January 3, 2026 • 14 mins
A selection of the best Kyle Brandt cuts from the Week of December 29th:
- AFC North on the line
- Is it worth a change?
- Great play that didn't happen
- A word for Bo Nix
- An unwanted legacy
- A Saturday Tradition
- Going beyond A.I.
- Overlooked Historic Season
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Ten Takes is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's talk about what's at hand here. You mentioned Rogers
could be his last game. If Mike Tomlin loses this game,
do they have that conversation? If John Harbaugh loses this game?
Is the time to have that conversation. Also a big time,
bizarre legacy game for Lamar. But let's focus on Rogers
because we once upon a time saw him walk off
lambeau Field for the last time, and it was so
(00:45):
poetic and it was like a Western and he finds
a buddy, Randall Cobb and we all knew it was
over and he was never going to be a packer again.
It's the best packer ever, this and that, and he
knew it and he soaked it in and he's doing
the wave to the crowd and he's got his best
friend like he knew the moment. There's some of that
going on this weekend, but this one feels a little differently.
(01:06):
This a week ago. Just beat the dumb Browns. Due
respect to the Browns, their defense is very scrappy. Just
beat them and you're going to the playoffs, which is
an incredible story for Rogers in season forty or whatever
it is. If he walks off the field and a
loss here, it's not gonna be arm in arm with
Randal Cobb. It's not gonna be poetic, it's not gonna
be beautiful.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
It's gonna be oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How many times did you throw it to MBS at
the end of that Browns game? And then you lost
to this weird, zombie Ravens team that has never really
had it together. I don't think Rogers wants to retire
after this year. I think he'll want to come back
to Pittsburgh even if they lose this game. I think
that for a lot of reasons. I think it's because
he loves playing. I think it's because he thinks it's
cool that he keeps playing older and older. I think
(01:51):
the fact that candidly that he doesn't have children may plays.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
A factor in that.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
What retirement doesn't that play a factor in two? So
a lot as at stake with Rogers. You don't want
to end this season. You want to like this, you
want to do it the right way. But even if
they lose this game, I think Rogers want to come back.
If the stealers want him back. I can't believe there's
fifty different questions I just posed here. I don't know
the answers to any of them, but I think we're
gonna get the answers to most of them this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Lamar's not Lamar right now. Now. It's certainly there's a
physical factor.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I don't know if there's a psychological factor, but I
know the numerical factor. Lamar Jackson, two time MVP in
twelve games, does not have a twenty yard run.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
That's not Lamar does not have a run of twenty
yards in twelve games.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Guys Snoop Huntley in five games has two of them.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
He also has a nineteen yard run. So that's not that.
We are way down the street with the Lamar Jackson football.
We know him, we know what these guys know what
he's capable of.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
As long as passing play this year is forty five yards.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
The offense is not working.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
He's not working up into and including the point where
there's actual conversations being had by people that we respect
about Even if Lamar gets cleared by the doctors, you
just go with Snoopuntley and just say Snoop you have
one job and hand it to Derek and let's win
this game. That's a reality where the doctors say, yeah,
Lamar's fine, he can go, and you say, nah, well
(03:17):
I can't get there. I can't, I won't. It's in
the history of sports, in the history of humanity.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
You don't do that. You don't say, our guy, who
have been there for years, I just don't think he
has it right now. I think we're gonna go with
the hot hand. This is not snoop.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Puntley is not a hot hand. He is a capable
backup who is a likable guy. You don't do that.
It's not like, well, we will go with our second
picture on three days rest because he's been striking every No,
this is not that you start Lamar Jackson and I listen.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I've heard people, I'm not even gonna name it, but I've.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Seen people and doing what we do, who are saying
Lamar's is not right right now between the ears or
in his legs, put Snowpuntley in. I don't think that
they're without a point. I'm just not joining that I
will go down with Lamar Jackson. Rather the imagine you
put Snuwpuontley out there. He doesn't play well. I just
can't get there, guys. But I'm not saying someone who's
saying that is crazy. There's a player on my whiteboard
(04:11):
that I don't think this player's name has been set
on the show in months. It is a great player,
a young player, and a huge media market. I'm not
sure it's been set on this show this season.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Guys. Garrett Wilson, you remember Garrett Wilson. It's been a
long time.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Garrett offensive Ricky the amazing player, and he had an
incredible play that did not count roll to Garrett Wilson.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I don't say this to mak Garrett Wilson. I just
I really am trying to prop him up here justin field.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
To Garrett Wilson, Oh, that is a great catch from
a fantastic player. Look at this. Their fingertiping thin and
then they it doesn't all bounce the rolley. We had
a penalty and blah blah blah. This was what this
season was supposed to be, guys. Fields to Wilson beating
the dolphin in some sort of bizarre acid trip alternate reality.
