January 10, 2023 • 35 mins
Part two of the GMFB podcast begins with hosts Jamie Erdahl, Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt, and Jason McCourty discussing the latest comments from Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy about ‘burning the tape’ after their loss to the Commanders. Then they investigate what could possibly be going on with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Scott Pioli stops by the breakfast table and talks about what the Seattle Seahawks received in the Broncos trade, he shares why he loved the decision by Lovie Smith to go for the 2-pt conversion, and then he throws out a unique head coaching option that we could see in the NFL. Part two of the GMFB podcast finishes up with Dan Hanzus’ power rankings.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. Yeah, yeah, it's Good Morning Football. We
(00:28):
are presentive our old trapper Beef Jerky Live in New
York City. Once again, it's a Tuesday. It's January tenth.
I'm Jamie Yerdolls, Kyle Brent, Peter Schrager, Jason mccoreas on Tuesday.
Because Kyle shows up in a suit, no tie, but
he's really concerned about his collar. But in like seven
minutes in he gets to change out of the suit
and he gets meet a T shirt. You're like, mister
T shirt Tuesday, why don't you commit to the T
shirt early? I like to spring it on people. And frankly,
(00:51):
when I do hang your Runs, I like that moment
where I step off set and change like I feel
like I'm getting into my costume and then I used
to change back. Screw that. Yeah, I just bam bam
Bigelow for the rest of the ship fire. Yeah, and
a single bit Angry Runs Superman becomes Angry Runs, all right.
We had a lot of conversations about different teams in
the playoffs, and there's one in particular. If you look
(01:13):
at the league block. We look at the schedule for
this weekend, Super wild Card weekend lineup, the Cowboys and
the Buccaneers play each other. You gotta wait, you gotta
wait till Monday night. That game's on ESPN ABC. Kind
of a bumber because drops out a couple of teams
that we really enjoy talking about all season long. But
the Cowboys in particular the last couple of weeks, they
have a struggle to get things going. In the final
(01:34):
week of the regular season against the Commanders. Yesterday, head
coach Mike McCarthy said they won't be brushing that game
under the rug. But yesterday he said that, all right,
it's time to move on. We had a team meeting,
so I felt that we were able to cover some
things in there that need to be covered. And you know,
(01:54):
they've had a chance to visit with their position coaches.
You know, you know, I talked a little bit but
oh yesterday, not being a you know, burn a type
type type outlaw here, but you know, we've had a
chance to go through it, and frankly, I think it's
time to burn the tape and move on to Tampa.
I feel like he kind of like backed into that
he's like and kind of a burn the tape mentality.
(02:16):
The Cowboys are hoping that a twenty six to six
loss in Washington was not a sign of things to
come as they prepare to take on Tom Brady and
the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers will host the Cowboys on Monday
Night Football. Jason start us off. What do you make
of what McCarthy had to say about them needing to
burn the tape. Yeah, when you hear a coach a
burn the tapes, it's kind of like you're that kid
and you make a mistake and your parents they're just
(02:38):
so disappointed. They can't even look at you. They don't
even want to look you in the eye because they
can't believe what you just did. For a head coaches,
I can't believe what we just put on tape. So
there's no way we're gonna sit down and go over
this and have to look at this filth that was
out there on Sunday, and that was at Dallas Cowboys.
It was a twenty six to six, and Mike McCarthy's
just like, you know what, burn those tapes, forget about it.
(03:01):
We're moving on. And I can understand it as a
show regularly seasons over this week, we're looking at each
other and they're just like, all right, it's a new
season for us. What can we do different. Let's get
our creative juices flowing. Let's come up with something to
keep the fans entertained. Cowboys are looking at it the
same way. This commander's game has no impact on where
we are now. Commanders aren't in the playoffs, we're not
(03:22):
matched up. We're not going against him this week. We're
don't be playing them again this season. Right now, it
is all about Tampa Bay. Focusing on that game. Go
back and we want to look at film, go back
and look at when we played them earlier in the season,
see what we can learn from that. But that game
last week. Burn those tapes, step on them, smash them,
do whatever you need to do. But we're moving on
and we're focusing on the playoffs and what we can
(03:44):
do to get better. Let's turn some film on and
figure out how do we get back to stop throwing interceptions.
That's more important than just that game last week. If
we have to look at anything, let's look at that
play to pick six and figure out how do we
move on from that? Would have been pretty good to
win that game, though, right, it'll have been a lot
better off. Nice to win them all, nice to win
them all, but gosh, I mean, I got a terrible
tape of the Cowboys. Uh didn't think they look particularly
(04:06):
sharp against the Titans Thursday night in a game where
Joshua Dobbs played after eight days of getting there and
almost beat them. And I thought they were horrendous when
it mattered against the Jaguars. So now you're telling me
burn the tape? Do we burn the entire tape of
the one months? Like? When do we not burn the tape?
And at what point it is actually up? I think
you gotta go back further than this month, maybe even
(04:28):
you gotta go back to the VHS, like we're going wait,
we're going down to ninety a lot of tape, Like
there's a lot of the Mountain of guys all Mike McCarthy,
back to back twelve one seasons. Should we've been giving
them more credit? Mark credit? It hasn't been done since
ninety four ninety five season. No, it's great. It's like
this Dave Campo and and and Waite Philips are going
(04:49):
to pat him on the back, like do you know
what it is. It's like it's like the n I
T tournament. Yeah, yeah, you got champions. Put the banner ups.
Colts used to raise banners for you know, division champions,
but these are with the Cowboys. This is UCLA. It
was just you could say what you want. Yeah, you know,
they lose this game. They lose this game. You could
(05:12):
burn a lot of things. I think this, don't lose
this game, Cowboys. And I'll tell you what. The Dak
thing is an issue. Some of those are flukey. I
remember against the Jaguars there were a couple ones that
went off, you know, Noah Brown's hands and it was intercepted.
And against the Titans, you could say that there was
one that was just a fluke. I get it. Dak
Prescott led the league of interceptions this season. He missed
(05:33):
five games, so Dak Prescott had more interceptions in twelve
games than any other player who started seventeen. Problem. Problem, problem,
that's a problem that falls on Dak. It's a problem
that falls on the receivers. It's a problem that falls
on Kelwin Moore. It's a problem that falls on Mike McCarthy.
You have to get that tightened up, because now you're
(05:55):
looking at you know, going on the road at the
Tampa find that defense hasn't exactly been the seventy eight Steelers,
but they've got a lot of proud veterans. Eventually, you're
gonna have to play the Niners. Eventually you're gonna have
to go into Philly. Eventually you're the play of Vikings team,
whoever it is. When you can't tighten things up at
the end of the season, there's a reason for concern.
I don't think it's burned the tape. I think you
acknowledge the tape. You try to spin it forward, but
(06:17):
I mean, twelve winds in the regular season is all
good and well. Ask a Cowboys fan how they'll feel
if they lose on What do you mean you think
that for the quarterback who led the league of interception
watching less tape is a bad idea. Yeah, probably not
an advisable thing to do. Actually, not only not watching it,
destroying it. Right, So then the case you change your
mind later in the week and I'm sorry, it's gone.
I think you should not be destroying the tamp I
(06:38):
think you should be watching it. It's the only you
should be burning. Is that tape into your bleeping retinas
because you lead the league in interceptions and you keep
messing up. And Jason's like, watch the tape of Tampa
the last time you played them. I mean, when they
scored three points. What's the team you're playing? I know,
but like they were terrible. So I thought we were
burning the terrible tape just where it's completely disavowing. It's like,
(07:00):
here's the ostrich, here's the whole just stick your head
in it. And it didn't happen. It didn't have that
la la la la. All right, if that's the way
you want to go, it's a very interesting strategy too,
just burn that. To your point, how much taper we
burn in It's like this is this is not this
is all. We've been playing great football and we had
this weird one off in the last week where our
(07:21):
concentration was a little wavering and screw that. I trust
you guys, and we're on fire right now. Let's just
go in. But like, it never happened. I think there's
a place for that. It's like, the only thing cornier
than burning the tape is burying the football, and that'll
come next. Listen. I've said all I can say about
the Cowboys win playoff games, and I no one will
cheer louder for you. But until now, it's the NAT Tournament.
It's the same season every single year. It's at the
(07:42):
cafeteria with the tray and the mush, it's the same
one we've gotten every year. Win playoff games, and we
will celebrate, I promise. Yeah. I've told you guys that
we have a coloring on the wall problem at my
house with a three and a half year old. Yeah.
And I go to Brook and I say, like, what
happened here? And she says, Avery did it? The one
and a half year old, Avery did it. It's constantly
like so the Cowboys regular season, those Cowboys did it?
Not this postseason? Like are you changing? You're so like
(08:03):
you're gonna lame on a phantom thing that like the
one and a half year old did not. You're you know,
you're the same team. You're the same team that played
last week as you are this week. And I'm going
to take Jerry Jones a stance that he did last week.
