't even you know this one first
down and a punt. So this was a complete team
effort and I think you got to start looking at
the Jaguars that way, not that they're quite at the
level of like the Rams, but in a way that

(44:47):
I think any one of their groups, including special teams,
can step up in a given week, and lately it's
been all three making plays in a given week.

Speaker 11 (44:54):
I think a big part of what separates the Jags
at this point is the technical skill of the of
the play, especially like you look at ETN in the
past game Britain Strange had a couple of tight window catches,
Jacoby Myers making big plays with the ball near Parker
Washington doing all he can do, like not just making
explosive plays after the catch, but had some big time

(45:15):
tight window catches as well. Where they've just got so
many guys that are so good at getting the ball
in their hands, good when they have the ball in
their hands, where it just makes this offense go to
a point where yeah, it's them the Rams when they're healthy,
like that particular ability that we see on a team
with the Dallas Cowboys, but also they have a defense

(45:37):
that they can make plays and get stops on a
Broncos team that was going up and down the field
against the good Packers defense last week.

Speaker 4 (45:43):
And they did, and early in the game it looked
like bo Nicks was going to have one of those
games like similar to what he had last week. He
and Courtland Sutton were on fire together. Courtland Sutton made
an incredible sideline catch a toe tap and then caught
like a heavily contested ball just.

Speaker 12 (46:00):
A couple of plays later.

Speaker 4 (46:02):
It was one of those where if the Jaguars didn't
nip it in the bud immediately, it might have gone
back and forth all game. It ultimately stalled out and
the Jaguars. Part of what they did very well is
smother the Broncos with explosive plays and it was startling
in some ways to see against this offense, but just
as effective as a cheat code, as like the play

(46:24):
action pass game can be, especially against a fierce pass
rush because the Broncos did get pressure on Trevor Lawrence,
but just as effective as like a really long developing
which they love to run those long developing boot play actions.
Also as effective as Trevor Lawrence becoming like one of
the best in the league get throwing while on the run,

(46:46):
and this is fascinating because his receivers have this edge
to them now that we didn't see early in the season.
These guys are so impressive to a tee stepping up
and making plays for him. Parker Washington had a dazzling
game and he has been a dude four weeks and
tonight he or today he went six or excuse me,

(47:07):
six catches on ten targets one hundred and forty five
yards in a touchdown. Was a factor in the kicking
game in the return game as well, and I really
wish there was a stat for receivers it wasn't just
focused on touchdowns or fantasy points or whatever, but setups,
because Parker Washington's becoming the best scoring setup guy in
the entire league right now, where he's getting the big

(47:28):
explosive play that puts the offense in scoring position ten
points off of that just for him today on two plays.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
And look, these two defenses approached things differently. The Jaguars
are going to change what they do from a week
to week basis, but they're not a heavy blitz team
in general, and they barely blitzed at all today, and
I think from what I saw it just it just
makes it a picture a little more money on bo Nicks,
where I know he didn't have a great second half.
He threw a couple passes that could have been picked off,

(47:55):
and he did have one interception, right, but he also
threw for three fifty two and had a number of
like really good throws and a number of just like
near misses. But that is the difference, and it is
the risk for Denver who blitzes so much. They blitzed
forty one percent of the time today, and the Jaguars
got enough pressure without having to do that, barely sending

(48:15):
any blitzes. And you saw on the back end of
Denver that sometimes the linebackers sometimes it's like PJ. Lock
as the safety or Jday Barron had a big pass
interference or some of those linebackers in coverage and they
were either missing tackles or giving up completions, whereas the
Jaguars are a little a little more buttoned up in

(48:35):
the back end. I know they had an injury to
Jordan Lewis, which is something to keep an eye on.

Speaker 4 (48:38):
Jordan Lewis spells his name the best. Also, one thing
that I want to credit the Broncos for on offense,
even though they ended up losing this game, was they've
really found something between Bonix and RJ. Harvey specifically, it's
a couple of skill guys here. Courtland Sutton obviously is
one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL, I think,
especially this year.

Speaker 12 (48:58):
But then also.

Speaker 22 (49:00):
R J.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
Harvey is one of those sort of joker type players
that Sean Payton just loves to have, and he's been
this way for this almost this entire season. He's emerged
into this and sended in this player. But he's a
threat in the run game. He makes people misstackles. He's
especially a threat how he was today in the short
pass or screen game yards after catch plays.

Speaker 12 (49:20):
That was where he was a total weapon.

Speaker 1 (49:23):
So great news for the Jaguars who maintain that lead
in the AFC South, and right now, if they in
the Texans tie at the top, the Texans are going
to win that tiebreaker. So it's important. This is a
game they maybe weren't expected to win. The Broncos, on
the other hand, at twelve and three, there's no good losses,
but they had just won what eleven straight games, and

(49:44):
this wasn't that harmful. They are still the favorite by
a decent amount compared to every other team to be
the one seed. They have the Chiefs. We'll talk about
them later on Christmas. But everything is still in front
of the Broncos. They lose a little bit of wiggle room.
Maybe you won't be able to clinch before week eighteen,
but they still are in control of their own destiny.

(50:06):
Despite that, you know, Sean Payton was all messed up
after the game.

Speaker 23 (50:10):
They were better on third downs, they won the turnover battle,
they won the kicking battle, and so now we have
a you know, short week to digest it.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
You can't spit it out. You gotta swallow it.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
Who e he said it all right? He said it
not me. Let's go to Dallas.

Speaker 24 (50:34):
Lunch formation of the right Herbert to throw taking a shot.

Speaker 25 (50:37):
There's mccacky caught touchdown.

Speaker 21 (50:41):
Shudgers Lad mccacky's six touchdown reception of the season.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
Justin Herbert, second of the day.

Speaker 8 (50:48):
Twenty fifth of the year, this one twenty five yards.

Speaker 1 (50:52):
Matt mney Smith just watching Justin Herbert go up and
down the field with ease. That was in the first half.
Chargers keep rolling thirty four to seventeen over the Dallas Cowboys.
Money's on kfive. By the way, Look, this was a
great game if you like quarterback play. Dak Prescott played

(51:14):
exceptionally well despite them only putting up seventeen points in
this game. There was not a punt until midway through
the third quarter of this game. But it's what I
like about this Chargers team is that, yeah, they can
get in the ugly games like they did the last
couple of weeks, but when presented with an opportunity against
this Matt Eberflus defense, which was very static in the

(51:36):
first half of this game especially, they can also dicey
up because they are very talented at the skill position.
And it was glorious Patrick to watch Justin Herbert with
time like wow, with just like a normal offensive line performance,
and because he's trying to make big plays. It still
was a forty percent pressure rate. But their offensive line,
despite losing their left tackle pretty early Jamari Sawyer, which

(51:58):
is a concern against better defenses, they played well enough.
And it was a lot of him stepping up in
the pocket and just dropping dimes all over the field.

Speaker 11 (52:05):
And where when you see Justin Herbert with that opportunity,
the space, the space not just for him, but for
the receivers in the past game to get away from
each other and from defenders as players developed, because we
you know, we had some concerns with them getting loose
in the past couple of games against considerably better defenses.
It's gonna make it work. Quintin Johnston was looking like
early season. Quentin Johnson had a great one hand catch

(52:27):
Lad mcconkeye. They flood the zone in the in the
first half, and there's there's Treyvon Diggs in a whole
lot of space over there for an easy lad touchdown
where the you know, the Cowboys were like all year,
it's like, oh, the pressure to score every time. And
then eventually there's a fourth and ten in the fourth
quarter where they go for it, and I guess Dak's like,

(52:48):
all right, but I don't know if it was Shoddy's
decision or Dak's decision, Like, there's no need for me
to play anymore football.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
Granted, hardball has justin Herbert with one good hand out.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
Oh my god, late, the differences were striking. Yeah, they
took back out with about five minutes left, a little
under and down seventeen. It's fine, you're not gonna come
back there three scores under five minutes.

Speaker 5 (53:12):
But I don't think many.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
Coaches would take out their quarterback there. Whereas on the
other side, Herbert, who was running so well in this game.
He had a huge run in general, like his legs
were massive. Right after he landed on his left hand
and was clearly hurting on a long run, they call
for a quarterback sneak like the next play, and then

(53:34):
he had another run where they called for it and they're.

Speaker 4 (53:36):
Just like, just like we get it. The dude is
stop you don't need to make him. You don't need
to make him prove it to you every week, holy shit.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
And then they but he does prove it to him.
He goes over three hundred yards in.

Speaker 12 (53:49):
The toxic relationship.

Speaker 5 (53:50):
It was just nice to see them.

