2023 Week 13 Preview

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Around the NFL podcast congratulates Dan on his honorary
doctorate in philanthropy from Tulane University.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Thank you, I mean that one, Greg, I understand that
might annoy you Tulane now.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Oh no, I'm glad that you're mentioned in the Green
Wave on the eve of their AAC AAC Championship appearance.
Everyone watched that this week, thig.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
One sure from the Chris Westley podcast studio. It's Around
the NFL. Yes, I am Dan Hansis. I will be
speaking at Tulane later this spring. Greg Rosenthal a graduate,
he might accompany me. We might have a trip down
to Nola together. And Mark Sessler. It is the Week
My Goodness thirteen preview episode How It Flies.

Speaker 4 (00:45):
Mark, We've got that honorary football that you received, you know,
citing your philanthropic nature right over there at the window,
and you and I walked by the window and it
is very visible your name closed through the window. And
there's a lot of tour groups of students that by
this studio gonna just think more highly of you than
they already do.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
I thought of going on Amazon and getting one of
those you plug it in. It's an arrow that's like
pointing at the ball and blinking. But I don't know
that's a cost concern. If it's manageable financially, I might
just do it.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
Well, I mean you you went on and on about,
you know, having all this being done in secret and quiet,
so glowing arrow is sort.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
Of well, now that it's out there, you know, might
as well.

Speaker 6 (01:23):
Might as well.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Have we heard from any listener who knows how we
got this ball?

Speaker 6 (01:27):
Nobody knows.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Nobody knows, but one day maybe we'll get to the
bottom of it. Or maybe I did do something and
I just don't know it. So you have to factor
in everything here.

Speaker 5 (01:37):
Yeah, spread a wide net with your good your good doing.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Okay, it's like fight club, except your your other identity
is doing good deeds for young business groups?

Speaker 6 (01:50):
Is it? Business groups?

Speaker 3 (01:51):
Okay?

Speaker 6 (01:53):
All right, So we got so much to get to.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
This is a big week, and we kind of teased
this week as the beginning obviously of the end of
the regular season. And there's so much at stake and
so much more to learn about these teams, and it
all kind of starts right here with game.

Speaker 6 (02:10):
It's not a.

Speaker 5 (02:11):
Killer slate, the primetime games.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
There's a there's a great primetime game. That's a great
late game. The game the slate itself not great, but
we're gonna learn, gonna learn more about our league by
Sunday night. So let's talk about these games. So let's
start with one of those stellar games on the schedule,
a game that didn't look like it was gonna be
anything to get excited about just a few weeks ago.

Speaker 5 (02:33):
But things have changed. The Packers have changed.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Coming off a great Thursday Thanksgiving performance against the Lions
in Detroit, a real thorough win, and their young quarterback
Jordan Love is playing at a much higher level. They
get the Chiefs now at home, and Mark the Chiefs
are in some ways a mysterious team, at least on
one side of the ball. We're still trying to figure
out if we could trust the Patrick Mahomes.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
Read side of it, which is crazy.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
But it's the defensive side that we are pretty confident
in being one of the very best in the league.
Big big challenge here for Love. I think we're gonna
learn a lot about the Packers in this game.

Speaker 4 (03:10):
The Packers, to me are I came into the season
intrigued by them, just because of the nature of having
an entirely new quarterback. And then I thought, well, this
Jordan lun thing doesn't look so hot, right.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
We talked about this, like I asked you specifically, right,
it hasn't worked out.

Speaker 5 (03:24):
As we planned. And then they just started winning and
he started playing at a high level.

Speaker 4 (03:26):
I thought, what happened on Thanksgiving and the way that
they came out just firing the ball and Matt Lafleur
cooking up. I thought, his best coaching effort that I've
really ever seen from him. Just the way that this team,
with its young parts around Jordan Love all kind of
growing up together, creates a fascinating matchup for Kansas City,

(03:47):
who I think on defense because we're always focused on
Mahomes and there's you know, he's thrown only two deep
touchdowns in the last two seasons. What's going on with
their offense, But it's like the Steve Spagnolo defense has
been something you can count on week a week, And like,
I just think the way there's an element to consistency
if he's been there for so long. But guys like
Chris Jones playing the way he should, George Karloftus put

(04:09):
Trent McDuffie, for instance, like leading the league and force
fumbles and being used all over the field and creating
havoc for quarterbacks.

Speaker 5 (04:16):
It's in Green Bay.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
I love that for the Packers, but Jordan Love is
gonna face a real test here and if he can
hang with the what the Chiefs do on offense, it's
another big step for a team in Green Bay that
I think really has a good chance to make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
Right, it's a young team, the youngest offense playing a
veteran defense. And when I think veteran, yes, they have
a lot of young players throughout the defense in the secondary,
but there's great continuity. They've been together for a while
and the coach has been there for a while. And
I think back to the last time these two teams played,
and it was Jordan Love's first ever start, and there

(04:48):
was this great fascination, Wow, what is this gonna look like?
Aaron Rodgers is hurt, Jordan Love's gonna come in, He's
gonna make his first ever start, And it was just
kind of like there. It wasn't terrible, but they didn't
let him cook too much. And this Jordan Love to
me two years later, has shown a lot of progress.
I think he looks like an NFL quarterback. Now he

(05:09):
might be a little up and down as an NFL quarterback,
But the thing I like are his eyes. Like his
eyes are very often in the right place. He goes
through his progressions, he goes one two that he runs.
He doesn't run enough. I would say, like I would
like him to see his athleticism. But the decision making,
I've said all along is pretty good. A couple weeks ago,
I thought he was turning the corner, and now you're

(05:31):
seeing a little bit of the athleticism and the actual
execution along with the decision making. So it's gonna be tough.
You got Jayden Reid who's been a little out of practice,
you got Christian Watson playing better. Like this is a
nice young group of receivers. I think like they have
a better, you know, young group of receivers than the Chiefs.
I was thinking, like, man if Patrick Mahomes had Jaden Reid,

(05:51):
and he'd probably know what to do with Watson and
Romeo Dobbs, Like they've got three receive rices like of
equal value, whereas you got only one Recie Rice on
the pack on the Chiefs.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Rather, Yeah, I'm really interested to see as we again
we talked about it what matters in the last five weeks,
you could definitely say that about the Chiefs and their
offense as well. And part of me thinks, and maybe
this is just like kind of reflexive after years and
years of greatness, that we might still see a good
run to the finish line for this offense and they're
gonna figure some things out, and and Rice will continue

(06:25):
to rise, and Kelsey will kind of hit that extra
gear and all of a sudden, Mahomes instead of throwing
two touchdowns a game and being a human looking, all
of a sudden, they're putting up multiple points a game
because they all like thirty point games, because they it's.

Speaker 6 (06:39):
All kind of there still, including a running game.

Speaker 5 (06:42):
So I think this is a spot where you could
see it in prime time in Green Bay. I would
not be surprised if you do get a big Packers
offensive performance. And if it does, I like the chief
I like the Chiefs a lot in this game. I
guess I'll put it that way that I do see
them kind of figuring some things out. You saw you
saw pieces of that last week ability to kind of
get things going in the second half, which had been

(07:02):
an issue. I think they're gonna figure this out and
we're gonna look at them come January in the playoffs
as the Chiefs that we know.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
And yeah, I think the the Rashi Rice like development
is big. I mean because like next gen stats from
all sorts of angles tells you, this is a is
a different offense than what we could rely on the past.
They don't have that explosive downfield element. I mean, they've
been plagued with, you know, poor wide receiver play. If
Rice can provide that like what he did last week,
which is sort of a I bet the best version

(07:30):
of him we've seen this season, like that changes things.
And I think there's a little bit of question about
if Travis Kelcey is still premier Travis Kelcey at this
point of the year, if he's a little banged up.

Speaker 5 (07:39):
But they can run the ball with in a way
that they couldn't in the past.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
I like that they know what they haven't Pacheco, and
they used them more in the receiving game last week.
I think I thought that was important. And I think
McKinnon might be out for this week too, because he's
one of their only playmakers on offense. Rice is another one,
but Rice is kind of limited. I went through that
game and was hoping, like, you know, we're gonna see
the way they and a lot of it was just
second reaction plays where he's kind of the you know,

(08:05):
Kelsey who that's great that Mahomes is gonna find on
these crossing routes in some like quick screens, but like
he doesn't go out and like run routes really well
or anything like Like Jayden Reid to me is he's
a really good slot receiver as a rookie. Romeo adopts
can do different things like Rice is explosive, get him
the ball in space. He can make plays, but he's
a little limited to be a number one type of receiver.

(08:27):
The Chiefs, by the way, are favored by six in
this game, Itch, and the over under is forty two
and a half, relatively low. Man. I love the Packers,
easy to say now getting seven and a half last
week against the Lines, and I think six is too
much too. I think this might be the hardest game
the Chiefs have left on the schedule. If they win this,
they might keep winning. I think the Packers got a
chance to win this thing.

Speaker 6 (08:47):
Yeah, call a hunch.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Rashat hunches have been off this year, but I just
feel good about Kansas City.

Speaker 4 (08:52):
The six feel a little absurd considering what we've seen
from Green Bay.

Speaker 5 (08:57):
In Green Bay over the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 6 (08:59):
No third is strong.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
I mean, are we now seeing Green Bay as one
of the top teams in the league. It's just, you know,
they're on a nice little heater in the quarterbacks playing.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
One and for all that.

Speaker 6 (09:08):
I don't want to take anything away from it.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
I just said it seems a little bit of a
slap in the same for the Chief struggles a little offensively,
like efficiency wise, success rate, all that stuff. There's still
like a top ten offense. It's not like they are
on offense, but that I hear.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
What you also like Mahomes is, you know, you could
say the greatest quarterback ever, and he's currently on pace
for the worst yards per game, passing, yards per attempt, touchdown,
interception ratio, passer rating all the lowest since he became
a starter. So this obviously has been a difficult year
for them so far. By their lofty standard one.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Matchup to Wax Travis Rashwan Gary is just having a
crazy good season. It hasn't totally shown up, but him
versus Donovan Smith or Juwan Taylor, I think the Chiefs
are a little vulnerable there. And Kenny Clark finally had
a big game last week, so that's something to watch it.
If he gets a lot of heat on Mahomes, Yeah,
Checko could end up crossing like thirteen hundred year some scrimmagees.

Speaker 6 (10:01):
He looks really good all there. And if they're averaging
twenty three points a game, Greg.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
The league, the league is not the same offensively. They're
a good example.

Speaker 6 (10:11):
All right.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Let's move to Monday night football where the Bengals and
Jaguars will do battle. You know, it's just depressing, damn
no Joe Burrow, of course, it is Jake Browning and
they are if you want to talk yourself into this game,
it's basically win or done for the Bengals at this point.

(10:32):
If they go to five and seven, you could basically
fold up the tent because they're not gonna win out.
And the Jaguars, I think it's Greg for me, building
on what you saw from their offense last week against
the Texans, building on Lawrence starting to come out of
a shell a little bit, and do they have a
surge in them down the stretch.

