December 26, 2025 • 55 mins
Santa delivered some consequential football for this year's Christmas slate of games. The Detroit Lions were eliminated from playoff contention, the Denver Broncos maintained their No. 1 seeding in the AFC and the Dallas Cowboys defended their pride with a win. Gregg Rosenthal and Will Gavin collaborate on a recap of all three Christmas Day games, before discussing some dramatic rumors surrounding Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're always ready to celebrate
Boxing Day. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I am here in rainy
southern California talking to my friend Will Gavitt, who's joining
us in the future at night in Boxing Day in
the UK. Welcome Will, regular. You know NFL dailians will
(00:28):
remember you joined me for a Thanksgiving show last season,
so you are the go to holiday guy, and Merry
Christmas to you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
The man who will do anything to get a mention
and the backup Britt gets on the backup quarterback show,
so it couldn't be more perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's not true. Will is the best, an old friend
and you can hear him of course on talkSPORT. He's
a viral superstar at this point after this season. We
enjoyed calling the games together this season, and we're going
to be calling the super Bowl together. Little breaking news
here with Ross Tucker, so something to look forward to there.
(01:04):
And yes, we're gonna recap the three Christmas games. We're
gonna talk a little bit about Lamar Jackson at the
end of this show because a lot's going on there
and I just thought this would be a good time
to do it. And yeah, it wasn't maybe the Christmas
slate that the NFL was expecting, But it had some
fun moments. It had some bittersweet moments, and why don't
(01:27):
we go to one of those. Let's go to Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Second down, Minnesota's got minus six pass yards. Is the
motion Addison to the slot left snap handoff, Addison off
the motion thirty five to forty outside the numbers, forty
five to fifty on the gas pedal down the sideline,
fifteen to ten.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Push to the pylon.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
He is no signal yet.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Daniel Thomas pushed him in touchdown, a.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Late signal, but a fruitful one for Minnesota to sleep
to the stars Tourdan Addison.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That was Jason Bennetti on Westwood One. Vikings win twenty
three to ten, ending the Lions season. And yes, holidays
can be bittersweet because it's a wonderful time with family
and sometimes you're thinking about the people you're missing are
just like time gone by. They were all getting older,
(02:29):
and in this football sense, watching the Lions miss the playoffs,
it was kind of a bummer. It felt it felt
like the end of something. But that was a great play,
a great call there by Jordan Addison during a game
will where at that point the Minnesota Vikings had roughly
seventy five yards from scrimmage like total yards on offense,
(02:52):
and yet they were winning the game, and that one
almost doubled the total yards for the game, and it
was just enough in one of the best defensive romances
of the season by any team by the Vikings, just
just ending the Lion season, giving their fans a big
lumper call on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, you mentioned like Max Brosma sacked seven times.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I heard Jason Bonde say it there.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
He ended up with three net passing yards in total
and his feet so loud in the pocket like they're
the two big runs and the big touchdowns. Of course,
but the key is they kept getting short fields because
of that defensive performance.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Six Lions turnovers meant they.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Had scoring drives of sixteen yards, twenty eight yards, four yards,
twenty one yards, and that sixty five yard Jets weeep
you just heard. But yeah, unbelievable performance from Brian Flores
getting absolutely in his bag. And it's just a shame
from a Vikings perspective that this is happening so late
in the season. Last five weeks They've been sensational on defense.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It's crazy they're in third place now. The Lions are
slated as of right now to play a last place
schedule next season. If you're gonna crash out, that's the
way to do it. Like you might get a little help.
It depends obviously on what happens in Week eighteen here,
but yeah, the Vikings have rallied all the way to
(04:11):
eight and eight, and it did remind me a little
bit of Brian Flores Jared Goff matchups of the past,
including a Super Bowl coordinated by Brian Flores where the
Rams only scored three points. And if you kind of
think about the Lion we'll get to a little bit
of the Vikings here, but to me, the story is
the Lions to turn the ball over six times for
(04:32):
it to end this way, and to kind of think
about how this Lions team really entered the national consciousness
became I feel like America's team certainly one of NFL
dailies teams. It was the twenty two Week eighteen game
on Sunday Night Football where they technically had nothing to
play for and they knocked Aaron Rodgers in the Packers
out of the playoffs and for it to kind of
(04:54):
flip all the way around and for them to get
knocked out by a team that had really nothing to
play for. And you think about how this season started
getting mollywopped by the Packers and they lose on another
holiday Thanksgiving where they're not competitive, and maybe it was
fitting to see Jared Garf just struggling against the blitz
again and leaving a lot of questions for this Lion's
(05:16):
team heady into the next season.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, you mentioned that struggle against the blitz because it
felt like all those Viking pressures were like not only
were they throwing all the blitzers at them and he
was blitz on fifty five point nine percent of drop
back six of sixteen in those situations, but what you
saw is every time he were in those blitz situations,
he was trying to do the right thing. He was
trying to go for the check down, he was trying
(05:39):
to replace the blitzer. He was trying to like offer
those quick screens as well, which we know with Andrew
Van Ginkel on the field, who don't want to be
doing at any point. But there seemed to be this
coaching point to the vikings of if he's going to
try that, get your hands up. And the number of
times that, like Jalen Redman's just getting into a lane
and sticking his arms up in the air and were
(05:59):
sitting baut it down pass time and time and time again.
And it's slightly frustrating from a liance perspective that you're
just not seeing an adjustment to that, realizing, let you know,
they're going to do this. This isn't something new, This
isn't some wrinkle that Brian Flores has suddenly turned up
with this week, and yet the lines just seem to
have absolutely zero answer for it, and Jared Goff just
(06:20):
harassed all day long.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Well, I think it comes down to the personnel. We
talked about a little bit in the previous show with
Yes the starting brit Ally Connolly, who pointed out the
interior line and like, this is not the Lions team
that we've come to know and love. Taylor Decker, by
the way, wasn't there at left tackle, and then on
the interior they had two bad snaps from Kingsley Agu
(06:45):
Khan as part of their six turnovers. Their left guard,
Christian Mahogany was back, but the right guard is aw
Oseka and Tate Ratleis is the rookies just getting beaten up,
and yeah, the six turnovers really were the story of
the day. Let's actually lett into a man who I
spoke with. You did too, I believe. In the locker
(07:05):
room after a Vikings win in London, Harrison Smith, who
was hearing Hall of Fame chance and said after this
game that he said that was the most fun performance
he's ever been a part of. He thought it was
the single best defensive performance he's ever been a part
of it. And he's been a part of a lot
of big ones. His interception late in the third quarter
(07:27):
was a highlight to me.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
He's a long setback on first OUN's that play action
to him. GoF loads up and saints it over the
middle man are accepted by Harrison Smith. He's down in
Lion's territory. It's the thirty ninth of his career, just
the second of his season. What can Notre Dane do
(07:49):
for you?
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Harrison Smith baiting Jared Goff into throwing this football. Watching
the film, you know that when they do play action past,
Jared Goff loves to throw it to his r to
am and Ross Saint Brown but Harrison Smith took a
step back at the snap, giving a fake read to
Golf that he was dropping, and as soon as Golf
turned around, he drove on the football caught it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
With both hands.
Speaker 6 (08:10):
Baby meet the baby carriage.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Great call there, That was Ryan Harris, who I believe
that Notre Dame grad on Westwood one and yeah, just
a cool moment for Harrison Smith. Maybe the end of
his career. Who knows, they maybe it won't be. And
that was part of a sequence will where there were
two straight turnover, two straight interceptions on two straight passes.
That one was more on Golf I think, getting a
little jumpy. You mentioned the blitz struggles. Yeah, he took
(08:36):
three sacks, had two interceptions and a fumble all on blitzes,
and he ended up having three turnovers in a four
dropback sequence because he fumbled the ball two when Dallas
Turner sacked him a few plays later on the next drive.
Just like a rough day here for Jared Goff. And
(08:56):
it's not like they're going to do anything different at quarterback,
but I do think the Lions kind of lost their way.
This was a team that couldn't like Black and they
couldn't run the ball either by the end of this season.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
No, And look, you mentioned the offensive line struggles.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Penne Saw went out of this game briefly as well,
to just really compound all of that, and you've got
a third string right guard coming in and playing right
tackle on top of everything else. I think the difference
for me is you say, I don't think they're going
to make a change at quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I expect that.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Line to look steah and I expect that line to
look healthier next season. And on the other side of
the ball, I think despite the fact that over the
past five weeks or so they have had a little
bit of a drop off, Kelvin Sheppard really does look
like the future. They generated a season high pressure rate
in this game. You know, Alcade Mohammad had an excellent game.
(09:48):
He had six pressures in this one. You know Max
Brosmus struggled I mentioned earlier, sacked seven times as well.
So there's a lot to like about this Lion's team
going into next year. It feels like a season that
you just you carry the ball, you right it off,
you burn the tape, you do whatever cliche you need
to do, and then you get to righting some of
these wrongs in the off season. For the Viking side
(10:09):
of it, though, I really want to feel like the
fact that over I think it's they're now fifth in
weighted DVOA on defense, right and they haven't allowed a
passing success rate over forty percent since Week twelve of
the season, and they've not played a bunch of Hammon Eggers.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
That's like playing the Cowboys and the Lions. But yet
with you mentioned Harrison Smith's future unclear, Eric Wilson's future unclear,
they're massively over the cap for next season, despite the
fact that they're playing a rookie quarterback. Like, I don't know,
I feel like a tea. Yeah, it feels like this
was an opportunity and they just threw it away.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
They'll feel better about it because of how it finished
in December, but ultimately JJ McCarthy and the quarterback decisions
and the quarterback play hurt them on a team that
could have been competing to win games in the playoffs,
because we don't know this defense is going to be
together next year, whether they're going to be able to
keep it together as well as as it's been. And yeah,
(11:08):
if nothing else, they just feel better that Brian Flores
got to break them at the very end, and Dan
Campbell did sound a little broken after the game, which
always bumms me out.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
Brad, now have a lot of decisions to make, you know,
a lot of things. You look at the watch, the
wise the how do we improve because we need to
improve And even if you have the core which you
believe in, whin we've got them is that? Man, It's
a new it's always a new team. You got to
find your own way, man. So it's disappointing, you know,
(11:40):
it's disappointing. So but it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Oh man, that was I don't like seeing Dan Campbell
sad sad as one since the one where he said
we may never get back to this place in the
NFC Championship game.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
You know, maybe he was right after what we saw today,
But I really feel like they will come back and
they will bounce back. But it is now just agree
just a much more difficult division now. I'm sure you know,
there'll be a lot of talk going into this weekend
of the fact the Bears can still get the one seed,
the Packers can still win the NFC North and despite
(12:22):
a weird season, when they get my cap Parsons back
when everything comes back around next year, like this is
going to be a tough out in any season for
the next five plus years.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It feels like I just I feel like the lines
are much better positioned than the Vikings to bounce back.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
It is incredible how loaded this division is. It really is,
and I know things change from year to year. Like
sometimes you'll think of division is going to be great,
But I like the coaches so much in this division,
and other than the Vikings, I like the quarterbacks, And
you're absolutely right. It's gonna be a bloodbath every single season.
And I do think the Lions can get back. They
(12:59):
have a great nucleus. They have a lot of great
young players sign long term, but it will be a
different team. David Montgomery, for instance, I noticed how he
got in some hot water in Detroit about you know,
he like liked some posts where they were saying they
were giving the ball to Jamir gives too much. There
was some other comments that were like deleted. He seems
like someone who might have you might be coming to
(13:22):
the end of his Detroit time. And that's fine. They
are just reaching that point in the team build where
some favorites are gonna have to be cast aside because
they really need better play on both lines. That's the
number one thing. And you mentioned the Packers. I should
have led with that. The Packers are in the playoffs.
The Lions loss clinches it. Green Bay is in the playoffs.
(13:45):
They're playing on Saturday night. They are still trying to
win the NFC North, So no reason to think that
they're gonna rest starters or anything like that. You know,
they could help seeding. They could win the NFC North
with a little help from Chicago. But a massive turn
of events here with the Lions getting passed in this division.
All right, let's go to our next game. It's the
(14:06):
other one on Christmas Day that we knew had some
playoff implications. Ken Denver avoid slipping on a banana peel
at aarhad.
