December 19, 2025 • 40 mins
NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, along with Omar Ruiz, break down the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Seahawks and Rams. Stacey Dales reports on the Packers Bears matchup, Sara Walsh reports on the Buccaneers Panthers, and Omar Ruiz reports on the 49ers Colts. Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader joins the show ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Steelers and discusses his Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination. Adam Rank delivers his Fantasy Godfather segment for Week 16.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Seahawks coach Mike McDonald wanted to re establish home field advantage.
What better way to do this do that than to
be the NFC's number one seed. That's what the Seahawks
are right now. We'll they take a look back to
last night and Ford as to whether they could.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Lock that up down the stretch. Here. DJ Reider, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The big fellow joining the big show tonight, the Lions
defensive tackle on the Insiders to talk about being the
Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for the team,
and we'll talk to him about some Lions football as
well and the battle for the NFC North. And yes,
it was a battle a couple of weeks ago, could
be a battle again tomorrow. Stacy Dall's along to give
(00:38):
us her breakdown of this big NFC North matchup that
could maybe wind up determining the division winner. Welcome inside,
because it's cold outside there at Lambeau. Welcome inside where
it's nice and warm with me, Ian Rappaport, I'm sorry
with him, I in rapport me. Mike Carrafall I know
whoy and he knows who he is. We've got a
lot of news that we've got to get to regarding today,
tomorrow day, Monday, and how about last night in the
(01:02):
NFL Thursday Night Football?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Was this the game of the year.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We said that coming in and we may be saying
it coming out of it as well, because what a
thriller between the possible MVP and a guy that's trying
to lock down the number one seeds incomplete pass there right,
how about Zach Sharvin, I just picked up the ball.
After further review, this one ruled a backward pass, a
lateral that can be recovered, unlike a fumble. Zach word
(01:26):
pass Ian tried to name the play because he thought
that that was important.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Most people told him to shove it, but one guy
gave him a.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Good suggested the Zach word pass tie game. We are
headed two overtime where the rams under the old system
and then the one after.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That would have won the game.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Right here, Poka Nakua, what a week he's had, What
a game he had though last night more undred twenty
five yards. His previous high of one to eighty one shattered.
But again, these are the new rules. This Seahawks get
a chance, j said. The other unbelievable receiver in this game,
touchdown and Yeah, three thirteen left, probably not gonna.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Get a stop and then a score.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So what do you do?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
You go for two in the win?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right here the late release for the two point conversion.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
What a great call, What a great execution.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You what a great crowd, everybody thrilled that the Seahawks
now are in the driver's seat for the number one
seed in the NFC. This what a breakdown we're going
to have here on the inside is presented by progressive
Ian Rappaport here Omar Ruiz joining us as well, because
we just need as many smart people as we possibly
can find to talk.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
About this one.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
What a game, Ian, you came into this talking about
Sam Darnold and what you wanted to see from him.
A lot of people say, you want to see a
big performance at a big game. Did that one qualify?
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, I would say it certainly. It did.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
End. Look, there's a lot of question about Sam Donald,
a lot of questions about his play, especially in prime time.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And it's not just with the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
It's not just when he played the Rams last time,
I had four interceptions. It really didn't look like himself.
It's not just the all that it's going back to
the seeing ghosts from several years ago in prime terim
on the Jets. It's going back to when he played
for the Minnesota Vikings, the struggles he had in the playoffs.
It's the demons that he exercised here. And look, there's
(03:12):
a long way to go for the Seahawks, certainly, Omar,
this is a team that can play for everything. But
the fact that Sam Donald showed all of us that
he can ball when it matters absolutely the most, is
an excellent, excellent thing for Seattle.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
It was huge.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
And your thoughts on Stafford, Yeah, well.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
This is going on Sam Donald here to follow the
he had said. It was huge for that locker room.
I think to see what Sam Darnald is capable of.
You mentioned the struggles in years past. You mentioned the
struggles in Week eleven against the Rams at Sofi Stadium
where he threw four interceptions, and then after the game,
linebacker Ernest Jones emphatically and passionately defends Sam Darnald, and
(03:52):
so Sam Donald throws two interceptions early in this game,
for him to bounce back to tie this game in regulation,
and then to bounce back in overtime after down a
touchdown to tie it and then eventually win the game.
I think will go a long ways for solidifying their
belief in him. It's one thing to believe in him,
it's another for him to show that he can do it.
(04:14):
And not only did he do it last night, he
did it on Sunday when Philip Rivers and the Colts
came into Seattle. The offense for the Seahawks didn't score
any touchdowns in that game. They gave up a go
ahead field goal with less than a minute to play,
and Sam Donald marches them down with forty somethings seconds
to play to set.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Up their own game winning field goal.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
So Sam Darnald performing in the clutch, rebounding from poor
performances in those games, I think we'll go a long
ways for their postseason chances going forward.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
No, we talked about the Seahawks as a sort of
complimentary team, a team that could do it all, But
the reality is when you look at the way they've
run the ball, they have they have struggled a little bit.
I mean, surely one of the least efficient running teams
this season. I know Kenneth Walker, a lot of people
thought would be a starting back, A Bell cow hadn't
that a the one hundred yard games since September certainly
(05:03):
had one last night, A big play, fifty plus yard touchdown.
If they are going to run the ball like this,
and if he is going to run the ball like
this and be the dependable back that he has been,
first of all, it's gonna make him very rich. He's
going into free agency. These are the games that everybody
is watching. It makes them like unbelievably dangerous. A lot
of good signs for Seattle last night.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Now, seeaw's got to close this out if they want
to make sure everybody has to come through loom And
Field where it was a tough environment for the Rams,
where it's been a tough environment for a lot of
teams over the years, and finally back to us re
establishing that home field Advantagejo Martin't go far. We're coming
back to you shortly. Meanwhile, I mentioned Poka Nicola. I
said what a great game he had. I said what
a week he had. Part of it was the comments
(05:44):
that he made an officiating that drew him a twenty
five thousand dollars fine from the league, according to a
source today telling me this was for his comments on
the stream. He did have a tweet last night that
he put out regarding to you see I'm writing, and
he deleted that. As far as I understand, this was
for his comments previously saying that officials are like lawyers
(06:06):
and they sometimes make calls because they want to get
on TV. Here is Sean McVeigh on Pokakua and the
week that he had.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
He is a young guy that is continuing to learn
the importance of this platform.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Like I said, I love him, I love his heart.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
What I want to continue to educate him on is, Hey,
there's platforms that he's got, you know, an incredible influence
on There's a time to be able to have people.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
To vent to. That is not the space to do that.
He knows that, and I feel.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
Very confident that that will not be an issue for
us moving forward. He does care a lot, and there's
other places to be able to get some of that
frustration out, whether that's sharing it with me teammates in
settings that are more controlled, where things don't become you know,
an unnecessary conversation where we don't have to answer those questions.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And that's not something that he wants to do.
Speaker 6 (06:56):
I do know that, and I'm very, very confident that
we'll be headed in into that these will not be
issues moving forward, because I'm betting on the human being.
I'm gonna put my arm around him, and the narrative
doesn't change from yesterday in regards to we're always going
to be able to learn. And I think he's the, uh,
you know, a great example of being able to learn
from it.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
And I think you guys are going to see that
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, And I think it's a learning experience.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Who you're going on streams with, who you're allowing to
set you up and put you in bad situations. I
didn't see an apology from yet the young fellow there
who tried to explain it. I don't even remember his name.
I must say his name, but I thought that was
poor form by him. But your thoughts on Pooka is weak,
and this fine here.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
I think there was a lot of lessons to be learned.
I don't know if Aiden Ross learned any lessons, which
is fine.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
He is what he is.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Pooka Nakua, though, for sure, has learned some lessons. And really,
what Pooka did was go from someone who we all
thought was just kind of a soft spoken, nice guy,
unbelievably productive, one of the best receivers in the NFL
to someone.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Who now has the spotlight on him. And that's really
what happened.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
And you know, Pooka is going to have the spotlight
on him throughout the playoffs, certainly in the offseason when
he's up for an extension, which will make him one
of the highest paid, if not the highest paid receiver
in the NFL. But it's now all the other stuff.
And yes, he did apologize and that was good, but
he also tweeted right after the game about the refs
the same thing that he's sort of similar comments what
(08:17):
he apologize for.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Eyes are going to be on him. The spotlight is
going to be on him.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
His near future has changed dramatically and he now faced
the situation where he has to live up to it
omar and change his behavior, and we will see where
he goes from here.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
I think this is a perfect time for the Rams
to get one of these mini buys. Coming off the
Thursday night game, We're not going to see them again
until week seventeen on Monday Night Football, so an opportunity
for Sean mcvah to get with pukinakuah, rain him in
and do all the things that Sean McVay alluded to
in his press conference. I had multiple conversations with several
Rams players last week about pukin'akua, about how he has
(08:54):
this ability to go from fun, loving, happy guy to
what one player described to me as a maniac on
the field. His ability to compartmentalize is something that not
many people have ever been able to accomplish the way
Puka Nakua has. And we saw that all the distractions
from last week, he still was able to tune it
out and turn up for two hundred and twenty five
yards those touchdowns, the game breaking play in overtime. So
(09:18):
they believe that he will be able to play down
the stretch the way that he's always been able to.
And I had a conversation with Sean mcvagh on Sunday
after the game talking about how this Rams team, he
told me, has a great ability to be so mentally
tough and disciplined to play from one play to the next,
in other words, not let a mistake, not let an
opponent's big play snowball against them. And I think that
(09:40):
capability for this Rams team will show up week to week.
