January 8, 2025 • 39 mins
Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with the Head Coach or QB that has the most on the line this weekend. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Peter Schrager, and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila debate Sam Darnold's starting spot with the Vikings if they lose to the Rams. Peter names his Fab TEN Rookies of the season, who lands at #1? Plus, Fmr NFL Exec Scott Pioli looks at the Patriots head coaching search and teams preparing for the Draft.
The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast Network
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
That's right, this is Good Morning Football.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
We are presented by Old Trapper k Jurkey live in
Los Angeles in New.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
York City this morning. It's Wednesday, January.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Here is Akwar Bajki and Milla. Our friends in New York,
Peter Scheger and Kyle Brant. I'm Jamie ertall Is Well.
Welcome inside our show, into our breakfast table this morning.
If you have been watching the news overnight, the fire
spreading throughout Los Angeles is very jarring to see. The
destruction that is taking place is not far from us.
We know the visuals are extremely unsettling and for many
(00:52):
some that even work on this show, being in the
vicinity of this is really uncomfortable and it's hard to
see and be a part of. It's being reported hundreds
of homes have already burned down, tens of thousands of
people evacuated.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
From their homes, and even more are without power.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
With more than fourteen hundred firefighting and emergency personnel deployed,
we want to welcome you into our show this morning
to provide some relief and joy because we all love football,
We love this table, we love talking to you and
provide you to the support that you might need this morning.
So with that being said, we can look ahead to
football this weekend and have a very similar conversation that
(01:29):
we had at the start of our first hour on GMFB.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
We're looking at the NFC side of things now.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Saquon Barcley sat out Week eighteen, and he passed out
on the single season rushing record with bigger goals in mind,
a Super Bowl title and being a part of the
Philadelphia Eagles. Philly taken on the Packers this Sunday in
the Wildcard round, and Matt Lafleur, the Packers head coach,
talked about facing Sequon and that offense.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
The season he's had is I mean, he's dynamic and
he heard us when we played him the first game
of the season in terms of not only running the ball,
but he caught a rail road out of the backfield.
So he's a guy that you absolutely have to have
eyes on, have vision on, and making sure that you
have a plan for him. And they do such a
(02:13):
great job because there's other weapons out there too, and
then you've got to contain the quarterback and they got
one of the top offensive lines in the National Football League.
So we'll definitely have our work cutout for us. But
I think our guys are eager for the opportunity, as.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
They should be.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So here comes the question.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Let's look at the NFC side, the six six teams
that are playing this weekend, which NFC head coach or
quarterback has the most to lose or, if you want
to spind it positively, peter the most to gain this weekend.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
I look at Philadelphia and hear me out here. They
opted not to go for the Saquon Barkley single season
rushing record, and talking heads like us had a field
day with it and went thirty ways backwards forwards. Everyone
had to take. Saquon Barkley was at his locker after
the decision was made. Take a listen to what he
had to say in week eighteen before a game. He
ended up not even playing it to somebody in.
Speaker 7 (03:04):
Your family who did take it the hardest follow Yeah,
he tried to act like he didn't, but he called
me yesterday say Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Is checkable me?
Speaker 7 (03:13):
He definitely wanted me to play, you know, selfishly for him,
you got to think about it for however long, whether
it would take a year if I would have broke it,
or for someone to break it, or another forty fifty years,
our last name would have been attached to that. So
I see it from that side too. But at the
end of the day, the most important thing is one
of the football games. And he's the one that raised
me to kind of be all about the team too,
So he could have his little self as moment, but
(03:35):
he'll get over.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It's a fun moment.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
It's a great SoundBite, and Saquon seems to be taken
it in stride. But you get the feeling that Saquon
probably wanted to get that record, and he didn't bang
his head. He didn't bang. He understands. But I think
Saquon would have liked to have been the single season
rushing record holder for the rest of time, Like I
think that would have been nice.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And he won't get another shot.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
He won't get another shot. It's very unlikely you get
that other shot. They opted not to. And when you
opt not to do that in week team because you
thinking about the playoffs, you better succeed in the playoffs.
Take a look at the reaction and when another team
that had already clinched a playoff spot and had nothing
else to play for except the individual's accolades. Got that
individual the accolades a thousand yards for the.
Speaker 8 (04:15):
Eleven straight year.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
And look at the way this team reacted and look
at how excited they were.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Do you think this is a good.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
Moment for the Ten Bay Buccaneers heading into the playoffs?
Do you think they were happy? Do you think that
they were galvanized? Do you think that maybe, just maybe
Saquon getting that record could have been a positive thing
heading into January instead of going into this postseason like, well,
that was the regular season. It's an individual effort and
we're turning the page. It's not that significant. These things
(04:43):
matter and it's good for team. And in the locker
room after the game, Todd Bowles had a smile as
wide as you've ever seen Todd Bowles have. Now, I
say all that to lead to Nick Sirianni, because he's
the man in charge and he's the one with a
decision if the Packers come in and beat the Eagles
on Sunday, that decision Week eighteen to not let Saquon
(05:04):
get that record and to hold Saquon back and to
take the conservative, long term approach about we're going for
it all.
Speaker 8 (05:11):
It'll be analyzed for the rest of time.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
It'll be a historical decision to not let Sequon get
their guys.
Speaker 8 (05:18):
Dereck Henry was.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
On the field in a thirty five to ten win
over Cleveland where it was all done also, but the
Ravens wanted to see Derek Henry eat the Derrick Henry.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Ravens wanted to see Derek Henry get more yards.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
That game was never in question in the second half,
but Derek Henry was still ripping off yards. We saw
Mike Evans get his. We didn't get a chance to
see saquons and the reason why is.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
A smart one.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
We don't want any injuries and we want the offensive
line to be fresh, and we want Saquon to be fresh.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Because we're going for a bigger goal.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
We're going for a Super Bowl championship. Don't lose to
the Packers at home on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Let me be Devil's advocate. Let me speak for the Eagles.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
They had their celebration when he had two thousand yards
and they took the picture and they held them up,
and that was a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Of good will in the locker room.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Throwing one extra play to Mike Evans to get the
record is not giving Saquon twenty five carries in a
game to get his record.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
There's a lot more risk involved.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I felt like they should have set us Adam, and
I think it'll pay off for them. I do think
it'll come back and be brought up again, of course
that they lose. But if you're an Eagles fan watching,
or an Eagles coach, maybe.
Speaker 9 (06:16):
Like a totally different thing, you get it, fair.
Speaker 8 (06:19):
Fair, We're not as rational on these talking.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Headshi thank you for trying. Thank you so much for
bringing that up.
Speaker 10 (06:25):
You guys know how passionate I am about Saquon Barkley
and him wanting me wanting him to get that record.
God forbid if they lose that one, because this is
something I would think about all the time. I wouldn't
let it go. I would hold it against Syrian it
because I wanted to see Saquan. He's such a good
dude in fact that this just fired me up. Like
I don't even really want to even talk about my
point because this has to happen for Sakuon Barkley.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
They have to win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 10 (06:49):
They have to get there otherwise you just wasted an
opportunity when you were that close.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
And I disagree too, Kyle.
Speaker 10 (06:55):
I think he could have done it in ten carries
and he would have been able to get one hundred yards.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, I said it.
Speaker 10 (06:59):
He would have been getting a hundred yards and ten carries.
But I'll get to my point. I'll make it short.
I think the person who has the most to gain
is Jayden Daniels. Jayde and Daniels going up against the Buccaneers,
that was his very first game as an NFL player,
was going up against the Buccaneers, and they pressured him
a whole lot thirty nine percent of the time.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
He you know, in this.
Speaker 10 (07:21):
Game situation, he was able to get out and run
and do his thing, but it was flustering. There was
a lot going on and they threw a lot at him.
I think this time around Jayde and Daniels, five months later,
he's all grown up and he is going to turn
things around for the Commanders. You think about where the
Commanders came from last season and their records, and to
(07:43):
be able to turn it around and have the most
wins for the Commanders since nineteen ninety one. They're one
in five since two thousand and five. Like, this is
transformative for the Commanders, and I think that they have
so much to gain because it's only uphill from here.
You think about at the very beginning, we were talking
about Jaydon Daniels maybe not being able to get to
(08:03):
the playoffs because he was going to have to work
with very little. He has done a lot with very little.
And that's no disrespect to the rest of the personnel
on the Commanders, but the fact that he's doing that
with not an all star cast. He's doing it with
his boys hit this cores and he's still going up there.
So they are only going up from this point.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
First of all, I hope Saquon has three hundred yards
rushing this weekend.
Speaker 9 (08:25):
Three yard I want, but it is very juicy content.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
If he gets stuffed and the Eagles lose, I'm not
hoping for it at all, but as a Saquon guy
as all, but I hope he just goes crazy. I
look at who's got the most to lose this weekend
as a player. There are twelve quarterbacks who are going
to be starting this weekend. Ten of them are definitely
starting Week one. For the team next season and hopefully
years to come. Two of them, I'm not sure that
they're starting or not yet. One of them is Russell Wilson,
and we've talked about him a lot. You have the
(08:50):
one of Sam Donald, and it's okay to bring this up.
Sam Donald has developed this thing around me, has got
this protective halo where he seems like a really good
guy and a good teammate.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And it's a great story.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So everyone just wants to say, this is incredible, this
is so great, and it has been great. It was
really rough in Detroit, really rough. Just objectively, it was tense,
it was tight. He made bad throws, he didn't look
the part. And frankly, when you have someone like Sam
Donald's been in the league a long time, there's a
lot of scar tissue that comes up immediately. The fact is,
on Sam Donald, we have six years of average or
(09:24):
poor or backup play, and we have three months of
excellent play.