Speaker 3 (10:51):
I think they do. And I look at the line
eight and a half for the Jaguars and I just think, man,
how valuable quarterbacks are to this league?

Speaker 6 (11:01):
That will most valuable.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
They're too valuable, because, like I'll be doing this game
on Channel five if you want to watch in the UK,
and it's like, this would have been one of the
best Monday night football games of the year. It would
have been so exciting. And now it's eight and a half,
and that seems fine because I actually think with Joe Burrow,
Jaguars Bengals is pretty even based on the weaknesses, the

(11:23):
relative strengths and everything. And I do love what I
saw out of Lawrence last week. I don't think I
gave him enough credit on the recap show. Some of
those big time throws he had against the Texans were fantastic.
And the thing I loved is what we've been asking for,
Let's see like this special throws from Lawrence the last
two weeks. They've absolutely changed their strategy. They're throwing the
ball down the field more, they're doing more play action,

(11:44):
they're more creative, they're more aggressive, and there's a little
more variance. He misses some throws, that's fine, No one's perfect,
but the pluses have far outweighed the negatives. And this
is the type of Jaguars team I think, Okay, you
can win some games in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (11:59):
They're set up with because the Bengals issues at this
stage in the season. I mean, they're essentially they're obviously
cooked from every angle without Joe Burrow, but even we're
Burrow there, Like, their defense is not what we've thought
they've been in the past. Like there's a crazy stat
out there that the AFC North has existed for twenty
two years with those four teams aligned that way. Of

(12:21):
the eighty eight combined seasons of those four teams, the
current Bengals run defense ranks eighty eighth out of eighty
eight in rushing yards allowed, yards per carry eighty first
out of eighty eight, defensive rushing success rate seventy seventh
out of eighty eight. So there, run you can run
on them, and that isn't so much maybe a huge

(12:42):
factor in this game. I'm truev CTN is being absolutely
But secondly, they can't run the ball either. I think
mix In last week had sixteen carries off sixteen yards
off eight carries. So on both sides of the ball,
you've got You've got like a inexperienced Jake Browning sitting
out there with everyone around him not able to suppor

(13:02):
him in the run game. And you know, I just
what I hate about this Bengals season right now. It's
like you've essentially.

Speaker 3 (13:07):
Lost not just Joe Burrows season, but Chase like Higgins
everyone else around him.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
Like it's a lost campaign and it is a depressing
Island affair.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
Jake Browning, to the point we're making at the top
of this particular conversation, in Week twelve, became the fiftieth
starting quarterback in the NFL this season. That's a lot.
And it also gets at the point when people get
mad about there's too many rules protecting the quarterback. Oh
make it flag football or mark You'll be like, oh,

(13:37):
put him in a skirt, which is you know.

Speaker 5 (13:39):
I do say that every Sunday. I'm saying that.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Highly retrograde commentary. But this is why, because we don't
need fifty starting quarterbacks. And but the thing is graggy.
The players are bigger and faster and stronger ever, and
there's just no way to really protect these guys because
they are naturally in a vulnerable position back.

Speaker 3 (13:58):
There, right they've wrist injuries falling on a sack that
there's only so much you can do. It's just it's
just a bummer because Jake Brown and he's gonna try
to make some plays. He held the ball quite a
bit last week. I thought there were moments it was like, Oh,
he kind of looks like an NFL quarterback. But I
think he's going to be the backup type that tries
to make plays, and so they might be a week

(14:20):
that they pop and that they're okay. I doubt this
is that week, but I think those also got to
be some weeks, and last week was pretty close to
it where he's just killing them and he was not
that guy and they're tackles you keep pointing out too,
Like I really think Burrow was propping up a flawed
team that was not going to get where they wanted
to go. Their tackle through though, are bad on the

(14:41):
edges in terms of their pass protection. Orlando Brown has
not really played well and on the other side that
their longtime veterans been average, and his percentage of pressures
that he gives up now he has to go against
Josh Allen, who will hear a lot. I just can
guarantee money nights. Like, not a lot of people talk
about Josh Allen fabs. It's like you just that's the

(15:02):
only thing people say about Josh Allen. So we are
we're talking about him. He's been fantastic, maybe the best
contract year of anyone in the entire NFL. Eric, do
we have time for another edition of another segment on
the show? What is this gonna be? Browning be talking?

Speaker 7 (15:22):
It's time for the latest edition of Dan's Media Minute.

Speaker 5 (15:28):
I don't remember the script, but close that sounds right.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
I don't need and listen, we're all dealing with all
these starting quarterbacks this year and all these backups playing, right,
But I don't need And I believe it was on ESPN,
But it's not a shot at ESPN because we do
it obviously, the major networks do it these pregame shows. Okay,
we don't have Joe Burrow, but Jake Browning's here, so
we're gonna do a fawning feature on Jake Browning and

(15:53):
how awesome he was in high school. Oh, Jake brown
E set every record ever at his high school and men.
He had a lot of success too, and it's like, no,
I mean, this is the NFL, though, So like the
fact that he threw four hundred touchdowns in high school
is not going to hype me up to think that
the Bengals are gonna be okay with a deep, deep,
upper deck level quarterback now playing in the front row.

(16:16):
I I just want to say, toned down, tone down
the fireworks about these deep backups. We don't need to
dress it up and make it seem like every guy
is gonna be Kurt Warner, because there's really only one
Kurt Warner.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
And that's it's really fair, I would imagine, you know that. Yeah,
it's about like I just like I have not seen
one of these.

Speaker 4 (16:38):
I watched I watched it on Sunday morning. This will
people be listening to this in about you know, seven
or eight hours. There'll probably be some television producers out
there but already cooked up this segment and maybe they,
you know, back the truck up and remove it from
the rundown tough spot.

Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, there's another here's my new here's my mast headquarters,
there's scrambling hands. This is on to us, So we
gotta we gotta pay it. We got an audible.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
The other move, which I've found to be successful, is
like hard ghosting pregame shows entirely, so if it happens,
I never know what happened, right, But.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
For the people that do watch, in the producers that
make the content, you just know that you were just
on the media minute.

Speaker 5 (17:16):
I'll give you one more other little media nugget.

Speaker 4 (17:18):
You want to wow, it's not a minute, it's just
a little nug okay, But I want to put this
up on screen because our friend's spice Rack, and we
you know, our picks have been just absolutely out of
this world. But if you look at the top right there,
look at spice Racks prediction for the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (17:33):
Here, you've got a thirty three. This is an audio medium,
a thirty three nothing victory for the last week. Keep backwards,
say you keep saying you guys are on fire. It's tight,
it's great. They list ten people that are predicting, and
they put the top five in there. I guess they
don't want to make anyone feel bad to point out
who's six, seven, eight, nine, But.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
You're not in the top five, so well, no, totally
acknowledge that. Actually we discussed this your text thread with Spice.
It's like it's a comeback story. He was brought in
during an era of you know, up and down. I
would pick every week five over.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
He is the Chris Tabor to your Frank Reich. And
you did, just to make it clare, I'm still in
the organization, Just to make it clear, you did make
one change to his picks last week, as I recall, Yeah,
and that's been our only loss Brown, the only loss
by that.

Speaker 6 (18:20):
So the date, a lot of the data is conflicting
with the reality.

Speaker 4 (18:23):
Yes, and the producer I sent it to said that
it's the most entertaining portion of his week because they're
written on paper and he thinks great, thinks we've got
great promise.

Speaker 6 (18:32):
That sounds entertaining someone.

Speaker 5 (18:35):
Well, Spice racks blowing up to me.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
I'm just saying, if I'm going to be getting personal
texts about this, and it's in the show as well.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
Yeah, you were. You guys, at least you were outraged.

Speaker 6 (18:44):
You guys, at least do something in this competition.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
Get to the top five out of ten. It's only
been pretty low bar three weeks, so pretty low bar.

Speaker 7 (18:51):
You know.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
I love I love this. I love this segment, but
it's got to sing with winners. You guys got to
be winning.

Speaker 5 (18:57):
If we cracked top five, I'm allowed to text you
with three what's up?

Speaker 6 (19:00):
Three?

Speaker 3 (19:00):
Top five?

Speaker 2 (19:01):
We get a bronze medal out of this top five text?
All right, five out of ten? All right, let's take
a break and then we will get into the draft.
All right, we are back and yes, with the primetime
games off our plate, let's move to the draft and
it's time now for the first overall pick presented by
Draft Things and Greggy, you are on the clock.

Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, I am taking the game of the week, one
of the most exciting games of the year. The forty
nine ers fabang by three bang in Philadelphia.

Speaker 6 (19:32):
The Sharks get it. They understand what's going on.

Speaker 3 (19:34):
Kyle Sanahan says, I I don't understand that they actually
asked them about it, because the players are all talking
and Deebo Samuel saying James Baird Bradbury's trash. I like
that we need a little more of that. That's just
literally saying this guy's trash. There's like a lot of
elements of that in this game. Like a pro bowler,
you know, who's had made a lot of money in

(19:54):
his career. James Bradbury said propreer, James, He's trash.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
It is funny how it shifts the vernacular through the
years because when we were coming of age, it was.

Speaker 6 (20:02):
That guy sucks. Now it's like that guy's trash.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
Yeah, and uh yeah, they were trash. They were bad.

Speaker 5 (20:07):
Trash. Is like I think I like it more. It's
a little more for a little profane in retrospect, sucks.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
I agree my kids and young kids and I'm like,
why is this allowed? In some other words are not.
I'm worried about the Eagles in this game now. Maybe
everyone's going to be on the forty nine ers, and
when that happens and it's two good teams, that's usually
a bad sign for the consensus, and the consensus will
be on the forty nine ers. I am consensus, but
it just feels like they've been tilting towards this loss

(20:36):
for a while. And one thing I've been very focused
on this year is the extra rest, and the forty
nine ers got that four days of extra rest. Teams
with extra rest, they overperform in terms of the spread
and everything else exceptionally. It makes a really big difference.
But on top of that, it's long been my corner
when you have so many snaps the week before, and

(20:57):
we know that the Eagles played in overtime, not only
that with Rosenthal, not only that they were on the
field that whole game. Defensively, I think it matters more
for defense and offense. Ninety five snaps for the defensive
backs of the Eagles. Ninety five that's like that's two games. Yeah,
eighty plus for Reddick, seventy six for Jalen Carter career high,
sixty two for Jordan Davis career high. They've had injuries there,

(21:21):
Fletcher Cox's out of practice this week, still, Milton Williams.
And on the other side, it's like the dbs for
the forty nine ers played at sixty snaps. The defensive
line have played thirty forty snaps last week. And you
look at Nick Bosa and he's peaking right now eighteen
pressures and Javon Hargrave, he's got the revenge game angle,

(21:41):
and I just think up front, they're fresher and the
game matters more to them, not just because they feel
like they owe the Eagles one from a year ago,
but because of where they are right now in the season,
and I do think there's something that matters when that
comes to it that the Eagles are going to be
up for this game, of course, but they've just had
a lot going on this season that I feel like

(22:03):
right now the forty nine Ers are the better team
and they're the fresher team.