Not let any of these distractions, any of these conversations
from this week sixteen go in to week seventeen. I
think they'll be able to put that behind them and
focus on a postseason run.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Here oh Marshall McVeigh talking about next week's game against
the Falcons, saying Devonte.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Adams most likely will not play in that game.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That long layoff the hamstring injury that he suffered expected
to knock him out for a second straight game as
the Rams try to claw their way back into the
lead in the NFC West and potentially the number one seed.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
We'll see about that elsewhere around the league.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
We've got other injury news, including TJ Watt with that
lung issue that JJ said was due to dry needling,
going to miss a second straight game, this one against
the Lions as the Steelers try to fend off the
Ravens in the AFC North. So I'm going to make
this one a little bit tougher Ian for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So that was bad news. This is good news.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Drake London for the Atlanta Falcons is expected back in
the field. I know the Falcons would have a lot
to play for as far as the playoffs go, they
got a lot to play for.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
As far as the futures in the organization. Drake London
has missed the last several games with a PCL sprain,
one of the trickier injuries makes it hard to de
sl He is now back. This is good news and also,
by the way, if you have him in fantasy, it's
double good news. My team is dead, so it doesn't
matter to me.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
The Buffalo Bills are expected to get in other addition,
this time to the edges of their defense. Sources tell
The Insiders that Matthew Judan, the former Dolphins veteran former
Patriots pass rusher, going to continue his tour of the
AFC East. He visited today, took a physical mind understanding.
He's expected to sign with the Bills practice squad tomorrow.
(11:19):
We'll see if he can make an impact down the stretch.
But at the very very least some important depth for Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Mike, you called him a pass rusher.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Noticed no sacks there in that high He doesn't have
any sacks this year, but maybe going up to Buffalo
changed things for him.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Meanwhile, Jacob, I'm.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Just saying I staving a positive spin.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Speaking of positive Spins.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
How about Jakobe Myers three year sixty million dollar extension.
Was looking for this from the Raiders, didn't get it
from the Raiders, got traded to the Jaguars, and now
all of a sudden, playing well in Jackson Million, Jacksonville says, hey,
we're going to lock you up right now, three year,
sixty million, forty million guaranteed. According to Ian and Tom Pelisero,
time now for good coverage presented by Progressive Insurance. The
(11:57):
Bears head in the Week sixteen leading in the NFL
with thirty takeaways in a league best plus twenty turnover differential.
The last time Chicago led the NFL and turnover differential
was nineteen eighty five. You remember that year, You remember
that team, You remember them winning the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Pretty good team.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
As for this year's team, here's what they can do
to get in the playoffs where they win in a
Detroit loss, they are in. For the Green Bay Packers,
it is the exact same thing. A playoff berth where
they win and a Detroit los Stacy Dall's coming on
in here. She knows all about these two teams in
(12:38):
the whole NFC North Stace Jordan Love playing some incredible
football right now, and one of the Bears on the
other side having to defend him. Think about what he's
been doing.
Speaker 7 (12:48):
Well, he's playing really good football. You know, you're exactly right, Mike.
I asked Ben Johnson this week about him, and he
said that this offense, this Green Bay offense, is hot
right now. Let's put in perspective Jordan Love against the
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 8 (13:00):
He's four and one, the.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
One loss coming in Week eighteen last season. Remember he
was injured in that game. He didn't finish that football game.
Speaker 8 (13:08):
And it's the.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Explosive plays that the Bears are super concerned with. He
had those three passing touchdowns in a one to twenty
one passer rating in Week fourteen against these guys. Ben
Johnson simply didn't want to give him the ball back.
That's why the Bears went for an on fourth and won.
And we're not successful closing out that game. But Jordan
Love playing with such precision and efficiency right now. And
(13:30):
Ben Johnson, you know, answering the question I asked him
about what stands out with Jordan Love.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
He's just so good at drifting away from pressure.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
He's difficult to get to.
Speaker 7 (13:38):
He said, and he's really just floating the ball out
there for their speedsters. We're going to see if Christian Watson,
of course plays in this football game, Mike. But they've
got to shut down the big plays the Chicago Bears,
and they have been good in terms of takeaways, by
the way, their offense tyer second in the league with
points off of those takeaways. So Green Bay is going
to have to protect the ball Saturday.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
They are, and the Bear's gonna have to protect the
ball as well. Let's talk about this Bears running game,
because the last time they played in chili conditions that
I saw them was in Philadelphia on Black Friday. They
ran the ball extremely well. Talk about this Bears running
game and how that might be a factor.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Of Mark Well.
Speaker 7 (14:15):
Matt Lafleur called it a catalyst for them. You've seen
it up first close and personal, Mike. I have as well,
and it's a two headed monster with DeAndre Swift and
Kleman Unguy. But as Matt Lafleur described, this second rank
rushing attack that averages one point fifty two as you
see right there on your screen, they are just so
physical upfront. They really get to the second level with
(14:37):
that offensive line. They are moving people, they're getting off
the football. And in speaking with Rashan Gary, the word
he said to me three times about this bears rushing attack. Consistent, consistent, consistent.
It has really become their bread and butter. And he said,
what they do a really good job of. Gary told
me is they make certain personnels look the same as
(14:58):
other personnels in terms of the groupings and the scheme.
And so when you're showing things that look the same
but you're doing something else, it affects the defense. It
also allows the play action to get going. With Caleb Williams,
and we know how good his legs are. Mike Jeff
Hafley went on a long winded rant about how hard
it is to defend Caleb Williams at the quarterback position.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
He talked about his strength.
Speaker 7 (15:21):
I've spoken to players about his contact balance in the pocket.
You can't just run full speed, Halfly said and launch
at him. You have to be sure tacklers in the
open field because he makes this running game extra dynamic.
Speaker 8 (15:34):
But we're in Mike, we're in.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Store for Lake.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Is this the best game of the week on Saturday?
Come on, well, I said, We're off to a really
good start we saw last night.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
If we get a contender on Saturday night, man, we're
in for the best the weekend in the.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
NFL this season stays, I'll say that.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And frankly, the temperature is going to be above freezing
when this one kicks off there. I know it's still cold,
but like you got to sign up for that at
the end, you deserve that.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I mean, you know, it's like a tropical vacation based
on some of the games that you've covered recently.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Appreciate you looking forward to all your covers leading up
to this game here on NFL Network Wrap.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Apart so offensive to the Bucks Panthers game, this is
the number one game of the weekend. It's all at stake,
I mean the NFC South, seriously, Bucks Panthers. With the
Panthers being good again and the Bucks kind of where
they are this I cannot wait for this one. And
I'm very thankful that our good friend Sarah Walsh is
going to be in Charlotte for this game. Sarah, thank
(16:33):
you very much for joining us on the Insiders. I
hope you listen to that slander in the previous segment there.
How big is this game for the entire world, but
specifically the NFC South.
Speaker 8 (16:45):
Well, first of all, I thank you for defending this game.
Speaker 9 (16:48):
I mean, not that I needed someone to defend it,
but I appreciate your take there because Stacey and Mike
g just way.
Speaker 8 (16:55):
Off record earlier.
Speaker 9 (16:56):
But the records of this game specifically, they are identical.
But the juxtaposition of how these two teams arrived here
and what it's going to look like in Charlotte, it's
really interesting because both of them are coming off stinging
losses last week that had either team won, it would
have really given them a leg up. But you've got
the Panthers coach Dave Canalis, who is just such an
eternal optimist, and a Panthers team led by Bryce Young
(17:19):
who has more wins this year than he had in
his first two years. Come by now, Carolina has not
dropped back to back.
Speaker 8 (17:26):
Games since Week one and Week two.
Speaker 9 (17:28):
You look at the Bucks and the frustration that was
on their faces from last week's loss and the fact
that Todd Bowles had that explicit felled rant after the game. Well,
Sterling Shepard was asked about that this week in Lucker Room,
and he just called it necessary. He said, sometimes you
have to raise the tone, turn up the pressure. That
is what the Bucks are clearly going to be feeling.
(17:48):
And you know, anytime there's a slide the Bucks have
dropped five of six, there's going to be questions about
the coach. And Baker was asked about that this week
in Todd Bules. He said, don't blame Todd, blame me.
He said, it's on me. We should score more than
twenty eight points a game. As for the Panthers, mentioned
they hadn't drop back to back games beginning of this year.
Canalis said that they just have to learn how to
(18:09):
handle success. They've been really good at responding to adversity.
And I spoke with him earlier today and I asked
him about that handling a success and he said he's
got the guys to understand they can beat anyone in
the league when they're playing really well, they can also
lose to anybody in the league. And that alone should
have them playing at a certain level consistently. And it's
(18:29):
been tough to get that understanding across. So that's something
that Canals and these Panthers are still working at.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah, as you're a growing team and trying to figure
out how to take your place among the upper AshEL
and these are things you got to figure out. Meanwhile,
we are also going to see you mentioned Baker obviously,
great leader, great quarterback, and we've seen plenty from the
Carolina Panthers version Bryce Young. We're going to see two stellar,
stellar young receivers, two of the best young weapons we've
(18:55):
seen in some time. Take me through this matchup of
some of the top PAS catchers on Sunday.
Speaker 9 (19:01):
Yeah, you know, so much has made about Mike Evans,
rightfully so. And a week ago when he came off
that broke in Colorbon he had one hundred and thirty
two yards in his first game back, and he always
garners all the attention.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
But this really is a matchup of two of the top.
Speaker 9 (19:14):
Emerging young receivers in this league and first round picks
a Mecca Buka and Ted Roha McMullen. When you look
at these numbers, they are almost identical. Those six receiving
touchdowns they both had. One of those guys leads all
rookie receivers and yards. The other guy leads all rookie
receivers and receptions. Really cool stat Ben McWilliams found for
us in research shape. It's just the second season in
(19:36):
NFL history that multiple rookie first round receivers have more
than eight hundred receiving yards and six touchdowns through fifteen weeks.
