December 4, 2024 • 22 mins
Denver Broncos' Playoff Hopes and Jameis Winston's Resurgence
Join hosts Nick Ferguson and Alex Hardy as they dissect the Denver Broncos' thrilling victory over the Cleveland Browns. With Nick's firsthand insights from the sidelines, they explore the Broncos' playoff prospects, the dynamic performances of Bo Nix and Marvin Mims, and the potential of Jameis Winston as a starting quarterback. The duo also delves into the challenges facing the Chicago Bears and the intricacies of NFL coaching opportunities. Whether you're a Broncos fan or just an NFL enthusiast, this episode offers an engaging analysis of the current football landscape.
00:00 Nick Ferguson: Denver Broncos beat Cleveland Browns 24-17 last night
08:43 Jameis Winston has started five games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18:25 Nick Ferguson is interviewing for the vacant Chicago Bears head coaching job
Ride the Wave Media https://www.youtube.com/channel/RideTheWaveMediaPodcast
Denver Broncos https://www.denverbroncos.com/
Cleveland Browns https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/
Sean Payton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Payton
Jameis Winston https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameis_Winston
Bo Nix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Nix
Marvin Mims https://www.denverbroncos.com/team/players-roster/marvin-mims/
Jerry Jeudy https://www.denverbroncos.com/team/players-roster/jerry-jeudy/
Caleb Williams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caleb_Williams
NFL https://www.nfl.com/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:14):
We are those guys.
We hope to remain your guys as wecontinue to navigate the NFL season.
Uh, we obviously needed to restoreourselves, bring us back to health.
I ate too much turkey overthe Thanksgiving break.
Uh, Nick Ferguson, our former 10 yearNFL safety, keeping in football shape.
Not a big turkey guy,I would imagine, huh?
(00:36):
You know what, I am, but I don'tdo the large turkey because
it takes too long to cook it.
Uh, what we started doing wasif we decided to eat turkey,
we would use turkey parts.
That way you're not in thekitchen for hours upon hours.
They cook evenly and they cook fast.
When we did get a 14 pound turkey,we cut it down the center, removed
(00:59):
the spine, and laid it flat.
There you go.
Uh, it, uh, actually cooked,uh, evenly doing it that way.
So, uh, so yeah.
Big recommendation.
Thrilled to hear it.
Uh, I will save any digs, youknow, I made enough fun of you over
Halloween with all that candy you ate.
So listen, you can havea normal Thanksgiving.
(01:20):
Uh, I'll allow it.
Uh, it was just fourof us plus my two kids.
So small bird, like 10 poundscooked in no time, great dinner.
So I'm thankful to have you, Nick,and I'm thankful that you were on the
sidelines to wrap up week 13, yourDenver Broncos taking it to the limit.
41 32 against the Cleveland Browns.
(01:40):
Uh, and this Broncos teamat eight and five, Nick.
Uh, playing at mile high, they areriding high off of what was a lackluster
performance from the passing offenseand rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
But, taking advantage of a good runninggame and defense, uh, tell me what you
saw from your Denver Broncos last night.
Well, it was a great overall teamwin and it's great to see the offense
(02:05):
actually, uh, do their part, uh,because that's been something that's
been in question because we oftensaw that it was predominantly coming
from the defensive side of the ball.
So it was great to see,great to see them compete.
And I've said it before thatmost people thought that the
Browns at three and eight.
They were going to be a pushover team.
And what they showed was thatthey're not going to give up.
(02:27):
And this was a team that had someinjuries and the secondary, a corner,
one of the corners and one of theirsafeties was missing from the game.
So you can tell by the explosiveness withthe Broncos offense, how that impacted,
uh, the game, but, uh, it wasn't thetypical defensive production where you
(02:48):
sue, they got to clean some things up.
There was some bad eyes.
And some communication issues.
But what I did love was watching Bo Nicksbacked up, not panicking, trying to find
an open receiver and luck just so happensthat you caught the Browns and, uh, the
perfect defense for what they wanted todo and a nice explosive plays to Marvin
(03:11):
Mims who, oh, by the way, Alex, I've beenwaiting to really have one of these games
and I don't know why it's taking so long.
For the Broncos offensive coachingstaff to insert Mims into the
lineup in this particular way.
Uh, I got that one for you because SeanPeyton loves his big tall receivers.
Uh, and look, you saw how CortlandSutton carved up that defense.
(03:34):
Uh, really The Broncos just attackinggoing after, uh, the, uh, Brown's corner.
Uh, no, I'm sorry.