Speaker 1 (53:53):
And here's how good these two quarterbacks were under pressure
in this I had a feeling to it because I
was like, it wasn't all bad defense come by. They
were seventeen for twenty under pressure in this game, with
about nine yards per attempt, like Dak almost played like
a perfect game. The reason it bogged down in the
second half. You mentioned that fourth and ten one of
the few plays where the Chargers got quick pressure, and

(54:15):
then there was a fourth and one where they give
it to the full back lip Key and he gets
stuffed and it was one of those where you had
to score every drive. You said it, there was only
like eight drives in this game for each team. It
was not a lot of possessions because the offenses were
so good, especially but before halftime in this Chargers team,
eleven wins. Like for this team and lo, I hate

(54:36):
that they lost Jamari Sawyer in this game because I
think he was a big upgrade at left tackle. So
we'll see, like, for instance, in that Week eighteen game,
which now looks more likely to decide the AFC West
and potentially the one seed. But the Chargers do have
a big one against Houston next week, so that's a
tough matchup if they are again down to their.

Speaker 5 (54:55):
Fifth left tackle.

Speaker 4 (54:56):
Yeah, I'm I will be there covering that game for
the athletic I'm very excited and because this is going
to be another.

Speaker 12 (55:03):
Who can out tough each other, you know.

Speaker 4 (55:06):
It's the Houston Texans defense and the charged offense. This
was actually a near record setting justin Herbert game. In
some facets pernext Genny at the second most EPA generated
through the game of any quarterback this season, also the
second most wow in his career and under pressure, he
was nine for eleven for one hundred and eight yards
and a touchdown. So come bring whatever hell and fury

(55:30):
you have. He is tough enough.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
That makes sense because EPA for play is you know,
it's a rate stating to freaking hate the.

Speaker 5 (55:37):
Second best game by a quarterback.

Speaker 1 (55:39):
Because I wrote perfect Game, I was like, what what
could be better?

Speaker 4 (55:42):
Second most EPA generated through a game of any quarterback
this season?

Speaker 1 (55:47):
And it's really cool for them how Trey Harris is developing.
He went four for fifty four. They are very even
in terms of targets. You said early that he's got
some stuff to him, Trey Harris, and even KeAndre Lambert Smith,
who's not out there a ton, He's made a really
important play in each of the last three games. And

(56:07):
there was a third and ten where it was like, okay,
that's actually bad defense, it's not just good offense, where
they just kind of had to give up throw to
Lambert Smith and he breaks a couple tackles to pick
up the first down and later that drive that's where
Herbert hits one of his beautiful touchdown throws. And so yeah,
Tron Diggs struggled in this one. He also revealed afterwards,
remember he had a concussion out of nowhere. He said

(56:29):
it was from a light that he set up in
his own house because he was trying to be mister handyman.
That he was sitting at home later and the light
fell from the ceiling.

Speaker 4 (56:42):
It's my worst nightmare and hit him like, I don't like,
that's my worst nightmare of being like, for example, of
being asleep and you've got like art or something hanging
over your bed, and the reason you wake up, or
hopefully you wake up, is because it's landed on you.
That's why I actually I have vivid nightmares about this.

Speaker 2 (56:59):
We've all been there.

Speaker 11 (57:00):
You're leaning up against a step stool or you're on
a wobbly ladder full extension.

Speaker 2 (57:05):
Yeah, grew the light fixture in, and you're like, is
that good? I thing? It is good.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
I haven't been there.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
I don't want to be up here anymore.

Speaker 1 (57:12):
I haven't been there. Team rent or team let your
wife do all the handiwork, But dude, hire a task.

Speaker 5 (57:18):
Grab it. Diggs, you got the money. Ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
Dante Jackson and Sawyer and Kamani Videl all got hurt
in this game, and all of them will be worth
watching during the week. They all potentially were serious, but
it's hard to tell obviously at first watch.

Speaker 5 (57:37):
Let's move on.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
Let's go to the Bills and the Browns with the Chargers,
you know, taking care of business like those AFC wild
card slots are starting to fill out. Bills still looking
to try to win the division, but at least trying
to clinch a playoff spot.

Speaker 7 (57:51):
The right side of the formation here's the snat hand off.

Speaker 6 (57:53):
The Cook cuts it back through a hole of the'se
off and cuts it back again into the secondary. Twenty
five twenty, what's in your side? Ten to five? James
Cook is in the kitchen. You want to run by
Cook forty four yards to.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
The end zone. James Cook maybe the fantasy pick of
the year. I mean Jackson Smith and Jickiss. Gotta be
up close, book man. James Cook. If you took him
in like a second or third round, he is bringing
you home. And he is bringing this Buffalo Bills team home.
And by that I mean the playoffs. While all the
other big time quarterbacks are struggling here, the Bills are

(58:32):
winning a lot of games, and they're doing it by
controlling the ground game.

Speaker 5 (58:37):
Patrick.

Speaker 1 (58:38):
On a day Josh Allen didn't have a ton of
passing yards, they still hang on to win twenty three
to twenty against a game Brown's outfit.

Speaker 3 (58:47):
Yes, in a game where Josh Allen and the Bills
had to come from behind. They started that game with
a touchdown pass to Harold Fan and Junior made a
nice move davigating traffic. Has to make a move on
Bosa in the backfield to actually get open for Shador
Sanders with the touchdown reception, and the Browns no like
calamitous errors on special teams. They play relatively solid defense

(59:07):
other than this rush defense which has been a problem
down the stretch for Cleveland. Like in the middle parts
of the season, like through weeks five through twelve, the
Browns a stout run defense.

Speaker 11 (59:18):
You could not run the ball in the Cleveland Browns.
James Cook had seven yards of carry in this game,
including that big forty four yarder that we just heard
there or soft shout out to the folks watching on
YouTube where you know, over and over again, the Browns
continued to make this a game, and then late in
this game, the Bills pass rush really dominant in taking over.

(59:39):
Shador Sanders had to take took two sacks ultimately before
what looked like was initially a safety called to safety
on the field. Turns out he threw the ball at
the one yard line, so it's you know, they had
just gotten the ball back from the Buffalo Bills as
Sean McDermott decided to issue a six point lead in
favor of going for a touchdown of instead of going

(59:59):
for a field goal that would have made a six
more game. They try to end it right there, give
Cleveland a little bit of hope, but the pass rush
shuts it down and the Browns fall once again. Also
lose quin Shawn Judkins for the season. He's got torn
ligaments in his ankle as well as a broken leg
and a rough one for a guy who had a
promising rookie season after.

Speaker 5 (01:00:18):
Startingly, I hate that so much.

Speaker 1 (01:00:20):
I've talked about how much I really am impressed by him,
and that's a tough recovery. You hate to see that. Yeah,
that that fourth down play. Dawson Knox looks like he
should have had it, but there the sun is in
his eyes.

Speaker 5 (01:00:32):
That would have put them up ten.

Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
But you give credit to the Bills defense, Yeah, for
at least shutting the door enough. Greg Russo had nine
pressures in this game, and they matched really the Browns
pass rush, maybe even even better. The Browns only had
one quick pass rush or quick pressure of the entire game.
The Bills had five and Miles Garrett had half a
sack Jordan on a play we were really enjoying watching

(01:00:58):
all the replays.

Speaker 5 (01:00:59):
Through out the day.

Speaker 12 (01:01:01):
Yeah, it was a Mason Graham party foul.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
A little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:01:05):
We're watching it right here on the screen. So Josh
Allen scrambling and he gets technically gets sacked. It's okay,
who is going to touch him first? And it happened
to be Mason Graham. Yes, Josh Allen kind of goes
to the ground autonomously here or trips or he I
just think he doesn't want his I don't I don't

(01:01:26):
think he wants to be in if he got hurt
on the play, and I don't think he wanted to
be he talked about it this week. I don't think
he really had wanted to be in the history books here.
But it was okay, he's on the ground. Whoever touches
the quarterback first gets credit for the sack. And instead
of having you know, Miles Garrett reach out and just boop,

(01:01:47):
Mason Graham goes touched him down, and so Mason Graham
gets credit.

Speaker 12 (01:01:51):
So he's still half a sack away.

Speaker 1 (01:01:53):
Yes, And eventually the scorer decided since Garrett kind of
forced Alan down, that he gets half the sack and Grahama.

Speaker 12 (01:02:01):
You can break it out.

Speaker 1 (01:02:02):
So I'm glad. I'm glad it happened that way. That
was very rookie year. Josh Allen, by the way, just like,
what are you doing?

Speaker 22 (01:02:08):
Bro?

Speaker 5 (01:02:08):
That's one of the worst plays that anyone made all year.

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
Well, I think if it's not ninety five there, Yeah,
Josh Allen might continue towards the sideline, but he turns around, yes,
and sees that it's Miles Garrett. Yes, And in defense
of the scorekeeper, I understand because Josh Allen continues in
that direction with ninety nine percent of defensive players. He
sees Miles Garrett, it's like, oh, whatever's going on behind me,
which I'm not looking at, Yeah, is better than what

(01:02:30):
I'm seeing him.