The other instance it happened and involved two guys from
these two teams, it would be twenty fourteen Mike Elp
Evans and Caroline is Kelvin Benjamin and then you can
also throw in another guy that was doing it that year,
and that was Odell Beckham junior, all in their rookie season.
(19:56):
So it's been a long time since we've seen two
guys do that. Now they're going to go both be
going at it on Sunday. McMillan is a guy that
started so strong, and Bryce sid He especially is going
to continue to be special. But Jalen Coker's gotten it
going for the Panthers lately, and Dave Canal has told
me today that Cocer reminds him a lot of Chris Godwin. Again,
I say all of this ian to say the focus
(20:18):
will likely be on Mike Evans, though when all is
said and done here corner Mike Jackson said, you can't
get caught up in Evan's stats. The big name said
when he goes out there, he's just thirteen. But I
think everyone understands Ian he's not just thirteen. He's number
one on this Bucks team and a guy that is
bound for Campton when all is said and done, and
they are so happy to have him back right now.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Oh, did you mention hall of Fames? Well, that's certainly interesting.
So in the business we call out a setop. This
is my segue. Congratulations our good friend Sarah Wallas to
the un F Hall of Fame for your exploits in
the women's soccer world.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
That's a great picture. Congratulations to you.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
We spent so much time talking about our good friend
Stacy Dale's getting into her halls of fame. You get
your shine as well. Congratulations. Would you like to thank
maybe the little people who helped you in this journey.
Speaker 9 (21:11):
First of all, I had no idea you guys were
doing that, so I did not mean to see you.
It looks like I sort of threw up my own
segue there and it makes me look bad. And yeah,
the only thing I would say is I am just
always trying to keep up with Stacy Dale's and that
is also a losing battle.
Speaker 8 (21:25):
So you know what, you do what you can. But yeah,
it's very nice of a University of North Florida. My
ospreys swoop.
Speaker 9 (21:31):
They did, by the way, they did ask me about
going to this induction ceremony. And it's going to be
in the middle of the playoffs, and U and F
is in Jacksonville, and I said, you guys better keep
your fingers crossed at the Jaguars are hosting a playoff
game in late January, because that's what would get me there.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Not impossible, a lot of good football left to decide
whether or not you get to go to your own
Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Sarah, thank you very much,
great stuff as always, looking forward to talking to you
very soon. Looking forward to seeing what this guy as
in store for us for his encore. Philip Rivers one
of the biggest stories in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
What does he have for us?
Speaker 4 (22:07):
On Monday Night, We're gonna get into it with our
friend Omar Ruiz coming up next on The Insiders.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Got to hear Steve Rabeles call for Seahawks radio. He
was like, touchdown two point of, I don't care whatever
it is. The Seahawks win. It was great and the
Seahawks are now in the number one seed in the NFC.
I was messing with some stuff today to see how
I could get the forty nine ers up there. If
the forty Niners win their next two games and Seattle
loses the Carolina in Carolina, which is not crazy because
(22:35):
they beat the Rams, the Niners could be up into
the one seed.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And we're talking Niners right now.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
How about that Omar in that convenient So yes, how
important is this game for the Niners Monday?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Now?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Philip Rivers played his first game already against the Seahawks.
But now it's a home game. Now it's Monday night
football juice crowd gonna be a different environment.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Well, you mentioned the forty nine ers.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
They have that number one seed in their site, Smike,
and I think they have the number one seed in
their grass and control their destiny. Now with that Seahawks
win over the Rams, if they close out with three
straight wins, including a Week eighteen finale against Seattle, they'd
be the number one seed. And the forty nine Ers
are very aware of the talking in years past with
(23:16):
George Kittle and Kyle Yuschek, guys who have been there,
the whole Kyle Shanahan era. They are very aware that
like in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty three, when they
have been the number one seed, they've gone to the
super Bowl. So last night Kendrick Bourne was telling me
that the guys in the locker room we're talking about
where we watching the game the rams Seahawks was very
important for them and it broke their way. Defensive coordinator
(23:38):
Robert Saala saying today that it's okay to have that
carrot dangling in front of them as long as they
have the focus to rain back in on what's in
front of them, and that right now is the Indianapolis
Colts on Monday night, and speaking with Bourne, he feels
that this team's football is the best is still in
front of them. Brock Purty obviously they've won four since
(24:00):
he returned, but he can still elevate as they continue
down the stretch here, someone like Bourne, who's hardly played
with Brock Prudy, can still develop that chemistry. So they
feel that they can take it to another level as
they head into the postseason and their best football still
in front of the.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mike Omar I've had this conversation with people around the
league and some of them are saying I'm nuts. But
to me, Kyle Shadahan right now is the coach of
the year. Now, we got a couple of games to
play it out to see how it goes. We shall
see all right to the AFC we go. Stay with us, Omar,
because you're covering this game at forty nine ers Colts.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You see where the Colts are right there.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Got to go on a bit of a run here
and again I feel bad because somebody's gonna miss the
playoffs frankly at both conferences with a good record.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
But there you see it right there.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So the Colts their playoff chances being in front of
them with Philip Rivers, they took the chance. You'll want
to see it payoff, particularly if you're somebody who lives
in Indianapolis and roots for the Colts.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So what's your sense of where they are right now?
Speaker 5 (24:54):
Yeah, the Colts looking forward to this game, the electric
atmosphere you mentioned Monday night football, Philhlip Rivers playing at
home for the first time in this miraculous comeback. The
Colts saying that they are inspired, they are motivated, just
getting all that extra juice from Philip Rivers in his return,
Rivers saying that he wasn't as sore as he thought
he would be on Monday when he woke up after
(25:16):
that game in Seattle. He's looking forward to a better
performance both head coach Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim
bob Cooter saying the fact that they didn't push the
ball down the field against the Seahawks was not an
indication that Philip Rivers couldn't do it. It was just part
of the game plan. So look for them to possibly
stretch the field more against the forty nine ers and
look to play their way into the playoffs by winning
(25:39):
some of these last three games here to close out
this season.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Mike I talked earlier in the show about playing in
Lumenfield and when you're the offense, you got to deal
with the noise. You're playing your first game in five years,
like you just want to sort of keep it simple
if you can, maybe rely on your defense in your
running game. But yeah, I do expect in this one
they're going to open it up a lot more at
home again with that energy on their side. Omar Safe
travels to that game and I'm looking forward to your
(26:02):
reporting there.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Ian well, it's cool the teams have something to play for.
My fantasy team doesn't welcome inside Fantasy Insiders and Adam Rank. Sorry,
so welcome inside to Fantasy Live. We're the insiders.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Adam Rank. My fantasy team is terrible. It sucks. I'm
really upset about it.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I actually blame my players to be totally honest rather
than show me. But for those people who have something
to play for, here's what I want you to do.
I want to talk about an injury situation. What I
want you to do is tell us how to manage it.
And now we'll start off with probably the biggest Patrick
Mahomes is out for this season.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
How does one navigate this situation?
Speaker 10 (26:44):
This is really tough because all your available options like
Jacoby Brissett.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Likely gone.
Speaker 10 (26:49):
But one player I really like is JJ McCarthy, who
is going up against the New York Giants this week.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Now.
Speaker 10 (26:54):
JJ McCarthy has scored at least twenty Fantasy points in
back to back games, and he's going up against a
Giants team that has allowed four rushing touchdowns of quarterbacks
this season. I don't know if he's going to be
allowed to gritty into the end zone, but They've also
allowed the second most fantasy points per game two quarterbacks
this year.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So if you had Patrick Mahomes, you're scrambling for.
Speaker 10 (27:15):
A quarterback right now, I would recommend you go out
there and pick up JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
All right, how about this one? The Bears are going
to be that two key receivers Roma Dunze Luther Burden.
How are we dealing with that? Well?
Speaker 10 (27:27):
I mean, obviously DJ Moore would be the ideal situation,
but he's probably long gone. But in terms of pass catchers,
I love Colston Lovelin. Over the last couple of weeks,
he's really come on and he has had at least
five targets in four consecutive games, and the Packers have
allowed eight touchdown passes in the last three weeks, which
is tight for the most Into the NFL, there's going
(27:49):
to be a lot of opportunities. We see the way
they use the play action, so Colston Lovelin could be
a huge option. But if you're playing in a DFS,
you're playing in an extremely de league. Today, Walker or
Jday Jordan is a guy that's keep an eye on.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I will keep an eye on that one.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
How about this one, Josh Jacobs questionable stell knee ankle.
Speaker 10 (28:11):
What's your deal their rank? Well, you got to make
sure you just go out and get the backup. You
want to go out there and get Emmanuel Wilson, who
has shown that when he's given the opportunity to go
out there and play in replacement of Josh Jacobs, that
he can go out there and do pretty well. But
we saw last week Josh Jacobs was able to fight
through an injury, not only run the ball effectively head
one of the.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Best catches so far this season.
Speaker 10 (28:33):
So just make sure Emmanuel Wilson is on your lineup
or in your roster.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
If you've got Josh Jacobs, good warm up act. We
will see you later. Don't go anywhere, stay in that
seat right there. We're coming back to you on the Insiders.
One of the most prestigious honors there is in the
NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. The club winner
for the Detroit Lions is DJ Reider, a stud on
the field and a stud off the field, which we
(29:00):
are going to learn about right now. Welcome inside with
the Insiders, DJ Reader joining me Ian.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Rapaport and Mike Garyffolo. DJ thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We want to tell the people a little bit about
what you have done to earn your second Club Winner nomination.
A Sun Never Forgets Foundation is yours to support health
and wellness to communities that need the help. You offer
free health screenings and six public reading rooms in North
Carolina and in Cincinnati, where you played before joining Detroit.
(29:30):
You're also a supporter for the National Kidney Foundation. And
I guess my question DJ for you is this, Obviously
on the field, you are a beast. How have you
managed all that you do, all what you do on
the field with all of the what you do off
the field as well?
