January 22, 2025 • 24 mins
Mike Yam and Eric Edholm discuss the divisional playoff round and preview the NFC and AFC Championship games while also analyzing what's next for eliminated playoff teams.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We are so close to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yes, it is Championship weekend, looking forward to some great games.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We got our final four squads. Mike am Eric at home.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
With you a deep dive and a preview of what
transpired in the divisional round and what to expect this
upcoming weekend. Eric, I want to take a look at
your rankings top four. A little bit of a change
here with the Kansas City Chiefs at one, the Bills
at two, the Commanders rising to three, and the Eagles
at four. But let's do the dive here on Kansas
City played with a little bit of fire in some metrics,
(00:39):
got out played by the Houston Texans. Is the only
thing that matters is we're talking about them surviving and advancing.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Yeah, right, I think you do have to factor in
that layoff too. I mean, obviously a long time off
great for the body, great for the mind and sold
and all that, but also when you get back into action,
it takes a little while to get those gears grinding.
But still, yeah, I remember somebody saying of a great quarterback.
I think it was Tom Brady, correct me if I'm wrong.
They're not playing football anymore. They're just figuring out how
to win in games, right, And that applies to Andy
(01:06):
Reid or Bill Belichick or any of the great coaches too.
But I really think Reid Mahomes did that on Saturday.
I think you're going to see them try to do
that on Sunday against the Bills too. They've gotten so
good at their craft. Maybe it doesn't reflect on the scoreboard,
but this is a team that oftentimes is in complete control.
Even when they're out gained by one hundred and twenty
four yards and almost one hundred yards on the ground,
(01:27):
your opponent doesn't turn the ball over and you still
find a way to win. Look, that to me is
still a skill that doesn't always exist in the NFL.
And you think about the defense, stepping up early, stepping
up late, special teams, three made field goals, and a
block to kick as well.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Just enough offensively.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Look, it's a pretty good formula, all things considered, even
if it isn't the flashest thing in the world.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I've used this analogy on a couple shows, and I'll
throw it your way. I don't know how much of
a tennis guy you are.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
But there's some players that have.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Like these huge serves, huge fourhands, huge backhands. And then
you got another group of players who just don't make mistakes,
and they're going to wait for you to go and
make your mistake. I think Kansas City has got that
vibe in them. But when you get to a championship weekend,
when you get to a super Bowl, is that a
recipe for success?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like what like just keep it close and let fifteen
do his deal.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
On the one hand, like you got to remember your
top gun, right, I mean, Maverick ends up being the
hero in the end, but Iceman was the guy who
typically got it done. He was in that sort of
pole position and he wore people down, right. So I
guess we're sort of saying that the chiefs everyone sort
of views him as the enemy.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Now they've had all this success, they are Iceman.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
They're the guys who just kind of wait for you
to make that fatal mistake and they pounce on it.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
So we'll see.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I don't know if the bills are quite Maverick anymore,
then we'll we'll have to address that subject and figure
that one out too, They've played a lot of smart, safe,
conservative ball to get where they're at.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I love where you just went with that. No one
a bigger top Gun fan than me.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
And I'm not talking about Maverick the remake in right,
I feel like it's bad for me to say this.
I think there's an argument Maverick was better than the original.
I don't know if I would go on record to
say that, but there is at least a compelling argument
for it.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
You kind of just did, Mike.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It's just wild. It was so good.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I'd been waiting, like, you know, twenty some odd years
for that movie to come out here, and we finally
got it and it delivered. What's the story, though, what's
the story for this Kansas City team? In your mind?
Looking ahead?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Is this a super Bowl winning team?
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Look? I think they have all the elements.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Again, it's not going to be the fireworks show that
we often saw in the past.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
But they've evolved.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
You know, they understand that they're going to get everybody's
best shot, and they know that they can win those
quite close, tight games because they've been in so many
of them. They've been in these in these playoff settings.
That's why they're have such a good record sixteen and three,
I think uner mahomes in the divisional rounds. So you
know that that obviously lends to their big game preparation.
You know they're they're kind of focus and equanimity in
(03:51):
those situations. And you know, right now I'd say, I
think you'd say the Bills are the team they're trying
to prove they have that and that they can match
what the Kansas City Chiefs bring seemingly every playoff game
they go out there.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
All right, I'm glad you bring up Buffalo. You're number
two squad. I will be honest with you. I have
won on a bunch of our shows that I've done,
and I had Baltimore, and I said Baltimore would be
my pick to win the Super Bowl. Heading into last week.
I thought they were the most complete team. They didn't
get it done. And speaking of waiting for your opponent
to make mistakes, I mean Baltimore made plenty of mistakes
in that game. And that's the reason why we're talking
about this Bills team surviving and advancing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
How impressed were you though.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
With the win that Buffalo had And I know it's
a home game, but I don't know. I don't want
to put words in your mouth, but I felt like
you were viving with me a little bit, and you
liked the Ravens in this matchup heading into the weekend.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, I definitely thought the Ravens had a great chance
to win, and they obviously did the way it played out,
even even with the turnovers, even with the miss two
point conversion. So you know, I don't know that this
Buffalo win you put it up in the all time
annals for its beauty and its level of dominance or
anything like that. But again, you know, we kind of
go back to what we said with the Chiefs, which
is when your opponents make mistakes, you have to capitalize.
(04:59):
They didn't on the interception. Interestingly, they didn't on the
first possession of the second half, and they settle for
the field goal kind of on the doorstep of the
end zone. There was a really interesting call from Sean McDermott.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
I rode after the game.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I thought, maybe this was a mistake, even though it
worked out right, process over results and all that.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
So I don't know. I think they did what they
had to do.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I think there is some concern about that Buffalo defense,
But they can play heavy and play tough in the
run game.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
They can control the clock. You know, they'll go big personnel.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
They obviously saw what the Texans did running the football,
and I think we'll try to mirror.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Some of that in the game Sunday.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
But it really does boil down to what Josh Allen
could do in those key moments. Will they loosen the
belt a little bit and get more aggressive and let
him kind of create and throw more vertically too. We
didn't really see much of it after that first drive.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, do you think a lot of that had to
do with what their conditions, Because I'm with you, I
thought we'd see some more explosive in this.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Game weather conditions. You know, obviously the way Baltimore's cover him.