He said, I'm so disappointed for our fans, but not
half as disappointed as I will be if we're sitting
in the same spot next week. You're risking that right now, Cowboys,
because I don't think you can just turn the page
(08:25):
and become a different team six days later. You're showing
us your colors. You're showing us what you are capable of,
but also what you're not capable of. And I think
it's a lot easier said than done to become a
totally different team in the final week of the regular
season and then the first week of the first week
of the playoffs. I think I'm looking at the quote
under you talking right now, it's time to burn the
tape and move on today. It's a ridiculous quote. Go on,
(08:47):
It's fodder for all of our shows. The We're the
temp We're the most modest of them. Like just go
to the go to the ESPN guys and see what
they're probably say when they see it, Like, you can't
put that out there. You see what Michael everyone was saying.
And I actually think it was a good thing this
happened in week eighteen because it was a wake up
Hall's we can't team. You don't know who's playing who's not.
That game doesn't matter, And I mean it was it
(09:09):
was absurd. I love you, Mike, but it was absurd,
and now we're looking at burn the tape, it's it's
really something. But didn't fare much better in their last
game either, So yeah, yeah, yeah, they got a quarterback
has won seven Super Bowls. They were locked into that position.
The Cowboys ins all blending together to me now, like
I feel like Dak was throwing them Miles Austin last
week and he's handing off to Julias Jones, like they're
the same teams to Cowboys, the Eagles, the Giants and Eagles. Yeah,
(09:32):
the Cowboys almost The Eagles could have lost, and the
Cowboys have still lost. Sam Howell, no one will cheer
Ladder when they would playoff. I promise. I don't know
if I promise be on the table. Well. Also, as
Jerry Jones said this week, we get to suck on
that tape all week. He said that we should bring
that Cowboys. Yeah, he should bring that Ravens had coached.
(09:56):
Harbaugh was asked yesterday about Lamar Jackson. You know, well
he practiced this week. What's his availability? Where's he been?
Haven't seen him in over a month. Here's how the
coach responded, Well, like I've been saying I don't really
have an update right now to share with you. You know,
we'll have an injury report out on Wednesday, because I
won't we have a chance to talk to you between
now and then. That's kind of where we're at. So
(10:21):
no news is just no news. I'm not gonna say
it's good. I'll say it's FAST's just no news. And
that's where we're at with Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. He's
been sidelined with a PCL sprain since December fourth. They
have a road playoff game this weekend against division rivals
Cincinnati Bengals. So what's going on? What do we make
how do we unpack this Lamar Jackson lack of availability
of practicing games right now over the last month and
(10:42):
as they look ahead, Yeah, it's tough because as you
look at John Horble's comments throughout this time, over this
past month, it's like it continues to change. When Lamar
first got hurt, it was just like, all right, it's
kind of day to day, he may be able to
play this next week, and then it was all right,
he wasn't able to play, and then it's just like,
all right, he may not be able to go, but
it's right around the corner. Then it was just like, like,
(11:04):
I'm to coach the players that are here, that are available,
and now it's kind of like, oh, it's confident he'll
be ready for the playoffs. And now the playoffs are here,
and it's just like, well, really don't have any update.
So it's kind of confusing and what's going on. And
it's like, all right, it's John Harville just trying not
to give the next team a competitive advantage. So we
continue early on and say, all right, Lamar is gonna play. Lamar.
(11:25):
We haven't heard from him, which I expect because when
players are hurt, the one thing within the locker room
is just all right, don't talk about your injuries. The
head coach will handle it. If you're asked about it,
refer to your head coach. So I think that's why
we haven't heard from Lamar. If people are questioning that.
But from a Ravens standpoint, it's just like, all right,
is the injury just not going as planned? You kind
of set a timetable early on, but you never know
(11:47):
how any given person is going to heal. For Lamar Jackson,
his game very much so relies on his ability to
move around the pocket to be able to have the
quarterback runs. The last thing you want is Lamar getting
ready to play in a practice in a game and
the trainers standing there putting a mountain of tape around
his knee from the go out there and now his
gage changing, he's not running confidently, all of those different things.
(12:09):
So I think the bigger question is, like, what's going
on behind the scenes. They're just not healing right or
is there more to it? While we keep hearing a
change of tune from the head coach, get to them
more to it? Can we just can we address the
elephant in the room? I mean, these next forty eight
hours might be the most important forty eight hours that
Lamar's had in his career since his MVP season, Like
are you playing or not? He hasn't practiced since December fourth,
(12:34):
And I don't think the Ravens coaches know. I'm watching hardball.
He's not one to I don't think he knows because
I don't think they know if Lamar is gonna suit
up now. The elephant in the room, of course, is that, yeah,
there's a game this weekend and play her. And we'd
love to see if Lamar got it out, we also
understand you don't want to play if you're I don't
know if he's clear. I'm talking contract here. Is this
(12:56):
a business move and is there a business decision to
be made for Lamar Jackson? And if I'm not one
hundred percent, do I risk it? Do I go out
there and play my contracts up? Oh? Is this out
of a power play to say, hey, this is the
Ravens without me on the field, this is what it
looks like. Or is Lamar truly saying like I would
(13:17):
do anything in my power to take the field and
lead these men onto the field. And should he feel
that way as an individual who's got two hundred million
dollars laying in the balance the day after they lose
in the playoffs or the day after they win the
playoffs in the Super Bowl. I think this is a
question of Lamar's bigger picture than just can Lamar go
on the knee or not? And I'm not questioning his
(13:37):
motivation and I'm not questioning the Ravens from their side
as far as what they want. I believe that if
Lamar can't go, he can't physically go to play. I'm
not questioning his toughness. But then what because now you're
talking two years in a row that Lamar didn't play
the month of December or January, And now do you
give two hundred and fifty million dollars to a guy
(13:57):
who hasn't been available the final month of the season
in the past two years. So many questions and if
Lamarto doesn't play, does this go from the Ravens have
been begging Lamar to come back as they were all
summer pleas want to try to negotiate to now the
Ravens do we have to move on? Like do we
look at another option? This is the fascinating stuff that's
uncomfortable because we're week to week and we're all this
(14:19):
stuff and we don't want to ever think that there's
a bigger thing at play, and there's business at play.
But when Lamar is no agent, doesn't have the marketing
apparatus behind him, and the coaches don't know if he's
able to go or not, and the doctors have been
working with him, I think it's fair to at least
question is there a bigger question mark or a bigger
story here at play than just is Lamar healthy enough
to play? Well, the fact that he played this season
(14:40):
knowing he didn't have a contract, I think that kind
of gives him the benefit of the doubt. Like, yes,
he's banged up right now, so maybe is not going
to play if he's not healthy. But at the same time,
he went into this season without any guarantees for next
season and has played before he was injured, has played healthy.
So I think we heard from Mark Andrews in the
preseason all these guys that were just like, no, Lamar's
(15:01):
a guy that wants to win. He's gonna go out
there and play. So I don't I have a reason
to question that. Now. I'm not questioning whether he wants
to play. I think he wants to play. The question
is if you're sixty percent and you don't have this
giant contract thing, lou and d say, let's just wrap
me up, let's go coach, Or now is it a
bigger question if you were a friend of his, not
a teammate, a friend in his life, and Lamar says,
I think I can go. I don't know. I haven't.
(15:24):
What is your advice to him? Each player is different.
I've played with guys who had the biggest contract at
their position in the NFL, and if they were banged up,
they're not playing. Their thought process was, I'm not going
to put bad film out there and go and show
when I know I'm not one hundred percent payoff in
any game. If I'm not one hundred percent, I can't
help us win. There's other guys at twenty five percent.
(15:46):
Give me however I can to get on the football field,
you're gonna have to drag me off limping. So it's
more of a mentality of how that player is, and
to be honest, neither one of them are wrong because
I've gone out there and play games where I'm banged
up and you look terrible, and you're being evaluated on
that same film and a big contract you have in
the off season, bringing you in, showing you the plays
where you look bad, where you were hurt, and it's like,
(16:08):
all right, we're gonna have to let you go. And
I'll look at other guys who have said, you know what,
I'm not going out there, they keep that contract or
if they are released, the film that's out there is
all positive film. So it's all a mentality and there
is no wrong because people are sitting on the couch like,
oh my goodness, Lamar, it's a playoff game. You should
go play or whatever percentage you have. No, you've never
done it, so you can't comment. And it's totally up
(16:29):
to him. If he's not healthy, hell, don't play well.
I don't think it's a matter even of Lamar of
putting tape out there. Like the Ravens know who he is.
It's a matter if you worse than your injury, or
you it gets suffer another injury and I can't protect
myself and now I'm even more injured. The silence is definiting.
That's the problem is that Harbaugh's not saying anything. And
then you know, we haven't even gotten anything from Lamar,
(16:50):
such as you know, keep working hard and trying to
get back. Like you look at his timeline, it's like
something about his birthday and something about the video games.