Speaker 4 (22:06):
I think the snap count thing, like I would kind
of shrug that off in September, it matters now. And
they've been through a gauntlet, I mean, the Eagles, and
it's like it feels like they've been like the game
of the week week after week.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
And to me, though, they're like the.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
Reverse Bills because to sneak the win they did, it
wasn't they to go win that game last week. It's
not that you're playing with house money, but it's like
you're just getting closer and closer to that totally important
number one seed. It matters so much to me this
games in Philly. But I also just look at the
way that Eagles have won because they've been imperfect, and
it's like, I'm kind of over this comparison between the

(22:41):
two ten and one Eagles operations last year and this
year because I kind of like what they're showing me.
They've been out like there's something not to like. They've
been out gained by ninety plus yards each of their
last four wins. Yeah, they found a way to win
those games. They've been five and oh when trailing at halftime.
That speaks to me about who they are as a
team and hurts his one five straight games when trailing

(23:01):
by ten plus points.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
So I guess you're getting crazy.

Speaker 5 (23:04):
It is.

Speaker 4 (23:04):
You're getting this version of the Niners, though, who are
all healthy when they're operating.

Speaker 5 (23:09):
They're all healthy. It's like certain guys kind of can dissip.
We saw, you know, Diebo was out for a bit.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
It's like he can disappear for a game and then
Brandon Au blows up or George Kittle blows up.

Speaker 5 (23:18):
Eagles have a really good run defense.

Speaker 4 (23:20):
So if it's not a Christian McCaffrey All Stars showing,
someone else is gonna do it. And I but I
do trust the Eagles just to find their way if
they get off to a slow start. They're the team
I trust to get back into a game because we've
seen it over and over.

Speaker 6 (23:32):
Absolutely.

Speaker 5 (23:32):
I mean, they there's no deficit that takes them out
of the game.

Speaker 6 (23:36):
Well, maybe this will be different this game.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
I think they've been living dangerously for weeks, as you're
pointing out, and I just feel like this could be
a bit of a maybe not a bad thing. Like
if the Niners go into Philly and they play as
well as we think they have a chance to play
here and kind of spank the Eagles a little bit,
it well, to me, it would be a thing that
would be surprising, but it wouldn't be shocking. It would

(23:59):
be kind of like, okay, like the Eagles have not
been playing a top four but winning here comes an
elite team that, by the way, needs this game if
they have any chance of getting the number one seed
in the NFC, and they know that, and Kyle Shanahan
is pounding that into their heads. And they're also, by
the way, very very upset the Niners about how last
season ended.

Speaker 6 (24:17):
They're bitter about it, openly bitter. I would be too.
They were a.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Absolute freight train going into the NFC title game and
then they lost all their quarterbacks, which, by the way,
his son Reddick this week talked about that, and he's
kind of sick of hearing that because he feels like
the Niners are use that as a crutch.

Speaker 6 (24:33):
A little bit talk is cheap. You know, they get
to come back in the lateth.

Speaker 1 (24:38):
It was a lot of boohoo's last year, a lot
of crime, a lot of what if, a lot of this,
a lot of that.

Speaker 6 (24:44):
They get a chance to come back in here improve
it again.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
All right, Greg, I'm gonna hit you with one of
your gregism's there. And that was by the way Sports
Radio ninety four whip two things can be true. They
could be boohoo and speaking out about how bum they
were and they felt like they got robbed the Niners.
And it could also be like the Eagles, like we
don't care. We just played the team that was there
and you shouldn't complain about it. So I like that

(25:09):
there's a little more kind of bad blood there, you
think potentially, and it's gonna be mark your boy Purdy.
I think it's a big party game here in a
big test and Greg like the Bills, as the Bills
proved last week. I don't think there's any reason why
Perdy can't eat a little bit here.

Speaker 3 (25:25):
I totally agree. You look at the matchups on the outside,
these cornerbacks, I thought Bradbury had his best game of
the season last week, by the way, so he's had
a rough go, but Slay's playing a little better. But
the cornerbacks have struggled the middle of the field of struggle,
and Kyle Shanahan loves just circling those linebackers and eating

(25:45):
them your food, your food, We're gonna, We're gonna, We're
gonna eat you. With Kittle and Deebo and the two
man game, and oh, by the way, Zach Cunningham's out
of practice, they're already short to Kobe Dean. They might
be gonna shack Lenardna No, although actually do it, I would.
I don't. I like the Eagles too much to lock

(26:07):
against him, but it's probably gonna be Christian Ellis and
Nick Morrow and so I agree. I think it can
be a big party game. He has played fantastic the
last couple of weeks and on the other side, to me,
I'd be the only reason I wouldn't lock. And I
do think that the forty nine ers will win and
cover is Hurts is there's something just special about him,
and they're taking on the personality of Hurts and Davanta

(26:29):
and aj Brown. That's where the weakness of this entire
forty nine Ers roster is is at cornerback. And so
if you told me they both go for one twenty
five and this game's in the thirties and it's just
whoever has the last ball wins, that would not shock me.

Speaker 6 (26:43):
I would.

Speaker 2 (26:43):
I would lock up the Niners in this game because
I love I love them in this game. However, I'm
like Mac Jones right now, like I'm not in the
picks competition. I'm not good, but I'm not as bad
as I look right now, but my confidence is shot,
so I'm gonna stay away.

Speaker 3 (26:56):
Well, I mean, Mac Jones is as bad as he
looks at this point, but deep within your saying yes,
deep with.

Speaker 4 (27:01):
It, I am going to do it, oh, because I'm
so far out of this race, but I'm going the Niners.
I just have a feeling like and it really everything
I just said about the Eagles can still be true
even if they get nipped in this game.

Speaker 6 (27:15):
I like this lock.

Speaker 5 (27:16):
I just think it's like, well, first of ball's for
the show.

Speaker 3 (27:18):
Have they got to do it again?

Speaker 6 (27:19):
I love this lock.

Speaker 5 (27:21):
I don't know, come join me, you can come.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
To need this lock, and yet I must walk away
from this lot. I'm Mac Jones throwing up moonballs on
out routes right now because I just don't trust we'll
see or feel.

Speaker 5 (27:32):
I like this over under of forty seven. I like
my record here six and six.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Five and seven. Wait, I'm behind seestok. I thought we
were tired in both lost last two. What are we
doing over there? What are you doing back there?

Speaker 3 (27:43):
I believe I like what you're doing. I believe the
I like what you're doing over the graphics on this
show made a mistake that was corrected by the Lock
It Up website that all along Mark had been I
believe up one.

Speaker 4 (27:55):
But uh okay, well that feels uncomfortable because we've formed
a comfortable union in the past.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
You know, I have a plan that will probably get
me even in the stand Mark, it was weird, Mark,
just like huge pump, like yeah, third bit, well like
the bottom pis so you know, taking a swipe at
me in it and the Westling Brothers are just two
games behind Greg. They're our only hope people.

Speaker 1 (28:14):
That was the game of the Week presented by Draft
King Sports Book. New customers can bet just five dollars
and get two hundred and bonus bets instantly download the
Draft King sports Book and use code ATN that's code
ATN only at Draft King sports Book, Draft King sports
Book and official sports betting partner of the NFL.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
All Right, second pick good? One second pick is me?
You know, I was starting to panic because I was
scanning down, was like, there's nothing here. There's a lot
of thing here, but there is one game that again,
another one a few weeks back, had what had no
interest in, But I love it now. The Denver Broncos
traveling to Houston to take on the Texans. I think
that's also the most underrated announcing team for CBS. Iron Eagle,

(28:54):
Charles Davis, our Buddy CD and Evan Washburn, who is
money on the sideline and he's got that Patrick Bateman
look where.

Speaker 5 (29:02):
It's just like good looking guy, got everything together. What's
really going on?

Speaker 3 (29:07):
Yes, I'm more than we know, aren't you often wondering
like what's going on? More than we could imagine? Like hey,
ceed He's like, hey, Evan, you want to go grab
a beer? After No, I got some movies to return.
I gotta go return by movies.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Well, I'm not insinuating that he's a serial killer, but
he might have videotapes to return whenever you want to
hang out with them, and then it becomes like.

Speaker 6 (29:28):
Well where is he going?

Speaker 2 (29:29):
Good observation Texans by three and a half in this one,
here's a good observation.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
C J.

Speaker 6 (29:35):
Stroud is good. Tanked hell good?

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Whoa even in a loss, yea even in a loss
last week against the Jags and a tough loss at that,
they were flashing again. And it's just they've become now
kind of appointment television in terms of you want to
see how this continues it.

Speaker 5 (29:55):
And yet it's like the team that interests me more
right now is the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos, a
team that I had written off like the rest of us.
I mean, we forked him and we're in a lot
of trouble there. Greg's going to be opening up his
check book again check tough sitch. But they have won
five straight games, and now if they could eat the Texans,

(30:19):
you know there's playoff ramifications. Here's big ones that puts
them in the driver's seat for a wild card spot,
and it puts the Texans in a tough spot would
drop them down to five hundred.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
So will they keep it up in Greggy, I have
to say you are, and I mean this sincerely, a
gifted analyst. You're very good at this, and I think
Greg performs a vital role of the show with his
football acumen.

Speaker 3 (30:48):
Just your love of the game, your knowledge of the game,
your passion for it. I like this, where are we
going here? We giving me feel uncomfortable.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
I believe you have a dual blind spot in your
analysis that's connected.

Speaker 6 (31:01):
There's connective tissue.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
It's Gino Smith right now and it's Russell Wilson because
they are tied together for history. And I don't think
I think you're kind of looking at Gino with rose
colored glasses and you're kind of doing the opposite with Russ.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
You know who Nick Schuk has ranked higher in the
QB and neck oo Geno Smith.

Speaker 2 (31:18):
Okay, but listen, Russ Wilson is playing a role here
in this five game winning streak and making plays week
after week with his legs, which is back in a
part of his game, and making money throws.

Speaker 6 (31:31):
He is the best red zone.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
Quarterback in football this season, Greg, and every week he's
making a big time throw.

Speaker 6 (31:37):
He is or three.

Speaker 3 (31:39):
He's extremely confusing. I'm with you because what about my
general overall take? Well, I.

Speaker 5 (31:47):
All the compliment, great analysts.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
Yeah that was great. Yeah, I was double blind with that.

Speaker 5 (31:53):
You kind of walked to Greg into a trap there
a little bit you.

Speaker 3 (31:56):
Did again, Buck has Geno higher. I think I'm seeing
things with Gena this year. He's been fine. He hasn't
really been much different. Russell Wilson, you might you might
have a point. So I actually looked into it this
week too because I was like, what am I missing here?
Because when you look at his stats, it's kind of crazy.
His yards per attempt down significantly from last year. Right,
yards per completion down significantly from last year. Different offend

(32:21):
sack great, still sky high, still one of the highest
in the league. Fumbles higher, actually again one of the
highest in the leagues. So there are some downsides, but
he leads the league an interception percentage in terms of
preventing turnovers. In terms of the interception, he's been great
inside the red zone. He's running better lately. The completion

(32:41):
percentage is obviously up, and he's been money late in
games when they've needed him to be.