It was, um.
It was the, it was the JerryJudy revenge game, right?
First Marvin Mims is stuck playingbehind Jerry Judy and Cortland Sutton.
Uh, then they introduce a pair ofrookies, Devon Bailey and, uh, Troy
(03:55):
Franklin playing ahead of them.
But no, I think the most electric partof that game where the back to back
plays Marvin Mims, 93 yards, JerryJudy, 70 yards for those touchdowns.
And it was.
Really exciting in primetime, a standalonegame to see that type of offense where,
look, Bo Nix, just under 300 yards, 93as I mentioned on that one play to Mims.
(04:17):
Meanwhile, Jamis Winston,almost 500 yards.
But if you tack on the interceptionreturn yards, that's like 700
yards passing for Jamis Winstonwith the ball going both ways.
So we can do this one of two ways.
You mentioned the Browns were coming inthree and eight, they're three and nine
now, and Your Denver Broncos have the winsthat they were supposed to have, right?
(04:38):
They beat up on the likes of Carolina andthey beat up on the likes of the Raiders.
And, but at the same time, this is a teamthat is firmly planted in the AFC playoff
picture, uh, sitting in what the sevenseed right now, just behind the Chargers
and the Chiefs in that loaded AFC West.
(04:58):
But.
It's still giving them a two gamelead over the rest of the AFC
outside of the playoff picture.
So your expectation now, 13 weeksinto the season, can they hold
on to a playoff positioning?
Is it just no matter what the record is,as long as Bo Nick shows development,
maybe that defense comes along, like wesaw the way they agitated Jameis Winston.
(05:20):
What are you looking for?
And this goes, not just as anobserver grinding the tape that you'll
do, but you're on the sidelines.
For Monday Night Football, Nick, andyou tell me what you're looking for
out of that football team when youare patrolling the field like you
are Sean Payton, like you're BillCowher, like you're Mike Tomlin.
Yeah, I wish I had those guyspaychecks at the same time.
(05:43):
But, you know, what I'm looking foris more consistency because when we've
looked at any game, Coming up to thispoint, we can look at the defense, we
look at the special teams, we look atcoaches, individual players and say,
well, they haven't really put it together.
I mean, look at last week and thisweek and the way that they won, you
(06:04):
know, against the Cleveland Browns.
For me, I have to say, well, thisteam is now starting to understand.
For me, what the standard is and whatI mean by that is the standard that I
played under when I arrived as a memberof the Denver Broncos, knowing as though
every game you went into, no matterwhat Vegas said, no matter what the
(06:27):
pundits said, you knew that you had anopportunity to win that football game.
And it wasn't because there was abelief in all the players in the room
with every guy's going to do their job.
And that's something that's a phrase thatI know that you're quite familiar with.
Being a New England Patriotsfan, but it is true.
You gotta be accountable as players.
To a point where you'restudying all week long.
(06:50):
And if you make a mistake, you can holdyour hand up and say, You know what?
That's on me.
This is where this teamis trying to get to.
And they're on a bind week.
So they're going to have to use thisbye week to heal up, but have some
time to reflect because they got fourtough games coming down the stretch.
When they come back, they have theColts, then they go on the road
(07:11):
for back to back weeks against theChargers and the red hot Joe Burrow
and the Cincinnati Bengals team.
And again, Alex, it's so bizarre.
To know that Joe Burrow is throwing forJameis Winston's type of Monday night
football numbers and they're losing.
It is crazy.
(07:32):
So, the Broncos as a team,they're gonna have to make sure
they have their stuff together.
Uh, simply put from the Browns perspectiveof things, Nick Ferguson, would you like
to subscribe to Jameis Winston Facts?
Well, give them to me if you got them.
Since Jameis Winston took over as theBrowns quarterback 37 days ago, which
is five games, Jerry Judy has 15 anda half percent of his career yardage.
(07:57):
Five seasons in the NFL, 15%, 15 anda half percent of his career yards has
come in five games with Jameis Winston.
Well, you know what?
Here's what that tells me, because thisis kind of the big conversation here
today on sports talk radio, and also lastnight during the game, everyone's asking,
where was this Jerry Judy when he was inthe Broncos uniform, he was always there.
(08:24):
He was always there, but itwas how you choose to use him.
And then to come back was, well, youknow, Jerry dropped a lot of footballs.
And I was like, well, do you know thegame of football is based on rhythm?
You can't throw me the ball in thesecond quarter or the third quarter
and go, Oh, Right now you get into arhythm and I get it because you're a
(08:45):
wide receiver and if a ball touchedyour hand you're supposed to catch it.