(04:59):
None of this stuff worked, and Garrett Wilson has been
out for a long time, but just a little check
in a that facial expression that's Garrett was near a
great player.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I think I'm gonna tell you that there's a light
at the end of the tunn.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I don't know if there is, but I hope that
there is at least, and we hope that you're part
of it. I don't want to live in a world
where the Houston Texans they're playing a Wildcard game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
That's not how it's done.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I want them Saturday with the Lions and Cowboys play
on Thanksgiving and the Texans play on Saturday in January.
It's the only way you do it. You sit there.
I call it the door Dash Classic. You just order food,
you watch the Texans, whoever the hell may be their quarterback,
and it's always them. But I gotta answer the question.
That's what the segment is about, and I answer the
question my way. The wildcard matchup you want to see.
(05:42):
If I'm being honest, I want Saints Falcons.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I don't care if they're I don't care if they're out.
I want it. I'm getting it. Let me tell you something.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's gonna happen this weekend, the Saints and Falcons are
playing a regular season game. This thing's gonna be like
forty six to forty five masterpiece.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
It's gonna be the most beautiful game we've ever seen,
Schuck versus Cousins.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And we're gonna be sitting here being like, we have
the dumb Panthers and dumb Box trying to take a
playoff spot. These guys should be in it. I don't
care if it's not possible. We can find a way.
I want either the Saints or Falcons or both in
the NFC playoffs. And wait till you watch this week,
and it's gonna be the most It's gonna be Golf
versus Mahomes at the LA Coliseum is going to be
Shuck versus Cousins in Week eighteen. We're gonna be so
(06:22):
mad that they're not in it. I used to roll
my eyes at the mister Irrelevant, just because, like Jamie said,
it was just it was so cute and so convenient,
and it's like, do we really have to mention that
every single time we talk about him, that he was
the last player drafted. It's changed now because he went
from a cute little story to he's one of the
best quarterbacks in the league. Where it's now is like
the mister Relevant will never go away, and it really
(06:43):
shouldn't go away.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It is the.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Next version of Tom Brady. Was the sixth round draft pick.
That's where we're at. That'll never not be talked about
with Brady.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
He played.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Brady played in ten Super Bowls and you can still
talk about him for a few minutes. And you mentioned
he was a six round draft pick. That's part of
the party lore now. And I use the word lore.
You don't get lore about you unless you're a really
special player. He could very well start to second Super
Bowl this year. This guy, seventh round pick out of nowhere.
And I watched that Bears game from start to finish.
(07:12):
I know he threw a pick six on his first play.
After that, I don't think I've seen a quarterback play
better this year than Brock Perdy.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I'm talking Stafford.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Lawrence may I just never he was so in command
of that game. The Bears secondary that leads the NFL
and takeaways could do nothing. They couldn't stop him. So
I don't think mister Relevant will ever go away. I
don't think it should go away. It's like, once you
become a classic player like he's becoming, those things stick
with you. The reason you're talking about narratives and same
(07:42):
topics for Sam Donald is because it's all lining up
like that.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We don't have to go outside our lane to do it. Understand.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Right now, Sam Donald has a Week eighteen game against
a divisional opponent with the playoffs looming. Last year, he
had a Week eighteen game against a divisional opponent with
the playoffs looming.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It did not go well. It went poorly.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's why we're having this conversation because of this really
good Vikings team, really good Lions team, really bad performance
by Sam Donald in a game that everyone was watching
and he was off. It wasn't just that he was
getting hit. He was short arming passes, he was floating passes.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Understand what stood him in the balance here.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It wasn't just the Vikings and Lions and one seats
and all that like. It was Sam Donald's future. If
he wins this game, if he wins the playoff game,
Minnesota might have had to keep him if they went
far enough in the playoffs. You can't go to a
title game or a Super Bowl and say no we're
going to JJ McCarthy. He might still be there right now,
but that throw right there was one of the most
perfect ones where Jefferson was open and.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Every Vikings fan I know was like, Wow, Sam.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Did not look like himself, and he goes to the
playoffs doesn't play well either. So this is all in
the past. I don't want to dwell on it here.
