December 20, 2022 • 39 mins
The NFL Power Rankings podcast with Dan Hanzus and Colleen Wolfe begins looking at the Minnesota Vikings dramatic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons - should the Vikings move up or down based on their performance? Dan and Colleen react to the ending of the Patriots-Raiders game and then discuss the Jacksonville Jaguars chances of winning their division. Dan explains why he feels good about the Dolphins and sour about the Ravens and then he shares one team he thinks is in major trouble.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to another
edition of NFL Power Rankings, presented by Energizer. Still going, Ye,
(00:27):
Dan Hansas, Colleen Wolf, my wonderful co host. It's Christmas week.
How are you? I'm great? How are you? It's not
I'm all right, it's not Christmas Week. It doesn't matter
in these parts. It's week sixty. It's a lot happening
this week. And the Power Rankings, as has been the
case all year, are weird. Um, how weird. The Detroit
(00:52):
Lions are now prowling outside the top five, and you
have the Jaguars slipping around ten, and uh, that's interesting.
And that's a big part of today's show is we're
gonna get to all of it. We also have Vikings
fans that are not happy with me. When are they happy? Though?
(01:14):
They're never happy with you, for sure, but they love
to come at everyone. And yes, they're saying to me
in my mentions, we have the greatest comeback in the
history of pro football. And you drop us in the
Power Rankings, and it's like hey, Connie, home team, It's like, hey,
(01:35):
you wouldn't have the biggest comeback in the history of
the NFL if you didn't fall behind thirty three. Nothing
to the cults in your building. And that's the conundrum, Connie,
that's the conundrum. We're gonna talk about them, need to
talk about them, for sure. This was like such a
chaotic week, it felt like in the NFL, just like
a lot of a lot of games that went sideways early.
(01:58):
I mean, you had the Chiefs and the Texans that
was weird, and especially this one with the Vikings and
the Colts. And we talked throat on the Around the
NFL podcast, which you could check out five times a week,
including the Sunday night Flagship show. It was voice crack
Sunday for all the announcers across the league because so much,
so many bankers plays happened near the ends of the games. Anyway,
we're gonna get to all of it right now. Why
(02:18):
don't you want to pull up the first quadrant. Let's
do it. Take us through with Colleen, all right, So
the Eagles still up there at number one. Of course,
not having Jalen hurts right now, and they're going to
affect things. But they stand pat there at one. At two,
you have the Niners after they beat the Seahawks on
Thursday Night football, also standing pat there, the Bills up
(02:40):
one spot at three after beating the Dolphins, and that
snowy affair and Orchard Park were there. It was cold,
it was beautiful. I love the snow. The Bengals down
one spot at four. You got the Chiefs day stand
pat at five. No movement with the Cowboys either at six,
even after they lose to the Checks. The Lions at
(03:00):
seven up three spots you just mentioned them just surging.
And then the Vikings at eight, down one spot, still
hanging on to Tier one. Yeah, don't complain. You're in
the first quad Vikings fans. Hey, by the way, the Eagles,
and let's touch on this because Nick's Cerriani said on
Tuesday that he's planning to have Jalen Hurts and and
Gardner means you both potentially ready for this game against
(03:23):
the Cowboys. How huge is it, Connie, as an Eggles fan,
um that you were able to pick up that extra
game on the Cowboys, uh this week because it does
give them a little wiggle room now because the idea
of trying to balance clinching the top seed with doing
right and protecting your star quarterback and m VP contender.
That's a little bit of a tricky dance for the
(03:45):
Philadelphia Well, they absolutely needed that from the Cowboys. They
needed the Cowboys to lose this week. I mean, I'm
just worried about Jalen Hurts now in the long run
in the postseason. How does this injury affect him? Just
from I mean not only a mobility standpoint, but also
the most improved thing of about him is his deep
(04:06):
ball and just pushing the ball vertically down the field. Now,
how does this injury affect that go into the playoffs
like that is a massive concern for the Eagles, and
that's why his team has been so good. Obviously, we
know how amazing they've been in the trenches, both in
terms of blocking front and getting after the quarterback this year.
I kind of think you roll with Minshew trying to
steal a win and and see even if you lose,
(04:27):
you give Jalen that extra week and get you know,
It's a tough decision though, be interesting to track. Let's
talk the vikings. Um, you know what, Dan, I kind
of want to power rank the wild endings we can
and We can talk about the Vikings through that, because
we saw so many ridiculous endings to games and I'm
I'm not going to have these in any type of
(04:48):
order because I'm not the one who ranks you rank you.
That's your job, not mine. So I throw them out there.
I will do it here we go, let's talk about
we keep bringing them up. Let's talk about the Vikings here,
because that was the most ridiculous games. It was, and
it was so fitting that the Vikings they clinched the
division by the most Vikings way possible. All season, it's
(05:11):
been a white knuckle finish and this just punctuated that perfectly.
Patrick Peterson, he kind of spoke it into existence at halftime.
All we need is five touchdowns in the second half
of a game where they were being shut out. So
I can't believe that they ended up pulling this off.
I couldn't believe also in overtime that the Vikings they
get the first possession and then they punted away like
(05:32):
it just felt like, are you kidding me? Is this
thing ever going to end? But the only thing we
knew at a certain point that there was no way
the Colts would win. It got to a point where
they might kai, but there was no once Stalvico caught
that screen pass, there was just no chance that the
culture going to stop the two point conversions score on
their ensuing possessions score in overtime. It could only end
(05:52):
one way. And uh, I don't know, Like, do you
want me to Should we continue talking this and then
do the rankings? Yes, but I do have a question,
like what is more insane the fact that they were
down thirty three nothing at halftime or that they outscored
the Colts thirty nine to three. Oh, to me, that's easy.
It's way more insane that they fell behind by thirty
(06:12):
three points in the first half at home in a
huge game for them against one of the worst teams,
in a hat shame and a Hattan T shirt game.
And that's and that's kind of what I'm saying when
I dropped him one spot of the lines moved ahead
of them is because like, again, everyone wants to to
give them their flowers here, but it's like there's still
a lot of compelling evidence in front of us that
(06:33):
Minnesota is not a team that's built to win big
games in January. Their offense is very hot and cold.
See their defense, Well, the defense wasn't the biggest problem,
and falling behind in the first half. We know how
bad the defense has been, especially against the past this year.
And I just think when there's uh the um, what
(06:55):
am I trying to say? I'm trying to say that
the margin for error is going to get substantially smaller
when you play big time teams. And I think the
Bikes will be caught in that scenario. And I don't
think they're making a deep run. I just I'm just
not I don't care about eleven and three. Okay, So
let's say that they lose that game to the Colts.
How far do you drop them? They would probably be
(07:17):
right either ahead or behind the Jets, so they'd be
in that fourteen fifteen range. They would have been a
tenant four team at you know, fifteen in the power rankings,
which again tells you why all the conversation about are
they a fraud? Are they contender? It's like they showed
us both sides against the Colts. But you can do
(07:39):
that against the Colts and survive even in the historic manner.
This style of play is just not gonna work when
you're playing the Forts or the Eagles you saw against
the Cowboys. I mean it's just you know, in a
different year, Um, where would the Vikings be ranked? Like
let's just say that you had to pick a number,
but where would you put that based on let's just
(08:03):
say whatever, any any just not this year, in this
in this other reality now that you've created upon me,
is the version of the the other version of that
Viking seem also in this league? Are there now two Vikings?
The cousins? Would they be friends? I'm so confused now,
(08:25):
like the twenties, maybe it feels like this team maybe
the like maybe the teens. I just hate that every
single win is stressed. This this will answer. They feel
like a nine and eight team masquerading as a you know,
thirteen and four team this year alright, you know again
around fifteen or so, it's kind of where they Yeah,
(08:46):
you know, I found it interesting during our show in
Buffalo on Saturday that Steve Smith Sr. Said that Jeff
Saturday should be the first interim head coach every fire.
And he's not wrong. It's pretty rough. You know, Jeff
could be on a couch in like West Bristol right now,
just chilling in CONNECTI just calling another run play. Yeah, alright,
(09:07):
what else we got? Okay, now let's go. Let's go
Patriots and Raiders. What the hell happened? This is the
most insane ending. Like final play, Chandler Jones, playing his
old team, catches the unnecessary lateral I mean, stiff arms
Mac Jones, steps over him, then has the walk off touchdown.
(09:29):
I mean, I know laterals are so trendy right now,
but this one completely blew up in the Patriots face.
