2025 NFL Week 17 Preview

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we love a penultimate NFL
Holiday week.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I just love the word penultimate.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio
with my regular preview buddies Jordan Rodrieg and Patrick Claybond.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Not the end of the road, but it's pretty damn place.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yes, it's it's like you said, the penultimate, which you know,
the penultimate step and a jump. All these things are
very important, and so people questions.

Speaker 4 (00:35):
Thinking of all the pens have stolen from Greg over
the years.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
You know, where is the one that you stole on Saturdays.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
I mean that pen came all the way from Narita
Airport in in Tokyo, Japan, you know, to bring it
back just so you could steal it.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yu chew on it.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Disgusting, you know, it's not disgusting my attitude about this
week seventeen Slate for a minute. You know, I did
a little complaint at the end of the recap show
of like so much is decided. It's true that the
in the hunt graphic is more decided than normal, and
with the Colts losing on Monday Night, that clinched a
playoff spot for three more teams in the AFC, the Jags,

(01:16):
the Bills, and who am I forgetting here? Come on, Chargers.
And that's one thing. But then again, we have a
lot of matchups in the final two weeks of two
playoff teams going against each other. So it's essentially like
a playoff preview. Good on good and I'm looking forward
to those.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, And let's start with a couple of those playoff
contenders in the AFC, the Houston Texans on the road
Saturday on NFL Network where we care about each other
and football. Rich Eisen and Kurt warn are there. The
Chargers are favored by two and a half. Greg Rosenthalt
over Unders thirty nine and a half. Chargers, get this
one at home.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Man, I got to make a pick in this game.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
Yeah you do.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
I think I'll probably take.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
The Chargers and they won't feel good about it. They've
just got something a little extra both these teams do,
the Chargers. And I should have mentioned we're putting ourselves
out of clock here because we like to honk on
this show. No, we like to honk, and we're not
doing the thing where we're splitting up the games.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
It's a holiday week, it's all in one show.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Enough about that seven out of eight for the Chargers,
six straight for the Texans, And the obvious solution that
Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh have to come up with
is how can we possibly get Justin Herbert enough time
against this pass rush? And the answer would be, well,
they've been doing it all year to some degree in

(02:40):
that maybe they're catching the Texans defense at the right time.
I hesitate to make too much of a trend, but
the last two weeks against the Cardinals and the Raiders,
they've been more good than great or okay than great,
and even the pass rush has just been a little
bit down. But maybe they're also just a team that
gets up for big games. They seem like one of

(03:02):
those types of teams.

Speaker 6 (03:03):
This was forewarn yes a couple of weeks ago, because
of the top seven defenses in the NFL, the Houston
Texans actually were the one of those groups that were
most succeptible, susceptible to the explosive play at that time.
And when you go deeper into a season and a
defense that my favorite defense in the NFL, an absolute
joy to watch in every single phase, does have a

(03:26):
little bit of that creeping in, especially near the end
of the season. It's tighten up time for the Houston Texans.
But they are like a little bit of susceptible, which
I can never say the first time correctly to the
explosive play. The Chargers are able to do this in
the passing game as long as Justin Herbert can actually
throw the football.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
And that's the caveat, that's the top caveat where the
Chargers offense hasn't necessarily looked great. And then they get
a chance to go up against a generationally porous Dallas
Cowboys depens like truly at this point where you've seen
the Chargers get lot over and over again, and then
you got lad running down the field by himself. Btj's
making one hand catches. The quarterback is having to play

(04:07):
with his one hand. He's stiff arming people still with
the broken hands. Stopped doing that, but then he oddly
enough has people like he'll stiff arm somebody with the
broken hand. And then when somebody goes to help him
up with that hand, he's like, no, no, no, don't be crazy,
don't help me up with his hand that's broken. And
but but still to go through, uh, what they what
they've been through ut front and going up against this defense.

(04:28):
I know it's been a couple of bad weeks. I
don't necessarily believe in Trapp.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Not even that bad.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
I don't even think like it. It's the Raiders they
got They got done up by the Raiders in Week sixteen, Like, oh,
well they still won the game. Yeah, so I'm going
Texans here.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
I'm really curious because this is if you want, you
don't have to. It's ah. We do it on Game
Debut every week. Check us out. Yeah, Patrick Claybon winning
the Game Debut picks on NFL Network. I like it
when when it's good on good sometime and we'll have
that matchup in terms of sides of the ball when

(05:01):
we talk Eagles Bills a little later. But this is
kind of the good on bad on both sides. So
it's the weakness of the Chargers their offense, although they
do have the skill position players to maybe make those
big plays. And then it's the bad side of Houston,
which took a step back last week, which is their offense,
even when they're improving against Jesse Minter, who has been

(05:24):
mixing up his coverages, mixing up a little more pressure
a little bit since the bye week, and CJ. Stroud
he just like when he's not on, he's really not on,
and I could see them clouding the picture for him.
I should have mentioned we're putting a five minute clock
on that. I mean, there's only one minute left.

Speaker 4 (05:42):
Oh no, whatever will I do?

Speaker 6 (05:44):
No? They Jesse Mintor's got three good pass rushers, and
even on weeks where Khalleio Max just a little bit quieter,
odafe Oa and tuy Tuli Polo two are absolutely mauling people.
They are in these really interesting career native rush packages
where they could both rush from multiple angles and multiple

(06:05):
spots along the alignment, and week over week, either those
three or two of the three are among the top
and pressures in the NFL, and it's bringing everything that
Jesse Minter wants to do to life in the back
end as well as these young receivers plus Nico Collins
are playing this year and certainly right now for the Texans. Yeah,
I do worry about them, especially when CJ. Stroud has

(06:27):
been a little bit up and down.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Do you throw the two AFC teams that are making
the playoffs that throw maybe throw the pageots and just
like not totally sure how good, how what they are,
and so this will go a long way towards proving
that injuries. To keep an eye on Jamari Solier, the
left tackle for the Chargers, Dante Jackson, the cornerback for
the Chargers.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Aziz Al Sayer.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
He made his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday, but we
don't know if he's gonna be available for this game.
So a lot of intrigue there. And then we got
this from the research department.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Okay, this is interesting. This is more stupid than in dressing.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
Let's where correct.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
DJ Stroud has won four straight starts for the first
time in his NFL career. When he when he's good
for him? Yeah, they won with Davis Mills. Of course
a few times. Each time CJ. Stroud had a win
streak of at least four games in college, it was
snapped by one coach.

Speaker 5 (07:18):
Who is that car ball? Wow?

Speaker 6 (07:21):
Wow, Hey, that's a good that's not dumb.

Speaker 4 (07:24):
That's a great little nugget right there.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Okay, it's a great it's a great nugget.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
I don't know if it's going to have an impact
on this game, but it's a great nugget.

Speaker 6 (07:31):
All that ever, everything that's ever happened before has to
happen again.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
Absolutely, that's just because Samously everything was on the up
and up in an arbor during Jim Harball's tenure.

Speaker 5 (07:41):
Let's go to our next game.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Jacksonville favored by six and a half points after going
up there and dominating in Denver at the Indianapolis Colts,
expecting perhaps Riley Leonard gets a start here forty seven
and a half, Joe Davis and g Rag on the call,
and Jordan I meane g Rex's gonna give the audience
a lot of insight into what makes this Jags offense
so much fun to watch.

Speaker 6 (08:00):
Well, I can't wait, and thank god someone is finally
going to be talking about the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
Am I right, guys?

Speaker 6 (08:06):
I mean, after this entire season, I've heard nothing, including
from my left in my right directly about the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaker 4 (08:13):
No, I love this team.

Speaker 6 (08:14):
They went from being drag andized MESSI fun team pick
of the year to just flat out fun. Trevor Lawrence
is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
I put this on Blue Sky earlier this week, where
I'm like, hey, Trevor Lawrence, the playoffs. A wait, but
first quarterback Island coming, and I think he's got more
than a fair case for.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
Our last episode.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
He is the position.

Speaker 6 (08:38):
Yes, yes, and I do think too. You know, I
watch this defense is great in Jacksonville as well. It's
well coached. They attack the ball. They're up there among
the lead leaders week over week in takeaways as well
special teams. They have an edge over a lot of
the teams that they play, and I do think that
they have more edges in every phase of football than

(08:59):
the Colts do. Right now, despite the fact that when
I watched Riley Leonard, I watched the.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
Game a couple of weeks, it will be Philip Rivers
starting this game.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
It oh, okay, so we know that, all right.

Speaker 6 (09:07):
Well, I still think that the Jaguars have the edge
and I do think that they It's going to be fun.
I hope they like amp up the mics again like
they did in the broadcast this week, so you can
hear all of Philip Rivers audibles, and that for Indianapolis
is the thing I'm most looking forward to.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, the shine Ssychin revealed it just a few minutes
before we started taping here that it will be Philip Rivers.
They were not eliminated on Sunday, and I think I
mean on Monday night. And the route to the playoffs
is pretty simple. They need the Texans to lose out
and they need to win out, and they have to

(09:42):
get a strength of victory tiebreaker which is about fifty
to fifty right now, and a lot more results based
on who they've beaten and would play into that. It's
way too complicated, and frankly, it shouldn't matter because the
Jaguars are heavily favored in this game for a reason,
and they would eliminate the Colts and put the Texans
in the playoffs. It's an interesting spot for Texans fans

(10:04):
watching because if I'm them, I'm still rooting for the
Colts to win this game. Obviously they'll know the result
on Saturday before it happens, and that that plays into it.
But if you're the Texans, you want to go ahead
and win the division. That's more important to me than
getting your playoff spot clinched a week early. I just
think last night, as we're we're taping on Tuesday, we're

(10:25):
doing everything a little early this week. Chris Ballard's vision
of what this defense should be all the picks they've
put into their defensive line, it just came out like
total nonsense in the biggest of spots. And they're supposed
to be a big run game team. The run game
wasn't there for Philip rivers in the passing game to
be the very last reason why they couldn't compete in

(10:49):
a must win type of game, you know, speaks to
bigger problems that you know they're going to look at
in the offseason, certainly, but that I think the Jaguars,
the way they're playing right now and the way Trevor's
playing right now can expose in terms of their defense.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, where you saw some some splash plays on Monday
Night football, where that's really it, like the sustained continued success,
especially without the pass rush. I mean both teams on
Monday Night definitely didn't necessarily bother having a pass rush,
but even more so for the for the Indianapolis Colts,
where you know, still because I have seen some some

(11:22):
honking from from Bengals fans, you know, coming back and hey,
you know this is where coach lose defense is. But
at certain point, the personnel an issue in both spots.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
I think he is boom or bust.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
I'll buy that argument that he is a game plan
type of coach. And yes, the personnel isn't there. Tarvarius
Ward literally isn't there. Sauce Gardner isn't there. They had
Buckner back. But I think sometimes he has so many
like designer game plans week to week that sometimes they
crap out and it looks really bad.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
Yeah, yeah, and I think they.