This is the Rams game. He was off here, he
had two subpar games in a row at the end
of a great season.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
That's why we're talking about it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Why because there is a fear that it might happen again,
and there is a fear that the lights were really
bright and the stage was really big, and he's not
going to be ready and.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
He's not going to play well because he didn't last year.
So this is what sports are great for. Go play well, Sam,
and will never show this stupid clip again.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I'm sure that Sam Donald does not want to hear
about this title game or this Lions game, but that's
also the way sports work.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You hear about it. You didn't play well until you
erase it.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
If you exercise it like a demon with the ex
R that's what.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He needs to do. If he does not play this
well this weekend. If he goes one and done in
the playoffs, then then we.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Had Then then we can't really get rid of it
because if you do that twice, then it became the reputation.
And Jamie, you know this is a loaded topic for you.
I brought up the name kirk Cousins earlier this season
about Sam Donald. Now, Kirk Cousins is winning right now
with Atlanta and all that wonderful stuff. But like Kirk
Cousins developed a reputation based mostly on Monday Night football
over and over and over, Sam Donald does not want
(09:51):
to develop a reputation.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
He's too young, too good, too likable, too talented.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Lose this game this weekend and played poorly, lose in
the playoffs, you have officially developed a reputation. I hope
he does not, but that's not up to me. Went
for bo Nicks is ready, Ria d Why he's ready?
Any better be ready?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
This is time.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
This is two full seasons of starting, two full seasons
of winning. I know it was a blink and you
missed it, but bo Knicks has been in the playoffs
before bo Nicks started at Buffalo against Josh Allen and
the Broncos were perfectly respectable in that loss.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
But this is the league.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You have two years as the starter, you have a
very good defense, you have two years under Sean Payton. Ready,
You've are ready to go. This is not some crazy
rookie thing. This is not you haven't been playing. There
is no reason and no excuse for Bonicks to not
be very good at his first playoff game.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It will be at home.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
He has the coach, he has the defense, he has
the weapons, he has the experience.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
You can't get more ready than this in the NFL.
So he is ready, and I expect him to play well.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
All right. With Christian McCaffrey, we've become so numb like
Lincoln Park.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I won't allow it, though.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
I think we are just days and numb and not
really assessing properly how amazing this season has been for
Christian McCaffrey. I won't stand for it. I know he's
been great for a while, He's never been great like this,
in my opinion, and I have the evidence. Let's get
into this. He's of evidence. Number one, do you understand
the workload that number twenty three for the forty nine
(11:16):
ers has had this year?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Bring it up. He enters Saturday's game with three hundred
and ninety nine touches.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Here's the list of most touches in the NFL over
the last decade. Leveon Bell back in twenty seventeen. He's
going to have more than him himself. Back in twenty nineteen.
He's going to have more than himself. Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs,
Dereck Henry Again, He's going to blow all these numbers
away by the end of the game this weekend, when
he will be well north of four hundred. That is
(11:42):
an insane, insane workload. It should at least make you
stop and blink.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
While you're having your coffee this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Number two with four catches on Saturday, Christian McCaffrey again
will have a one hundred catch season. He will reach
one hundred receptions for the third time in his career. Guys,
would you like to see the list of running backs
triple digits in receptions? Here They are Austin Eckler, my Guy,
(12:10):
Larry Sanders, Matt Forte, and La Danian Tomlinson.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Those guys have done it once.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Those are legends, those are fan favorites, those are role players,
those are everything. They've had one hundred catches once. CMC
can and will do it for the third time. If
you were doing statistical things that Ladanian Thompson never did,
you are in the stratosphere. It's not normal. Reason number three,
(12:38):
two thousand scrimmage jars to go with those one hundred receptions,
two thousand yards from scrimmage to go with a hundred receptions.