But there is a rhythm that comes alongwith playing this game and I for one, much
to the dismay of other media members hereand some fans and followers, I mean, I was
happy to see Jerry go out and perform wellbecause I know the negative narratives and
(09:06):
the things that have been said about him.
And I got a chance to kind ofknow him by going into the locker
room, talking to him one on one.
And there were thingsthat were shared with me.
Those conversations that Ihaven't shared with anyone.
And I don't plan on sharing with anyone.
Until
now.
You know how this works.
(09:26):
I can't violate the trust of a playereven though he's not, he's no longer here.
But here's what I can tell you.
He was a very frustrated player becausehe knew what he was capable of doing.
What we saw on Monday night for me.
I don't view it as.
Oh, well, that's kind of a flash in thepan because Jameis Winston, he may not be
(09:48):
a starter in this league, but he's showingas though he still have more in the tank.
But that connection with him andJerry Judy, knowing as though
the Browns didn't have a numberone receiver, and that number one
receiver right now is Jerry Judy.
It shows you what the Browns Are capableof if they have quality protection
and they have decent quarterback play.
(10:09):
A
couple more Jameis stats for you.
Jameis Winston, uh, joins Drew Breesand Ben Roethlisberger, three career
games, 450 yards passing with four TDs.
Only Peyton Manninghas more in his career.
And also these five starts for Jameis.
17 game pace of 5, 539 passingyards, which would break Peyton
(10:30):
Manning single season passing record.
So it is exciting to see lightningin a bottle with Jamis, who also
became the first 400 yard, four TD,two pick six player in NFL history.
So he's going to be a free agent.
I think had, you know, Bo Nix not falleninto the Broncos laps, or if we were
doing this podcast in April, had they notreached on Bo Nix at 12th overall Jamis
(10:55):
Winston, before we move on from MondayNight Football and take a look at Week 14.
Is he an NFL starter for just next year?
Is he going to get a multiyear contract to be a starter?
Your thoughts on the type ofUm, live by the sword, die by
the sword with, uh, Jameis.
Well, at this stage of Jameiscareer, man, he is a quality backup.
And notice I didn'tsay serviceable backup.
(11:17):
Quality.
Jameis is continuing to prove that he'sa guy that you can rely on in a clutch.
And I go back to this.
There was a game where, The Saints wentup to Green Bay to play the Packers.
And this was a point where, you know,Drew Brees is kind of winding out of
the league and Jameis is now goingthere as a starting quarterback.
(11:37):
And there was a disbelief thatJameis could actually get the job
done based on the fact that onceupon a time he was a 30 and 30.
Quarterback, not 30 for 30, but 30 and30 quarterback, he went up there and he
beat the Packers and he did it in a greatfashion, throwing the ball down the field.
So there's no issue that I take withJameis and this disbelief that he
(12:00):
cannot throw the ball down the fields.
I mean, he was throwing strikes almostlike he was, I don't know, Roger
Clemens for the New York Yankees.
Or Red Sox, or the Boston Red Sox, yeah.
Nah, I don't even mention that.
That didn't even happen.
That's a blurb in my memory, butJameis was actually dealing last night.
But this was kind of an auditionfor him, let's be totally honest.
(12:23):
This was an audition for him, showingother teams that he could come in
and be a viable backup for them.
And that's kind of wherehe is in his career.
Yeah, he's, he's crossed the line frombeing goofy and authentic to, you know,
whatever the, uh, I mean, you can'tjust brush off, um, the concerns and
allegations that followed him out ofcollege, but, you know, flaming out as
(12:45):
a number one overall pick in his firstdestination, kind of learning from that
adversity, maybe in new Orleans afterthat ACL tear, not long after that
Packers comeback you referenced and.
He's got the locker room, like, thatis, that is his football team for the
rest of the season, and I hope thathe's given another opportunity, even
if he is the type of, uh, uh, you know,a quality backup, shout out another
(13:08):
Broncos legend in Kyle Orton, youknow, that's, that's a guy that had
a nine year NFL career without beinggiven a ton of opportunities to start.
Um, you know, later in his career.
So you fast forward, right?
The Broncos and Browns are headedin completely opposite directions,
but certainly have young pieces ontheir offense that they hope grow as
(13:29):
time goes on, um, so that these gamesdown the stretch don't mean nothing.
I think there are a few, a handful ofgames, albeit we have the Bipocalypse,
six teams that are off for week 14, butas far as the AFC is considered, you've
got the Chiefs and the Chargers stay inthe AFC West for Monday night football.