Speaker 6 (11:59):
I think he puts too much on linebackers that are
not necessarily complete players either. I know they love those
guys in the building, but that's a position that they
really have to be looking at.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
And the Jaguars are set up to take advantage with
Breton Strange and Parker Washington. Parker Washington no longer just
a little cute story, leads the team in receiving now
edge ahead of Brian Thomas Junior. After that game. This
is a crazy stat I saw from dan Orlowski. I
can't believe Trevor law Trevor Lawrence in the last three

(12:28):
three weeks on third down has a ninety nine point
nine QBR, which is, you know, inside of one hundred
and averaging fifteen yards per attempt.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
You never see that out of one hundred, like.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Like seventy five, like eighty or seventy five. Wells, you know,
sometimes like lead the league for the year. That's him
on third downs last three weeks. And the thing I
noticed watching him, he gets through his reads so much faster,
and the Colts will give you time to.

Speaker 2 (12:51):
Get you through your reads.

Speaker 6 (12:52):
Yeah, and I think too manufacturing explosive against the Colts,
Philip Rivers did it in a very different way. He
did it by moving the four made and changing different
things around pre snap. They can do it with Trevor
Lawrence on the moon.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
It's going to be harder, I think for Philip Rivers
to repeat that performance against this Jaguars defense after what
the Colts put on tape last week.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
Unfortunately, but fun watching both offices of this one because
it's it's my guys. It's Alec Pierce on one side, yeah,
and then Parker Washington on yeah, the Patrick receiver bowl.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
I have bad news for everyone that keeps making these
tweets about oh, I want Alec Pierce. You know, Alec
Pierce is going to make so much money free agency.
They're going to franchise tack him like they will pay
Alec Pierce twenty eight million dollars at the very least.
I think to just keep him in the building. That's
how good he has been on who the GM is.
So that's a lot of money. And maybe he does

(13:43):
get his long term extension, but I think it'll be
with the Colt.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
If they would like to keep in the building, they
coun provide him with a contract, yes, longer than that,
I think they will, and not utilize the league's cost
control metric to avoid paying players.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
But they actually deserve.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
Baltimore at Green Bay, who are favored by two and
a half points. The over under is forty and a half.
It's the Baby Bird. Noah Eagle and Todd Blacklicch gonna
call this game on Peacock Saturday at eight pm Eastern,
part of a Saturday doubleheader. A lot going on in
Baltimore direct, Yeah, not a lot of it.

Speaker 5 (14:12):
Great.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
Green Bay's dealing with a ton of injuries, as we
discussed with a heartbreaking loss last week.

Speaker 5 (14:18):
How do you see this one?

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Well, the injuries are where you have to start, because
we don't know who's starting a quarterback for either team.
Jordan Love was limited in practice on Tuesday. He's in
the concussion protocol. If you're going to get out of
the concussion protocol in one week, that's how you do it.
So he has a chance to start this game. It'll

(14:40):
make it tough for the Ravens to prepare. They'll have
to be ready for Milik Willis. You even wonder if
Jordan Love played, would they even integrate Milik Willis into
the running game. I don't think that's a crazy option
against this Ravens team. Lamar Jackson and Harbaugh, you know,
said Jim John Harbaugh said on Monday that he has,
you know, a the bad bone bruise in his back.

(15:01):
But Lamar Jackson did say, you know, he wants to play,
and it sounded somewhat optimistic about playing this week. But
we just don't know at this point who will play
if they do play. Lamar Jackson, how much of a
chance do you give the Ravens in this game?

Speaker 4 (15:16):
Jordan Well, I the Packers are in.

Speaker 6 (15:20):
Uh inappropriate body part up or shut up time at
this point in terms of their basically standing on business,
like you have to you have to actually have to
be this group that you look like you're going to
be and that you say you're going to be all season,
and if it's Lamar, who better than to try to
do that against I I know that the Ravens like

(15:41):
need every ounce of Lamar magic that they can get
that they could possibly squeeze some life still out of
this season. But it sounded like some of the reports
coming out of that locker room were like players were
saying like he could barely walk. So I'm sitting there
and I'm like John Harbaugh, like, at what point do
you protect the player from himself?

Speaker 4 (16:00):
Is your franchise quarterback.

Speaker 6 (16:02):
I know he will want to play no matter what,
but if he could he could barely walk after a
game after a back contusion, Yeah, to.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
Be honest, it reminds me a lot of earlier this
season where you know, the hope. Obviously you would prefer
Lamar play football, especially a primetime game a Saturday doubleheader,
But if Lamar could play in this game in relatively shortly,
then he probably would have been able to come back
in the game in the first place.

Speaker 1 (16:28):
Well, isn't that so reminiscent of so many moments during
the John Harbaugh Lamar Jackson era.

Speaker 6 (16:34):
Where they are ill miss some of that's like illness
or soft tissue like this.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
Is his back, right.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
I just mean that where they're not on the same
page publicly about when Lamar Jackson is going to be
back on the field. It's happened multiple times. And if
this ends up being it, And yes, this is an
elimination game for the Baltimore Ravens. They lose this game,
they are going to have to, you know, watch the
Steelers play on Sunday with a chance to eliminate them

(17:02):
from the playoffs. John Harbaugh was asked about his job
security this week.

Speaker 7 (17:07):
Thanks for asking that question, bro, Well, first of all, yeah, no,
that's good. It's a great question. I miss the sports.

Speaker 5 (17:16):
It's how it works, you know.

Speaker 7 (17:17):
And my focus is on always it has been for
the last eighteen years here, in the last forty one
years in coaching, or is it forty two, it's up there.
It's been to try to do the best job I
can today and fight as hard as I can so
the guys can have the best chance to be successful today.
And anything after today I'm not thinking about because you know,
it's not given for us to think about. We don't

(17:38):
have control over that except for the job we do today.
If we do a good enough job today, then the
opportunity to do that job or a different job will
be there tomorrow. And that's what you hope for.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
And to clarify that the Steelers win the division. If
the Ravens lose, the magic number is one. The season
is over. If the Ravens don't win this game, hear
me out New.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
York Giants head coach John Harbaugh.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, he'll he'll have here me out, he'll have his opportunities.

Speaker 6 (18:07):
Who's the funniest bow that could have asked that question?
My guess is Bow Nicks, my.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
High school basketball teammate who famously ran for Congress on
the platform that would have actually probably been pretty successful today.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Bo McKinney, I'm not even going to say his last name,
but a bow that I knew in college that eventually
was running a casino in Malaysia and we hear we
heard got in trouble with like, oh boy, kind of
like underground figures there.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Interesting guy, you're listening.

Speaker 1 (18:39):
Yeah, The Packers, if they win, also would clinch their spot.
They would already have made it if the Lions lose
on Christmas. We hit that in the previous show. It
was one of Derrick Henry's best games, so you want
to see if you can keep the running game going
or keep.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
Him on the field the ball in your hands.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
That was a that was a tough situation. And Harboss
said he regretted that decision taking him off the field,
and he.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
Kept he kept saying, to his knowledge, was his decision.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Yeah, because that seems like a different conversation than was
had previously.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Exactly, and he said it was a rotation that we decided.
I mean, I don't believe that Dereck Henry is almost
never on the field in those hurry up situations, so
that part's not new. They don't think he's as good
as the other players in a hurry up game passing situation.
I'm just saying it's hardly been the first time that
he's not on the field late in games.

Speaker 6 (19:29):
Last last quick point and I was looking this up
when you're asking me about Lamar Greg, Sorry about that,
but Jordan Love has to fully participate in a practice
and then be cleared after participating in that practice. So
far he has been a limited participating in practice. Just
outlining the steps of the protocol because I think a
lot of people forget what they are.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
Yeah, and uh, Jeff Hafley if you're going to try
to get coaching interviews, thought he did great last week.
The Packers are coming off two of the toughest losses
I think any teams have had all season long. I mean,
that was a brutal, emotional loss, but they did. They
were that team that you were talking about last week.
They played really well on both sides.

Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, all right, So those Baltimore Ravens fans, if a
get a win, all eyes will be on CBS. Jim
Nantz and Tony Romo were the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Are three and a half point favorites on the road
at the Cleveland Browns, who almost squeaked out a win
against the Buffalo Bills last week. Thirty three and a half.

(20:27):
It's a very low number where Jordan I am, Can
Cleveland do this for the people that would like for
this thame.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
I've never seen you so emotional watching a football game
as watching Steelers Lions last weekend. In the news room,
you were dying more even than you would with a
Ravens game. But you just needed the Lions to help
you out a little and then this situation wouldn't be
so so dire.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
For well, doubly so because two weeks row the Steelers
have come out in the second half and just road
graded the opponent to an extent.