Speaker 6 (32:46):
He's been a smart quarterback he really has.

Speaker 5 (32:48):
And eight touchdowns too, Yeah, they are a good team.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
Eight touchdowns, zero interceptions off the last in these last
five games.

Speaker 6 (32:55):
Always.

Speaker 3 (32:55):
This game interests me though, because of you compare the
two quarterbacks and it's like, I think they got to
meet a little in the middle here. The Texans are
asking CJ. Stroud to do more than whatever veteran thirteen
year veteran Russell Wilson is being asked to do a Denver.
Isn't that kind of crazy? Yeah, And I feel like
Stroud is now maybe doing a little too much, and
I think slowly they're asking Russell Wilson to do a

(33:17):
little bit more. Last week, the running game was certainly
part of it, and Sean Payton said that, but I
think for them to get to where they want to go,
he's got to be a little more dynamic. They got
to have a little more throws down the field more consistently,
and Stroud needs a little more help. So it's some
some meeting in the middle. It is kind of crazy
that Stroud is is a bigger part of their offense.

Speaker 6 (33:36):
WI here's the weird thing.

Speaker 5 (33:38):
Like Devin Singletary has really stepped up in these last
few weeks and.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
He's got good while last but he's I mean, give
me some consistency. They had a couple of big plays
though last week as a receiver, but they rely zero
running game from them last week between him and Pepe.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
But he's average one hundred and seventeen scrimmage George last
three weeks.

Speaker 6 (33:55):
Now, the previous two weeks were bigger.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
But you're you know, you're saying beyond that and and Tank,
they need somebody else to step up.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
I love defense. Defense, right.

Speaker 4 (34:05):
Let me ask you a question though, because, like I
I have no problem with Stroud just winging it the
way he has and throwing the ball as much, and
like he's an MVP candidate, are you saying you want
him used differently?

Speaker 5 (34:15):
Like the not using him in the passing?

Speaker 3 (34:17):
I mean more, you need a running game. They were
got awful again last week, so that's most you know,
they had those couple of good weeks, but their defense,
you know, get him some turnovers like they've been getting
for Russell Wilson, and last week especially, he kind of
was doing the Aaron Rodgers did this something, you know,
where he was just going back there and trying to
make a play. There wasn't much in rhythm, which is
part of what I liked about Stroud.

Speaker 6 (34:37):
That's all.

Speaker 4 (34:38):
It's so interesting, like in a sliding door situation where
I thought like Nick Cassario's butt was on fire about
a year ago, and it's like now no one talks
about him because he picked the right quarterback and a
bunch of other things worked out, and like he's faded
into the distance as a at someone first and then
like where we were with Russell Wilson a year ago,
Like I don't know, I guess, like you know, Russell

(35:00):
Wilson is kind of like a comeback Player of the
Year candidate right now, just because of the how dark
and how far away and how close it looked like
his career was just over.

Speaker 5 (35:09):
To what we're seeing now.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
And also the Broncos in general going from like Sean
Payton terrible zero Q rating to like, oh, Sean Payton,
you know, eviscerated Nathaniel Hackett and now he's Carmack returns.

Speaker 5 (35:21):
He's won five straight games.

Speaker 6 (35:22):
We have fun with Russell Wilson. Do we have any
Russ Wilson sound drops? We have fun? What does it
say on that wall upstairs?

Speaker 5 (35:29):
Integrity?

Speaker 6 (35:30):
And he is kind of in some ways and I
mean this, you know, Bronco's orange Let's ride. I don't
mean this in a mean way.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
He's kind of a ridiculous person, okay, but he also
his power of positivity and his utter belief and self
and the idea of like sticking to a plan and
all this stuff that led positive affirmation.

Speaker 6 (35:51):
All that stuff.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
I think that Russ Wilson has helped him flush last year,
where some other quarterbacks like got Mac Jones for instance,
although circumstances but still like can be ruined by a
year as bad as last year was. I think his
kind of mentality helped him move away from that at
a time where not only was he coming off his
worst year and become kind of a punchline, it was

(36:14):
a new head coach who immediately brought in a new
backup quarterback in this general vibe that he was a
dead man walking on this team.

Speaker 6 (36:20):
He feels pretty entrenched now with Sean Page.

Speaker 4 (36:22):
Yeah, he doesn't like I mean, the Russell Wilson experience
is absolutely not for everyone, and it's and there's things
he says that feel kind of like disconnected from reality.
He is a religious person and he talked literally this
past week about having this like self reflection where he
wondered if his career was over and kind of asking,
like the universe, why.

Speaker 5 (36:43):
Are you talking footsteps on the beach? Are we talking
footeps in the middle? Footsteps on the beach situation that
comes up once every eight months of this year. It
is not unlike that two foot steps, the one set
of footsteps and now the two again, like why did
you abandon me? It's like, no, Aaron, you over my
shoulder right there.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
Bro, I'm just saying he's going to be a little better,
all right, I'm with you, but like you think you
think I'm biased, and you're saying comeback player of the Year,
and I'm like, I'm saying, can check some some stats here,
Like I think he has gotten better the last couple weeks.
QBR sixteenth, right between Dobbs and Baker Mayfield PFF sixteenth,
one spot below Gino.

Speaker 5 (37:19):
Like, but your butter knife and Greg, You're you're ignoring
other stats.

Speaker 3 (37:23):
Absolutely, But I'm saying those those are ones that I
trust more than like passer rating and stuff. My point
is he's been a perfectly average starting quarterback. I'm not
gonna go so crazy that one of the highest paid
quarterbacks in the league with a great head coach is average.
It's been a big upgrade Old Good. It's gonna give
him a chance, and he's been getting better.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
I think like there's a different argument between like Russell
Wilson from various metrics is a great quarterback. I don't
think anyone's saying that, but the comeback player of the
Year is just simply narrative to Good.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
I mean, Jamar Hamilon still deserves it, but if they
don't give it to tomorrow, I think Russ and if
Greg's gonna throw it us out, I'll throw out one more.
Russ Wilson in the red zone this year seventeen touchdowns,
zero interceptions in that offense, and with the way that
defense playing and how opportunistic they are, that's a good
stat too, Gregy.

Speaker 3 (38:12):
It's an overrated one. They always tried out as red
zone stats because it's like everyone's stats in the red
zone they're amazing. It's true, all right, Next, Mark is
the anti Derek Carr. I'll give you that.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
I would say, check out Derek carrs or any Jets
quarterback in the last thirty years. Not everyone has good
red zone stats, all right, go ahead. All right, Uh, Mark,
I'm taking my late game Browns at Rams. I think
this is a major turning point for the Cleveland Browns.
What I saw last week against those Broncos was concerning

(38:50):
on multiple levels.

Speaker 3 (38:51):
But now it's could like the weirdness of this team
has gotten so much weirder because you can't bury the lead.

Speaker 4 (38:58):
Like Joe Flacco is going to be starting for the
Browns here in Los Angeles. Again, if they announce it,
well he's taken, unless you know, DTR suddenly overcomes what
looked like a gnarly head injury.

Speaker 5 (39:11):
I don't know if you're gonna rush him back into
the lineup on the road.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
Uh, yes, the path the concussion tests, taking all the
snaps in practice. So I'm going with the fact that
it's going to be Flacco, and you know, Stefanski still
said the DTR is the starter.

Speaker 5 (39:25):
Ultimately we'll see about that.

Speaker 4 (39:26):
It shows last week. Actually, no, I think you did too.
Actually like their quarterback play when PJ. Walker came in.
Everything fell apart completely. But I just think the Browns
that it can you know, lean so hard on this defense.
They gave up one hundred and sixty nine yards on
the ground to Denver one hundred and seventy two on
the on the ground of Pittsburgh one hundred plus to
Baltimore in the last three weeks.

Speaker 5 (39:49):
So that part of their defense has been problematic.

Speaker 4 (39:52):
And I think one of the stories of the NFC,
and one of the reasons the Rams scare me down
the stretch as if not a playoff hopeful chance, but
a berserker type team, is Kiren Williams is running the
ball like about as well as anyone the league. Is
three hundred and one yards over the task last two games.
You know there was no injury in between that. At
eight point three yards per carry, He's like an electric,

(40:13):
big play runner who completely changes this offense and makes
Matthew Stafford all the more dangerous. So I think this
is a real challenge for Cleveland, especially when it's like, Okay,
Miles Garrett avoided a terrible injury, but I don't know
what Latin means in terms of his overall health. He
couldn't even lift his army we could go. So we'll
see if you're gonna get that version of Miles Garrett.

Speaker 5 (40:33):
I think you're selling the Rams short if you're saying
they're more a berserker. To you, they're one game out
of a playoff spot. I think they can.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
I can't.

Speaker 5 (40:38):
It just gets some munchy.

Speaker 6 (40:39):
I think absolutely they could be playing.

Speaker 4 (40:41):
I don't see them as like a oh that looks
like a playoff team to me. Quarter after quarters they're
in the race. Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (40:47):
They have hit on something with this run game though,
And that's why this I love. I love December football,
December to remember we're getting there, December dream because all
because these stories, these personalities that we've have been building
for three months, they do have games like this where
the rubber meets the road. I don't. I think the

(41:08):
Browns can and very well might lose this game. They're
three and a half point underdogs. I would pick the Rams,
but neither would surprise me. I think they can survive
a loss here and they'll still be in the mix.
But the whole idea of this Browns defense is a
truly special group. And then this Rams offense and especially
their running game, building something really interesting. Our friend Nate
Tice has tweeted a lot about this, and our friend

(41:30):
Jordan Rodrieg has been writing about this that these Rams
duo runs, and a duo run is basically like a
power scheme, you're you're double teaming, you're running with the
tight end on the field. They're doing it in some
creative ways that they're blocking with the wide receivers and
the tight end, but it's ultimately power, straight ahead type
of football with some ingredients mixed in. And it's interesting

(41:52):
to think back to what made Sean McVay Sean McVay,
and it was the opposite. It was zone and it
was it was the coordination between the offense line. But
the way the NFL is now with all these light
boxes and the Browns are kind of part of that,
it's like, hey, how about we just smash you? And
the Rams have been pretty good and pretty creative about that,
and so it's a nice little clash here and I

(42:12):
kind of think the Rams have a good chance to
run the ball on them.

Speaker 4 (42:15):
I will say Jeremiah Wosacormo last week played one of
the best games I've ever seen.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
So good.

Speaker 4 (42:20):
He's just fun to watch and he like is a
star who then seems to disappear in that defense sometimes
a little bit.

Speaker 5 (42:26):
But on the flip side, and we were talking about
the stand.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Like I've argued to you about Dave and Najoku at
times like I found what what happened last week when
you needed to support two young quarterbacks like the drops
and the dry It wasn't just him, it was the
rest of that Oh he had a red, but he
he just did like the worst version of Dave and Nadjoku.
When that happens, it's really frustrating. Like a lot of
Browns fans kind of joke about the fact that there's

(42:48):
all these clips of him, like catching balls and with
no shirt on, like and you know, off the jugs machine,
and like he looks like a perfect athlete.