Speaker 9 (09:28):
Those six years count that you don't just throw them away.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
It's not a half a season on some team where
he didn't play six years where for whatever reason, what
was around him, what wasn't he didn't have it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
There's a tension with Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
This is not a made guy, okay, especially the circumstances
of them losing if they were to lose this weekend
again in LA And I will go to the tried
and true relationship metaphor here.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
All right, you are with.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Someone in Sam Donald who let's just say, has a
rocky passed or some baggage.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
But it's going great, everything's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
You're in this beautiful montage mode and you're thinking about
popping the question, and then there's just this t terrible
night out of nowhere where they're screaming at the waiter
and just being rude and I'm couth and falling over themselves.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Where did this come from? Who are you?
Speaker 8 (10:11):
Who?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I don't even know you.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
In the meantime, there's this other person you've been talking
with who's young and promising and really likes you and
you have a future with him.
Speaker 9 (10:19):
He's got long hair and looks and you.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Know, it's like youthful and like wow, I kind of like,
are you sure you want to pledge everything to them?
It's sat unfair to talk that Sam Donald has had
a really hard time in this league up until this
year and had a really hard time in Detroit. If
he comes out in this game and he throws an
early pick or there's a misthrow to Justin Jefferson, it's
gonna those six years come out. Those six years don't
(10:41):
get to go away. You don't just make them all
go away. I think he has a lot to prove.
I think if he plays poorly in this game, if
he loses, I don't think he's the Viking starting quarterback
next year in my opinion.
Speaker 9 (10:51):
And maybe that's a rational decision. Maybe it's not what.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Does he have to play for, never mind the win
he has to play for the rest of his career here,
there's are big, big time stakes with Sam Donald against
the Rams.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
Kyle's got a point.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
They drafted a quarterback tenth overall last year, so there
is a quarterback that they're already gonna be paying first
round money. I will say this, the NFL has this
thing that that gives you a nice little cushion. That
franchise tag is awfully nice. You tell Sam Donald will
pay a forty five million.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Do it again, and do it again. And we got
JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
So there is this bridge where it doesn't have to
be so zero and I think.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
People be outraged if they sent they tag Sam Donald.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
What he's fourteen three, you gotta sign him. You gotta
sign a fifty No, you don't, No, you don't. It's
you don't.
Speaker 9 (11:29):
The tag is a very practical thing to do.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
But if you listen out there, he's a made guy
signing with an eight year, four hundred million dollars deal
whatever it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Is, no doubt. I saw a report two weeks.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Ago before Sunday that they were like, he's gonna make
fifty five million dollars from the Viking and if not,
then someone else.
Speaker 8 (11:42):
Okay, if they lose thirty to nothing, not voting.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
For it, not rooting for it. This M Donald's a
nice guy.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I get it, But like, this is football and this
has grown ups, and this is money, and this is
professional football.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
It's a nice guy. Let's see how the bar What
do you think? I know you're I know you're a Donald.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
It's shocked at like the concept that like you can't
run it back with him next year. But I want
to speak on somebody who has an intimate involvement in
the success and probably the decision making behind Zam Donald
and the Kevin O'Connell. Aspect of this, I think the
head coach of the Vikings has the most to gain
this weekend, going up against his former boss coaching this
team to fourteen wins. He has to come to LA
(12:16):
and win in a stadium that he did not do
so already this year.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
But a lot of people are crediting.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
With that man as the first hand operator of Sam
Darnold's turnaround. Now, Peter, this man does not have a
contract extension yet with the Minnesota Vikings. Other coaches in
his hiring class do. I would believe that that man
with the head head set on whether or not there
are reports out there that he could be traded to
a team within the NFC North be true or not,
(12:41):
that man either has a payday in Minnesota or somewhere
else come in, especially if they win and beat the
Rams this weekend.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah, I think that he's now well known.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
Glazer had their report this weekend that he has another
year left on his contract. But when Mike McDaniel got
his big extension this past offseason, they came in the
league the same time as head coaches. The Vikings didn't
engage in an extension for O'Connell now would have to
take a trade to do so. But I certainly think
the more he wins, his price tag goes up and
up for the will family who didn't take care of
it during the season or beforehand. I want to make
(13:12):
sure I didn't come off as rude to Akbar earlier
when I was like, who whoaha, let me Akbar. I
think you speak for a lot of people on the
Donald conversation. Kyle and I are being very very much
on the other side because we didn't jump in the boat.
Speaker 8 (13:24):
Your reaction to me was interesting because.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
You're what most people are. They like you got to
pay him. We already did.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Let you have a finished comment here, because I think
the Darnald conversation is interesting and it goes with Kevin
O'Connell's success as well.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Jamie.
Speaker 10 (13:35):
Absolutely those two are married. But I was just gonna
say it comes from you know, this idea, this this
big idea of you know, we have to hold him
to his past.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
No, you don't like.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could
be any different. We've removed ourselves from that. We're done
with it. It's done. It's over the same reason why
somebody who's you know in sobriety like and say, hey, look,
I've been sober for ten fifteen years. We don't hold
them to that. Yes, you can recall it, you can't
forget it, but you don't necessarily hold them to that.
(14:05):
And I think Sam Donald has proven we're talking about
in full season. Can you imagine two losses in the season.
Can you imagine and the fact that you would say that,
Sam Donald, not you specifically, but the idea that people
would think that this is it, Like it's still like
this undertone of we're still gonna hold you for what
you did in the past. It literally is coming from
(14:26):
a root of it's just pure evil, to be quite
honest with you, Like, the dude can play. There's a
reason why he was a high draft pick. He had
the talent. He just didn't have coaches around him that
could bring it up. If anybody should be held to anything,
if you're gonna hold anybody to the fire, hold all
of his coaches he's had in the past six seasons
that couldn't develop him. And kudos to Kevin O'Connell, who
(14:47):
I know because Kevin O'Connell and I cut from the
same cloth and not because we went to San Diego State,
but the idea that look, hey, we were guys who
were on the roster, who were on a team, and
we understood how hard you have to work. You see
the talent for what they are and not the names
and not all this other stuff that comes with it.
You can see the talent like you know. And this
is why some of the greatest coaches weren't necessarily some
(15:07):
of the best players. I think of Phil Jackson, and
you think of some of these other players who understand players.
If they don't give him another opportunity, if he's not
given another opportunity.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Because he loses, that's a massive, massive mistake.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Are you always speak to like the Raiders and how
like former play would you would be happy with Sam
Darnold wearing a Raiders jersey next year? Pay that man
his money? Not knowing who the head coach is.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
What if it is a defensive minded head coach?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Oh boy, yeah, I mean coach.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
Look, I'm gonna say that Sam Donald will take everything
that he's learned from from Kevin O'Connell and he will
move that to wherever he goes. Because you can't unlearn
those things. There's certain habits and there's certain things that
he's going His eyes have been opened up to he goes,
you know what, I got this, I can move on.
He doesn't need the support of Kevin O'Connell. He's ready
to walk on his own now. So yes, I would
(15:54):
absolutely implore and encourage. If there's not a quarterback there
in the draft for the Raiders, you better go get
Sam Donald if the Bikers don't want them, all right.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
It's like Bambi, like, go quarterback and play for somebody
who will coach you up again. Ian rappaport a morning
to you. Welcome inside our show. He's our NFL Network
insider today. A lot to discuss, Ian, Honestly, it's been
so busy this morning. Where are we going injuries or coaches?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I will start with coaches.
Speaker 11 (16:18):
We'll start with the Dallas Cowboys and the dance they
are still doing with head coach Mike McCarthy.
Speaker 8 (16:23):
It's been fairly clear, just judging.
Speaker 11 (16:24):
From the public comments on both sides, that there's some
mutual interest in Mike McCarthy returning to Dallas.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
As the head coach. They're not there yet.
Speaker 11 (16:32):
The two sides still need to work out a deal.
Still need to figure out what is a mutually beneficial
way to bring McCarthy back to Dallas, and some of
that involves contract terms.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Some of that involves years.
Speaker 11 (16:43):
How many years Dallas wants to lock him up? Four
Obviously McCarthy would want as much as possible, Dallas to
want as much flexibility as possibility.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
No surprise there.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
Then there's the other part of it, which is his
contract is up on June fourteen, teams can talk to him.
At that point, Bear's request for mission to talk to him,
knowing that they're going to get denied.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Obviously, they then got tonight.
Speaker 11 (17:02):
He is still in his exclusive adult window with the Cowboys.
Still what days January eighth, still six days for the
Cowboys to work out a deal with McCarthy. Meanwhile, one
of the top head coaching candidates around has been I
would say, pretty open with discussing where he might potentially go.
Brian Flores, the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator. If there was
(17:24):
an award, I think there is an award actually for
best Assistant of the Year. Certainly Flores would be I
don't know, maybe a front runner for that, definitely in
the mix for that. He's got a couple requests. He's
got the Bears and he's got the Jets. Spoke pretty
openly about being open to interviewing anywhere. The Raiders and
Jaguars have not yet put in all of their requests,
(17:45):
so we'll see if he gets to look there. But
certainly the job Florist has done on the field would
warn him getting another shot as a head coach. And
then the San Francisco forty nine er, speaking of the
defensive coordinators, now need a new defensive coordinator. Nick Sorenson,
who was DC last year, is out meeting for I
don't know. I think it's a fourth time in four years.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Needs a news defensive coordinator.
Speaker 11 (18:07):
There's some really intriguing options out there. Robert Sala if
he does not get ahead coaching job, interviewing with the Jaguars.
If he does not get any coaching job, he would
potentially be an option there. They're also Brandon Stalely on
the staff.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
He would be an option there.
Speaker 11 (18:21):
They got a couple of big time choices for the
forty nine ers if they decide.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
To go in that drip.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Absolutely a return for Sola would be kind of cool. Ian,
thank you so much. Coming up Schrager's Fab five goes
Billy Blanks, it goes double time Fab ten.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Yeah ten, Peter.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Delivers this list of the ten best rookies.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Peter, it's not just one week, it's not just two
FAB ten from.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
What from the entire season?