Then he's got all these Damar Hamlin sweets which are great,
but like nothing about like still grinding Ravens Nation can't
wait to be you don't know. So that invites the
skepticism of whole on one a second, we got a
quarter billion dollars hanging in the balance. Maybe this player
is saying, maybe I could probably get out there, but
(17:12):
why for who? For what? So we can lose to
the Bengals and then I injured myself further. And I
don't believe Lamar Jackson's that type of person because he's
played through everything, and because not only did he entered
the season without a contract, he entered the season saying
I don't even want to talk about a contract. I
have a cutoff, I have a deadline, So don't come
offering me week three a quarter billion dollars. I don't
want to have that conversation. So I think he's earned
that right. But there's a lot of questions about with
(17:33):
that much money at stake, and we haven't seen from
you or heard from you, what are you gonna do
this a nine and four team who has fallen apart
since he's left. They were having a hell of the season.
They beat the Bengals, like they could do some things
this year, but not without this guy. And listen, his
job right now, on his current contract and the current
game check that he'll get this weekend is do everything
you can possibly do to get on the field and
(17:53):
help the Ravens win. And if there's any part of
them that is playing the long play of yeah, but
you know that's that's not his job. He had to
help us if the doctors were like Lamar is cleared
to play or Lamar cannot play? Or is that just
not anything? But actually I actually think that that's where
this whole situation lies, is like we are grasping for
things to this point that why is it that we
(18:16):
just need an answer or a definition from a physician
for us to give us better clarity as to why
Lamar Jackson is doing something or why he isn't doing something. Guys,
remember in early December when we were having a really
painful Aaron Rodgers conversation about like should the Packers go
Jordan Loves? And then we had that I had that
brain map out of like, well if they went Jordan Love,
but he plays crappy, here's what you get. If he
(18:36):
plays well, here's what you get. This to me feels
like that brain map like tenfold because I go way
back to the initial injury, Like what if it's worse
than we actually heard. What if he knows in his
mind that like there is no way in hell I
was ever. I don't know why they said weeks I'm
not talking you're the one that said weeks I was
never going to be available. Was that a Raven's play?
There are so many permutations of how the situation has
(18:59):
gone down, from the second to the injury happened. Frankly,
from the second the season started and we had to
stop talking about his contract, that we somehow have landed
here down at this little decision bubble. But the way
this thing has unfolded have been the decisions by a
lot of different gentlemen in positions of power within the
Ravens and one quarterback. And it's just it's along the
(19:20):
way there could have been a tiny schism and the
tiny thing there where there are there could be cracks
here where we are now seeing a situation unfold between ownership, management,
coaches and Lamar Jackson that I think could have affect
his contract in a long run that maybe wasn't going
to take a place in the all goes back to,
and I know they're probably listening in Cleveland, like what
do we do you give to Shaun Watson that contract?
You set a bar? Yes, and Lamar Jackson is not
(19:44):
wrong and saying I should not take a dollar less
than the Shawn Watson. Yes, And the Ravens. You get
both sides. They know that he's going to say that
and demand that. Yeah, and it's like, this is a
very tricky situation and if they don't, someone will, right,
do you think? Yeah? Probably? Look, I've seen them out there.
We work work on SNY all right, this is this
(20:06):
ten House Jets thing. I'm walking through the hallways here
and they got a mock up of Lamar and a
Jets uniform and they're having a topic on it about
on their show about Lamar be a jet next year.
The Ravens would have to say, with that money and
that injury history, we love you. You're a great Raven.
But I think we're going to turn the page. And
it'd be a massive decision. Do you think if he
doesn't play this weekend? And I don't know, I'm smoking
(20:28):
to the Ravens guys about this, but if he doesn't
play this weekend, do you think the fan base, because
they're all Lamar, the Ravens fan, I mean, do you
think the fan base would support team or Lamar if
they were to say, you know what we might want
to I think they would support franchise tag franchise. It's
kind of and would hate it, and maybe he would
hold out and then maybe terrible. That's can't let him
(20:50):
walk out to the door. Yeah, yeah, I have a
franchise the door. A lot of more, a lot more
information has to come out about the situation. That's what
he might not Yea, I hear that. But injury stuff,
it's not. It's practice yesterday. They're in the building day.
Oh thought is Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We're practicing. We got
a game on Sunday, and there's practicing. And then there's
(21:11):
a footage of the guy trotting around. We haven't even
seen that. He's not on a treadmill. He no, no
try and then cameras get out of here. We've seen
him trott and there's been no truck. Yeah, we now
welcome back to the show. A five time NFL Executive
of the Year. He was general manager of the Kansas
City Chiefs. He assistant general manager of the Falcons. He's
(21:32):
with the Patriots for several years. He's also with our
show all the time, and we love having him. Scott
Hill the breakfast, there was a breakfast saying which for
me today, thank you, thank you. It didn't does I
don't need my name on it. Okay, I probably hate
someone else lunchpaill guy doesn't. Okay, I have the green
Eminem's in the room. Um. When the Seahawks traded away
(21:54):
Russell Wilson, everyone decided that Seattle was thrown away the season,
the word tank was mentioned. And here we are January
tenth and the Seahawks in the playoff game seventy two
hours away. Tell us about the mindset that front office
personnel have before grading a trade. You know, you get graded,
and the mindset is that you're trying to ignore all
(22:16):
that that's going on. And sometimes it's possible, sometimes it's not.
But when you look at the two people involved in
Pete Carroll and John Schneider, you talk about a great partnership.
You've got a GM who knows how to get players
that meet Pete Carroll's needs and his wants and his personality.
So when they made this trade, everyone beating him up.
They lost his quarterback, future Hall of Fame quarterback. But
(22:37):
they get two first two seconds. They get a bebby,
a pick and a couple of other players, no a fan.
One of the players caught fifty balls this year. But
they get Charles Cross because they get number eight overall,
they get boy a maffe pass rusher who fits Pete perfectly.
And now this year they're going to have what is it,
the number six, number eight number. Now, let me check
this number five overall because of this trade. So when
(23:01):
these trades get graded so fast, you've got to let
things play out and see what the players are going
to be like that are involved in the trade. Let
it work out. Now as we're saying this and everyone's
beating up the Denver Broncos, let's just wait and see it.
And you know I've been skeptical of this trade too. However,
we're gonna see if Sean Payton ends up in Denver,
we may see a different Russell Wilson. And this trade
(23:22):
looks awful for Denver right now, might look very different
if they have a different lord of the Rams of
Stafford and Golf and that whole thing, or like the
Rams got the Rams got the best, Well, the Rams
did get the best with that first year. Lions are
sitting pretty with that Rams pick and Jared Golf. Now, yeah,
you have to sit and be patient and try to
ignore the noise. And you know it's easy for me
to say now that I'm not sitting there having the
noise come at me. But it's difficult. Sometimes. Let's talk
(23:44):
about maybe the Lions, or I want you to pick
a team that missed the playoffs. We're happy for the Seahawks,
but the team that missed that, you want to shed
a light on that. Maybe they were starting to hit
the right stride at the end of the season, but
they just didn't quite make it. End of the Postas
Jamie you mentioned, it's the Detroit Yeah, there's so many
things to like about the Lions. I like the way
they've built this team. I like what they've done with
their picks. I like the way that they've developed their players.
(24:06):
They've brought in the right players for their head coach,
and they've done a tremendous job. Brad Holmes, I think,
is doing everything he needs to be bringing the right
players for Dan Campbell. They are an emotionally tough team,
they're a physically tough team. They meet the image of
the head coach. But here's the thing. They're also in
this place now year three where they've got a number
of good young players and this is the best opportunity
(24:27):
to evaluate your own and possibly extend those players to
make sure that that young team is going to be
good in the future. And you look at the trade
that they have this year, They've got number six and
number eighteen in terms of picks in the first round.
This year they've got another pick, so they are loaded
with picks, they're picking well, and they're developing players. Jan
Campbell comes from the Parcel's background a number of other people.
(24:48):
He believes in developing players. I love where the Lions
are at right now, Jams totally. Yeah, you talked about picks.
The Houston Texans playing in the game this past week
for US Indianapolis Colts. They score a touchdown, they go
for two, and they're picking this year draft could have
been one and now a second overall for or front office.
What goes into one? Lovely Smith going for two and
do you think that had a big impact on him
(25:10):
being fired? Jason, I would love it because here's the
thing that I would absolutely love it. Here's the thing.
You cannot compromise the integrity of winning in this game.
And if you're a front office person that is wanting
your team to lose to get one pick ahead of
where you're at, it to me, it's the most awful
(25:30):
message that you can send in football. You're telling players
every single day to do everything they can, sacrifice or bodies,
the things that we've seen this year, what players go through,
and then to hope and wish that your team is
going to lose a game that you secretly kind of wish.
From that perspective, can you play different players? Put the
inexperienced guy in going for that last game, take some
of your better. Justify I couldn't. I couldn't. And if
(25:54):
I have a head coach who's trying to win, God
bless him, I'm all in with him. Because here's the deal.