Speaker 5 (42:56):
But then it's like, you got to make these plays.
You want to be a star tight end.

Speaker 3 (43:00):
They need him because they just don't have enough weapons.

Speaker 6 (43:03):
There's nothing.

Speaker 2 (43:04):
Yeah, there's nothing more frustrating than watching your team that has,
you know, a backup quarterback and the guy struggling just
to complete basic passes and when he finally puts one
on the money, you're not making catches. And he dropped
an end zone ball that was the other tight end
picked him up later in that drive, but then had

(43:24):
another big drop over the middle. And in general, they
need these guys need to help out the quarterbacks, and
you know, the Flacco side of things is just like
it's coming, It's happening, and it's gonna be wild to watch.
And I'm gonna set the over on two and a
half fumbles on Sunday for Flacco.

Speaker 5 (43:42):
And that's what a stone age pony does.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
And maybe he'll be able to He'll if he gets protection,
he'll be able to spin a couple deep and maybe
they hit on something. It's it's It says a lot
about the state of the Browns and the desperation that
like last year in New York, turning to Joe Flacco
in two thousand and two twenty three is the right
move because they need something to spark them more.

Speaker 3 (44:05):
And I guess I don't see it as much with
dtr I know, I thought he had a nice game.
He made some nice thrown see.

Speaker 6 (44:12):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (44:13):
Maybe maybe the PJ Walker does nothing for me. So
give give Flacco a shot here and see if he
can you can get lightning about.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
He will be their fourth starter this year. Man, I
wish I could find the step. I think it's the
first team in six or seven something like that years.
I believe it was a Panthers team that last started
four starting quarterback. So it's pretty pretty rare you have
four starters.

Speaker 4 (44:31):
In a season, and it's about the weirdest quarterback you
could imagine in a Brown's helmet.

Speaker 5 (44:35):
So I just, you know, visually, I don't know.

Speaker 6 (44:36):
I'm strange. By the way, that was, the Browns are
your first pick this week?

Speaker 3 (44:41):
Oh yeah?

Speaker 6 (44:42):
Have you cal ripkins?

Speaker 3 (44:43):
By the way, they're over in Westwood practicing all week.
They're in LA the Browns. You everythink, just no, he's not,
he's not.

Speaker 6 (44:51):
Remember he's not.

Speaker 3 (44:51):
But you're just a fan of football. You could go,
I don't know what am I allowed to go watch them?
I don't know what the security is like over there.
You could get in abubble press bet now they're outside
it's beautiful, sure, or just show up. Maybe fans can
show up there. I don't know how it works. Well,
but he's not a fan, right well as a credential,
just as a reporter, as a reporter, yeafessional. Yeah, it's

(45:14):
they're they're at in UCLA all week. I just find
that interesting.

Speaker 5 (45:18):
That's a hops given a jump, take a look. All right,
you're up again.

Speaker 4 (45:21):
Mark, I'm going to take the Lions coming off a
grizzly Thanksgiving Day against the Saints, who are a weird team.
I guess I kind of want to just see what
this Lions team coming off of, you know, nine plus
days of rest, which I think matters how they recover.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
I mean, good reset for them too, after you know
the grim nature of that game and even the week
before where they just survived against Chicago.

Speaker 5 (45:45):
Yeah, I think we need to.

Speaker 4 (45:46):
I think if you're a Lions fan, you want to
see Jared Goff return to the version of Jared Goff
that we had seen for so long. I have confidence
that can happen, but he's had two really ugly performances
in a row. I kind of d to feel like,
in general, the Lions have these things. When I was
watching the Packers game, it's like, Oh, this is what
they're playoff. They're going to win a playoff game, and
then they're gonna lose one and the loss is going

(46:07):
to look like this one where they just get kind
of thrashed, and it's like the secondary is a fatal flaw.
You know, Aiden Hutchinson is, you know, brilliant, but there's
not a great pass rush here this you know, their
offensive line, I thought got controlled by Green Bay a
week ago.

Speaker 5 (46:20):
That's the problem. Is Aada Hutchinson brilliant? Also, I think
that's part of the issue too.

Speaker 6 (46:24):
He's not.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
I'm not saying I'm not saying that he's a mathematician.
I'm just saying, you know, I mean, like he's not
a brilliant football player. I don't know how good play.

Speaker 4 (46:31):
I think he's cracking to be a pretty huge difference maker.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
I mean, like a pro bowler. It's a successful maybe
maybe not, though there's so many good edge players. It's
it's a fair point. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (46:42):
He makes sometimes basically than you can see, he disappeared
and then he's a very good player.

Speaker 6 (46:46):
I'm just saying, you said brilliant.

Speaker 3 (46:49):
Aaron Donaldson told me that he has a similar career
in some ways to Jdevian Clowney, where it's a lot
of pressure, like borderline pro bowler, but maybe not like
Miles Garrett.

Speaker 5 (47:02):
I get it, Myles Garrettrillian.

Speaker 4 (47:03):
We call these coaches brilliant all the time, and they're
not brilliant either, So I don't it's in football that
we're I'm.

Speaker 5 (47:09):
Not talking about intellect, right, I'm talking about like I thought,
you meant brilliant as a brilliant act. I did, but
I couldn't regret using that word anymore.

Speaker 6 (47:16):
At this point, we.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Should have mentioned Garrett by the way, we got to
see how he looks. He did, I did, Okay, good
go on.

Speaker 6 (47:23):
I never said that.

Speaker 5 (47:24):
Any other corrections or issues at this point.

Speaker 6 (47:26):
Uh no, move forward. I just say Craig like, that's.

Speaker 3 (47:30):
Fourth in pressures them on edges in sixth and grade.
By pfs, that's pretty pretty good, very good Saints, very
banged up.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
Like and Derek Carr like the last three time passes
have not come from Derek Carr. Like, I don't know
what's gone with Derek Carr, but like from a lot
of different ends, Saints fans are not thrilling Saints fans.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
I'm happy with Derek Carr. Let's throw it to Greg
ah Well that they hate him.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
The media apparently is because they were asking him and
about his red zone woes, and he's like, I could
tell you what we're doing, but I'm not going to
answer that question. It's just getting a little ted. I
knew it was.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
That's so bored of the Derek Carr hate. There's so
much more to not like about this team beyond derekkar.

Speaker 3 (48:07):
But to your red zone point. Over the last two seasons,
fifteen for fifty two on passes from ten are closer.
Next worst among that's twenty eight percent. Next worst among
thirty five players with twenty attempts is Matt Ryan uh
Now working with CBA ten percent better retired guy than
Derek Carr.

Speaker 6 (48:24):
So they fired and retired.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
There is something there there. Twenty ninth. It's just it's
just bad. And and I'm with you, there's so much
more to not to like about the Saints, And I
start with their coach and their and their defense. And
I think, you know, it's done for a team when
the thing that's supposed to be their core thing is
no longer their core thing. And for the Saints for
for so long under a dentistul it's like, oh, we

(48:47):
got to keep this guy, keep this defense together. It
was their defense in general, and it was a run defense,
especially elite year after year. Last five weeks, one sixty
four are allowed, one fifty six, twenty eighth. Sorry you're
going up again, big Lions team who can mass you

(49:07):
on the ground. It's gonna be a long day in
the Superdome. I'm locking it off me too. Oh no,
don't put that on me.

Speaker 6 (49:15):
Give me a double, give it me right in the
rust train. Let's go, Greg. I will follow him, follow him.

Speaker 3 (49:27):
You're right, and I almost never. I don't know when
the last. I never take road teams either. And I'm
taking like a little here.

Speaker 5 (49:33):
Like a little brother, just trailing behind the big brother.
No matter where he goes. You can move off this game,
Greg can go to another game. Oh yes, I will
follow him, follow him wherever he may.

Speaker 3 (49:43):
Gones are favored by four in this game. By the way,
it sounds about right. I don't think that's crazy, but
oh yeah, we got this Greg, me and you. It
would be if they don't have Shaheed and olave and
o'lavey was practicing yet concussion. But he was practicing, so
I think there's a chance he gets a decent chance, Michael,
see total confidence now. But it's a bad week not
to have Shaheed here, because I do think Carb made

(50:05):
a lot of nice throws last week too. They're not
like the worst offense they could put up.

Speaker 6 (50:09):
That's what I was trying to tell you guys on Cyber.

Speaker 3 (50:11):
Putting up a lot of points on the Lions. So
is if the Lions trail in this game twenty to ten,
I don't want any texts from you, Dan saying why
did you did this? I am even when the Lions
are traveling twenty to ten, I have confidence they will
win thirty seven to thirty one.

Speaker 6 (50:27):
I just driving the car. That's my vision.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Daddy, You're driving the car, that's right, and I'm in
the back seat and we are just cruising to another
w Yes, That's why I was like pulling my hair
out on Sunday watching the Saints because Car threw for
three hundred.

Speaker 6 (50:41):
Empty yards and they were moving the ball so well.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
Between the twenties, Kamara is playing as well as he's
playing in about three years.

Speaker 6 (50:47):
He's wit how is that possible? Greg?

Speaker 2 (50:48):
That none of it is greatest though, he's like the
greatest red zone running back in the league inside the
ten certainly, and they can't find a way to block
up front for him or get the ball in his
hands in space. And that's when I start to think, Okay,
Derek Carr, he's not the guy long term for them.
But how about Carmichael and the offensive scheme? Like why
are they not making the most. I've got them talented
the least.

Speaker 3 (51:08):
Greg answer, I can give you which and it's the
reason why I feel so good locking this game up.

Speaker 1 (51:13):
Es.

Speaker 3 (51:14):
These are vibes.

Speaker 6 (51:15):
Vibes.

Speaker 3 (51:16):
These are the two opposite vibes teams. Saints have the
worst among the worst vibes in the NFL, the Lions
coming off a loss of the best vibes.

Speaker 4 (51:26):
Oh, this is going This will create one of the
more annoying Sunday.

Speaker 3 (51:34):
I mean, there's some plus.

Speaker 6 (51:37):
Now, all right, let's uh move on.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
It is my turn and I will grab Oh yes,
I will take the Atlanta Falcons. Let's grab another South
team heading to the Meadowlands to face the Jets. It's
a two and a half. Oh my god, you know
how how much things have changed. Desmond Riders is the
quarterback of the Falcons. He's going to New Jersey to
play a Jets defense that has faltered of late, but

(52:02):
as a couple of weeks ago seen as one of
the best in the league. And it's the Falcons favored
by two and a half points. And the over under here,
I can't imagine there's a lower over under and six
is not thirty three and a half over under in
this game, so you know we're gonna see I think
I think Desmond Ridder. Listen, am I gonna come out

(52:24):
here and say now that the Aaron Rodgers been cleared
to practice and he's back on the field, and he's
still targeting Christmas Eve as a return. As a Jets fan,
you know it's a bad idea everything about it, but
you can't help it. Suck yourself in and be like, Okay, well,
if we could just stop the bleeding against a mediocre
Falcons team with a bad quarterback, maybe we could kind

(52:45):
of just hang around at least get to mid December,
and then it becomes a possibility that Rogers saves the day.