Speaker 6 (18:44):
We ranked the top ten rookies from the entire season.
Speaker 8 (18:46):
You will have a problem with this. I promise at
home you will.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Not like this list. It's why we do it.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
Top ten rookies, some very famous players not making the cuts.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
And I'm going to give my top ten home workouts
ty Bo nice Billy Flanks, by Ware, last boy scout,
shout out, coming up, Oh friends, Scopioli. So much to
talk about. Who do you hire a GM? Who do
you draft? Who's gonna coach Caleb? Scott Peely always has
all the Chicago Bears?
Speaker 9 (19:16):
Anybody?
Speaker 12 (19:17):
Right after this, I want to talk about pollmasters, good
morn football?
Speaker 8 (19:28):
All right?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Why to say ten?
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Every week we break down the top five rookies from
the season.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
We did it week by week by week. It's the
Fab ten.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
We're gonna give you an end of season list, a
recap of the top ten rookie performances in twenty twenty.
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Four, and oh what a rookie class it was.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Let's start with number ten and we go to the
LA Chargers, where a second round pick shattered every receiving
record that the Chargers ever had for rookies.
Speaker 8 (19:55):
Ladd McConkie is number ten on our list. All right, Lad,
Lad McConkie, big season.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Out of the Georgia Bulldog in his first year in
the NFL, set Chargers rookie receiving records in receptions receiving yards,
going eighty two for eleven hundred and forty nine yards.
Speaker 9 (20:13):
And he ain't done, Peter, he done.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Come on.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
He is the number one wide receiver on a playoff team.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
That is the five seed and looking to go on
in advance.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
After beating the Texans this weekend, he surpassed Keenan Allen's
old records of seventy one for one forty six yards
that were set eleven years ago. Lad McConkie, a number
one wide receiver found in the second round for a
playoff team that makes our list at number ten. Number nine,
we're going to a quarterback and it was the third
(20:44):
overall pick because so much hype was about Caleb Williams
and Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 8 (20:48):
Drake May makes the list at number nine. For a
terrible Patriots season, he was the one bright light. Drake
May was great this year.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
He threw a passing touchdown in eight consecutive games, the
longest such streak by any rookie since Justin Herbert did
it for ten games.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
In a row in twenty twenty.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
It's also the longest streak in Patriots history.
Speaker 8 (21:09):
May took up beating this year the offensive line.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
It just wasn't what it was in the years past,
and yet he got up every single time.
Speaker 8 (21:17):
He also ran for a ton of yards.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Drake May makes the list, and he was on this
list several different times during the season, despite games in
which the Patriots lost. The Patriots they might not have
a lot on the roster right now, they might not
have a head coach right now, and they might have
a lot of question marks. They have something that every
head coach who wants to be in the league has,
and that is a budding, rising superstar front quarterback. Drake
(21:40):
May makes it for number nine.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
For number eight.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
We go defense, so we go. A product of the
mac quineon.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
Mitchell is number eight. A lockdown corner in his first
year in the.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
League, did so for a Philadelphia Eagles team that is
going to be playing as the two seed in the NFC.
Speaker 8 (21:59):
Quinnon Mitchell was excellent this year.
Speaker 6 (22:01):
Started sixteen games and pass defense twelve times, had zero pass.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Interference penalties against him. He was all over the field.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
The most passes defense with zero defensive pass interference penalties
for any cornerback in twenty twenty four season, it's Derek
Singley at one, It's Quinion Mitchell as two.
Speaker 8 (22:22):
The guy has a knack for the ball.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
He's got plays like that Swatson.
Speaker 8 (22:26):
He's a lockdown corner.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
As a rookie out of the MAC, he is a
candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. You'll probably see
his name mentioned as a finalist at Honors. I don't
think he's winning that award because that award is going
to go to Los Angeles this year with number seven
on the list, and that's Jared First, the Florida State
product who came out as a rookie and was immediately
(22:48):
an impact player for that Rams defense versus season was incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
He was a defensive leader.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
He had sixty six tackles, four and a half sacks,
eleven tackles for a loss.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
He had eighteen.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Quarterback hits, and if you go by next Gen stats,
he had seventy.
Speaker 8 (23:04):
Six quarterback pressures.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
How good is that.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
It's the most that any rookie has had in a
season since.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Nick Bosa in twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
That's five years, folks.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Jared Verse was incredible and there were so many questions
how this Rams defense would somehow recover after the loss
of Aaron Donald to retirement. Jared Verse doesn't play the
same position as Aaron Donald, but Jared Vers helped on
a unit that got contributions from fellow rookies Braid and Fisk,
fellow rookie Omar Spates, fellow rookie Cam Kitchens. The defense
(23:34):
didn't take a giant step back. Kim Kitchens of course
on the defensive backside, yes, but Jared Vers upfront was
one of the reasons he is my defensive Rookie of
the Year. We'll see how that plays out at NFL Honors.
The top six are all offensive players. Start sorting out
who you got in your list, because I'm gonna break
you out.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Mind.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
Number six is the running back for the Temp Bay Buccaneers,
who they found on Day three, It's Bucky Irving. Bucky
Irving had an outstanding season for a division winner and
a playoff team. Carry the ball two hundred and seven
times had twenty two rushing yards. He also had forty
seven receiving yards for three hundred and ninety two receiving yards.
(24:13):
Irving was one of just four players in the history
of the game who have one thousand rushing yards to
average five yards.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Of a carry in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Those other names Saquon Derrick, Henry, Jamier Gibbs again one
thousand rushing yards and averaged five yards to carry this season,
four guys did it, Saquon, Henry Gibbs, and Bucky Irving.
You go through rookie seasons most yards per carry, the
list is incredible. He's in the top four with five
point four yards per carry. The guys above him Adrian Peterson,
(24:47):
Francoharris and Clinton Portis. Those are the only three guys
who had more yards per carry and rushed for one
thousand yards as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
He was unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Bucky Irving, Bucky the Duck comes in at number six.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Number five.
Speaker 6 (25:01):
We go with our wide receiver and we go with
our wide receiver for the jack Xonville Jaguars on a
bad Jaguars team at Jaguars teament didn't do much. Brian
Thomas Junior had a huge season. You look at Thomas's
numbers eighty seven catches, one thousand, one one, two hundred
and eighty two receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Guys, he went.
Speaker 8 (25:21):
For eighty seven twelve hundred and.
Speaker 6 (25:24):
Ten receiving touchdowns as a rookie playing for a Jaguars
team that did not much on offense. He's won of
four rookies in the Super Bowl Era to go twelve
hundred and ten receiving touchdowns in a season. The other
guys are Jamar Chase, Odell Beckham, and Randy Mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
That's unbelievable.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
This quarterback ever, and his quarterback got hurt.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He did it with Mac Jones down the stretch.
Speaker 8 (25:48):
Unbelievable season. The only problem is he wasn't the.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
Most impressive rookie wide receiver because his college teammate was.
We go back to LSU where Odell Beckham and Jamar
Chase no doubt played back to LSU where Justin Jefferson played.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Back to LSU where.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
Ryan Thomas Junior paid because the number four rookie this
season and all of football was Malik Neighbors for the
New York Giants. Milik Neighbors, on a forgettable Giants team.
Speaker 8 (26:13):
Had an unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
Rookie season one hundred and nine catches, twelve hundred receiving yards,
and seven receiving touchdowns. He finished the most receiving yards
most receptions by a rookie wide receiver despite missing two
games in twenty twenty four. He led all rookies and
he missed two games. He's one hundred and nine receptions
are the second most by a player in their first
(26:36):
fifteen career games in the Only Trails Odell Beckham Junior.
Malik Neighbors had an amazing season, and that was with
Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle throwing
him past his This season, Malik Neighbors is just getting started.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
He's number four on our list.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
We're down to the final.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Three top three rookies of the twenty twenty four season.
Number three is Las Vegas Raiders tight end and the
thirteenth pick in the twenty twenty four NFL.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Draft, Brock Bowers.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Brock Bowers comes in at three from me, and I
know a lot of Raiders fans are like, are you
serious he's won?
Speaker 8 (27:14):
He could be one hundred and twelve catches.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
One hundred and twelve catches is the most ever by
a rookie.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
We know that he also broke.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Mike Dicker's rookie tight end record with one and ninety
four receiving yards. When you look at most receptions by
a rookie in NFL history, it's Bowers, It's Neighbors, and
then it's Puka, it's Jalen Waddle, and it's Ank Bond.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Bolden Neighbors at fifteen games. I'm telling you man.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Neighbors had as he comes in great, Oh wow.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
The Bowers had the most catches ever by a rookie
player in the NFL. And he did it with a
tight end position. And I keep saying this, I don't
need to disparage his quarterback play. He did it with
Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell throwing him passes. And he
did it with rookies in games that you couldn't imagine.
You had Desmond Ritter coming in as the core for
the Raiders on a Monday night game and Bowers still eight.
(28:07):
So brock Bauers incredible rookie season. But you know, if
you watch this segment, I value the quarterback position more
than any other position on the field, and all those
record breaking seasons from the skill position, guys, is amazing.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Number two on my list is bo Nicks.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
I thought bo Nicks had an amazing rookie season and
took his team to the playoffs for the first time
since twenty fifteen. Bo Knicks went and won ten games
of the rookie He also completed sixty six.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Percent of his passes.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
He threw for.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Thirty seven hundred yards, threw for twenty nine touchdowns, and
he only had twelve interceptions.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (28:42):
By the way, he also ran the ball ninety two times.
Speaker 8 (28:45):
For four hundred and thirty yards.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Most importantly, it's the team they followed where bo Nicks led.
They snapped an eight season playoff drought. He had the
second most touchdowns by a rookie in NFL history passing touchdowns,
behind just Justin Herbert's great season with the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Bo Nicks incredible rookie season.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
It finishes number two on my list because with no
further ado gen role. Maybe the greatest rookie rookie season
we've ever seen from a quarterback. It's one that got
his teammate's back into the playoffs. His team won twelve
games for the first time since nineteen ninety one, and
he did a lot of that by leading with his
arm and with his legs and did so in crunch time.