You never want to sort of put the ball in
near Kyle Hamilton anytime, you know he's sort of roaming
a little bit. But yeah, also as the fact the
Bills don't have quite the explosive weapons we're used to,
some of the stuff is schemed up.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Some of it is a response to what the Bills
can do in the run game.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So yeah, a lot of factors that I'll be just
to see if the game playing changes at all, or
if the game's script is any different against the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, you've had a close eye on this Bills team
the last couple of years. I look at this roster
and I look at where they are right now.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Do you see this team?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Is maybe this the best chance to beat this Kansas
City squad? And I will say maybe less about what
Buffalo is because I think some of these rosters in
previous years might have been better than this one. But
from a team perspective, like they're winning games and this
team might be better, but in conjunction with Kansas City
maybe looking like there's like this much room for them
to lose a game.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's an interesting point.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
You might argue that the thirteen seconds team at a
better shock given the odds of trying to win that
one a couple of years ago. Didn't work out, as
we know. But to your point, they're so balanced and
they can win in different ways. Even the defense can
kind of take on different forms. But you know, we
saw Sunday that, look, it doesn't have to be about
Josh Allen airing it out and making all those crazy plays.
(07:11):
And we talked about a minute ago that goal line
possession where you know, the play before the decision to
kick the field goal, Josh kind of turned around and
almost looked like, Hey, I'm.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Going to toss it back to Cook and maybe make
a crazy play.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Everyone in their mind saying, don't do it right, and
I think the old Josh might have. But they don't
kill themselves with turnovers, they don't kill themselves with sacks,
and they have a defense that can take the football
away from you. So from that perspective, that formula, and
we've seen how much time of possession and turnover battle
means in the playoffs so far. Yeah, that could say
(07:44):
a lot on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
As you see the trajectory of the Commanders. Back in
week number two, you had them as the twenty ninth
ranked team. There was a steady rise though they were
seven and two. In week number nine they had won
three straight games. You had them up to five, then
it was eleven in week thirteen. In week eighteen, they'd
fallen back a little bit into that eighth position, and
then here we are, they are the third ranked team
(08:07):
in the land. It is time for power Moves and
it is presented by Energizer. Let's do a deeper dive
on this Commander squad.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Where do we begin here?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Is it as simple as just going dude, they got
Jaden Daniels moment doesn't seem too big for him. I
can't get over that they beat the Lions, and by
the way, not just win, win the way that they did.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I mean it was essentially in all phases of the game.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Absolutely, from that first stop on defense right the three
and out to start the game, and then obviously coming
down and starting what became an offensive flourish. I think
you saw a team with no panic, a team that
by that point had expected to be there and thought,
let's outline the Lions right, let's take their game to them,
you know, play action pass, Daniels evading pressure and also defensively, boy,
(08:53):
getting after Jared Goff the way they did and obviously
forcing him into some bad decisions too, was great. But
it really obviously does start with what they do offensively.
You know, multiple receivers who can help you out valued
tight end and zach Ertz. You know, the offensive line,
even without Samuel Cosmy that he gets to suffer to
torn acl in that game, that's gonna be a big loss.
But they're very multiple on offense. Cliff Kingsbury's designed this
(09:17):
thing beautifully to parlay to the strengths of Daniels and
you know, the defense, while shorthanded at times and with
holes that we can obviously point to, I say they're
doing a darn good job for what they have right now.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, I'm not going to insult a Washington commander's fan
base by saying can they win?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They absolutely can win.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
There's gonna be another meeting, a third meeting against the
Philadelphia squad that can happen. I should have started with this,
especially coming off that trajectory of this team. But at
what point did you say this was actually possible? Maybe
you didn't, but was there a point this season where
you said, yeah, playing in an NFC championship game, Washington,
I buy it.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I don't know that I thought it then, but I
remember watching the you know, the comebacks early in the
season and watching them seemingly in control in these games,
whether it was the Bengals game or the Bears game,
or several others along the way. I thought, dan Quinn
has these guys believing. You know, Adam Peters went out
and got a ton of hungry veterans and young players
who had yet to kind of be able to prove themselves,
(10:16):
and I think they've all fit in really nicely. And again,
there are some positions and spots on the roster where
you say, okay, it's kind of tape together a little bit,
some stuff to work on in the offseason. But at
the same time, when you have a quarterback playing with
this kind of confidence, and you have an offensive coordinator
you know, fully locked in with his guy as well,
and a coach who is just s aggressive as the
(10:36):
Lions and anybody else out there, and the success rate
is incredibly high, you know, I mean, you just saw
it grow as the season went on. Again, the NFC
was shaky enough for me to think, you know, even
with fifteen win teams like the Lions and the Vikings
having great regular seasons, you know, they had enough shakiness too,
and to make me think that a wildcard team like
(10:57):
the Bucks or the Commanders could come along and kind
of spoil the party.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
A little bit.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, I'm a fool, because I actually thought the Bucks
were going to win.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Between those teams most did what do what exactly?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
What do I know they will match up the Commanders
that is against the Philadelphia Eagles, who do move up
a spot they set fourth in the rankings. Right now,
I know concerns about Jalen Hurts injury. This is a
tough game. Rams had an opportunity late. I thought the Rams.
Actually I had them picked on Sunday in on game
day preview, I have picked the Rams. So once again,
clearly don't know what I'm talking about here, but make
(11:28):
the case from a Philadelphia perspective that they will handle
business and get back to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I think the Hurts concern is real, but at the
same time, it sounds like they're preparing for him to
start on Sunday, and you know, I think it would
take a lot or another injury in the game to
knock him out, So I do expect him out there.
Quinyon Mitchell obviously, you know his shoulder, We got to
see what shape he's in. But sounds like he might
be on the track towards playing too. So that's a
you know, two elements of good news. They beat the
(11:53):
Commanders in Philadelphia. Granted, I think this Commander's team has
come a long way since then and kind of learned
a lot about themselves and You know, they obviously beat
the Eagles in Washington, so they at the two games.
This one's in Philly. You'd like to think that the
home team has a little edge there. Maybe the snow
comes back, the cold weather stays and they gained some
kind of advantage from that. But I think it really
(12:15):
has to do with It's got to start with Jalen
Carter in that front up. You know, Nolan Smith too
has kind of come on, Zach Bond's had a great season.