Speaker 6 (52:51):
All silly talk, but this is what you do as
a fan.

Speaker 2 (52:53):
You kind of talk yourself into things, and it starts
here because I do think that this sets up well
for the Jets pass rush and their secondary to force
turnovers and give the offense its only chance, which is
short fields or even a defensive score, which they got
against the Dolphins and it still didn't matter. So that
is the path to victory for the Jets, is that
it's been all season, is the defense saving the day.

(53:14):
But I think against this opponent, they have a better
chance at it actually occurring.

Speaker 4 (53:20):
They're you know, often glowed about defense for you know,
some proper reasons you can run on them, like they're
only one other team is allowing more yards on the grounds,
you know, game Some of that is like I guess
the game script because you know, a lot of killing
the clock, and that makes sense. But it's still it's like,
this isn't a Falcons team that finally, you know, last
week they ran for two hundred and twenty eight yards.

(53:41):
It kind of looked like what we thought they wanted
to do. It wasn't having Desmond Ritter throw the ball
forty seven.

Speaker 5 (53:47):
Maybe that's it. Maybe it doesn't throw up more than
fifteen times.

Speaker 4 (53:50):
Scott's you're probably your recipe to sneak into the playoffs
as a certainly doomed operation. But I feel like this
Jets team, and it's like they're so close to probably
just fracturing psychologically. But they're gonna need like two or
three special things to happen that generate points from somewhere
other than your offense to win these games. To have
Aaron Rodgers even relevant, I don't even I don't understand

(54:11):
why he would come. I don't want a guy, forty
year old guy coming off like a quick recovery from
an achilles playing games in late December.

Speaker 5 (54:18):
But that's that's their decision.

Speaker 3 (54:20):
I don't think they're gonna get there.

Speaker 6 (54:21):
It's not their decision.

Speaker 5 (54:22):
Well, it's they're all It's all happened, is that vision?

Speaker 2 (54:26):
And and that's where you get frustrated as a fan.
And why is the Jet Jets ven? You're just it's
messing with your mind because you know he shouldn't be
doing it, and you know, and Packers fans like Big
Funk behind the Glass know this. That Rogers is doing
it in a way that I think you could frame
it as Rogers is doing it to show that Aaron
Rodgers did.

Speaker 5 (54:46):
This not necessarily hundred perceived the Jets.

Speaker 2 (54:48):
And if he could do both at the same time, great,
But if you could at least check the boxer being
the guy that had the fastest return ever from an achilles,
I think that matters a lot in the world of
Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 3 (54:57):
Sure, but they'd have to win two out of three minimum.
I guess they would have to win two out of three,
is how I would put it. If he was trying
to get back.

Speaker 2 (55:05):
For right and in fairness on McAfee, which we can't
play the clips too because it's not allowed unless you
pay a fee. He said that he walked back a
little bit and said, my return to the field this
season is going to be connected to the Jets. Is
a bill right to stay in the mix here and
if they don't win this game, you're kind.

Speaker 4 (55:22):
Of fold On the schedule is it's Falcons, Texans, Dolphins, right.

Speaker 3 (55:26):
So this is their easiest and I think two and
a half is I would I would give away the
two and a half and I would take the Falcons
because vibes. Again, not that the Falcons have good fights,
but the Jets ones are rough, and I just don't
trust in the offense. And I guess it's like, what
do you trust what you saw the last couple of
weeks or over the breadth of the season. If you

(55:46):
trust the breath of the season, the Falcons are a
total mess And this is pretty winnable. That game last week,
and granted it was against the Saints, was enough for
me to be like they reset, they had a bye week.
The offensive line looked really cohesive. Caleb McGarry, who struggled
this season, and Chris Linstrom and that O line, which
had great continuity. Man, they were blowing open holes and
they're running for two twenty eight And that was the Falcons.

(56:07):
I expected you kind of just mentioned that. And is
that enough to beat the Jets. I think it is.
But it's the Falcon.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
I watched that game five last Sunday, and the thing
about them, and that's why Arthur Smith is going to
lose all his hair by the end of the season.

Speaker 6 (56:20):
Even in that there were still these just dreadful ridder
I get it.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
I watched that.

Speaker 5 (56:25):
It's gonna happen every single week with him.

Speaker 4 (56:27):
He'll make like the best throw he's made all season,
and then a disastrous throw that leaves the Falcons in
a dark corner.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
They protected him well again, and that's the matchup too.
But if they're lying their offensive line can play well,
I think they can win the division.

Speaker 5 (56:41):
He'll give the game, We'll give the Jets a chance
to win the game.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
Now, whether or not this version of the Jets can
take advantage of those opportunities, I am dubious, but as
a fan, I can always hope. All right, let's take
a break and then when we get back. Uh, Greggy,
all right, we are back housekeeping items before we get
back to the draft, and Greg is panicking over there
trying to figure out his next two games.

Speaker 6 (57:06):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
This is our Thursday triple header for ATM. We have
this preview show, we have our NFL Plus Dreamatorium episode,
and then Thursday Night football recap, Greg Rosenthal.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
And Stephen Ruiz from the stephen Es Good get that's
the brock pretty guy. It's also the geno Smith guy.

Speaker 6 (57:27):
You guys, that's either going to be.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
There for great first start for the Seahawks against Russell Wilson,
not his first start ever, but last season.

Speaker 4 (57:36):
So I brought him back on for a little good loves.
This will to be a vibrant to debate as your
arm in arm, like you know, fawning over to.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
Well, I mean they're probably not gonna win, or just
like looking at the stats to present his game as
somehow successful regardless of brilliant.

Speaker 3 (57:52):
I'm worried.

Speaker 6 (57:54):
And so check all that content out if you can.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
We promise it is high in quality, because the moment
that this show ceases to be a quality program, we're all.

Speaker 6 (58:07):
Out of here.

Speaker 5 (58:08):
Oh wow, yeah, immediately not doing a bad show mid episode.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Perhaps I'll go do I'll go do a Yankee podcast
that gets I don't know three hundred.

Speaker 6 (58:18):
Are you a month?

Speaker 2 (58:19):
Are you openly concerned about that that? No, I'm saying
I don't care. I don't want to do a bad podcast.
I'm not interested. No, the ambition is strong here and
I feel it with you guys too. Okay, as long
as we care, it's good for them, the listeners. What
are talking about?

Speaker 6 (58:35):
Also? Arrest Warren.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
This is a serious news. Arrest Warren has been issued
in Dallas for Bill's Edge von Miller for allegedly, and
this is no way, assaulting a pregnant woman. The Dallas
Police Department confirmed the warrant on Thursday, which was initially
reported by w FAA in Dallas Wednesday at eleven am,
Dallas Police responded to a major disturbance.

Speaker 6 (59:00):
That's a third degree felony.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
By the way, if you are charged with assaulting a
pregnant woman, and that's very, very bad.

Speaker 6 (59:07):
So obviously the case has to play out.

Speaker 2 (59:09):
But we don't know what this means in terms of
von Miller's future with the Bills or whether he could
end up be placed on leave and he's had a
disappointing season, so from a team standpoint, I don't know
how much just hurts the Bills. But obviously Miller is
a Hall of Fame level player with a high level
of notoriety, and this is not the first time he's
been connected to the domestic violence, it should be stated.

Speaker 6 (59:31):
So keep an eye on that story.

Speaker 3 (59:34):
I will move on by taking the next pick.

Speaker 6 (59:37):
Here, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (59:38):
I do not want to watch the Patriots live, so
I'm gonna avoid them and take the Cardinals. I think
I've had them three straight weeks since Kyler's gone back
at the Steelers. The Steelers are five and a half
point favorites. Okay, makes sense to me. I talked on
our Wednesday show what matters. I believe this Pittsburgh offensive

(59:59):
renaissance matters, and so I'm going to keep an eye
on that good running game, even back since before Matt
Canada was fired and last week, if they really are
getting better in terms of throwing the ball, and I
thought that was Kenny Pickett's best game of the year
by far. I mean that's question. Some real throws, nice
throws to the outside. Friar Ruth being back is important.
He was great, really good player.

Speaker 6 (01:00:20):
Yeah, he's very good.

Speaker 2 (01:00:21):
Officials blew a call. He should have had a touchdown
pass the Johnson I believe it.

Speaker 3 (01:00:25):
Right, and Tomlin should have challenged that too, So Pickett
would have had that touchdown. Fire ruth like faster than
I remember. Maybe he's always been fast, but really adds
a dynamic to their offense that I think they need.
And they're going up against the Cardinals defense, which has
never been good this season and seems to be collapsing
further each and every week with injuries. And so if
they are the Steelers that I kind of think they

(01:00:48):
could be down the stretch put up another four hundred
yards with Warren and Nase running all over the place
this week.

Speaker 4 (01:00:53):
Yeah, Like I didn't look at the Bengals defense as
it was a nice event for Pittsburgh. It wasn't an
acid test, nor will this be in terms of where
their offense really is. Like the Cardinals sitting dead last
in EPA against the pass and thirtieth against the run,
I think that bolds well. I mean one thing that
I thought Picket last week had six completions of fifteen
plus yards and it looked like it. And before that

(01:01:16):
he was last in the league in throws of that
nature per game, and so that that has been missing
and Friarmouth like seems to kind of just be the glue.
There's a couple tight ends like that. Other teams don't
really feature it the same way. Like he really really
helped open up the middle of the field.

Speaker 5 (01:01:30):
And I'm with you. I think he's an emerging player.

Speaker 4 (01:01:32):
He was PFF's fifth highest rated football player week ago.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
And he might be you know, pick it might be
like Josh Dobbs as an example, one of those quarterbacks
that just loves their tight ends and if they can
continue to build in the chemistry, and then he could
sprinkle in the wide receivers which are high quality. Yeah,
there there's potential here that are coming off that season
high four hundred and twenty one total yards. I will
just a little bit push back on they did score

(01:01:57):
sixteen points off those four Yeah, that's true, and the
week before they won a game and I think it
was thirteen points. So this is still not a team
that's finding a way to pile up points. However, I
think in this matchup, you won't need more than let's
say seventeen points.

Speaker 6 (01:02:12):
So I think it really sets up well for another win.

Speaker 2 (01:02:14):
The bummer about the Kyler thing, Greg to me has
been Kyler Murray's back, and that's fun, and he does
have that highlight play every week still, but they still
they're still kind of like the same team with those
juice and they're just like a team that exists but
not really.

Speaker 3 (01:02:28):
Yeah, I think he's played solid. He's definitely an upgrade
from Dobbs, I think overall. But it's it's only so much.
I've been struggling with what more to say about this
Cardinals team, but I found something. Okay, They're getting a
lot of production and a lot of play from a
very solid rookie class, so that is something they should
be happy about. Paris Johnson playing at tackle been solid,

(01:02:49):
Ojulari pass rusher solid, Garrett Williams quite good for a
third round cornerback, and Michael Wilson, when he's been healthy,
has been nice at receivers. So their first four picks
under this new regime, they don't feel like home runs,
but they all feel like singles and doubles guys who
will be starting in the end those two. That's positive.
That is a big change for four players that like Okay,
those guys will be starting next year.