Jayden Daniels comes in at number one from twenty twenty
(29:30):
four as our most decorated rookie Jaden twelve and five.
He started every game this team, you know, besides, of
course the loss to the Cowboys. He didn't play against
them because Mariota was in there. But sixty nine percent
of his passes he completed. He also threw twenty five
touchdown passes. But listening to this, he also ran for
(29:50):
eight hundred and ninety one rushing yards and six touchdowns.
It was ran for one thousand yards. Take a look
at just the rookie records. Sixty nine percent of his passes,
eight hundred ninety one res How about this, twelve passing
touchdowns in the fourth quarter, five different wins of the
final thirty seconds of a game, and then he led
the Commanders to twenty eight and a half points per game,
(30:11):
the most by a team with a rookie quarterback ever
in NFL history. We've seen great rookie seasons from March three, Cam.
Speaker 8 (30:18):
Newton, Andrew Locke. Of course, Dan Marino had a.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
Big rookie season, even Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan.
Speaker 8 (30:23):
We can go down the list TJ. Stroud last year.
Speaker 6 (30:26):
I don't think there's been a more impressive turnaround for
a team than what the Washington Commanders did, and they
had it with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Guys, there's a lot of names out on this list.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Caleb didn't make the list.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
Marvin Harrison Junior didn't make the list. There are great
offensive linemen like Joe Alt who did.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Not make this list.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Joe Walt started sixteen games that tackle for.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
A playoff team. He didn't make the list. Savior Worthy's
nowhere to be found. This is my list. Have at it,
Kyle Brant, get in there.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I think Raiders fans have it right, and I think
you to mention this that bron Powers was better at
his position than jayde was his.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
But I like that you have Jaden number one.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
The headline for me honestly, is is no Caleb, and
you should he shouldn't be.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
But if you were to.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Go to the beginning of the season and show this
and say Caleb's not in the top ten, you'd just
assume you got injured, like there's no way Caleb. But
also if you go to the Bears fans at the
beginning the season said twenty touchdowns, six interceptions, starts every
game and wins in Lambeau, say yet and yet it
just wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So the number one overall pick doesn't make it. But
it's fantastic list.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
I actually think the one the most breathtaking one of
all of them.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
This is maybe hot take lad mccackay.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Amazing, absolutely amazing, because everybody into the Charger season.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
Said, great, who is Herbert going to? Who is he
throwing to?
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Now they're in the playoffs, it's great.
Speaker 8 (31:36):
Let me ask you, no Caleb. But I did put
Drake May on the list.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Your thoughts on that Caleb had a better season win
wise and might have had a better season statistically. I
just looked at what Drake May was dealing with, and
I thought Drake May played valiantly this season.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Well, I think Drake May is really relevant to the
coaching search because I think people are like, I want
to coach that guy.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I want to coach that guy.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
And there was something about the optics in the eye
test that he passed swimmingly even though the team was
so bad. So I think he's gonna help them when
they're coaching hired just by being so good.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
Joe alt we see you, Brandon Fisk, We see you
our guy Beanie out there in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
We see a lot of good rookies.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
Nate Wiggins in Baltimore didn't make my ten good rookie class.
Speaker 8 (32:12):
The fab ten. That's my list.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Have at it, folks. I respect you didn't go to
terrific ten.
Speaker 9 (32:18):
Not everything has to be alliteration, dude, Good.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
Good morning football, Welcome back to GMFB. Fourteen teams are
now in the playoffs and marching towards the.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
Goal New Orleans, so they hope.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Eighteen different teams, though, are reorganizing, regrouping and looking forward
to the draft and beyond. We are now so happy
to welcome in our friend NFL Networks Front office guru,
mister Scott Pioli.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Scott Scott, good morning everyone. Great to see everybody, it's
been a while, you too, it has it has.
Speaker 6 (32:58):
Let's start with the teams that are in the playoffs.
You've been there several times as a member of the
Patriots organization. Every team deals with injuries, a grueling schedule,
long season, but the Lions found a way to rise
above all of that and go in with a buy
and a week to rest.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
What sets this.
Speaker 6 (33:16):
Lions team apart from maybe the other teams in the
NFC that will be dueling it out this weekend because
they did not win the number one seed, Peter, I.
Speaker 13 (33:24):
Think what sets them apart from a lot of other
organizations is the system that they have in place in
terms of player acquisition and real time player development. There's
a marriage between the front office and the coaching staff
that is really strong. They both sides understand that they
need to serve one another. They are servant leaders. So
when I look at this organization, everyone knows I've talked
(33:45):
a lot about Shielda Ford, hamp about Dan Campbell. I
think they're both fantastic, very deserving. Now we're hearing everyone
talk about their assistant coaches and Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn,
but the person we don't hear nearly enough about is
my guy, Brad Holmes. Brad and his staff have done
an absolutely incredible job. This is a game of these
long seasons, and when we've watched happen with the lines
(34:08):
this year, there actually have eight current starters that are out.
They've had starters miss one hundred and nine starts in
terms of games started, and that is very different as
we see the other teams on this list right now,
a lot of those other teams, no one else is
in the playoffs. And I know this, and I know
how hard it is because.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I lived this.
Speaker 13 (34:26):
Our Patriots team in two thousand and three started forty
two different starters during that season, which was an NFL
record for a division winner until we rebroke that record
again in two thousand and five when we had forty
five different players having to start.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
We got knocked out of the divisional round.
Speaker 13 (34:44):
And I think part of what this is Injuries are
are not an excuse, but it is a reality in
the National Football League, something that you have to pay
attention to. And I think that Brad Holmes surely should
be in the in the running, if not the NFL
Executive of the Year. He's done a great job Eric,
the Costas, Adam Peters, the Minnesota Viking Squacy and Ryan
(35:05):
Grigson together have done an incredible job. But that's what
sets this Lions team apart in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, and Scott, I want to go to a team.
Speaker 10 (35:13):
Obviously, you're familiar with the New England Patriots, and we
all know your relationship with him, and we know that
you're still very close with a lot of people in
and around that organization. What's your assessment on how things
kind of shook out for girod Mail after one season.
Speaker 13 (35:30):
I want to start with this. Where I really appreciate
and respect is Robert Kraft's transparency and honesty and taking
responsibility to the situation that happened. Listen, I love girod
mal I draft. I was a part of the group
that drafted him. I know him. It clearly appeared this
year that he was not ready for the job, and
that was not his fault. He had only five years
(35:51):
of coaching experience when he got there. And these head
coaching jobs are so massive, It requires so much more
experience than five years as an assistant coach in your
total career. And I think when they ended this the
other night, this decision was made mentally and or emotionally
before this game because they acted so quickly. In fact,
they actually have already interviewed two candidates yesterday, And I
(36:16):
don't know anything in terms of insider information. Yes, I'm
close to people, but I don't have insider information. But
as I watched this, if Mike Rabel is the person
that becomes their head coach, the two candidates that they
interviewed yesterday, Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, those two people
may have been candidates for running their offense. And I
say that because I'm certain in their interview yesterday, you
(36:38):
guys talked earlier about Drake May and what a great
job that might be if you walk into that job.
But I'm sure that Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton both
talked to the owners and to Elliott Wolf about what
their plan would be for Drake May. So to me,
they were ready, They're moving, and this looks like a
very interesting job for whoever's in trouble and going to
(37:00):
get that job.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Scott, you mentioned Mike Rabel.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
He's been part of the several changes the Tennessee Titans.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Have made over the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
They have the number one overall pick in the draft,
they no longer have a general manager, and they have
a coach coming off his first year. How did the
Titans handle their business moving forward?
Speaker 13 (37:15):
Yeah, this is going to be very interesting because you
look at them, they're on the clock. Their time is here,
and they don't have a lot of time. They just
fired their GM, Brand Corthin, and four other senior personnel executives.
They have time to turn around, but it has to
be really quick. They put someone in terms of overseeing
the football operations in Chad Brinker. He's going to be
(37:36):
in charge of hiring a GM. But they're right now
without five of their top personnel people and they've got
to make the number one decision, of the number one
pick decision in very short time.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Scott Pioli, thank you so much. Happy playoff season. We'll
see in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Well, I mean, did our top ten?
Speaker 6 (37:52):
Okase Bears fans are losing their mind on Twitter that
we didn't include Caleb Williams. How about Washington Commander fans
upset Mike Sanstrel the corner, a lot of them saying.
Speaker 8 (38:01):
He was better than Quinnion Mitchell.
Speaker 6 (38:02):
You national hack it let's see the tweets. What of
the social media folks think as we go through the
list of some of the grievances here, Chop should be there.
Chop Robinson had an amazing season for the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 8 (38:16):
Who are you putting him over?
Speaker 2 (38:17):
He put him over burst?
Speaker 8 (38:18):
Maybe maybe not?
Speaker 6 (38:20):
Last time I checked, Caleb's numbers are better than many.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
I explained it.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
I thought Drake may had an unwinnable situation and stood
there and took a beating and still had a great season.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I went Drake over Caleb.
Speaker 8 (38:30):
If you go Caleb over Drake.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
That's fine.
Speaker 8 (38:33):
Nate Wiggans disrespect all year.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Wigans had a great season.
Speaker 6 (38:35):
He starts on the Ravens, the number three team in
the AFC, and he's a rookie.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Guys, that's why we do lists.
Speaker 8 (38:41):
We want to hear from you, We want to hear
from the fans.
Speaker 6 (38:43):
Jamie Akbar, I have a blast every week doing this.
There's vitry all coming from a lot of these fan
bases who want to see their rookies get recognized.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
No, man, don't mind them men.
Speaker 10 (38:52):
But I will say one name that should have been
an honorable mental mayror.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Edrin Cooper for the packers.