Speaker 8 (14:17):
Fourth and eight at the Denver twenty six, Holidokin in
the gun running back, hunt off his right, three receivers
right the snap, Holy Dookin back to throwing a clean
pocket all day, throwing deep down the middle into the end.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Zone, overthrows them all. It's incomplete.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
It's a clean field.
Speaker 8 (14:33):
No penalty flags intended for Hollywood Brown. Jae Kwon McMillan
in on the coverage and the Broncos defense turns away
Kansas City on fourth down and they'll move to thirteen
and three. The Broncos the number one seed at the
moment in the AFC playoff race.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Oh, they held on to that one seed just barely.
That was JP Shagik on Westwood One. Came down to
the final Kansas City snap under thirty seconds to go.
They still have a chance to tie it up. It's
twenty to thirteen the Broncos win. They will be watching
the Chargers Texans on Saturday here in Los Angeles and
(15:12):
rooting for a Texans victory that would clinch the AFC
West for the Broncos. If not, it'll come down to
Week eighteen. Chargers Broncos for the division, possibly for the
one seed. Denver will have to keep playing almost certainly
into Week eighteen if they want to get that one seed.
(15:34):
The takeaway when I'm driving home, I watched the movie
last night. I know you're asleep by now. You were working.
By the way, why were you working Vikings Lions up
until one thirty in the morning. You didn't have to
do that. You're the boss. People don't know that, but
you're the boss. You could have assigned someone else to that.
You could have just not even taken that game. I
wasn't even watching this game live. I'm like, I'm gonna
(15:55):
go see a Korean vengeful comedy, no other choice with
my buddy Anthony Justin, and we had a good time.
I didn't watch this game way, but I got to admit.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Look, we're gonna talk obviously about the game flow of
this game and what a wild game flow it was.
But the first half was so short because of those
long Broncost drives that you chose to go see a
career movie. I was on my way home from work
at one am yesterday. You had this choice between obviously
you should go to bed, probably if you're in the UK,
but you either had you could watch the Broncos game,
(16:25):
or you could start the new second half of the
season of Stranger Things, which is.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
What Netflix was pushing. Oh okay, Yeah, the first half.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Of this game was so short that you could have
watched the entire first episode of that game of Strange Things.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Flipped over and you were in a halftime.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Like it was shorter than an episode of a TV
It was that just quick and It was that ridiculous,
how just this Bonix and this Broncos offense that this
dink and duncan slow like four possessions of fourteen plus
yards that took thirty two minutes in this game. This
was a dream for people who were staying to one
in the morning to watch this game, because it meant
(17:02):
it was over by about three am and you could
all go to bed.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Fairpoint, it was mid second quarter before I even left,
so I did end up watching this first half, and
it was ridiculous. My hottest take from this game, because
I don't think there's a ton moving forward to draw
from this game, is that I'm impressed by the Broncos
winning how they did. I don't care how it came
down to the end. When you really watch the flow
(17:27):
of this game, it was a dominant performance. They had
over three hundred yards, the Chiefs had under one hundred
and forty. They like you mentioned, if there's only seven
offensive drives and four of them go for fourteen plays
or more and you're scoring touchdowns on two of them,
I mean, it was a good offensive performance. And the
thing that I will be impressed by is that ultimately
(17:49):
the Broncos get the ball back, like mid third quarter,
they're losing, they go on a long touchdown drive. They
make it happen. Bo Nick's with his legs makes it happen.
And then they get another ball back again in a
position they probably didn't expect. Tied late fourth quarter, and
what do they do. They go on another long touchdown
drive and Steve Spagnola had a clear game plan here
(18:11):
will they just they decided not to blitz and Bonex
did not get pressured much and they just made them
dinking dunk down the field. And a couple times, you know,
the Broncos make some mistakes. Cortland Sutton dropped two nice
passes in the red zone. They probably would have scored
a touchdown on a different drive where they had to
sell for a field goal. Bo Nicks missed the pass
or two early, but I thought he played pretty well.
(18:33):
It just was one of those nights. It's a short week,
it's it's Christmas. The crowd's going crazy. This is kind
of what even for one seeds games look like in
Week seventeen. Sometimes even when you're playing an underman team.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Yeah, and like you say, short week, going on the
road against a team who, yes, they are falling apart
at the seams.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
But you know, Travis Kelce, probably his last game, which.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I'm sure we'll get onto, there was a lot of
emotion on the day that the inception right, Christian Fulton
gets across and just makes an unbelievable play on the
ball and Nick Bolton in full tip drill mode like
that can't be on Bonicks. The throw is placed exactly
where it needs to be to pick up that first down,
particularly when he's scrambling outside the pocket to his left.
It's interest what you said about the blitzing, because what
(19:15):
I thought about this game watching those long, dinky donkey
drives that we're talking about, is that actually Bonix twenty
five of thirty four one hundred and seventy six yards
in a touchdown when playing in structure, and I think
he was only three of ten on passes over ten yards,
but they had a fifty five percent offensive success rate,
and this was you know, this is kind of what
(19:36):
Sean Payton wants if he thinks this Boncos team are
going to go and win games in the playoffs, because
he wants them to be able to go.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
It doesn't matter what you throw of us.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
We'll just be able to pick it apart in the
most Sean Payton way possible. We don't need to go
and take those deep shots necessarily.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I mean, you did your work here. I mean it's
Boxing Day, you're working on Christmas, and you got like
a lot of status. That's also what I mean, by
the way, why I'm relatively impressed by the Broncos here,
because like it shouldn't have been this close. It was,
like you mentioned success rate, that the Chiefs offense didn't
really do anything. They were set up on some short
fields and took advantage, and Chris Oladukan actually made a
(20:14):
couple plays where you're like, Okay, I think he's going
to stay in the NFL, like he can be a
second or third quarterback. But they were still very limited.
Their success rate was twenty eight percent, so that the
profile of this game was that of a blowout but
a couple times and you mentioned that Fulton tip that
interception was one of the best interceptions of the year.
(20:37):
A third and twelve where Nicks is throwing it and
just a total diving incredible play by Fulton, who's played
a little better. He's starting to play the last couple
weeks and it might mean something for him. He signed
a pretty big free agency contract and I figured he
would get cut this offseason. But he's looked good the
last couple of weeks and Nick Bolton ends up diving
to make that interception, and there's some this is a
(21:00):
little wild here, and well there's some talk in Kansas
City they got their own salary cap stuff. Would Trent
McDuffie ever be on the trade block kind of like
to Lagerious Sneed was back in the day, because he's not.
He's coming off like a kind of not a great season,
And then you look tonight and or on Christmas and
(21:21):
it was like, Noel Williams is playing, well, you have Fulton,
you have some young guys. It just might be the
type of move that they do to get some draft
picks back like they once did with Lagerious Need.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
I guess the difficulty as well is when you made
that Lagarious Sneed decision. Part of that decision was that
you were going to pay Chris Jones and pay him
big and keep him right. And he has the penalty
last night, which I thought Bonix on his cadence, we've
been hearing a lot of like the center mic over
recent days with the phil Rivers against the forty nine
ers last week on Monday, Like, they've been really amping
(21:54):
that thing up, and I thought he did a really
great job in that situation. But you've if they're gonna
let Trump McDuffie go, as much as he's not had
a great year this year, they need to be putting
more into the front. They need to be getting more
pass rushed because George garg.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Isn't a one.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Chris Jones has flashed in two or three games this year,
but hasn't been the dominant guy we've seen in January
of recent seasons. Like, I just I don't know letting
a piece that good go, even if he's had a
down year.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Oh, that's kind of wild. I've got a question for you, though, Greg.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
You mentioned about like that you thought that, you know,
the Chiefs still managed to put some stuff together.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I mean the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The Chiefs are playing like third string tackles, and they've
got a quarterback that basically like even the most ardent
NFL fan probably hadn't.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Heard of until two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, and the Broncos get one sack in this game
and really don't get a lot of pressure on him. Otherwise,
this is meant to be a much vaunted, absolutely top
tier defense, and I don't know if they're just holding
back it, they're saving themselves a little bit.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But I look back over the last few games.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I look back over the performance particularly ainst the Jags,
but even the Packers game, the Commander's game, where they
gave him.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
A lot of lot yardage a lot of points.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
So I just think it's clearly a good defense. But
am I feeling the same way I felt about it
for the first ten weeks the season. I feeling like
I feel about the Texans, where I'm like, that's a
defense that can carry a game for you.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I'm less convinced all of a sudden.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, Traditionally they also load up on these under you know,
powered quarterbacks and destroy them. And I look, if you
give up one hundred and forty yards, it's tough to
kill the defense. But I'm with you that you do
wonder if a little bit of Vance Joseph's play Colleen
magic is starting to run out in terms of the
(23:41):
league catching up with them, and they're gonna have to go.
But again, some really good offenses depending on the matchups
and That's why it's so important in the AFC what
the matchup is, because I think they're they're going to
be more vulnerable to a team that I think has
a loaded offense than the vice versa, then being able
to like play a team like let's say the Chargers
(24:03):
are Texans who are you know, not as good on offense.
So if they play the Bills and the Patriots, can
they keep up in a shootout? That's a fair point. Yeah,
the casey was playing two tackles that did not play
tack high school football, which is interesting. It was their
fifth and six tackles as a pole and another gentleman
that now is escaping me that I wasn't familiar with.
(24:25):
You mentioned Kelsey could be his last game. Was pretty
interesting that Patrick Sartan was on him for most of
the game and so he was quiet relatively at a
couple of catches early. He ends up with the most targets,
the most catches on the team, but that's only five
for thirty six. He spoke after the game, you know
(24:45):
about a night where you know, they introduced him last
and it's getting emotional and if it was the last night,
it kind of felt like it.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
No The only time it ever crossed my mind is
I was driving in the other day and I saw
how much the power ball was and I was like, Man,
if I could just win, I wouldn't have to work
another day in my life. Oh no, man, Honestly, I've
been just focused on trying.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
To win football games.
Speaker 9 (25:15):
Man, I'll let that be a decision that I make
with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
When the time comes, we'll see. I don't know, by
the way, I think they've got enough money in the Kelsey.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
That documentary has played in my house over the recent
week or so, and yeah, watching it back, I'm like,
I think he's gonna be fine. I do question though, Like,
as much as he's obviously like a walking Hall of Famer,
I don't think anyone's questioning his place in NFL history
and what they've achieved. But how much does it say
about this Chief's offense right now that Patsatown was matched
(25:53):
up on Travis Kelcey, Yeah a lot last night. I
think seven occasions he was targeted twice of those one
reception eleven year. Like, I know that Travis kelce has
been their best receiver for a long time, but they
just doesn't feel like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
It feels like there's a lot with this Chiefs team
that has to happen.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
We were just talking about with lines and vikings, which
of those teams you think is set up to bounce
back quickly next year? I really like I think it
was Ollie said this on I can't remember it's on
your show, on his own show. But they need a
new voice in the room. They need somebody there who's
going to try and shake things up a little bit,
actually help with the run game.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
And I don't know this Chief's team right now.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
As much as this was a fun performance last night,
we've just picked apart why the defense is gonna be
great next year without major investment. They're losing Travis Kelce. Like,
outside of Mahomes, what are we excited about about this
team next season?
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Yeah? Yeah, Xavier Worthy has not really stepped up. They
had put Racie Rice on injured reserve. Like the biggest
play they had on offense was a pass interference to Worthy.
They actually did not complete an air yard pass over
ten yards, only the tenth time that that's happened all
season long. The tackle. I feel bad when I don't
name a man. So it was Chuldwabuca Godrich for the
(27:09):
Chiefs playing in his first game, and yeah, you're right,
the pass pro wasn't really a problem. Nick Benito's been
pretty quiet. He was very hard on himself after last
week's game, saying that he thought he did not play well,
and they have been relatively quiet. Shout out to the
crowd in this game. I just want to give a
little bit of love that, like they were live, they
(27:29):
were in it. They just found out that they're moving
the team. You know, I know it's only twenty miles away,
but there's a lot of Chiefs fans that are not
happy about that. It's Christmas night, this team is out
of it, and I think the home team gave him
a good show. They're like showing mahomes up in the
in the booth and he's cheering after the first touchdown.