All right, he did this back in twenty nineteen. All
the things he's doing, he's like, you've done it for
and that's probably why we're like, oh, it's just Christian
being Christian. Stop saying that there's nothing Christian about what's
going on here. The only other person who has done
it in history two thousand scrimmageyards one hundred catches is
(13:00):
again the alien Ladanian Tomlinson.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
He did it in two thousand and three, over twenty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
If and when Christian McCaffrey has four catches this weekend,
and you know he will, he will become the only
player ever to have two thousand scrimmage yards and one
hundred receptions twice, my friends, twice understand Ladanian Thomas in
his eyes on my running back Rushmore, I think he's
one of the four greatest running backs ever, McCaffrey is
(13:29):
doing things he couldn't do.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Also, this is not.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Some bottom of the barrel team that's just feeding him
and they're going to be eight and.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Ten and who cares. He is doing this because he
has one more win.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
On Saturday night, the forty nine Ers will earn the
number one seed in the NFC. They will have home
field throughout the postseason, and God willing, and that number
twenty three will have a buy and a rest for
those legs, those shoulders, those arms, that heart, and that
set that Christian McCaffrey has on him.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
It is not being respected enough, guys. I will close
with this, I'm being told that MVP is a quarterback award.
I'm sick of being told that. It's nonsense. I've seen
running backs win MVP. I've seen running backs win MVP
in this era. If you're telling me that I have
to pick between Matthew Stafford and Drake May, I'm telling
you you are not paying attention to Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
He cannot possibly do more in a season with injuries.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Is this season, with all kinds of obstacles, he has
been the rock the most solid. The most statistically dominant
player in the NFL is Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I have an MVP vote. I've not cast it yet.
I'm not divulging who I'm voting for.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
But if Christian Gaffer doesn't have your attention, again, you're
not paying attention to football.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
And the show.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Ten Takes is a production of the NFL in partnership
with I Heart Radio. For more iHeartRadio pods, go to
the iHeartRadio app, go to Apple, go anywhere you like,
it'll be there.
Ten Takes is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's talk about what's at hand here. You mentioned Rogers
could be his last game. If Mike Tomlin loses this game,
do they have that conversation? If John Harbaugh loses this game?
Is the time to have that conversation. Also a big time,
bizarre legacy game for Lamar. But let's focus on Rogers
because we once upon a time saw him walk off
lambeau Field for the last time, and it was so
(00:45):
poetic and it was like a Western and he finds
a buddy, Randall Cobb and we all knew it was
over and he was never going to be a packer again.
It's the best packer ever, this and that, and he
knew it and he soaked it in and he's doing
the wave to the crowd and he's got his best
friend like he knew the moment. There's some of that
going on this weekend, but this one feels a little differently.
(01:06):
This a week ago. Just beat the dumb Browns. Due
respect to the Browns, their defense is very scrappy. Just
beat them and you're going to the playoffs, which is
an incredible story for Rogers in season forty or whatever
it is. If he walks off the field and a
loss here, it's not gonna be arm in arm with
Randal Cobb. It's not gonna be poetic, it's not gonna
be beautiful.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
It's gonna be oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How many times did you throw it to MBS at
the end of that Browns game? And then you lost
to this weird, zombie Ravens team that has never really
had it together. I don't think Rogers wants to retire
after this year. I think he'll want to come back
to Pittsburgh even if they lose this game. I think
that for a lot of reasons. I think it's because
he loves playing. I think it's because he thinks it's
cool that he keeps playing older and older. I think
(01:51):
the fact that candidly that he doesn't have children may plays.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
A factor in that.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
What retirement doesn't that play a factor in two? So
a lot as at stake with Rogers. You don't want
to end this season. You want to like this, you
want to do it the right way. But even if
they lose this game, I think Rogers want to come back.