Speaker 5 (01:03:10):
They've got right now the number two pick.

Speaker 4 (01:03:12):
They've got another first round pick and a flock of
other picks as well, so don't trust them all.

Speaker 3 (01:03:17):
Right back to me, I'm gonna take the Dolphins fun
watch every week. Favored by nine and a half in Washington.
The Commandos getting no respect anymore, and I get it.
But as four and eight teams, that was.

Speaker 5 (01:03:36):
A tough Thanksgiving for the old Commandos.

Speaker 6 (01:03:38):
It was.

Speaker 3 (01:03:38):
It was rough, you know, it was a weird game.
They were like even in total yards halfway through the
third quarter, and I was like, they're not. Then they
were quite as bad as I get. The score looked,
and then it got even worse and worse and worse.
As four and eight teams go, they're watchable. They're one
of the only two teams in the NFL, along with
the Cardinals, who haven't had a buy yet. And so
the buye schedule will end next week with a bang.

(01:04:00):
Commanders and Cardinals say goodbye to them for a couple
of weeks or forever that that would be fine. They
just stayed on their by I wouldn't mind that Miami
was asked this week Mike McDaniel, like, are you gonna
what are you gonna do to improve the short yarded situation?
He did say like he wants to run the ball
a little bit more. Moster, it's having such a nice
season for them. He might be a pro bowler for

(01:04:22):
the first time. We will see if arm armsteads around,
Armstead returns. I don't know what to do here there.
I want to see a beautiful Tua game. This is
an easy matchup. He hasn't had a totally easy one
in a while. Give me, give me some September Tua.

Speaker 4 (01:04:36):
Yeah, I mean, their their schedule Miami and I know
they're not talked about. Is like a team that's gonna
sneak in there and take the number one seat. And
I don't expect it to happen. But Commanders Titans Jets
after having played you know, an up and down Raiders
team and the Jets the first time, it's it's laid
out nicely for them, and it hasn't been like a
pristine version of Tua the last couple of weeks. But

(01:04:57):
I'm with you on Moster, like all he really ever
needed to do with stay healthy. I mean, it was
like seemed like every single season injury side swept what
was a.

Speaker 3 (01:05:05):
Really right And there's been injuries next to him too,
so he's had a bigger role because of that.

Speaker 4 (01:05:09):
Sounds like Devon ay Chan could play this week, we'll see,
but he didn't have They kind of were cautious with
him a week ago.

Speaker 5 (01:05:15):
And I do, Greg, you've been hitting on this a
little bit. It's I think it's time to see. We're
not gonna at least so far, we're not gonna know
for sure how Miami fairs.

Speaker 6 (01:05:24):
Against the big time teams.

Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
But let's let's get back to at least, you know,
a monster offensive performance by this team where you're like, okay,
they still have that in them. They could absolutely destroy
an opponent. And the and the Commanders, as we just
saw against the Cowboys, have a defense that will certainly
allow that, a defense in disarray that just fired their
defensive coordinator, traded away a bunch of their big pieces
of the deadline. If the Dolphins once again are kind

(01:05:45):
of hot and cold and two of throws and other
onse balloons on an out pattern for a pick six
or something like that, it's like, all right, guys, is
this a problem?

Speaker 3 (01:05:53):
Have we peaked as an offense. It's concerning. And then
on the other hand, like Dolphins fans are like, oh,
we're about to go to nine and three, when was
the last time he won the AFCAS, Like, I don't
even know what the answer is, Like you mentioned that
schedule that could set them up to get to eleven
and three, and then they have the Cowboys and the
Ravens in a row. So that's a fun actually scenario
where like they they beat up on these lesser sisters

(01:06:16):
of the NFL, get to a big, fancy record, and
then we have some nice matchups there at the end
of the season, though the last one still have to
prove themselves right that world, it's fun little Christmas game.

Speaker 4 (01:06:27):
Cowboys, Yes, Mark, I was gonna say they won the
division in two thousand and eight.

Speaker 3 (01:06:32):
Oh it was against the Jets. Ad Pennington comeback player
of the year. All right, moving on my turn. Thank you, Mark,
Tony Sperana.

Speaker 6 (01:06:42):
Rest in peace. He was a good man.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
Tony, all right, I will go with uh. You know
I haven't done this all year, at least in games
that connected to my favorite team. I'm gonna go with
the Patriots. I'll help you out there. Gregy Chargers at
Pats and I have no interest to anything going on
in New England at all, but I do, you know,
all right as my second game, as the game that's

(01:07:08):
not as high up, I'll watch justin Herbert. That's kind
of what we're at here, where we're at on this
one in terms of juice from my perspective, from the
Chargers perspective, like, I don't know, let's see what the
what's the zone on this five and a half?

Speaker 5 (01:07:21):
Which is Greggie? Well, you know, why are we not
locking up this one? I know the Chargers are going
in bad direction too, but like the Chargers for cracket seven.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
I think this is I think where you get into trouble.
But it's a number, and I have to admit Nick
Whistlings talk about don't go for the fives and six
is that probably played in my decision making the last
few weeks. But I actually do think the Patriots have
a better chance to win this game personally than the
Saints the defense left because as as as as ugly

(01:07:52):
as it is for Brandon Staley, can't you just imagine
losing to the Patriots here as being kind of the
final nail. There's nothing Yeah, there's nothing imagine. I mean,
I don't expect it, but I can imagine.

Speaker 6 (01:08:05):
With the Chargers, there's nothing that would surprise in terms of, like, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:08:08):
A totally preposterous game that Bailey ZAPPI like, doesn't do anything,
but their running game, which has been pretty good the
Patriots is effective throughout the game and the defensive place,
so I could see it. I don't expect it, but
I could see it and take the five I would
give away. I would not give away the five and
a half i'd taken.

Speaker 2 (01:08:24):
The Patriots and Belichick never loses to the Chargers, but
they also the Chargers again, they kind of told on
themselves and expose themselves as being fraudulent. But before this
three game losing streak, they took care of the Bears
and the Jets, who are similarly bad teams, at least
the Jets in the form they are now, and so
the Patriots should be a team they kind of take
care of business as well, so it will. I guess

(01:08:45):
that's really what it comes down to. There's two things
to watch for on the Patriots side is how bad
does this get? Mark you mentioned it when we talked
about what matters doesn't matter how the Patriots close. Has
Robert Craft already decided what he's doing with the head coach,
But certainly if they get embarrassed again at home by
the Chargers, that will be another nail in Belichick's coffin.

(01:09:06):
And on the Chargers, did they have any fight whatsoever?
Or are they quitting on Brandon Staley? It's it's kind
of a grim game, but one that's worth keeping an
eye on for those.

Speaker 5 (01:09:13):
There's terrible things happening for for both coaches.

Speaker 4 (01:09:16):
I mean, like the Brandon Staley like whatever you're calling
cards or what do you want to you know, wrestle
with the media over They're allowing more yards per game
than they have going back to nineteen eighty five. They've
never been this bat on defense. And it's not just yardage,
it's everything else you see too. And for the Patriots,
Mac Jones and Bailly Zappy like this, I don't really

(01:09:37):
care who's starting or if you play both of them
seven different times in one game, they combined for a
fifty six point six PFF grade. Last week Dak was
at ninety seven. It's like combined, they were terrible, Oh combined,
Like if you added their scores and it looks like it.
That's the thing about Zappi, which I think you have
to play Zappy in the airplane. Zappi, according to reports,

(01:09:57):
even though Belichick won't say it, he's been taking in
the reps. You have to because Max just totally broken.
But it is worth noting.

Speaker 6 (01:10:04):
I checked this.

Speaker 3 (01:10:05):
PFFS has fifty two players who have had at least
forty dropbacks this year. Zappi's ranked fiftieth. I mean, he's
been terrible too, and through through a terrible interception last week.
So it's just like run the ball and defense and
hope for that.

Speaker 4 (01:10:17):
I don't think we We probably don't ever see Mac
Jones play another game for the Patriots unless there's an injury.

Speaker 6 (01:10:22):
That's what I thought a couple weeks ago. That's well,
so bad.

Speaker 3 (01:10:25):
What's one of the reasons why Belichick is like, I
can't believe he played him again, and I know they
don't have any faith in Zappy, but it just he
benched himself and you didn't listen. It was crazy, by
the way, my worst but Johnston benks too. By the way,
at the end of last week's team was kind of
an we didn't really notice that on the show.

Speaker 6 (01:10:43):
We talked about it, did we We talked about it.

Speaker 3 (01:10:45):
That's right, that's right, And then they said it was
an injury, but then he was playing special. Yeah. Then
Stalley confirmed eventually essentially was.

Speaker 5 (01:10:52):
Mess worst contract year All Stars.

Speaker 6 (01:10:56):
I think maybe U T.

Speaker 2 (01:10:57):
Higgins is the top of the list, but Austin Eckler
is not far behind. It's been a tough year for
Eckler and his stats aren't great, but it's really with
him eye test too. He just doesn't seem to be
explosive this year, and that's gonna be tough for him.

Speaker 3 (01:11:09):
Yea, they're really not. There is this idea that they're
very talented, well after Mike Williams on offense. I just mean, okay,
Sean Slater certainly, Keenan Allen's a really good receiver, but
are they better than average overall?

Speaker 2 (01:11:28):
I'd be curious what Ecklers like Pop the Hood stats
are in terms of okay, because you know he's averaging
three point eight yards per carrying.

Speaker 6 (01:11:36):
It looks like this year, all right, let's see always
something wrong with that team.

Speaker 3 (01:11:42):
We're in seven.

Speaker 6 (01:11:43):
We're in seven.

Speaker 4 (01:11:45):
I got I'll close it out with two picks where
will I go first. Uh, if you're driving around the
Dramas building, I'm gonna take Colts at Titans a crash
by the side of the that'd be terrible, Uh, Colts
defense like that.

Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
Only if you're driving around, there's a lot of tension.
But if you're just like sitting in the park listening
to the show, you're fine. Well, you're in a nice park, yeah,
depending on where you live. Yeah, thank you for listening
in the park. I'm sure it's very nice, maybe not
seasonably warm.

Speaker 5 (01:12:13):
If you don't do this thing where you're on three
time speed in.

Speaker 3 (01:12:16):
The park, like the the volume of the don't don't
be on actual speed either of the drug. It's that's healthy. No,
that's your choice. That's not good. But if you are
in the park therapeutic, if you are in the park listening,
send us a send us a picture, send us a
picture on on the.

Speaker 6 (01:12:30):
Old thing googling on my NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:12:33):
You know, just like a picture of you and speed
showing you listening and uh, in the park.

Speaker 6 (01:12:38):
I would love it.

Speaker 5 (01:12:39):
That'd be really nice.

Speaker 3 (01:12:40):
I would love it. I've appreciated all the Spotify.