(27:53):
I just give them some credit as good fans on
the end of a tough season.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
They got a little of stick few weeks ago as
well for that Chargers game where there were a lot
of people who left early in a three point game,
And so yeah, they deserve a little bit of praise
because generally I've been there before. It's a pretty great crowd,
but may think they've rested on their laurels a bit.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
One of one. Maybe it's I mean, Lambeau is its
own thing, but Arrowhead is such a unique, great atmosphere
and they're going to have it for what four or
five more years here, But there just aren't other places
like that. And ultimately, Broncos fans you're listing bo Nicks
is playing well. I think he's playing his best part
his best football this season. Right now, you did what
(28:39):
you needed to do, and who cares about style points.
Let's take a break. On the other side. We are
going to talk about the Cowboys Washington game, but I'm
even more interested to talk about this Lamar Jackson John
Harvar Raven situation. We will wrap with that.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Just shot gun stat Prescott steps up into the pocket,
fires down the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
It's turpenen stright at the forty running away from the defense,
turp into the twenty to ten touchdown.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Dallas Covan Date Chirpin.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
If it stands an eighty six yard touchdown grab, but
there is a flag down back at the eleven yard.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Line, tie defense number four. That penalty has declined.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
Results of the play touchdown.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
It stands in Cavant date Chirpin with an eighty six
yard touchdown, grab breaking away from the defense and breaking
open this game.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
It's twenty to three.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
Dallas with seven minutes to go in the second.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Woof that Cowboys offense, I will miss watching them. That's
JP Shadduck on Westwood One. Rather, that's Jason Horowitz, our
friend on Westwood one.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
They scored three touchdowns, three possessions to start the game.
Cavante Turpin, I've always wanted, you know, let's build a
little more of the offense around one of the fastest
players in the league. But whenever they try, it doesn't
quite work. So maybe one catch one to eighty six
yard touchdown is the perfect way to use them. The
Cowboys hold on in the second half to win thirty
(30:16):
to twenty three. This is what I want out of
a meaningless game in terms of playoff you know, scenarios
to start off Christmas date. If we're gonna have no
playoff scenarios, just give me a lot of offense early
and that's what we got from the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Yeah, Cowboys get out twenty one three lead early Doors
and Dak Prescott's looking absolutely sensational through this game. They
converted six fourth downs successfully, they round eighty seven offensive
plays to Washington's forty one, and they beat them INtime
posestion by seventeen minutes. Like, how is this game a
one score game?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
At the end of it is? What is beyond me?
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Because dan Quinn always finds a way to like make
it look closer than it really was. He kicked that
field goal at the end and then kicked it off,
which wasn't a crazy decision over two minutes to go.
It was probably his best chance to win. Was hope
to get a three and out, and of course they
could not get a three and out, and the Cowboys
finished the game with the ball. Yeah, you know what
I was thinking about during this game. You know we
(31:18):
think about on these holidays, like the past and generations
before us and stuff. Let just think about Marty Schottneimer.
This was a Marty Schottenheimer game. The first two drives
had thirty plays, but for the Cowboys, that's the longest
any first two drives have been all season in the NFL.
They finished with forty four rushing attempts for two hundred
(31:41):
and eleven yards. Just outrageous. They lose Javonte Williams to
a neck injury at halftime, and yet it didn't really matter.
Malik Davis, who was getting the ball in the first
half quite a bit, goes over one hundred yards on
twenty carries. They're giving the ball the Hunter Lipke, their
full back as a real tailback. They didn't have anyone
else will and they picked up a third and eight run.
At one point to Lipkey, it was like a give
(32:02):
up play or a setup the fourth down play, but
they just got the first down anyways. And they only
punted one time the Cowboys, and that was because George
Pickens dropped like an easy throw from Dak Prescott on
third and eight, which had Ceedee Lamb reacting like either
he was mad that George Pickens dropped it, or this
is on my raider a little bit. Maybe it was
(32:23):
mad that the ball didn't go to him. I'm just
kind of watching that as George Pickens continues to outproduce
CD Lamb. But yeah, they completely dominated this commander's defense
all day.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Yeah, and that's personally on the commander's defense, which we'll
get onto the shout out. So you mentioned Marty Brian
Schottenheimer has been as surprising and impressive as a head
coach performance. I think of people that were appointed last
season as I think we've really seen this year, and
him and Clayton Adams between them, they got in their bag.
They recognized that you were able to run on this
(32:53):
commandity defense and all this interior stuff as well, and
they basically just went like, draw trap power. Are we
going to throw absolutely everything at you We've got in
our bag and it's just gonna just crush you, just
completely batter those doors down. Malik Davis, I saw he
had one hundred and three rushing yards. Of that, ninety
three of them came on inside carries. It was just,
(33:15):
you know, it's meant to be the inside carries set
up the big outside place and that's where we'll get
our big plays from. And Nope, they just ran it
up the gut time and time again. And Washington don't
bring a lot of guys to the line of scrimmage.
That's part of like how that how that dan Quinn
defense is set up. But I mean, we just talked
about with Kansas City them needing a new voice in
the room desperately.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yes, we were in Madrid.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
When dan Quinn took over the play calling from Joett Junior,
and I was watching back the last few games, it
kind of preparing for, right, what could dan Quinn throw
differently at this defense that Joe it hasn't been and
Joe It was basically calling dan Quinn's defense like to
the letter. None of the play calling has changed at all.
(33:59):
It's still a throwback to the early twenty tens. Dan
Quinn defenses of that kind of Seahawks, Mold, etc.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
And I don't know. They just when you're that predictable,
you've got.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
To have great players, and instead they're mostly slow and
old at this point.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
It's it's difficult to watch, it really is, And they're
two years into this. So the fact that dan Quinn's
defense is stunk both years, because they basically stunk last
year despite making the NFC Championship, is concerning because they
don't have schematic answers. They certainly don't have answers on personnel.
Everyone's old on that defense except for Gierson Newton. Johnny
Newton was the nickname as a draft pick who I
(34:40):
was really high on at the time. Three and a
half sacks in this game and another few quarterback hits.
The crazy thing is Dak Prescott took six sacks in
this game, a lot of sacks considering their pressure rate
wasn't that high. But he was trying to make the
big play. And you asked and TJ. Batt they had
They had some replacements on the offensive line downs. You asked,
how is the game close when you know the Cowboys
(35:03):
were so dominant offensive? Well, it was because the Cowboys
defense was on the field and Washington did pop a
couple good runs and Josh Johnson looked pretty good. Let's
actually listen to probably what will be our last Bill
Krofsky Merritt call of the year.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
Miss Johnson under center for a first and ten with
a handoff over the right side prosty Marrit brick Spray.
He's at the fifteen on the first timeline. They won't
touch him. It's at the ten, bangling, It's all touchdown Bill.
His second touchdown today. He just rolled the slave seventy
(35:38):
two yard here on Christmas Day.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
That laughter, by the way, is our friend Ross Tucker,
who joining us on the super Bowl call. They got
something in Bill. Both his touchdown runs were awesome, Like
Bill is who people think Isaiah Piccheco is. He's gotta
be a role player. But here's a young player that
you can have and it might be twelve carries a
game like maybe he's not playing every down or whatever,
(36:04):
but he makes people miss watching the prime vision. By
the way, for that Chiefs game, I mean Pacheco cannot
find the whole like he has the worst vision of
like any starting running back. They actually did a great job,
that's beside the point blowing open horse, but so did
the Commanders. A couple of nice runs there by the Commanders.
That's how they kept it close as the Cowboys enter
(36:25):
an offseason where they got to figure out a lot undefensed.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I thought Quinn Williams and Kenny Clark flashed in this game.
I mean, Kenny Clark cap it next season is ridiculous,
so there'll need to be some reworking there. It was
the Jadavian Clowney game, a guy who I know you've
had the back of for a very long time. Six pressures,
one and a half sacks. He did well in the
run game as well, so like he had a decent game.
But yeah, they I don't know, not Ben don't break quite,
(36:52):
but they just they seemed to once they were up
twenty one to three, maybe a little foot off the
gas ped No, they.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Were at the whole time. This is actually one of
the worst EBERFLUS games of the season because the Commanders
only had eight possessions. Even at halftime, Will like, the
Commanders had only had the ball three times and they
had driven. You know, they had ten points, which points
per drive. That's excellent, that's leading the league. You know,
Josh Johnson averaged over eight yards pert tempt. They averaged
(37:19):
eight yards per play on the Cowboys. I know it
wasn't perfect, like they had a couple punts, but they
they weren't making mistakes. Josh Johnson, I thought if he
wanted to earn another year in the NFL, I mean,
he's certainly nubby. Yeah, I mean he's thirty nine to
forty years old. He's been in the NFL. They have
been in professional football like seventeen years. But yeah, he
could come in. The reason I called for that highlight
(37:42):
I totally forgot was that was a funny moment in
the game because I don't know if you had this
you had a different situation on Netflix but Clinton Portis
was like part of the broadcast at that moment, and
Netflix was popping in old stars throughout the day, giving
it kind of a preseason vibe. They had bad connections.
It was a bad idea, but the best moment of
(38:03):
the day in terms of the guests where Clinton Portis
popped in. First of all, you know, just love hearing him,
and literally one play in, you know, Bill pops that run,
so it was like it was like the vibes of
Clinton Portis led them to a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
We got the ones where they were on the call,
so like Chris Carter popping up in the Vikings game
randomly for example, we did get a few of those,
but nothing.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Nothing.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
In the interim, we got our little Scott Hansen Kyle
Long showing us tweets from all around the world and
telling us how football works, which.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Was okay, okay, well you're an expert.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
But no, no, I tell you I was I was
listening to the great man Ross Tucker, That's what I
was doing, and listening to the West, So I.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Guess that was you know, that was the difference is
you don't get the commercial. So yeah, rough game, and
like Washington didn't have two of their offensive line, and
Piatash got hurt in this game. Tunsel was out for
this game, and so that's why I think it was
even worse by the Cowboys deference Week eighteen. You know
they're they're going to be in the mix for draft positioning.
I'm in the mix to at least save myself and
(39:03):
get to that eight eight and one that I say.
I've been saying since the day they had that tie.
I said, this team, I don't know how they're gonna
get there, but they're gonna get to a eight and one.
It's gonna be annoying, but it will happen, and they
have I believe. I believe the Giants next week, so
they got a chance to do it. Jake Ferguson Andevante
Williams got hurt in this game, so it'll be a
(39:25):
little higher. If not, I think I have to do
something for Nick right like put up his signage of
his show in the background of our show, something like that.
So I need them to get that eighth win for me.
I think they can do it.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
You say that you did obviously this is from your
over under draft with me. We did a similar thing
on talkSPORT where we were looking through those records, and
I very famously, for amongst my friends, went on a
earlier in the year and went, are you really telling
me that fifteen win team are going to drop down
to eight and a half wins because they lost? Sam
Donald banged the over on eight and a half on
(39:59):
the bar if they beat the Pacas in the last
week of the season, scriping into the last second.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
That was one of my draft picks too. I had
my worst year ever doing that, so that was disappointing.
All right, that's the Cowboys win. They're up to seven
eight and one. Now it is time for Quarterback Keeper,
presented by Snapdragon. I said, we'd finished the show talking
a little Lamar Jackson. He's doubtful for Saturday night, so
very unlikely he plays that game, you know, very unlikely.
(40:30):
I think that they win that game with Tyler Huntley,
and so then you kind of think Lamar Jackson's season
is probably over. We've been talking about the possible, you know,
Sayonara for John Harbaugh this show now for a couple
of weeks. I think it's time. Mike Preston, who has
been writing columns for the Baltimore Sun for a couple
(40:51):
of decades wrote a fascinatingly timed one after Lamar Jackson
was already missing practice that he thinks Lamar Jackson and
John Harbaugh could be headed for a breakup and posited
it as a potential opportunity right now to trade Lamar Jackson.