Speaker 5 (21:04):
That's like, oh, the Steelers are actually.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
They are playing their best.

Speaker 6 (21:09):
They are playing their best football right now and on
both sides of the ball. And I guess the universal
balance has to swing some way because we never see
Chris Boswall miss a kick, So something has to go wrong, right,
just in terms of the balance of life in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (21:23):
But yeah, they're They're insane.

Speaker 6 (21:25):
They're very, very productive on offense, running the ball well,
Aaron Rodgers is playing good football. They're getting explosive plays,
which they really struggled with early in the season. You know,
I knew it was bad or good if you're a
Steelers fan, but I knew it was bad. When Patrick
I walk in from filling up my water bottle and
Patrick is at his desk standing in the most wide

(21:47):
leg like father at the kids soccer game power stance
with the arms crossed I've ever seen in my life.

Speaker 4 (21:54):
It was a masterpiece.

Speaker 5 (21:56):
Well yeah it can.

Speaker 3 (21:58):
It can all be about me, but I'm sure obviously
it was frustrating for Lions fans. But for perhaps those
Steelers fans were there chanting fire Tomlin to see this
team make second half adjustment after second half adjustment, and
it's like law, maybe that was a mistake, or maybe
those people aren't capable of introspection.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
In the first year, we'll see if they get healthier.

Speaker 1 (22:19):
So I think Derek Harmon was a huge return to
the lineup for them last week in terms of stopping
the run against the Lions, and the number the on
off splits for Derek Harmon this year are fantastic for
Harmon in terms of helping the run defense. We don't
know when TJ. Watt could return, We don't know if
Nick Herbrig could return. But on offense as good of
a player as DK Metcalf is and Olli Connelly pointed out,

(22:41):
we hit the news that Dk metcalf was suspended on
our previous show. He pointed out, look, Cleveland plays a
ton of man coverage and DK is their best man beater.
It's a total fair point. I do think the way
to beat this Browns defense is on the ground, and
I don't think you have to tell Arthur Smith twice
to run an offense through Ken Gainwell and Darnel Washington.

(23:01):
I think he's gonna absolutely love doing that sprinkle in
a little Jalen Warren at the end, ripping off forty
five yard gains for his fantasy teams.

Speaker 6 (23:09):
Schematically, I understand DK metcalf is their best matchup player
for this particular matchup, but he's not the reason they've
been getting explosive plays. He's only been targeted on pass
the ten plus air yards at like a thirty percent
rate per next Gen, lowest of the season. You know,
obviously this just uh, you guys covered the news already,
but what a just a wiener of a situation that, like,

(23:31):
I can't even get into it because I'm just gonna
get mad.

Speaker 4 (23:33):
But DK, hang in there, buddy.

Speaker 1 (23:38):
He'll be back for the playoffs maybe sooner, and maybe
this will be out of date if the Appeal, you know, wins.
The thing is they their defense. Their offense has been
different with DK, and in general the last three weeks,
the average air yards per attempt are up like a lot.
The third and longs that they hit against Detroit were

(23:58):
up a lot. In Aaron Rodgers is holding onto the
ball longer, not long, but longer. It is a different
offense really the last three weeks, and you give him
some credit for adjusting. On the other side, should Sanders
has gone because of Stefanski, I think like Aaron Rodgers
to the extreme extreme. Until that last third and thirty

(24:20):
two shot last week, he was averaging under one yard
per attempt. I mean that was a schemed up masterpiece
by Kevin Stefanski in a way. But also Shidur Sanders
did nothing in that game. Like it was crazy to
watch back.

Speaker 4 (24:33):
We're on record.

Speaker 6 (24:35):
Watch for Miles Garrett. I believe he's one sack away
at this point.

Speaker 3 (24:39):
And going going up against the moral successor to Brett Favre.
Just in a lot of capacities, perhaps Aaron Rodgers could
donate a little history to Miles Garrett and then go ahead.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
And I really hope not because that was the most
annoying subplot of the Michael straehand situation from years ago.
But you could see a situation if the Steelers are
winning big. Aaron Rodgers feels like he would do he
would do that. He does not want to get hit,
but he just like sees Miles Garrett coming and just
just to get his name somewhere else, just gets on

(25:09):
the ground.

Speaker 5 (25:09):
Just an opportunity to answer some more questions.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
The thing about Aaron Rodgers is when you get pressure
on him, you get sacked.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
He gets sacked.

Speaker 1 (25:16):
I know he doesn't want to get hit, but he
has gotten hit quite a bit. He either gets rid
of the ball or he kind of just turtles up.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
And so I think Miles Garrett does it. Let's go.
I need that. Andrews to Siliano call.

Speaker 6 (25:28):
Also, you mentioned I tried not to laugh when you
mentioned he is holding the ball a little bit longer
and sort of manufacturing some of these explosive plays. Everyone
looks like they're holding onto the ball longer. When you're
watching Philip Rivers play football the last.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
Couple of weeks.

Speaker 1 (25:42):
Absolutely, I love watching it and they're still getting it done.
I have to I hate to do it, but you
do have to give a d a little bit.

Speaker 3 (25:51):
Yeah, and we joked last week when he frustratedly looked
over at Arthur Smith throwing it short and we're like, oh,
Aaron's not how after that they were going down.

Speaker 2 (26:03):
All right, let's take a quick break.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
We will be back on the other side and look
at some of the teams at the top of the NF.

Speaker 2 (26:23):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
If you're listening to this on the day it comes out,
it's Christmas Eve, so maybe it's Christmas. This preview show is.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Gonna age like fine wine.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's gonna take a You can return to it at
any time of the week. So hopefully you've opened up
some beautiful presence before settling in for a meaningful Carolina
Panthers Week seventeen game.

Speaker 4 (26:48):
Do you know what it is for?

Speaker 2 (26:50):
It's your presence, hey, is a present? I don't know.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
Our presence must not be good right now because you
asked us if we were okay during the break.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
Which is good.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
Sometimes I like to check on you.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
I think it's maybe projection. I don't know, like what
That is the number one.

Speaker 6 (27:06):
The number one reason anxiety in my head.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
What to make sure that people are not okay around
you is to suddenly ask if they're okay.

Speaker 5 (27:13):
Well, you know, it can't be a stressful time.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Never once worked on getting the shoulders again.

Speaker 5 (27:19):
You know, football is family.

Speaker 3 (27:20):
We get a couple of family related football guys. After
a baby bird calls the game on Saturday, it's Big Bird.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
Calling the game with TJ's brother JJ Watt.

Speaker 3 (27:29):
It is the Seattle Seahawks on the road at the
Carolina Panthers. Huge game in the NFC South for back
to back to back weeks for the Carolina Panthers.

Speaker 5 (27:38):
Greg Rosenthal.

Speaker 3 (27:39):
They've already beaten the Los Angeles R they're at Bank
of American Stadium.

Speaker 5 (27:45):
Do they do that this week against Salmon Company?

Speaker 2 (27:49):
I don't think so.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
They Seahawks have a little extra rest. Hey, at this
time of year, you need everything you can get. The Seahawks,
if they are the team that we think they are,
they win this game. And maybe maybe they don't cover
the seven and a half. That's a big number. But
if they're the team we think they are, they do.
And it is crazy to look at some of the

(28:11):
like the historical efficiency numbers. For instance, DVOA has the Chargers,
I mean the Rams and the Seahawks as the fifth
and sixth best teams through sixteen weeks that they've measured
since nineteen seventy eight, in which you wouldn't think that
because they have the three losses and the four losses,
But I do get it because it's pretty rare to
see teams this balance, this explosive on offense. In the

(28:35):
case of the Rams, but certainly explosive for the Seahawks
and then dominant on the other side of the ball,
whereas you know the Panthers, they have their issues. It's
a weird game in terms of stakes because the Panthers
would need the Bucks to lose to the Dolphins and
to win this game to clinch the NFC South. So
the odds are this game for the Panthers doesn't really

(28:57):
matter that much in terms of playoffs, whether they win
or lose, but obviously they're not approaching it that way.
But for Morales and just for they're playing a sport
to win the game.

Speaker 4 (29:08):
Yeah, yeah, And also who can ever forget?

Speaker 6 (29:10):
And Patrick, I know you remember a lot of these
the like storied developed rivalry between those years that the
Seahawks and the Panthers played like once a year for
year after year after year during the Cam Newton era,
like and the fan bases were always at each other.
And the Panthers just haven't been good and forever. And
now they are feisty, right, they are feisty, and they

(29:34):
know that even if this doesn't necessarily affect in a
significant way the playoff seating. Specifically, this is a team
that is on a roll right now. Bryce Young is
playing some of the best football, certainly of his of
his career, and has made especially when he's using his legs,
which he's gonna have to against the Seahawks' defense. He's
made some plays out of structure, scrambledrope plays, really starting

(29:57):
to click with his receivers, who I still need to
see a complete game for.

Speaker 4 (30:00):
Across the board.

Speaker 6 (30:01):
But where I really think this is a sneaky interesting
matchup is Grays Abel's a really good player, right, He's
a really promising offensive lineman. He's playing guard. He's awesome, right.
We like Greys Abel kind of struggled a little bit
the last couple of weeks. And Derek Brown, who's having
one of the most underrated seasons of any defensive player

(30:21):
in the NFL this year, is on the other side
and has made multiple game wrecking plays against opponents of
this quality. He did it against the Bucks, he did
it against the Rams. That is a danger zone to
circle on your playsheet.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
And as Shierra Everro's called great games against this division
this season, where you go back to that Monday night game, Yeah,
it's like give me back in there. But I'll think
about that game against the forty nine ers where j. C.
Horn as well as Mike Jackson made those great plays
on the ball, kind of confusing the look for brock
Party and a chance to do that up against the

(30:57):
You know, we just saw a really good pass rush
go up against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks seemingly scored
unlimited points in the second half of that game. Where
I have had some concerns as of late for the
Carolina Panthers defense, but you brought it up, and looking
back at it, there's a story here. It was that

(31:17):
early in the season in twenty fifteen people were wondering
is this Panthers thing real? And Cam was up there
against the Legion of Boom. They came from behind in
the fourth quarter, snatched the flag. Maybe maybe Bryce does
it at home.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
Greg, that would be next level.