This is this was an insane ending. Laterals are trendy
right now. I feel like everyone's like, you know what,
we're gonna do some lateral right now? This was the
certainly I think the most stunning ending of not just
(09:49):
this week but all season that I can't believe that happened.
I can't believe the Patriots or the team that makes
these mistakes. Now, I'm not hating it if you're someone
who suffered through New England's dominance for multiple decades, as
I did from on a direct level terms of AFS
East fandom, but as everyone did in a way that
was sick of seeing this team win dramatically. Some of
(10:11):
these dramatic losses they're now incurring, are they don't suck suck,
But also the Raiders have had some of the most
dramatic losses and dramatic wins to this whole season. Feel
like they are just a very extra team. I hope
I'm gonna be in Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve that game.
I really hope that the Raiders do something again that
maybe tops that. Who knows. Yeah, six team feels right
(10:34):
for them right now. Um, I think I've seen them
for weeks as a team that's way better than their record. Um,
can they win out? Yes? I think they could win out.
They have the Niners and the Chiefs after the Steelers.
Could they win out? I think they are capable of it.
Do I think they will know? Even if they did,
(10:55):
would they in the wild card round? You know, you
have thirty three nothing on a half time at halftime
and blow the game? Yeah? Probably? There's no way for
Raiders fans out there. It's been a very exciting season,
but just no, there's no way this ends. Well, just
prepare yourself for that mentally, which I know you probably have. Yeah,
I mean I have. Okay, So the Patriots, sloppy first half,
(11:16):
all of it. I don't know what's going on. With
them there at seventeen, let's go to Cowboys Jags. Cowboys
you have at six, and as we said, they didn't
move at all there, and then the Jags there at eleven.
But the Cowboys. Look, last week they needed a ninety
eight yard drive to beat the Texans with one win.
This week they blew a seventeen point lead to the Jags.
(11:39):
I mean, it's a famously tough a f C sell
let me tell you. Yeah, Well the Jaguars are legit
now they don't. I said it on the show last
week that I think people, and especially if the Cowboys
think they're going to Jacksonville and it's give me. It's
just not the case anymore, especially with Lawrence making this
jump to star status. So I don't really kill them.
I know it's a bad lossy with less than six
(12:02):
minutes playing the third quarter. But in the NFL, leads
aren't what they used to be. I mean this stuff,
these like multiple score leads disappear so quickly, uh in
our league. So the Cowboys are at six, I would
feel nervous of I'm a Cowboy fan because this does
a lot have some of this d n A of
so many Dallas years in the past where they get
scorching hot, they present themselves as a top team in
(12:25):
the league. They were number two in these power rankings
two or three weeks ago, and then they just start
to kind of slowly trend downward. And then all of
a sudden, they're down ten points in the third quarter
of their first round playoff game, and you're like, oh,
is this happening again. I hope it doesn't happen again.
I want I don't. I like the Cowboys involved in
their way over due to get back to the NFC
(12:45):
title game, But right now my antenna is up, and
I think all Cowboys fans probably feel the same way,
especially with the interceptions and Dak Prescott, like those a
lot of them, you're not fixing themselves. He has eleven
in the last nine games, more than he had all
of last season, I mean, four straight games right now
out with a pick. But now they get the Eagles
(13:08):
coming up without Jalen Hurts, they have Gardner Minshew. I
think also it's kind of interesting that the Cowboys lost
to the Eagles in October when they didn't have Dak
Prescott with a broken thumb, and now they got to
play the Eagles without Jalen Hurts, so who knows. I'm
I'm sad because I wanted to see these teams at
full strength play each other, and so I just feel
(13:28):
like we have we've been cheating at this point. Maybe
we'll get that next month. But if this is the
way it plays out and Hurts is out, no excuses.
Cowboys gotta beat Gardner minshew, Um, just the show that
they're for real. If you go, if you lose again
this time to the Eagles, back up your schedule, you
go to Tennessee and then Washington. Listen, they're going to
the playoffs, but you gotta go into plaoffs feeling good
(13:49):
about themselves and when over Philly would do that, whether
or not Hurts is involved. Are the Jags going to
the playoffs? Up six spots? Up six spot? I think
they're winning the a f C South, so yes, I
think they are clearly the best team in that division.
Now the Titans free falling, the Colts and Texans also involved,
(14:11):
so yes, I think they are going to keep winning.
I they have a big Thursday night match up against
the Jets that will be difficult. Um, obviously for their offense.
It's gonna be a real check heat check on really
how hot Trevor Lawrence is. Because the Jets with Sauce
Garden are leading the way, uh and maybe getting Quinn
and Williams back. But it doesn't help that it's on
(14:32):
a short week. That's gonna be a big challenge for
Jacksonville's offense. But at the same time, I think they
catch a break two because we found out on Tuesday
that Zack Wilson will be in the lineup for the Jets.
He was extremely erratic on Sunday against the Lions, and
I think Jacksonville is going to take advantage of Wilson's
listen at best mediocrity, at worst, he's holding that team back,
(14:53):
holding a team hostage. So I'm in on the Jaguars.
I think they keep winning. They were thirty one after
losing to the Commanders in Week one. Look at them now,
back to back wins. I said last week that I
couldn't imagine the Cowboys would lose to the Jags. So
here I am sitting eating crow and that's fine. Or
maybe it was a reverse Jinx. Maybe it's the other
(15:15):
way to look. I don't know, we don't know. I
don't know anything about Urban Meyer. But you know when
you some things about you, we know some things when
we see Trevor Lawrence going up and down the field
and that stadium going off and Duval and the Jaguars
being clearly now a team on the rise in the
a f C. Do you think he thinks like, man,
if I just kind of gave a crap, maybe I
(15:36):
would be one of the hottest coaching properties in the
National Football League right now. I mean, but he didn't,
so he's not. And that is what it is. But
crossed my mind. Okay, So how would you rank these finishes? Okay,
here we go, all right, number one. I think you
gotta go to the Chandler Jones game one, the Jaguars
game that's got to be number three. And we'll go yeah,
(15:59):
Minnesota too with the silver medal, right, because it was
all just come back and I sound overly critical of
the Vikings now, they have done a great job getting
off the mat uh this season and winning all these
close games. That was pretty incredible what they were able
to do because not only did they come back from
(16:20):
that deficit, the game officials had a terrible day and
took away two touchdowns from their defense, the same dude
in fact, and they still made it happen without a doubt.
They're playing hard and getting done for Kevin O'Connell. Okay,
so you agree with those rankings, I think so top
that's the top of the top of the list for sure.
(16:43):
And the Patriots are the Patriots have been a you know,
a controversial team all season, uh in terms of you know,
stuff going on behind the scenes and you know, but
it's the Patriots and it's belchick, they'll figure it out
situational football. And then that happens and it's like, oh
my god, like, did they just ruin their season on
one of the stupidest things that you've ever seen? That
(17:04):
was pretty I don't know what Jacoby Myers was thinking.
He wasn't he was trying to make a play. And
they all after the game, they were very careful to
say that the coaches didn't tell us to do it
because they don't want to get fired the players. So, um, yes,
it was myers decision. Uh. Stevenson did hand it to
(17:27):
Jacoby Myers, thank you for that Christmas gift. Um. I'm
sure Jacoby was thinking afterwards because he was just supposed
to go down with the ball. It was a one
in a million play, and then the Vikings game was
a one in a million game. Quite a week of
football football. It's good, it really is. Okay. So those
Raiders they're in quad to let's take a look at
who else quad to Daniel want to take this sure,
(17:50):
Chargers stay at number nine. I like the Chargers. I
like where they're at right now, and I think when
you look at their schedule, they're gonna take this thing
and grab a wild card spot. The Dolphins up one,
up one and losing Buffalo and they go up one
because you know, like they're I like the cut of
their jib. After that game, the Jags, we talked about them,
(18:13):
six to eleven, the bigger Banks rise over the week,
Ravens down four to twelve. You know that offense. I
don't know, man, I don't know if they're gonna get
a fixed. They just waiting for Lamar to come back,
but they were having issues with their passing game when
Lamar was healthy. Giants, the g men stopped their free
fall in these carts. Uh they jumped six spots after
the primetime game uh over against the Commanders, and thank
(18:35):
you referees. The Jets are down too. They seem to
be dropping about two spots every week. Now, it is
what it is. Commanders down one to fifteen. Their playoff
hopes took a big hit on Sunday night, and then
the Raiders up to to sixteen, and it's like, how
is that happening? How are the Raiders still? How are
they in quad to after all the bad things that
(18:56):
have happened. Well, let's get into all of it, but
we've gotta take a break. Stay right there, We're back
are our rankings? Before we get to Quad three? Can
I take a look at Quad two again? Sure? Drew
(19:17):
the producer behind the glass, the silent one, the seven
ft seven giant. He doesn't have to speak to carry
a larnched it. Sure? All right? Here we go? Yes,
I had mentioned the Dolphins real quick, and I would
just want to hit on the Dolphins of Ravens. Two
teams in playoff positioning right now, um and two teams.