All these guys creating pressure from different angles, and I
think avoiding sacks. On the other side, Jalen Hurts has
been guilty of taking sacks, not always the offensive lines fault.
So we've got to see that number come down and
the pressure for the Eagles come up. Yes, Saquon Barkley
(12:38):
can can rescue you from some bad situations, as he
did Sunday, but you'd like to not have to rely
on him to, you know, sort of sit around and wait, win,
is Saquon gonna save us here? So finding other sources
of offense, including aj Brown.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
You know, he made a.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Big catch Sunday on fourth down, but he's got to
be more involved in the game plan.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
The chemistry with Hurts has got to be better.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah, there is a plethora of options there. It's been
a steady dose of Saquon. Here's what concerns me from
a Washington defensive perspective. The Rams looked like a better
defense coming off of the loss that they had.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
In Week twelve against Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They knew the game plan right, Like they let Saquan
go for three hundred scrimmage yards in that first meeting.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
He ran for two to fifty five. You got to
stop him. He ran for two five in this game.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I mean, if that doesn't tell you how talented Saquan is,
knowing that he was going to be the defensive game
plan and he still.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Balled out, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I mean that's the reason why I'm like, you know,
if Jalen's still hurt, like all right, good luck, still
try to stop this dude.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
He is going to be the X factor, no doubt
about it. I mean, obviously there's no way to ignore it.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
He's been an amazing upgrade for them in the backfield,
a perfect fit for what they want to do offensively,
can run inside, outside with power, with finesse, make people miss.
You know, when you get him in space. That's really
where the magic happens. And you know, he can hit
a ton of singles or foul the ball off, or
you know, not have many greater at bats, and then
all of a sudden, that home run is just sitting there.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
Again.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Like you said, I never would have imagined he'd have
two long bombs in this game against the Rams after
what he did to him the first time. But sometimes
the great players can just sort of will their way
into the end zone in those situations.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
God, and he certainly one of the premier players in
the NFL. Eric, too, your top four teams they went
down over the weekend. Still to come here on NFL
Power Rankings. The fallout of the weekend and where those
organizations go. That's next, back here on power rankings, teams
(14:28):
five through eight. Oh, the season that was supposed to
be for the Detroit Lions, who dropped three spots into
that fifth position. I once again thought the Ravens were
the best team in the NFL. Best roster.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
They lose. They dropped two spots to six.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
You got the Rams at seven and the Houston Texans
at eight. All right, Eric, when it comes to the Lions,
this was a team that I think candidly a lot
of people thought were going to be pretty good this year.
They've been sort of like the darlings of the NFL.
Now all of a sudden, they're going to have the
same situation happened to them that the Eagles did a
few years The only difference was that Philly team got
to the Super Bowl. They're likely going to lose their
(15:02):
coordinators here, right, I mean Ben Johnson already talking about
him a lot of reports accepting that job with the
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
How difficult will it be for them to.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Get back to this point and then get over the hump,
play for a championship, then play for a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, you make an excellent point drawing the comparison to
the Eagles a couple of years ago when they had
a monster of a team and then they nearly took
down the Chiefs and the Super Bowl and then had
to replace both their their talented coordinators getting head coaching jobs.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
So that very well could be the case.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Obviously, Ben Johnson going in the division, having all the
house secrets and having Caleb Williams, We'll see what can
happen there. But you know, the core of this Lions
team is expected to be back, including a lot of
those defensive players, Aiden Hutchinson, the guys in the secondary,
other members of the defensive front. They're all coming back.
You know, players like Jamison Williams still should be very
much in the peak of their career, you know, Jamiir Gibbs,
(15:54):
Sam Laporta, etc.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
So the parts are still there.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
But as we know, the wrong coordinator hire, you know,
you know, hiring somebody or elevating that position prematurely or
not have a big vision for what they want to do,
not having their own identity, trying to be too much
like the last guy. There are so many trapdoors for
these coaches who get elevated to these positions that you know,
it could obviously erase an entire season. So, like you said,
(16:17):
there's no guarantee that this Lions team healthy in the
off season. Maybe Avin Addings the pieces is going to
be back at the same place. So Dan Campbell has
said it the last couple of years when they've lost
in the playoffs, you know, we're probably never going.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
To live this down.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
And you don't know how big these opportunities are until
they're gone. So you know, I know I'm paraphrasing there,
but I think Campbell kind of touched on something the
Lions fans feel, which is, I'd like to think we're
going to be here for a while, but you never
actually know how it's going to play out.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I heard some of his comments after the game at
the podium. Dude was devastating.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
You could hear it in his voice, you see it
in his face. Coordinators are side.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I'll say this.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Aiden Hutchinson, before the injury, could have made an argument
was on pace to be the defensive player of the Year.
I don't know what he is coming off the injury
next season, but if there's one one focal point roster
wise this offseason, Eric, what do you think helps this team.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
I think adding obviously, you know, as a reaction to
what happened this year where they just had waves of
injuries on defense, and having just another layer of depth.
Plus you know, all those other guys who didn't play
a lot this year, like Nnis Rakestraw going to have
another year of experience. So I think just sort of
adding and bolstering each layer of the defense. Guys like
Alexanzeloni are terrific players, but they've been injured a lot
(17:29):
of their careers, so you know, those are the kind
of guys.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Even with Derek.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Barnes and whatnot coming back, you still have to buttress
that with some depth and then offensively too, you know,
o line depth, adding more receiving threats, and you know,
deciding whether you have Henon.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Hooker as your quarterback of the future.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Obviously, we saw Teddy Bridgewater come into the game when
the when goff left the playoff game against the Commanders,
So you know, does Hooker still tracked towards being Golf's
successor one day or at least his backup. You know,
those are questions to Brad Holmes and his staff have
to answer.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Okay, I guess we'll start with that same question then
of the Baltimore Ravens, because I feel like I'm beating
a dead horse.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I really did think they had the.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Best roster in the NFL, so dominant, thought they would
get back to a championship game. We were going to
be looking at them in Kansas City, and I thought
because of Derek Henry, they'd get over the top here.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
This roster was terrific.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
They were dominant, They figured out their defensive issues, turnovers
obviously a huge issue in this loss. But with plan
A now in this offseason for this team.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Yeah, it's a good question, right, especially after sort of
going away from Derrick Henry in the fourth quarter only
those two back to back carries. You know, they came
up short on the first down there. I mean, I
thought they might go to him a little bit more.