If the stealers want him back. I can't believe there's
fifty different questions I just posed here. I don't know
the answers to any of them, but I think we're
gonna get the answers to most of them this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Lamar's not Lamar right now. Now. It's certainly there's a
physical factor.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I don't know if there's a psychological factor, but I
know the numerical factor. Lamar Jackson, two time MVP in
twelve games, does not have a twenty yard run.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
That's not Lamar does not have a run of twenty
yards in twelve games.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Guys Snoop Huntley in five games has two of them.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
He also has a nineteen yard run. So that's not that.
We are way down the street with the Lamar Jackson football.
We know him, we know what these guys know what
he's capable of.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
As long as passing play this year is forty five yards.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
The offense is not working.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
He's not working up into and including the point where
there's actual conversations being had by people that we respect
about Even if Lamar gets cleared by the doctors, you
just go with Snoopuntley and just say Snoop you have
one job and hand it to Derek and let's win
this game. That's a reality where the doctors say, yeah,
Lamar's fine, he can go, and you say, nah, well
(03:17):
I can't get there. I can't, I won't. It's in
the history of sports, in the history of humanity.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
You don't do that. You don't say, our guy, who
have been there for years, I just don't think he
has it right now. I think we're gonna go with
the hot hand. This is not snoop.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Puntley is not a hot hand. He is a capable
backup who is a likable guy. You don't do that.
It's not like, well, we will go with our second
picture on three days rest because he's been striking every No,
this is not that you start Lamar Jackson and I listen.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I've heard people, I'm not even gonna name it, but I've.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Seen people and doing what we do, who are saying
Lamar's is not right right now between the ears or
in his legs, put Snowpuntley in. I don't think that
they're without a point. I'm just not joining that I
will go down with Lamar Jackson. Rather the imagine you
put Snuwpuontley out there. He doesn't play well. I just
can't get there, guys. But I'm not saying someone who's
saying that is crazy. There's a player on my whiteboard
(04:11):
that I don't think this player's name has been set
on the show in months. It is a great player,
a young player, and a huge media market. I'm not
sure it's been set on this show this season.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Guys. Garrett Wilson, you remember Garrett Wilson. It's been a
long time.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Garrett offensive Ricky the amazing player, and he had an
incredible play that did not count roll to Garrett Wilson.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I don't say this to mak Garrett Wilson. I just
I really am trying to prop him up here justin field.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
To Garrett Wilson, Oh, that is a great catch from
a fantastic player. Look at this. Their fingertiping thin and
then they it doesn't all bounce the rolley. We had
a penalty and blah blah blah. This was what this
season was supposed to be, guys. Fields to Wilson beating
the dolphin in some sort of bizarre acid trip alternate reality.
(04:59):
None of this stuff worked, and Garrett Wilson has been
out for a long time, but just a little check
in a that facial expression that's Garrett was near a
great player.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I think I'm gonna tell you that there's a light
at the end of the tunn.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I don't know if there is, but I hope that
there is at least, and we hope that you're part
of it. I don't want to live in a world
where the Houston Texans they're playing a Wildcard game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
That's not how it's done.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I want them Saturday with the Lions and Cowboys play
on Thanksgiving and the Texans play on Saturday in January.
It's the only way you do it. You sit there.
I call it the door Dash Classic. You just order food,
you watch the Texans, whoever the hell may be their quarterback,
and it's always them. But I gotta answer the question.
That's what the segment is about, and I answer the
question my way. The wildcard matchup you want to see.
(05:42):
If I'm being honest, I want Saints Falcons.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I don't care if they're I don't care if they're out.
I want it. I'm getting it. Let me tell you something.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's gonna happen this weekend, the Saints and Falcons are
playing a regular season game. This thing's gonna be like
forty six to forty five masterpiece.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
It's gonna be the most beautiful game we've ever seen,
Schuck versus Cousins.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And we're gonna be sitting here being like, we have
the dumb Panthers and dumb Box trying to take a
playoff spot. These guys should be in it. I don't
care if it's not possible. We can find a way.