Speaker 11 (29:48):
Thank you all for having me. But I'll probably say
just my parents when I was younger, my parents are
really honored about getting service done. My mom worked at
American Express for thirty eight years, so she was there
from the time I was little until obviously she just
retired a couple.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Of years ago.
Speaker 11 (30:05):
And I remember the most impactful thing they always did
was they always had like.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
A community day.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
And my dad was a teacher.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
My brother is a teacher, so we've always just done
work and it's always been education base. And then a
lot of dudes, like the kids So first couple of
years we did a lot of stuff with the National
Kidney Foundation after my father passed them for kidney failure.
But then these last couple of years we've really partnered
with some group, started the resource rooms. We give our
(30:34):
scholarships as you can see in that photo back home
during our annual gala. We do every year a Toasted
Education gala. But it's just always been about the work.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Man.
Speaker 11 (30:46):
My dad used to say, a son never forgets to
me when I was a kid, and he didn't just
mean to be his They meant just genuinely to be
a son of the community that you were involved with,
people who supported you all the work that you've put
in and people that put in work with you. Make
sure you pay it back and you know, make sure
you do a good job of sending the community in
(31:07):
a better place than which you founded. So I've always
tried to do that.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
That's great, man.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
You're from North Carolina, you're drafted by the Texans. You
go to Cincinnati, you go to Detroit, you do the
community work all I mean, how do you arrange it?
You get to Detroit and it's like, okay, now we
got to set it up here how do you get
it up and running that quickly, knowing that you've had
some other stuff else where?
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Do you keep it going elsewhere as well?
Speaker 11 (31:27):
Keep it going elsewhere as well. We're in all the
resource rooms we've been in, we're still there. So the
ones back home in Greensboro, the work we've done in Houston,
we still have the ones in Cincinnati. And my team
does a good job. It's led by my mom. She's
not going to take no finanswers. So even in the
days I don't necessarily feel like doing the work, my mom,
my brother and the team we have around us are
(31:48):
always there to make sure that, you know, I get
up and my mom's going to remind me about her.
She's not going for DJ saying I don't got time,
I don't got this.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
She's like, what do you got?
Speaker 11 (31:57):
You got ten minutes, you got twenty minutes and ten
turns the thirty thirty times an hour, and next thing
you know, we're out there. We're three four hours in.
And you know, when you're younger, you don't think much
about it. As you get older, and you know, I
got a son of my own, and you see how
much it feels your personal cup and it just helps.
(32:19):
You know, how many kids I've had that have been
coming to my camp since they were eleving and now
they're graduating high school, going off to college and coming
back and volunteer and helping with my camp.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
It just helps a lot.
Speaker 11 (32:31):
We've partner with a group Team Smile, and I didn't
know how many people weren't going to the dentist and
getting their teeth clean and getting those help screen.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
So it's just helped a lot. And it's just been
really really awesome.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Man. That is awesome to hear, and the fact that
it is a family affair makes it even more special.
I want to talk about on the field a little
bit as well. You guys are currently eighth in the
NFC playoffs standing, which means one spot out, and I
would say basically, you got to win out to ensure
you get there. What has been Dan Campbell's message to
you guys about how to look at the next three games.
Speaker 11 (33:03):
I think just that, you know, we got to win out,
but it's got to start with the first one, So
we got to win this upcoming Sunday, And I think
the message is, you know, we hear a lot of
the outside noise, we know what's going on, and we've
kind of put ourselves in this position. So we got
to go out there and make it right and get
out there Sunday and just get after it. He's he's
been telling us, you know, it's important all years. We
(33:24):
had a tough schedule to play some tough games and
lost in some tough battles and won some good games.
So we know how we feel about ourselves as a team.
But we got to go out there and improve to
everybody else. So we really got to go out there
and get after it and just have a good game.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
This Sunday Ian mentioned it winning out that's going to
be breaking the rhythm of your season.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I mean it's been lost.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Win lost when it's been the last back to October fifth,
I think was the date. And I think it's not
necessarily a bad thing. I think at some point some
of those losses may have sunk a team and you
wouldn't have bounced back. But how do you now say, Okay,
now it's time to string them together.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I think you limit the mistakes.
Speaker 11 (33:59):
You know, we've we've made the mistakes in those games
that we've lost. Even coming out last week, you know,
we going in with the lead and having the ten
point lead and just kind of letting it go and dwindle.
I think we know where we've lost, so that's important
to know how we can overcome those losses and just
know there's not much room for here in this league.
You know, it's a tough league, a lot of tough teams,
(34:20):
a lot of teams battling, and now we're at that
point where we've put ourselves in the hold with only
people that can get us opposite us. So I think
we embraced that feeling backs against the wall a little bit,
but nothing We're built for it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Look forward to seeing how it all shakes out. DJ.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Thank you so much for joining us on the insiders.
Congratulations on this very prestigious honor off the field. Obviously
good luck around the time of the Super Bowl when
it comes to announcing the big winner, and obviously good
luck over the next three weeks on the field.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Man.
Speaker 12 (34:51):
I believe in fantasy football Adam Rank the Week six
the fantasy Godfather.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
We come to you on the day of your or
the weekend of your fantasy semifinal match for some thoughts
on some players. This weekend in Fantasy football, we shall
start Godfather with a Mecca Abuka.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Ah, Mecca Buca. He's a good kid.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I like him.
Speaker 10 (35:21):
I like him, but let him know that as I
put him on my bench. It's not personal, it's just business.
As we sit here, we look at the numbers that
Sarah Walsh put up earlier. Now those are fine numbers,
but what have you done for the family lately?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Not much.
Speaker 13 (35:38):
He has scored just more than ten fantasy points once
since Week six. We can't have that kind of production
and expect to go out there and be successful in
the Fantasy football playoffs. So for this reason, in Mecca,
we like you, but you're gonna have to sit on
the bench.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I feel like the music is for like an old
school movie, but maybe I'm wrong. Godfather, what say you
about Tyler Warren? How would you like to counsel this
young man again?
Speaker 13 (36:09):
I like this Tyler Warren very much. He's a good kid.
But now I have to turn my back on you. You
got me to this point, but now that time is over.
God over.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Mike.
Speaker 10 (36:21):
Hey listen here, Mike arera fulla. We go back a
long way, and I know you've been blowing up my segment.
Since the days of Good Morning a Football weekend, we're
not doing that here. I just want to point out
that he is at fewer than five fantasy point.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Excuse me, it's very emotional time for me.
Speaker 13 (36:40):
He's at more than five fantasy points in each of
the last two games. So now he's got the old
man Philip Rivers out there. I can't trust him. He's
gotten me to this point and I appreciate everything that
he's done for a fantasy football family.
Speaker 10 (36:53):
But as I said earlier in the show, we got
to go with Colston Lovelin. He's a bigger earner now,
so that's where we got to go.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Tight end, another young tight end.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
I want to talk to you about godfather this this
brock Bowers.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
He's a terrific player, but the offense, the quarterback go,
I don't. I don't know what to do. I don't
know what to do. It's a tough situation.
Speaker 10 (37:13):
If you see Brock Bowers out there, let him know
I always liked him, but it's going to be tough
to start him this week.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Now. Am I gonna sit here and put Gunner helm
in over him? I'm not. But if I have somebody
like Kyle Pitts, who's.
Speaker 10 (37:28):
Gone out there and really redeemed himself over the last
few weeks.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I gotta put him in my line.
Speaker 13 (37:35):
If you look at this Raiders, this Raiders team, you know,
back in the day, we used to cut off the
supply chains the people out there in the desert who
were not coming through like he did that. You didn't
even can't even trust this Raiders seem to go out
there and get seventy five yards an offense, a total offense.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I don't know how I can play him this week.
It's tough. He's a good name, he's a good boy.
I like him.
Speaker 10 (37:58):
Let him know again, But I'm gonna have to look
in other directions if you can't go out there and earn.
This family's all about earning. This is not a time
for nostalgia. I've spoken my piece.
Speaker 14 (38:10):
That's a good as that we were looking for them.
I remember that scene with Johnny Fontane. Anyway, would you
like to reliate the scene in the garden now, I'd
prefer we didn't, Mike Arepool. I'd prefer you just get
on the Baldi's breakdown if you could, please.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Oh no, Baldy leaps with the fishes. You're gonna make
me chalk on the gauze.
Speaker 15 (38:40):
Please at the wheelhouse, why are we now showing that
dodge because we're gonna revisit this So Giants fans, if
you haven't already tuned out, feel free to turn to
tune out for the final segment.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Make it off or you can't refuse this again. It's
like the old times, Fola.
Speaker 10 (39:00):
When I come back for the bump, that's when you know,
it's like doing the panel at the Tonight Show.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You've done a good job. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
All right, I gotta get up out of here because
I gotta go cover Eagles at Commanders tomorrow. The Eagles
can clinch the NFC East with a Week sixteen win
against the Commanders, be the first repeat champions in the
NFC East since two thousand and four.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
In between then and now, this happened in.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Fact, fifteen years ago to the day the Miracle at
the Metal Lands too. I covered this game. I was
on the beat covering the Giants. I cannot believe what
I saw. To the point of me at that point,
twenty one point lead for the Giants early in the
fourth quarter, I took to social media the then Twitter
to say.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Okay, now that this game is over, here's.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Your next question, what do the Giants need to do
to clinch the NFC East?
Speaker 2 (39:53):
And literally after.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
I set this out, boom there goes Brent Sellick. Here
comes the comeback, and here's me saying whoop. I mean,
I got crushed for this, deservedly show one of my
lessons to not really say the game is.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Over Ian until the game is over. Now, I'll tell
you I've been doing my own research.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Look what I found there is the Mike Garif article back.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
In the day.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I read this is what I have a team of researchers.