(19:40):
I feel very different different about I thought Miami, and
in particular to his ability to go into those conditions
in Western New York makes so many good on target,
on time throws after he was doing none of that
the previous two weeks. His numbers would have been even
better had his receivers caught some of the throws he made.
Um some key drops by Miami as well. So while
(20:03):
they are in a three game losing streak, and if
you wanna, if you want to not pop the hood,
you can just say, oh, this is one of those
Dolphins collapse seasons. I don't see it that way. I
think they're going to right the ship and get one
of these wild card spots. The Ravens, on the other hand, Connie,
I think they're very like legitimate concerns here about this offense.
And I think the Bengals are going to run away
(20:24):
and hide in this division. Um, and now it's just
a matter of just Baltimore full on collapse like they
did last year. Uh and a team ends up taking
their spot. I think that's within the realm of possibility,
even with their record the way it is it is.
And I will say just first on the Dolphins, like
I thought that that first half was really surprising, the
way that the Dolphins came out. They ran the ball
(20:46):
well too. With Raheem Mostard they had four hundred and
five total yards. They ran for more than a hundred
yards for the first time since Week ten. They were
able to do things that I didn't think that they
would do, especially in the conditions. But actually the conditions
weren't even that bad until the fourth quarter. Like it
was cold, but it wasn't snowing, wasn't anything. It wasn't
(21:06):
like winds whipping through the stadium or anything like that.
And then the fourth quarter came and the sky absolutely
opened up, and it felt like that's exactly when the
Bills kind of gained their momentum and Josh Allen started
breaking off some of those runs and ultimately they ended
up scoring. And then Baltimore like their offense right now,
it's a disaster. They've been held to sixteen or fewer
(21:27):
points in three straight games. Like they need Lamar back.
There's no way I think that they can continue to
succeed and make a run or make any noise at
all without him. Well, you know they and they are
nine and five, so they really probably need just one
more win and they're home against the Falcons this week,
and the Falcons have a rookie quarterback that's very well
(21:47):
set up to take care of business. Get to those
ten wins if you if you let that game get away.
You have Pittsburgh, which is playing better, and then at
Cincinnati to close the season, and then it gets dangerous.
So this is a very big game obviously for Baltimore.
Let's check out Quad three. Kindie, take us through it. Okay,
this is what I like to call the life support quad. Oh,
that's interesting. The Packers they are up five spots after
(22:10):
their win on Monday Night football. Did you see Aaron
Rodgers his postgame conversation, He was like, I'm tired. Well,
he corrected, I believe it was Lisa Salters on the
records of one of the remaining opponents, and made it
clear that he's tracking this closely. We gotta win out
and then we need all the different permutations of the
(22:30):
schedule to go our away, and so far things are
going very well. He's like a fan the way he's tracking. Interesting.
What you're saying is he's not taking it one week
at a time, looking ahead. And finally it's good to
hear some player finally say that it's not just the game,
we get it. Uh. At eighteen, you have the Patriots
down five spots, the Titans down four spots. At nineteen,
(22:54):
the Browns they're up three twenty and then you've got
the Seahawks, they are just falling, falling at one they're
down five spots, the Steelers at two, up two spots.
You got the Bucks, they lead the NFC South at spots,
and then the Panthers right there at four down four
(23:16):
you can point out and the way we have it
on the screen we're looking at you can't see it
to appreciate the true majesty of it. But right now,
and this was not done on purpose of something I
noticed late last night. I have the Bucks, Panthers, Saints,
and Falcons all in order twenty three six. So NFC
SOUTHA was the gentleman. It's a tight race. You can
(23:37):
say that AFC South the Titans man. They were number
six four weeks ago. They beat the Packers on Thursday
Night Football, uh four weeks ago, and everyone and I
mean everyone, myself included, was just waxing poetic about this team,
(23:58):
about how everyone kind of doubted them and they started
the season slow at oh and two, and then they
figured it out, and they always figured out because they
have this incredible coach and Derrick Henry and even without
a J. Brown, Ryan Tannehill's rock solid quarterback and they
are gonna be there in the end and they might
even contend for the buy and then everything collapsed. The
(24:19):
offensive coordinator got a d u I uh, they fire
the GM and then they lose. They lose, they lose,
they lose, and I just think this is something that's
going to continue. Now. I I think they're in a
lot of trouble here. The crossroads are so far in
the distance. Now, remember they were at a crossroads, and
now now they're definitely in a ditch jeep down. And
(24:41):
we talked about on the show last week that playing
the Charger is a perfect set up there because the
Chargers are a team that just when you buy in,
they kinda will let you down. It felt like the
Chargers and the Titans might flip spaces, but instead, again
the Chargers get it done. The Titans cans. They don't
score enough points. And now the Jags are breathing down
(25:02):
their neck right with one game in between them and
and they already lost to the Jags to start this streak.
It's gonna come down to the last game of the
season where they play each other, and the Jack's already
have one win in hand against Tennessee so yes, the
Tennessee is fully aware they need to somehow right the ship.
I just don't know if they can know their their
(25:23):
offensive line is a mess. Ryan Tannehill was in a
pressure cooker all day. They were number six four weeks ago.
You said number six four weeks ago, just a month
and and the Lions were number thirty one about two
months ago, and look where they are now at seven.
It's been a weird year. I'd love to know the
variation this year is how does it compare two years passed?
On the rankings? It is actually a crazier year. Yes,
(25:46):
this is a different year. I think anyone that's following
the game it feels that way. And then when you
do something like the power rankings and you're kind of
in it in a different way, you're seeing it. You're
seeing like these teams. Usually a team like the lines
are a perfect example. If you're one in six in
week eight, there's no coming back. You might get hot
and win two or three games, but then you'll give
(26:07):
back a couple of games and at the end of
the year, one and six team is gonna finish six
and eleven or whatever that's or worse. Um to have
these big this big variants where these bad teams are
going off like the Jaguars also, and then these good
these quote unquote good teams um are just free falling
out of nowhere. It's like it is a strange season.
It's entertaining but also kind of destabilizing, especially if you
(26:30):
do this. Speaking of destabilizing the Seahawks, they were a
top ten team at the beginning of November, and look
where they are now. They can't get a stop and
they're putting too much on Gino now, who's had a
great year, But you can't ask, you know, to be
a superstar quarterback. He's not. He's he's a guy that's
made a jump from a journeyman to legitimate starter. But
(26:51):
when you don't play good defense, and they haven't for
weeks now, and you can't run the football, bad things
are gonna happen, especially when you play. So they were
number twelve two weeks ago, is that right? And now
they're twenty one, So that it is just an insane
drop and we've seen it, like you watch the games.
You can feel the drop every single week. And some
of that might be on me, the Powerings guy. Maybe
(27:13):
they should have never been that high. Maybe they were
closer to a fifteen team, but they legitimately felt like
a top twelve team at that time, like all the
phases of the game we're working at that time, and
things have just dried up a little bit. It was
a four week stretch where they had one but two
of those wins were against the Cardinals, and I want
to say, I don't know, I'm trying to think who
(27:33):
the other team was pretty questionable team when they went
off on defense and had that really good month. Looking back,
the one thing that me and others should have really
took more and is who were they beating in those games.
That's fair because they were beating I'll tell you who
they were beating Cardinals, Giants, Chargers, and then Cardinals. That's
(27:54):
that's Cardinal. Cardinals have had a terrible year, Chargers when
Justin Herbert was still not physically great, Giants who have
one of the worst offenses in the league. And then
Arizona again. So right, you know, these things happen. But
I mean, look, they lost to the Niners with Brock Purty,
who they look really good right now, even though they
don't have Deebo Samuel either. But they controlled this game
(28:16):
wire to wire. The NFC West has one good team
right now, and it's the Niners. Yeah, I think that's
fair to say. And then let's one other team that's
got me messed up a little bit as the Panthers right. Um,
not that I've ever bought poor Panther. I mean, it's
they're not there. I've never thought they were good. It
was the division they were winning, and and it did
(28:36):
seem like they had found a formula here. And then
the Steelers just said, no, We're just gonna do that
formula better than you. So that was kind of for
me the performance I needed to see. It's like, oh,
I'm not gonna really take this Panther's team too seriously.