I want either the Saints or Falcons or both in
the NFC playoffs. And wait till you watch this week,
and it's gonna be the most It's gonna be Golf
versus Mahomes at the LA Coliseum is going to be
Shuck versus Cousins in Week eighteen. We're gonna be so
(06:22):
mad that they're not in it. I used to roll
my eyes at the mister Irrelevant, just because, like Jamie said,
it was just it was so cute and so convenient,
and it's like, do we really have to mention that
every single time we talk about him, that he was
the last player drafted. It's changed now because he went
from a cute little story to he's one of the
best quarterbacks in the league. Where it's now is like
the mister Relevant will never go away, and it really
(06:43):
shouldn't go away.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It is the.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Next version of Tom Brady. Was the sixth round draft pick.
That's where we're at. That'll never not be talked about
with Brady.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
He played.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Brady played in ten Super Bowls and you can still
talk about him for a few minutes. And you mentioned
he was a six round draft pick. That's part of
the party lore now. And I use the word lore.
You don't get lore about you unless you're a really
special player. He could very well start to second Super
Bowl this year. This guy, seventh round pick out of nowhere.
And I watched that Bears game from start to finish.
(07:12):
I know he threw a pick six on his first play.
After that, I don't think I've seen a quarterback play
better this year than Brock Perdy.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I'm talking Stafford.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Lawrence may I just never he was so in command
of that game. The Bears secondary that leads the NFL
and takeaways could do nothing. They couldn't stop him. So
I don't think mister Relevant will ever go away. I
don't think it should go away. It's like, once you
become a classic player like he's becoming, those things stick
with you. The reason you're talking about narratives and same
(07:42):
topics for Sam Donald is because it's all lining up
like that.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We don't have to go outside our lane to do it. Understand.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Right now, Sam Donald has a Week eighteen game against
a divisional opponent with the playoffs looming. Last year, he
had a Week eighteen game against a divisional opponent with
the playoffs looming.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It did not go well. It went poorly.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's why we're having this conversation because of this really
good Vikings team, really good Lions team, really bad performance
by Sam Donald in a game that everyone was watching
and he was off. It wasn't just that he was
getting hit. He was short arming passes, he was floating passes.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Understand what stood him in the balance here.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It wasn't just the Vikings and Lions and one seats
and all that like. It was Sam Donald's future. If
he wins this game, if he wins the playoff game,
Minnesota might have had to keep him if they went
far enough in the playoffs. You can't go to a
title game or a Super Bowl and say no we're
going to JJ McCarthy. He might still be there right now,
but that throw right there was one of the most
perfect ones where Jefferson was open and.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Every Vikings fan I know was like, Wow, Sam.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Did not look like himself, and he goes to the
playoffs doesn't play well either. So this is all in
the past. I don't want to dwell on it here.
This is the Rams game. He was off here, he
had two subpar games in a row at the end
of a great season.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
That's why we're talking about it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Why because there is a fear that it might happen again,
and there is a fear that the lights were really
bright and the stage was really big, and he's not
going to be ready and.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
He's not going to play well because he didn't last year.
So this is what sports are great for. Go play well, Sam,
and will never show this stupid clip again.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I'm sure that Sam Donald does not want to hear
about this title game or this Lions game, but that's
also the way sports work.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You hear about it. You didn't play well until you
erase it.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
If you exercise it like a demon with the ex
R that's what.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He needs to do. If he does not play this
well this weekend. If he goes one and done in
the playoffs, then then we.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Had Then then we can't really get rid of it
because if you do that twice, then it became the reputation.
And Jamie, you know this is a loaded topic for you.
I brought up the name kirk Cousins earlier this season
about Sam Donald. Now, Kirk Cousins is winning right now
with Atlanta and all that wonderful stuff. But like Kirk
Cousins developed a reputation based mostly on Monday Night football
over and over and over, Sam Donald does not want
(09:51):
to develop a reputation.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
He's too young, too good, too likable, too talented.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Lose this game this weekend and played poorly, lose in
the playoffs, you have officially developed a reputation. I hope
he does not, but that's not up to me. Went
for bo Nicks is ready, Ria d Why he's ready?
Any better be ready?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
This is time.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
This is two full seasons of starting, two full seasons
of winning. I know it was a blink and you
missed it, but bo Knicks has been in the playoffs
before bo Nicks started at Buffalo against Josh Allen and
the Broncos were perfectly respectable in that loss.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
But this is the league.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You have two years as the starter, you have a
very good defense, you have two years under Sean Payton. Ready,
You've are ready to go. This is not some crazy
rookie thing. This is not you haven't been playing. There
is no reason and no excuse for Bonicks to not
be very good at his first playoff game.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It will be at home.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
He has the coach, he has the defense, he has
the weapons, he has the experience.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
You can't get more ready than this in the NFL.