Is he's still going to have the same sort of
workload next year that he did this year or did
they want to help him out? Obviously Justice Hill's still there.
You know, they like some of their other young backs.
They're developing too. But I would have to imagine offensive line.
(18:54):
Ronnie Stanley's a free agent, Patrick McCarry, you know, other
guys that you know could have options. You know, build
around Lindarbaum and that center and try to go outward,
find some tackle solutions on defense, get more edge pressure,
you know, obviously keep adding to the secondary as well.
So yeah, I would say more depth on both trenches
(19:14):
has to be an issue. And you know, Justin Tucker
was not a problem down the stretch, but during the
year there were stretches when he was not the Justin
Tucker we've come to know. So may there be a
kicking competition too. I wouldn't be shocked if they brought
another leg, a young guy, and you know, see if
that's going to be a problem next year or not.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Meanwhile, the Rams at seven, damn man, they were right there,
had an opportunity. I thought, coming off that Lea Saque touchdown,
it's a wrap game over and they still have a
chance in the snow and now with a sudden I
look to next season.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
There's questions about Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I remember being around this team in August and Stafford's
contract was an issue.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
They worked it out. He was in camp and was all,
well and good.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
This team is too good in terms of a young
roster not to bring him back and figure that out.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Right.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, I mean a couple years ago, Hey, we were
talking about maybe Sean McVay retiring, Aaron Donald, you retiring
a year before he ended up hanging.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Up the cleats.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
So you know, I'm not saying that Stafford's sort of
milking the moment or you know, anything like that. I
think he probably needs a little reflection, But his comments
after the game seemed to suggest he had some football
left in him, and I think the Rams, you know,
certainly would accommodate him being back, and the trigger man
in this offense at times looked very very good. Turn
on the Buffalo tape, you can see them at their
very best, I think, But you know, those two fourth
(20:30):
quarter turnovers were obviously killers. And you know Kyron Williams
so reliable this season as both a runner, you know,
receiver pass protector for that matter. Putting along on the turf,
you could see his look on his face. Same thing
with Stafford after his So you know, those were big plays.
I mean, the safety helped kind of change momentum a
little bit and get him back in the game. And
that pass rush was ferocious in both playoff games.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
But so there's a lot to like about him.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I think adding to that secondary is going to be
a key offseason priority and finding run stuffers. You can't
let guys like Saquon Barkley continue to gash you over
because the best teams, I think are starting to realize
the run game is cycling back into the NFL for
a reason against these these lighter fronts and.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
These nickel packages.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
So that's got to be something that Kris Shule and
the Rams have to figure out this offseason. But the
Stafford question obviously the one that hangs over everything.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, and that team, by the way, has done a
tremendous job the last two years in the draft. You
look at their first and second er players and the
massive contributions that they're making. So I think if you're
a Rams fan, you get Stafford back, you feel good
about the draft. You'll find some gems because there's now
a track record of doing so, and you got to
feel cautiously optimistic that this team could be right back
in the mix this upcoming season. The Houston Texans, speaking
(21:42):
of the draft two years ago, you're going really like,
this is this is this is a squad that now,
heading into this current season that we're in, you felt
like could make a run to a Super Bowl. I
mean that's what the hype was around CJ. Stroud And
they didn't play great football during the course of the year.
I thought they played well late, especially from what we've
seen in this postseason, Like, what is this team? Are
(22:03):
they a team that next year, bringing back most of
their roster you feel good about can get back to
this point and maybe learn some of these learn something
from some of these tough losses, or there's got to
be some changes in terms of personnel, and maybe it's
a depth question that will potentially carry them and put
them over the top.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Yeah, I think it's a fair question.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I mean, they were, like you said, they were levy
with such big expectations after you know, their playoff run
and their season last year, and I think we may
have kind of overgraduated them early in the year.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
I was a little hesitant.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I did bump them up into my top five earlier
this season, mostly because there wasn't really much a clarity
up top, So I think I also kind of pushed
them ahead of where they deserve to be this year.
But you're right too, they did seem to kind of
turn the corner there when I don't know if all
hope was lost, but externally, a lot of people had
their doubts about.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
This team, but Dimico Ryans has done a great job.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
C J.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
Stroud went through his share of struggles. I was tough
on them.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Other people were too, Bobby Sloweck, you know, heard plenty
from the radio guys and whatnot. But I think by
the end of the season you at least saw the
arrow pointing back upward, and they played as well as
they probably could have, you know, miskicks and a few
other penalties aside. But yeah, I'd like to obviously see
them find some solutions at receiver and Ego Collins is great,
John Metchi might be a nice complimentary part. But one
(23:19):
more guy and I'm not sure it's Stefan Diggs with
him heading to free agency. But for years we've been
talking about the offensive line. That unit has to come
together a little bit better defensively. Still, I think a
few pieces short of being that top ten unit, or
at least the borderline top ten unit, that you probably
need to take that extra step.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
So there's still a lot of promising developments.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
I'm not giving up on Stroud, and I think the
future is mostly bright for them, you know, even while
admitting that they still have room to improve.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
No doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
This is a Houston squad once again that figured out
a way to flip the switch.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I thought late that concerns me. I like the teams
that are just killers no matter what the situation.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
And maybe I just pointed maybe the answer is as
simple as hey, they were banged up, had some significant
injuries during the year, and maybe it solves itself. But
can't wait to see what this offense looks like next
season as well, because I do think a lot of
us and it's probably too early to get your top
ten for next year, but I got to imagine, you know,
as the off season shakes out, you're still probably going
(24:18):
to have them sitting pretty close to the eighth position,
which is where they are right now.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Eric, you're the best man. Always good to work with you.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Next week a special edition of NFL Power Rankings. It's
a road show kind of both of us will both
be on the roads East West s ran.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Bold Senior Bowl for you.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
We will do the show, take it through championship. We
can get complete reaction and preview the Super Bowl. Looking
forward to it. Eric Safe Travels will do it again
next week.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We are so close to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yes, it is Championship weekend, looking forward to some great games.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We got our final four squads. Mike am Eric at home.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
With you a deep dive and a preview of what
transpired in the divisional round and what to expect this
upcoming weekend. Eric, I want to take a look at
your rankings top four. A little bit of a change
here with the Kansas City Chiefs at one, the Bills
at two, the Commanders rising to three, and the Eagles
at four. But let's do the dive here on Kansas
City played with a little bit of fire in some metrics,
(00:39):
got out played by the Houston Texans. Is the only
thing that matters is we're talking about them surviving and advancing.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Yeah, right, I think you do have to factor in
that layoff too. I mean, obviously a long time off
great for the body, great for the mind and sold
and all that, but also when you get back into action,
it takes a little while to get those gears grinding.