Speaker 1 (31:33):
We've had so many moments where you just believe in
the Panthers a little more, and that would be going
to like a completely different level and change how the
NFC looks. It hasn't been a good Seattle offensive line
of late overall, like run blocking, pass blocking, but it's
weakness on weakness. I mean, the Panthers are literally dead
last in the league in pressure eight they're the worst pressure.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
Team in the league.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
But I thought they cooked up to your point. Ever
owed some good timely blitz is last week. To me,
it's all about Bryce, like going down the field, like
he needs to hit vertical shots. Josh Norris pointed out
over the since Week ten, he is right near or
at the top of the league in completion percentage on
throws over twenty yards on Big Time Fox Wait. Like

(32:19):
he is a walking game winning drive the last couple
of weeks, I mean last couple of seasons. If you
get him the ball late in the game, he finds a.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Way to win it.

Speaker 6 (32:28):
Callingham Carolina Reaper down there locally, I hope it sticks.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
That's kind of badass.

Speaker 1 (32:34):
The run game for the Seahawks, you'd like to see
it get better a little bit. I wonder if maybe
the Panthers run game turned around a little bit. Last
week was like a fifty percent success rate, which was
an improvement after really struggling.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
They're going to need it, I think to compete.

Speaker 5 (32:47):
With the Seals.

Speaker 6 (32:48):
The thing about the Panthers is I picked the Seahawks
nine times out of ten. That one time you catch
him on the wrong week. The Panthers have been that team.
You catch him on that one week and they will
make you pay for it.

Speaker 3 (33:00):
Well, it's going to be back to back games for
the Seattle excuse me, for the Carolina Panthers in a
revenge against the Matt rule era where it didn't work
out for Baker Mayfield.

Speaker 5 (33:08):
We'll see what Sam can do.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
And speaking of Baker, his Dampa Bay Buccaneers five and
a half point favorites on the road against the Miami
Dolphins and quinn Ewers. Forty six and a half is
the number Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on this call, Jordan,
are the Buccaneers gonna look better on offense?

Speaker 4 (33:27):
Baker ball is not rolling.

Speaker 6 (33:30):
In fact, it is looking kind of sad and disappointing
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Speaker 4 (33:37):
To me, it's hard to figure out what exactly the
problem is.

Speaker 6 (33:39):
I think they have issues on defense, of course, but
they just keep making their own mistakes. It is penalties,
it is false starts. It's receivers running and you know
the quarterback and receivers are on different pages. It's Baker
pressing and trying to make throws that aren't necessarily there

(34:00):
pushing and maybe sailing a couple of throws. It is
just not smooth the way that it looked the entirety
of the season, the first part of the season, I
mean the entirety of the season. I think they would
settle for consistency because they can't. They're not even putting
things together in a way that makes sense to me
because of all of the pieces that they do have

(34:21):
on that offense and they have big time issues on defense.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
Last week was so strange for them because I think
Baker played his best game maybe in a couple of months. Yeah,
but they didn't ask him to do anything. Like I
was like, Baker's actually playing pretty well, and he was
like ten for fourteen for eighty yards, you know, Like,
but he wasn't making any mistakes. And it was almost
like they had a couple short throws on third and
long and I was like, Oh, they're putting the governor

(34:44):
on Baker.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
That's a bad sign.

Speaker 1 (34:46):
The only thing I'd pushed back with the Buccaneers is
I've kind of settled on like the one thing they
did well was win crazy games in the fourth quarter,
and now they're just losing crazy games.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
They've been great mediocre all.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
Along, and if you look at all the efficiency numbers
and stuff, they're very much like team number sixteen to
twenty in the NFL and everything like rushing, passing, defense, offense.
They're just like a mediocre team. And the players like,
they're good players you look at them. But at this
point I'm kind of trusting that that issue they are,
which is why I do not like five and a

(35:18):
half points in this game. And it would not surprise
me at all if the Dolphins just end their season here,
But even then they actually would need the Panthers to
win to end their season.

Speaker 2 (35:27):
They could lose this and still be alive. That would
be so depressive.

Speaker 6 (35:30):
Where Okay, quinn Ewers had a terrible third quarter, let's
not sugarcoat that at all. The Dolphins overall had a
terrible third quarter, five or four turnovers, including one on downs,
and the Bengals scored every single time out of those possessions.
I will say the first half, quinn Ewers look like
quality backup quarterback material, And I think where the Bucks

(35:51):
are a little bit vulnerable is right in the middle
of the field, and they're they're very good.

Speaker 4 (35:56):
Those rookie corners on the.

Speaker 6 (35:57):
Perimeter and they've been playing well and Meldan is obviously awesome,
but like they he is not afraid to laser throw
it on these little slants all day long. If his
receivers win, he's getting them the ball. And I think,
you know, our friend who was on the show, Cody Alexander,
worked a lot with with Quinn Yewers coming out trying
to read some of these older school pressures and defenses

(36:21):
where I think he's gonna not be so frazzled by
some of this stuff that Todd Bowles can bring because
he's been studying it even back when he was in college.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
They are picking on Levante David and Servasi Dennis every week. Yeah, unfortunately,
Levante Davids had a good career, but if you look
at who's on the wrong side a lot of these
scores that they're giving up, it's him. I actually have
more concerns with the Miami defense. I don't know, I
have a lot of concerns in general in this game,
but like we get into little streaks of the season,
it's like, oh, the Dolphins defense is actually played pretty well.

(36:51):
Since this like the whole season matters more and in
the end, like they're twenty sixth the EPA on defense,
their twenty second EPA for play. They're kind of getting
run over the last couple of weeks. But I don't
know what to think of this game other than it's
I think it's a toss up despite Quinn Yours well.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
The score would indicate one thing, but clearly the Dolphins
defense was overmatched last week with with t Higgins and
Jamar Chase, and most teams would find themselves in that
situation with Burrow playing well, but the Dolphins have fifty
six point of their receiving yards coming after the catch
and the way that you know folks have targeted Levonte

(37:30):
David and going running side to sidebook Yeah, yeah, major danger, right.

Speaker 6 (37:35):
Mike wants to do He wants to get Quinn Yours
to just slant him to death on these Yak plays,
getting moving across the you know side, like you said,
side to side and just like have him slant him to.

Speaker 5 (37:47):
Chan potential huge AHN game.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
To the outside.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
It's it's less about vibes, but just more that like
if the Bucks were gonna show us, oh where are
the real Bucks? I feel like they would have By now,
I've kind of like they actually could make the playoffs.
Veris like they could lose this game and make the
play They could find a way to win that game.
But I don't know, just we haven't seen it. And

(38:12):
whatever Todd Bowles is doing isn't really working on defense either.

Speaker 5 (38:15):
All right, Bucks, try extra hard, just regret.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
The Philadelphia Eagles, going on the road to take on
the Buffalo Bills, were favored by one and a half.
It is Fox, Uno, Kevin Burkhart, and Tom Brady.

Speaker 5 (38:29):
The Bills didn't do much. Josh Allen had an X
ray at half.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
Tom narrowly squeezed out a win against the Cleveland Browns,
Eagles playing much better.

Speaker 1 (38:39):
What do you think, rig I love this matchup. It's
gonna be one of the most watched games of the
year because it's the only four to twenty five game.
It's basically opposite, not like we're all just going to
be watching this game in the window. And this is
the good on good matchup. It is the very good
Bills offense for all the problems that they have, Like
it's by far the stronger side. It's a top five unit,

(39:01):
and it's a great offensive line against this Eagles defense,
where like the four men pass rush for the Eagles
hasn't been amazing.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
I would say the last handful of weeks like it's it.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
It hasn't been as dominant, but overall, they're a dominant
defense against a really good offensive line. And you're probably
getting Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson back for this game
if the reporting around the team is right, and so
whatever issues that Josh Allen and this offense are having
in terms of everything is so condensed. Talk about air
yards per attempt like he is dead last or first,

(39:35):
depending on how you want to say it. Since I
think week twelve and it's not even close, like Aaron
Rodgers is second to last and Josh Allen is throwing
for the fewest air yards per attempt.

Speaker 2 (39:45):
What have they done with our big beautiful boy?

Speaker 6 (39:48):
Actually, I'd like to pose throw the question back to
you because I have theories, But what do you Why
do you think they are so truncated down.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
Because that's what's their best, you know, way to win.

Speaker 6 (40:02):
Yeah, it's more it's the it's maximizing the efficiency really
and it's it's like, listen when I say that, it's
not a compliment because we'd love to see them sail
the ball down the field. But it is actually the
highest probability play other than pressing the button that can
win them games without having to press the button the

(40:23):
entire two.

Speaker 1 (40:23):
Wait, do we have Eric on a mike for this show?
Because you had a take that I think is Jermaine.

Speaker 8 (40:28):
It's truncated because nobody can catch the damn ball and
he's basically like Suck I did Suck I turned it down.
But and James Cook is way better at everything than
the wide receivers are at most.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
And the tight ends are better than the wide receivers too.
And I'm almost not including Khalil in the wide receivers
because he's on the inside.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
It's it's the boundary, the whole.

Speaker 8 (40:46):
The whole idea of dad, Dad's strength. Khalil Shakira has
been worse since he welcomed the baby into this world.
It literally, I've been there, new father stuff. He's tired, man,
something that.