I read I actually got it back as you would
do the Super Bowl one. I want that. I want
that on you on the Super Bowl. Get that have
no idea
Seahawks coach Mike McDonald wanted to re establish home field advantage.
What better way to do this do that than to
be the NFC's number one seed. That's what the Seahawks
are right now. We'll they take a look back to
last night and Ford as to whether they could.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Lock that up down the stretch. Here. DJ Reider, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The big fellow joining the big show tonight, the Lions
defensive tackle on the Insiders to talk about being the
Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for the team,
and we'll talk to him about some Lions football as
well and the battle for the NFC North. And yes,
it was a battle a couple of weeks ago, could
be a battle again tomorrow. Stacy Dall's along to give
(00:38):
us her breakdown of this big NFC North matchup that
could maybe wind up determining the division winner. Welcome inside,
because it's cold outside there at Lambeau. Welcome inside where
it's nice and warm with me, Ian Rappaport, I'm sorry
with him, I in rapport me. Mike Carrafall I know
whoy and he knows who he is. We've got a
lot of news that we've got to get to regarding today,
tomorrow day, Monday, and how about last night in the
(01:02):
NFL Thursday Night Football?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Was this the game of the year.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We said that coming in and we may be saying
it coming out of it as well, because what a
thriller between the possible MVP and a guy that's trying
to lock down the number one seeds incomplete pass there right,
how about Zach Sharvin, I just picked up the ball.
After further review, this one ruled a backward pass, a
lateral that can be recovered, unlike a fumble. Zach word
(01:26):
pass Ian tried to name the play because he thought
that that was important.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Most people told him to shove it, but one guy
gave him a.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Good suggested the Zach word pass tie game. We are
headed two overtime where the rams under the old system
and then the one after.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That would have won the game.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Right here, Poka Nakua, what a week he's had, What
a game he had though last night more undred twenty
five yards. His previous high of one to eighty one shattered.
But again, these are the new rules. This Seahawks get
a chance, j said. The other unbelievable receiver in this game,
touchdown and Yeah, three thirteen left, probably not gonna.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Get a stop and then a score.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So what do you do?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
You go for two in the win?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right here the late release for the two point conversion.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
What a great call, What a great execution.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You what a great crowd, everybody thrilled that the Seahawks
now are in the driver's seat for the number one
seed in the NFC. This what a breakdown we're going
to have here on the inside is presented by progressive
Ian Rappaport here Omar Ruiz joining us as well, because
we just need as many smart people as we possibly
can find to talk.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
About this one.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
What a game, Ian, you came into this talking about
Sam Darnold and what you wanted to see from him.
A lot of people say, you want to see a
big performance at a big game. Did that one qualify?
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, I would say it certainly. It did.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
End. Look, there's a lot of question about Sam Donald,
a lot of questions about his play, especially in prime time.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And it's not just with the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
It's not just when he played the Rams last time,
I had four interceptions. It really didn't look like himself.
It's not just the all that it's going back to
the seeing ghosts from several years ago in prime terim
on the Jets. It's going back to when he played
for the Minnesota Vikings, the struggles he had in the playoffs.
It's the demons that he exercised here. And look, there's
(03:12):
a long way to go for the Seahawks, certainly, Omar,
this is a team that can play for everything. But
the fact that Sam Donald showed all of us that
he can ball when it matters absolutely the most, is
an excellent, excellent thing for Seattle.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
It was huge.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
And your thoughts on Stafford, Yeah, well.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
This is going on Sam Donald here to follow the
he had said. It was huge for that locker room.
I think to see what Sam Darnald is capable of.
You mentioned the struggles in years past. You mentioned the
struggles in Week eleven against the Rams at Sofi Stadium
where he threw four interceptions, and then after the game,
linebacker Ernest Jones emphatically and passionately defends Sam Darnald, and
(03:52):
so Sam Donald throws two interceptions early in this game,
for him to bounce back to tie this game in regulation,
and then to bounce back in overtime after down a
touchdown to tie it and then eventually win the game.
I think will go a long ways for solidifying their
belief in him. It's one thing to believe in him,
it's another for him to show that he can do it.
(04:14):
And not only did he do it last night, he
did it on Sunday when Philip Rivers and the Colts
came into Seattle. The offense for the Seahawks didn't score
any touchdowns in that game. They gave up a go
ahead field goal with less than a minute to play,
and Sam Donald marches them down with forty somethings seconds
to play to set.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Up their own game winning field goal.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
So Sam Darnald performing in the clutch, rebounding from poor
performances in those games, I think we'll go a long
ways for their postseason chances going forward.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
No, we talked about the Seahawks as a sort of
complimentary team, a team that could do it all, But
the reality is when you look at the way they've
run the ball, they have they have struggled a little bit.
I mean, surely one of the least efficient running teams
this season. I know Kenneth Walker, a lot of people
thought would be a starting back, A Bell cow hadn't
that a the one hundred yard games since September certainly
(05:03):
had one last night, A big play, fifty plus yard touchdown.
If they are going to run the ball like this,
and if he is going to run the ball like
this and be the dependable back that he has been,
first of all, it's gonna make him very rich. He's
going into free agency. These are the games that everybody
is watching. It makes them like unbelievably dangerous. A lot
of good signs for Seattle last night.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Now, seeaw's got to close this out if they want
to make sure everybody has to come through loom And
Field where it was a tough environment for the Rams,
where it's been a tough environment for a lot of
teams over the years, and finally back to us re
establishing that home field Advantagejo Martin't go far. We're coming
back to you shortly. Meanwhile, I mentioned Poka Nicola. I
said what a great game he had. I said what
a week he had. Part of it was the comments
(05:44):
that he made an officiating that drew him a twenty
five thousand dollars fine from the league, according to a
source today telling me this was for his comments on
the stream. He did have a tweet last night that
he put out regarding to you see I'm writing, and
he deleted that. As far as I understand, this was
for his comments previously saying that officials are like lawyers
(06:06):
and they sometimes make calls because they want to get
on TV. Here is Sean McVeigh on Pokakua and the
week that he had.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
He is a young guy that is continuing to learn
the importance of this platform.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Like I said, I love him, I love his heart.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
What I want to continue to educate him on is, Hey,
there's platforms that he's got, you know, an incredible influence
on There's a time to be able to have people.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
To vent to. That is not the space to do that.
He knows that, and I feel.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
Very confident that that will not be an issue for
us moving forward. He does care a lot, and there's
other places to be able to get some of that
frustration out, whether that's sharing it with me teammates in
settings that are more controlled, where things don't become you know,
an unnecessary conversation where we don't have to answer those questions.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And that's not something that he wants to do.
Speaker 6 (06:56):
I do know that, and I'm very, very confident that
we'll be headed in into that these will not be
issues moving forward, because I'm betting on the human being.
I'm gonna put my arm around him, and the narrative
doesn't change from yesterday in regards to we're always going
to be able to learn. And I think he's the, uh,
you know, a great example of being able to learn
from it.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
And I think you guys are going to see that
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, And I think it's a learning experience.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Who you're going on streams with, who you're allowing to
set you up and put you in bad situations. I
didn't see an apology from yet the young fellow there
who tried to explain it. I don't even remember his name.
I must say his name, but I thought that was
poor form by him. But your thoughts on Pooka is weak,
and this fine here.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
I think there was a lot of lessons to be learned.
I don't know if Aiden Ross learned any lessons, which
is fine.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
He is what he is.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Pooka Nakua, though, for sure, has learned some lessons. And really,
what Pooka did was go from someone who we all
thought was just kind of a soft spoken, nice guy,
unbelievably productive, one of the best receivers in the NFL
to someone.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Who now has the spotlight on him. And that's really
what happened.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
And you know, Pooka is going to have the spotlight
on him throughout the playoffs, certainly in the offseason when
he's up for an extension, which will make him one
of the highest paid, if not the highest paid receiver
in the NFL. But it's now all the other stuff.
And yes, he did apologize and that was good, but
he also tweeted right after the game about the refs
the same thing that he's sort of similar comments what
(08:17):
he apologize for.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Eyes are going to be on him. The spotlight is
going to be on him.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
His near future has changed dramatically and he now faced
the situation where he has to live up to it
omar and change his behavior, and we will see where
he goes from here.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
I think this is a perfect time for the Rams
to get one of these mini buys. Coming off the
Thursday night game, We're not going to see them again
until week seventeen on Monday Night Football, so an opportunity
for Sean mcvah to get with pukinakuah, rain him in
and do all the things that Sean McVay alluded to
in his press conference. I had multiple conversations with several
Rams players last week about pukin'akua, about how he has
(08:54):
this ability to go from fun, loving, happy guy to
what one player described to me as a maniac on
the field. His ability to compartmentalize is something that not
many people have ever been able to accomplish the way
Puka Nakua has. And we saw that all the distractions
from last week, he still was able to tune it
out and turn up for two hundred and twenty five
yards those touchdowns, the game breaking play in overtime. So
(09:18):
they believe that he will be able to play down
the stretch the way that he's always been able to.
And I had a conversation with Sean mcvagh on Sunday
after the game talking about how this Rams team, he
told me, has a great ability to be so mentally
tough and disciplined to play from one play to the next,
in other words, not let a mistake, not let an
opponent's big play snowball against them. And I think that
(09:40):
capability for this Rams team will show up week to week.