But still, yeah, I remember somebody saying of a great quarterback.
I think it was Tom Brady, correct me if I'm wrong.
They're not playing football anymore. They're just figuring out how
to win in games, right, And that applies to Andy
(01:06):
Reid or Bill Belichick or any of the great coaches too.
But I really think Reid Mahomes did that on Saturday.
I think you're going to see them try to do
that on Sunday against the Bills too. They've gotten so
good at their craft. Maybe it doesn't reflect on the scoreboard,
but this is a team that oftentimes is in complete control.
Even when they're out gained by one hundred and twenty
four yards and almost one hundred yards on the ground,
(01:27):
your opponent doesn't turn the ball over and you still
find a way to win. Look, that to me is
still a skill that doesn't always exist in the NFL.
And you think about the defense, stepping up early, stepping
up late, special teams, three made field goals, and a
block to kick as well.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Just enough offensively.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Look, it's a pretty good formula, all things considered, even
if it isn't the flashest thing in the world.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I've used this analogy on a couple shows, and I'll
throw it your way. I don't know how much of
a tennis guy you are.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
But there's some players that have.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Like these huge serves, huge fourhands, huge backhands. And then
you got another group of players who just don't make mistakes,
and they're going to wait for you to go and
make your mistake. I think Kansas City has got that
vibe in them. But when you get to a championship weekend,
when you get to a super Bowl, is that a
recipe for success?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like what like just keep it close and let fifteen
do his deal.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
On the one hand, like you got to remember your
top gun, right, I mean, Maverick ends up being the
hero in the end, but Iceman was the guy who
typically got it done. He was in that sort of
pole position and he wore people down, right. So I
guess we're sort of saying that the chiefs everyone sort
of views him as the enemy.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Now they've had all this success, they are Iceman.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
They're the guys who just kind of wait for you
to make that fatal mistake and they pounce on it.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
So we'll see.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I don't know if the bills are quite Maverick anymore,
then we'll we'll have to address that subject and figure
that one out too, They've played a lot of smart, safe,
conservative ball to get where they're at.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I love where you just went with that. No one
a bigger top Gun fan than me.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
And I'm not talking about Maverick the remake in right,
I feel like it's bad for me to say this.
I think there's an argument Maverick was better than the original.
I don't know if I would go on record to
say that, but there is at least a compelling argument
for it.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
You kind of just did, Mike.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It's just wild. It was so good.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I'd been waiting, like, you know, twenty some odd years
for that movie to come out here, and we finally
got it and it delivered. What's the story, though, what's
the story for this Kansas City team? In your mind?
Looking ahead?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Is this a super Bowl winning team?
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Look? I think they have all the elements.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Again, it's not going to be the fireworks show that
we often saw in the past.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
But they've evolved.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
You know, they understand that they're going to get everybody's
best shot, and they know that they can win those
quite close, tight games because they've been in so many
of them. They've been in these in these playoff settings.
That's why they're have such a good record sixteen and three,
I think uner mahomes in the divisional rounds. So you
know that that obviously lends to their big game preparation.
You know they're they're kind of focus and equanimity in
(03:51):
those situations. And you know, right now I'd say, I
think you'd say the Bills are the team they're trying
to prove they have that and that they can match
what the Kansas City Chiefs bring seemingly every playoff game
they go out there.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
All right, I'm glad you bring up Buffalo. You're number
two squad. I will be honest with you. I have
won on a bunch of our shows that I've done,
and I had Baltimore, and I said Baltimore would be
my pick to win the Super Bowl. Heading into last week.
I thought they were the most complete team. They didn't
get it done. And speaking of waiting for your opponent
to make mistakes, I mean Baltimore made plenty of mistakes
in that game. And that's the reason why we're talking
about this Bills team surviving and advancing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
How impressed were you though.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
With the win that Buffalo had And I know it's
a home game, but I don't know. I don't want
to put words in your mouth, but I felt like
you were viving with me a little bit, and you
liked the Ravens in this matchup heading into the weekend.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, I definitely thought the Ravens had a great chance
to win, and they obviously did the way it played out,
even even with the turnovers, even with the miss two
point conversion. So you know, I don't know that this
Buffalo win you put it up in the all time
annals for its beauty and its level of dominance or
anything like that. But again, you know, we kind of
go back to what we said with the Chiefs, which
is when your opponents make mistakes, you have to capitalize.
(04:59):
They didn't on the interception. Interestingly, they didn't on the
first possession of the second half, and they settle for
the field goal kind of on the doorstep of the
end zone. There was a really interesting call from Sean McDermott.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
I rode after the game.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I thought, maybe this was a mistake, even though it
worked out right, process over results and all that.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
So I don't know. I think they did what they
had to do.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I think there is some concern about that Buffalo defense,
But they can play heavy and play tough in the
run game.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
They can control the clock. You know, they'll go big personnel.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
They obviously saw what the Texans did running the football,
and I think we'll try to mirror.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Some of that in the game Sunday.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
But it really does boil down to what Josh Allen
could do in those key moments. Will they loosen the
belt a little bit and get more aggressive and let
him kind of create and throw more vertically too. We
didn't really see much of it after that first drive.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, do you think a lot of that had to
do with what their conditions, Because I'm with you, I
thought we'd see some more explosive in this.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Game weather conditions. You know, obviously the way Baltimore's cover him.