You're looking at pick number one versus pick number two
right now, Okay, this is what we're talking about. We're
talking about this specific situation with love and this is
a pretty good draft this year. Yeah, we've seen a
lot of number ones make it. We've seen plenty bust.
We've seen some number twos make it and some number
two's bust. It's a one difference pick. The Texans are
(26:17):
roster right now is not good. No matter who they
get at number two, it should be a good player.
But the whole concept and idea, the disrespect that you
would do to the game, your players, your fans, to
do anything to advocate for losing a game. I think that,
I think that you're a loser. I would not. I
love what Lovey Smith did. That's interesting. Lovey Smith has gone.
(26:40):
Unfortunately he is no longer. They head to the Texans.
But with that comes a vacancy, of which there are
a few that we're looking at. And who knows what's
more to come? Scott, who's your champion? Who is a
person that you're like? Heck kick one. I'll say this,
I'm going to get to the point. But there's so
many good candidates this year. I mean, I start with
Brian Flores, Dan Quinn, you know, Leslie Frazier, Sean Payton
(27:02):
who everyone's talking about, and everyone's talking about Demiko Ryans.
I love mukle. Ryans is smart, he's dedicated, he's smart,
and he's thoughtful. Right, he relates very well with players,
but he's not that player's coach. And let's got you know.
He is a terrific football coach, of terrific football mind.
The way he was raised from the beginning in college.
He knows what a good program looks like. But one
(27:23):
of the other guys I want to focus on is
really David Shaw. No one's talking very much about David Shaw.
Because here's the deal with David. We've all seen David
prior to the draft. David knows players. If you have
a head coach that is not only a good strategist
and knows XS and knows and knows how to lead
a football team, but knows personnel, David is great at
person I used to go out to Stanford every single
(27:44):
year to spend time with David, just to watch him
coach and listen to him because he would tell you
everything about the Pac ten players when they were Pac
ten and the Pac twelve players. He also has a
history of coaching in the NFL. He knows what the
NFL is about. He understands a salary cap. David Shaw,
to me, is a guy that I think isn't being
talked about, but might be a guy it shows up.
(28:05):
I think the world of David. He did in Oakland,
he was in Baltimore. Here's my question, And I don't
know if you do you talk to him all I
The thought that I have is that for five years
it was like David Sean David, She's like I'm never
leaving Palo Alto. I'm the happiest guy in the world.
Am I going to listen to these offers? He steps
away there. Do you think there's an interest from David
Shaw to get back into this thing. I think there
might be, because you go different times in life make
(28:27):
you want to do different things. Very cool. There's stages
and phases of life. And I did not talk to
David about this, so this is But I also think
that right living in Palawla, when you're the coach at Stanford,
let me tell you what where you can have your children,
the schools that you can have your children, in the
community that you can have your children, That is a
special place and David knew that, and David loved that community.
(28:50):
I also think that he's young enough and he's respected enough.
And remember look at how well he did with a
team at Stanford that would always have a limited roster
compared to the other schools. He was able to When
I understand the last several years were tough. No one's questioning.
There's cycles. Everyone has cycles. Everyone has such that's an
interesting name. Yeah, yeah, and I heard him and I
(29:10):
know for years, for years it was David Shaw's number
one and everyone's list, but he would never consider the NFL.
And he, David is the total package in what you're
looking forward and a human being name. He does have
a really nice like maturity about him that I always
enjoyed being around the college and that I think would
apply very easily at the NFL game. And he's got
a calm, yeah, very good calm. And he's passionate though maturity,
(29:31):
a common passion like skin. That is what he brings
to the table. Scout, you're the best man. Playoff time, baby,
and it's time to look at playoff power rankings by
our own Dan hands us on this NFL network. We
always do this according to a theme. Since it's wild
Card weekend, we're just the theme of movies with wild
in the title. Let's get right after it to the
(29:53):
wild wild West Division. You don't want to see my
hand woman hit be at thirty two Indianapolis Colts. Wow,
that's how it ended up. You hire a TV analysts
to be head cold. You say, what's the worst that
could happen there? It is, folks. Bear is at thirty one.
All according to the plan, let's move to the Wild
Hogs Division. Look for a cameo by the scar Brothers
(30:14):
and that road trip movie. Number seventeen on the left
is the Dolphins, who are in the playoffs, although we're
not sure how they're going to show up. And then
I think that's the lowest ranked team in the playoffs
doing half of me? Right, Yes, moving on to the
River Wild Division, Meryl Street rowing in the rapids, right
think Kevin Kevin Bacon has the heavy David's thairn always
doing a great job. On the left, Detroit Lions at nine,
(30:37):
Vikings at ten. So, guys, it looks like after the
Ravens are in the plays the Packers ahead of playoff teams.
That's always interesting to me, including the buck Seahawks and Ravens.
And finally we go on, you know what, got to
the Wild Things Division? What's up Denise? What's up? Bacon?
What's up? Everybody at Bacon was cooking on that movie?
Forty nine Ers, Buffalo, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs, Eagle, Eagle, all
(31:01):
the way down to buy Matt Dylon for sure. Yeah,
the whole thing about this. Bacon prepared for this one
particular scene by taking like a really long shower. Let's
go to Dan hands this on the West Coast. It's
really early in the morning. That's why we're talking. Wild things,
was up, Dan, You're our wild thing? Need that wild
things talk this early in the morning. And I did
go Opening Night with my four male friends back in
(31:24):
ninety seven. I was single at the time. Stunner, Yeah,
and so I went Opening Night to a strip teams
with Demi Moore. Looking at the top AFC teams on
your rankings, Dan, the Chiefs are ranked fourth despite having
the one seed. We spoke earlier in the show about this.
What teams should the Chiefs not want to see you
coming into arrow? We didn't actually speak about it, but
imagine we did. Yeah, No, I think the Chiefs. Listen,
(31:46):
the Chiefs still got plenty of mystique. They got Mahomes
and he's gonna win the MVP and all that stuff.
But at the end of the day, Cincinnati went in
there in the AFC Title Game last year and beat him.
I think Mahomes told the ESPN crew leading up to
Week eighteen that he choked in that game. The Bills
went there in Week six and beat him, And even
if the Bills and Chiefs play in the ABC title Game,
(32:07):
it won't even be an arrowhead. So I think while
the Chiefs still obviously could come out of this conference,
you could see how those three teams specifically are all
packed so tightly together. And I think the Bills, like
the Chiefs, you have a superstar quarterback, and the same
thing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Those are difference makers. I
(32:28):
think it's a coin flip, a three way coin flip.
Does that work? I don't know. Let's just move sure,
you'll have to find a very special coin to do that.
You have to consider how those regular season games fared
with the Bills and the Bengals and the Chiefs. As
you move ahead, let's talk about the Jags. They started
the Week one power rankings at number twenty nine, and
now they are preparing to host the Chargers because they
won their division last Saturday night, now they get to
(32:48):
host a playoff game on Saturday night. Can this amazing
turnaround and duvall continue. Please give us your first impressions
of this matchup. Yeah, I love the matchup. Obviously, two
the best young quarterbacks in the league in Trevor Lawrence
and Justin Herbert. And one thing that as umped out
to me throughout this rise for the Jaguars is they
have a pretty nice home field advantage there at TIAA Stadium.
(33:11):
That place gets loud when ray Sewn Slater knocked that
ball free and Josh Allen scooped that up for the
score to get them past the Titans. It wasn't a
great game overall for Jacksonville, but man, that's got to
be shot in the arm for that defense, confidence wise,
and the speed and skill of that offense. I think
either one of these teams I could see being like
a potential berserker in this AFC playoff race. But if
(33:35):
I had to pick one, I like the Jaguars getting
hot here and win in a couple of games. Yeah,
they're fun and they've been winning games in dramatic fashion.
The Cowboys have lost some games in dramatic fashion over
the last few weeks. I don't know what to make
of them. I know you've been keeping your eye on them.
I've got to clings up before they faced Tom Brady
on Monday night. Brady's never lost to the Cowboys in
(33:55):
his career, So what's gonna be the cowboys biggest challenge
as they head to Tampa coming off that head scratching
lost to Washington. Yeah, I think from Peter from the outside,
like people like me and things we'll talk about in
the podcast, is the Cowboys have to overcome themselves because
they've lost so many playoff games in the last you know,
ten twenty almost thirty years now that you kind of
expect them to stumble on this stage. And then you
(34:18):
look at their history and they haven't even won a
road playoff game since January nineteen ninety three, So there's
a lot of history that they have to overcome here.
But ultimately, the biggest thing and the only thing that
matters is how they're playing, and they're not playing well.
And I think the defense will be okay, even though
they've been a tickoff as well against Tom Brady and
that off and on Tampa Bay offense. I think they
(34:40):
keep things under control, but the offense has to execute better.
Dak Prescott has to be smarter with the ball. That's
the problem with the offense right now. Cannot turn the
ball over again. It's an incredible job Gin. They cannot
turn the ball over again or they will need a
seven nation army to defend them. Picture to check on
NFL power records Presentivey Energizer every Tuesday on NFL dot com.