(41:12):
When the columnist in town writes this piece, it doesn't
happen in a vacuum. The timing is purposeful. I want
to get into some of the specifics of it, but
that plus what I already was thinking about, the situation
to me is really fascinating. And I expect the Ravens
(41:34):
season to end on Saturday Night, and they really are
the most fascinating team to watch this offseason. The Chiefs
are pretty close, the Lions are in the mix. Like
it's some of the good teams this year that are
really interesting watch, but the Ravens are at the top
of my list. What were your takeaways from this article
and just the Lamar Jackson story right now?
Speaker 3 (41:54):
So I did a potentially slightly you know, I don't
know anyone on Boxing Day who's making such a wild
decision as this. I went to Raven's reddit because I
really wanted to get an impression of what the fans
thought of Mike Preston as a writer, of the timing
of this piece. Like you say it, you get guys
(42:16):
like whether it's Grant Cone with the forty nine ers
or Omar Kelly with the Dolphins, who like they might
sometimes write good stuff in Grant Cone's case, probably not,
but like they are divisive to say the least. And
I did find a piece that somebody posted from two
thousand and five where Mike Preston absolutely buries Brian Billick
(42:38):
because of his treatment of ray Lewis and holding him
up too highly and letting him get away with whatever
he wanted to and not having him be a leader.
And essentially it reads very similarly to this Lamar Jackson piece,
slightly differently in terms of it's a different age and
we're not getting video games and late for practice and
things like that with ray Lewis. But I don't know,
it felt like a hit piece, Like it felt like
(43:00):
it was targeted, and it felt like it was something
that was designed to make a change happen. The problem
is it's really interesting, like, as you know, I've been
doing this Channel five stuff here in the UK recently,
which you've done previously on the Monday Night Football, but
they do for the one pm Eastern games. The show
is very much designed to be a bit more of
(43:20):
a layman show. It's designed for like new fans and
trying to track people in and they bring in celebrity
guests to quite often aren't big NFL fans or kind
of follow it like semi closely. And the guy who
was on this week's a comedian called Sean Walsh, and
he was asking me, I head coach firings in the
NFL like manager firings in football, where guys last like
six months and just disappear, And I'm like, no, if anything,
(43:43):
quite a lot of the time in the NFL it's
the opposite. It's you know, we get these situations like
Mike Tommlin, like John Harbor, where we're all questioning are
they really the future of the franchise several times over
the course of the last few years, and either consistently
get proven wrong or you just get that back of
look at what they've achieved, look at what they've achieved,
(44:03):
look at what they've achieved.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Over and over.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
I just my feeling on this is always there is
only one goal in the NFL. There's only one team
that win at thirty two, there is only one trophy
to lift. And if you really don't feel like if
you feel like I've got a generational quarterback, which what
Lamar Jackson is, and you don't feel like what's happening
in the building is working to get that guy to
that place, then maybe it is time to make a change.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
I mean, trading Lamar Jackson's insane. I have so many
thoughts about this, and I quote tweeted it and I
got a lot of people misinterpreting what I was saying.
And what I said was that after reading this, i'man
even more convinced that Lamar and John Harbor are not
going to be together next year, and it would be
(44:50):
insane to trade Lamar Jackson. That's my main takeaway. It's
not that everything in the piece is true. It's that
the existence of the piece speaks to an incredible fracture
between John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson, and it reads from
the outside to someone's airing of grievances of Lamar Jackson
(45:12):
that it's desperation time, it's fourth down. John Harbaugh's career
might be at the forty seven yard line and his
hail Mary is letting this thing out because it doesn't
come out in a total vacuum, and there was like
no sourcing here. And some of the bigger accusations in
(45:33):
the piece, which we're interesting to see, was that you know,
Lamar Jackson sometimes is a sleep at meetings, that Harbaugh
is kind of sick of him, and how he I
think maybe approaches the game that he shouldn't be up
(45:54):
late at night, like playing video games. That was the
most ridiculous one that they've moved move practices to the afternoon,
I think in training camp, I believe, or because of
Lamar Jackson. Oh, like some of those are probably they
all probably have varying degrees of truth, and there's probably
some truth to a lot of it. And frankly, it's
stuff that has been buzzed around that building and outside
(46:17):
of the building since Lamar's contract negotiation a few years ago.
You would hear that almost the exact same stuff coming
out kind of from the Ravens side of things. So
it might not all be coaching stuff, and maybe front
office it might who even knows. There's I'm sure there's
elements of truth to all of it. My bigger thing
(46:37):
was the fact that this is all coming out right now,
is like, oh, come on, because Lamar's going to see that.
Everyone in the organization's going to see that. John Harbaugh
goes up on the podium the next day and says
he has an A plus plus relationship with Lamar Jackson.
And I'm just thinking everyone inside that building knows the truth,
(47:00):
and now everyone outside the building is starting to realize
the truth because me doth protests too much. And I
don't care how many picks you're going to get for
Lamar Jackson. I think it'd be crazy to trade him.
And if you even considered trading him, will I think
it'd be even crazier to trade him and keep John Harbaugh.
Like like if if for some reason you want to
(47:23):
entertain this, you still are making the coaching change, and
you're and you're and you're making a full scale, like
huge change, And I don't even want to get into
what they would need to come back, Like none of
that makes sense to me, because I think the obvious
thing here to do is find the right coach for
Lamar Jackson. Yeah, what are we talking?
Speaker 3 (47:42):
We don't need to sit here in the least, we
don't need to sit here and list it off right.
The two time MVP should have potentially won it again
last year, very close in the voting apparently like, yes,
there is this knock against all of these guys, whether
it's him, where there's Josh Allen, where it's obviously Joe
barro has made it's a super Bowl, but all these
other AFC calls backs who haven't got there. But as
we've talked about a lot in the last few weeks,
(48:04):
as the Chiefs went out of the playoffs, it's like, oh, wow,
this is gonna be the first time.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
In however many years it's not Brady or Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
It's so like it's been so dominated by certain teams
that I don't think that means that the Ravens have
necessarily failed. I think this year they will see as
a failure because they went into the year very high hopes.
You know, you think about the continuity coordinator, you think
about the continuity on the defense, like they really thought
that this year could be a year they can tend
(48:32):
and they're going to look at it from the outside
if they don't make it in and go yeah, no,
mahomes there. This could have been the year that we
stormed the castle and you know, turned up in Santa
Clara in four or five weeks time, and instead they're
going to be sitting and you know, attending Pro Bowl games, etc.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
On that week.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
So there will be a huge amount of frustration. But
to trade Lamar Jackson would be insanity.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Like, honestly, he's about to turn thirty. I do think
it's a to recognize that there are elements of the
column that are worth talking about, including most importantly about
his body potentially breaking down. And that was what Preston said.
He didn't think he thinks Lamar is as tough a
(49:16):
competitor as there is, Like he wants to be out there,
but the injuries are starting to pile up the running
nobility in two of the last three years, because I
think people kind of forget that he didn't look quite
the same running the ball in twenty three either before
he looked incredible in twenty four. That like Mike Vick
talked to Lamar Jackson at some point, like you do
(49:38):
have to protect your body run a little bit less.
Lamar has always been great about that, Like there are
things to think about in terms of maximizing the rest
of his career, of course, and if approach to the
game as part of it, of course, Like I think
about another quarterback in the division, Ben Roethlisberger, who to
me famously adjusted his approach mentally, physically everything when he
(50:00):
got into his thirties and was better, like very much
relied less on his physical ability. And Lamar's always been
great mentally in the game. So that's not a question.
He's a great pocket quarterback. He should age well, but
finding the right coach for him to do that is
really important. And Chris is in the in the commons
(50:21):
saying I should mention that it's a Baltimore Sun columnist,
not a reporter, And to that, I would say, when
you're that columnist. And I know Preston, I have thoughts
about I think he's ultimately like it's good to have
one of those guys in town. And he might be
serving a lot of different sources and stuff, but he
knows the truth, he knows what's going on. And I
(50:42):
know a lot of Ravens fans kind of don't like him,
and because he's he stirs it up a little bit.
But these things don't happen in a vacuum, so honestly,
it coming from him even as a columnist. That's what
a columnist is there for, is actually a column like this,
even if you don't like totally love it, because it
does it does say something about it. We don't have
to wrap up here, but I do want to remember.
(51:03):
That was Quarterback Keeper, presented by Snapdragon Learning more at
snapdragon dot com slash laptops. Just just fascinating. Snapdragon getting
their money's worth here with a meaty Lamar Jackson segment.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
I just to finalize the point you were making, because
I think the Ben Roethlisberger comparison is fascinating. What this
isn't is Russell Wilson. What this isn't is early career
success with a brilliant run game, great scrambler, great deep
all throw. But did he have the capacity to be
a pure.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Pocket or Mike Vick is a good example.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, yeah, another one, Like what.
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Are we talking about here? Lamar is like one of
the all time greats who's had like even this season
which was you know, not great for him. It was like,
of course, you're betting on that guy to have a
good you know, sorry to cut you.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
No.
Speaker 7 (51:49):
No.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
I think at some point a full story of this
season might come out where we find out about like
just how healthy was he when he was playing, because
there was that six week stretch where he just wasn't
running the ball at all. I think over six weeks
he had fewer yards total than his average per game
in his career up until that point. And you just
you were surprised he wasn't using that part of his
game because it clearly wasn't necessarily designed that way. But
(52:13):
get in one of these kind of young offensive genius
types who can whether that's as a coordinator or as
the head coach.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
And we've seen Daniel to Baltimore. I've been speaking it.
Speaker 3 (52:24):
I was speaking Mike McDaniel to Kansas City as a
run game coordinator for quite a while. But actually, I
sure I'd rather take a head coaching job with Lamar
Jackson in a heartbeat, Like I that's the kind of
guy that if you getting them in there and they
can they're younger, they can connect with Lamar better, and
they can design an offense that is more suited to
his skills.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
At thirty maybe than twenty four.
Speaker 3 (52:47):
I still think this is a team that can go
on and win, not just a super Bowl, potentially multiple
over the next.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
DAYLD Okay, let's no. I mean yeah, I mean I
think he could, but so much needs to go into it.
Speaker 3 (53:00):
We are in the post Drake May world, of course,
so you know we're not going to get It's now
going to be Mahomes May.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Mahome that May.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
It's one of my favorite damashek bits, Like there's always
so many super Bowls to go, right, everyone says, Oh,
he's gonna get one, He's gonna get one. It's like
if Mahomes has taken so many and you got the
Eagles who are getting back, but this year it is
wide open. Josh Allen, by the way, is going to
play this weekend. We learned that from Bill's coach Sean McDermott.
(53:29):
Some other injury news sas Gardner is going to return
for the Colts this weekend, but they lost to Forrest
Buckner for the rest of the season after he reinjured
his neck. That that's not great. Tristan Wurf's is out
for the Buccaneers. So that was just something I was
keeping an eye on because I picked the Dolphins in
that game. I kind of feel like the Buccaneers have
a little bit of a death witch at least at
(53:50):
the very least I think they're going to cover five
and a half points there. This was a pleasure. Will
If we were casting the NFL Daily you know, Christmas play,
you're playing Santa. I mean, you're just you know, I'm
not trying to type cast, but you're just a jolly
(54:10):
pleasant guy to see over the holidays, and I do
love talking football with you, and I'm looking forward to
that Super Bowl too.
Speaker 3 (54:18):
So what many people won't know is, as a twenty
year old student living in Leicester in the Midlands, I
got off the opportunity to be Santa not only at
like a local like the kind of council run local
free visit Santa thing, but I also ended up being
the one that went on the float at the big
turning on of the Christmas lights and everything else. In
(54:39):
I did have to still wear a suit, despite the
fact that I'm a man of substantial carriage and.
Speaker 2 (54:44):
With the big beard and everything else.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
And so I have been publicly in front of a
crowd of quite literally hundreds of people as Santa Claus.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
So I've been welcome.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
It's the Beard. It's wonderful and yeah, no, Will's Will's
the best and I'm glad he's been recognized this year
as a great play by play man for talkSPORT. You
can check him out on talkSPORT. You can also check
out a new podcast he is doing called Across the Formation,
So everyone go and like and subscribe to that. That's
on podcast apps, that's on YouTube, and you can check
(55:18):
out talkSPORT there as well. It was a pleasure. We
will be back on Sunday. It's a little bit lighter
of a Sunday slate, but we have those two big
Saturday games. Jordan Rodrigue's gonna the boots on the ground
give us an in person update because she's going to
Texans Chargers. We also have that pack of Ravens game
Eagles bills is a fun one on Sunday. I cannot wait.