Not let any of these distractions, any of these conversations
from this week sixteen go in to week seventeen. I
think they'll be able to put that behind them and
focus on a postseason run.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Here oh Marshall McVeigh talking about next week's game against
the Falcons, saying Devonte.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Adams most likely will not play in that game.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That long layoff the hamstring injury that he suffered expected
to knock him out for a second straight game as
the Rams try to claw their way back into the
lead in the NFC West and potentially the number one seed.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
We'll see about that elsewhere around the league.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
We've got other injury news, including TJ Watt with that
lung issue that JJ said was due to dry needling,
going to miss a second straight game, this one against
the Lions as the Steelers try to fend off the
Ravens in the AFC North. So I'm going to make
this one a little bit tougher Ian for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So that was bad news. This is good news.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Drake London for the Atlanta Falcons is expected back in
the field. I know the Falcons would have a lot
to play for as far as the playoffs go, they
got a lot to play for.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
As far as the futures in the organization. Drake London
has missed the last several games with a PCL sprain,
one of the trickier injuries makes it hard to de
sl He is now back. This is good news and also,
by the way, if you have him in fantasy, it's
double good news. My team is dead, so it doesn't
matter to me.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
The Buffalo Bills are expected to get in other addition,
this time to the edges of their defense. Sources tell
The Insiders that Matthew Judan, the former Dolphins veteran former
Patriots pass rusher, going to continue his tour of the
AFC East. He visited today, took a physical mind understanding.
He's expected to sign with the Bills practice squad tomorrow.
(11:19):
We'll see if he can make an impact down the stretch.
But at the very very least some important depth for Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Mike, you called him a pass rusher.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Noticed no sacks there in that high He doesn't have
any sacks this year, but maybe going up to Buffalo
changed things for him.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Meanwhile, Jacob, I'm.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Just saying I staving a positive spin.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Speaking of positive Spins.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
How about Jakobe Myers three year sixty million dollar extension.
Was looking for this from the Raiders, didn't get it
from the Raiders, got traded to the Jaguars, and now
all of a sudden, playing well in Jackson Million, Jacksonville says, hey,
we're going to lock you up right now, three year,
sixty million, forty million guaranteed. According to Ian and Tom Pelisero,
time now for good coverage presented by Progressive Insurance. The
(11:57):
Bears head in the Week sixteen leading in the NFL
with thirty takeaways in a league best plus twenty turnover differential.
The last time Chicago led the NFL and turnover differential
was nineteen eighty five. You remember that year, You remember
that team, You remember them winning the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Pretty good team.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
As for this year's team, here's what they can do
to get in the playoffs where they win in a
Detroit loss, they are in. For the Green Bay Packers,
it is the exact same thing. A playoff berth where
they win and a Detroit los Stacy Dall's coming on
in here. She knows all about these two teams in
(12:38):
the whole NFC North Stace Jordan Love playing some incredible
football right now, and one of the Bears on the
other side having to defend him. Think about what he's
been doing.
Speaker 7 (12:48):
Well, he's playing really good football. You know, you're exactly right, Mike.
I asked Ben Johnson this week about him, and he
said that this offense, this Green Bay offense, is hot
right now. Let's put in perspective Jordan Love against the
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 8 (13:00):
He's four and one, the.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
One loss coming in Week eighteen last season. Remember he
was injured in that game. He didn't finish that football game.
Speaker 8 (13:08):
And it's the.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Explosive plays that the Bears are super concerned with. He
had those three passing touchdowns in a one to twenty
one passer rating in Week fourteen against these guys. Ben
Johnson simply didn't want to give him the ball back.
That's why the Bears went for an on fourth and won.
And we're not successful closing out that game. But Jordan
Love playing with such precision and efficiency right now. And
(13:30):
Ben Johnson, you know, answering the question I asked him
about what stands out with Jordan Love.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
He's just so good at drifting away from pressure.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
He's difficult to get to.
Speaker 7 (13:38):
He said, and he's really just floating the ball out
there for their speedsters. We're going to see if Christian Watson,
of course plays in this football game, Mike. But they've
got to shut down the big plays the Chicago Bears,
and they have been good in terms of takeaways, by
the way, their offense tyer second in the league with
points off of those takeaways. So Green Bay is going
to have to protect the ball Saturday.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
They are, and the Bear's gonna have to protect the
ball as well. Let's talk about this Bears running game,
because the last time they played in chili conditions that
I saw them was in Philadelphia on Black Friday. They
ran the ball extremely well. Talk about this Bears running
game and how that might be a factor.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Of Mark Well.
Speaker 7 (14:15):
Matt Lafleur called it a catalyst for them. You've seen
it up first close and personal, Mike. I have as well,
and it's a two headed monster with DeAndre Swift and
Kleman Unguy. But as Matt Lafleur described, this second rank
rushing attack that averages one point fifty two as you
see right there on your screen, they are just so
physical upfront. They really get to the second level with
(14:37):
that offensive line. They are moving people, they're getting off
the football. And in speaking with Rashan Gary, the word
he said to me three times about this bears rushing attack. Consistent, consistent, consistent.
It has really become their bread and butter. And he said,
what they do a really good job of. Gary told
me is they make certain personnels look the same as
(14:58):
other personnels in terms of the groupings and the scheme.
And so when you're showing things that look the same
but you're doing something else, it affects the defense. It
also allows the play action to get going. With Caleb Williams,
and we know how good his legs are. Mike Jeff
Hafley went on a long winded rant about how hard
it is to defend Caleb Williams at the quarterback position.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
He talked about his strength.
Speaker 7 (15:21):
I've spoken to players about his contact balance in the pocket.
You can't just run full speed, Halfly said and launch
at him. You have to be sure tacklers in the
open field because he makes this running game extra dynamic.
Speaker 8 (15:34):
But we're in Mike, we're in.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Store for Lake.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Is this the best game of the week on Saturday?
Come on, well, I said, We're off to a really
good start we saw last night.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
If we get a contender on Saturday night, man, we're
in for the best the weekend in the.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
NFL this season stays, I'll say that.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And frankly, the temperature is going to be above freezing
when this one kicks off there. I know it's still cold,
but like you got to sign up for that at
the end, you deserve that.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I mean, you know, it's like a tropical vacation based
on some of the games that you've covered recently.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Appreciate you looking forward to all your covers leading up
to this game here on NFL Network Wrap.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Apart so offensive to the Bucks Panthers game, this is
the number one game of the weekend. It's all at stake,
I mean the NFC South, seriously, Bucks Panthers. With the
Panthers being good again and the Bucks kind of where
they are this I cannot wait for this one. And
I'm very thankful that our good friend Sarah Walsh is
going to be in Charlotte for this game. Sarah, thank
(16:33):
you very much for joining us on the Insiders. I
hope you listen to that slander in the previous segment there.
How big is this game for the entire world, but
specifically the NFC South.
Speaker 8 (16:45):
Well, first of all, I thank you for defending this game.
Speaker 9 (16:48):
I mean, not that I needed someone to defend it,
but I appreciate your take there because Stacey and Mike
g just way.
Speaker 8 (16:55):
Off record earlier.
Speaker 9 (16:56):
But the records of this game specifically, they are identical.
But the juxtaposition of how these two teams arrived here
and what it's going to look like in Charlotte, it's
really interesting because both of them are coming off stinging
losses last week that had either team won, it would
have really given them a leg up. But you've got
the Panthers coach Dave Canalis, who is just such an
eternal optimist, and a Panthers team led by Bryce Young
(17:19):
who has more wins this year than he had in
his first two years. Come by now, Carolina has not
dropped back to back.
Speaker 8 (17:26):
Games since Week one and Week two.
Speaker 9 (17:28):
You look at the Bucks and the frustration that was
on their faces from last week's loss and the fact
that Todd Bowles had that explicit felled rant after the game. Well,
Sterling Shepard was asked about that this week in Lucker Room,
and he just called it necessary. He said, sometimes you
have to raise the tone, turn up the pressure. That
is what the Bucks are clearly going to be feeling.
(17:48):
And you know, anytime there's a slide the Bucks have
dropped five of six, there's going to be questions about
the coach. And Baker was asked about that this week
in Todd Bules. He said, don't blame Todd, blame me.
He said, it's on me. We should score more than
twenty eight points a game. As for the Panthers, mentioned
they hadn't drop back to back games beginning of this year.
Canalis said that they just have to learn how to
(18:09):
handle success. They've been really good at responding to adversity.
And I spoke with him earlier today and I asked
him about that handling a success and he said he's
got the guys to understand they can beat anyone in
the league when they're playing really well, they can also
lose to anybody in the league. And that alone should
have them playing at a certain level consistently. And it's
(18:29):
been tough to get that understanding across. So that's something
that Canals and these Panthers are still working at.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah, as you're a growing team and trying to figure
out how to take your place among the upper AshEL
and these are things you got to figure out. Meanwhile,
we are also going to see you mentioned Baker obviously,
great leader, great quarterback, and we've seen plenty from the
Carolina Panthers version Bryce Young. We're going to see two stellar,
stellar young receivers, two of the best young weapons we've
(18:55):
seen in some time. Take me through this matchup of
some of the top PAS catchers on Sunday.
Speaker 9 (19:01):
Yeah, you know, so much has made about Mike Evans,
rightfully so. And a week ago when he came off
that broke in Colorbon he had one hundred and thirty
two yards in his first game back, and he always
garners all the attention.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
But this really is a matchup of two of the top.
Speaker 9 (19:14):
Emerging young receivers in this league and first round picks
a Mecca Buka and Ted Roha McMullen. When you look
at these numbers, they are almost identical. Those six receiving
touchdowns they both had. One of those guys leads all
rookie receivers and yards. The other guy leads all rookie
receivers and receptions. Really cool stat Ben McWilliams found for
us in research shape. It's just the second season in
(19:36):
NFL history that multiple rookie first round receivers have more
than eight hundred receiving yards and six touchdowns through fifteen weeks.
The other instance it happened and involved two guys from
these two teams, it would be twenty fourteen Mike Elp
Evans and Caroline is Kelvin Benjamin and then you can
also throw in another guy that was doing it that year,
and that was Odell Beckham junior, all in their rookie season.