(35:01):
The One Man Army Dan Hands Appreciate you man, Yes, Dad,
I like that. Thanks to everybody. Pretty good
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. Yeah, yeah, it's Good Morning Football. We
(00:28):
are presentive our old trapper Beef Jerky Live in New
York City. Once again, it's a Tuesday. It's January tenth.
I'm Jamie Yerdolls, Kyle Brent, Peter Schrager, Jason mccoreas on Tuesday.
Because Kyle shows up in a suit, no tie, but
he's really concerned about his collar. But in like seven
minutes in he gets to change out of the suit
and he gets meet a T shirt. You're like, mister
T shirt Tuesday, why don't you commit to the T
shirt early? I like to spring it on people. And frankly,
(00:51):
when I do hang your Runs, I like that moment
where I step off set and change like I feel
like I'm getting into my costume and then I used
to change back. Screw that. Yeah, I just bam bam
Bigelow for the rest of the ship fire. Yeah, and
a single bit Angry Runs Superman becomes Angry Runs, all right.
We had a lot of conversations about different teams in
the playoffs, and there's one in particular. If you look
(01:13):
at the league block. We look at the schedule for
this weekend, Super wild Card weekend lineup, the Cowboys and
the Buccaneers play each other. You gotta wait, you gotta
wait till Monday night. That game's on ESPN ABC. Kind
of a bumber because drops out a couple of teams
that we really enjoy talking about all season long. But
the Cowboys in particular the last couple of weeks, they
have a struggle to get things going. In the final
(01:34):
week of the regular season against the Commanders. Yesterday, head
coach Mike McCarthy said they won't be brushing that game
under the rug. But yesterday he said that, all right,
it's time to move on. We had a team meeting,
so I felt that we were able to cover some
things in there that need to be covered. And you know,
(01:54):
they've had a chance to visit with their position coaches.
You know, you know, I talked a little bit but
oh yesterday, not being a you know, burn a type
type type outlaw here, but you know, we've had a
chance to go through it, and frankly, I think it's
time to burn the tape and move on to Tampa.
I feel like he kind of like backed into that
he's like and kind of a burn the tape mentality.
(02:16):
The Cowboys are hoping that a twenty six to six
loss in Washington was not a sign of things to
come as they prepare to take on Tom Brady and
the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers will host the Cowboys on Monday
Night Football. Jason start us off. What do you make
of what McCarthy had to say about them needing to
burn the tape. Yeah, when you hear a coach a
burn the tapes, it's kind of like you're that kid
and you make a mistake and your parents they're just
(02:38):
so disappointed. They can't even look at you. They don't
even want to look you in the eye because they
can't believe what you just did. For a head coaches,
I can't believe what we just put on tape. So
there's no way we're gonna sit down and go over
this and have to look at this filth that was
out there on Sunday, and that was at Dallas Cowboys.
It was a twenty six to six, and Mike McCarthy's
just like, you know what, burn those tapes, forget about it.
(03:01):
We're moving on. And I can understand it as a
show regularly seasons over this week, we're looking at each
other and they're just like, all right, it's a new
season for us. What can we do different. Let's get
our creative juices flowing. Let's come up with something to
keep the fans entertained. Cowboys are looking at it the
same way. This commander's game has no impact on where
we are now. Commanders aren't in the playoffs, we're not
(03:22):
matched up. We're not going against him this week. We're
don't be playing them again this season. Right now, it
is all about Tampa Bay. Focusing on that game. Go
back and we want to look at film, go back
and look at when we played them earlier in the season,
see what we can learn from that. But that game
last week. Burn those tapes, step on them, smash them,
do whatever you need to do. But we're moving on
and we're focusing on the playoffs and what we can
(03:44):
do to get better. Let's turn some film on and
figure out how do we get back to stop throwing interceptions.
That's more important than just that game last week. If
we have to look at anything, let's look at that
play to pick six and figure out how do we
move on from that? Would have been pretty good to
win that game, though, right, it'll have been a lot
better off. Nice to win them all, nice to win
them all, but gosh, I mean, I got a terrible
tape of the Cowboys. Uh didn't think they look particularly
(04:06):
sharp against the Titans Thursday night in a game where
Joshua Dobbs played after eight days of getting there and
almost beat them. And I thought they were horrendous when
it mattered against the Jaguars. So now you're telling me
burn the tape? Do we burn the entire tape of
the one months? Like? When do we not burn the tape?
And at what point it is actually up? I think
you gotta go back further than this month, maybe even
(04:28):
you gotta go back to the VHS, like we're going wait,
we're going down to ninety a lot of tape, Like
there's a lot of the Mountain of guys all Mike McCarthy,
back to back twelve one seasons. Should we've been giving
them more credit? Mark credit? It hasn't been done since
ninety four ninety five season. No, it's great. It's like
this Dave Campo and and and Waite Philips are going
(04:49):
to pat him on the back, like do you know
what it is. It's like it's like the n I
T tournament. Yeah, yeah, you got champions. Put the banner ups.
Colts used to raise banners for you know, division champions,
but these are with the Cowboys. This is UCLA. It
was just you could say what you want. Yeah, you know,
they lose this game. They lose this game. You could
(05:12):
burn a lot of things. I think this, don't lose
this game, Cowboys. And I'll tell you what. The Dak
thing is an issue. Some of those are flukey. I
remember against the Jaguars there were a couple ones that
went off, you know, Noah Brown's hands and it was intercepted.
And against the Titans, you could say that there was
one that was just a fluke. I get it. Dak
Prescott led the league of interceptions this season. He missed
(05:33):
five games, so Dak Prescott had more interceptions in twelve
games than any other player who started seventeen. Problem. Problem, problem,
that's a problem that falls on Dak. It's a problem
that falls on the receivers. It's a problem that falls
on Kelwin Moore. It's a problem that falls on Mike McCarthy.
You have to get that tightened up, because now you're
(05:55):
looking at you know, going on the road at the
Tampa find that defense hasn't exactly been the seventy eight Steelers,
but they've got a lot of proud veterans. Eventually, you're
gonna have to play the Niners. Eventually you're gonna have
to go into Philly. Eventually you're the play of Vikings team,
whoever it is. When you can't tighten things up at
the end of the season, there's a reason for concern.
I don't think it's burned the tape. I think you
acknowledge the tape. You try to spin it forward, but
(06:17):
I mean, twelve winds in the regular season is all
good and well. Ask a Cowboys fan how they'll feel
if they lose on What do you mean you think
that for the quarterback who led the league of interception
watching less tape is a bad idea. Yeah, probably not
an advisable thing to do. Actually, not only not watching it,
destroying it. Right, So then the case you change your
mind later in the week and I'm sorry, it's gone.
I think you should not be destroying the tamp I
(06:38):
think you should be watching it. It's the only you
should be burning. Is that tape into your bleeping retinas
because you lead the league in interceptions and you keep
messing up. And Jason's like, watch the tape of Tampa
the last time you played them. I mean, when they
scored three points. What's the team you're playing? I know,
but like they were terrible. So I thought we were
burning the terrible tape just where it's completely disavowing. It's like,
(07:00):
here's the ostrich, here's the whole just stick your head
in it. And it didn't happen. It didn't have that
la la la la. All right, if that's the way
you want to go, it's a very interesting strategy too,
just burn that. To your point, how much taper we
burn in It's like this is this is not this
is all. We've been playing great football and we had
this weird one off in the last week where our
(07:21):
concentration was a little wavering and screw that. I trust
you guys, and we're on fire right now. Let's just
go in. But like, it never happened. I think there's
a place for that. It's like, the only thing cornier
than burning the tape is burying the football, and that'll
come next. Listen. I've said all I can say about
the Cowboys win playoff games, and I no one will
cheer louder for you. But until now, it's the NAT Tournament.
It's the same season every single year. It's at the
(07:42):
cafeteria with the tray and the mush, it's the same
one we've gotten every year. Win playoff games, and we
will celebrate, I promise. Yeah. I've told you guys that
we have a coloring on the wall problem at my
house with a three and a half year old. Yeah.
And I go to Brook and I say, like, what
happened here? And she says, Avery did it? The one
and a half year old, Avery did it. It's constantly
like so the Cowboys regular season, those Cowboys did it?
Not this postseason? Like are you changing? You're so like
(08:03):
you're gonna lame on a phantom thing that like the
one and a half year old did not. You're you know,
you're the same team. You're the same team that played
last week as you are this week. And I'm going
to take Jerry Jones a stance that he did last week.