Speaker 12 (01:02:31):
Don't be the record.

Speaker 5 (01:02:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
I like actually because now he's what half a sack
away from tying, but a full clean sack away from winning.
So I'm thinking, I want I want this Andrew Siciliano
record breaking sack call like AGAs like air. Oh that's good.
I want it in the sixteenth game, and I don't
want it to be a tie and then maybe he

(01:02:54):
breaks it with a half a sack or it's the
tie and then the break. Now it's going to be
clean if it actually happens. Let's see if Miles Garrett
can get it done. I don't know what to think
about the Bills sometimes this season.

Speaker 12 (01:03:07):
I can tell you what it was.

Speaker 4 (01:03:09):
Yes, statistically speaking, it was when Sean McDermott stopped wearing glasses. Okay,
I mean Greg became three times the podcaster he already
was when he started wearing the glasses, you know, and
he was already pretty good.

Speaker 13 (01:03:21):
You know.

Speaker 12 (01:03:22):
It's you've taken your game to elite levels wearing the glas.

Speaker 4 (01:03:24):
Sean McDermott just had to take off the glass's statistic
they're tracking.

Speaker 26 (01:03:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
The only reason I started wearing my glasses because I
had a hole burned in my eye from my contact lens.

Speaker 5 (01:03:33):
But I'm going back to the contact soon.

Speaker 1 (01:03:35):
The Bills have won eleven games and they are plus
ninety scoring differential on the season, which is, you know,
very good and better than some other Bills seem So. Yeah,
it doesn't look great in terms of the passing game,
but they are still a very good team and right
in the mix. Still in the AFC East, we mentioned
the Jaguars earlier, winning early in the late window, the

(01:03:56):
Texans had what we thought was going to be a
layup to keep pay in the AFC South split backs
for CJA thirty eight at the Raider thirty seven.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
Here's the snap.

Speaker 7 (01:04:05):
Here's the blitz strapped fires.

Speaker 1 (01:04:07):
Downfield to us left and caught on the sideline.

Speaker 6 (01:04:11):
Neso College the dagger at the thirteen yard line.

Speaker 1 (01:04:15):
Bold game. Oh, I love a dagger from Mark Vandermere.
Kilt CJ. Stroud and Nico Collins were struggling for much
of the game, but when they needed to drive late,
they got a little help from a pass interference call.

Speaker 2 (01:04:33):
It It wasn't as bad as Greg is making these, No.

Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
I actually think it was good veteran offensive play by
Nico Collins, who drew two key pass interferences late in
this game where he made the officials make a call
on a ball that I did not think was catchable
and I didn't really think it was pass interference, but
from the angle the official was at, you know, it's

(01:04:56):
tough to tell who started the contact.

Speaker 12 (01:04:58):
It just ran into each other's arm exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
The Texans hold on to beat the Raiders twenty three
to twenty one in a game where they get a
pick six out of their defense. So that means the
Texans offense was kind of back in scary Land and
we're struggling, really all day until those last few drives

(01:05:21):
against the Raiders.

Speaker 4 (01:05:22):
Yeah, and what a gorgeous like body contorting interception. It
was from my favorite defense in the NFL, and Derek
Stingley returned it like it was just like slicing a
knife through a stick of butter, honestly, and it was.
The Texans were back in a big way offensively to
two years ago through last week and now have reverted

(01:05:47):
back to what we've seen a lot of their sort
of start stop, you know, failure to sustain. Can't you know,
piece together, put together these drives that they've started to
find success from against other teams. And certainly you thought
against the Raiders, the try stuff team, the try stuff
against team, you thought that it would go a little
bit differently.

Speaker 12 (01:06:05):
They got the win, which may.

Speaker 1 (01:06:06):
Maybe they were and it was these long yardage situations. Yeah,
because the run game was just awful seventeen percent design
success rate. They missed having Woody Marx. Although I like
Juwan Jordan like, I think great, he's a good player.
Nick Chubb had a big run in this game, but
for the most part, it was a lot of stuff's
near the line of scrimmage and CJ. Stroud I love

(01:06:27):
watching CJ. Stroud, and when he's on and in rhythm,
he's incredible. Sometimes he is off, and sometimes when he's off,
he's really off and you could almost see him in
his head. I think he started this game three for
nine and some of them are just open throws that
he was missing, and they were like struggling to complete
balls on the linebackers of the Raiders, which no one does.

(01:06:47):
There was a two play sequence where Jama Adams had
maybe the hit stick of the year. It reminded me
of like a jacked up play from the nineties, and
then Max Crosby had a four yard tackle for loss
and they were going absolutely nuts on the sideline. This
is why it's good to have someone assigned to each game,
because there was a moment where Pete Carroll comes over
and they're only winning fourteen to thirteen, and Pete Carroll

(01:07:08):
is over trying to get everyone into it, and Alandon
Roberts seeds Pete getting into it, and Alandon Roberts loves
that injury energy and he gives Pete a very aggressive
slap on the ass there, and I love that they're
all stunting on the sideline. The score was fourteen to thirteen,
mid third quarters, and they're celebrating like they won the
Super Bowl.

Speaker 12 (01:07:27):
I thought that peek it was their super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (01:07:30):
It was their first leads in tweak eleven since mid November.

Speaker 12 (01:07:34):
It's just gonna go into nah.

Speaker 1 (01:07:37):
He works out, man, a burst of dust.

Speaker 5 (01:07:39):
He worked out.

Speaker 12 (01:07:41):
It was a very aggressive butt slap.

Speaker 1 (01:07:43):
It wasn't It wasn't the best Texans game either. They're
not this on defense. They're not quite the same without
Aziz alsha here, and they did give up some big plays.
Let's give some love to Ashton Genty who goes for
one hundred and twenty eight yards on the ground, adds
a sixty yard touchdown through the air. So if you
stuck with him this whole season, and you drafted him
early and the rest of your team was good enough

(01:08:03):
to make it this far, then you were big time rewarded.

Speaker 5 (01:08:06):
In Week sixteen, the.

Speaker 25 (01:08:07):
Defensive backs coaches done a great job with helping him
convert and make him a play maker from the nickel
spot third.

Speaker 1 (01:08:13):
And six, Shenty down the field. He's open, He's got it,
not the thirty Genty stiff form.

Speaker 14 (01:08:18):
Stays on his feet touchdown.

Speaker 1 (01:08:20):
What a play by the rookie ashin shenty US sixty
or touchdown at celebration thirteen. I need it, I love it,
I don't need it. Great job, man. I enjoyed seeing
you know through a couple of times the game a
bad pick six, but after that, UH played quite well

(01:08:42):
in this game. Texan's got to play better next week
and this matchup against the Chargers.

Speaker 5 (01:08:47):
All right, let's take a break.

Speaker 1 (01:08:49):
We've set it up NFC playoff picture, AFC Playoff picture,
and now we got the rest and then a big
time Sunday night football game.

Speaker 5 (01:08:57):
Don't go anywhere. And I'm talking to not just the listeners,
but Jordan and Patrick. You got four games to go.

Speaker 2 (01:09:06):
Third down and six. The Bengals have it at the
seventeen of Miami.

Speaker 19 (01:09:09):
Burrow catches a shotgun snap, three step drop throws, Kasiki
have the goal line, leaps head hauls it in for
the touchdown. Mike Kasicki doing the gritty as the Bengals
have scored forty four points.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
Shout out to Mike Hsicki, who's had a strange career
but is at the point where he can have callbacks.
Two bad touchdown celebrations in Miami where it first happened.
He gets it done and a Bengals get a forty burger. Yeah,
that was part of four touchdown passes from Joe Burrow.

(01:09:48):
They went forty five to twenty one over to the
Dolphins and Jordan I know that was during a succession
of points just being rained down upon Miami.

Speaker 4 (01:09:57):
Yeah, you almost kept thinking, oh, Miami can't turn it
over again, can they?

Speaker 12 (01:10:01):
And then they did.

Speaker 4 (01:10:02):
This game went to halftime seventeen to fourteen with the
Bengals up. Quinn Ewers, who is the quarterback for the
Dolphins in this game, was actually having a decent game
to that point. He put together a really nice drive
in the second quarter. Joe Burrow was starting to heat
up two into like sort of magical status, and so
we were about to potentially start getting our hopes up
that this could be a fun shootout points game. But

(01:10:23):
in the third quarter, the Dolphins turned it over four
consecutive times.

Speaker 7 (01:10:27):
Again.

Speaker 4 (01:10:27):
In the third quarter alone, the Dolphins turned it over
four consecutive times. First, Miami tight end Greddultchis fumbled, Cincinnati
scored off the recovery. Second, Quinn Ewers scored after excuse me,
a couple plays after the recovery, second, Quinn Ewrs was
intercepted on a tipped pass.