Speaker 5 (40:56):
The research now he's he's seen what this whole fatherhood take.

Speaker 8 (41:00):
I think it's or Knocks had a baby. It's it's
evening now, but Shakier needs something. Man, you need to
take a nap.

Speaker 5 (41:04):
We're a maximum fan motor.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (41:08):
It's like a reddit board come to life.

Speaker 5 (41:10):
But but yeah, like, let's be honest, we're gonna see
that this week.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
Yeah, like, oh yeah, let's dial up Tyrol Shavers on
Quinjon Mitchell, Like, no, this is and we love the button.
We celebrate the button. The butts went in at halftime. Yeah,
well we'll go there, We'll do phrasing.

Speaker 5 (41:26):
It's twenty twenty five where Josh is getting X rays
at halftime.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
Yeah, like, come on, well, you know it's crazy, so
don't help your colleague. Joe Basalia. Did you know had
some numbers on the boundary receivers and who's been coming
in and out? Remember when they brought in Brandon Cook.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
That was fun.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
He's had one catch this year. Gabe Davis, Remember when
he was in the mix. He was back to a
healthy scratch. So was Keon Coleman last week. So if
you add up all the names that have been out there,
and that includes like Curtis Samuel at some point and
Shavers you're talking about. If you add up all eight
boundary receivers that have played for them this year and
turn them into one person, that one person would only

(42:04):
be seventh in the NFL in receiving yards.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
That's that's what.

Speaker 1 (42:07):
They've gotten from all their wide receivers combined.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
That's that's insane.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
George Pickens is like, see you later, six guys, eight guys,
whatever it is you.

Speaker 4 (42:17):
Know who should pay Alex Peers.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
Yeah, that would be good.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
Honestly, at a certain point, you're doing yourself a disservice
because I know, like Keon hasn't necessarily done everything that
you want to do. Let's let's not have Josh in
this situation. Like you you want to like be the
firm truth teller and like, oh, we need Keon to
perform this, that and the other way. There's been multiple
games where they've looked like absolutely nothing, and those games
have something in common his kids.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
Let's flip the sides before we finished with the minute
and talk about you know, Philadelphia's matchup against a Bills defense. Yeah,
that has it has its shortcomings, but their old guys
have been making plays. Like Jordan Poyer he said it,
He's like this season feels like a movie to me.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
And the old.

Speaker 6 (43:01):
Dads are the dads that you know are are like
more like you know unks at this point, you know,
are are the ones.

Speaker 4 (43:08):
Holding it down. They're making it if this, if I'm
following the thread correctly.

Speaker 2 (43:12):
Eric, they're making it happen.

Speaker 1 (43:13):
And you wonder with Lane Johnson back, like, can you
get a real running game going?

Speaker 2 (43:17):
Which Eagles offense? Which Eagles offense?

Speaker 1 (43:20):
Do we see? I mean it makes sense for both teams.
It's going to be more effective to run. James Cook,
by the way leading the league in rushing.

Speaker 6 (43:25):
You know, this close to the new year, it is
time for introspection, I think, And on this game, I think,
you know which pays is just gonna let me down
the least that's gonna win the game, Either the Bills
defense or the Eagles offense. Whoever lets us down the
least will win this game. So negative, that's the attitude.

(43:46):
I'm going into the negative with low expectations.

Speaker 4 (43:49):
Babe expects.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
I think this will be a great one.

Speaker 1 (43:53):
I'm I'm a little surprised Bills are favored in this game,
but I still like if this was the Super Bowl,
I would be surprised, certainly, But also but I think
it's on the table, Like it's on the table in
a way that like I'd be more surprised if I
saw like the Texans or the Chargers.

Speaker 2 (44:09):
Yeh, in it certainly well.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
One team that might that Greg did not mention could
potentially play in this upcoming Super Bowl, the New England Patriots.

Speaker 2 (44:18):
I'd be more surprised to see them yet favored by.

Speaker 3 (44:21):
Thirty teen and a half against the New York Jets.
Steordan the over unders forty two and a half?

Speaker 5 (44:26):
Idam I mean? And Greg Rosenthal's great friend and colleague
Drew Brees on.

Speaker 1 (44:31):
The phone, neither Why are you even putting me there?
Because I've been saying it's been getting better.

Speaker 3 (44:35):
Yeah, you coach, give advice and he has been getting
better thanks to your efforts. Do the Jets get better
against Greg's Patriots?

Speaker 6 (44:41):
Jordan?

Speaker 4 (44:42):
No?

Speaker 6 (44:42):
Oh, okay, no, no, this this should be This isn't
the kind of game where if you're in New England
you don't overlook it, obviously, but you do the thing
that you need to do, which is be a good
team that beats bad teams.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
And that is what they've done.

Speaker 1 (44:56):
And they've done it a year in different ways, and
you got towards the latter part of their you know,
actually even in the middle when we thought the Panthers
were a bad team in different games there where they
were winning by a lot. They have to win these
two games to win the division. It's a little confusing.
If they were gonna have lost the game it was

(45:17):
last week, they could have kind of dealt with the
Ravens and win these two games to win. But because
of division record, they cannot slip up here against the
Jets and Dolphins. And there's even a scenario where they
you know, the Bills could lose this week because it's
a out of conference game that's really not going to
hurt them, and they could still win the division the
Bills next week if the Patriots stubbed their toe and

(45:40):
lose either of these games. Obviously, the Jets, it seems
less likely. They are as close to tanking as you know,
any team could be, because I think they're playing a
quarterback in Brady Cook that just doesn't give him as
good a chance to win as another quarterback who's active,
and that's Rod Taylor. So that's about as close to
tanking as it gets. They have not shown a ton
of life on offense on.

Speaker 6 (46:02):
The Patriots side. Couple injuries like pretty significant ones to
look out for. As we're recording this right before we're
recording this, Mike Rabel said that Travon Henderson, who left
the game, Keyshaun Boody, and Jared Wilson bad Jared Wilson
are all in the concussion protocol, which you know obviously
you're going to keep just keep an eye on that all.

Speaker 1 (46:23):
Morgan Moses, their right tackle, left that game, so they
could be down like three offensive line. And Will Campbell
is not back. I think they're hoping he's back for
the playoffs. They've really missed Robert Splaine at linebacker just
because the big drop off. But they might get Milton
Williams back this week. It's interesting that if they would
play him in this game, but maybe you don't give
him a full compliment of snaps he is practicing. They
sounded pretty optimistic about it, and yeah, it'd be great

(46:47):
for Drake May to just go out there and put
up a big put up a big number like he
did last week that was his first three hundred yard
game of the season.

Speaker 2 (46:55):
Put it up on a bad defense.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
There haven't been many times where they've actually asked him
to do something like that.

Speaker 3 (47:02):
And while we know it's a bad defense, perhaps a
lot of scribes greg watching that game on Sunday Night Football.
Just noticed that he was just throwing for those numbers,
three hundred yards an important game after Matt Stafford comes
off a loss.

Speaker 5 (47:17):
We don't go negative on the conversation. Points.

Speaker 3 (47:20):
Yeah, but Drake May has pulled within fifteen points of
Matthew Stafford.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
And when I say bad, I mean this defense is bad.
That was a good performance against Baltimore.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
How many points?

Speaker 6 (47:31):
I'm not saying this is going to happen, Greg, Yeah,
but how many points would we knock Drake May? If
he gives the Jets their first interception of the entire season,
which they have not gotten yet.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
I think we would knock him. I think that's fair.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
I have been noticing among the tape heads out there,
it does seem a little more split than the Vegas
odds would indicate. I think Drake May is gonna get
his share of first place votes if that voting was today,
because there's just a great case to be made for both.
But the one for him is watching how he navigates
the pocket and that kind of reminds you of like

(48:04):
what he's overcoming, and that's a bad offensive line and
not like the best looking group on paper of receivers
and that he's doing a lot on his own, so
a big performance would help him, if you I.

Speaker 6 (48:16):
One of my favorite things ever is when a quarterback
who's good at that shows his work and like draws
it out for the viewer.

Speaker 4 (48:24):
If you watch the.

Speaker 6 (48:24):
Sort of All twenty two toward the quarterback angle of
any of these past past protection snaps, in any of
these drops where he's navigating the pocket, he literally is
drawing you a map of how he's navigating the bucket.
It is so exaggerated in the best way where to
your point you can exactly see he's showing his work.

(48:48):
Matthew Stafford does the same thing, just saying no.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
He is one of the best I've ever seen at
how he does it. Burrow, Burrow doesn't really entering the
league was amazing. I think it's Brady's super duper power.
It's what made him Brady. But to do it with
kind of the extra athoticism.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
That may have he's got a chance, got a chance.

Speaker 1 (49:10):
The conversation is happening right now, just not a lot
of conversation about the New York Jets.

Speaker 2 (49:14):
Let's take a quick break and we're gonna come back.

Speaker 1 (49:19):
We're going to talk about a banger of a Sunday
night football game, A game so good I think they
flexed into it, right, Bears forty nine. They didn't flex,
but they should have. This would have been the game
they picked. It's time for the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota.

Speaker 2 (49:43):
Let's go places. Oh sometimes the right game. Oh yeah,
this rocks. Oh Christmas rocking. There's no I like it.
It rocks.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
If the Christmas house band that we have locked up
all year, then we take out.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
Just for this moment.

Speaker 1 (50:12):
Sometimes a game like Bears forty nine Ers, it's a.

Speaker 2 (50:17):
Lot going on Christmas.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
If this game happened in like Week six, it would
just be like, okay, you know. Sometimes it's happening at
the perfect time, as these two teams are absolutely cresting
and there is so much at stake, the Bears trying
to win the NFC North. There's a possibility they will
have already won it if the Packers lost on Saturday.