He said, I'm so disappointed for our fans, but not
half as disappointed as I will be if we're sitting
in the same spot next week. You're risking that right now, Cowboys,
because I don't think you can just turn the page
(08:25):
and become a different team six days later. You're showing
us your colors. You're showing us what you are capable of,
but also what you're not capable of. And I think
it's a lot easier said than done to become a
totally different team in the final week of the regular
season and then the first week of the first week
of the playoffs. I think I'm looking at the quote
under you talking right now, it's time to burn the
tape and move on today. It's a ridiculous quote. Go on,
(08:47):
It's fodder for all of our shows. The We're the
temp We're the most modest of them. Like just go
to the go to the ESPN guys and see what
they're probably say when they see it, Like, you can't
put that out there. You see what Michael everyone was saying.
And I actually think it was a good thing this
happened in week eighteen because it was a wake up
Hall's we can't team. You don't know who's playing who's not.
That game doesn't matter, And I mean it was it
(09:09):
was absurd. I love you, Mike, but it was absurd,
and now we're looking at burn the tape, it's it's
really something. But didn't fare much better in their last
game either, So yeah, yeah, yeah, they got a quarterback
has won seven Super Bowls. They were locked into that position.
The Cowboys ins all blending together to me now, like
I feel like Dak was throwing them Miles Austin last
week and he's handing off to Julias Jones, like they're
the same teams to Cowboys, the Eagles, the Giants and Eagles. Yeah,
(09:32):
the Cowboys almost The Eagles could have lost, and the
Cowboys have still lost. Sam Howell, no one will cheer
Ladder when they would playoff. I promise. I don't know
if I promise be on the table. Well. Also, as
Jerry Jones said this week, we get to suck on
that tape all week. He said that we should bring
that Cowboys. Yeah, he should bring that Ravens had coached.
(09:56):
Harbaugh was asked yesterday about Lamar Jackson. You know, well
he practiced this week. What's his availability? Where's he been?
Haven't seen him in over a month. Here's how the
coach responded, Well, like I've been saying I don't really
have an update right now to share with you. You know,
we'll have an injury report out on Wednesday, because I
won't we have a chance to talk to you between
now and then. That's kind of where we're at. So
(10:21):
no news is just no news. I'm not gonna say
it's good. I'll say it's FAST's just no news. And
that's where we're at with Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. He's
been sidelined with a PCL sprain since December fourth. They
have a road playoff game this weekend against division rivals
Cincinnati Bengals. So what's going on? What do we make
how do we unpack this Lamar Jackson lack of availability
of practicing games right now over the last month and
(10:42):
as they look ahead, Yeah, it's tough because as you
look at John Horble's comments throughout this time, over this
past month, it's like it continues to change. When Lamar
first got hurt, it was just like, all right, it's
kind of day to day, he may be able to
play this next week, and then it was all right,
he wasn't able to play, and then it's just like,
all right, he may not be able to go, but
it's right around the corner. Then it was just like, like,
(11:04):
I'm to coach the players that are here, that are available,
and now it's kind of like, oh, it's confident he'll
be ready for the playoffs. And now the playoffs are here,
and it's just like, well, really don't have any update.
So it's kind of confusing and what's going on. And
it's like, all right, it's John Harville just trying not
to give the next team a competitive advantage. So we
continue early on and say, all right, Lamar is gonna play. Lamar.
(11:25):
We haven't heard from him, which I expect because when
players are hurt, the one thing within the locker room
is just all right, don't talk about your injuries. The
head coach will handle it. If you're asked about it,
refer to your head coach. So I think that's why
we haven't heard from Lamar. If people are questioning that.
But from a Ravens standpoint, it's just like, all right,
is the injury just not going as planned? You kind
of set a timetable early on, but you never know
(11:47):
how any given person is going to heal. For Lamar Jackson,
his game very much so relies on his ability to
move around the pocket to be able to have the
quarterback runs. The last thing you want is Lamar getting
ready to play in a practice in a game and
the trainers standing there putting a mountain of tape around
his knee from the go out there and now his
gage changing, he's not running confidently, all of those different things.
(12:09):
So I think the bigger question is, like, what's going
on behind the scenes. They're just not healing right or
is there more to it? While we keep hearing a
change of tune from the head coach, get to them
more to it? Can we just can we address the
elephant in the room? I mean, these next forty eight
hours might be the most important forty eight hours that
Lamar's had in his career since his MVP season, Like
are you playing or not? He hasn't practiced since December fourth,
(12:34):
And I don't think the Ravens coaches know. I'm watching hardball.
He's not one to I don't think he knows because
I don't think they know if Lamar is gonna suit
up now. The elephant in the room, of course, is that, yeah,
there's a game this weekend and play her. And we'd
love to see if Lamar got it out, we also
understand you don't want to play if you're I don't
know if he's clear. I'm talking contract here. Is this
(12:56):
a business move and is there a business decision to
be made for Lamar Jackson? And if I'm not one
hundred percent, do I risk it? Do I go out
there and play my contracts up? Oh? Is this out
of a power play to say, hey, this is the
Ravens without me on the field, this is what it
looks like. Or is Lamar truly saying like I would
(13:17):
do anything in my power to take the field and
lead these men onto the field. And should he feel
that way as an individual who's got two hundred million
dollars laying in the balance the day after they lose
in the playoffs or the day after they win the
playoffs in the Super Bowl. I think this is a
question of Lamar's bigger picture than just can Lamar go
on the knee or not? And I'm not questioning his
(13:37):
motivation and I'm not questioning the Ravens from their side
as far as what they want. I believe that if
Lamar can't go, he can't physically go to play. I'm
not questioning his toughness. But then what because now you're
talking two years in a row that Lamar didn't play
the month of December or January, And now do you
give two hundred and fifty million dollars to a guy
(13:57):
who hasn't been available the final month of the season
in the past two years. So many questions and if
Lamarto doesn't play, does this go from the Ravens have
been begging Lamar to come back as they were all
summer pleas want to try to negotiate to now the
Ravens do we have to move on? Like do we
look at another option? This is the fascinating stuff that's
uncomfortable because we're week to week and we're all this
(14:19):
stuff and we don't want to ever think that there's
a bigger thing at play, and there's business at play.
But when Lamar is no agent, doesn't have the marketing
apparatus behind him, and the coaches don't know if he's
able to go or not, and the doctors have been
working with him, I think it's fair to at least
question is there a bigger question mark or a bigger
story here at play than just is Lamar healthy enough
to play? Well, the fact that he played this season
(14:40):
knowing he didn't have a contract, I think that kind
of gives him the benefit of the doubt. Like, yes,
he's banged up right now, so maybe is not going
to play if he's not healthy. But at the same time,
he went into this season without any guarantees for next
season and has played before he was injured, has played healthy.
So I think we heard from Mark Andrews in the
preseason all these guys that were just like, no, Lamar's
(15:01):
a guy that wants to win. He's gonna go out
there and play. So I don't I have a reason
to question that. Now. I'm not questioning whether he wants
to play. I think he wants to play. The question
is if you're sixty percent and you don't have this
giant contract thing, lou and d say, let's just wrap
me up, let's go coach, Or now is it a
bigger question if you were a friend of his, not
a teammate, a friend in his life, and Lamar says,
I think I can go. I don't know. I haven't.
(15:24):
What is your advice to him? Each player is different.
I've played with guys who had the biggest contract at
their position in the NFL, and if they were banged up,
they're not playing. Their thought process was, I'm not going
to put bad film out there and go and show
when I know I'm not one hundred percent payoff in
any game. If I'm not one hundred percent, I can't
help us win. There's other guys at twenty five percent.
(15:46):
Give me however I can to get on the football field,
you're gonna have to drag me off limping. So it's
more of a mentality of how that player is, and
to be honest, neither one of them are wrong because
I've gone out there and play games where I'm banged
up and you look terrible, and you're being evaluated on
that same film and a big contract you have in
the off season, bringing you in, showing you the plays
where you look bad, where you were hurt, and it's like,
(16:08):
all right, we're gonna have to let you go. And
I'll look at other guys who have said, you know what,
I'm not going out there, they keep that contract or
if they are released, the film that's out there is
all positive film. So it's all a mentality and there
is no wrong because people are sitting on the couch like,
oh my goodness, Lamar, it's a playoff game. You should
go play or whatever percentage you have. No, you've never
done it, so you can't comment. And it's totally up
(16:29):
to him. If he's not healthy, hell, don't play well.
I don't think it's a matter even of Lamar of
putting tape out there. Like the Ravens know who he is.
It's a matter if you worse than your injury, or
you it gets suffer another injury and I can't protect
myself and now I'm even more injured. The silence is definiting.
That's the problem is that Harbaugh's not saying anything. And
then you know, we haven't even gotten anything from Lamar,
(16:50):
such as you know, keep working hard and trying to
get back. Like you look at his timeline, it's like
something about his birthday and something about the video games.