Speaker 12 (01:10:44):
Thought the pass was fine, just a really great play
made by the defender.

Speaker 4 (01:10:47):
And then they scored third turnover on downs set up
an absolutely incredible Jamar Chase in double coverage, and then
the Bengals scored another touchdown fourth an interception by Jalen Davis.
Mike Gesicki's touchdown which you just listened to on the
drive that continued into the fourth quarter, and they were
up forty five to fourteen early in the fourth.

Speaker 12 (01:11:08):
I have nothing more to say about the.

Speaker 4 (01:11:09):
Oh wow, I will then shout out to you they do,
but my god, I just I wrote woo man in
my notes.

Speaker 1 (01:11:16):
Yeah, it was a lot. That's that's about it. And
you can't blame yours for most of that. Look, their
defense had been playing pretty well until they gave up
four straight touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers and then they had
this game. And it's just not looking great for what's
going on in Miami. But I think it's great that
T Higgins a very classic T Higgins game that you

(01:11:39):
look and it's just three for fifty three for in
one touchdown. You're like, oh, that's that's not amazing, and
yet like the thirty five yarder, he's just better than
anyone in the NFL at mossing people and jumping and
then the touchdown was a great catch by him too.
So it was it was how this team was supposed
to look. It's like, hey, can you pay way too
much money for Gasick to come back?

Speaker 5 (01:12:00):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
Sure, okay, and then GASICKI Chase Brown, Higgins Chase like
this is the vision of the fantasy Bengals.

Speaker 4 (01:12:07):
Chase Brown had a rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns.
I mean he went off this game.

Speaker 5 (01:12:12):
It's been great.

Speaker 11 (01:12:12):
Yeah, and you see like fully coming to fruition as.

Speaker 12 (01:12:17):
Great point in time, right yeah, right, for the end of.

Speaker 11 (01:12:19):
The season, but at least time for Joe Burrow to
have some fun. We also saw it like Jamar Chase
streaking wide open for what would have been a touchdown
Burrow with a nasty underthrow, but because it's Jamar Chase
and it's the twenty.

Speaker 3 (01:12:30):
Twenty five dollars stops comes back and goes up and
over two defenders. Where you really see like the difference
in the skill position guys, where it's a lot like
the Dallas Cowboys, where they have that difference in the
skill position guys on offense, but the rest of the
team is so bad where they're not relevant.

Speaker 1 (01:12:48):
It comes on a day where Ian Rappaport could helped
to confirm what you know seems obvious, which is that
Zach Taylor does not seem like he's in any trouble
two years to go. But wins like this make it
rest even easier. They are five and ten, the Dolphins
fall to six and nine. The Bengals are still in
the top ten in terms of Tankathon. They are at
the ninth pick right now, so they could have a

(01:13:10):
premium draft pick. And yes, on Joe Burrow watch he
did say after the game, I'm having plun I'm having
fun playing football. This is what I came back for.
I was not having fun not playing football. So there
is your Joe Burrow is he happy section of the week?
You know what he should be happy about, by the way,
is Amrius Mims is turning into one of the better
left tackles in the league. So that's been a nice

(01:13:31):
development story for the Bengals. Let's go to New Orleans
where we're witnessing maybe the biggest development story of the
end of this season at quarterback at least sucks.

Speaker 9 (01:13:41):
In the shot film shakes, the staff looks to us.

Speaker 7 (01:13:44):
Right for the end and he's wide open. Chris Hoy
touch down for Chris o'love.

Speaker 9 (01:13:53):
That's number seven for him. It's also number seven for
Tyler Shuck. He now passes. Aren't you man for the
rookie quarterback touchdown cash record?

Speaker 1 (01:14:04):
Hey Mike Coss, we're hearing from him every week on
WWL Saints win twenty six to nine. Patrick, it was
close for a while, but you can only hold Tyler
Shuck down for so long.

Speaker 11 (01:14:20):
Yeah, they get field goals in a game where Tyler
Schuck threw the ball forty nine times, and if not
for some Jets ineptitude that that number is going up
even considerably higher.

Speaker 2 (01:14:31):
We had Taysom Hill coming in. It was pretty much
coach Moore calling stuff where.

Speaker 11 (01:14:36):
That's the status of the Jets as they're in Raiders
territory here. But sixteen targets for Chris o'lave, including that touchdown,
he had another one had one hundred and forty eight
yards of the air. Jewan Johnson had eight catches for
eighty nine yards, and yet this Saints team didn't really
do a whole lot on the ground able to just
kind of will it out and wait for the Jets

(01:14:58):
to fall apart, which the Jets as they have.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
So everyone's kind of sick of Taysom Hill, and we've
had moments of years now here now it depends. I
had a journey, was sick of them for a while,
then started to truly appreciate him, and now a little
back to sick of them.

Speaker 12 (01:15:13):
Yeah, I'm good, but.

Speaker 1 (01:15:16):
I mean, it is kind of incredible. They're leading rusher
today with forty two yards by a good amount, and
he catches four passes for thirty six yards. They're just
doing stuff. And if this is the final couple games
for Taysom Hill in a Saints uniform or in the NFL,
and I think it might be, it is pretty cool
to have a moment like this at home.

Speaker 9 (01:15:36):
Taysom Hill is a quarterback third and five going for
the zone wide up for Chris o Lovey. Taysom Hill
put a bowl on that gift for Christmas. Chasom Hill
touchdown pass to Chris O.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
Lovey first player in the Super Bowl era to have
a thousand yards receiving, one thousand yards rushing and a
thousand yards passing in his career.

Speaker 5 (01:16:01):
He literally is one of one.

Speaker 4 (01:16:03):
So yes, on the way, I'm so excited about you guys.
It's Charlie Smith for next Yes, but for next year
when we're basically going to get the FedEx package pamphlets
that the Jacksonville Jaguars are using right now in their
press conferences slash. Everybody's using to talk about the Jacksonville
Jaguars packaged up and gift drapped and chipped off to

(01:16:26):
New Orleans so that after every game we can hear
the New Orleans Saints talking about how nobody is actually
paying atten, nobody saw them coming and nobody's talking about them,
and have all the national media and talking heads talk
about how nobody's nobody's really talking about these guys.

Speaker 12 (01:16:44):
But expand your horizons. We're talking about them.

Speaker 4 (01:16:46):
Everybody's talking about these feisty teams that are on the rise,
and the New New Orleans Saints are one of those
feisty teams on the rise. They've got a defense playing well,
they've got a quarterback playing really well, they've got young
pieces on in every they got an Irish kicker. You
know this is this is like I'm marking it down
as December twenty first people are talking about this.

Speaker 1 (01:17:07):
Okay, yeah if they say that next year, and good
job by you veteran podcast moves. She had a point
that she wishes she had made back in the Jaguars game,
and she found a way to jam it in here.
I've done that a lot of times over the years,
and it's it's always probably unnecessary and it feels good.
You got it in and it was a good point
and now we can play that. Literally, keep that for

(01:17:29):
next year. So I mean we're all around, you know,
keep that for next year and we'll play that when
the Saints are winning some games. Yeah they're Irish kicker.
Charlie Smith was awesome. I mean, Tyler Shook had a
dime that was actually shuck ed. Was had a dime
that was dropped by Olav cam Jordan got to one
hundred and thirty sacks for his career, passing Ricky Jackson

(01:17:52):
of the Saints, who's in the Hall of Fame. Two
sacks today up to eight and a half here.

Speaker 2 (01:17:56):
And hit a couple of contract incentives that are gonna
get I.

Speaker 1 (01:17:59):
Was wondering because I knew he was excited to get
like a couple sacks, but the extra celebration, the celebration
was enormous.

Speaker 12 (01:18:06):
On a hive and interception.

Speaker 1 (01:18:09):
He had an interception. You know who hasn't had an
interception this year? Who's the New York Jets?

Speaker 12 (01:18:14):
Oh bummer that crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:18:16):
Panta Sticker's got another fumble recovery. So they got that today.

Speaker 1 (01:18:20):
Four hundred and sixty one passes the Jets have defended
this year zero interceptions. They are two games away from
setting a record that will stand for all of time.
It could not be possibly beaten. It's never happened before.
This is where I wish, you know, and they could
do it with extra games. It's kind of the flip

(01:18:40):
side of the seventh like they're really going to earn
this if they do seventeen games of no interceptions and
shout out to the fans there. I've been talking about
how the atmosphere and stuff there is kind of the opposite.
They are chanting, who dat going crazy? They are really
into Tyler Schuck. This is best case scenario.

Speaker 4 (01:18:57):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:18:57):
The second best fan performance of the day, I think
by the by the Saints.

Speaker 4 (01:19:01):
Graduation and I will say it does go to show
how much we all love and cherished Nick Shuk.