(19:56):
So it's been a long time since we've seen two
guys do that. Now they're going to go both be
going at it on Sunday. McMillan is a guy that
started so strong, and Bryce sid He especially is going
to continue to be special. But Jalen Coker's gotten it
going for the Panthers lately, and Dave Canal has told
me today that Cocer reminds him a lot of Chris Godwin. Again,
I say all of this ian to say the focus
(20:18):
will likely be on Mike Evans, though when all is
said and done here corner Mike Jackson said, you can't
get caught up in Evan's stats. The big name said
when he goes out there, he's just thirteen. But I
think everyone understands Ian he's not just thirteen. He's number
one on this Bucks team and a guy that is
bound for Campton when all is said and done, and
they are so happy to have him back right now.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Oh, did you mention hall of Fames? Well, that's certainly interesting.
So in the business we call out a setop. This
is my segue. Congratulations our good friend Sarah Wallas to
the un F Hall of Fame for your exploits in
the women's soccer world.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
That's a great picture. Congratulations to you.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
We spent so much time talking about our good friend
Stacy Dale's getting into her halls of fame. You get
your shine as well. Congratulations. Would you like to thank
maybe the little people who helped you in this journey.
Speaker 9 (21:11):
First of all, I had no idea you guys were
doing that, so I did not mean to see you.
It looks like I sort of threw up my own
segue there and it makes me look bad. And yeah,
the only thing I would say is I am just
always trying to keep up with Stacy Dale's and that
is also a losing battle.
Speaker 8 (21:25):
So you know what, you do what you can. But yeah,
it's very nice of a University of North Florida. My
ospreys swoop.
Speaker 9 (21:31):
They did, by the way, they did ask me about
going to this induction ceremony. And it's going to be
in the middle of the playoffs, and U and F
is in Jacksonville, and I said, you guys better keep
your fingers crossed at the Jaguars are hosting a playoff
game in late January, because that's what would get me there.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Not impossible, a lot of good football left to decide
whether or not you get to go to your own
Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Sarah, thank you very much,
great stuff as always, looking forward to talking to you
very soon. Looking forward to seeing what this guy as
in store for us for his encore. Philip Rivers one
of the biggest stories in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
What does he have for us?
Speaker 4 (22:07):
On Monday Night, We're gonna get into it with our
friend Omar Ruiz coming up next on The Insiders.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Got to hear Steve Rabeles call for Seahawks radio. He
was like, touchdown two point of, I don't care whatever
it is. The Seahawks win. It was great and the
Seahawks are now in the number one seed in the NFC.
I was messing with some stuff today to see how
I could get the forty nine ers up there. If
the forty Niners win their next two games and Seattle
loses the Carolina in Carolina, which is not crazy because
(22:35):
they beat the Rams, the Niners could be up into
the one seed.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And we're talking Niners right now.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
How about that Omar in that convenient So yes, how
important is this game for the Niners Monday?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Now?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Philip Rivers played his first game already against the Seahawks.
But now it's a home game. Now it's Monday night
football juice crowd gonna be a different environment.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Well, you mentioned the forty nine ers.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
They have that number one seed in their site, Smike,
and I think they have the number one seed in
their grass and control their destiny. Now with that Seahawks
win over the Rams, if they close out with three
straight wins, including a Week eighteen finale against Seattle, they'd
be the number one seed. And the forty nine Ers
are very aware of the talking in years past with
(23:16):
George Kittle and Kyle Yuschek, guys who have been there,
the whole Kyle Shanahan era. They are very aware that
like in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty three, when they
have been the number one seed, they've gone to the
super Bowl. So last night Kendrick Bourne was telling me
that the guys in the locker room we're talking about
where we watching the game the rams Seahawks was very
important for them and it broke their way. Defensive coordinator
(23:38):
Robert Saala saying today that it's okay to have that
carrot dangling in front of them as long as they
have the focus to rain back in on what's in
front of them, and that right now is the Indianapolis
Colts on Monday night, and speaking with Bourne, he feels
that this team's football is the best is still in
front of them. Brock Purty obviously they've won four since
(24:00):
he returned, but he can still elevate as they continue
down the stretch here, someone like Bourne, who's hardly played
with Brock Prudy, can still develop that chemistry. So they
feel that they can take it to another level as
they head into the postseason and their best football still
in front of the.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mike Omar I've had this conversation with people around the
league and some of them are saying I'm nuts. But
to me, Kyle Shadahan right now is the coach of
the year. Now, we got a couple of games to
play it out to see how it goes. We shall
see all right to the AFC we go. Stay with us, Omar,
because you're covering this game at forty nine ers Colts.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You see where the Colts are right there.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Got to go on a bit of a run here
and again I feel bad because somebody's gonna miss the
playoffs frankly at both conferences with a good record.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
But there you see it right there.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So the Colts their playoff chances being in front of
them with Philip Rivers, they took the chance. You'll want
to see it payoff, particularly if you're somebody who lives
in Indianapolis and roots for the Colts.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So what's your sense of where they are right now?
Speaker 5 (24:54):
Yeah, the Colts looking forward to this game, the electric
atmosphere you mentioned Monday night football, Philhlip Rivers playing at
home for the first time in this miraculous comeback. The
Colts saying that they are inspired, they are motivated, just
getting all that extra juice from Philip Rivers in his return,
Rivers saying that he wasn't as sore as he thought
he would be on Monday when he woke up after
(25:16):
that game in Seattle. He's looking forward to a better
performance both head coach Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim
bob Cooter saying the fact that they didn't push the
ball down the field against the Seahawks was not an
indication that Philip Rivers couldn't do it. It was just part
of the game plan. So look for them to possibly
stretch the field more against the forty nine ers and
look to play their way into the playoffs by winning
(25:39):
some of these last three games here to close out
this season.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Mike I talked earlier in the show about playing in
Lumenfield and when you're the offense, you got to deal
with the noise. You're playing your first game in five years,
like you just want to sort of keep it simple
if you can, maybe rely on your defense in your
running game. But yeah, I do expect in this one
they're going to open it up a lot more at
home again with that energy on their side. Omar Safe
travels to that game and I'm looking forward to your
(26:02):
reporting there.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Ian well, it's cool the teams have something to play for.
My fantasy team doesn't welcome inside Fantasy Insiders and Adam Rank. Sorry,
so welcome inside to Fantasy Live. We're the insiders.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Adam Rank. My fantasy team is terrible. It sucks. I'm
really upset about it.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I actually blame my players to be totally honest rather
than show me. But for those people who have something
to play for, here's what I want you to do.
I want to talk about an injury situation. What I
want you to do is tell us how to manage it.
And now we'll start off with probably the biggest Patrick
Mahomes is out for this season.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
How does one navigate this situation?
Speaker 10 (26:44):
This is really tough because all your available options like
Jacoby Brissett.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Likely gone.
Speaker 10 (26:49):
But one player I really like is JJ McCarthy, who
is going up against the New York Giants this week.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Now.
Speaker 10 (26:54):
JJ McCarthy has scored at least twenty Fantasy points in
back to back games, and he's going up against a
Giants team that has allowed four rushing touchdowns of quarterbacks
this season. I don't know if he's going to be
allowed to gritty into the end zone, but They've also
allowed the second most fantasy points per game two quarterbacks
this year.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So if you had Patrick Mahomes, you're scrambling for.
Speaker 10 (27:15):
A quarterback right now, I would recommend you go out
there and pick up JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
All right, how about this one? The Bears are going
to be that two key receivers Roma Dunze Luther Burden.
How are we dealing with that? Well?
Speaker 10 (27:27):
I mean, obviously DJ Moore would be the ideal situation,
but he's probably long gone. But in terms of pass catchers,
I love Colston Lovelin. Over the last couple of weeks,
he's really come on and he has had at least
five targets in four consecutive games, and the Packers have
allowed eight touchdown passes in the last three weeks, which
is tight for the most Into the NFL, there's going
(27:49):
to be a lot of opportunities. We see the way
they use the play action, so Colston Lovelin could be
a huge option. But if you're playing in a DFS,
you're playing in an extremely de league. Today, Walker or
Jday Jordan is a guy that's keep an eye on.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I will keep an eye on that one.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
How about this one, Josh Jacobs questionable stell knee ankle.
Speaker 10 (28:11):
What's your deal their rank? Well, you got to make
sure you just go out and get the backup. You
want to go out there and get Emmanuel Wilson, who
has shown that when he's given the opportunity to go
out there and play in replacement of Josh Jacobs, that
he can go out there and do pretty well. But
we saw last week Josh Jacobs was able to fight
through an injury, not only run the ball effectively head
one of the.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Best catches so far this season.
Speaker 10 (28:33):
So just make sure Emmanuel Wilson is on your lineup
or in your roster.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
If you've got Josh Jacobs, good warm up act. We
will see you later. Don't go anywhere, stay in that
seat right there. We're coming back to you on the Insiders.
One of the most prestigious honors there is in the
NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. The club winner
for the Detroit Lions is DJ Reider, a stud on
the field and a stud off the field, which we
(29:00):
are going to learn about right now. Welcome inside with
the Insiders, DJ Reader joining me Ian.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Rapaport and Mike Garyffolo. DJ thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We want to tell the people a little bit about
what you have done to earn your second Club Winner nomination.
A Sun Never Forgets Foundation is yours to support health
and wellness to communities that need the help. You offer
free health screenings and six public reading rooms in North
Carolina and in Cincinnati, where you played before joining Detroit.
(29:30):
You're also a supporter for the National Kidney Foundation. And
I guess my question DJ for you is this, Obviously
on the field, you are a beast. How have you
managed all that you do, all what you do on
the field with all of the what you do off
the field as well?
Speaker 11 (29:48):
Thank you all for having me. But I'll probably say
just my parents when I was younger, my parents are
really honored about getting service done. My mom worked at
American Express for thirty eight years, so she was there
from the time I was little until obviously she just
retired a couple.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Of years ago.