Then he's got all these Damar Hamlin sweets which are great,
but like nothing about like still grinding Ravens Nation can't
wait to be you don't know. So that invites the
skepticism of whole on one a second, we got a
quarter billion dollars hanging in the balance. Maybe this player
is saying, maybe I could probably get out there, but
(17:12):
why for who? For what? So we can lose to
the Bengals and then I injured myself further. And I
don't believe Lamar Jackson's that type of person because he's
played through everything, and because not only did he entered
the season without a contract, he entered the season saying
I don't even want to talk about a contract. I
have a cutoff, I have a deadline, So don't come
offering me week three a quarter billion dollars. I don't
want to have that conversation. So I think he's earned
that right. But there's a lot of questions about with
(17:33):
that much money at stake, and we haven't seen from
you or heard from you, what are you gonna do
this a nine and four team who has fallen apart
since he's left. They were having a hell of the season.
They beat the Bengals, like they could do some things
this year, but not without this guy. And listen, his
job right now, on his current contract and the current
game check that he'll get this weekend is do everything
you can possibly do to get on the field and
(17:53):
help the Ravens win. And if there's any part of
them that is playing the long play of yeah, but
you know that's that's not his job. He had to
help us if the doctors were like Lamar is cleared
to play or Lamar cannot play? Or is that just
not anything? But actually I actually think that that's where
this whole situation lies, is like we are grasping for
things to this point that why is it that we
(18:16):
just need an answer or a definition from a physician
for us to give us better clarity as to why
Lamar Jackson is doing something or why he isn't doing something. Guys,
remember in early December when we were having a really
painful Aaron Rodgers conversation about like should the Packers go
Jordan Loves? And then we had that I had that
brain map out of like, well if they went Jordan Love,
but he plays crappy, here's what you get. If he
(18:36):
plays well, here's what you get. This to me feels
like that brain map like tenfold because I go way
back to the initial injury, Like what if it's worse
than we actually heard. What if he knows in his
mind that like there is no way in hell I
was ever. I don't know why they said weeks I'm
not talking you're the one that said weeks I was
never going to be available. Was that a Raven's play?
There are so many permutations of how the situation has
(18:59):
gone down, from the second to the injury happened. Frankly,
from the second the season started and we had to
stop talking about his contract, that we somehow have landed
here down at this little decision bubble. But the way
this thing has unfolded have been the decisions by a
lot of different gentlemen in positions of power within the
Ravens and one quarterback. And it's just it's along the
(19:20):
way there could have been a tiny schism and the
tiny thing there where there are there could be cracks
here where we are now seeing a situation unfold between ownership, management,
coaches and Lamar Jackson that I think could have affect
his contract in a long run that maybe wasn't going
to take a place in the all goes back to,
and I know they're probably listening in Cleveland, like what
do we do you give to Shaun Watson that contract?
You set a bar? Yes, and Lamar Jackson is not
(19:44):
wrong and saying I should not take a dollar less
than the Shawn Watson. Yes, And the Ravens. You get
both sides. They know that he's going to say that
and demand that. Yeah, and it's like, this is a
very tricky situation and if they don't, someone will, right,
do you think? Yeah? Probably? Look, I've seen them out there.
We work work on SNY all right, this is this
(20:06):
ten House Jets thing. I'm walking through the hallways here
and they got a mock up of Lamar and a
Jets uniform and they're having a topic on it about
on their show about Lamar be a jet next year.
The Ravens would have to say, with that money and
that injury history, we love you. You're a great Raven.
But I think we're going to turn the page. And
it'd be a massive decision. Do you think if he
doesn't play this weekend? And I don't know, I'm smoking
(20:28):
to the Ravens guys about this, but if he doesn't
play this weekend, do you think the fan base, because
they're all Lamar, the Ravens fan, I mean, do you
think the fan base would support team or Lamar if
they were to say, you know what we might want
to I think they would support franchise tag franchise. It's
kind of and would hate it, and maybe he would
hold out and then maybe terrible. That's can't let him
(20:50):
walk out to the door. Yeah, yeah, I have a
franchise the door. A lot of more, a lot more
information has to come out about the situation. That's what
he might not Yea, I hear that. But injury stuff,
it's not. It's practice yesterday. They're in the building day.
Oh thought is Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We're practicing. We got
a game on Sunday, and there's practicing. And then there's
(21:11):
a footage of the guy trotting around. We haven't even
seen that. He's not on a treadmill. He no, no
try and then cameras get out of here. We've seen
him trott and there's been no truck. Yeah, we now
welcome back to the show. A five time NFL Executive
of the Year. He was general manager of the Kansas
City Chiefs. He assistant general manager of the Falcons. He's
(21:32):
with the Patriots for several years. He's also with our
show all the time, and we love having him. Scott
Hill the breakfast, there was a breakfast saying which for
me today, thank you, thank you. It didn't does I
don't need my name on it. Okay, I probably hate
someone else lunchpaill guy doesn't. Okay, I have the green
Eminem's in the room. Um. When the Seahawks traded away
(21:54):
Russell Wilson, everyone decided that Seattle was thrown away the season,
the word tank was mentioned. And here we are January
tenth and the Seahawks in the playoff game seventy two
hours away. Tell us about the mindset that front office
personnel have before grading a trade. You know, you get graded,
and the mindset is that you're trying to ignore all
(22:16):
that that's going on. And sometimes it's possible, sometimes it's not.
But when you look at the two people involved in
Pete Carroll and John Schneider, you talk about a great partnership.
You've got a GM who knows how to get players
that meet Pete Carroll's needs and his wants and his personality.
So when they made this trade, everyone beating him up.
They lost his quarterback, future Hall of Fame quarterback. But
(22:37):
they get two first two seconds. They get a bebby,
a pick and a couple of other players, no a fan.
One of the players caught fifty balls this year. But
they get Charles Cross because they get number eight overall,
they get boy a maffe pass rusher who fits Pete perfectly.
And now this year they're going to have what is it,
the number six, number eight number. Now, let me check
this number five overall because of this trade. So when
(23:01):
these trades get graded so fast, you've got to let
things play out and see what the players are going
to be like that are involved in the trade. Let
it work out. Now as we're saying this and everyone's
beating up the Denver Broncos, let's just wait and see it.
And you know I've been skeptical of this trade too. However,
we're gonna see if Sean Payton ends up in Denver,
we may see a different Russell Wilson. And this trade
(23:22):
looks awful for Denver right now, might look very different
if they have a different lord of the Rams of
Stafford and Golf and that whole thing, or like the
Rams got the Rams got the best, Well, the Rams
did get the best with that first year. Lions are
sitting pretty with that Rams pick and Jared Golf. Now, yeah,
you have to sit and be patient and try to
ignore the noise. And you know it's easy for me
to say now that I'm not sitting there having the
noise come at me. But it's difficult. Sometimes. Let's talk
(23:44):
about maybe the Lions, or I want you to pick
a team that missed the playoffs. We're happy for the Seahawks,
but the team that missed that, you want to shed
a light on that. Maybe they were starting to hit
the right stride at the end of the season, but
they just didn't quite make it. End of the Postas
Jamie you mentioned, it's the Detroit Yeah, there's so many
things to like about the Lions. I like the way
they've built this team. I like what they've done with
their picks. I like the way that they've developed their players.
(24:06):
They've brought in the right players for their head coach,
and they've done a tremendous job. Brad Holmes, I think,
is doing everything he needs to be bringing the right
players for Dan Campbell. They are an emotionally tough team,
they're a physically tough team. They meet the image of
the head coach. But here's the thing. They're also in
this place now year three where they've got a number
of good young players and this is the best opportunity
(24:27):
to evaluate your own and possibly extend those players to
make sure that that young team is going to be
good in the future. And you look at the trade
that they have this year, They've got number six and
number eighteen in terms of picks in the first round.
This year they've got another pick, so they are loaded
with picks, they're picking well, and they're developing players. Jan
Campbell comes from the Parcel's background a number of other people.
(24:48):
He believes in developing players. I love where the Lions
are at right now, Jams totally. Yeah, you talked about picks.
The Houston Texans playing in the game this past week
for US Indianapolis Colts. They score a touchdown, they go
for two, and they're picking this year draft could have
been one and now a second overall for or front office.
What goes into one? Lovely Smith going for two and
do you think that had a big impact on him
(25:10):
being fired? Jason, I would love it because here's the
thing that I would absolutely love it. Here's the thing.
You cannot compromise the integrity of winning in this game.
And if you're a front office person that is wanting
your team to lose to get one pick ahead of
where you're at, it to me, it's the most awful
(25:30):
message that you can send in football. You're telling players
every single day to do everything they can, sacrifice or bodies,
the things that we've seen this year, what players go through,
and then to hope and wish that your team is
going to lose a game that you secretly kind of wish.
From that perspective, can you play different players? Put the
inexperienced guy in going for that last game, take some
of your better. Justify I couldn't. I couldn't. And if
(25:54):
I have a head coach who's trying to win, God
bless him, I'm all in with him. Because here's the deal.
You're looking at pick number one versus pick number two
right now, Okay, this is what we're talking about. We're
talking about this specific situation with love and this is
a pretty good draft this year. Yeah, we've seen a
lot of number ones make it. We've seen plenty bust.
We've seen some number twos make it and some number
two's bust. It's a one difference pick. The Texans are
(26:17):
roster right now is not good. No matter who they
get at number two, it should be a good player.