And you have another compelling,you know, right there again with the
(13:49):
Browns and the Steelers, um, who upsetPittsburgh just a couple of weeks ago.
So the AFC over the next coupleof weeks is going to be really
interesting to shake out knowing that.
Eight and five Broncosis, you know, the bar to.
to enter the threshold thatis the playoffs, right?
(14:10):
Once you get past those first seventeams, the Indianapolis Colts have
a 25 percent chance of making theplayoffs just because they're only
trailing in the AFC South by two games.
It is going to be a very high bar toclear 10, maybe 11 wins if you want to be
in the postseason coming out of the AFC.
This is kind of what we talked aboutgoing into the year with the quality
(14:31):
quarterbacks, with the ceiling thatthe Chiefs and the Bills provide.
I mean, the Bills belong in thatconversation now, having beat Kansas City
since we last spoke, and the way thatthey dominated your 49ers in the snow.
How do you make heads or tails ofthe next few weeks for the AFC, Nick?
Well, it's going to be really,uh, competitive as teams try to
position themselves To be oneof, uh, one of those top seeds.
(14:55):
And the whole thing is that you'retrying to stay in the playoff race,
but still from a strategic standpoint,almost like, you know, an NBA tournament,
do you lose games to play a team thatspecifically you match up better with?
Because if the playoffs started today,obviously Kansas City and the Detroit
Lions have the number one seed inboth, uh, conferences, respectively.
(15:19):
But at the same time, the Broncoswould have to face off against the
red hot Buffalo Bills and Buffalo.
Now we'll love to say, well, Buffalogets the advantage due to cold weather.
Not so fast because.
We deal with weather here and in La JollaCity as well, but once again, it would be
a great matchup because you would have aguy in Josh Allen, who has, I guess, on
(15:44):
a surface level, surpassed or gotten overthe hump of Kansas City in regular season.
He still has to do it in thepostseason, but you get it.
Joe Brady versus Sean Payton and you getJosh Allen versus a guy like Bo Nicks.
To me, sign me up for that.
And then, oh my God, you think aboutVon Miller, a guy who was traded
(16:09):
away from Broncos to the Rams toBuffalo, gets an opportunity to
face off against his own team.
And we saw what Jerry Judy was able to do.
Sign me up for it, man.
That's gonna be one hell of amatchup if it works out that way.
Von Miller's name popped up last nightafter Nick Benito became their first
double digit SAC artist since Von Millerand Bradley Chubb several years ago.
(16:33):
So, Von Miller's name still relevant,still hallowed, uh, at Mile High,
winning that Super Bowl 50 championship.
Um, He's Nick Ferguson.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We're those guys, and we always wrapthings up with a little Nick before
we split, and Nick Ferguson, forthe Chicago Bears, it is the third
iteration where the general manager,the head coach, and the quarterback
(16:55):
have not been under the same tenure.
Right?
One of them is fired, one of themis retained from an old regime,
and maybe the quarterback, uh,is, is a holdover, more or less.
I, I'm sort of curious with the, uh,Project around a number one overall
quarterback with Caleb Williams with theskill set that he has and correct me if
I'm wrong, Nick could still be the mostcoveted job will be the most coveted
(17:20):
head coach opening come this offseason.
Now it's the third straight timewhere you have a general manager and
a quarterback and a head coach, notall of whom entered at the same time.
So Do you agree with me thatthis is the most coveted job for
the NFL offseason hiring cycle?
(17:40):
Not knowing that there are goingto be a couple of interesting names
out there that we don't know of asof week 14 of the regular season.
For a head coach coming in,do you have concerns with the
way that the Bears operate?
Because you're a head coach coming in,inheriting a number one quarterback in
Caleb Williams for a general managerthat seems to be answering questions,
(18:01):
uh, and, and responding to workingdirectly under the CEO and Kevin Warren.
It's a interesting power structurewith input from an owner, which usually
doesn't end up going well for that team.
I guess, Nick, before we split.
Your guy, Aaron Glenn.
You know, Ben Johnson staying in Detroit.
Uh, Cliff Kingsbury reuniting.
(18:22):
I, no, don't name names.
I mean, Mike Vrabel or Bill Belichickoff the, you know, off the couch.
The Chicago Bears is a job thatyou want for one of your guys,
or you're concerned about theexisting power structure in Chicago?
Hell no.
I don't want my guys taking that job.
I mean, have you seen what happenedwith the Bears over the last 10 years?
That's not a job that you keepfor a long period of time.