(50:42):
But either way, the Bears are playing for essentially a
playoff victory, which would be a one seed because they
still very much have a chance at doing that. Going
to Santa Clara to face a forty nine Ers team
that has snuck up on everyone and they've put the
Rams into third place in the NFC. The forty nine
ers just have to win out just to get the

(51:05):
one seed they're gonna they have a hard road to
do it. They would have to beat the Bears in Seahawks.
And these are the types of playoff previews that I'm
talking about. And we talked Coach of the Year with
Ali Connelly. This is a coach of the Year off
and we might have another one in Week eighteen between
Mike McDonald and the winner of that little round robin
might just get Coach of the year. Everything is on

(51:28):
the table. Patrick. When you look at oh, I don't know.
When you look at like this game, what do you
think is the best group in this game?

Speaker 3 (51:37):
The best group is the Bears run game. The Bears
run game against this forty nine Ers front where they've
they've had to deal with a lot, and I understand
they really had Philip Rivers and the Colts late in
the game, you know, go in the other direction. But
I think it's an opportunity for Ben Johnson and company.
Who'll be my pick for Coach of the year. Kyle

(51:59):
scouts so many vets like I don't think Trent Williams,
brock Party and all those guys, George Kittle, they come back,
they get healthy.

Speaker 5 (52:05):
It's not like you got to reteach them football.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
Yeah, but they they all missed parts of the year
and they won games like either without them or with
them playing her And I do give a little credit
for like the multi year process. Maybe you shouldn't, but
like that he identified the right people to have in
that system.

Speaker 3 (52:24):
Anyways, Oh no, I'm just acknowledging the farcical nature of
the voting for this award. That's essentially like, hey, you
did the most with the least. But it's like we
got a couple guys going to Campton. I don't know
that it's fair to say.

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Well, that's what I mean. It's why be the change.

Speaker 1 (52:37):
We talked about it, and you can pick any We
don't need to make this a coach of the Year discussion,
but it is a good one to keep an eye
because I would I think right now the forty nine
ers passing attack and their offense in general might be
even better, Like their best is maybe better than the
Bear's best, and considering both defenses could be weak spots.

(52:57):
I know the Bears have created a lot more turnovers
that maybe that's good enough to win in a shootout when.

Speaker 6 (53:02):
I'm thinking about the forty nine ers personnel on defense,
the size of their personnel on defense, particularly in the
second and third levels, the inexperience of their defense, particularly
in the second and third levels, and their lack of
size on the edges in some of those wider zone
runs that we know in mid zone that Ben Jonson
likes to run. And then I look at DeAndre Swift

(53:24):
who's at nine hundred and ninety three yards and Kyle
Macnunguy who's at seven hundred thirty one yards, and DeAndre
Swift is running at a ninety six percent, excuse me,
a forty seven point one WOO success rate, and Kyle
Manungui is running at a forty six point five percent
success rate. The two headed monster in Chicago, to me,
is the dominating force in this game, and Bob Sala

(53:44):
has to dedicate every single trick he has in the
book other than magic beans that grow people larger, to
go and take care of this run game because it
is a monster.

Speaker 1 (53:55):
We've heard that trash You were talking early in the
season about him like the first month of the season,
DeAndre Swift has taking some shots on.

Speaker 4 (54:02):
This Wow when he wasn't running for what he was
blocked for.

Speaker 3 (54:06):
It's yeah, that was Ben Johnson and then Jordan kind
of clarifying and highlighting you're welcome.

Speaker 1 (54:13):
Andre Swift is like the streakiest running back ever. He's
this is the best stretch of his career.

Speaker 6 (54:17):
Though he is and manunguy is pushing him. I think
there is something to be said for that. You see
it sometimes when a veteran player is like wanting to
find that little extra lever right that again and regain it,
and it's just it's hard to have it on all
the time. Right at a certain point, and Kyle Manungai
comes in and he is physical and he can be explosive,

(54:40):
but he is running through people. It is both of
these guys together are buying the offensive line, which is
in turn reflected in the way that they're blocking. They've
really come together as a unit, and I do think
this is the number one advantage of both sides of
this game.

Speaker 3 (54:55):
It's easier to lean on the lever when you don't
have to be on the field all the time. Al
Gungi allows DeAndre swift to get those breaks to be
explosive where we saw the forty ninders being super explosive.
And I know Brock loves to take chances. He doesn't
get Gunslinger credit because the arm's not as big, But
I don't think Brock can make the type of George

(55:15):
down there somewhere, all right, Juwan, go get that against Mishan,
Wriott and Brisker and the rest of this bear secondary.

Speaker 5 (55:21):
I think they will get the ball a couple of times.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
And how about Pro Bowler Kevin Byerd getting it done
late in his career? You wanted they have three Pro
Bowlers and it was Drew Dolman first Pro Bowl the center,
and Joe Toney and then how about Kevin Byrd in.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
The back end.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
The thing I've really been impressed about Brock since he's
come back and he got that first game out of
the way, really is his decision making.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
I don't think he's taking too many chances.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
I know there was a thrower two in the Indianapolis game,
but he was right to trust the guys there and
it wasn't too much. He's playing really high level football
and I think both of these quarterbacks are not gonna
face much of a pass rush, but Purty, because of
his experience and the players around him and his coach,
to me, against a team with no pass rush, they
could actually do what the Packers did a little bit,

(56:09):
which is keep that Bears offense off the field. That
first half really stands in my mind. And I know
they blew one situation near the goal in but they
were averaging like seven yards for play against the Packers
and they didn't have any points because the Packers were
going on these long drives. And I do think the
forty nine ers could do that, especially if they have Kittle.
Kittle had an ankle sprain in that game. He said
afterwards he does not think it's a high ankle sprain,

(56:30):
so knowing him, he'll probably play through it, but you
hope he's one hundred percent.

Speaker 6 (56:34):
I like that you said that, Greg, because this is
an opportunity for the most with Yushchek, Kittle, potentially McCaffrey
on the field, the potential for the vintage I'll Shanahan, Yeah,
you got Matt Lafleur once, but you ain't getting me
suffocation ball game.

Speaker 4 (56:55):
Seen it before, could see it again.

Speaker 1 (56:56):
And the Bears have one big advantage here. Well, first
of all, they get a couple of extra day's rest.
That's a nice one. Secondly, they've been in these fights
these games, game after game, week after week, and no
slight to Philip Rivers here. But the forty nine ers.
I went and checked this. I was like, when was
the last time they played a close game? It was

(57:18):
like Week four or five. Every single game whether they
win or lose. And they did get beaten a couple
of times with mac in with Brock what like, it
hasn't been close. They haven't been in a close game
since that Rams comeback in Week five. That it's just
kind of a weird thing that if it came down
to the end, the Bears do have a little magic

(57:39):
that tends to happen late in these games, and that
magic is Caleb Williams just doing awesome stuff. That was
the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Let's Go Place. Toyota
is all in all season, with another year of Toyota
Game Day giveaways coming up. During this week's Sunday Night game,
the Houston Texans versus the Kansas City Chiefs, if the
first drive of the second half ends in point points

(58:00):
or points are scored in the last two minutes of
the fourth quarter. One hundred fans will each win one
hundred and fifty dollars NFL gift card for this holiday season,
just in time to gift or grab the gear you love.
Terms and conditions apply. Enter for a chance to win
at Toyota Game Day Giveaways dot com.

Speaker 9 (58:20):
No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Ends two eight twenty six.
Open to legal residents of the fifty US States and
DC eighteen and over. For complete details, how to enter,
prizes and official rules, visit Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot com.

Speaker 1 (58:33):
I never let you introduce this game, Fu, I was exciting,
but it's it's a it's a three point favorite for
the forty nine. I mean, if you're excited, I'm gonna
do it again.

Speaker 2 (58:42):
Let's go.

Speaker 1 (58:44):
The Rams are favored by seven and a half points
in this game. They're going to the Falcons in Atlanta.
Draft Pick. It's all happening. Joe Buck Troy Aikman on
the call. I'm introducing it just to feel a little
more alive in this holiday week. Jordan, can you imagine
any scenario where the Falcons keep this close and make

(59:08):
the Rams sweated out.

Speaker 6 (59:10):
I mean, I've seen weird Rams games before they lost
to the Panthers this year, so I mean, like, you know,
it's but the Rams are, uh well, the vibe that
I got talking to people in the building at the
end of last week angry as hell. And also this
is a first of all, this is a draft pick
game winning. This helps them in the short and the

(59:31):
long term game. This is a Matthew Stafford did not
get a chance to be the one with the ball
in his hands at the end of the game, which
salts to him like you guys would not freaking believe.
And this is also Sean McVay getting a little bit
more sleep this week game against.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
His the I mean we literally put up fight one yards.

Speaker 6 (59:55):
Were on baby stat watch and this but this is
Sean McVay against Raheem Morris, this is Chrishula against Zach Robinson.
The connections across the line of scrimmage for both of
these coaching staffs, I respectfully say I give that edge
to the Rams every single time, regardless if you were
going to say entering the season, you're just looking at

(01:00:16):
these matchups, you know, scheme over scheme, it's it's gonna
be McVeigh.

Speaker 1 (01:00:20):
And the Rams kind of sad because he can help,
you know, make this Falcon's coaching staff, which is coaching
for its jobs, look bad with a big time win.
And yet you're right, they are angry. They are going
to be trying a little bit harder. Let's listen to
Sean McVay. This is in an interview with our friend JB.

Speaker 10 (01:00:36):
Long during the week, and that's irregardless of whether we
want or not. I could, you know, point to a
handful of plays that if we make them. But but
you know what, we didn't. We're not victims. We're not
gonna make excuses. That's not who we are. That's not
how we're wired. You give Seattle credit, but make no
mistake about it. This is going to strengthen us. And
I I just I know it.