Speaker 11 (30:05):
And I remember the most impactful thing they always did
was they always had like.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
A community day.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
And my dad was a teacher.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
My brother is a teacher, so we've always just done
work and it's always been education base. And then a
lot of dudes, like the kids So first couple of
years we did a lot of stuff with the National
Kidney Foundation after my father passed them for kidney failure.
But then these last couple of years we've really partnered
with some group, started the resource rooms. We give our
(30:34):
scholarships as you can see in that photo back home
during our annual gala. We do every year a Toasted
Education gala. But it's just always been about the work.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Man.
Speaker 11 (30:46):
My dad used to say, a son never forgets to
me when I was a kid, and he didn't just
mean to be his They meant just genuinely to be
a son of the community that you were involved with,
people who supported you all the work that you've put
in and people that put in work with you. Make
sure you pay it back and you know, make sure
you do a good job of sending the community in
(31:07):
a better place than which you founded. So I've always
tried to do that.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
That's great, man.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
You're from North Carolina, you're drafted by the Texans. You
go to Cincinnati, you go to Detroit, you do the
community work all I mean, how do you arrange it?
You get to Detroit and it's like, okay, now we
got to set it up here how do you get
it up and running that quickly, knowing that you've had
some other stuff else where?
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Do you keep it going elsewhere as well?
Speaker 11 (31:27):
Keep it going elsewhere as well. We're in all the
resource rooms we've been in, we're still there. So the
ones back home in Greensboro, the work we've done in Houston,
we still have the ones in Cincinnati. And my team
does a good job. It's led by my mom. She's
not going to take no finanswers. So even in the
days I don't necessarily feel like doing the work, my mom,
my brother and the team we have around us are
(31:48):
always there to make sure that, you know, I get
up and my mom's going to remind me about her.
She's not going for DJ saying I don't got time,
I don't got this.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
She's like, what do you got?
Speaker 11 (31:57):
You got ten minutes, you got twenty minutes and ten
turns the thirty thirty times an hour, and next thing
you know, we're out there. We're three four hours in.
And you know, when you're younger, you don't think much
about it. As you get older, and you know, I
got a son of my own, and you see how
much it feels your personal cup and it just helps.
(32:19):
You know, how many kids I've had that have been
coming to my camp since they were eleving and now
they're graduating high school, going off to college and coming
back and volunteer and helping with my camp.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
It just helps a lot.
Speaker 11 (32:31):
We've partner with a group Team Smile, and I didn't
know how many people weren't going to the dentist and
getting their teeth clean and getting those help screen.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
So it's just helped a lot. And it's just been
really really awesome.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Man. That is awesome to hear, and the fact that
it is a family affair makes it even more special.
I want to talk about on the field a little
bit as well. You guys are currently eighth in the
NFC playoffs standing, which means one spot out, and I
would say basically, you got to win out to ensure
you get there. What has been Dan Campbell's message to
you guys about how to look at the next three games.
Speaker 11 (33:03):
I think just that, you know, we got to win out,
but it's got to start with the first one, So
we got to win this upcoming Sunday, And I think
the message is, you know, we hear a lot of
the outside noise, we know what's going on, and we've
kind of put ourselves in this position. So we got
to go out there and make it right and get
out there Sunday and just get after it. He's he's
been telling us, you know, it's important all years. We
(33:24):
had a tough schedule to play some tough games and
lost in some tough battles and won some good games.
So we know how we feel about ourselves as a team.
But we got to go out there and improve to
everybody else. So we really got to go out there
and get after it and just have a good game.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
This Sunday Ian mentioned it winning out that's going to
be breaking the rhythm of your season.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I mean it's been lost.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Win lost when it's been the last back to October fifth,
I think was the date. And I think it's not
necessarily a bad thing. I think at some point some
of those losses may have sunk a team and you
wouldn't have bounced back. But how do you now say, Okay,
now it's time to string them together.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I think you limit the mistakes.
Speaker 11 (33:59):
You know, we've we've made the mistakes in those games
that we've lost. Even coming out last week, you know,
we going in with the lead and having the ten
point lead and just kind of letting it go and dwindle.
I think we know where we've lost, so that's important
to know how we can overcome those losses and just
know there's not much room for here in this league.
You know, it's a tough league, a lot of tough teams,
(34:20):
a lot of teams battling, and now we're at that
point where we've put ourselves in the hold with only
people that can get us opposite us. So I think
we embraced that feeling backs against the wall a little bit,
but nothing We're built for it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Look forward to seeing how it all shakes out. DJ.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Thank you so much for joining us on the insiders.
Congratulations on this very prestigious honor off the field. Obviously
good luck around the time of the Super Bowl when
it comes to announcing the big winner, and obviously good
luck over the next three weeks on the field.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Man.
Speaker 12 (34:51):
I believe in fantasy football Adam Rank the Week six
the fantasy Godfather.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
We come to you on the day of your or
the weekend of your fantasy semifinal match for some thoughts
on some players. This weekend in Fantasy football, we shall
start Godfather with a Mecca Abuka.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Ah, Mecca Buca. He's a good kid.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I like him.
Speaker 10 (35:21):
I like him, but let him know that as I
put him on my bench. It's not personal, it's just business.
As we sit here, we look at the numbers that
Sarah Walsh put up earlier. Now those are fine numbers,
but what have you done for the family lately?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Not much.
Speaker 13 (35:38):
He has scored just more than ten fantasy points once
since Week six. We can't have that kind of production
and expect to go out there and be successful in
the Fantasy football playoffs. So for this reason, in Mecca,
we like you, but you're gonna have to sit on
the bench.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I feel like the music is for like an old
school movie, but maybe I'm wrong. Godfather, what say you
about Tyler Warren? How would you like to counsel this
young man again?
Speaker 13 (36:09):
I like this Tyler Warren very much. He's a good kid.
But now I have to turn my back on you. You
got me to this point, but now that time is over.
God over.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Mike.
Speaker 10 (36:21):
Hey listen here, Mike arera fulla. We go back a
long way, and I know you've been blowing up my segment.
Since the days of Good Morning a Football weekend, we're
not doing that here. I just want to point out
that he is at fewer than five fantasy point.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Excuse me, it's very emotional time for me.
Speaker 13 (36:40):
He's at more than five fantasy points in each of
the last two games. So now he's got the old
man Philip Rivers out there. I can't trust him. He's
gotten me to this point and I appreciate everything that
he's done for a fantasy football family.
Speaker 10 (36:53):
But as I said earlier in the show, we got
to go with Colston Lovelin. He's a bigger earner now,
so that's where we got to go.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Tight end, another young tight end.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
I want to talk to you about godfather this this
brock Bowers.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
He's a terrific player, but the offense, the quarterback go,
I don't. I don't know what to do. I don't
know what to do. It's a tough situation.
Speaker 10 (37:13):
If you see Brock Bowers out there, let him know
I always liked him, but it's going to be tough
to start him this week.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Now. Am I gonna sit here and put Gunner helm
in over him? I'm not. But if I have somebody
like Kyle Pitts, who's.
Speaker 10 (37:28):
Gone out there and really redeemed himself over the last
few weeks.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I gotta put him in my line.
Speaker 13 (37:35):
If you look at this Raiders, this Raiders team, you know,
back in the day, we used to cut off the
supply chains the people out there in the desert who
were not coming through like he did that. You didn't
even can't even trust this Raiders seem to go out
there and get seventy five yards an offense, a total offense.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I don't know how I can play him this week.
It's tough. He's a good name, he's a good boy.
I like him.
Speaker 10 (37:58):
Let him know again, But I'm gonna have to look
in other directions if you can't go out there and earn.
This family's all about earning. This is not a time
for nostalgia. I've spoken my piece.
Speaker 14 (38:10):
That's a good as that we were looking for them.
I remember that scene with Johnny Fontane. Anyway, would you
like to reliate the scene in the garden now, I'd
prefer we didn't, Mike Arepool. I'd prefer you just get
on the Baldi's breakdown if you could, please.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Oh no, Baldy leaps with the fishes. You're gonna make
me chalk on the gauze.
Speaker 15 (38:40):
Please at the wheelhouse, why are we now showing that
dodge because we're gonna revisit this So Giants fans, if
you haven't already tuned out, feel free to turn to
tune out for the final segment.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Make it off or you can't refuse this again. It's
like the old times, Fola.
Speaker 10 (39:00):
When I come back for the bump, that's when you know,
it's like doing the panel at the Tonight Show.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You've done a good job. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
All right, I gotta get up out of here because
I gotta go cover Eagles at Commanders tomorrow. The Eagles
can clinch the NFC East with a Week sixteen win
against the Commanders, be the first repeat champions in the
NFC East since two thousand and four.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
In between then and now, this happened in.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Fact, fifteen years ago to the day the Miracle at
the Metal Lands too. I covered this game. I was
on the beat covering the Giants. I cannot believe what
I saw. To the point of me at that point,
twenty one point lead for the Giants early in the
fourth quarter, I took to social media the then Twitter
to say.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Okay, now that this game is over, here's.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Your next question, what do the Giants need to do
to clinch the NFC East?
Speaker 2 (39:53):
And literally after.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
I set this out, boom there goes Brent Sellick. Here
comes the comeback, and here's me saying whoop. I mean,
I got crushed for this, deservedly show one of my
lessons to not really say the game is.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Over Ian until the game is over. Now, I'll tell
you I've been doing my own research.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Look what I found there is the Mike Garif article back.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
In the day.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I read this is what I have a team of researchers.
I read I actually got it back as you would
do the Super Bowl one. I want that. I want
that on you on the Super Bowl. Get that have
no idea
Hosts And Creators
Judy Battista
Tom Pelissero
Ian Rapaport
Mike Garafolo
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