Speaker 2 (01:19:07):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (01:19:07):
Yeah, about three times a week one or multiple members
of this group says Tyler Shuck instead of Tyler Schuck.

Speaker 12 (01:19:14):
So good job, Nick Schuck. You're in our heads.

Speaker 1 (01:19:16):
You were supposed to ask me who did have the
best fan performance of the day.

Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
They said this second, Well, Greg, so the second best fan? Yes,
I do want to know.

Speaker 3 (01:19:25):
Shout out to Jerry Madelon teaching me about on ramp
who had the best?

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
It was the Chargers fans who in at and T Stadium,
the fan base that doesn't get any love is chanting,
let's go Chargers, Let's go Chargers. Trewin James is running
through all the Chargers fans who kind of were on
the field like late in the game, like high five
and and stuff. It was the Chargers fans there, and
you know what that was? What's the jamming? In a

(01:19:52):
point from earlier in the show that I forgot about
here we goes.

Speaker 3 (01:19:55):
Well, you know the rule is, Greg, if you hear
an opposing fan base make noise, you can only comment
on it if it happens across the street at SOFI
stadium where is the only place, apparently where other fans
come to watch football.

Speaker 1 (01:20:08):
Let's talk about a fan base who has been beleaguered
and deserved to have a game where they saw their
young quarterback, talk about development put in a clean, dominant performance. Yes,
the Tennessee Titans won in a blowout today. The checko
moves back a yard in the end zone. I think

(01:20:29):
that Kareem Hunt is back there, and it's Hunt.

Speaker 7 (01:20:31):
It'll get it. Ben Hunt is safety.

Speaker 1 (01:20:33):
That is a thing.

Speaker 7 (01:20:34):
Okay.

Speaker 27 (01:20:35):
Jeff Simmons gets the safety in the back of the
inZone and the Titans score first.

Speaker 7 (01:20:43):
It's two nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:20:45):
That's a hell yeah to nothing.

Speaker 27 (01:20:47):
Jeff Simmons blowing up offensive lineman. He just whipped right
around coach Essa Paula, the left tackle, and Hunt had
no chance.

Speaker 1 (01:21:00):
Dave McGinnis, the color man, man, this is what the
lack of Titans wins over the last few years has
robbed us from. He does a great job. He's with
Taylor Darzur on WGFX.

Speaker 5 (01:21:10):
The Titans win twenty six to nine.

Speaker 1 (01:21:12):
So is zero zero scoreless tie there early in the
second quarter, and I'm thinking, I want that Jeffrey Simmons
safety as the highlight that's going to be the decisive play,
and it wasn't decisive. And yet Jeffrey Simmons is so
freaking awesome. I just wanted to give him the honor
of a highlight. Twenty six to nine, the Titans win
in a game where they rack up almost four hundred

(01:21:32):
yards of offense in the end and they only give
up one thirty three and nine first downs to the
Kansas City Chiefs, who yes, lost Gardner Minshew to what
they fear as a torn ACL five drives into this game.
But I gotta say, Gardner Minshew was a problem for
them playing before he got hurt, and the offense actually

(01:21:54):
got a little better after he left. But how about
a normal, really good, clean game by the ten Titans
and their.

Speaker 12 (01:22:01):
Quarterback creditable even better?

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
Better?

Speaker 5 (01:22:04):
Yeah, this was better? You know what better?

Speaker 12 (01:22:07):
All Jeffrey Simmons does is score freaking points. Guys.

Speaker 4 (01:22:10):
All he does is make pointed comments that alert the
media that the head coach is about to be fired
and get points.

Speaker 12 (01:22:16):
And he's all out of head coaches who are going
to be fired. That man is getting points.

Speaker 1 (01:22:21):
And he was on the field and they called a
penalty on him. For not being ineligible, and then they
called him the legal formation, and the replay showed he
clearly waved his hand, pointed at the official, did everything,
and they took points off the board for the poor
Titans because of a Jeffrey Simmons penalty. He was acting
as like a decoy on offense and it absolutely worked. Ultimately,

(01:22:44):
it didn't matter because Daja Spears got a touchdown there.
He's been playing really well, goes over one hundred yards
from scrimmage, had a really good catch and run and yeah,
the biggest takeaway for me in this game, Patrick, I'm
not sure how many badass throws you got to see
of Cam Warred because you were you were on television
hosting Game Day Live. But did you see I'm not

(01:23:05):
gonna make it a throw the ear? Well, it depends
how how many candidates we have, and you can just
watch it. We don't need to look into the sound.
But him to to marry DK during this game was
really awesome. And the thing I liked in this game,
and the thing I liked about display was all of
his other Throw of the Year nominees are rolling right
and this is him rolling left.

Speaker 4 (01:23:23):
I mean, that's throwing into the shadow too towards the sideline.

Speaker 12 (01:23:27):
That's beautiful.

Speaker 5 (01:23:28):
It is so good. But how many goods he's.

Speaker 12 (01:23:30):
Got to nominations?

Speaker 1 (01:23:32):
Oh, he's got five. Yeah. The rest of the game, though,
he had a lot of really good just on time
in rhythm throws from the pocket. Uh to iomanor to
dkay and the head coaching staff. I've been on, Mike McCay,
al your hell, let's give them another highlight? Why not?
They almost looked like they had like a Kansas City

(01:23:54):
Chiefs like trick play to Oconko for a touchdown.

Speaker 27 (01:23:57):
Can takes a shotgun, Stoun takes the handoff and Staff
a shovel pass.

Speaker 7 (01:24:01):
And chig a Conklow gets to the bat line.

Speaker 1 (01:24:04):
That yeah, Titans touchdown.

Speaker 7 (01:24:07):
That was sweet.

Speaker 12 (01:24:10):
Hello, Mike McDaniel.

Speaker 27 (01:24:12):
Chig a con Quo on a shovel pass comes back
to the middle of the formation. That is chigs first
touchdown of the season, his seventh of his NFL career.

Speaker 1 (01:24:25):
Counts as a catch too. You gotta do a three
sixty spin around fake pitch to the wide receiver, shovel
pass to the type. That's Andy Reid's move. I mean,
that is an Andy Reid type of play and they're
doing it with the great one on the sideline.

Speaker 3 (01:24:40):
It's it was a nice slid of hand because yes,
we're we're I'm calling that highlight on GANDAY Live.

Speaker 2 (01:24:46):
And I thought he hands the ball off to Chicka
con Quo.

Speaker 11 (01:24:48):
I didn't even see where the ball was looking from
the sideline angle, so I know the Chiefs were struggling
to see it. And yeah, he just he keeps making
plays and you know, gotta get more. Jeffery Simmons reps
on offense sivens, Yes, because it's gonna work.

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
It was tough to watch the Chiefs in the first
game without Patrick mahomes Man, Travis Kelcey four targets, six yards,
Minshew Leaves and like I said, when he left, they
had two first downs and negative two points because they
had taken that safety when he was under center. And yeah,

(01:25:24):
on Christmas, we're gonna have Chris Olutukan playing quarterback for
the Chiefs. Nailed it, thank you. And it is a
tough name to pronounce. I don't know if I did
name it. I don't think I did nail it.

Speaker 11 (01:25:37):
It depends because the phonetics because he transferred in South
Dakota State. Was it Sanford for a while? Shout out
to the Bulldogs. Get the politics and Lucan and others,
and we have to get to Chris. Yeah, let us
know we're gonna have.

Speaker 12 (01:25:49):
A lot of opportunities depending on the draw.

Speaker 28 (01:25:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:25:52):
No, I think it is Oladkin who looked okay for
a third string quarterback for a while and was making
some plays out of structure, but eventually looked like a
third string quarterback And they just don't have enough playmakers.

Speaker 5 (01:26:07):
No Rashi Rice not much of a running game.

Speaker 1 (01:26:10):
And for any Chiefs fans watching this too, like I
thought Steve Spagnolo and the defense might be like up
for the challenge, and they threw a lot of camword
early and they were not up for the challenge. They
got steamrolled in the second half of this game. I'm
gonna say goodbye to you guys, but we're actually not
taking a break. It's gonna be a rare sleight of
hand where I say goodbye to the two of you
and we welcome in Nick Shook without a single break.

(01:26:33):
Now get out of here, quickly, go.

Speaker 8 (01:26:35):
He's Arison Smith cheats took the line of scrimmage. Now
we backs off start on pourth down, back to pass,
and the Vikings have turned over the New York Giants
on downs.

Speaker 1 (01:26:54):
Some things in life you can just count on, and
that's Paul Allen delivering with a big time call when
Andrew Van Ginkol delivers a big time sack to end
the Giants chances in a sixteen to thirteen victory for
the New York Nope, it's the Minnesota Vikings who won
this game despite losing their quarterback.