Speaker 4 (01:00:54):
Greg, you asked me, he knows it. You asked me
at the end of.

Speaker 6 (01:01:03):
Our recap of the Thursday night game, which you could
catch over on the NFL's stream and main channel. I
know there were some concerns that we did not cover
that game.

Speaker 4 (01:01:14):
We cover every game, guys, We.

Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
Actually a game.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
Blady brought this up just a little programming note. The
live YouTube ones are now listed under the NFL's official handle,
but ours as well. If you can go to the
NFL Daily and scroll down, if you look at the collaborations,
you'll see our Monday night recap Colts and forty nine ers,
and you will see the one now they are collaborating
so you can find out the Just look at so

(01:01:37):
we've got new friends at the bottom of the page.

Speaker 6 (01:01:39):
Hello, Hi, Sorry about us in advance, but we like
you and we're happy you're here. You asked me at
during that recap, what do you think Sean McVay is
going to be the angriest about And I said, oh,
he's going to be so mad at special teams he
won't even be.

Speaker 4 (01:01:53):
Able to see.

Speaker 6 (01:01:54):
Well, he fired his special teams coordinator, the first coordinator
change that the Sean McVay is ever made during the season.
Chase Blackburn had been with the team for a couple
of seasons, and someone named Ben Kodwika is taking over
and they're gonna get some help with an assistant coming
in who was with the forty nine ers at one point,

(01:02:15):
and you know, but it's this is a massive change
to make. But they've lost multiple games this Sea's actually
all of their losses, special teams was a big contributor
in those losses. Now, there are other reasons why they lost, obviously,
but I think that Sean McVay had just had enough
at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:02:33):
I think there's a lot of Rams fans that said,
can't you have thought about this in the offseason.

Speaker 6 (01:02:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:02:38):
I think there's a lot of logical people that think that.

Speaker 3 (01:02:41):
I think that's generally true because it's the like defense
against the dark arts position in the NFL, Like we
see special teams coordinators go after wins after losses, like
it's constant just being rotated in and out where it's like, really,
was was it this week?

Speaker 5 (01:02:56):
Like the plan just went that wrong this week?

Speaker 4 (01:02:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:02:59):
This also, it seems like an organizational lack of emphasis
one minute, Yeah, the way he.

Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
Talks about some teams.

Speaker 1 (01:03:06):
Some organizations emphasize special teams in the way that they
construct their rosters. And even when you hear Sean McVay
talk about it, it really stuck in my craw when they
just decided to not compete on the kickoff last year,
there was just like we don't want to try then,
just like it's very anti football.

Speaker 6 (01:03:21):
I would say that the number one way to solve
this problem is if Sean McVay himself spent more time
right on.

Speaker 2 (01:03:27):
So that's what I'm saying. He helps everything.

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
And ultimately, look, their offense is in an incredible place
and they're playing a defense with a lot of holes,
and on the other side, they're playing against the Falcons
offense that has been solid with Kirk Cousins maybe even
a little better. He's not making mistakes. It was mostly
near the line of scrimmage last week and has like

(01:03:51):
big time players Kyle Pitts might get over a thousand
yards and shout out to Bejon Robinson.

Speaker 2 (01:03:56):
Just want to recognize this.

Speaker 1 (01:03:58):
He is the first player and only the second player
in NFL history along with Marshall Fock. If he can
land the plane to average five yards per carry and
ten yards per catch in a season with at least
like two hundred rushes and sixty catches, he is over
two thousand yards on the season. He can make any
good scheme look bad. And he's just been dialing up

(01:04:20):
about one hundred and seventy yards every single week.

Speaker 4 (01:04:22):
He's incredible, hosting identical stats.

Speaker 3 (01:04:25):
Jean Robinson, pay the man, Okay, Jordan making sure everything's
all right. Everything's not alright for the Arizona Cardinals defense
has fallen off greg The offense took its turn last week.
They are seven point dogs at the Cincinnati Bengals. The
over under his fifty three and a half. Kevin Coogler
and Moose Johnston on the call. How's this winger?

Speaker 1 (01:04:49):
It goes with a lot of points scored by the
Cincinnati Bengals having fun. You know what I took away
from that game in Miami that Burrow. It's like he's
moving really well. Remember he had a foot injury earlier
this year.

Speaker 5 (01:05:03):
He's got the special shoe.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
But he's always moved well.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
But he talked about that coming into this season, and
I thought it showed up early this season before he
had the injury that I think he was looking even
more athletic than he did earlier in his career. And
he's always, you know, obviously moved well in the pocket.
But I just think like it's another level, kind of
like we saw Lamar go up a level I thought
last year going into the year. It's incredible. And this

(01:05:29):
Cardinals defense is just giving up like a forty burger
every week.

Speaker 5 (01:05:32):
It is tough.

Speaker 6 (01:05:34):
The Cardinals just signed Josh Carty, the disgraced Rams kicker.

Speaker 1 (01:05:39):
Does he disgrace Oh, that would mean he did something bad,
do anything bad. I mean, if he was a picker
for any other franchise, you wouldn't have called him disgraced.

Speaker 6 (01:05:51):
Josh Carty is a very nice young man, and I
think he's gonna have a great career ahead of him.
I watched him at Senior Bowl all the way. I
watched every probably every kick, every you know, warm up
kick of his entire career, and I think he's going
to do just fie. However, when you're signed by the
Cardinals late in the season, it does not look good
for you in that moment of time with this Cardinals team.

(01:06:13):
Also Garrett Williams, unfortunately it's an achilles injury and he's
going to be on injured reserve to finish out the season,
as will be Walter Nolan. So super super disappointing season
in so many ways for the Cardinals, but also two
of their best players. Obviously, Walter Nolan really really sparked
when he was healthy, and Garrett Wilson is Garrett Williams

(01:06:35):
is one of you know, the more underrated corners.

Speaker 4 (01:06:38):
In the league.

Speaker 6 (01:06:39):
Really tough, tough scene for Arizona for a lot of reasons,
but more injury woes continue.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
It's thinks for the next coach if it's not Jonathan Gannon.

Speaker 5 (01:06:48):
I know.

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
Ian Rappaport thought, you know in his report kind of
summing up everything that there might not be changes. This
is on track to be the worst Arizona Cardinals team
of all time, which is hard to believe. But in
terms of the record, I think it's the seventeenth game
gets it worse. But if they don't win another game,
they are the worst team. They are, by the way,
without Kyler Murray in the Jonathan Garnon era. Then he went,

(01:07:12):
I mean it's hard to just they've played nineteen games
without Kyler Murray in the Gannon era. Do you want
to guess how many they have won out of those
nineteen games?

Speaker 2 (01:07:20):
Three? Three, two?

Speaker 4 (01:07:21):
Oh see we were up.

Speaker 3 (01:07:23):
Oh but see that was the cause of the whole
vibe positivity in the desert, right.

Speaker 5 (01:07:27):
It was all Kyler's fault.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
And now finally that bad guy Kyler Murray is gone
and the team can get back to being professional and
losing all of these games.

Speaker 5 (01:07:35):
But they did have one positive note.

Speaker 3 (01:07:37):
Although treymt Brod's streak got snapped, he's going to stop
at sixteen games with five or more receptions. Elijah Higgins
played pretty well, so there's somebody to load up with targets.
And they're playing against the defense that's now fallen down
to the second highest blitz rate behind the Minnesota Vikings
the Atlanta Falcons.

Speaker 5 (01:07:56):
And nobody's gotten blitz more than Jacoby this year.

Speaker 1 (01:07:58):
And shout out to all the fans NSC owners who
have been riding that steady like twenty points a week
from Jacoby. I mean, he's gonna get it done for you.
And this week it could be even a little extra.
Also a little tankathon impact on this game. This is
involving the teams that currently have the number six pick
in the number nine picks too strong.

Speaker 4 (01:08:18):
I should have used cast out.

Speaker 5 (01:08:20):
It's going to there's a few the McVeigh castaways.

Speaker 4 (01:08:23):
The castaways.

Speaker 5 (01:08:24):
The list grows.

Speaker 4 (01:08:25):
Yeah, there's a full island of them at this point.
That'd be a good show segment.

Speaker 5 (01:08:29):
As a special teams coach this.

Speaker 4 (01:08:31):
Week, William Cohen swam back one of those.

Speaker 3 (01:08:33):
Teams that's not the Bucks in the NFC South that
is playing significantly better at this point in the season
is the New Orleans Saints. Also, every team in the
South other than the Bucks playing pretty well right now.
The Saints favored by two and a half on the
road against Jordan the Tennessee Titans, who just thrashed the
defending AFC champions, albeit without either one of their quarterbacks
Andrew Catalan, Charles Davis, and Jason mccordy. On the call

(01:08:57):
to the Titans, who famously didn't have a legitimate win
earlier this year.

Speaker 5 (01:09:00):
According to our friend Greg.

Speaker 3 (01:09:02):
Rosenthal, get up back to back win against the Saints
this week.

Speaker 6 (01:09:06):
You know, I think they have a shot. But guess what,
I've been describing the Tennessee Titans in this way all year,
I think. But you know what I think of the
New Orleans Saints at this juncture, Patrick, what's that creditable?
Creditable group? They are impressing me. The New Orleans Saints
every week seem to improve in some form or fashion

(01:09:28):
in every phase.

Speaker 4 (01:09:31):
Credit to them. Creditable And it's.

Speaker 2 (01:09:33):
All about the quarterback.