So he is ready, and I expect him to play well.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
All right. With Christian McCaffrey, we've become so numb like
Lincoln Park.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I won't allow it, though.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
I think we are just days and numb and not
really assessing properly how amazing this season has been for
Christian McCaffrey. I won't stand for it. I know he's
been great for a while, He's never been great like this,
in my opinion, and I have the evidence. Let's get
into this. He's of evidence. Number one, do you understand
the workload that number twenty three for the forty nine
(11:16):
ers has had this year?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Bring it up. He enters Saturday's game with three hundred
and ninety nine touches.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Here's the list of most touches in the NFL over
the last decade. Leveon Bell back in twenty seventeen. He's
going to have more than him himself. Back in twenty nineteen.
He's going to have more than himself. Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs,
Dereck Henry Again, He's going to blow all these numbers
away by the end of the game this weekend, when
he will be well north of four hundred. That is
(11:42):
an insane, insane workload. It should at least make you
stop and blink.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
While you're having your coffee this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Number two with four catches on Saturday, Christian McCaffrey again
will have a one hundred catch season. He will reach
one hundred receptions for the third time in his career. Guys,
would you like to see the list of running backs
triple digits in receptions? Here They are Austin Eckler, my Guy,
(12:10):
Larry Sanders, Matt Forte, and La Danian Tomlinson.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Those guys have done it once.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Those are legends, those are fan favorites, those are role players,
those are everything. They've had one hundred catches once. CMC
can and will do it for the third time. If
you were doing statistical things that Ladanian Thompson never did,
you are in the stratosphere. It's not normal. Reason number three,
(12:38):
two thousand scrimmage jars to go with those one hundred receptions,
two thousand yards from scrimmage to go with a hundred receptions.
All right, he did this back in twenty nineteen. All
the things he's doing, he's like, you've done it for
and that's probably why we're like, oh, it's just Christian
being Christian. Stop saying that there's nothing Christian about what's
going on here. The only other person who has done
it in history two thousand scrimmageyards one hundred catches is
(13:00):
again the alien Ladanian Tomlinson.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
He did it in two thousand and three, over twenty
years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
If and when Christian McCaffrey has four catches this weekend,
and you know he will, he will become the only
player ever to have two thousand scrimmage yards and one
hundred receptions twice, my friends, twice understand Ladanian Thomas in
his eyes on my running back Rushmore, I think he's
one of the four greatest running backs ever, McCaffrey is
(13:29):
doing things he couldn't do.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Also, this is not.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Some bottom of the barrel team that's just feeding him
and they're going to be eight and.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Ten and who cares. He is doing this because he
has one more win.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
On Saturday night, the forty nine Ers will earn the
number one seed in the NFC. They will have home
field throughout the postseason, and God willing, and that number
twenty three will have a buy and a rest for
those legs, those shoulders, those arms, that heart, and that
set that Christian McCaffrey has on him.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
It is not being respected enough, guys. I will close
with this, I'm being told that MVP is a quarterback award.
I'm sick of being told that. It's nonsense. I've seen
running backs win MVP. I've seen running backs win MVP
in this era. If you're telling me that I have
to pick between Matthew Stafford and Drake May, I'm telling
you you are not paying attention to Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
He cannot possibly do more in a season with injuries.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Is this season, with all kinds of obstacles, he has
been the rock the most solid. The most statistically dominant
player in the NFL is Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I have an MVP vote. I've not cast it yet.
I'm not divulging who I'm voting for.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
But if Christian Gaffer doesn't have your attention, again, you're
not paying attention to football.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
And the show.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Ten Takes is a production of the NFL in partnership
with I Heart Radio. For more iHeartRadio pods, go to
the iHeartRadio app, go to Apple, go anywhere you like,
it'll be there.
Hosts And Creators
Jamie Erdahl
Jason McCourty
Kyle Brandt
Peter Schrager
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