Speaker 28 (01:27:17):
But it was more about the defense, wasn't It shook
a slide of hand all over the place. So you
just pull a fast one on our listeners again, Yeah,
it was all about the defense.

Speaker 24 (01:27:24):
Let me just illustrate this to you real quick. One
stat me like success rate.

Speaker 28 (01:27:27):
Right, Yes, the Giants drop back success rate today was
ten point five percent.

Speaker 24 (01:27:31):
Oh my god, that is what a Brian Flores defense.

Speaker 28 (01:27:33):
Can do to a rookie quarterback. Jackson Dart had no
idea what to do against this defense. Even when he
was able to get rid of the ball, oftentimes it
came up short. The Vikings didn't even have to do
very much offensively. JJ McCarthy wasn't very great in the
first half. He ends up leaving with an injury. Max
Brozmer comes in. He has to make like one completion
of significance. They kick a couple of field goals. It's
over you sack Dart again. Vikings win. That's pretty much

(01:27:56):
the story of this game.

Speaker 1 (01:27:58):
The Giants had thirteen yards passing. You don't see that
too often. It's actually a bottom five total in the
last five years. I was like, I'm surprised there was
you know, lesser ones than that, but you remember there
was negative yardage in that horrific jetscheme. So it's happened
the Giants. By the way, three of the worst five

(01:28:19):
performances of the last five years, it's the Giants offense,
so that there's the common factor there, and this Bikings
defense has been playing great down the stretch. The Vikings
are to have gotten to seven and eight, so I'm
not saying they should be, you know, giving any flowers,
but they kind of are ending up closer to where
people thought they were going to be in the first place,

(01:28:40):
despite not having a quarterback consistently playing well.

Speaker 28 (01:28:43):
Yeah, and that's fair And my biggest concern with them
going forward is, like you see JJ McCarthy take some
small steps forward. They know that he's got a lot
to work on in the offseason. But I think about
I don't want to call it fragility, but a lack
of durability so far. He leaves with another injury today.
That's the fourth time an injury has cost him some
sort of time. It was the following game, or it
was an injury that occurred after a game, or time

(01:29:03):
in a game. This is the first time he left
during a game. Right, So, as you go into next
year with this positive momentum that you've built and your
defense is playing well despite losing a couple of guys,
you know, Jonathan Grinard being one of them, I still
worry like they have to find a quality backup for
next year just to keep themselves stable, because that is
what tanked this season for them, was not having consistent

(01:29:25):
quarterback play.

Speaker 24 (01:29:25):
Once McCarthy went down.

Speaker 28 (01:29:27):
Now we're watching this if you're watching on YouTube, McCarthy
had a pass that was tipped and picked off a
return for a touchdown. This was negated by Abdul Carter
lining up off sides. Abdul Carter, who had a fantastic day,
by the way, that's how bad things are for the Giants,
but it's also that kind of just indicates how the
Vikings really weren't that great.

Speaker 1 (01:29:44):
Watch so you can tackle attempt by JJ McCarthy. I
love the effort. He's sprinted after the play, he has
no chance and he does another summersault. Just running down
the field, he does another summersault. Any eagle eye fans
out there watching that, that was an amazing moment in
this game. He did have about four or five drops
shook in this game, although a lot of them are

(01:30:05):
heaters like that. One like that one where that played
to me is a little on JJ and certainly on
even maybe more on on Naylor two. So it's unfortunate
he left with an injury that happened on a screen
pass where he shows a little bit of a lack
of awareness. I get that the screen pass is defended
and maybe you can get on O'Connell or but you

(01:30:26):
got to just dirt that ball and be aware that
pressure is coming. And he gets absolutely crushed by Brian
Burns on that play, and hopefully that's not the end
of his season. We'll see we could we could have
Max Brosmer, Chris Alutukon and Josh Johnson all playing on Christmas.

Speaker 5 (01:30:44):
That's crazy.

Speaker 28 (01:30:45):
I feel like we're like one more away from getting
another random quarterback that's going to play.

Speaker 24 (01:30:49):
I mean, we're in the don't the deep. We're deep
in the winner, baby.

Speaker 5 (01:30:52):
Don't say it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:54):
Some injuries in this game, just to know about Ryan Kelly,
who's had a long, good career, has had concussion problems
over the last few years. Left with the concussion that's
at least his third this season. You have to wonder
about his future in general. Andrew Thomas, the great left
tackle for the Giants, left with a hamstring injury here,
and then Christian Darisa and Jonathan Grenard, just kind of

(01:31:15):
closing the book on them for the season, were placed
on injured reserves since we last talked. So they're without
many of their best players, but they do find a
way to get a victory. Let's go to Arizona, where
the Cardinals have not been able to get in the
win column for a long time.

Speaker 21 (01:31:32):
London to the right, Robinson's the running back. Here's the
third down play. Cousins looks coming up with his Pets
touchdown at Ladda. He crossed the line gave right across
the field at the goal line, and Kirk Cousins put
it right on the eighth for the touchdown.

Speaker 1 (01:31:49):
Kirk Cousins, Kyle Pitts, they make beautiful music together. Shook
another seven catch game here for Kyle Pitts.

Speaker 5 (01:31:57):
He gets back in the end zone. John Robinson's doing
Jon Robinson things.

Speaker 1 (01:32:02):
And they come back from a thirteenth to three deficit
to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Their Atlanta Falcons are six
and nine on the season. The Cardinals are three and twelve.
Why did you pick pitt as your highlight for the game.

Speaker 28 (01:32:17):
It was probably the most satisfying highlight of the game,
other than Michael Wilson's.

Speaker 24 (01:32:21):
Absurd touchdown catch. I can't remember who it was.

Speaker 28 (01:32:24):
Chris who was the receiver for play who played for
Seattle in the Super Bowl, who made an incredible catchdown
the sideline where it just like bounced off of like
his mid section and he caught it while he was
already falling to the ground. I think it was Super
Bowl what forty two or not forty two somewhere around there,
right Seahawks Patriots. He made a catch very similar to
this that was the only touchdown of the day for
the Cardinals. We're watching it right now, watch it on YouTube.

(01:32:46):
It was fantastic. It was absurd. He has no control
of the ball. It just kind of ends up between
his legs and he is aware enough to pinch his
diyes together and that's how he gains possession of the
football in the end zone. It was outrageous, but that
was the That was the peak of the Hardinals offensive
performance for the day when it came to getting to
the end zone, because otherwise they had to settle for
field goals. And meanwhile, Kirk Cousins, he doesn't throw for

(01:33:08):
three fifty, but he keeps this offense going, which is
why I like the Pitt's highlight because Pitts didn't have
any spectacular plays, but that touchdown was pretty pivotal in
their efforts to come back and take a lead and
eventually take a step ahead. But make no mistake, Greg
the story of the day as our favorite guy wearing
a Falcon's uniform. It's Bjehn Robinson. What I mean they
leaned on him. They leaned on him for one hundred

(01:33:29):
and sixty eight scramage yards. I mean, this is a
guy who I think that was on twenty three touches.
This is a guy who just powers this offense running passing,
you know, running receiving. He was actually just as effective
as a receiver as he was a runner today. I mean,
this is if you get him the ball this often
and he produces, their chances of winning are just gonna
go up. And it makes Kirk cousins job easier and
it allows him to just kind of dink and dunk

(01:33:49):
down the field. And that's how I end up with
Kyle Pitts highlight because the rest is just Bijon carrying
the way.

Speaker 1 (01:33:53):
The receiver I think you're talking about from the Seahawks,
by the way, is Chris Matthews. Matthews, Yeah, who had
one hundred in nine yards in a Super Bowl. I
mean Russell Wilson and that team deserves some credit. It
was him and Riccardo Lockette getting it done, going head
to head with Tom Brady and a couple of yards
away from getting it done. Bjon Robinson now has over

(01:34:16):
two thousand yards from scrimmage in fifteen games. I mean,
that is outrageous for the season and all the games
count equal. But you get me a guy who can
just keep on putting up one fifty to two hundred
every single week during the Fantasy playoffs, and you know
I love you a little more.

Speaker 5 (01:34:34):
So shout out to Beajon, who's.

Speaker 28 (01:34:36):
Just last performing falcon to do that. By the way, Greg, Yes,
Jamal Anderson nineteen ninety eight doing a little dirty bird.

Speaker 5 (01:34:44):
You know, let's go. I don't know what I was doing.

Speaker 28 (01:34:46):
I don't think the box is big enough for me
to properly do it, but you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:34:50):
Some injuries, just to point out on what was a
nightmare game for the Arizona Cardinals, really sad to see,
Like the last thing you want to see in this
game is injuries, especially ser injuries potentially to young players.
And Walter Nolan left on a cart that looked.

Speaker 5 (01:35:07):
Like a serious injury. He was very emotional.