But the whole concept and idea, the disrespect that you
would do to the game, your players, your fans, to
do anything to advocate for losing a game. I think that,
I think that you're a loser. I would not. I
love what Lovey Smith did. That's interesting. Lovey Smith has gone.
(26:40):
Unfortunately he is no longer. They head to the Texans.
But with that comes a vacancy, of which there are
a few that we're looking at. And who knows what's
more to come? Scott, who's your champion? Who is a
person that you're like? Heck kick one. I'll say this,
I'm going to get to the point. But there's so
many good candidates this year. I mean, I start with
Brian Flores, Dan Quinn, you know, Leslie Frazier, Sean Payton
(27:02):
who everyone's talking about, and everyone's talking about Demiko Ryans.
I love mukle. Ryans is smart, he's dedicated, he's smart,
and he's thoughtful. Right, he relates very well with players,
but he's not that player's coach. And let's got you know.
He is a terrific football coach, of terrific football mind.
The way he was raised from the beginning in college.
He knows what a good program looks like. But one
(27:23):
of the other guys I want to focus on is
really David Shaw. No one's talking very much about David Shaw.
Because here's the deal with David. We've all seen David
prior to the draft. David knows players. If you have
a head coach that is not only a good strategist
and knows XS and knows and knows how to lead
a football team, but knows personnel, David is great at
person I used to go out to Stanford every single
(27:44):
year to spend time with David, just to watch him
coach and listen to him because he would tell you
everything about the Pac ten players when they were Pac
ten and the Pac twelve players. He also has a
history of coaching in the NFL. He knows what the
NFL is about. He understands a salary cap. David Shaw,
to me, is a guy that I think isn't being
talked about, but might be a guy it shows up.
(28:05):
I think the world of David. He did in Oakland,
he was in Baltimore. Here's my question, And I don't
know if you do you talk to him all I
The thought that I have is that for five years
it was like David Sean David, She's like I'm never
leaving Palo Alto. I'm the happiest guy in the world.
Am I going to listen to these offers? He steps
away there. Do you think there's an interest from David
Shaw to get back into this thing. I think there
might be, because you go different times in life make
(28:27):
you want to do different things. Very cool. There's stages
and phases of life. And I did not talk to
David about this, so this is But I also think
that right living in Palawla, when you're the coach at Stanford,
let me tell you what where you can have your children,
the schools that you can have your children, in the
community that you can have your children, That is a
special place and David knew that, and David loved that community.
(28:50):
I also think that he's young enough and he's respected enough.
And remember look at how well he did with a
team at Stanford that would always have a limited roster
compared to the other schools. He was able to When
I understand the last several years were tough. No one's questioning.
There's cycles. Everyone has cycles. Everyone has such that's an
interesting name. Yeah, yeah, and I heard him and I
(29:10):
know for years, for years it was David Shaw's number
one and everyone's list, but he would never consider the NFL.
And he, David is the total package in what you're
looking forward and a human being name. He does have
a really nice like maturity about him that I always
enjoyed being around the college and that I think would
apply very easily at the NFL game. And he's got
a calm, yeah, very good calm. And he's passionate though maturity,
(29:31):
a common passion like skin. That is what he brings
to the table. Scout, you're the best man. Playoff time, baby,
and it's time to look at playoff power rankings by
our own Dan hands us on this NFL network. We
always do this according to a theme. Since it's wild
Card weekend, we're just the theme of movies with wild
in the title. Let's get right after it to the
(29:53):
wild wild West Division. You don't want to see my
hand woman hit be at thirty two Indianapolis Colts. Wow,
that's how it ended up. You hire a TV analysts
to be head cold. You say, what's the worst that
could happen there? It is, folks. Bear is at thirty one.
All according to the plan, let's move to the Wild
Hogs Division. Look for a cameo by the scar Brothers
(30:14):
and that road trip movie. Number seventeen on the left
is the Dolphins, who are in the playoffs, although we're
not sure how they're going to show up. And then
I think that's the lowest ranked team in the playoffs
doing half of me? Right, Yes, moving on to the
River Wild Division, Meryl Street rowing in the rapids, right
think Kevin Kevin Bacon has the heavy David's thairn always
doing a great job. On the left, Detroit Lions at nine,
(30:37):
Vikings at ten. So, guys, it looks like after the
Ravens are in the plays the Packers ahead of playoff teams.
That's always interesting to me, including the buck Seahawks and Ravens.
And finally we go on, you know what, got to
the Wild Things Division? What's up Denise? What's up? Bacon?
What's up? Everybody at Bacon was cooking on that movie?
Forty nine Ers, Buffalo, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs, Eagle, Eagle, all
(31:01):
the way down to buy Matt Dylon for sure. Yeah,
the whole thing about this. Bacon prepared for this one
particular scene by taking like a really long shower. Let's
go to Dan hands this on the West Coast. It's
really early in the morning. That's why we're talking. Wild things,
was up, Dan, You're our wild thing? Need that wild
things talk this early in the morning. And I did
go Opening Night with my four male friends back in
(31:24):
ninety seven. I was single at the time. Stunner, Yeah,
and so I went Opening Night to a strip teams
with Demi Moore. Looking at the top AFC teams on
your rankings, Dan, the Chiefs are ranked fourth despite having
the one seed. We spoke earlier in the show about this.
What teams should the Chiefs not want to see you
coming into arrow? We didn't actually speak about it, but
imagine we did. Yeah, No, I think the Chiefs. Listen,
(31:46):
the Chiefs still got plenty of mystique. They got Mahomes
and he's gonna win the MVP and all that stuff.
But at the end of the day, Cincinnati went in
there in the AFC Title Game last year and beat him.
I think Mahomes told the ESPN crew leading up to
Week eighteen that he choked in that game. The Bills
went there in Week six and beat him, And even
if the Bills and Chiefs play in the ABC title Game,
(32:07):
it won't even be an arrowhead. So I think while
the Chiefs still obviously could come out of this conference,
you could see how those three teams specifically are all
packed so tightly together. And I think the Bills, like
the Chiefs, you have a superstar quarterback, and the same
thing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Those are difference makers. I
(32:28):
think it's a coin flip, a three way coin flip.
Does that work? I don't know. Let's just move sure,
you'll have to find a very special coin to do that.
You have to consider how those regular season games fared
with the Bills and the Bengals and the Chiefs. As
you move ahead, let's talk about the Jags. They started
the Week one power rankings at number twenty nine, and
now they are preparing to host the Chargers because they
won their division last Saturday night, now they get to
(32:48):
host a playoff game on Saturday night. Can this amazing
turnaround and duvall continue. Please give us your first impressions
of this matchup. Yeah, I love the matchup. Obviously, two
the best young quarterbacks in the league in Trevor Lawrence
and Justin Herbert. And one thing that as umped out
to me throughout this rise for the Jaguars is they
have a pretty nice home field advantage there at TIAA Stadium.
(33:11):
That place gets loud when ray Sewn Slater knocked that
ball free and Josh Allen scooped that up for the
score to get them past the Titans. It wasn't a
great game overall for Jacksonville, but man, that's got to
be shot in the arm for that defense, confidence wise,
and the speed and skill of that offense. I think
either one of these teams I could see being like
a potential berserker in this AFC playoff race. But if
(33:35):
I had to pick one, I like the Jaguars getting
hot here and win in a couple of games. Yeah,
they're fun and they've been winning games in dramatic fashion.
The Cowboys have lost some games in dramatic fashion over
the last few weeks. I don't know what to make
of them. I know you've been keeping your eye on them.
I've got to clings up before they faced Tom Brady
on Monday night. Brady's never lost to the Cowboys in
(33:55):
his career, So what's gonna be the cowboys biggest challenge
as they head to Tampa coming off that head scratching
lost to Washington. Yeah, I think from Peter from the outside,
like people like me and things we'll talk about in
the podcast, is the Cowboys have to overcome themselves because
they've lost so many playoff games in the last you know,
ten twenty almost thirty years now that you kind of
expect them to stumble on this stage. And then you
(34:18):
look at their history and they haven't even won a
road playoff game since January nineteen ninety three, So there's
a lot of history that they have to overcome here.
But ultimately, the biggest thing and the only thing that
matters is how they're playing, and they're not playing well.
And I think the defense will be okay, even though
they've been a tickoff as well against Tom Brady and
that off and on Tampa Bay offense. I think they
(34:40):
keep things under control, but the offense has to execute better.
Dak Prescott has to be smarter with the ball. That's
the problem with the offense right now. Cannot turn the
ball over again. It's an incredible job Gin. They cannot
turn the ball over again or they will need a
seven nation army to defend them. Picture to check on
NFL power records Presentivey Energizer every Tuesday on NFL dot com.
(35:01):
The One Man Army Dan Hands Appreciate you man, Yes, Dad,
I like that. Thanks to everybody. Pretty good
Hosts And Creators
Jamie Erdahl
Jason McCourty
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Peter Schrager
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