Speaker 10 (38:57):
He had you got it showing Yeah, I've only got
ten spots, guys.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Top thirty
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Cop
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
That's right, this is Good Morning Football.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
We are presented by Old Trapper k Jurkey live in
Los Angeles in New.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
York City this morning. It's Wednesday, January.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Here is Akwar Bajki and Milla. Our friends in New York,
Peter Scheger and Kyle Brant. I'm Jamie ertall Is Well.
Welcome inside our show, into our breakfast table this morning.
If you have been watching the news overnight, the fire
spreading throughout Los Angeles is very jarring to see. The
destruction that is taking place is not far from us.
We know the visuals are extremely unsettling and for many
(00:52):
some that even work on this show, being in the
vicinity of this is really uncomfortable and it's hard to
see and be a part of. It's being reported hundreds
of homes have already burned down, tens of thousands of
people evacuated.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
From their homes, and even more are without power.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
With more than fourteen hundred firefighting and emergency personnel deployed,
we want to welcome you into our show this morning
to provide some relief and joy because we all love football,
We love this table, we love talking to you and
provide you to the support that you might need this morning.
So with that being said, we can look ahead to
football this weekend and have a very similar conversation that
(01:29):
we had at the start of our first hour on GMFB.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
We're looking at the NFC side of things now.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Saquon Barcley sat out Week eighteen, and he passed out
on the single season rushing record with bigger goals in mind,
a Super Bowl title and being a part of the
Philadelphia Eagles. Philly taken on the Packers this Sunday in
the Wildcard round, and Matt Lafleur, the Packers head coach,
talked about facing Sequon and that offense.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
The season he's had is I mean, he's dynamic and
he heard us when we played him the first game
of the season in terms of not only running the ball,
but he caught a rail road out of the backfield.
So he's a guy that you absolutely have to have
eyes on, have vision on, and making sure that you
have a plan for him. And they do such a
(02:13):
great job because there's other weapons out there too, and
then you've got to contain the quarterback and they got
one of the top offensive lines in the National Football League.
So we'll definitely have our work cutout for us. But
I think our guys are eager for the opportunity, as.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
They should be.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So here comes the question.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Let's look at the NFC side, the six six teams
that are playing this weekend, which NFC head coach or
quarterback has the most to lose or, if you want
to spind it positively, peter the most to gain this weekend.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
I look at Philadelphia and hear me out here. They
opted not to go for the Saquon Barkley single season
rushing record, and talking heads like us had a field
day with it and went thirty ways backwards forwards. Everyone
had to take. Saquon Barkley was at his locker after
the decision was made. Take a listen to what he
had to say in week eighteen before a game. He
ended up not even playing it to somebody in.
Speaker 7 (03:04):
Your family who did take it the hardest follow Yeah,
he tried to act like he didn't, but he called
me yesterday say Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Is checkable me?
Speaker 7 (03:13):
He definitely wanted me to play, you know, selfishly for him,
you got to think about it for however long, whether
it would take a year if I would have broke it,
or for someone to break it, or another forty fifty years,
our last name would have been attached to that. So
I see it from that side too. But at the
end of the day, the most important thing is one
of the football games. And he's the one that raised
me to kind of be all about the team too,
So he could have his little self as moment, but
(03:35):
he'll get over.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It's a fun moment.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
It's a great SoundBite, and Saquon seems to be taken
it in stride. But you get the feeling that Saquon
probably wanted to get that record, and he didn't bang
his head. He didn't bang. He understands. But I think
Saquon would have liked to have been the single season
rushing record holder for the rest of time, Like I
think that would have been nice.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And he won't get another shot.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
He won't get another shot. It's very unlikely you get
that other shot. They opted not to. And when you
opt not to do that in week team because you
thinking about the playoffs, you better succeed in the playoffs.
Take a look at the reaction and when another team
that had already clinched a playoff spot and had nothing
else to play for except the individual's accolades. Got that
individual the accolades a thousand yards for the.
Speaker 8 (04:15):
Eleven straight year.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
And look at the way this team reacted and look
at how excited they were.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Do you think this is a good.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
Moment for the Ten Bay Buccaneers heading into the playoffs?
Do you think they were happy? Do you think that
they were galvanized? Do you think that maybe, just maybe
Saquon getting that record could have been a positive thing
heading into January instead of going into this postseason like, well,
that was the regular season. It's an individual effort and
we're turning the page. It's not that significant. These things
(04:43):
matter and it's good for team. And in the locker
room after the game, Todd Bowles had a smile as
wide as you've ever seen Todd Bowles have. Now, I
say all that to lead to Nick Sirianni, because he's
the man in charge and he's the one with a
decision if the Packers come in and beat the Eagles
on Sunday, that decision Week eighteen to not let Saquon
(05:04):
get that record and to hold Saquon back and to
take the conservative, long term approach about we're going for
it all.
Speaker 8 (05:11):
It'll be analyzed for the rest of time.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
It'll be a historical decision to not let Sequon get
their guys.
Speaker 8 (05:18):
Dereck Henry was.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
On the field in a thirty five to ten win
over Cleveland where it was all done also, but the
Ravens wanted to see Derek Henry eat the Derrick Henry.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Ravens wanted to see Derek Henry get more yards.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
That game was never in question in the second half,
but Derek Henry was still ripping off yards. We saw
Mike Evans get his. We didn't get a chance to
see saquons and the reason why is.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
A smart one.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
We don't want any injuries and we want the offensive
line to be fresh, and we want Saquon to be fresh.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Because we're going for a bigger goal.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
We're going for a Super Bowl championship. Don't lose to
the Packers at home on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Let me be Devil's advocate. Let me speak for the Eagles.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
They had their celebration when he had two thousand yards
and they took the picture and they held them up,
and that was a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Of good will in the locker room.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Throwing one extra play to Mike Evans to get the
record is not giving Saquon twenty five carries in a
game to get his record.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
There's a lot more risk involved.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I felt like they should have set us Adam, and
I think it'll pay off for them. I do think
it'll come back and be brought up again, of course
that they lose. But if you're an Eagles fan watching,
or an Eagles coach, maybe.
Speaker 9 (06:16):
Like a totally different thing, you get it, fair.
Speaker 8 (06:19):
Fair, We're not as rational on these talking.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Headshi thank you for trying. Thank you so much for
bringing that up.
Speaker 10 (06:25):
You guys know how passionate I am about Saquon Barkley
and him wanting me wanting him to get that record.
God forbid if they lose that one, because this is
something I would think about all the time. I wouldn't
let it go. I would hold it against Syrian it
because I wanted to see Saquan. He's such a good
dude in fact that this just fired me up. Like
I don't even really want to even talk about my
point because this has to happen for Sakuon Barkley.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
They have to win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 10 (06:49):
They have to get there otherwise you just wasted an
opportunity when you were that close.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
And I disagree too, Kyle.
Speaker 10 (06:55):
I think he could have done it in ten carries
and he would have been able to get one hundred yards.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, I said it.
Speaker 10 (06:59):
He would have been getting a hundred yards and ten carries.
But I'll get to my point. I'll make it short.
I think the person who has the most to gain
is Jayden Daniels. Jayde and Daniels going up against the Buccaneers,
that was his very first game as an NFL player,
was going up against the Buccaneers, and they pressured him
a whole lot thirty nine percent of the time.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
He you know, in this.
Speaker 10 (07:21):
Game situation, he was able to get out and run
and do his thing, but it was flustering. There was
a lot going on and they threw a lot at him.
I think this time around Jayde and Daniels, five months later,
he's all grown up and he is going to turn
things around for the Commanders. You think about where the
Commanders came from last season and their records, and to
(07:43):
be able to turn it around and have the most
wins for the Commanders since nineteen ninety one. They're one
in five since two thousand and five. Like, this is
transformative for the Commanders, and I think that they have
so much to gain because it's only uphill from here.
You think about at the very beginning, we were talking
about Jaydon Daniels maybe not being able to get to
(08:03):
the playoffs because he was going to have to work
with very little. He has done a lot with very little.
And that's no disrespect to the rest of the personnel
on the Commanders, but the fact that he's doing that
with not an all star cast. He's doing it with
his boys hit this cores and he's still going up there.
So they are only going up from this point.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
First of all, I hope Saquon has three hundred yards
rushing this weekend.
Speaker 9 (08:25):
Three yard I want, but it is very juicy content.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
If he gets stuffed and the Eagles lose, I'm not
hoping for it at all, but as a Saquon guy
as all, but I hope he just goes crazy. I
look at who's got the most to lose this weekend
as a player. There are twelve quarterbacks who are going
to be starting this weekend. Ten of them are definitely
starting Week one. For the team next season and hopefully
years to come. Two of them, I'm not sure that
they're starting or not yet. One of them is Russell Wilson,
and we've talked about him a lot. You have the
(08:50):
one of Sam Donald, and it's okay to bring this up.
Sam Donald has developed this thing around me, has got
this protective halo where he seems like a really good
guy and a good teammate.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And it's a great story.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So everyone just wants to say, this is incredible, this
is so great, and it has been great. It was
really rough in Detroit, really rough. Just objectively, it was tense,
it was tight. He made bad throws, he didn't look
the part. And frankly, when you have someone like Sam
Donald's been in the league a long time, there's a
lot of scar tissue that comes up immediately. The fact is,
on Sam Donald, we have six years of average or
(09:24):
poor or backup play, and we have three months of
excellent play.
Speaker 9 (09:28):
Those six years count that you don't just throw them away.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
It's not a half a season on some team where
he didn't play six years where for whatever reason, what
was around him, what wasn't he didn't have it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
There's a tension with Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
This is not a made guy, okay, especially the circumstances
of them losing if they were to lose this weekend
again in LA And I will go to the tried
and true relationship metaphor here.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
All right, you are with.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Someone in Sam Donald who let's just say, has a
rocky passed or some baggage.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
But it's going great, everything's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
You're in this beautiful montage mode and you're thinking about
popping the question, and then there's just this t terrible
night out of nowhere where they're screaming at the waiter
and just being rude and I'm couth and falling over themselves.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Where did this come from? Who are you?