They were my pet team just for one week, one
week on are you? And now I had to I
had to give the pet back who to who? I
(28:58):
don't know, I don't know, kill shelter. Did you take
it to kill shelter. I would never do that. I
had to take that. I had to take them to
a farm. Um and listen, they got all the land
they could want to run around and be comfortable, which
is the gentleman's kill shelter. That's terrible. I would never
but they can still win this trash division, believe it
(29:20):
or not. You know, the NFC is kind of annoying
to me because we're gonna have the NFC South champion
and um, you know, maybe like the Giants and I
know the Jets are kind of a good story. I
guess who would you rather? Giants or Commanders? Yeah, for
reasons that go beyond football, but yeah that's let's check
out Quad four to don't read into that they're not
(29:46):
good either. The Falcons down one. Maybe we know why
Arthur Smith did not want to play. The rookie doesn't
matter green one way to put it, stunner Baker Mayfield
magic lasted one week or down one spot the ranch.
The more he learns, the worst he is exactly. The
Brown goes up to eight off a win as Nathaniel
(30:09):
Hackett tries to keep his job. Bears twenty nine, Cardinals
thirty Cults thirty one, Texans thirty two. I almost I
almost moved the Texans out of the bottom slop because
they are playing. Yeah, good teams very hard right now,
but the Cults have been through so much. I did.
I gave him a little bit of juice for being
up thirty three nothing and kept him at thirty one,
(30:31):
but could easily flopped him, could have flopped him. But
I can't believe you have the Texans at thirty two
with all of the glowing things you say about them.
Now I feel like maybe it was only around the
NFL podcast. It just feels like you said you talk
about the Texans in a different light after the game
with the Cowboys. I give I give Lovey Smith credit.
(30:54):
Here's the Lovey Smith thing is interesting because they fired
their coach last year one and done Culli, and then
they bring in Lovey Smith. And then there's this five
that he could be one and done two and then
you think to yourself, well, there one, twelve and one,
so that's bad. But they've had seven games now where
they've either been in the lead or tied entering the
(31:15):
fourth quarter. And it's like, is that good or bad?
Is that? Does that reflect well on Lovely Smith that
they're in all these games? Or poorly that they've been
in all these games and still only have one win.
These are decisions that ownership needs to make, you know what.
It feels a little like the Lions last year when
they would be sort of in it, but they could
never get over the finish line. So maybe next year,
(31:37):
maybe the Texans are the new lines. Are they on
hard knocks? Oh? I hope not. Coll Okay take us,
(31:57):
take us. Where are we going next? Okay? We are
going to um cough a little bit. Hey, Okay, so
what we're gonna do here? I am, Well, it's debatable
because it's Christmas Week. There's a lot going on. It's
six it's week sixteen. But also I have to fly
to Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve. So I just feel like,
(32:20):
you know, my timeline is moved up a little bit
and the Christmas deadline is always looming. But I did
want to go through a couple of things here in
terms of gifts and gifts, the gifts and I'm trying
to get answers and shipping, and it's just like I
have a full year's notice every year. I know when
Christmas is going to be, and I still miss the
(32:41):
deadline every single year, Like I'm giving Christmas presents in
June sometimes like, hey, totally forgot about this. Um It's
coming your way though, so anyway, it is it is.
I do also love to tell people what I almost
got them, but just couldn't pull it off. That's annoying.
I don't like when people do that. Yeah, that's a
that's a staple resolution for you. Maybe, But I almost
(33:05):
got you this, but they either didn't have it or
then I found it was too expensive. But I almost did.
That's that's every year, to John, to Kristen, to everyone
who's really close to me. When do I get a
gift from you? July? Maybe? So in the in the
spirit of Christmas, I wanted to go through a couple
of things with you. Um, it's not Christmas until okay,
(33:29):
so just the markers that come in and you realize,
you know what, this is the holiday season. So I
have three things here for you. The first one, it's
not Christmas until someone cancels Christmas. This is a rich
Wolf tradition. I grew up with this. Um, it's kind
(33:49):
of how we ring in the holiday season. There were
there was always fights over light placement on the Christmas tree. Um.
Christmas Eve, my family usually does meatballs and sausage and
red sauce in the croppot. My brother gets, are you
upset if like the sausage is in cut properly? So?
That is exactly I know, yes, that's what it was,
(34:14):
canceled the sage, you know, so yeah, just canceling Christmas. Um,
it's not Christmas until it's cancel So someone screams out,
this is the last time. I hate to do this,
or you know what, We're not doing this anymore. There's
no party. Christmas is canceled, and I'm like, oh, now
I feel all warm and fuzzy because it is here. Okay,
(34:37):
So there's that one in my family. A Facebook thread
going on right now about the location of the Christmas
Eve party and people are like saying, I can't do it, No,
I can't do it. And then someone came in off
the top turn buckle. Well, I guess is you just canceled?
Going further? Wells here, Yeah, someone's preemptively okay, go ahead.
I love that. Also, like when you don't get invitation
(34:59):
to one of the holiday parties family wise, that is
will be canceled forever. In my family, another one, it's
not Christmas until graphics are dripping in lights. So I
love when I have a Christmas game and you see
like NBC or who oh, here it is on the
screen if you're watching us, right now yes, and there's
(35:23):
snow falling on the score. Maybe sometimes Rudolph comes out
of nowhere. There's presence, there's colorful lights. I love colorful lights,
like I don't. I'm not only a white light person.
I want to be. And I know I've probably had
this taken in the passes. I'm looking at the score
bug for Fox. It has the old school lights around
the score and the time and the down and distance.
(35:44):
But I've always had a little bit of issue with
the snow falling, actually the animation of it falling. But
then I think it builds as the game goes along.
It does, and I kind of like that. Yeah, and
if it doesn't, it does. We take confirmation from producer Drew.
The accumulation of the snow on top of the bug
is an inspired bit of you know, I love it.
(36:06):
It's so fascinate. Yeah, Like I mean, I love a
Thanksgiving graphic, but Christmas really brings it home for me.
I put the Fox robot in Christmas sweaters and stuff.
You know, I could be cynical, but it's you know,
it's fun. Everybody's having fun back in Okay, and then
finally it's not Christmas until someone mentions the Eagles fans
boots Santa. I can't take it. I can't take it anymore.
(36:29):
How about you don't do it in the first place,
and then you don't have to live with it. It's
over and done with. It was so long ago. Find
something new to figure out and to dunk on Eagles
fans about, because that's not it anymore. And I will
tell you that during the Phillies playoffs, they showed Santa
on the big screen and everyone shared them. So play
(36:51):
off Philly fans, Okay, because you're trying to rewrite history.
But that's not how history what. Maybe Santa deserves to
be Boots sometimes, maybe that's what it is. Maybe Santa
didn't show up for you, Kyle leans on tilt and
she just had the Santa sucks take some Christmas is maybe,
unless you're talking about the creepy mall Santa. I cry
(37:16):
every time I had to get a picture with Santa.
All of my pictures of Santa just me and hysterics
when I was little. So when you go back to Philly,
well it's terrifying. Yeah, I understand that. When you go
back to Philly, is it Colleen and Philly or Aunt Doreen. Oh,
oh my god. Aunt Doreen loves the holiday. She's drinking eggnog,
(37:36):
she's singing songs. She has so many sweaters, so I
have a bin of Christmas like gear, way more sweaters
than days in December to use them every year. The
whole house is covered in lights. I love Christmas. I
love Christmas cards. I love getting I don't send them out,
but I love getting Christmas cards. It's a great tradition.
Aunt Doreen, she's bad, is there you go? I like that.
(38:01):
It's fun to celebrate the holidays. Merry Christmas. Uh, do
you have any did you roll your eyes when you
just said Mary Christmas? Not intentionally? Listen. It's week sixteen,
is where it is. Christmas is very stressful, Connie. I know,
I'm sure you've got a couple of things from doing
okay you all right? You know, speaking of Santa's Santa
(38:23):
is very busy this time of year, and he's also,
you know, trying to balance multiple podcasts and writing things
and families, franking kids and who's there are rankings for children?
But that stays internal. Um, But I love Christmas, love
doing the show with you, and we'll be back next
(38:45):
week with another round of Power Rankings. It's getting close,
just like the big Man coming down the chimney. We're
nearing the end of the regular season. We're gonna take
you through the end of the regular season and beyond.