You never want to sort of put the ball in
near Kyle Hamilton anytime, you know he's sort of roaming
a little bit. But yeah, also as the fact the
Bills don't have quite the explosive weapons we're used to,
some of the stuff is schemed up.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Some of it is a response to what the Bills
can do in the run game.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So yeah, a lot of factors that I'll be just
to see if the game playing changes at all, or
if the game's script is any different against the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, you've had a close eye on this Bills team
the last couple of years. I look at this roster
and I look at where they are right now.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Do you see this team?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Is maybe this the best chance to beat this Kansas
City squad? And I will say maybe less about what
Buffalo is because I think some of these rosters in
previous years might have been better than this one. But
from a team perspective, like they're winning games and this
team might be better, but in conjunction with Kansas City
maybe looking like there's like this much room for them
to lose a game.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's an interesting point.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
You might argue that the thirteen seconds team at a
better shock given the odds of trying to win that
one a couple of years ago. Didn't work out, as
we know. But to your point, they're so balanced and
they can win in different ways. Even the defense can
kind of take on different forms. But you know, we
saw Sunday that, look, it doesn't have to be about
Josh Allen airing it out and making all those crazy plays.
(07:11):
And we talked about a minute ago that goal line
possession where you know, the play before the decision to
kick the field goal, Josh kind of turned around and
almost looked like, Hey, I'm.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Going to toss it back to Cook and maybe make
a crazy play.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Everyone in their mind saying, don't do it right, and
I think the old Josh might have. But they don't
kill themselves with turnovers, they don't kill themselves with sacks,
and they have a defense that can take the football
away from you. So from that perspective, that formula, and
we've seen how much time of possession and turnover battle
means in the playoffs so far. Yeah, that could say
(07:44):
a lot on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
As you see the trajectory of the Commanders. Back in
week number two, you had them as the twenty ninth
ranked team. There was a steady rise though they were
seven and two. In week number nine they had won
three straight games. You had them up to five, then
it was eleven in week thirteen. In week eighteen, they'd
fallen back a little bit into that eighth position, and
then here we are, they are the third ranked team
(08:07):
in the land. It is time for power Moves and
it is presented by Energizer. Let's do a deeper dive
on this Commander squad.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Where do we begin here?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Is it as simple as just going dude, they got
Jaden Daniels moment doesn't seem too big for him. I
can't get over that they beat the Lions, and by
the way, not just win, win the way that they did.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I mean it was essentially in all phases of the game.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Absolutely, from that first stop on defense right the three
and out to start the game, and then obviously coming
down and starting what became an offensive flourish. I think
you saw a team with no panic, a team that
by that point had expected to be there and thought,
let's outline the Lions right, let's take their game to them,
you know, play action pass, Daniels evading pressure and also defensively, boy,
(08:53):
getting after Jared Goff the way they did and obviously
forcing him into some bad decisions too, was great. But
it really obviously does start with what they do offensively.
You know, multiple receivers who can help you out valued
tight end and zach Ertz. You know, the offensive line,
even without Samuel Cosmy that he gets to suffer to
torn acl in that game, that's gonna be a big loss.
But they're very multiple on offense. Cliff Kingsbury's designed this
(09:17):
thing beautifully to parlay to the strengths of Daniels and
you know, the defense, while shorthanded at times and with
holes that we can obviously point to, I say they're
doing a darn good job for what they have right now.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, I'm not going to insult a Washington commander's fan
base by saying can they win?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They absolutely can win.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
There's gonna be another meeting, a third meeting against the
Philadelphia squad that can happen. I should have started with this,
especially coming off that trajectory of this team. But at
what point did you say this was actually possible? Maybe
you didn't, but was there a point this season where
you said, yeah, playing in an NFC championship game, Washington,
I buy it.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I don't know that I thought it then, but I
remember watching the you know, the comebacks early in the
season and watching them seemingly in control in these games,
whether it was the Bengals game or the Bears game,
or several others along the way. I thought, dan Quinn
has these guys believing. You know, Adam Peters went out
and got a ton of hungry veterans and young players
who had yet to kind of be able to prove themselves,
(10:16):
and I think they've all fit in really nicely. And again,
there are some positions and spots on the roster where
you say, okay, it's kind of tape together a little bit,
some stuff to work on in the offseason. But at
the same time, when you have a quarterback playing with
this kind of confidence, and you have an offensive coordinator
you know, fully locked in with his guy as well,
and a coach who is just s aggressive as the
(10:36):
Lions and anybody else out there, and the success rate
is incredibly high, you know, I mean, you just saw
it grow as the season went on. Again, the NFC
was shaky enough for me to think, you know, even
with fifteen win teams like the Lions and the Vikings
having great regular seasons, you know, they had enough shakiness too,
and to make me think that a wildcard team like
(10:57):
the Bucks or the Commanders could come along and kind
of spoil the party.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
A little bit.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, I'm a fool, because I actually thought the Bucks
were going to win.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Between those teams most did what do what exactly?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
What do I know they will match up the Commanders
that is against the Philadelphia Eagles, who do move up
a spot they set fourth in the rankings. Right now,
I know concerns about Jalen Hurts injury. This is a
tough game. Rams had an opportunity late. I thought the Rams.
Actually I had them picked on Sunday in on game
day preview, I have picked the Rams. So once again,
clearly don't know what I'm talking about here, but make
(11:28):
the case from a Philadelphia perspective that they will handle
business and get back to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I think the Hurts concern is real, but at the
same time, it sounds like they're preparing for him to
start on Sunday, and you know, I think it would
take a lot or another injury in the game to
knock him out, So I do expect him out there.
Quinyon Mitchell obviously, you know his shoulder, We got to
see what shape he's in. But sounds like he might
be on the track towards playing too. So that's a
you know, two elements of good news. They beat the
(11:53):
Commanders in Philadelphia. Granted, I think this Commander's team has
come a long way since then and kind of learned
a lot about themselves and You know, they obviously beat
the Eagles in Washington, so they at the two games.
This one's in Philly. You'd like to think that the
home team has a little edge there. Maybe the snow
comes back, the cold weather stays and they gained some
kind of advantage from that. But I think it really
(12:15):
has to do with It's got to start with Jalen
Carter in that front up. You know, Nolan Smith too
has kind of come on, Zach Bond's had a great season.