Speaker 1 (01:35:10):
And Garrett Williams, their very good second year cornerback, also
left with what they're calling an achilles injury that looked
very serious. Nolan is their first round pick from this
year and had really flashed when he was on the field,
So just really unfortunate and we'll see. Ian Rapport reported
that he thinks Jonathan Gannon is more likely to be

(01:35:32):
safe than not. I have my doubts just based on
logic and how these games are going. Josh Sweat also
got hurt in this game. Yeah, and that was the
big issue for me. I think is just if you
look at this Cardinals team through the course of this season,
they have battled for Jonathan Gannon, their effort has always
been there. It's just they have weathered so many personnel
losses and today was just another example that Sweat, like
you mentioned, Nolan, like you mentioned, even Budda Baker left

(01:35:53):
for a little bit before coming back. Marvis Arison comes
back from a two week absence and he only plays
fifty percent of snaps and is invisible until the four quarter.
They have gone through it in terms of personnel losses,
and I just maybe this is just wishful thinking for me,
but I think if they were a fully healthy or
close to fully healthy team, they would be better than
three and twelve. They were once two and one exactly,
and then the next two games they lost at the

(01:36:15):
buzzard of the forty nine ers, good team, and to
the Seahawks by three points. That's right, they were two
and zer at one point they lost. That is really
crazy that they have had this long of a losing streak.
Eventually they get that third win three and five, but yeah,
they've lost seven straight since rough season for Arizona. Let's

(01:36:35):
talk about two teams that are more in the mix.
We're gonna take one final break and we're gonna finish
off this week sixteen recap with a big Sunday nighter,
Ravens and.

Speaker 26 (01:36:45):
Patriots twenty one.

Speaker 22 (01:36:56):
Stevenson councing outside rom Andre Stevenson by Williams to the
ends out, Patriots take the lead touchdown New England. He's
had a terrific night in a variety of areas and
without Travion Henderson out with injury, Remandre.

Speaker 1 (01:37:17):
Stevenson steps up. It gives the Pats the lead.

Speaker 22 (01:37:20):
From the Patriots fans who've made the trip chancing MVP Drake.

Speaker 1 (01:37:24):
May retreat where we get to hear from Mike Tarrico
on NBC calling re Remandre Stevenson's go ahead touchdown in
the fourth quarter. Patriots come back from double digits in
the final frame to win twenty eight to twenty four.

(01:37:46):
And yes, it's Remandre finishing it up. But as you
heard from those fans who traveled for the game, Drake
May making a statement, has a season high in the
yardage three hundred and eighty yards in a couple touchdowns.
His legs also important. He gets the game finishing scramble
with a stylish slide a la Justin Herbert and the

(01:38:09):
Patriots escape the Ravens twenty eight to twenty four in
a game that saw them lose Lamar Jackson at halftime. Shook.
This game had so much going on. But what were
you thinking as the Patriots pulled out that fourth quarter comeback?

Speaker 5 (01:38:26):
What was most impressive to you?

Speaker 28 (01:38:27):
I think I'll take a step further back and I'll
go to when the Ravens took a twenty four to
thirteen lead with a very dominant drive, dominant performance by
Derek Henry in that drive. It finishes with a two
yard run, but he was just knifing to the defense.
I thought, hmm, you know what, this is a playoff
like environment. This looks like the Ravens of old. They
have the mojo back in M and T Bank Stadium,
And I don't know if the Patriots are cut out

(01:38:49):
for an environment like that, And what did they properly do?
They responded by mounting one heck of a comeback. It
kind of starts with Drake May peppering the field with
passes before hitting Kyle Williams on a box of a
touchdown with spectacular throw and catch that gives them new hope.
And then they get the stop that they desperately need,
and then it's all Drake May converting a fourth and
tutis Defawn Diggs, who was fired up the whole night.

(01:39:10):
It's Drake May getting him down in position. They're doing everything.
They convert. They win the game with the Remondre Stevens
and touchdown running like you said that slide and that moment,
I thought, wow, I can't believe I ever questioned them
like Fradal's team. I feel like in that moment he
probably had a thought in the sideline where he was like,
all right, we're gonna see what my guys are made
of right now, because this is the biggest moment of
adversity we faced all year, and they showed him that

(01:39:32):
they are ready for it.

Speaker 1 (01:39:33):
I mean, I thought they were cooked. Henry goes for
one hundred and twenty eight yards in two touchdowns, Zay
Flowers has that touchdown run, and so even though Lamar
gets the back injury. You're thinking, Okay, Patriots, we're gonna
win this game. It's not like their defense played well.
I mean, the Ravens missed the field goal, then scored
two straight touchdowns with Tyler Huntley, and then the Patriots

(01:39:56):
give them great field position after a failed fake punt
where the Ravens had it really well defended. But it's
just ugly when you have a faith that is that
well defended, and it looks.

Speaker 24 (01:40:07):
It was a strange call too. I didn't really like
the call.

Speaker 1 (01:40:09):
Especially with Tyler Huntley at quarterback, to give them the
short field that they did. But you mentioned the Kyle
Williams throw. And I'm not saying this was an MVP moment, Chuck,
but it might be a second team All Pro moment,
and it might be. Hey, there's two weeks left. Still,
it's Sunday Night football. The door is gonna just stay

(01:40:31):
open for a couple more weeks.

Speaker 5 (01:40:32):
Type of moment, Gina, Not.

Speaker 25 (01:40:34):
On the catch by Diggs first and ten shotgun snap
made back, Gonna take a shot deep on the right
side for Kyle Williams and he makes the catch. Was
he in bounds?

Speaker 7 (01:40:43):
Yes? Touchdown? Patriots.

Speaker 25 (01:40:45):
Drake made a Kyle Williams thirty seven yard touchdown, and
just like that, it's a twenty four to nineteen game
nine on one to go and the Patriots will go
for two.

Speaker 1 (01:40:58):
How about that response from New England.

Speaker 5 (01:41:01):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:41:02):
That's Ryan Radkey and Derek Rackley on Westwood One. Good
to have them in the mix this year. Kyle Williams
only catches ridiculous touchdowns.

Speaker 5 (01:41:12):
It's really ridiculous. This third on pick.

Speaker 1 (01:41:14):
Who I said was, you know before the draft, before
the Patriotstockham was maybe my favorite player in the draft.
Now has six catches on the year and three of
them are ridiculous touchdowns.

Speaker 5 (01:41:24):
So good job by Kyle Williams.

Speaker 1 (01:41:26):
And that throw followed by the two point conversion where
Drake may Like makes time in the pocket and then
shows throws a little pushbass.

Speaker 5 (01:41:32):
That's what stood out to me.

Speaker 1 (01:41:34):
And we don't need to spend the whole time on
may but the deep throat to kaishaon booty which he
can't hold on to and it was it was just
a terrible Mispiss pass interference call. And the fourth down
to Diggs and a couple of the other throws to
Hunter Henry on the goal line and Hooper. It's just
a variety of different throws and so many were after
making a defender or two miss. That's what has made

(01:41:57):
May special in the season. And yeah, I don't think
he's the frontrunner for MVP, but a night like tonight,
I think everyone got to see kind of where he's
at right now in his career. And it's a big
win for them that the Bills would have been right
back tied for the top of the division, and now
the Patriots keep a game lead with a pretty favorable
schedule the next two weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:42:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 28 (01:42:16):
I also thought it was a really interesting demonstration of
May's ability to evade the rush because for most of
this game, their offensive line deficiencies or weaknesses, you know,
not having Will Campbell out there were pretty apparent the
Ravens were getting after him. I don't know what the
pressure numbers off the top of my head were, but
they were getting after him consistently, and for the first
time in a while, I felt like, oh, wait, May
is not evading the rush. He's not getting out, you know,

(01:42:37):
in space and improvising. And then suddenly he turned it
on in the fourth quarter and he was making plays
like that and You're right. It was the two point
conversion where I was like, oh, that is There was
a couple of throws, but it was that one. And
there was another one that they had over the middle
where he's just getting clobbered right as he releases it
and his intended target catches the ball, and I'm thinking, man,
he's taken some hits and he is unphased, and that
is the mark of a quarterback who could take you

(01:42:57):
a long way in this.