Next week, we'll be back Merry Christmas later m hm H.
(39:13):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my
Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to another
edition of NFL Power Rankings, presented by Energizer. Still going, Ye,
(00:27):
Dan Hansas, Colleen Wolf, my wonderful co host. It's Christmas week.
How are you? I'm great? How are you? It's not
I'm all right, it's not Christmas Week. It doesn't matter
in these parts. It's week sixty. It's a lot happening
this week. And the Power Rankings, as has been the
case all year, are weird. Um, how weird. The Detroit
(00:52):
Lions are now prowling outside the top five, and you
have the Jaguars slipping around ten, and uh, that's interesting.
And that's a big part of today's show is we're
gonna get to all of it. We also have Vikings
fans that are not happy with me. When are they happy? Though?
(01:14):
They're never happy with you, for sure, but they love
to come at everyone. And yes, they're saying to me
in my mentions, we have the greatest comeback in the
history of pro football. And you drop us in the
Power Rankings, and it's like hey, Connie, home team, It's like, hey,
(01:35):
you wouldn't have the biggest comeback in the history of
the NFL if you didn't fall behind thirty three. Nothing
to the cults in your building. And that's the conundrum, Connie,
that's the conundrum. We're gonna talk about them, need to
talk about them, for sure. This was like such a
chaotic week, it felt like in the NFL, just like
a lot of a lot of games that went sideways early.
(01:58):
I mean, you had the Chiefs and the Texans that
was weird, and especially this one with the Vikings and
the Colts. And we talked throat on the Around the
NFL podcast, which you could check out five times a week,
including the Sunday night Flagship show. It was voice crack
Sunday for all the announcers across the league because so much,
so many bankers plays happened near the ends of the games. Anyway,
we're gonna get to all of it right now. Why
(02:18):
don't you want to pull up the first quadrant. Let's
do it. Take us through with Colleen, all right, So
the Eagles still up there at number one. Of course,
not having Jalen hurts right now, and they're going to
affect things. But they stand pat there at one. At two,
you have the Niners after they beat the Seahawks on
Thursday Night football, also standing pat there, the Bills up
(02:40):
one spot at three after beating the Dolphins, and that
snowy affair and Orchard Park were there. It was cold,
it was beautiful. I love the snow. The Bengals down
one spot at four. You got the Chiefs day stand
pat at five. No movement with the Cowboys either at six,
even after they lose to the Checks. The Lions at
(03:00):
seven up three spots you just mentioned them just surging.
And then the Vikings at eight, down one spot, still
hanging on to Tier one. Yeah, don't complain. You're in
the first quad Vikings fans. Hey, by the way, the Eagles,
and let's touch on this because Nick's Cerriani said on
Tuesday that he's planning to have Jalen Hurts and and
Gardner means you both potentially ready for this game against
(03:23):
the Cowboys. How huge is it, Connie, as an Eggles fan,
um that you were able to pick up that extra
game on the Cowboys, uh this week because it does
give them a little wiggle room now because the idea
of trying to balance clinching the top seed with doing
right and protecting your star quarterback and m VP contender.
That's a little bit of a tricky dance for the
(03:45):
Philadelphia Well, they absolutely needed that from the Cowboys. They
needed the Cowboys to lose this week. I mean, I'm
just worried about Jalen Hurts now in the long run
in the postseason. How does this injury affect him? Just
from I mean not only a mobility standpoint, but also
the most improved thing of about him is his deep
(04:06):
ball and just pushing the ball vertically down the field. Now,
how does this injury affect that go into the playoffs
like that is a massive concern for the Eagles, and
that's why his team has been so good. Obviously, we
know how amazing they've been in the trenches, both in
terms of blocking front and getting after the quarterback this year.
I kind of think you roll with Minshew trying to
steal a win and and see even if you lose,
(04:27):
you give Jalen that extra week and get you know,
It's a tough decision though, be interesting to track. Let's
talk the vikings. Um, you know what, Dan, I kind
of want to power rank the wild endings we can
and We can talk about the Vikings through that, because
we saw so many ridiculous endings to games and I'm
I'm not going to have these in any type of
(04:48):
order because I'm not the one who ranks you rank you.
That's your job, not mine. So I throw them out there.
I will do it here we go, let's talk about
we keep bringing them up. Let's talk about the Vikings here,
because that was the most ridiculous games. It was, and
it was so fitting that the Vikings they clinched the
division by the most Vikings way possible. All season, it's
(05:11):
been a white knuckle finish and this just punctuated that perfectly.
Patrick Peterson, he kind of spoke it into existence at halftime.
All we need is five touchdowns in the second half
of a game where they were being shut out. So
I can't believe that they ended up pulling this off.
I couldn't believe also in overtime that the Vikings they
get the first possession and then they punted away like
(05:32):
it just felt like, are you kidding me? Is this
thing ever going to end? But the only thing we
knew at a certain point that there was no way
the Colts would win. It got to a point where
they might kai, but there was no once Stalvico caught
that screen pass, there was just no chance that the
culture going to stop the two point conversions score on
their ensuing possessions score in overtime. It could only end
(05:52):
one way. And uh, I don't know, Like, do you
want me to Should we continue talking this and then
do the rankings? Yes, but I do have a question,
like what is more insane the fact that they were
down thirty three nothing at halftime or that they outscored
the Colts thirty nine to three. Oh, to me, that's easy.
It's way more insane that they fell behind by thirty
(06:12):
three points in the first half at home in a
huge game for them against one of the worst teams,
in a hat shame and a Hattan T shirt game.
And that's and that's kind of what I'm saying when
I dropped him one spot of the lines moved ahead
of them is because like, again, everyone wants to to
give them their flowers here, but it's like there's still
a lot of compelling evidence in front of us that
(06:33):
Minnesota is not a team that's built to win big
games in January. Their offense is very hot and cold.
See their defense, Well, the defense wasn't the biggest problem,
and falling behind in the first half. We know how
bad the defense has been, especially against the past this year.
And I just think when there's uh the um, what
(06:55):
am I trying to say? I'm trying to say that
the margin for error is going to get substantially smaller
when you play big time teams. And I think the
Bikes will be caught in that scenario. And I don't
think they're making a deep run. I just I'm just
not I don't care about eleven and three. Okay, So
let's say that they lose that game to the Colts.
How far do you drop them? They would probably be
(07:17):
right either ahead or behind the Jets, so they'd be
in that fourteen fifteen range. They would have been a
tenant four team at you know, fifteen in the power rankings,
which again tells you why all the conversation about are
they a fraud? Are they contender? It's like they showed
us both sides against the Colts. But you can do
(07:39):
that against the Colts and survive even in the historic manner.
This style of play is just not gonna work when
you're playing the Forts or the Eagles you saw against
the Cowboys. I mean it's just you know, in a
different year, Um, where would the Vikings be ranked? Like
let's just say that you had to pick a number,
but where would you put that based on let's just
(08:03):
say whatever, any any just not this year, in this
in this other reality now that you've created upon me,
is the version of the the other version of that
Viking seem also in this league? Are there now two Vikings?
The cousins? Would they be friends? I'm so confused now,
(08:25):
like the twenties, maybe it feels like this team maybe
the like maybe the teens. I just hate that every
single win is stressed. This this will answer. They feel
like a nine and eight team masquerading as a you know,
thirteen and four team this year alright, you know again
around fifteen or so, it's kind of where they Yeah,
(08:46):
you know, I found it interesting during our show in
Buffalo on Saturday that Steve Smith Sr. Said that Jeff
Saturday should be the first interim head coach every fire.
And he's not wrong. It's pretty rough. You know, Jeff
could be on a couch in like West Bristol right now,
just chilling in CONNECTI just calling another run play. Yeah, alright,
(09:07):
what else we got? Okay, now let's go. Let's go
Patriots and Raiders. What the hell happened? This is the
most insane ending. Like final play, Chandler Jones, playing his
old team, catches the unnecessary lateral I mean, stiff arms
Mac Jones, steps over him, then has the walk off touchdown.
(09:29):
I mean, I know laterals are so trendy right now,
but this one completely blew up in the Patriots face.
This is this was an insane ending. Laterals are trendy
right now. I feel like everyone's like, you know what,
we're gonna do some lateral right now? This was the
certainly I think the most stunning ending of not just
(09:49):
this week but all season that I can't believe that happened.