Speaker 8 (10:11):
Who?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I don't even know you.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
In the meantime, there's this other person you've been talking
with who's young and promising and really likes you and
you have a future with him.
Speaker 9 (10:19):
He's got long hair and looks and you.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Know, it's like youthful and like wow, I kind of like,
are you sure you want to pledge everything to them?
It's sat unfair to talk that Sam Donald has had
a really hard time in this league up until this
year and had a really hard time in Detroit. If
he comes out in this game and he throws an
early pick or there's a misthrow to Justin Jefferson, it's
gonna those six years come out. Those six years don't
(10:41):
get to go away. You don't just make them all
go away. I think he has a lot to prove.
I think if he plays poorly in this game, if
he loses, I don't think he's the Viking starting quarterback
next year in my opinion.
Speaker 9 (10:51):
And maybe that's a rational decision. Maybe it's not what.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Does he have to play for, never mind the win
he has to play for the rest of his career here,
there's are big, big time stakes with Sam Donald against
the Rams.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
Kyle's got a point.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
They drafted a quarterback tenth overall last year, so there
is a quarterback that they're already gonna be paying first
round money. I will say this, the NFL has this
thing that that gives you a nice little cushion. That
franchise tag is awfully nice. You tell Sam Donald will
pay a forty five million.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Do it again, and do it again. And we got
JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
So there is this bridge where it doesn't have to
be so zero and I think.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
People be outraged if they sent they tag Sam Donald.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
What he's fourteen three, you gotta sign him. You gotta
sign a fifty No, you don't, No, you don't. It's
you don't.
Speaker 9 (11:29):
The tag is a very practical thing to do.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
But if you listen out there, he's a made guy
signing with an eight year, four hundred million dollars deal
whatever it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Is, no doubt. I saw a report two weeks.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Ago before Sunday that they were like, he's gonna make
fifty five million dollars from the Viking and if not,
then someone else.
Speaker 8 (11:42):
Okay, if they lose thirty to nothing, not voting.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
For it, not rooting for it. This M Donald's a
nice guy.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I get it, But like, this is football and this
has grown ups, and this is money, and this is
professional football.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
It's a nice guy. Let's see how the bar What
do you think? I know you're I know you're a Donald.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
It's shocked at like the concept that like you can't
run it back with him next year. But I want
to speak on somebody who has an intimate involvement in
the success and probably the decision making behind Zam Donald
and the Kevin O'Connell. Aspect of this, I think the
head coach of the Vikings has the most to gain
this weekend, going up against his former boss coaching this
team to fourteen wins. He has to come to LA
(12:16):
and win in a stadium that he did not do
so already this year.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
But a lot of people are crediting.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
With that man as the first hand operator of Sam
Darnold's turnaround. Now, Peter, this man does not have a
contract extension yet with the Minnesota Vikings. Other coaches in
his hiring class do. I would believe that that man
with the head head set on whether or not there
are reports out there that he could be traded to
a team within the NFC North be true or not,
(12:41):
that man either has a payday in Minnesota or somewhere
else come in, especially if they win and beat the
Rams this weekend.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah, I think that he's now well known.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
Glazer had their report this weekend that he has another
year left on his contract. But when Mike McDaniel got
his big extension this past offseason, they came in the
league the same time as head coaches. The Vikings didn't
engage in an extension for O'Connell now would have to
take a trade to do so. But I certainly think
the more he wins, his price tag goes up and
up for the will family who didn't take care of
it during the season or beforehand. I want to make
(13:12):
sure I didn't come off as rude to Akbar earlier
when I was like, who whoaha, let me Akbar. I
think you speak for a lot of people on the
Donald conversation. Kyle and I are being very very much
on the other side because we didn't jump in the boat.
Speaker 8 (13:24):
Your reaction to me was interesting because.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
You're what most people are. They like you got to
pay him. We already did.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Let you have a finished comment here, because I think
the Darnald conversation is interesting and it goes with Kevin
O'Connell's success as well.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Jamie.
Speaker 10 (13:35):
Absolutely those two are married. But I was just gonna
say it comes from you know, this idea, this this
big idea of you know, we have to hold him
to his past.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
No, you don't like.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could
be any different. We've removed ourselves from that. We're done
with it. It's done. It's over the same reason why
somebody who's you know in sobriety like and say, hey, look,
I've been sober for ten fifteen years. We don't hold
them to that. Yes, you can recall it, you can't
forget it, but you don't necessarily hold them to that.
(14:05):
And I think Sam Donald has proven we're talking about
in full season. Can you imagine two losses in the season.
Can you imagine and the fact that you would say that,
Sam Donald, not you specifically, but the idea that people
would think that this is it, Like it's still like
this undertone of we're still gonna hold you for what
you did in the past. It literally is coming from
(14:26):
a root of it's just pure evil, to be quite
honest with you, Like, the dude can play. There's a
reason why he was a high draft pick. He had
the talent. He just didn't have coaches around him that
could bring it up. If anybody should be held to anything,
if you're gonna hold anybody to the fire, hold all
of his coaches he's had in the past six seasons
that couldn't develop him. And kudos to Kevin O'Connell, who
(14:47):
I know because Kevin O'Connell and I cut from the
same cloth and not because we went to San Diego State,
but the idea that look, hey, we were guys who
were on the roster, who were on a team, and
we understood how hard you have to work. You see
the talent for what they are and not the names
and not all this other stuff that comes with it.
You can see the talent like you know. And this
is why some of the greatest coaches weren't necessarily some
(15:07):
of the best players. I think of Phil Jackson, and
you think of some of these other players who understand players.
If they don't give him another opportunity, if he's not
given another opportunity.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Because he loses, that's a massive, massive mistake.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Are you always speak to like the Raiders and how
like former play would you would be happy with Sam
Darnold wearing a Raiders jersey next year? Pay that man
his money? Not knowing who the head coach is.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
What if it is a defensive minded head coach?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Oh boy, yeah, I mean coach.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
Look, I'm gonna say that Sam Donald will take everything
that he's learned from from Kevin O'Connell and he will
move that to wherever he goes. Because you can't unlearn
those things. There's certain habits and there's certain things that
he's going His eyes have been opened up to he goes,
you know what, I got this, I can move on.
He doesn't need the support of Kevin O'Connell. He's ready
to walk on his own now. So yes, I would
(15:54):
absolutely implore and encourage. If there's not a quarterback there
in the draft for the Raiders, you better go get
Sam Donald if the Bikers don't want them, all right.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
It's like Bambi, like, go quarterback and play for somebody
who will coach you up again. Ian rappaport a morning
to you. Welcome inside our show. He's our NFL Network
insider today. A lot to discuss, Ian, Honestly, it's been
so busy this morning. Where are we going injuries or coaches?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I will start with coaches.
Speaker 11 (16:18):
We'll start with the Dallas Cowboys and the dance they
are still doing with head coach Mike McCarthy.
Speaker 8 (16:23):
It's been fairly clear, just judging.
Speaker 11 (16:24):
From the public comments on both sides, that there's some
mutual interest in Mike McCarthy returning to Dallas.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
As the head coach. They're not there yet.
Speaker 11 (16:32):
The two sides still need to work out a deal.
Still need to figure out what is a mutually beneficial
way to bring McCarthy back to Dallas, and some of
that involves contract terms.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Some of that involves years.
Speaker 11 (16:43):
How many years Dallas wants to lock him up? Four
Obviously McCarthy would want as much as possible, Dallas to
want as much flexibility as possibility.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
No surprise there.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
Then there's the other part of it, which is his
contract is up on June fourteen, teams can talk to him.
At that point, Bear's request for mission to talk to him,
knowing that they're going to get denied.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Obviously, they then got tonight.
Speaker 11 (17:02):
He is still in his exclusive adult window with the Cowboys.
Still what days January eighth, still six days for the
Cowboys to work out a deal with McCarthy. Meanwhile, one
of the top head coaching candidates around has been I
would say, pretty open with discussing where he might potentially go.
Brian Flores, the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator. If there was
(17:24):
an award, I think there is an award actually for
best Assistant of the Year. Certainly Flores would be I
don't know, maybe a front runner for that, definitely in
the mix for that. He's got a couple requests. He's
got the Bears and he's got the Jets. Spoke pretty
openly about being open to interviewing anywhere. The Raiders and
Jaguars have not yet put in all of their requests,
(17:45):
so we'll see if he gets to look there. But
certainly the job Florist has done on the field would
warn him getting another shot as a head coach. And
then the San Francisco forty nine er, speaking of the
defensive coordinators, now need a new defensive coordinator. Nick Sorenson,
who was DC last year, is out meeting for I
don't know. I think it's a fourth time in four years.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Needs a news defensive coordinator.
Speaker 11 (18:07):
There's some really intriguing options out there. Robert Sala if
he does not get ahead coaching job, interviewing with the Jaguars.
If he does not get any coaching job, he would
potentially be an option there. They're also Brandon Stalely on
the staff.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
He would be an option there.
Speaker 11 (18:21):
They got a couple of big time choices for the
forty nine ers if they decide.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
To go in that drip.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Absolutely a return for Sola would be kind of cool. Ian,
thank you so much. Coming up Schrager's Fab five goes
Billy Blanks, it goes double time Fab ten.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Yeah ten, Peter.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Delivers this list of the ten best rookies.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Peter, it's not just one week, it's not just two
FAB ten from.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
What from the entire season?
Speaker 6 (18:44):
We ranked the top ten rookies from the entire season.