(55:41):
Merry Christmas to everyone to see that
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're always ready to celebrate
Boxing Day. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I am here in rainy
southern California talking to my friend Will Gavitt, who's joining
us in the future at night in Boxing Day in
the UK. Welcome Will, regular. You know NFL dailians will
(00:28):
remember you joined me for a Thanksgiving show last season,
so you are the go to holiday guy, and Merry
Christmas to you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
The man who will do anything to get a mention
and the backup Britt gets on the backup quarterback show,
so it couldn't be more perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's not true. Will is the best, an old friend
and you can hear him of course on talkSPORT. He's
a viral superstar at this point after this season. We
enjoyed calling the games together this season, and we're going
to be calling the super Bowl together. Little breaking news
here with Ross Tucker, so something to look forward to there.
(01:04):
And yes, we're gonna recap the three Christmas games. We're
gonna talk a little bit about Lamar Jackson at the
end of this show because a lot's going on there
and I just thought this would be a good time
to do it. And yeah, it wasn't maybe the Christmas
slate that the NFL was expecting, But it had some
fun moments. It had some bittersweet moments, and why don't
(01:27):
we go to one of those. Let's go to Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Second down, Minnesota's got minus six pass yards. Is the
motion Addison to the slot left snap handoff, Addison off
the motion thirty five to forty outside the numbers, forty
five to fifty on the gas pedal down the sideline,
fifteen to ten.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Push to the pylon.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
He is no signal yet.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Daniel Thomas pushed him in touchdown, a.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Late signal, but a fruitful one for Minnesota to sleep
to the stars Tourdan Addison.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That was Jason Bennetti on Westwood One. Vikings win twenty
three to ten, ending the Lions season. And yes, holidays
can be bittersweet because it's a wonderful time with family
and sometimes you're thinking about the people you're missing are
just like time gone by. They were all getting older,
(02:29):
and in this football sense, watching the Lions miss the playoffs,
it was kind of a bummer. It felt it felt
like the end of something. But that was a great play,
a great call there by Jordan Addison during a game
will where at that point the Minnesota Vikings had roughly
seventy five yards from scrimmage like total yards on offense,
(02:52):
and yet they were winning the game, and that one
almost doubled the total yards for the game, and it
was just enough in one of the best defensive romances
of the season by any team by the Vikings, just
just ending the Lion season, giving their fans a big
lumper call on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, you mentioned like Max Brosma sacked seven times.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I heard Jason Bonde say it there.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
He ended up with three net passing yards in total
and his feet so loud in the pocket like they're
the two big runs and the big touchdowns. Of course,
but the key is they kept getting short fields because
of that defensive performance.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Six Lions turnovers meant they.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Had scoring drives of sixteen yards, twenty eight yards, four yards,
twenty one yards, and that sixty five yard Jets weeep
you just heard. But yeah, unbelievable performance from Brian Flores
getting absolutely in his bag. And it's just a shame
from a Vikings perspective that this is happening so late
in the season. Last five weeks They've been sensational on defense.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It's crazy they're in third place now. The Lions are
slated as of right now to play a last place
schedule next season. If you're gonna crash out, that's the
way to do it. Like you might get a little help.
It depends obviously on what happens in Week eighteen here,
but yeah, the Vikings have rallied all the way to
(04:11):
eight and eight, and it did remind me a little
bit of Brian Flores Jared Goff matchups of the past,
including a Super Bowl coordinated by Brian Flores where the
Rams only scored three points. And if you kind of
think about the Lion we'll get to a little bit
of the Vikings here, but to me, the story is
the Lions to turn the ball over six times for
(04:32):
it to end this way, and to kind of think
about how this Lions team really entered the national consciousness
became I feel like America's team certainly one of NFL
dailies teams. It was the twenty two Week eighteen game
on Sunday Night Football where they technically had nothing to
play for and they knocked Aaron Rodgers in the Packers
out of the playoffs and for it to kind of
(04:54):
flip all the way around and for them to get
knocked out by a team that had really nothing to
play for. And you think about how this season started
getting mollywopped by the Packers and they lose on another
holiday Thanksgiving where they're not competitive, and maybe it was
fitting to see Jared Garf just struggling against the blitz
again and leaving a lot of questions for this Lion's
(05:16):
team heady into the next season.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, you mentioned that struggle against the blitz because it
felt like all those Viking pressures were like not only
were they throwing all the blitzers at them and he
was blitz on fifty five point nine percent of drop
back six of sixteen in those situations, but what you
saw is every time he were in those blitz situations,
he was trying to do the right thing. He was
trying to go for the check down, he was trying
(05:39):
to replace the blitzer. He was trying to like offer
those quick screens as well, which we know with Andrew
Van Ginkel on the field, who don't want to be
doing at any point. But there seemed to be this
coaching point to the vikings of if he's going to
try that, get your hands up. And the number of
times that, like Jalen Redman's just getting into a lane
and sticking his arms up in the air and were
(05:59):
sitting baut it down pass time and time and time again.
And it's slightly frustrating from a liance perspective that you're
just not seeing an adjustment to that, realizing, let you know,
they're going to do this. This isn't something new, This
isn't some wrinkle that Brian Flores has suddenly turned up
with this week, and yet the lines just seem to
have absolutely zero answer for it, and Jared Goff just
(06:20):
harassed all day long.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Well, I think it comes down to the personnel. We
talked about a little bit in the previous show with
Yes the starting brit Ally Connolly, who pointed out the
interior line and like, this is not the Lions team
that we've come to know and love. Taylor Decker, by
the way, wasn't there at left tackle, and then on
the interior they had two bad snaps from Kingsley Agu
(06:45):
Khan as part of their six turnovers. Their left guard,
Christian Mahogany was back, but the right guard is aw
Oseka and Tate Ratleis is the rookies just getting beaten up,
and yeah, the six turnovers really were the story of
the day. Let's actually lett into a man who I
spoke with. You did too, I believe. In the locker
(07:05):
room after a Vikings win in London, Harrison Smith, who
was hearing Hall of Fame chance and said after this
game that he said that was the most fun performance
he's ever been a part of. He thought it was
the single best defensive performance he's ever been a part
of it. And he's been a part of a lot
of big ones. His interception late in the third quarter
(07:27):
was a highlight to me.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
He's a long setback on first OUN's that play action
to him. GoF loads up and saints it over the
middle man are accepted by Harrison Smith. He's down in
Lion's territory. It's the thirty ninth of his career, just
the second of his season. What can Notre Dane do
(07:49):
for you?
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Harrison Smith baiting Jared Goff into throwing this football. Watching
the film, you know that when they do play action past,
Jared Goff loves to throw it to his r to
am and Ross Saint Brown but Harrison Smith took a
step back at the snap, giving a fake read to
Golf that he was dropping, and as soon as Golf
turned around, he drove on the football caught it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
With both hands.
Speaker 6 (08:10):
Baby meet the baby carriage.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Great call there, That was Ryan Harris, who I believe
that Notre Dame grad on Westwood one and yeah, just
a cool moment for Harrison Smith. Maybe the end of
his career. Who knows, they maybe it won't be. And
that was part of a sequence will where there were
two straight turnover, two straight interceptions on two straight passes.
That one was more on Golf I think, getting a
little jumpy. You mentioned the blitz struggles. Yeah, he took
(08:36):
three sacks, had two interceptions and a fumble all on blitzes,
and he ended up having three turnovers in a four
dropback sequence because he fumbled the ball two when Dallas
Turner sacked him a few plays later on the next drive.
Just like a rough day here for Jared Goff. And
(08:56):
it's not like they're going to do anything different at quarterback,
but I do think the Lions kind of lost their way.
This was a team that couldn't like Black and they
couldn't run the ball either by the end of this season.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
No, And look, you mentioned the offensive line struggles.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Penne Saw went out of this game briefly as well,
to just really compound all of that, and you've got
a third string right guard coming in and playing right
tackle on top of everything else. I think the difference
for me is you say, I don't think they're going
to make a change at quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I expect that.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Line to look steah and I expect that line to
look healthier next season. And on the other side of
the ball, I think despite the fact that over the
past five weeks or so they have had a little
bit of a drop off, Kelvin Sheppard really does look
like the future. They generated a season high pressure rate
in this game. You know, Alcade Mohammad had an excellent game.
(09:48):
He had six pressures in this one. You know Max
Brosmus struggled I mentioned earlier, sacked seven times as well.
So there's a lot to like about this Lion's team
going into next year. It feels like a season that
you just you carry the ball, you right it off,
you burn the tape, you do whatever cliche you need
to do, and then you get to righting some of
these wrongs in the off season. For the Viking side
(10:09):
of it, though, I really want to feel like the
fact that over I think it's they're now fifth in
weighted DVOA on defense, right and they haven't allowed a
passing success rate over forty percent since Week twelve of
the season, and they've not played a bunch of Hammon Eggers.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
That's like playing the Cowboys and the Lions. But yet
with you mentioned Harrison Smith's future unclear, Eric Wilson's future unclear,
they're massively over the cap for next season, despite the
fact that they're playing a rookie quarterback. Like, I don't know,
I feel like a tea. Yeah, it feels like this
was an opportunity and they just threw it away.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
They'll feel better about it because of how it finished
in December, but ultimately JJ McCarthy and the quarterback decisions
and the quarterback play hurt them on a team that
could have been competing to win games in the playoffs,
because we don't know this defense is going to be
together next year, whether they're going to be able to
keep it together as well as as it's been. And yeah,
(11:08):
if nothing else, they just feel better that Brian Flores
got to break them at the very end, and Dan
Campbell did sound a little broken after the game, which
always bumms me out.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
Brad, now have a lot of decisions to make, you know,
a lot of things. You look at the watch, the
wise the how do we improve because we need to
improve And even if you have the core which you
believe in, whin we've got them is that? Man, It's
a new it's always a new team. You got to
find your own way, man. So it's disappointing, you know,
(11:40):
it's disappointing. So but it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Oh man, that was I don't like seeing Dan Campbell
sad sad as one since the one where he said
we may never get back to this place in the
NFC Championship game.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
You know, maybe he was right after what we saw today,
But I really feel like they will come back and
they will bounce back. But it is now just agree
just a much more difficult division now. I'm sure you know,
there'll be a lot of talk going into this weekend
of the fact the Bears can still get the one seed,
the Packers can still win the NFC North and despite
(12:22):
a weird season, when they get my cap Parsons back
when everything comes back around next year, like this is
going to be a tough out in any season for
the next five plus years.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It feels like I just I feel like the lines
are much better positioned than the Vikings to bounce back.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
It is incredible how loaded this division is. It really is,
and I know things change from year to year. Like
sometimes you'll think of division is going to be great,
But I like the coaches so much in this division,
and other than the Vikings, I like the quarterbacks, And
you're absolutely right. It's gonna be a bloodbath every single season.
And I do think the Lions can get back. They
(12:59):
have a great nucleus. They have a lot of great
young players sign long term, but it will be a
different team. David Montgomery, for instance, I noticed how he
got in some hot water in Detroit about you know,
he like liked some posts where they were saying they
were giving the ball to Jamir gives too much. There
was some other comments that were like deleted. He seems
like someone who might have you might be coming to
(13:22):
the end of his Detroit time. And that's fine. They
are just reaching that point in the team build where
some favorites are gonna have to be cast aside because
they really need better play on both lines. That's the
number one thing. And you mentioned the Packers. I should
have led with that. The Packers are in the playoffs.
The Lions loss clinches it. Green Bay is in the playoffs.
(13:45):
They're playing on Saturday night. They are still trying to
win the NFC North, So no reason to think that
they're gonna rest starters or anything like that. You know,
they could help seeding. They could win the NFC North
with a little help from Chicago. But a massive turn
of events here with the Lions getting passed in this division.
All right, let's go to our next game. It's the
(14:06):
other one on Christmas Day that we knew had some
playoff implications. Ken Denver avoid slipping on a banana peel
at aarhad.