All these guys creating pressure from different angles, and I
think avoiding sacks. On the other side, Jalen Hurts has
been guilty of taking sacks, not always the offensive lines fault.
So we've got to see that number come down and
the pressure for the Eagles come up. Yes, Saquon Barkley
(12:38):
can can rescue you from some bad situations, as he
did Sunday, but you'd like to not have to rely
on him to, you know, sort of sit around and wait, win,
is Saquon gonna save us here? So finding other sources
of offense, including aj Brown.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
You know, he made a.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Big catch Sunday on fourth down, but he's got to
be more involved in the game plan.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
The chemistry with Hurts has got to be better.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah, there is a plethora of options there. It's been
a steady dose of Saquon. Here's what concerns me from
a Washington defensive perspective. The Rams looked like a better
defense coming off of the loss that they had.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
In Week twelve against Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They knew the game plan right, Like they let Saquan
go for three hundred scrimmage yards in that first meeting.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
He ran for two to fifty five. You got to
stop him. He ran for two five in this game.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I mean, if that doesn't tell you how talented Saquan is,
knowing that he was going to be the defensive game
plan and he still.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Balled out, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I mean that's the reason why I'm like, you know,
if Jalen's still hurt, like all right, good luck, still
try to stop this dude.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
He is going to be the X factor, no doubt
about it. I mean, obviously there's no way to ignore it.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
He's been an amazing upgrade for them in the backfield,
a perfect fit for what they want to do offensively,
can run inside, outside with power, with finesse, make people miss.
You know, when you get him in space. That's really
where the magic happens. And you know, he can hit
a ton of singles or foul the ball off, or
you know, not have many greater at bats, and then
all of a sudden, that home run is just sitting there.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
Again.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Like you said, I never would have imagined he'd have
two long bombs in this game against the Rams after
what he did to him the first time. But sometimes
the great players can just sort of will their way
into the end zone in those situations.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
God, and he certainly one of the premier players in
the NFL. Eric, too, your top four teams they went
down over the weekend. Still to come here on NFL
Power Rankings. The fallout of the weekend and where those
organizations go. That's next, back here on power rankings, teams
(14:28):
five through eight. Oh, the season that was supposed to
be for the Detroit Lions, who dropped three spots into
that fifth position. I once again thought the Ravens were
the best team in the NFL. Best roster.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
They lose. They dropped two spots to six.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
You got the Rams at seven and the Houston Texans
at eight. All right, Eric, when it comes to the Lions,
this was a team that I think candidly a lot
of people thought were going to be pretty good this year.
They've been sort of like the darlings of the NFL.
Now all of a sudden, they're going to have the
same situation happened to them that the Eagles did a
few years The only difference was that Philly team got
to the Super Bowl. They're likely going to lose their
(15:02):
coordinators here, right, I mean Ben Johnson already talking about
him a lot of reports accepting that job with the
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
How difficult will it be for them to.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Get back to this point and then get over the hump,
play for a championship, then play for a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, you make an excellent point drawing the comparison to
the Eagles a couple of years ago when they had
a monster of a team and then they nearly took
down the Chiefs and the Super Bowl and then had
to replace both their their talented coordinators getting head coaching jobs.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
So that very well could be the case.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Obviously, Ben Johnson going in the division, having all the
house secrets and having Caleb Williams, We'll see what can
happen there. But you know, the core of this Lions
team is expected to be back, including a lot of
those defensive players, Aiden Hutchinson, the guys in the secondary,
other members of the defensive front. They're all coming back.
You know, players like Jamison Williams still should be very
much in the peak of their career, you know, Jamiir Gibbs,
(15:54):
Sam Laporta, etc.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
So the parts are still there.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
But as we know, the wrong coordinator hire, you know,
you know, hiring somebody or elevating that position prematurely or
not have a big vision for what they want to do,
not having their own identity, trying to be too much
like the last guy. There are so many trapdoors for
these coaches who get elevated to these positions that you know,
it could obviously erase an entire season. So, like you said,
(16:17):
there's no guarantee that this Lions team healthy in the
off season. Maybe Avin Addings the pieces is going to
be back at the same place. So Dan Campbell has
said it the last couple of years when they've lost
in the playoffs, you know, we're probably never going.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
To live this down.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
And you don't know how big these opportunities are until
they're gone. So you know, I know I'm paraphrasing there,
but I think Campbell kind of touched on something the
Lions fans feel, which is, I'd like to think we're
going to be here for a while, but you never
actually know how it's going to play out.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I heard some of his comments after the game at
the podium. Dude was devastating.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
You could hear it in his voice, you see it
in his face. Coordinators are side.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I'll say this.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Aiden Hutchinson, before the injury, could have made an argument
was on pace to be the defensive player of the Year.
I don't know what he is coming off the injury
next season, but if there's one one focal point roster
wise this offseason, Eric, what do you think helps this team.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
I think adding obviously, you know, as a reaction to
what happened this year where they just had waves of
injuries on defense, and having just another layer of depth.
Plus you know, all those other guys who didn't play
a lot this year, like Nnis Rakestraw going to have
another year of experience. So I think just sort of
adding and bolstering each layer of the defense. Guys like
Alexanzeloni are terrific players, but they've been injured a lot
(17:29):
of their careers, so you know, those are the kind
of guys.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Even with Derek.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Barnes and whatnot coming back, you still have to buttress
that with some depth and then offensively too, you know,
o line depth, adding more receiving threats, and you know,
deciding whether you have Henon.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Hooker as your quarterback of the future.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Obviously, we saw Teddy Bridgewater come into the game when
the when goff left the playoff game against the Commanders,
So you know, does Hooker still tracked towards being Golf's
successor one day or at least his backup. You know,
those are questions to Brad Holmes and his staff have
to answer.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Okay, I guess we'll start with that same question then
of the Baltimore Ravens, because I feel like I'm beating
a dead horse.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I really did think they had the.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Best roster in the NFL, so dominant, thought they would
get back to a championship game. We were going to
be looking at them in Kansas City, and I thought
because of Derek Henry, they'd get over the top here.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
This roster was terrific.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
They were dominant, They figured out their defensive issues, turnovers
obviously a huge issue in this loss. But with plan
A now in this offseason for this team.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Yeah, it's a good question, right, especially after sort of
going away from Derrick Henry in the fourth quarter only
those two back to back carries. You know, they came
up short on the first down there. I mean, I
thought they might go to him a little bit more.