Speaker 8 (18:46):
You will have a problem with this. I promise at
home you will.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Not like this list. It's why we do it.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
Top ten rookies, some very famous players not making the cuts.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
And I'm going to give my top ten home workouts
ty Bo nice Billy Flanks, by Ware, last boy scout,
shout out, coming up, Oh friends, Scopioli. So much to
talk about. Who do you hire a GM? Who do
you draft? Who's gonna coach Caleb? Scott Peely always has
all the Chicago Bears?
Speaker 9 (19:16):
Anybody?
Speaker 12 (19:17):
Right after this, I want to talk about pollmasters, good
morn football?
Speaker 8 (19:28):
All right?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Why to say ten?
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Every week we break down the top five rookies from
the season.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
We did it week by week by week. It's the
Fab ten.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
We're gonna give you an end of season list, a
recap of the top ten rookie performances in twenty twenty.
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Four, and oh what a rookie class it was.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Let's start with number ten and we go to the
LA Chargers, where a second round pick shattered every receiving
record that the Chargers ever had for rookies.
Speaker 8 (19:55):
Ladd McConkie is number ten on our list. All right, Lad,
Lad McConkie, big season.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Out of the Georgia Bulldog in his first year in
the NFL, set Chargers rookie receiving records in receptions receiving yards,
going eighty two for eleven hundred and forty nine yards.
Speaker 9 (20:13):
And he ain't done, Peter, he done.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Come on.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
He is the number one wide receiver on a playoff team.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
That is the five seed and looking to go on
in advance.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
After beating the Texans this weekend, he surpassed Keenan Allen's
old records of seventy one for one forty six yards
that were set eleven years ago. Lad McConkie, a number
one wide receiver found in the second round for a
playoff team that makes our list at number ten. Number nine,
we're going to a quarterback and it was the third
(20:44):
overall pick because so much hype was about Caleb Williams
and Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 8 (20:48):
Drake May makes the list at number nine. For a
terrible Patriots season, he was the one bright light. Drake
May was great this year.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
He threw a passing touchdown in eight consecutive games, the
longest such streak by any rookie since Justin Herbert did
it for ten games.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
In a row in twenty twenty.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
It's also the longest streak in Patriots history.
Speaker 8 (21:09):
May took up beating this year the offensive line.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
It just wasn't what it was in the years past,
and yet he got up every single time.
Speaker 8 (21:17):
He also ran for a ton of yards.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Drake May makes the list, and he was on this
list several different times during the season, despite games in
which the Patriots lost. The Patriots they might not have
a lot on the roster right now, they might not
have a head coach right now, and they might have
a lot of question marks. They have something that every
head coach who wants to be in the league has,
and that is a budding, rising superstar front quarterback. Drake
(21:40):
May makes it for number nine.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
For number eight.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
We go defense, so we go. A product of the
mac quineon.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
Mitchell is number eight. A lockdown corner in his first
year in the.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
League, did so for a Philadelphia Eagles team that is
going to be playing as the two seed in the NFC.
Speaker 8 (21:59):
Quinnon Mitchell was excellent this year.
Speaker 6 (22:01):
Started sixteen games and pass defense twelve times, had zero pass.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Interference penalties against him. He was all over the field.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
The most passes defense with zero defensive pass interference penalties
for any cornerback in twenty twenty four season, it's Derek
Singley at one, It's Quinion Mitchell as two.
Speaker 8 (22:22):
The guy has a knack for the ball.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
He's got plays like that Swatson.
Speaker 8 (22:26):
He's a lockdown corner.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
As a rookie out of the MAC, he is a
candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. You'll probably see
his name mentioned as a finalist at Honors. I don't
think he's winning that award because that award is going
to go to Los Angeles this year with number seven
on the list, and that's Jared First, the Florida State
product who came out as a rookie and was immediately
(22:48):
an impact player for that Rams defense versus season was incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
He was a defensive leader.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
He had sixty six tackles, four and a half sacks,
eleven tackles for a loss.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
He had eighteen.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Quarterback hits, and if you go by next Gen stats,
he had seventy.
Speaker 8 (23:04):
Six quarterback pressures.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
How good is that.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
It's the most that any rookie has had in a
season since.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Nick Bosa in twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
That's five years, folks.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Jared Verse was incredible and there were so many questions
how this Rams defense would somehow recover after the loss
of Aaron Donald to retirement. Jared Verse doesn't play the
same position as Aaron Donald, but Jared Vers helped on
a unit that got contributions from fellow rookies Braid and Fisk,
fellow rookie Omar Spates, fellow rookie Cam Kitchens. The defense
(23:34):
didn't take a giant step back. Kim Kitchens of course
on the defensive backside, yes, but Jared Vers upfront was
one of the reasons he is my defensive Rookie of
the Year. We'll see how that plays out at NFL Honors.
The top six are all offensive players. Start sorting out
who you got in your list, because I'm gonna break
you out.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Mind.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
Number six is the running back for the Temp Bay Buccaneers,
who they found on Day three, It's Bucky Irving. Bucky
Irving had an outstanding season for a division winner and
a playoff team. Carry the ball two hundred and seven
times had twenty two rushing yards. He also had forty
seven receiving yards for three hundred and ninety two receiving yards.
(24:13):
Irving was one of just four players in the history
of the game who have one thousand rushing yards to
average five yards.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Of a carry in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Those other names Saquon Derrick, Henry, Jamier Gibbs again one
thousand rushing yards and averaged five yards to carry this season,
four guys did it, Saquon, Henry Gibbs, and Bucky Irving.
You go through rookie seasons most yards per carry, the
list is incredible. He's in the top four with five
point four yards per carry. The guys above him Adrian Peterson,
(24:47):
Francoharris and Clinton Portis. Those are the only three guys
who had more yards per carry and rushed for one
thousand yards as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
He was unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Bucky Irving, Bucky the Duck comes in at number six.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Number five.
Speaker 6 (25:01):
We go with our wide receiver and we go with
our wide receiver for the jack Xonville Jaguars on a
bad Jaguars team at Jaguars teament didn't do much. Brian
Thomas Junior had a huge season. You look at Thomas's
numbers eighty seven catches, one thousand, one one, two hundred
and eighty two receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Guys, he went.
Speaker 8 (25:21):
For eighty seven twelve hundred and.
Speaker 6 (25:24):
Ten receiving touchdowns as a rookie playing for a Jaguars
team that did not much on offense. He's won of
four rookies in the Super Bowl Era to go twelve
hundred and ten receiving touchdowns in a season. The other
guys are Jamar Chase, Odell Beckham, and Randy Mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
That's unbelievable.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
This quarterback ever, and his quarterback got hurt.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He did it with Mac Jones down the stretch.
Speaker 8 (25:48):
Unbelievable season. The only problem is he wasn't the.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
Most impressive rookie wide receiver because his college teammate was.
We go back to LSU where Odell Beckham and Jamar
Chase no doubt played back to LSU where Justin Jefferson played.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Back to LSU where.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
Ryan Thomas Junior paid because the number four rookie this
season and all of football was Malik Neighbors for the
New York Giants. Milik Neighbors, on a forgettable Giants team.
Speaker 8 (26:13):
Had an unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
Rookie season one hundred and nine catches, twelve hundred receiving yards,
and seven receiving touchdowns. He finished the most receiving yards
most receptions by a rookie wide receiver despite missing two
games in twenty twenty four. He led all rookies and
he missed two games. He's one hundred and nine receptions
are the second most by a player in their first
(26:36):
fifteen career games in the Only Trails Odell Beckham Junior.
Malik Neighbors had an amazing season, and that was with
Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle throwing
him past his This season, Malik Neighbors is just getting started.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
He's number four on our list.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
We're down to the final.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Three top three rookies of the twenty twenty four season.
Number three is Las Vegas Raiders tight end and the
thirteenth pick in the twenty twenty four NFL.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Draft, Brock Bowers.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Brock Bowers comes in at three from me, and I
know a lot of Raiders fans are like, are you
serious he's won?
Speaker 8 (27:14):
He could be one hundred and twelve catches.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
One hundred and twelve catches is the most ever by
a rookie.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
We know that he also broke.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Mike Dicker's rookie tight end record with one and ninety
four receiving yards. When you look at most receptions by
a rookie in NFL history, it's Bowers, It's Neighbors, and
then it's Puka, it's Jalen Waddle, and it's Ank Bond.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Bolden Neighbors at fifteen games. I'm telling you man.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Neighbors had as he comes in great, Oh wow.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
The Bowers had the most catches ever by a rookie
player in the NFL. And he did it with a
tight end position. And I keep saying this, I don't
need to disparage his quarterback play. He did it with
Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell throwing him passes. And he
did it with rookies in games that you couldn't imagine.
You had Desmond Ritter coming in as the core for
the Raiders on a Monday night game and Bowers still eight.
(28:07):
So brock Bauers incredible rookie season. But you know, if
you watch this segment, I value the quarterback position more
than any other position on the field, and all those
record breaking seasons from the skill position, guys, is amazing.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Number two on my list is bo Nicks.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
I thought bo Nicks had an amazing rookie season and
took his team to the playoffs for the first time
since twenty fifteen. Bo Knicks went and won ten games
of the rookie He also completed sixty six.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Percent of his passes.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
He threw for.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Thirty seven hundred yards, threw for twenty nine touchdowns, and
he only had twelve interceptions.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (28:42):
By the way, he also ran the ball ninety two times.
Speaker 8 (28:45):
For four hundred and thirty yards.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Most importantly, it's the team they followed where bo Nicks led.
They snapped an eight season playoff drought. He had the
second most touchdowns by a rookie in NFL history passing touchdowns,
behind just Justin Herbert's great season with the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Bo Nicks incredible rookie season.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
It finishes number two on my list because with no
further ado gen role. Maybe the greatest rookie rookie season
we've ever seen from a quarterback. It's one that got
his teammate's back into the playoffs. His team won twelve
games for the first time since nineteen ninety one, and
he did a lot of that by leading with his
arm and with his legs and did so in crunch time.