Speaker 8 (14:17):
Fourth and eight at the Denver twenty six, Holidokin in
the gun running back, hunt off his right, three receivers
right the snap, Holy Dookin back to throwing a clean
pocket all day, throwing deep down the middle into the end.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Zone, overthrows them all. It's incomplete.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
It's a clean field.
Speaker 8 (14:33):
No penalty flags intended for Hollywood Brown. Jae Kwon McMillan
in on the coverage and the Broncos defense turns away
Kansas City on fourth down and they'll move to thirteen
and three. The Broncos the number one seed at the
moment in the AFC playoff race.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Oh, they held on to that one seed just barely.
That was JP Shagik on Westwood One. Came down to
the final Kansas City snap under thirty seconds to go.
They still have a chance to tie it up. It's
twenty to thirteen the Broncos win. They will be watching
the Chargers Texans on Saturday here in Los Angeles and
(15:12):
rooting for a Texans victory that would clinch the AFC
West for the Broncos. If not, it'll come down to
Week eighteen. Chargers Broncos for the division, possibly for the
one seed. Denver will have to keep playing almost certainly
into Week eighteen if they want to get that one seed.
(15:34):
The takeaway when I'm driving home, I watched the movie
last night. I know you're asleep by now. You were working.
By the way, why were you working Vikings Lions up
until one thirty in the morning. You didn't have to
do that. You're the boss. People don't know that, but
you're the boss. You could have assigned someone else to that.
You could have just not even taken that game. I
wasn't even watching this game live. I'm like, I'm gonna
(15:55):
go see a Korean vengeful comedy, no other choice with
my buddy Anthony Justin, and we had a good time.
I didn't watch this game way, but I got to admit.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Look, we're gonna talk obviously about the game flow of
this game and what a wild game flow it was.
But the first half was so short because of those
long Broncost drives that you chose to go see a
career movie. I was on my way home from work
at one am yesterday. You had this choice between obviously
you should go to bed, probably if you're in the UK,
but you either had you could watch the Broncos game,
(16:25):
or you could start the new second half of the
season of Stranger Things, which is.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
What Netflix was pushing. Oh okay, Yeah, the first half.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Of this game was so short that you could have
watched the entire first episode of that game of Strange Things.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Flipped over and you were in a halftime.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Like it was shorter than an episode of a TV
It was that just quick and It was that ridiculous,
how just this Bonix and this Broncos offense that this
dink and duncan slow like four possessions of fourteen plus
yards that took thirty two minutes in this game. This
was a dream for people who were staying to one
in the morning to watch this game, because it meant
(17:02):
it was over by about three am and you could
all go to bed.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Fairpoint, it was mid second quarter before I even left,
so I did end up watching this first half, and
it was ridiculous. My hottest take from this game, because
I don't think there's a ton moving forward to draw
from this game, is that I'm impressed by the Broncos
winning how they did. I don't care how it came
down to the end. When you really watch the flow
(17:27):
of this game, it was a dominant performance. They had
over three hundred yards, the Chiefs had under one hundred
and forty. They like you mentioned, if there's only seven
offensive drives and four of them go for fourteen plays
or more and you're scoring touchdowns on two of them,
I mean, it was a good offensive performance. And the
thing that I will be impressed by is that ultimately
(17:49):
the Broncos get the ball back, like mid third quarter,
they're losing, they go on a long touchdown drive. They
make it happen. Bo Nick's with his legs makes it happen.
And then they get another ball back again in a
position they probably didn't expect. Tied late fourth quarter, and
what do they do. They go on another long touchdown
drive and Steve Spagnola had a clear game plan here
(18:11):
will they just they decided not to blitz and Bonex
did not get pressured much and they just made them
dinking dunk down the field. And a couple times, you know,
the Broncos make some mistakes. Cortland Sutton dropped two nice
passes in the red zone. They probably would have scored
a touchdown on a different drive where they had to
sell for a field goal. Bo Nicks missed the pass
or two early, but I thought he played pretty well.
(18:33):
It just was one of those nights. It's a short week,
it's it's Christmas. The crowd's going crazy. This is kind
of what even for one seeds games look like in
Week seventeen. Sometimes even when you're playing an underman team.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Yeah, and like you say, short week, going on the
road against a team who, yes, they are falling apart
at the seams.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
But you know, Travis Kelce, probably his last game, which.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I'm sure we'll get onto, there was a lot of
emotion on the day that the inception right, Christian Fulton
gets across and just makes an unbelievable play on the
ball and Nick Bolton in full tip drill mode like
that can't be on Bonicks. The throw is placed exactly
where it needs to be to pick up that first down,
particularly when he's scrambling outside the pocket to his left.
It's interest what you said about the blitzing, because what
(19:15):
I thought about this game watching those long, dinky donkey
drives that we're talking about, is that actually Bonix twenty
five of thirty four one hundred and seventy six yards
in a touchdown when playing in structure, and I think
he was only three of ten on passes over ten yards,
but they had a fifty five percent offensive success rate,
and this was you know, this is kind of what
(19:36):
Sean Payton wants if he thinks this Boncos team are
going to go and win games in the playoffs, because
he wants them to be able to go.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
It doesn't matter what you throw of us.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
We'll just be able to pick it apart in the
most Sean Payton way possible. We don't need to go
and take those deep shots necessarily.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I mean, you did your work here. I mean it's
Boxing Day, you're working on Christmas, and you got like
a lot of status. That's also what I mean, by
the way, why I'm relatively impressed by the Broncos here,
because like it shouldn't have been this close. It was,
like you mentioned success rate, that the Chiefs offense didn't
really do anything. They were set up on some short
fields and took advantage, and Chris Oladukan actually made a
(20:14):
couple plays where you're like, Okay, I think he's going
to stay in the NFL, like he can be a
second or third quarterback. But they were still very limited.
Their success rate was twenty eight percent, so that the
profile of this game was that of a blowout but
a couple times and you mentioned that Fulton tip that
interception was one of the best interceptions of the year.
(20:37):
A third and twelve where Nicks is throwing it and
just a total diving incredible play by Fulton, who's played
a little better. He's starting to play the last couple
weeks and it might mean something for him. He signed
a pretty big free agency contract and I figured he
would get cut this offseason. But he's looked good the
last couple of weeks and Nick Bolton ends up diving
to make that interception, and there's some this is a
(21:00):
little wild here, and well there's some talk in Kansas
City they got their own salary cap stuff. Would Trent
McDuffie ever be on the trade block kind of like
to Lagerious Sneed was back in the day, because he's not.
He's coming off like a kind of not a great season,
And then you look tonight and or on Christmas and
(21:21):
it was like, Noel Williams is playing, well, you have Fulton,
you have some young guys. It just might be the
type of move that they do to get some draft
picks back like they once did with Lagerious Need.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
I guess the difficulty as well is when you made
that Lagarious Sneed decision. Part of that decision was that
you were going to pay Chris Jones and pay him
big and keep him right. And he has the penalty
last night, which I thought Bonix on his cadence, we've
been hearing a lot of like the center mic over
recent days with the phil Rivers against the forty nine
ers last week on Monday, Like, they've been really amping
(21:54):
that thing up, and I thought he did a really
great job in that situation. But you've if they're gonna
let Trump McDuffie go, as much as he's not had
a great year this year, they need to be putting
more into the front. They need to be getting more
pass rushed because George garg.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Isn't a one.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Chris Jones has flashed in two or three games this year,
but hasn't been the dominant guy we've seen in January
of recent seasons. Like, I just I don't know letting
a piece that good go, even if he's had a
down year.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Oh, that's kind of wild. I've got a question for you, though, Greg.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
You mentioned about like that you thought that, you know,
the Chiefs still managed to put some stuff together.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I mean the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The Chiefs are playing like third string tackles, and they've
got a quarterback that basically like even the most ardent
NFL fan probably hadn't.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Heard of until two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, and the Broncos get one sack in this game
and really don't get a lot of pressure on him. Otherwise,
this is meant to be a much vaunted, absolutely top
tier defense, and I don't know if they're just holding
back it, they're saving themselves a little bit.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But I look back over the last few games.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I look back over the performance particularly ainst the Jags,
but even the Packers game, the Commander's game, where they
gave him.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
A lot of lot yardage a lot of points.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
So I just think it's clearly a good defense. But
am I feeling the same way I felt about it
for the first ten weeks the season. I feeling like
I feel about the Texans, where I'm like, that's a
defense that can carry a game for you.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I'm less convinced all of a sudden.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, Traditionally they also load up on these under you know,
powered quarterbacks and destroy them. And I look, if you
give up one hundred and forty yards, it's tough to
kill the defense. But I'm with you that you do
wonder if a little bit of Vance Joseph's play Colleen
magic is starting to run out in terms of the
(23:41):
league catching up with them, and they're gonna have to go.
But again, some really good offenses depending on the matchups
and That's why it's so important in the AFC what
the matchup is, because I think they're they're going to
be more vulnerable to a team that I think has
a loaded offense than the vice versa, then being able
to like play a team like let's say the Chargers
(24:03):
are Texans who are you know, not as good on offense.
So if they play the Bills and the Patriots, can
they keep up in a shootout? That's a fair point. Yeah,
the casey was playing two tackles that did not play
tack high school football, which is interesting. It was their
fifth and six tackles as a pole and another gentleman
that now is escaping me that I wasn't familiar with.
(24:25):
You mentioned Kelsey could be his last game. Was pretty
interesting that Patrick Sartan was on him for most of
the game and so he was quiet relatively at a
couple of catches early. He ends up with the most targets,
the most catches on the team, but that's only five
for thirty six. He spoke after the game, you know
(24:45):
about a night where you know, they introduced him last
and it's getting emotional and if it was the last night,
it kind of felt like it.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
No The only time it ever crossed my mind is
I was driving in the other day and I saw
how much the power ball was and I was like, Man,
if I could just win, I wouldn't have to work
another day in my life. Oh no, man, Honestly, I've
been just focused on trying.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
To win football games.
Speaker 9 (25:15):
Man, I'll let that be a decision that I make
with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
When the time comes, we'll see. I don't know, by
the way, I think they've got enough money in the Kelsey.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
That documentary has played in my house over the recent
week or so, and yeah, watching it back, I'm like,
I think he's gonna be fine. I do question though, Like,
as much as he's obviously like a walking Hall of Famer,
I don't think anyone's questioning his place in NFL history
and what they've achieved. But how much does it say
about this Chief's offense right now that Patsatown was matched
(25:53):
up on Travis Kelcey, Yeah a lot last night. I
think seven occasions he was targeted twice of those one
reception eleven year. Like, I know that Travis kelce has
been their best receiver for a long time, but they
just doesn't feel like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
It feels like there's a lot with this Chiefs team
that has to happen.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
We were just talking about with lines and vikings, which
of those teams you think is set up to bounce
back quickly next year? I really like I think it
was Ollie said this on I can't remember it's on
your show, on his own show. But they need a
new voice in the room. They need somebody there who's
going to try and shake things up a little bit,
actually help with the run game.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
And I don't know this Chief's team right now.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
As much as this was a fun performance last night,
we've just picked apart why the defense is gonna be
great next year without major investment. They're losing Travis Kelce. Like,
outside of Mahomes, what are we excited about about this
team next season?
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Yeah? Yeah, Xavier Worthy has not really stepped up. They
had put Racie Rice on injured reserve. Like the biggest
play they had on offense was a pass interference to Worthy.
They actually did not complete an air yard pass over
ten yards, only the tenth time that that's happened all
season long. The tackle. I feel bad when I don't
name a man. So it was Chuldwabuca Godrich for the
(27:09):
Chiefs playing in his first game, and yeah, you're right,
the pass pro wasn't really a problem. Nick Benito's been
pretty quiet. He was very hard on himself after last
week's game, saying that he thought he did not play well,
and they have been relatively quiet. Shout out to the
crowd in this game. I just want to give a
little bit of love that, like they were live, they
(27:29):
were in it. They just found out that they're moving
the team. You know, I know it's only twenty miles away,
but there's a lot of Chiefs fans that are not
happy about that. It's Christmas night, this team is out
of it, and I think the home team gave him
a good show. They're like showing mahomes up in the
in the booth and he's cheering after the first touchdown.