I can't believe the Patriots or the team that makes
these mistakes. Now, I'm not hating it if you're someone
who suffered through New England's dominance for multiple decades, as
I did from on a direct level terms of AFS
East fandom, but as everyone did in a way that
was sick of seeing this team win dramatically. Some of
(10:11):
these dramatic losses they're now incurring, are they don't suck suck,
But also the Raiders have had some of the most
dramatic losses and dramatic wins to this whole season. Feel
like they are just a very extra team. I hope
I'm gonna be in Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve that game.
I really hope that the Raiders do something again that
maybe tops that. Who knows. Yeah, six team feels right
(10:34):
for them right now. Um, I think I've seen them
for weeks as a team that's way better than their record. Um,
can they win out? Yes? I think they could win out.
They have the Niners and the Chiefs after the Steelers.
Could they win out? I think they are capable of it.
Do I think they will know? Even if they did,
(10:55):
would they in the wild card round? You know, you
have thirty three nothing on a half time at halftime
and blow the game? Yeah? Probably? There's no way for
Raiders fans out there. It's been a very exciting season,
but just no, there's no way this ends. Well, just
prepare yourself for that mentally, which I know you probably have. Yeah,
I mean I have. Okay, So the Patriots, sloppy first half,
(11:16):
all of it. I don't know what's going on. With
them there at seventeen, let's go to Cowboys Jags. Cowboys
you have at six, and as we said, they didn't
move at all there, and then the Jags there at eleven.
But the Cowboys. Look, last week they needed a ninety
eight yard drive to beat the Texans with one win.
This week they blew a seventeen point lead to the Jags.
(11:39):
I mean, it's a famously tough a f C sell
let me tell you. Yeah, Well the Jaguars are legit
now they don't. I said it on the show last
week that I think people, and especially if the Cowboys
think they're going to Jacksonville and it's give me. It's
just not the case anymore, especially with Lawrence making this
jump to star status. So I don't really kill them.
I know it's a bad lossy with less than six
(12:02):
minutes playing the third quarter. But in the NFL, leads
aren't what they used to be. I mean this stuff,
these like multiple score leads disappear so quickly, uh in
our league. So the Cowboys are at six, I would
feel nervous of I'm a Cowboy fan because this does
a lot have some of this d n A of
so many Dallas years in the past where they get
scorching hot, they present themselves as a top team in
(12:25):
the league. They were number two in these power rankings
two or three weeks ago, and then they just start
to kind of slowly trend downward. And then all of
a sudden, they're down ten points in the third quarter
of their first round playoff game, and you're like, oh,
is this happening again. I hope it doesn't happen again.
I want I don't. I like the Cowboys involved in
their way over due to get back to the NFC
(12:45):
title game, But right now my antenna is up, and
I think all Cowboys fans probably feel the same way,
especially with the interceptions and Dak Prescott, like those a
lot of them, you're not fixing themselves. He has eleven
in the last nine games, more than he had all
of last season, I mean, four straight games right now
out with a pick. But now they get the Eagles
(13:08):
coming up without Jalen Hurts, they have Gardner Minshew. I
think also it's kind of interesting that the Cowboys lost
to the Eagles in October when they didn't have Dak
Prescott with a broken thumb, and now they got to
play the Eagles without Jalen Hurts, so who knows. I'm
I'm sad because I wanted to see these teams at
full strength play each other, and so I just feel
(13:28):
like we have we've been cheating at this point. Maybe
we'll get that next month. But if this is the
way it plays out and Hurts is out, no excuses.
Cowboys gotta beat Gardner minshew, Um, just the show that
they're for real. If you go, if you lose again
this time to the Eagles, back up your schedule, you
go to Tennessee and then Washington. Listen, they're going to
the playoffs, but you gotta go into plaoffs feeling good
(13:49):
about themselves and when over Philly would do that, whether
or not Hurts is involved. Are the Jags going to
the playoffs? Up six spots? Up six spot? I think
they're winning the a f C South, so yes, I
think they are clearly the best team in that division.
Now the Titans free falling, the Colts and Texans also involved,
(14:11):
so yes, I think they are going to keep winning.
I they have a big Thursday night match up against
the Jets that will be difficult. Um, obviously for their offense.
It's gonna be a real check heat check on really
how hot Trevor Lawrence is. Because the Jets with Sauce
Garden are leading the way, uh and maybe getting Quinn
and Williams back. But it doesn't help that it's on
(14:32):
a short week. That's gonna be a big challenge for
Jacksonville's offense. But at the same time, I think they
catch a break two because we found out on Tuesday
that Zack Wilson will be in the lineup for the Jets.
He was extremely erratic on Sunday against the Lions, and
I think Jacksonville is going to take advantage of Wilson's
listen at best mediocrity, at worst, he's holding that team back,
(14:53):
holding a team hostage. So I'm in on the Jaguars.
I think they keep winning. They were thirty one after
losing to the Commanders in Week one. Look at them now,
back to back wins. I said last week that I
couldn't imagine the Cowboys would lose to the Jags. So
here I am sitting eating crow and that's fine. Or
maybe it was a reverse Jinx. Maybe it's the other
(15:15):
way to look. I don't know, we don't know. I
don't know anything about Urban Meyer. But you know when
you some things about you, we know some things when
we see Trevor Lawrence going up and down the field
and that stadium going off and Duval and the Jaguars
being clearly now a team on the rise in the
a f C. Do you think he thinks like, man,
if I just kind of gave a crap, maybe I
(15:36):
would be one of the hottest coaching properties in the
National Football League right now. I mean, but he didn't,
so he's not. And that is what it is. But
crossed my mind. Okay, So how would you rank these finishes? Okay,
here we go, all right, number one. I think you
gotta go to the Chandler Jones game one, the Jaguars
game that's got to be number three. And we'll go yeah,
(15:59):
Minnesota too with the silver medal, right, because it was
all just come back and I sound overly critical of
the Vikings now, they have done a great job getting
off the mat uh this season and winning all these
close games. That was pretty incredible what they were able
to do because not only did they come back from
(16:20):
that deficit, the game officials had a terrible day and
took away two touchdowns from their defense, the same dude
in fact, and they still made it happen without a doubt.
They're playing hard and getting done for Kevin O'Connell. Okay,
so you agree with those rankings, I think so top
that's the top of the top of the list for sure.
(16:43):
And the Patriots are the Patriots have been a you know,
a controversial team all season, uh in terms of you know,
stuff going on behind the scenes and you know, but
it's the Patriots and it's belchick, they'll figure it out
situational football. And then that happens and it's like, oh
my god, like, did they just ruin their season on
one of the stupidest things that you've ever seen? That
(17:04):
was pretty I don't know what Jacoby Myers was thinking.
He wasn't he was trying to make a play. And
they all after the game, they were very careful to
say that the coaches didn't tell us to do it
because they don't want to get fired the players. So, um, yes,
it was myers decision. Uh. Stevenson did hand it to
(17:27):
Jacoby Myers, thank you for that Christmas gift. Um. I'm
sure Jacoby was thinking afterwards because he was just supposed
to go down with the ball. It was a one
in a million play, and then the Vikings game was
a one in a million game. Quite a week of
football football. It's good, it really is. Okay. So those
Raiders they're in quad to let's take a look at
who else quad to Daniel want to take this sure,
(17:50):
Chargers stay at number nine. I like the Chargers. I
like where they're at right now, and I think when
you look at their schedule, they're gonna take this thing
and grab a wild card spot. The Dolphins up one,
up one and losing Buffalo and they go up one
because you know, like they're I like the cut of
their jib. After that game, the Jags, we talked about them,
(18:13):
six to eleven, the bigger Banks rise over the week,
Ravens down four to twelve. You know that offense. I
don't know, man, I don't know if they're gonna get
a fixed. They just waiting for Lamar to come back,
but they were having issues with their passing game when
Lamar was healthy. Giants, the g men stopped their free
fall in these carts. Uh they jumped six spots after
the primetime game uh over against the Commanders, and thank
(18:35):
you referees. The Jets are down too. They seem to
be dropping about two spots every week. Now, it is
what it is. Commanders down one to fifteen. Their playoff
hopes took a big hit on Sunday night, and then
the Raiders up to to sixteen, and it's like, how
is that happening? How are the Raiders still? How are
they in quad to after all the bad things that
(18:56):
have happened. Well, let's get into all of it, but
we've gotta take a break. Stay right there, We're back
are our rankings? Before we get to Quad three? Can
I take a look at Quad two again? Sure? Drew
(19:17):
the producer behind the glass, the silent one, the seven
ft seven giant. He doesn't have to speak to carry
a larnched it. Sure? All right? Here we go? Yes,
I had mentioned the Dolphins real quick, and I would
just want to hit on the Dolphins of Ravens. Two
teams in playoff positioning right now, um and two teams.