Is he's still going to have the same sort of
workload next year that he did this year or did
they want to help him out? Obviously Justice Hill's still there.
You know, they like some of their other young backs.
They're developing too. But I would have to imagine offensive line.
(18:54):
Ronnie Stanley's a free agent, Patrick McCarry, you know, other
guys that you know could have options. You know, build
around Lindarbaum and that center and try to go outward,
find some tackle solutions on defense, get more edge pressure,
you know, obviously keep adding to the secondary as well.
So yeah, I would say more depth on both trenches
(19:14):
has to be an issue. And you know, Justin Tucker
was not a problem down the stretch, but during the
year there were stretches when he was not the Justin
Tucker we've come to know. So may there be a
kicking competition too. I wouldn't be shocked if they brought
another leg, a young guy, and you know, see if
that's going to be a problem next year or not.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Meanwhile, the Rams at seven, damn man, they were right there,
had an opportunity. I thought, coming off that Lea Saque touchdown,
it's a wrap game over and they still have a
chance in the snow and now with a sudden I
look to next season.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
There's questions about Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I remember being around this team in August and Stafford's
contract was an issue.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
They worked it out. He was in camp and was all,
well and good.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
This team is too good in terms of a young
roster not to bring him back and figure that out.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Right.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, I mean a couple years ago, Hey, we were
talking about maybe Sean McVay retiring, Aaron Donald, you retiring
a year before he ended up hanging.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Up the cleats.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
So you know, I'm not saying that Stafford's sort of
milking the moment or you know, anything like that. I
think he probably needs a little reflection, But his comments
after the game seemed to suggest he had some football
left in him, and I think the Rams, you know,
certainly would accommodate him being back, and the trigger man
in this offense at times looked very very good. Turn
on the Buffalo tape, you can see them at their
very best, I think, But you know, those two fourth
(20:30):
quarter turnovers were obviously killers. And you know Kyron Williams
so reliable this season as both a runner, you know,
receiver pass protector for that matter. Putting along on the turf,
you could see his look on his face. Same thing
with Stafford after his So you know, those were big plays.
I mean, the safety helped kind of change momentum a
little bit and get him back in the game. And
that pass rush was ferocious in both playoff games.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
But so there's a lot to like about him.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I think adding to that secondary is going to be
a key offseason priority and finding run stuffers. You can't
let guys like Saquon Barkley continue to gash you over
because the best teams, I think are starting to realize
the run game is cycling back into the NFL for
a reason against these these lighter fronts and.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
These nickel packages.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
So that's got to be something that Kris Shule and
the Rams have to figure out this offseason. But the
Stafford question obviously the one that hangs over everything.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, and that team, by the way, has done a
tremendous job the last two years in the draft. You
look at their first and second er players and the
massive contributions that they're making. So I think if you're
a Rams fan, you get Stafford back, you feel good
about the draft. You'll find some gems because there's now
a track record of doing so, and you got to
feel cautiously optimistic that this team could be right back
in the mix this upcoming season. The Houston Texans, speaking
(21:42):
of the draft two years ago, you're going really like,
this is this is this is a squad that now,
heading into this current season that we're in, you felt
like could make a run to a Super Bowl. I
mean that's what the hype was around CJ. Stroud And
they didn't play great football during the course of the year.
I thought they played well late, especially from what we've
seen in this postseason, Like, what is this team? Are
(22:03):
they a team that next year, bringing back most of
their roster you feel good about can get back to
this point and maybe learn some of these learn something
from some of these tough losses, or there's got to
be some changes in terms of personnel, and maybe it's
a depth question that will potentially carry them and put
them over the top.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Yeah, I think it's a fair question.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I mean, they were, like you said, they were levy
with such big expectations after you know, their playoff run
and their season last year, and I think we may
have kind of overgraduated them early in the year.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
I was a little hesitant.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I did bump them up into my top five earlier
this season, mostly because there wasn't really much a clarity
up top, So I think I also kind of pushed
them ahead of where they deserve to be this year.
But you're right too, they did seem to kind of
turn the corner there when I don't know if all
hope was lost, but externally, a lot of people had
their doubts about.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
This team, but Dimico Ryans has done a great job.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
C J.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
Stroud went through his share of struggles. I was tough
on them.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Other people were too, Bobby Sloweck, you know, heard plenty
from the radio guys and whatnot. But I think by
the end of the season you at least saw the
arrow pointing back upward, and they played as well as
they probably could have, you know, miskicks and a few
other penalties aside. But yeah, I'd like to obviously see
them find some solutions at receiver and Ego Collins is great,
John Metchi might be a nice complimentary part. But one
(23:19):
more guy and I'm not sure it's Stefan Diggs with
him heading to free agency. But for years we've been
talking about the offensive line. That unit has to come
together a little bit better defensively. Still, I think a
few pieces short of being that top ten unit, or
at least the borderline top ten unit, that you probably
need to take that extra step.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
So there's still a lot of promising developments.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
I'm not giving up on Stroud, and I think the
future is mostly bright for them, you know, even while
admitting that they still have room to improve.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
No doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
This is a Houston squad once again that figured out
a way to flip the switch.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I thought late that concerns me. I like the teams
that are just killers no matter what the situation.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
And maybe I just pointed maybe the answer is as
simple as hey, they were banged up, had some significant
injuries during the year, and maybe it solves itself. But
can't wait to see what this offense looks like next
season as well, because I do think a lot of
us and it's probably too early to get your top
ten for next year, but I got to imagine, you know,
as the off season shakes out, you're still probably going
(24:18):
to have them sitting pretty close to the eighth position,
which is where they are right now.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Eric, you're the best man. Always good to work with you.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Next week a special edition of NFL Power Rankings. It's
a road show kind of both of us will both
be on the roads East West s ran.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Bold Senior Bowl for you.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
We will do the show, take it through championship. We
can get complete reaction and preview the Super Bowl. Looking
forward to it. Eric Safe Travels will do it again
next week.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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