Speaker 1 (01:42:58):
Game for pressure rate without the Ravens blitzeing a ton
there are concerns for the Patriots to give up, you know,
back to back touchdowns. You know, when Huntley's at quarterback.
They haven't been a good red zone team. But this
was an important win for them obviously, and if they
tied in the division, then they're probably going to win

(01:43:19):
the division. So it is a pretty easy path for
them to now win. They have what the Jets and
the Dolphins to finish up, and I think just one
of those will end up getting them the division title
for the Patriots. The Ravens, on the other hand, just
a nightmare game. They showed the stat up you know

(01:43:40):
tonight that they've blown more fourth quarter leads with at
least a seven point lead than any team in a
five year span in NFL history, and you lose Lamar
Jackson to a back injury. We'll have to see if
he's available for next week's game against the Packers. But
because of that Steelers win, they are now down two
with two games to go. It doesn't take a lot

(01:44:01):
of computers to figure it out, Shook. They could be
eliminated in different scenarios, but they're not eliminated. So that
tells you the magic numbers. One. They got to win out,
including that Week eighteen game against the Steelers, and they
need the Steelers to lose next week against the Browns
to even have a chance. It looks like they're done.
This looks like the moment, and I don't want to

(01:44:22):
spend a long time on it because we will talk
about it later in the week, and we talked about
on Saturday show. Check out our coaching recap. But I
think John Harbus out. I think because they keep making
the same mistakes over and over, including the fourth quarter collapses,
like right down to the Zay Flowers fumble at the end.
It was sort of unfortunately like a play in the

(01:44:42):
Hits type of night, Derek Henry with a costly fumble,
Zay Flowers with a costly fumble as well for them.

Speaker 28 (01:44:49):
Yeah, and I need to know why Derek Henry wasn't
on the field on their penultimate drive because they were
still nursing a lead at that point and he had
just cut right through the Patriots defense and he was
on the sideline in the jacket the entire time, and
they were relying on Keaton Mitchell and Rashina lead to
get it done, which obviously they didn't get it done.
That's a question that I definitely need answered. But it
is crazy to think that like a season like this, which, yeah,

(01:45:10):
the collapses have been a thing for them for five years.
It's been one of the most glaring issues with this
team over the last five years. Ravens fans will be
the first to tell you that. But this season more
than any just kind of illustrated the importance of Lamar
Jackson and how they finally couldn't overcome his absences because
he's been out before. There was you know, years in
past years where he get hurt late in the year

(01:45:30):
and Tyler Huntley would have to fill in. He makes
his way back to the team this year after being
you know with the Browns and the preseason everything else,
and yet it just felt like this team they got
slow out of the gate. You know, they blow that
lead to the Bills in Week one. It's like they
were always fighting up hill. And you know, John Harbaugh
felt like a coach that was never going to leave Baltimore.
And yet this has happened so many times now that yeah,

(01:45:52):
I agree with you, and you can kind of see
it on his face on the sideline. He just looked exasperated, disappointed,
just kind of sad at the result. Oh my god,
this is happening again. This might be it. And I
don't really know where this team necessarily goes from here.
But if you look back at the season, you have
to point to the fact that Lamar missed a good
chunk of games.

Speaker 24 (01:46:08):
That's the biggest issue.

Speaker 1 (01:46:09):
That's fair. And yet they just are a team that
finds a way to lose games, and they've done it
with Lamar quarterback this year. And Tyler Huntley comes in
it was similar ish, not that he made nearly as
many plays as Milake Willis, but to me, he wasn't
that high on the reasons of why they lost this game.
He went nine to ten for sixty five yards. They
had a couple of touchdown drives. Obviously, the Patriots again

(01:46:31):
get lucky with who gets knocked out or who they
miss on the schedule or their schedule.

Speaker 5 (01:46:36):
Everyone's going to keep pointing this out.

Speaker 1 (01:46:37):
With Lamar Jackson leaving, I would have liked to see
how that game ended with Lamar Jackson, but it was
the defense, and it was, you know, timely mistakes by
players that you trust, Zay Flowers and Marlon Humphrey although
they didn't call that PI and Derrick Henry and different
members of the defense, and that's it. And meanwhile, the
Patriots get a huge play by kylevon chas On at

(01:46:59):
the end to worse that Zayflowers fumble. And so it's
on a night where they add a lot of injuries
as well, including a concussion for Travion Henderson. They move on,
They get their twelfth win of the year. They stay
in the mix for the one seed. The Jaguars were
watching this game and thinking, oh, we could have passed
the Patriots in the AFC standings, but as we stand now,

(01:47:19):
it's Broncos won Patriots too. And the way this is
all shaken out. I hate to say it shook We
said it at the end of last week's show. Again,
the results are setting up for the last couple weeks
to be less important. The Ravens might hand the Steelers
the division title on Saturday night. If they can't beat
the Packers in a game, even with Lamar Jackson, they

(01:47:41):
might be underdog, so that race will essentially be over.
And unless the Colts can pull off an upset on
Monday night, I think we're gonna have a feel of
who our seven teams are. We just got to figure
out the order. And yeah, the Lions, with their loss
today too, are in deep, deep trouble, and we kind
of know who the NFC teams are going to be
as well. It's just gonna find out if it's gonna

(01:48:03):
be the Bucks or the Panthers.

Speaker 5 (01:48:05):
A couple just items to.

Speaker 1 (01:48:07):
Go over before we get out of here, Tim Patrick,
I mean Pat Bryant rather for the Broncos. You might
have been watching that game and you saw him get
stretchered off at the end, and that was a scary situation.
He did have feelings in his arms and his legs,
his extremities after the game. He was taken to the

(01:48:27):
hospital for concussion like symptoms, but it does sound like
the you know, the worst case scenario was avoided for
Pat Bryant, so just best wishes to him getting better.
And then we somehow didn't talk about the DK Metcalf,
you know, fan interaction, and so I did, you know,
want to address that here, not in the flow of

(01:48:48):
the game. Another angle of the DK Metcalf fan interaction,
we'll call it during that Lions game came out taken
by a fan with a cell phone at the game,
and it confirmed something we were talking about in the newsroom.
Patrick Claybond was the first one I heard say it,
and then it was really confirmed by this second angle

(01:49:08):
that he grabs the fan by the collar, and the
fan spoke with the Detroit Free Pet Free Press about
what he was saying to DK Metcalf, not that we
can trust him at his word. He was calling him
by his full name, he said, and he doesn't like
to be called by his full name, and I think
DK told him to stop saying that.

Speaker 5 (01:49:26):
He kept saying that.

Speaker 1 (01:49:27):
But the second video pretty clearly shows DK Metcalf did
not throw a punch, which I thought it was a
little irresponsible. A lot of articles saying DK Metcalff throws
a punch this and that pretty clearly he grabs the
collar and then he lets it go while kind of
you know, gesturing at him and leaving. But I think

(01:49:47):
that makes it less likely Nick that he gets suspended
for this. We'll have to see. I think a finess
coming to DK Metcalf. But the NFL crew on the
game clarified if the officials didn't see it at the game,
that's not something that New York can step in and
you know, officiate and kick them out of the game
if they didn't see it, and it's you know, pretty clear,
you know why they wouldn't see it. It's just a

(01:50:09):
random moment after a play. Then they can't do anything there,
but they could find them, they could suspensially potentially suspend them,
but I don't think so based on the video that
we saw.

Speaker 28 (01:50:19):
Yeah, we're not gonna the Bruder film this, but yeah,
the second angle that we can't play on YouTube right
now looks very much like he emphatically released the collar
as if to make a point to whatever he said
in return, and doesn't look like a punch. And I
thought when I saw that first angle didn't really have
the body language of someone who was throwing a punch.

Speaker 24 (01:50:35):
Yeah, and obviously it's not a good look regardless.

Speaker 28 (01:50:38):
Ultimately, you think there's no reason for you to be
over there at all, and that's what's most important. But
we'll see how the NFL had handles it. I would
imagine a minimum of fine. I don't know if they'll
go with the suspension. And you know, the Steelers, you know,
hopefully they're they're hoping that they'll have him.

Speaker 24 (01:50:51):
We'll see if they will.

Speaker 5 (01:50:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:50:52):
The fan, by the way, didn't mind speaking to the
Detroit Free Press. They asked him and he said, my
words don't matter because it was on camera when asked
about you know what he was saying to DK, and
then he said he asked what his name was, he said,
my name is the biggest Detroit Lions fan ever that
got attacked by Decaylin Zucarius Metcalf And apparently that's what

(01:51:13):
he kept calling DK Metcalf And quickly people on social
we know went out and found him dressing up in
various gear to try to make opponents mad over the years.

Speaker 5 (01:51:25):
So maybe that will.

Speaker 1 (01:51:26):
Because that's what you're saying I am definitely saying that, Okay,
good Sunday, great games, even though we kind of know
who's going to make the playoffs. For the most part,
these games really delivered, and I'm hoping the same is
true on Monday Night. So Nick Chuck's back in the
in the throne doing his recaps. We got two Monday

(01:51:50):
night games to go shook. We're going live on YouTube
for Philip Rivers. Can he complete the impossible dream and
get a win against a good forty nine Ers team.
Join us live on YouTube on the NFL channel.

Speaker 5 (01:52:03):
We'll see that

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Host

Gregg Rosenthal

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

The Bobby Bones Show

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}2025 NFL Week 16 Recap: Bears and Jags Statement wins, Another Ravens Collapse and Crazy Lions-Steelers Ending