Speaker 1 (01:09:34):
Like if Tyler Shuck wasn't playing like this, it would
it'd be nice that you're winning some games. You probably
wouldn't have been winning these games if he wasn't playing
like this, because he is the reason that they won
a few. But let's say, like last week against the Jets,
they're winning nine to six. At halftime, he doesn't really
look that good in the first half. His past are
a little all over the place. He might be playing
through an injury. And then he balls out in the

(01:09:55):
second half, and when he throws a pretty ball, and
I think it's going to be important for him to
get to the finish line here after all the injuries
that he went through in college. He has taken some
big hits. We're about we're going to talk about Jackson
Dart and like some of the big hits that these
guys take are in the pocket. It's not like running
or anything. It's true less. So I think of cam Ward,

(01:10:18):
even though he's taken a lot of sacks, I think
he avoids it better. He's coming off his best game
of the year. But yeah, I think Chuck just keeping
this excellent level of play going and getting to the
finish line healthy, I think it's gonna be big. These are,
you know, the two best rookie quarterbacks in the league
right now.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
Yeah, and maybe an opportunity for somebody to stake that
claim as the best rookie.

Speaker 2 (01:10:40):
Quarterback conversation subject.

Speaker 1 (01:10:42):
Wait, I do have something about this, this offensive rookie
of the year chatter. The Saints fans, because they haven't
had much to root for, are really getting in on this,
like Chuck should be offensive rookie of the year, this, that,
and the other. He's actually bumped up pretty high in
the odds, for whatever that's worth. I think he's up
to second or third, where he's like, not really that

(01:11:02):
far behind. I think he's second right now. I think
that's crazy. I think to win Rookie of the Year
playing only nine games, and that's assuming he plays the
next two, your performance would have to be so exceptional
that then you get into that conversation and you win.
If you miss half the season, I'm not hearing it.
If there's other good candidates.

Speaker 5 (01:11:21):
And also more of those nine games would need to
be good.

Speaker 3 (01:11:24):
Albeit, Tyler Shuck has played pretty good here once we
got into the stretch, run creditable if you will, those
first few not up there. Meanwhile, t Mac has the
Carolina Panthers contending for a playoff spot, and he's been
their clear number one.

Speaker 1 (01:11:39):
If you averaged out a Tyler shuck game and gave
him seventeen of those, I would listen, like, maybe that
is the rookie of the year.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
But I agree with your point, it's not too amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:11:51):
Speaking of rooking classes, while we go deep on this
Titan Sanes game, let's do it also important for Tankathon.
I think harbod he'd be an interesting pick in Tennessee.
By the way, they are only the second team in
the Super Bowl era to have three rookies with at
least three hundred receiving yards. Alec iomanor of course to
Marry Dk and then Gunner Helm who's been kind of

(01:12:14):
frisky at tight end. And they all made some plays
for cam Ward last week. So if you could guess
the other team, I would give you a lot, but
I'll give you a big time hint. It was in
the last five years receivers this trivia. This is where
they just receiver the fifteen seconds later.

Speaker 4 (01:12:35):
Yeah, fifteen.

Speaker 1 (01:12:37):
It was the Packers a couple of years. Oh it
just happened. Everybody eats Packers. I think the Titans win
this big upset pick debut.

Speaker 5 (01:12:46):
Oh wow, if only somebody picked the Titans to win against.

Speaker 2 (01:12:50):
The Kansasity getting job by you, big job by you.

Speaker 3 (01:12:53):
The antithesis of everybody eats, folks are starving. It is
the New York Giants on the road taking on the
Las Vegas Raiders, who were favored about one and a
half because the Giants offense it was going up against
Flores's defense was Kafka esque yesterday, I mean last week
where it was bizarre, uniquely horrible Kevin Harland and Trent

(01:13:15):
Green there the over under is forty one and a half?

Speaker 5 (01:13:20):
Who what do we do with this? Greg?

Speaker 2 (01:13:23):
We watch do it? We don't watch?

Speaker 1 (01:13:28):
We think about the professionalism of Kevin Harlan, who was
what was he?

Speaker 2 (01:13:35):
What game was he on last week?

Speaker 5 (01:13:37):
Whatever it best one because he was calling it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
Yeah, whatever it was, it didn't have anything. It was
the Titans Chiefs now that I remember. He approached that
with all the energy and enthusiasm and great calls that
he does every week, and they put him on this game.
They're still higher up on the high, up on the
totopole because these are two big markets. It actually, you know,
this is not the bottom game, and this could very

(01:14:01):
well decide the number one overall draft pick. This is
one and two in Tankathon, the only two teams with
only two wins this season, so it matters a lot.
And the Raiders are coming in with some momentum after
a good performance on both.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
Sides of them.

Speaker 6 (01:14:18):
Oh, I just I'd like to imagine, if you will,
some one liners from Kevin Harlan that could be possible, Okay,
carrying this game just off the dome, I'm thinking, you know,
and it's Pete Carroll getting the butt slap, you know,
or you know, Max Crosby a menace.

Speaker 3 (01:14:38):
Like we don't need no stick in tank for someone
who's who's gonna have a big performance here Where the
Giants were in that game, purely because I don't know
who it was.

Speaker 5 (01:14:48):
Where this office of line was J. J. McCarthy.

Speaker 3 (01:14:50):
They just leave Brian Burns on the end of the
line and McCarthy is not looking at him, Brian Burns
clearly like there's nothing impeding him at all.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
And it's it's the screen. It's a screen.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
And they explained that he it was kind of unfortunate
it was a screen. It was more than unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (01:15:07):
That's not it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:08):
They always leave like a free rusher on the side
on a screen got you gotta get rid of the ball.
But he hurt his hand just two plays before, and
and it was confirmed by Koc and Jay. I know
we're talking about a team that's game, but it was
interesting to me and Chaos and JJ confirmed it and
you can see it on tape. He hurts his hand
two plays before and he can't catch the snap in

(01:15:29):
shotgun and he tries to like get the ball with
two hands and he just can't like hold the ball.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
So he's like pumping it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:37):
And so he knew he was trying to just dirt
it because that's what you gotta do if the screen's
not gonna work. And the screen wasn't gonna work, there
was a defender in his way, and so he's like
fumbling with the ball with this injured hand and then
just takes a brutal hit.

Speaker 5 (01:15:49):
But that's what it takes.

Speaker 3 (01:15:50):
It takes that kind of calamity for the Giants to
actually score of football points.

Speaker 2 (01:15:55):
Calemity.

Speaker 3 (01:15:56):
Yeah, So again, I don't know that this Raiders defense
can emulate what the Vikings were able to do. But
not a lot of calls for optimism for late season
Jackson Dart and the Giants offense.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
Dart sacked in the end zone. Calamity. I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:16:13):
Ashon Genti had some moments, yeah, a lot of them.
Good for him and Drew Locke. He's doing the opposite
of what I was talking about with Shuck. He is
struggling to get to the finish line. He is not
getting helped out. His entire left side and center of
the offensive line was hurt last week. He's not getting protected.
But if you look at him in press conferences and
then watch him on the field, it has worn him down.

(01:16:35):
He is like, you know, the the meme of like
the president a couple you know, Barack Obama four years
into his term or whatever that is, like Jackson Dart
in one year of New York.

Speaker 2 (01:16:45):
Like it's a little he looks a little weathered right now.

Speaker 3 (01:16:48):
You feel that's the collective pressure of playing in the
most important place.

Speaker 2 (01:16:52):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (01:16:52):
I think it's more playing for important place in organization
that fired the one guy that was actually helping you
and like sneakily, not that I'm like caping for Brian Dable,
but they've been kind of lost on offense without Brian
Dable and like that was his guy. Brian dable and
if you want to develop a quarterback, it hasn't worked because.

Speaker 2 (01:17:14):
It was tough to watch.

Speaker 1 (01:17:15):
I know it was against Brian Flores, but he looked
as lost as any quarterback all season in that game.

Speaker 6 (01:17:19):
Are you saying that Jackson Darts undergoing some sort of
a physical metamorphisms?

Speaker 2 (01:17:23):
There?

Speaker 5 (01:17:23):
It is?

Speaker 1 (01:17:25):
You know who also wants to put some good tape
out there? You know Smith for all the teams out there,
probably a backup next year, maybe a one B in
a certain scenario. I'd love him to be a backup
like on a good team, and then you know, if
anything happens, so'll be it. He's playing for a job
and put out some good tape last.

Speaker 3 (01:17:45):
Week sounded like a threat for whoever's starting a energy
you know from Kriig.

Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
I don't want to see him on the Giant. Don't
bring him back. You lost your chance.

Speaker 1 (01:17:55):
They had fifteen runs in that That was the most
preposterous game of the season. I know not many of
you will watch, but they had fifteen in that game
before they threw a pass the Giants kind of incredible.

Speaker 2 (01:18:03):
That was it. This has been incredible.

Speaker 5 (01:18:05):
They should have done sixty.

Speaker 2 (01:18:08):
There were a couple of.

Speaker 1 (01:18:08):
Past plays where he just didn't get the pass off.
But yes, we did it. We did it. We're not tired,
We're feeling great. Okay, everything is okay. Episode Patrick wrapped
up his Fantasy Live.

Speaker 2 (01:18:25):
Yeah for the season.

Speaker 1 (01:18:27):
I know, mixed emotions there, but the host with the
most on a great program.

Speaker 2 (01:18:32):
A congrats to the Fantasy Life.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
Yeah, a great that I was able to do a
TV show where it was able to be me with
really cool people, with an audience that gets us, and
so a lot like this show. So I have an
embarrassment of riches in the people in my proximity.

Speaker 1 (01:18:46):
Secret weapon at NFL Network for a long time. Fantasy Live.
We will take a little bit of a break, but
in the feed you will hear us a little later.
Me Cynthia frielan to keep the greatest streak in sports
going eleven or twelve straight weeks. I've lost count at
this point. So that our picks will be up Friday.

(01:19:08):
We're also going to recap the Christmas games. It's the
last time you'll hear us. Merry Christmas, everyone, see you
on the other side.

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