(27:53):
I just give them some credit as good fans on
the end of a tough season.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
They got a little of stick few weeks ago as
well for that Chargers game where there were a lot
of people who left early in a three point game,
And so yeah, they deserve a little bit of praise
because generally I've been there before. It's a pretty great crowd,
but may think they've rested on their laurels a bit.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
One of one. Maybe it's I mean, Lambeau is its
own thing, but Arrowhead is such a unique, great atmosphere
and they're going to have it for what four or
five more years here, But there just aren't other places
like that. And ultimately, Broncos fans you're listing bo Nicks
is playing well. I think he's playing his best part
his best football this season. Right now, you did what
(28:39):
you needed to do, and who cares about style points.
Let's take a break. On the other side. We are
going to talk about the Cowboys Washington game, but I'm
even more interested to talk about this Lamar Jackson John
Harvar Raven situation. We will wrap with that.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Just shot gun stat Prescott steps up into the pocket,
fires down the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
It's turpenen stright at the forty running away from the defense,
turp into the twenty to ten touchdown.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Dallas Covan Date Chirpin.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
If it stands an eighty six yard touchdown grab, but
there is a flag down back at the eleven yard.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Line, tie defense number four. That penalty has declined.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
Results of the play touchdown.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
It stands in Cavant date Chirpin with an eighty six
yard touchdown, grab breaking away from the defense and breaking
open this game.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
It's twenty to three.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
Dallas with seven minutes to go in the second.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Woof that Cowboys offense, I will miss watching them. That's
JP Shadduck on Westwood One. Rather, that's Jason Horowitz, our
friend on Westwood one.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
They scored three touchdowns, three possessions to start the game.
Cavante Turpin, I've always wanted, you know, let's build a
little more of the offense around one of the fastest
players in the league. But whenever they try, it doesn't
quite work. So maybe one catch one to eighty six
yard touchdown is the perfect way to use them. The
Cowboys hold on in the second half to win thirty
(30:16):
to twenty three. This is what I want out of
a meaningless game in terms of playoff you know, scenarios
to start off Christmas date. If we're gonna have no
playoff scenarios, just give me a lot of offense early
and that's what we got from the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Yeah, Cowboys get out twenty one three lead early Doors
and Dak Prescott's looking absolutely sensational through this game. They
converted six fourth downs successfully, they round eighty seven offensive
plays to Washington's forty one, and they beat them INtime
posestion by seventeen minutes. Like, how is this game a
one score game?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
At the end of it is? What is beyond me?
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Because dan Quinn always finds a way to like make
it look closer than it really was. He kicked that
field goal at the end and then kicked it off,
which wasn't a crazy decision over two minutes to go.
It was probably his best chance to win. Was hope
to get a three and out, and of course they
could not get a three and out, and the Cowboys
finished the game with the ball. Yeah, you know what
I was thinking about during this game. You know we
(31:18):
think about on these holidays, like the past and generations
before us and stuff. Let just think about Marty Schottneimer.
This was a Marty Schottenheimer game. The first two drives
had thirty plays, but for the Cowboys, that's the longest
any first two drives have been all season in the NFL.
They finished with forty four rushing attempts for two hundred
(31:41):
and eleven yards. Just outrageous. They lose Javonte Williams to
a neck injury at halftime, and yet it didn't really matter.
Malik Davis, who was getting the ball in the first
half quite a bit, goes over one hundred yards on
twenty carries. They're giving the ball the Hunter Lipke, their
full back as a real tailback. They didn't have anyone
else will and they picked up a third and eight run.
At one point to Lipkey, it was like a give
(32:02):
up play or a setup the fourth down play, but
they just got the first down anyways. And they only
punted one time the Cowboys, and that was because George
Pickens dropped like an easy throw from Dak Prescott on
third and eight, which had Ceedee Lamb reacting like either
he was mad that George Pickens dropped it, or this
is on my raider a little bit. Maybe it was
(32:23):
mad that the ball didn't go to him. I'm just
kind of watching that as George Pickens continues to outproduce
CD Lamb. But yeah, they completely dominated this commander's defense
all day.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Yeah, and that's personally on the commander's defense, which we'll
get onto the shout out. So you mentioned Marty Brian
Schottenheimer has been as surprising and impressive as a head
coach performance. I think of people that were appointed last
season as I think we've really seen this year, and
him and Clayton Adams between them, they got in their bag.
They recognized that you were able to run on this
(32:53):
commandity defense and all this interior stuff as well, and
they basically just went like, draw trap power. Are we
going to throw absolutely everything at you We've got in
our bag and it's just gonna just crush you, just
completely batter those doors down. Malik Davis, I saw he
had one hundred and three rushing yards. Of that, ninety
three of them came on inside carries. It was just,
(33:15):
you know, it's meant to be the inside carries set
up the big outside place and that's where we'll get
our big plays from. And Nope, they just ran it
up the gut time and time again. And Washington don't
bring a lot of guys to the line of scrimmage.
That's part of like how that how that dan Quinn
defense is set up. But I mean, we just talked
about with Kansas City them needing a new voice in
the room desperately.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yes, we were in Madrid.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
When dan Quinn took over the play calling from Joett Junior,
and I was watching back the last few games, it
kind of preparing for, right, what could dan Quinn throw
differently at this defense that Joe it hasn't been and
Joe It was basically calling dan Quinn's defense like to
the letter. None of the play calling has changed at all.
(33:59):
It's still a throwback to the early twenty tens. Dan
Quinn defenses of that kind of Seahawks, Mold, etc.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
And I don't know. They just when you're that predictable,
you've got.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
To have great players, and instead they're mostly slow and
old at this point.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
It's it's difficult to watch, it really is, And they're
two years into this. So the fact that dan Quinn's
defense is stunk both years, because they basically stunk last
year despite making the NFC Championship, is concerning because they
don't have schematic answers. They certainly don't have answers on personnel.
Everyone's old on that defense except for Gierson Newton. Johnny
Newton was the nickname as a draft pick who I
(34:40):
was really high on at the time. Three and a
half sacks in this game and another few quarterback hits.
The crazy thing is Dak Prescott took six sacks in
this game, a lot of sacks considering their pressure rate
wasn't that high. But he was trying to make the
big play. And you asked and TJ. Batt they had
They had some replacements on the offensive line downs. You asked,
how is the game close when you know the Cowboys
(35:03):
were so dominant offensive? Well, it was because the Cowboys
defense was on the field and Washington did pop a
couple good runs and Josh Johnson looked pretty good. Let's
actually listen to probably what will be our last Bill
Krofsky Merritt call of the year.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
Miss Johnson under center for a first and ten with
a handoff over the right side prosty Marrit brick Spray.
He's at the fifteen on the first timeline. They won't
touch him. It's at the ten, bangling, It's all touchdown Bill.
His second touchdown today. He just rolled the slave seventy
(35:38):
two yard here on Christmas Day.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
That laughter, by the way, is our friend Ross Tucker,
who joining us on the super Bowl call. They got
something in Bill. Both his touchdown runs were awesome, Like
Bill is who people think Isaiah Piccheco is. He's gotta
be a role player. But here's a young player that
you can have and it might be twelve carries a
game like maybe he's not playing every down or whatever,
(36:04):
but he makes people miss watching the prime vision. By
the way, for that Chiefs game, I mean Pacheco cannot
find the whole like he has the worst vision of
like any starting running back. They actually did a great job,
that's beside the point blowing open horse, but so did
the Commanders. A couple of nice runs there by the Commanders.
That's how they kept it close as the Cowboys enter
(36:25):
an offseason where they got to figure out a lot undefensed.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I thought Quinn Williams and Kenny Clark flashed in this game.
I mean, Kenny Clark cap it next season is ridiculous,
so there'll need to be some reworking there. It was
the Jadavian Clowney game, a guy who I know you've
had the back of for a very long time. Six pressures,
one and a half sacks. He did well in the
run game as well, so like he had a decent game.
But yeah, they I don't know, not Ben don't break quite,
(36:52):
but they just they seemed to once they were up
twenty one to three, maybe a little foot off the
gas ped No, they.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Were at the whole time. This is actually one of
the worst EBERFLUS games of the season because the Commanders
only had eight possessions. Even at halftime, Will like, the
Commanders had only had the ball three times and they
had driven. You know, they had ten points, which points
per drive. That's excellent, that's leading the league. You know,
Josh Johnson averaged over eight yards pert tempt. They averaged
(37:19):
eight yards per play on the Cowboys. I know it
wasn't perfect, like they had a couple punts, but they
they weren't making mistakes. Josh Johnson, I thought if he
wanted to earn another year in the NFL, I mean,
he's certainly nubby. Yeah, I mean he's thirty nine to
forty years old. He's been in the NFL. They have
been in professional football like seventeen years. But yeah, he
could come in. The reason I called for that highlight
(37:42):
I totally forgot was that was a funny moment in
the game because I don't know if you had this
you had a different situation on Netflix but Clinton Portis
was like part of the broadcast at that moment, and
Netflix was popping in old stars throughout the day, giving
it kind of a preseason vibe. They had bad connections.
It was a bad idea, but the best moment of
(38:03):
the day in terms of the guests where Clinton Portis
popped in. First of all, you know, just love hearing him,
and literally one play in, you know, Bill pops that run,
so it was like it was like the vibes of
Clinton Portis led them to a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
We got the ones where they were on the call,
so like Chris Carter popping up in the Vikings game
randomly for example, we did get a few of those,
but nothing.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Nothing.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
In the interim, we got our little Scott Hansen Kyle
Long showing us tweets from all around the world and
telling us how football works, which.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Was okay, okay, well you're an expert.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
But no, no, I tell you I was I was
listening to the great man Ross Tucker, That's what I
was doing, and listening to the West, So I.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Guess that was you know, that was the difference is
you don't get the commercial. So yeah, rough game, and
like Washington didn't have two of their offensive line, and
Piatash got hurt in this game. Tunsel was out for
this game, and so that's why I think it was
even worse by the Cowboys deference Week eighteen. You know
they're they're going to be in the mix for draft positioning.
I'm in the mix to at least save myself and
(39:03):
get to that eight eight and one that I say.
I've been saying since the day they had that tie.
I said, this team, I don't know how they're gonna
get there, but they're gonna get to a eight and one.
It's gonna be annoying, but it will happen, and they
have I believe. I believe the Giants next week, so
they got a chance to do it. Jake Ferguson Andevante
Williams got hurt in this game, so it'll be a
(39:25):
little higher. If not, I think I have to do
something for Nick right like put up his signage of
his show in the background of our show, something like that.
So I need them to get that eighth win for me.
I think they can do it.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
You say that you did obviously this is from your
over under draft with me. We did a similar thing
on talkSPORT where we were looking through those records, and
I very famously, for amongst my friends, went on a
earlier in the year and went, are you really telling
me that fifteen win team are going to drop down
to eight and a half wins because they lost? Sam
Donald banged the over on eight and a half on
(39:59):
the bar if they beat the Pacas in the last
week of the season, scriping into the last second.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
That was one of my draft picks too. I had
my worst year ever doing that, so that was disappointing.
All right, that's the Cowboys win. They're up to seven
eight and one. Now it is time for Quarterback Keeper,
presented by Snapdragon. I said, we'd finished the show talking
a little Lamar Jackson. He's doubtful for Saturday night, so
very unlikely he plays that game, you know, very unlikely.
(40:30):
I think that they win that game with Tyler Huntley,
and so then you kind of think Lamar Jackson's season
is probably over. We've been talking about the possible, you know,
Sayonara for John Harbaugh this show now for a couple
of weeks. I think it's time. Mike Preston, who has
been writing columns for the Baltimore Sun for a couple
(40:51):
of decades wrote a fascinatingly timed one after Lamar Jackson
was already missing practice that he thinks Lamar Jackson and
John Harbaugh could be headed for a breakup and posited
it as a potential opportunity right now to trade Lamar Jackson.
(41:12):
When the columnist in town writes this piece, it doesn't
happen in a vacuum. The timing is purposeful. I want
to get into some of the specifics of it, but
that plus what I already was thinking about, the situation
to me is really fascinating. And I expect the Ravens
(41:34):
season to end on Saturday Night, and they really are
the most fascinating team to watch this offseason. The Chiefs
are pretty close, the Lions are in the mix. Like
it's some of the good teams this year that are
really interesting watch, but the Ravens are at the top
of my list. What were your takeaways from this article
and just the Lamar Jackson story right now?