Jayden Daniels comes in at number one from twenty twenty
(29:30):
four as our most decorated rookie Jaden twelve and five.
He started every game this team, you know, besides, of
course the loss to the Cowboys. He didn't play against
them because Mariota was in there. But sixty nine percent
of his passes he completed. He also threw twenty five
touchdown passes. But listening to this, he also ran for
(29:50):
eight hundred and ninety one rushing yards and six touchdowns.
It was ran for one thousand yards. Take a look
at just the rookie records. Sixty nine percent of his passes,
eight hundred ninety one res How about this, twelve passing
touchdowns in the fourth quarter, five different wins of the
final thirty seconds of a game, and then he led
the Commanders to twenty eight and a half points per game,
(30:11):
the most by a team with a rookie quarterback ever
in NFL history. We've seen great rookie seasons from March three, Cam.
Speaker 8 (30:18):
Newton, Andrew Locke. Of course, Dan Marino had a.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
Big rookie season, even Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan.
Speaker 8 (30:23):
We can go down the list TJ. Stroud last year.
Speaker 6 (30:26):
I don't think there's been a more impressive turnaround for
a team than what the Washington Commanders did, and they
had it with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Guys, there's a lot of names out on this list.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Caleb didn't make the list.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
Marvin Harrison Junior didn't make the list. There are great
offensive linemen like Joe Alt who did.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Not make this list.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Joe Walt started sixteen games that tackle for.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
A playoff team. He didn't make the list. Savior Worthy's
nowhere to be found. This is my list. Have at it,
Kyle Brant, get in there.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I think Raiders fans have it right, and I think
you to mention this that bron Powers was better at
his position than jayde was his.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
But I like that you have Jaden number one.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
The headline for me honestly, is is no Caleb, and
you should he shouldn't be.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
But if you were to.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Go to the beginning of the season and show this
and say Caleb's not in the top ten, you'd just
assume you got injured, like there's no way Caleb. But
also if you go to the Bears fans at the
beginning the season said twenty touchdowns, six interceptions, starts every
game and wins in Lambeau, say yet and yet it
just wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So the number one overall pick doesn't make it. But
it's fantastic list.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
I actually think the one the most breathtaking one of
all of them.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
This is maybe hot take lad mccackay.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Amazing, absolutely amazing, because everybody into the Charger season.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
Said, great, who is Herbert going to? Who is he
throwing to?
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Now they're in the playoffs, it's great.
Speaker 8 (31:36):
Let me ask you, no Caleb. But I did put
Drake May on the list.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Your thoughts on that Caleb had a better season win
wise and might have had a better season statistically. I
just looked at what Drake May was dealing with, and
I thought Drake May played valiantly this season.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Well, I think Drake May is really relevant to the
coaching search because I think people are like, I want
to coach that guy.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I want to coach that guy.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
And there was something about the optics in the eye
test that he passed swimmingly even though the team was
so bad. So I think he's gonna help them when
they're coaching hired just by being so good.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
Joe alt we see you, Brandon Fisk, We see you
our guy Beanie out there in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
We see a lot of good rookies.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
Nate Wiggins in Baltimore didn't make my ten good rookie class.
Speaker 8 (32:12):
The fab ten. That's my list.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Have at it, folks. I respect you didn't go to
terrific ten.
Speaker 9 (32:18):
Not everything has to be alliteration, dude, Good.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
Good morning football, Welcome back to GMFB. Fourteen teams are
now in the playoffs and marching towards the.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
Goal New Orleans, so they hope.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Eighteen different teams, though, are reorganizing, regrouping and looking forward
to the draft and beyond. We are now so happy
to welcome in our friend NFL Networks Front office guru,
mister Scott Pioli.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Scott Scott, good morning everyone. Great to see everybody, it's
been a while, you too, it has it has.
Speaker 6 (32:58):
Let's start with the teams that are in the playoffs.
You've been there several times as a member of the
Patriots organization. Every team deals with injuries, a grueling schedule,
long season, but the Lions found a way to rise
above all of that and go in with a buy
and a week to rest.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
What sets this.
Speaker 6 (33:16):
Lions team apart from maybe the other teams in the
NFC that will be dueling it out this weekend because
they did not win the number one seed, Peter, I.
Speaker 13 (33:24):
Think what sets them apart from a lot of other
organizations is the system that they have in place in
terms of player acquisition and real time player development. There's
a marriage between the front office and the coaching staff
that is really strong. They both sides understand that they
need to serve one another. They are servant leaders. So
when I look at this organization, everyone knows I've talked
(33:45):
a lot about Shielda Ford, hamp about Dan Campbell. I
think they're both fantastic, very deserving. Now we're hearing everyone
talk about their assistant coaches and Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn,
but the person we don't hear nearly enough about is
my guy, Brad Holmes. Brad and his staff have done
an absolutely incredible job. This is a game of these
long seasons, and when we've watched happen with the lines
(34:08):
this year, there actually have eight current starters that are out.
They've had starters miss one hundred and nine starts in
terms of games started, and that is very different as
we see the other teams on this list right now,
a lot of those other teams, no one else is
in the playoffs. And I know this, and I know
how hard it is because.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I lived this.
Speaker 13 (34:26):
Our Patriots team in two thousand and three started forty
two different starters during that season, which was an NFL
record for a division winner until we rebroke that record
again in two thousand and five when we had forty
five different players having to start.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
We got knocked out of the divisional round.
Speaker 13 (34:44):
And I think part of what this is Injuries are
are not an excuse, but it is a reality in
the National Football League, something that you have to pay
attention to. And I think that Brad Holmes surely should
be in the in the running, if not the NFL
Executive of the Year. He's done a great job Eric,
the Costas, Adam Peters, the Minnesota Viking Squacy and Ryan
(35:05):
Grigson together have done an incredible job. But that's what
sets this Lions team apart in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, and Scott, I want to go to a team.
Speaker 10 (35:13):
Obviously, you're familiar with the New England Patriots, and we
all know your relationship with him, and we know that
you're still very close with a lot of people in
and around that organization. What's your assessment on how things
kind of shook out for girod Mail after one season.
Speaker 13 (35:30):
I want to start with this. Where I really appreciate
and respect is Robert Kraft's transparency and honesty and taking
responsibility to the situation that happened. Listen, I love girod
mal I draft. I was a part of the group
that drafted him. I know him. It clearly appeared this
year that he was not ready for the job, and
that was not his fault. He had only five years
(35:51):
of coaching experience when he got there. And these head
coaching jobs are so massive, It requires so much more
experience than five years as an assistant coach in your
total career. And I think when they ended this the
other night, this decision was made mentally and or emotionally
before this game because they acted so quickly. In fact,
they actually have already interviewed two candidates yesterday, And I
(36:16):
don't know anything in terms of insider information. Yes, I'm
close to people, but I don't have insider information. But
as I watched this, if Mike Rabel is the person
that becomes their head coach, the two candidates that they
interviewed yesterday, Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, those two people
may have been candidates for running their offense. And I
say that because I'm certain in their interview yesterday, you
(36:38):
guys talked earlier about Drake May and what a great
job that might be if you walk into that job.
But I'm sure that Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton both
talked to the owners and to Elliott Wolf about what
their plan would be for Drake May. So to me,
they were ready, They're moving, and this looks like a
very interesting job for whoever's in trouble and going to
(37:00):
get that job.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Scott, you mentioned Mike Rabel.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
He's been part of the several changes the Tennessee Titans.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Have made over the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
They have the number one overall pick in the draft,
they no longer have a general manager, and they have
a coach coming off his first year. How did the
Titans handle their business moving forward?
Speaker 13 (37:15):
Yeah, this is going to be very interesting because you
look at them, they're on the clock. Their time is here,
and they don't have a lot of time. They just
fired their GM, Brand Corthin, and four other senior personnel executives.
They have time to turn around, but it has to
be really quick. They put someone in terms of overseeing
the football operations in Chad Brinker. He's going to be
(37:36):
in charge of hiring a GM. But they're right now
without five of their top personnel people and they've got
to make the number one decision, of the number one
pick decision in very short time.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Scott Pioli, thank you so much. Happy playoff season. We'll
see in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Well, I mean, did our top ten?
Speaker 6 (37:52):
Okase Bears fans are losing their mind on Twitter that
we didn't include Caleb Williams. How about Washington Commander fans
upset Mike Sanstrel the corner, a lot of them saying.
Speaker 8 (38:01):
He was better than Quinnion Mitchell.
Speaker 6 (38:02):
You national hack it let's see the tweets. What of
the social media folks think as we go through the
list of some of the grievances here, Chop should be there.
Chop Robinson had an amazing season for the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 8 (38:16):
Who are you putting him over?
Speaker 2 (38:17):
He put him over burst?
Speaker 8 (38:18):
Maybe maybe not?
Speaker 6 (38:20):
Last time I checked, Caleb's numbers are better than many.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
I explained it.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
I thought Drake may had an unwinnable situation and stood
there and took a beating and still had a great season.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I went Drake over Caleb.
Speaker 8 (38:30):
If you go Caleb over Drake.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
That's fine.
Speaker 8 (38:33):
Nate Wiggans disrespect all year.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Wigans had a great season.
Speaker 6 (38:35):
He starts on the Ravens, the number three team in
the AFC, and he's a rookie.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Guys, that's why we do lists.
Speaker 8 (38:41):
We want to hear from you, We want to hear
from the fans.
Speaker 6 (38:43):
Jamie Akbar, I have a blast every week doing this.
There's vitry all coming from a lot of these fan
bases who want to see their rookies get recognized.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
No, man, don't mind them men.
Speaker 10 (38:52):
But I will say one name that should have been
an honorable mental mayror.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Edrin Cooper for the packers.
Speaker 10 (38:57):
He had you got it showing Yeah, I've only got
ten spots, guys.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Top thirty
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Cop
Hosts And Creators
Jamie Erdahl
Jason McCourty
Kyle Brandt
Peter Schrager
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!