(19:40):
I feel very different different about I thought Miami, and
in particular to his ability to go into those conditions
in Western New York makes so many good on target,
on time throws after he was doing none of that
the previous two weeks. His numbers would have been even
better had his receivers caught some of the throws he made.
Um some key drops by Miami as well. So while
(20:03):
they are in a three game losing streak, and if
you wanna, if you want to not pop the hood,
you can just say, oh, this is one of those
Dolphins collapse seasons. I don't see it that way. I
think they're going to right the ship and get one
of these wild card spots. The Ravens, on the other hand, Connie,
I think they're very like legitimate concerns here about this offense.
And I think the Bengals are going to run away
(20:24):
and hide in this division. Um, and now it's just
a matter of just Baltimore full on collapse like they
did last year. Uh and a team ends up taking
their spot. I think that's within the realm of possibility,
even with their record the way it is it is.
And I will say just first on the Dolphins, like
I thought that that first half was really surprising, the
way that the Dolphins came out. They ran the ball
(20:46):
well too. With Raheem Mostard they had four hundred and
five total yards. They ran for more than a hundred
yards for the first time since Week ten. They were
able to do things that I didn't think that they
would do, especially in the conditions. But actually the conditions
weren't even that bad until the fourth quarter. Like it
was cold, but it wasn't snowing, wasn't anything. It wasn't
(21:06):
like winds whipping through the stadium or anything like that.
And then the fourth quarter came and the sky absolutely
opened up, and it felt like that's exactly when the
Bills kind of gained their momentum and Josh Allen started
breaking off some of those runs and ultimately they ended
up scoring. And then Baltimore like their offense right now,
it's a disaster. They've been held to sixteen or fewer
(21:27):
points in three straight games. Like they need Lamar back.
There's no way I think that they can continue to
succeed and make a run or make any noise at
all without him. Well, you know they and they are
nine and five, so they really probably need just one
more win and they're home against the Falcons this week,
and the Falcons have a rookie quarterback that's very well
(21:47):
set up to take care of business. Get to those
ten wins if you if you let that game get away.
You have Pittsburgh, which is playing better, and then at
Cincinnati to close the season, and then it gets dangerous.
So this is a very big game obviously for Baltimore.
Let's check out Quad three. Kindie, take us through it. Okay,
this is what I like to call the life support quad. Oh,
that's interesting. The Packers they are up five spots after
(22:10):
their win on Monday Night football. Did you see Aaron
Rodgers his postgame conversation, He was like, I'm tired. Well,
he corrected, I believe it was Lisa Salters on the
records of one of the remaining opponents, and made it
clear that he's tracking this closely. We gotta win out
and then we need all the different permutations of the
(22:30):
schedule to go our away, and so far things are
going very well. He's like a fan the way he's tracking. Interesting.
What you're saying is he's not taking it one week
at a time, looking ahead. And finally it's good to
hear some player finally say that it's not just the game,
we get it. Uh. At eighteen, you have the Patriots
down five spots, the Titans down four spots. At nineteen,
(22:54):
the Browns they're up three twenty and then you've got
the Seahawks, they are just falling, falling at one they're
down five spots, the Steelers at two, up two spots.
You got the Bucks, they lead the NFC South at spots,
and then the Panthers right there at four down four
(23:16):
you can point out and the way we have it
on the screen we're looking at you can't see it
to appreciate the true majesty of it. But right now,
and this was not done on purpose of something I
noticed late last night. I have the Bucks, Panthers, Saints,
and Falcons all in order twenty three six. So NFC
SOUTHA was the gentleman. It's a tight race. You can
(23:37):
say that AFC South the Titans man. They were number
six four weeks ago. They beat the Packers on Thursday
Night Football, uh four weeks ago, and everyone and I
mean everyone, myself included, was just waxing poetic about this team,
(23:58):
about how everyone kind of doubted them and they started
the season slow at oh and two, and then they
figured it out, and they always figured out because they
have this incredible coach and Derrick Henry and even without
a J. Brown, Ryan Tannehill's rock solid quarterback and they
are gonna be there in the end and they might
even contend for the buy and then everything collapsed. The
(24:19):
offensive coordinator got a d u I uh, they fire
the GM and then they lose. They lose, they lose,
they lose, and I just think this is something that's
going to continue. Now. I I think they're in a
lot of trouble here. The crossroads are so far in
the distance. Now, remember they were at a crossroads, and
now now they're definitely in a ditch jeep down. And
(24:41):
we talked about on the show last week that playing
the Charger is a perfect set up there because the
Chargers are a team that just when you buy in,
they kinda will let you down. It felt like the
Chargers and the Titans might flip spaces, but instead, again
the Chargers get it done. The Titans cans. They don't
score enough points. And now the Jags are breathing down
(25:02):
their neck right with one game in between them and
and they already lost to the Jags to start this streak.
It's gonna come down to the last game of the
season where they play each other, and the Jack's already
have one win in hand against Tennessee so yes, the
Tennessee is fully aware they need to somehow right the ship.
I just don't know if they can know their their
(25:23):
offensive line is a mess. Ryan Tannehill was in a
pressure cooker all day. They were number six four weeks ago.
You said number six four weeks ago, just a month
and and the Lions were number thirty one about two
months ago, and look where they are now at seven.
It's been a weird year. I'd love to know the
variation this year is how does it compare two years passed?
On the rankings? It is actually a crazier year. Yes,
(25:46):
this is a different year. I think anyone that's following
the game it feels that way. And then when you
do something like the power rankings and you're kind of
in it in a different way, you're seeing it. You're
seeing like these teams. Usually a team like the lines
are a perfect example. If you're one in six in
week eight, there's no coming back. You might get hot
and win two or three games, but then you'll give
(26:07):
back a couple of games and at the end of
the year, one and six team is gonna finish six
and eleven or whatever that's or worse. Um to have
these big this big variants where these bad teams are
going off like the Jaguars also, and then these good
these quote unquote good teams um are just free falling
out of nowhere. It's like it is a strange season.
It's entertaining but also kind of destabilizing, especially if you
(26:30):
do this. Speaking of destabilizing the Seahawks, they were a
top ten team at the beginning of November, and look
where they are now. They can't get a stop and
they're putting too much on Gino now, who's had a
great year, But you can't ask, you know, to be
a superstar quarterback. He's not. He's he's a guy that's
made a jump from a journeyman to legitimate starter. But
(26:51):
when you don't play good defense, and they haven't for
weeks now, and you can't run the football, bad things
are gonna happen, especially when you play. So they were
number twelve two weeks ago, is that right? And now
they're twenty one, So that it is just an insane
drop and we've seen it, like you watch the games.
You can feel the drop every single week. And some
of that might be on me, the Powerings guy. Maybe
(27:13):
they should have never been that high. Maybe they were
closer to a fifteen team, but they legitimately felt like
a top twelve team at that time, like all the
phases of the game we're working at that time, and
things have just dried up a little bit. It was
a four week stretch where they had one but two
of those wins were against the Cardinals, and I want
to say, I don't know, I'm trying to think who
(27:33):
the other team was pretty questionable team when they went
off on defense and had that really good month. Looking back,
the one thing that me and others should have really
took more and is who were they beating in those games.
That's fair because they were beating I'll tell you who
they were beating Cardinals, Giants, Chargers, and then Cardinals. That's
(27:54):
that's Cardinal. Cardinals have had a terrible year, Chargers when
Justin Herbert was still not physically great, Giants who have
one of the worst offenses in the league. And then
Arizona again. So right, you know, these things happen. But
I mean, look, they lost to the Niners with Brock Purty,
who they look really good right now, even though they
don't have Deebo Samuel either. But they controlled this game
(28:16):
wire to wire. The NFC West has one good team
right now, and it's the Niners. Yeah, I think that's
fair to say. And then let's one other team that's
got me messed up a little bit as the Panthers right. Um,
not that I've ever bought poor Panther. I mean, it's
they're not there. I've never thought they were good. It
was the division they were winning, and and it did
(28:36):
seem like they had found a formula here. And then
the Steelers just said, no, We're just gonna do that
formula better than you. So that was kind of for
me the performance I needed to see. It's like, oh,
I'm not gonna really take this Panther's team too seriously.