Speaker 3 (41:54):
So I did a potentially slightly you know, I don't
know anyone on Boxing Day who's making such a wild
decision as this. I went to Raven's reddit because I
really wanted to get an impression of what the fans
thought of Mike Preston as a writer, of the timing
of this piece. Like you say it, you get guys
(42:16):
like whether it's Grant Cone with the forty nine ers
or Omar Kelly with the Dolphins, who like they might
sometimes write good stuff in Grant Cone's case, probably not,
but like they are divisive to say the least. And
I did find a piece that somebody posted from two
thousand and five where Mike Preston absolutely buries Brian Billick
(42:38):
because of his treatment of ray Lewis and holding him
up too highly and letting him get away with whatever
he wanted to and not having him be a leader.
And essentially it reads very similarly to this Lamar Jackson piece,
slightly differently in terms of it's a different age and
we're not getting video games and late for practice and
things like that with ray Lewis. But I don't know,
it felt like a hit piece, Like it felt like
(43:00):
it was targeted, and it felt like it was something
that was designed to make a change happen. The problem
is it's really interesting, like, as you know, I've been
doing this Channel five stuff here in the UK recently,
which you've done previously on the Monday Night Football, but
they do for the one pm Eastern games. The show
is very much designed to be a bit more of
(43:20):
a layman show. It's designed for like new fans and
trying to track people in and they bring in celebrity
guests to quite often aren't big NFL fans or kind
of follow it like semi closely. And the guy who
was on this week's a comedian called Sean Walsh, and
he was asking me, I head coach firings in the
NFL like manager firings in football, where guys last like
six months and just disappear, And I'm like, no, if anything,
(43:43):
quite a lot of the time in the NFL it's
the opposite. It's you know, we get these situations like
Mike Tommlin, like John Harbor, where we're all questioning are
they really the future of the franchise several times over
the course of the last few years, and either consistently
get proven wrong or you just get that back of
look at what they've achieved, look at what they've achieved,
(44:03):
look at what they've achieved.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Over and over.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
I just my feeling on this is always there is
only one goal in the NFL. There's only one team
that win at thirty two, there is only one trophy
to lift. And if you really don't feel like if
you feel like I've got a generational quarterback, which what
Lamar Jackson is, and you don't feel like what's happening
in the building is working to get that guy to
that place, then maybe it is time to make a change.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
I mean, trading Lamar Jackson's insane. I have so many
thoughts about this, and I quote tweeted it and I
got a lot of people misinterpreting what I was saying.
And what I said was that after reading this, i'man
even more convinced that Lamar and John Harbor are not
going to be together next year, and it would be
(44:50):
insane to trade Lamar Jackson. That's my main takeaway. It's
not that everything in the piece is true. It's that
the existence of the piece speaks to an incredible fracture
between John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson, and it reads from
the outside to someone's airing of grievances of Lamar Jackson
(45:12):
that it's desperation time, it's fourth down. John Harbaugh's career
might be at the forty seven yard line and his
hail Mary is letting this thing out because it doesn't
come out in a total vacuum, and there was like
no sourcing here. And some of the bigger accusations in
(45:33):
the piece, which we're interesting to see, was that you know,
Lamar Jackson sometimes is a sleep at meetings, that Harbaugh
is kind of sick of him, and how he I
think maybe approaches the game that he shouldn't be up
(45:54):
late at night, like playing video games. That was the
most ridiculous one that they've moved move practices to the afternoon,
I think in training camp, I believe, or because of
Lamar Jackson. Oh, like some of those are probably they
all probably have varying degrees of truth, and there's probably
some truth to a lot of it. And frankly, it's
stuff that has been buzzed around that building and outside
(46:17):
of the building since Lamar's contract negotiation a few years ago.
You would hear that almost the exact same stuff coming
out kind of from the Ravens side of things. So
it might not all be coaching stuff, and maybe front
office it might who even knows. There's I'm sure there's
elements of truth to all of it. My bigger thing
(46:37):
was the fact that this is all coming out right now,
is like, oh, come on, because Lamar's going to see that.
Everyone in the organization's going to see that. John Harbaugh
goes up on the podium the next day and says
he has an A plus plus relationship with Lamar Jackson.
And I'm just thinking everyone inside that building knows the truth,
(47:00):
and now everyone outside the building is starting to realize
the truth because me doth protests too much. And I
don't care how many picks you're going to get for
Lamar Jackson. I think it'd be crazy to trade him.
And if you even considered trading him, will I think
it'd be even crazier to trade him and keep John Harbaugh.
Like like if if for some reason you want to
(47:23):
entertain this, you still are making the coaching change, and
you're and you're and you're making a full scale, like
huge change, And I don't even want to get into
what they would need to come back, Like none of
that makes sense to me, because I think the obvious
thing here to do is find the right coach for
Lamar Jackson. Yeah, what are we talking?
Speaker 3 (47:42):
We don't need to sit here in the least, we
don't need to sit here and list it off right.
The two time MVP should have potentially won it again
last year, very close in the voting apparently like, yes,
there is this knock against all of these guys, whether
it's him, where there's Josh Allen, where it's obviously Joe
barro has made it's a super Bowl, but all these
other AFC calls backs who haven't got there. But as
we've talked about a lot in the last few weeks,
(48:04):
as the Chiefs went out of the playoffs, it's like, oh, wow,
this is gonna be the first time.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
In however many years it's not Brady or Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
It's so like it's been so dominated by certain teams
that I don't think that means that the Ravens have
necessarily failed. I think this year they will see as
a failure because they went into the year very high hopes.
You know, you think about the continuity coordinator, you think
about the continuity on the defense, like they really thought
that this year could be a year they can tend
(48:32):
and they're going to look at it from the outside
if they don't make it in and go yeah, no,
mahomes there. This could have been the year that we
stormed the castle and you know, turned up in Santa
Clara in four or five weeks time, and instead they're
going to be sitting and you know, attending Pro Bowl games, etc.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
On that week.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
So there will be a huge amount of frustration. But
to trade Lamar Jackson would be insanity.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Like, honestly, he's about to turn thirty. I do think
it's a to recognize that there are elements of the
column that are worth talking about, including most importantly about
his body potentially breaking down. And that was what Preston said.
He didn't think he thinks Lamar is as tough a
(49:16):
competitor as there is, Like he wants to be out there,
but the injuries are starting to pile up the running
nobility in two of the last three years, because I
think people kind of forget that he didn't look quite
the same running the ball in twenty three either before
he looked incredible in twenty four. That like Mike Vick
talked to Lamar Jackson at some point, like you do
(49:38):
have to protect your body run a little bit less.
Lamar has always been great about that, Like there are
things to think about in terms of maximizing the rest
of his career, of course, and if approach to the
game as part of it, of course, Like I think
about another quarterback in the division, Ben Roethlisberger, who to
me famously adjusted his approach mentally, physically everything when he
(50:00):
got into his thirties and was better, like very much
relied less on his physical ability. And Lamar's always been
great mentally in the game. So that's not a question.
He's a great pocket quarterback. He should age well, but
finding the right coach for him to do that is
really important. And Chris is in the in the commons
(50:21):
saying I should mention that it's a Baltimore Sun columnist,
not a reporter, And to that, I would say, when
you're that columnist. And I know Preston, I have thoughts
about I think he's ultimately like it's good to have
one of those guys in town. And he might be
serving a lot of different sources and stuff, but he
knows the truth, he knows what's going on. And I
(50:42):
know a lot of Ravens fans kind of don't like him,
and because he's he stirs it up a little bit.
But these things don't happen in a vacuum, so honestly,
it coming from him even as a columnist. That's what
a columnist is there for, is actually a column like this,
even if you don't like totally love it, because it
does it does say something about it. We don't have
to wrap up here, but I do want to remember.
(51:03):
That was Quarterback Keeper, presented by Snapdragon Learning more at
snapdragon dot com slash laptops. Just just fascinating. Snapdragon getting
their money's worth here with a meaty Lamar Jackson segment.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
I just to finalize the point you were making, because
I think the Ben Roethlisberger comparison is fascinating. What this
isn't is Russell Wilson. What this isn't is early career
success with a brilliant run game, great scrambler, great deep
all throw. But did he have the capacity to be
a pure.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Pocket or Mike Vick is a good example.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, yeah, another one, Like what.
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Are we talking about here? Lamar is like one of
the all time greats who's had like even this season
which was you know, not great for him. It was like,
of course, you're betting on that guy to have a
good you know, sorry to cut you.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
No.
Speaker 7 (51:49):
No.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
I think at some point a full story of this
season might come out where we find out about like
just how healthy was he when he was playing, because
there was that six week stretch where he just wasn't
running the ball at all. I think over six weeks
he had fewer yards total than his average per game
in his career up until that point. And you just
you were surprised he wasn't using that part of his
game because it clearly wasn't necessarily designed that way. But
(52:13):
get in one of these kind of young offensive genius
types who can whether that's as a coordinator or as
the head coach.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
And we've seen Daniel to Baltimore. I've been speaking it.
Speaker 3 (52:24):
I was speaking Mike McDaniel to Kansas City as a
run game coordinator for quite a while. But actually, I
sure I'd rather take a head coaching job with Lamar
Jackson in a heartbeat, Like I that's the kind of
guy that if you getting them in there and they
can they're younger, they can connect with Lamar better, and
they can design an offense that is more suited to
his skills.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
At thirty maybe than twenty four.
Speaker 3 (52:47):
I still think this is a team that can go
on and win, not just a super Bowl, potentially multiple
over the next.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
DAYLD Okay, let's no. I mean yeah, I mean I
think he could, but so much needs to go into it.
Speaker 3 (53:00):
We are in the post Drake May world, of course,
so you know we're not going to get It's now
going to be Mahomes May.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Mahome that May.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
It's one of my favorite damashek bits, Like there's always
so many super Bowls to go, right, everyone says, Oh,
he's gonna get one, He's gonna get one. It's like
if Mahomes has taken so many and you got the
Eagles who are getting back, but this year it is
wide open. Josh Allen, by the way, is going to
play this weekend. We learned that from Bill's coach Sean McDermott.
(53:29):
Some other injury news sas Gardner is going to return
for the Colts this weekend, but they lost to Forrest
Buckner for the rest of the season after he reinjured
his neck. That that's not great. Tristan Wurf's is out
for the Buccaneers. So that was just something I was
keeping an eye on because I picked the Dolphins in
that game. I kind of feel like the Buccaneers have
a little bit of a death witch at least at
(53:50):
the very least I think they're going to cover five
and a half points there. This was a pleasure. Will
If we were casting the NFL Daily you know, Christmas play,
you're playing Santa. I mean, you're just you know, I'm
not trying to type cast, but you're just a jolly
(54:10):
pleasant guy to see over the holidays, and I do
love talking football with you, and I'm looking forward to
that Super Bowl too.
Speaker 3 (54:18):
So what many people won't know is, as a twenty
year old student living in Leicester in the Midlands, I
got off the opportunity to be Santa not only at
like a local like the kind of council run local
free visit Santa thing, but I also ended up being
the one that went on the float at the big
turning on of the Christmas lights and everything else. In
(54:39):
I did have to still wear a suit, despite the
fact that I'm a man of substantial carriage and.
Speaker 2 (54:44):
With the big beard and everything else.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
And so I have been publicly in front of a
crowd of quite literally hundreds of people as Santa Claus.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
So I've been welcome.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
It's the Beard. It's wonderful and yeah, no, Will's Will's
the best and I'm glad he's been recognized this year
as a great play by play man for talkSPORT. You
can check him out on talkSPORT. You can also check
out a new podcast he is doing called Across the Formation,
So everyone go and like and subscribe to that. That's
on podcast apps, that's on YouTube, and you can check
(55:18):
out talkSPORT there as well. It was a pleasure. We
will be back on Sunday. It's a little bit lighter
of a Sunday slate, but we have those two big
Saturday games. Jordan Rodrigue's gonna the boots on the ground
give us an in person update because she's going to
Texans Chargers. We also have that pack of Ravens game
Eagles bills is a fun one on Sunday. I cannot wait.
(55:41):
Merry Christmas to everyone to see that
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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