Speaker 5 (01:12:45):
That that happens once a year.

Speaker 4 (01:12:47):
They seem to do that once a year, and it's
a day that it is everywhere feel great about themselves.

Speaker 3 (01:12:52):
It is fantastic. I want to say, shout out by
the way, Yeah it's not good, it's not good for you.
Shout out to the guy, the truck driver I want
to get. His name is Ryan, who listened for forty
six thousand, eight hundred minutes. I haven't seen one higher
than that. And I responded saying, that's that's how many hours?
Forty six thousand. Well, and I didn't ask why, but

(01:13:14):
he did explain, and I'm glad it makes sense. I'm
a truck driver and have been having a great time
going back through the whole Dude back through the twentye
he's wondering what her in the car all day? What
kind of goods does he transport? He's roughly forty six
thousand hours ahead of my wife, and I believe, Yeah,
Emica has never listened that one. Sorry, Mark, we no,

(01:13:37):
I wrapped it.

Speaker 5 (01:13:37):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:13:38):
I think that was, you know, trenching to talk about
the listener. I have liked this cult st defense kind
of all year. I thought that they've just always had
a knack for making these game changing plays. They've had
a cake schedule of late, but they've they've only allowed
thirteen points of games since week nine. They've been awesome
in the red zone, the best in the league and
preventing touchdowns in the red zone since week nine, so

(01:13:59):
they've been air up.

Speaker 5 (01:14:00):
And uh, you know you're playing a Cults team. You
said everyone has great starts in the red zone.

Speaker 6 (01:14:05):
Not against the Colts, Greg.

Speaker 5 (01:14:06):
I just mean Cults.

Speaker 3 (01:14:07):
A lot of times on the CBS broadcast, they'll be like,
and you know, quarterback X is thirteen touchdown, zero interceptions
in the reds Like it's just a common trope. Greg,
it's a common trope. I find you to be an
incredible No, I'm not gonna do it. Go ahead, Mark,
tell us more about how great.

Speaker 6 (01:14:26):
The Cults are.

Speaker 4 (01:14:27):
I know you think I'm too high in the Cults.
I just think that they're really well coached.

Speaker 3 (01:14:31):
You just use your limit of Colt stock yesterday I did.

Speaker 4 (01:14:33):
So I'm gonna I'm gonna hand it off because it's
impossible to speak for two sentences anyways on the show.

Speaker 5 (01:14:38):
But Jonathan Taylor, uh check you lator.

Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
But Zach Moss.

Speaker 4 (01:14:42):
Zach Moss is I who I picked up on my
fantasy team. No one cares about that either, But like
a waiver wirelator, great Mark, we talked Mark. I mean
they need him to come back, you know what I
mean I've been clocking lately. Completely different is actually kindly different.
And it's not always just talking about two differ in sports,
just things are completely different. That's a Marxism. Yeah, we

(01:15:04):
have someone else.

Speaker 5 (01:15:05):
That try to get on that corner on the complete who.

Speaker 3 (01:15:09):
Completely different from basketball?

Speaker 4 (01:15:12):
Who's that Ian Rappaport on an NFL films uh production,
that same.

Speaker 3 (01:15:17):
Road waiting for weeks no beat a break up completely.

Speaker 7 (01:15:22):
I was.

Speaker 5 (01:15:22):
I was alerted to it actually last night.

Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
I mean, if he had said completely different than basketball.

Speaker 5 (01:15:28):
But.

Speaker 3 (01:15:30):
He's trying to, you know, do his own right. I
guess in what context did he say that? Don't recall
that this is anything else? Will you take if you're
the Titans? Will you take what Gardner Minshew gives you
every week? You know, every week there's three or four
chances for the defense to make a play on Gardner Minshew?
And will the Titans take a chance? Wait, Graver didn't

(01:15:51):
send the video you know what?

Speaker 6 (01:15:53):
Or did he did?

Speaker 5 (01:15:54):
He?

Speaker 6 (01:15:55):
I even connected with him on it.

Speaker 3 (01:15:57):
I did to him, but you know we love him anyways.
We do next week and.

Speaker 5 (01:16:04):
That is the Titans are getting one point there.

Speaker 3 (01:16:06):
By the way, thank good job there you go you
on that. If the Colts are really going to be
a wildcard team, you take care you find a way
to win this game. I could see them slipping up here.
Well that that would be feels like a game they
would lose.

Speaker 4 (01:16:18):
That would go against most of what I said on Wednesdays.
So that would be disturbing.

Speaker 2 (01:16:21):
You need to see those Zach Moss carries in the playoffs.
Please Colts win some games.

Speaker 5 (01:16:26):
I found a real revenge game by the way.

Speaker 4 (01:16:28):
Okay, uh, Panthers going to Tampa Bay Carolina getting five points.
Baker Mayfield revenge game. I mean they nearly ended his
career last year, and I think he's having an okay season.

Speaker 3 (01:16:38):
I mean he's they fired three coaches.

Speaker 6 (01:16:41):
That is it a revenge game?

Speaker 3 (01:16:43):
When you sucked like that was well, that's always been
a thing that I made him look even worse than
he was.

Speaker 5 (01:16:50):
That's what I think is true.

Speaker 6 (01:16:51):
Yeah, but then Donald took over and was better.

Speaker 3 (01:16:53):
But Donald was terrible.

Speaker 5 (01:16:55):
He was not great. Actually, they also just started run times.

Speaker 3 (01:17:01):
The only reason Baker came in was because wasn't it
because Baker was bench. It was because Darnald was bench.

Speaker 5 (01:17:06):
I don't remember anymore that he got involved in that
sense too.

Speaker 4 (01:17:09):
Did a Baker start the season, Yes, he lost to Cleveland,
I believe in the opener, and then they went downhill
from there.

Speaker 5 (01:17:15):
And then there's a little p J. There was Donald
and Steve Donald.

Speaker 3 (01:17:19):
Darnold had a good handful of weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:17:22):
And anyway, we could say the Panthers ruined Baker Mayfield.
But Baker's Baker's Baker.

Speaker 5 (01:17:25):
You know, he doesn't change.

Speaker 4 (01:17:27):
But I do think that, like in every game he's
making an arg I thought his career could have been
over just because of the dynamic and being a first
round pick and probably not wanting to be a backup.
Like I don't think he's a starter after this season.
It depends on what happens to these teams. But Baker
Mayfield will hang around for a while because in every
one of these.

Speaker 5 (01:17:42):
Games, I would love Baker as Aaron Rodgers' backup next year.

Speaker 3 (01:17:46):
That would be perfect, great, Like you're only making three
million dollars. I was just thinking, like pure value wise,
that was a great signing, Like, is there a difference.
Is there a huge difference between him and you don't
Derek Carr? Like Derek Carr can thirty plus and Baker
making three and like they're in the same ballpark. Ultimately,
so they hit they did as well. This possibly could have. Yeah,

(01:18:09):
but that's so that is like it.

Speaker 5 (01:18:10):
Is big on Baker.

Speaker 4 (01:18:11):
But that's what I mean kind of by what the
Panthers did to Baker and Revengel. They probably cost him
a ton of money. He's part of that, but they
cost him a ton of money.

Speaker 3 (01:18:20):
Did Sess Spice picked the Panthers in this one because
this is the fired coach principal here they are five point?

Speaker 6 (01:18:27):
Did they get the Masachi bump here right?

Speaker 3 (01:18:30):
Because it's like I think they might get a little bump.
But I was reminded last week watching that game, as
they had these injuries last week during that game, they
were missing their top the Panthers, their top two tight ends,
their top three cornerbacks, their top three guards. I mean,
it's like when it happens all at one position. Toman
got hurt right game right, and then other people getting hurt.

(01:18:52):
That's it's a lot of people.

Speaker 2 (01:18:53):
I was so I needed to like medicate after watching
the Panthers last Sunday. I will not draft a Panther
game for the rest of the season if I can
help it, and if it's a thirty six minute game, rewatch,
I will. I will white knuckle my way through it.
But they are a tough, tough, tough situation.

Speaker 6 (01:19:11):
I feel for you. I feel for you, o Nation,
because well, what about me?

Speaker 5 (01:19:15):
I'll be watching it on Sunday.

Speaker 6 (01:19:17):
Yeah, I feel for you.

Speaker 5 (01:19:18):
Well, you guys are like giggling about your little lock
over there.

Speaker 3 (01:19:21):
Whoa, we got a lock here, we got a lock.

Speaker 2 (01:19:23):
Oh, let's head to the Cincinnati Zoo and no, I
just want to say, let me finish my thought.

Speaker 5 (01:19:28):
Keep pounding, Nation. I feel you hanging there. Maybe it
gets better.

Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
It feels it's as dark as you can get right now,
with the QB struggling and the owner going off and they're.

Speaker 6 (01:19:38):
Really not having the first overall pick. It's very It
just sucks.

Speaker 5 (01:19:42):
It might be time to jump ship.

Speaker 6 (01:19:44):
Don't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:19:45):
There was a last week that to me explained the
Panther season. There was an injury cart I forget who.
They were carding to the locker room and they were
bringing them there, and then on the way there someone
got hurt and they had to back up the cart
to bring another player because like they were like, we
got to bring home. I forget who it was, but

(01:20:05):
like we're backing up the cart to get two players
on the cart.

Speaker 5 (01:20:09):
It doesn't even feel like petically, like was that necessary?

Speaker 3 (01:20:12):
I don't know, but they did it.

Speaker 2 (01:20:13):
I mean, they didn't finish their facility, so they I
guess they can't afford the second cart. Let's have too,
let's have a backup cart ready, all right, Now to
the Cincinnati Zoo.

Speaker 7 (01:20:24):
Bol guys, no video this week, but the Cincinnati Zoo
will be locking up.

Speaker 6 (01:20:28):
The bucks over the panthers.

Speaker 3 (01:20:30):
I thought they were gonna get no.

Speaker 2 (01:20:33):
No because now now Nick the zoo keeper, he smells
it like what he was doing earlier was for show
and he was figuring out how to be a showman.

Speaker 7 (01:20:42):
Now he's right, he wants that he wants to strap
no message this or video this week. But the message
I came along with the pick, well, I will be
taking the Rusenthal approach and locking the bucks over the panthers.

Speaker 3 (01:20:52):
I mean, first of all, you could do He's doing
it for a week, Like I just don't want to
hear that he's so bold and he's locking against the
one and eleven team on the road. But I don't
have a problem with it because I don't think any
locks are truly locks, and I wouldn't surprise me somehow
if the Panthers just freaking found a way. You never know,
fired coach principal. Yeah the video, huh, all right, that's it,

(01:21:18):
Thank you again. This is the APN triple header, so
you could get this preview. You can get NFL Plus
dreamatorium f on the Zone or NFL Plus.

Speaker 6 (01:21:33):
And the Thursday night recap will be in your feed
later tonight. Till then you know what you gotta do.

Speaker 3 (01:21:40):
Heed the call.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Host

Gregg Rosenthal

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

24/7 News: The Latest

Therapy Gecko

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}2023 Week 13 Preview