They were my pet team just for one week, one
week on are you? And now I had to I
had to give the pet back who to who? I
(28:58):
don't know, I don't know, kill shelter. Did you take
it to kill shelter. I would never do that. I
had to take that. I had to take them to
a farm. Um and listen, they got all the land
they could want to run around and be comfortable, which
is the gentleman's kill shelter. That's terrible. I would never
but they can still win this trash division, believe it
(29:20):
or not. You know, the NFC is kind of annoying
to me because we're gonna have the NFC South champion
and um, you know, maybe like the Giants and I
know the Jets are kind of a good story. I
guess who would you rather? Giants or Commanders? Yeah, for
reasons that go beyond football, but yeah that's let's check
out Quad four to don't read into that they're not
(29:46):
good either. The Falcons down one. Maybe we know why
Arthur Smith did not want to play. The rookie doesn't
matter green one way to put it, stunner Baker Mayfield
magic lasted one week or down one spot the ranch.
The more he learns, the worst he is exactly. The
Brown goes up to eight off a win as Nathaniel
(30:09):
Hackett tries to keep his job. Bears twenty nine, Cardinals
thirty Cults thirty one, Texans thirty two. I almost I
almost moved the Texans out of the bottom slop because
they are playing. Yeah, good teams very hard right now,
but the Cults have been through so much. I did.
I gave him a little bit of juice for being
up thirty three nothing and kept him at thirty one,
(30:31):
but could easily flopped him, could have flopped him. But
I can't believe you have the Texans at thirty two
with all of the glowing things you say about them.
Now I feel like maybe it was only around the
NFL podcast. It just feels like you said you talk
about the Texans in a different light after the game
with the Cowboys. I give I give Lovey Smith credit.
(30:54):
Here's the Lovey Smith thing is interesting because they fired
their coach last year one and done Culli, and then
they bring in Lovey Smith. And then there's this five
that he could be one and done two and then
you think to yourself, well, there one, twelve and one,
so that's bad. But they've had seven games now where
they've either been in the lead or tied entering the
(31:15):
fourth quarter. And it's like, is that good or bad?
Is that? Does that reflect well on Lovely Smith that
they're in all these games? Or poorly that they've been
in all these games and still only have one win.
These are decisions that ownership needs to make, you know what.
It feels a little like the Lions last year when
they would be sort of in it, but they could
never get over the finish line. So maybe next year,
(31:37):
maybe the Texans are the new lines. Are they on
hard knocks? Oh? I hope not. Coll Okay take us,
(31:57):
take us. Where are we going next? Okay? We are
going to um cough a little bit. Hey, Okay, so
what we're gonna do here? I am, Well, it's debatable
because it's Christmas Week. There's a lot going on. It's
six it's week sixteen. But also I have to fly
to Pittsburgh for Christmas Eve. So I just feel like,
(32:20):
you know, my timeline is moved up a little bit
and the Christmas deadline is always looming. But I did
want to go through a couple of things here in
terms of gifts and gifts, the gifts and I'm trying
to get answers and shipping, and it's just like I
have a full year's notice every year. I know when
Christmas is going to be, and I still miss the
(32:41):
deadline every single year, Like I'm giving Christmas presents in
June sometimes like, hey, totally forgot about this. Um It's
coming your way though, so anyway, it is it is.
I do also love to tell people what I almost
got them, but just couldn't pull it off. That's annoying.
I don't like when people do that. Yeah, that's a
that's a staple resolution for you. Maybe, But I almost
(33:05):
got you this, but they either didn't have it or
then I found it was too expensive. But I almost did.
That's that's every year, to John, to Kristen, to everyone
who's really close to me. When do I get a
gift from you? July? Maybe? So in the in the
spirit of Christmas, I wanted to go through a couple
of things with you. Um, it's not Christmas until okay,
(33:29):
so just the markers that come in and you realize,
you know what, this is the holiday season. So I
have three things here for you. The first one, it's
not Christmas until someone cancels Christmas. This is a rich
Wolf tradition. I grew up with this. Um, it's kind
(33:49):
of how we ring in the holiday season. There were
there was always fights over light placement on the Christmas tree. Um.
Christmas Eve, my family usually does meatballs and sausage and
red sauce in the croppot. My brother gets, are you
upset if like the sausage is in cut properly? So?
That is exactly I know, yes, that's what it was,
(34:14):
canceled the sage, you know, so yeah, just canceling Christmas. Um,
it's not Christmas until it's cancel So someone screams out,
this is the last time. I hate to do this,
or you know what, We're not doing this anymore. There's
no party. Christmas is canceled, and I'm like, oh, now
I feel all warm and fuzzy because it is here. Okay,
(34:37):
So there's that one in my family. A Facebook thread
going on right now about the location of the Christmas
Eve party and people are like saying, I can't do it, No,
I can't do it. And then someone came in off
the top turn buckle. Well, I guess is you just canceled?
Going further? Wells here, Yeah, someone's preemptively okay, go ahead.
I love that. Also, like when you don't get invitation
(34:59):
to one of the holiday parties family wise, that is
will be canceled forever. In my family, another one, it's
not Christmas until graphics are dripping in lights. So I
love when I have a Christmas game and you see
like NBC or who oh, here it is on the
screen if you're watching us, right now yes, and there's
(35:23):
snow falling on the score. Maybe sometimes Rudolph comes out
of nowhere. There's presence, there's colorful lights. I love colorful lights,
like I don't. I'm not only a white light person.
I want to be. And I know I've probably had
this taken in the passes. I'm looking at the score
bug for Fox. It has the old school lights around
the score and the time and the down and distance.
(35:44):
But I've always had a little bit of issue with
the snow falling, actually the animation of it falling. But
then I think it builds as the game goes along.
It does, and I kind of like that. Yeah, and
if it doesn't, it does. We take confirmation from producer Drew.
The accumulation of the snow on top of the bug
is an inspired bit of you know, I love it.
(36:06):
It's so fascinate. Yeah, Like I mean, I love a
Thanksgiving graphic, but Christmas really brings it home for me.
I put the Fox robot in Christmas sweaters and stuff.
You know, I could be cynical, but it's you know,
it's fun. Everybody's having fun back in Okay, and then
finally it's not Christmas until someone mentions the Eagles fans
boots Santa. I can't take it. I can't take it anymore.
(36:29):
How about you don't do it in the first place,
and then you don't have to live with it. It's
over and done with. It was so long ago. Find
something new to figure out and to dunk on Eagles
fans about, because that's not it anymore. And I will
tell you that during the Phillies playoffs, they showed Santa
on the big screen and everyone shared them. So play
(36:51):
off Philly fans, Okay, because you're trying to rewrite history.
But that's not how history what. Maybe Santa deserves to
be Boots sometimes, maybe that's what it is. Maybe Santa
didn't show up for you, Kyle leans on tilt and
she just had the Santa sucks take some Christmas is maybe,
unless you're talking about the creepy mall Santa. I cry
(37:16):
every time I had to get a picture with Santa.
All of my pictures of Santa just me and hysterics
when I was little. So when you go back to Philly,
well it's terrifying. Yeah, I understand that. When you go
back to Philly, is it Colleen and Philly or Aunt Doreen. Oh,
oh my god. Aunt Doreen loves the holiday. She's drinking eggnog,
(37:36):
she's singing songs. She has so many sweaters, so I
have a bin of Christmas like gear, way more sweaters
than days in December to use them every year. The
whole house is covered in lights. I love Christmas. I
love Christmas cards. I love getting I don't send them out,
but I love getting Christmas cards. It's a great tradition.
Aunt Doreen, she's bad, is there you go? I like that.
(38:01):
It's fun to celebrate the holidays. Merry Christmas. Uh, do
you have any did you roll your eyes when you
just said Mary Christmas? Not intentionally? Listen. It's week sixteen,
is where it is. Christmas is very stressful, Connie. I know,
I'm sure you've got a couple of things from doing
okay you all right? You know, speaking of Santa's Santa
(38:23):
is very busy this time of year, and he's also,
you know, trying to balance multiple podcasts and writing things
and families, franking kids and who's there are rankings for children?
But that stays internal. Um, But I love Christmas, love
doing the show with you, and we'll be back next
(38:45):
week with another round of Power Rankings. It's getting close,
just like the big Man coming down the chimney. We're
nearing the end of the regular season. We're gonna take
you through the end of the regular season and beyond.
Next week, we'll be back Merry Christmas later m hm H.
(39:13):
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