(18:45):
It's almost like havinga car on lease, right?
You have it on lease for like two yearsand then now you got to return it back.
I mean, we seen Matt Nagy was there.
Uh, Matt Eberflug's, Shane Waldron, uh,Was a OC and they still couldn't get
it, get it done, but it was an all, itwasn't all Shane Walden's fault, right?
When you look at the fact, from apersonnel standpoint, everything
(19:06):
starts with your offensive line.
At any team, I don't care who you are,if you're going to invest a top pick in a
quarterback, your first order of business,as you better fortify that, that wall
around him, if you don't do that, I don'tcare who he is, he's going to struggle.
And oh, by the way.
We've seen this movie before, haven't we?
I wonder if Justin Fields in Pittsburghwanting to troll Caleb Williams and
(19:31):
the Bears like, I told you so, but noone thought it, no one believed me.
Everyone just thought it was me.
But look at where theBears find themselves.
And I'm sure it may be considered tobe a hot job because you have a rookie
quarterback and you have a decentdefense from a personnel standpoint.
But it should come with a buyer bewarebecause if you're leaving another team
(19:54):
looking to take on the Chicago Bearshead coaching job, you know what?
Remember, you rent, don't,you rent, don't buy, right?
Because your stay may not be long.
And who's to say whomever comes in,they may start renting Matt Ibeflus.
Same home that he had, right?
It's like a revolving door.
You just change thesecurity code on the door.
(20:16):
But I mean, is it a coveted job?
No, it's not.
If you're a coach looking for a jobfor the first time, and especially if
you are a minority coach, most likely.
You might take that job.
You might take that interview, butif you are a seasoned coach, no, you
don't want to take that job unless,unless you make a deal with ownership,
(20:38):
just like John Lynch and KyleShanahan made with the York family.
This has got to be a six year deal.
No matter what, are you going to buy in?
Are you going to be patient?
If that is a deal.
For maybe a Brian Flores, who I know,uh, Aaron Glenn, who I know, uh, as well.
Bobby Sloic, who I know as well.
Hell, even Rob Esala, if for that matter.
(21:00):
Be careful what you're signing upfor, because once again, it is that
Buyers Beware sticker that may be kindof, you may have to put on outside
of that Chicago Bears franchise.
He's Nick Ferguson, at NickFergusonunderscore 25 on social, breaking
down tape, uh, any takes that you havefor your team or his Denver Broncos.
(21:23):
He's there to answer questionsfor you anytime, anywhere.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We are those guys.
We hope to be your guys as wecontinue to navigate this NFL season.
Um, Nick, I wish you allthe luck in the world.
I'm sure you're not sweating.
Uh, you've already got your fantasyfootball team all taken care of.
Um, I'm, you know.
(21:43):
Itching the playoffs formajority of my leagues.
Um, shout out, you know, our guy, KeithArizari knocking me out elsewhere.
However, however, I just want to say,I'm having so much fun doing this with
you, Nick, we ought to, we ought tocome back, uh, after Thursday night
football, when we get a very exciting,very enticing matchup in the NFC North.
(22:06):
What do you say, Nick Ferguson?
Hey man, uh, let's do it.
And I'll leave you with this.
Beware of people who say, trust me, right?
My mom always told me bewareof people like that, right?
Be constantly aware of people.
Hey, you know what?
I got a deal for you.
Trust me.
Same as if you say, let me be honest.
(22:26):
Yeah.
That means you haven't beenhonest with me this whole time?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Same translation.
Yes.
We are those guys.
We hope to remain your guys as wecontinue to navigate the NFL season.
Uh, we obviously needed to restoreourselves, bring us back to health.
I ate too much turkey overthe Thanksgiving break.
Uh, Nick Ferguson, our former 10 yearNFL safety, keeping in football shape.
Not a big turkey guy,I would imagine, huh?
(00:36):
You know what, I am, but I don'tdo the large turkey because
it takes too long to cook it.
Uh, what we started doing wasif we decided to eat turkey,
we would use turkey parts.
That way you're not in thekitchen for hours upon hours.
They cook evenly and they cook fast.
When we did get a 14 pound turkey,we cut it down the center, removed
(00:59):
the spine, and laid it flat.
There you go.
Uh, it, uh, actually cooked,uh, evenly doing it that way.
So, uh, so yeah.
Big recommendation.
Thrilled to hear it.
Uh, I will save any digs, youknow, I made enough fun of you over
Halloween with all that candy you ate.
So listen, you can havea normal Thanksgiving.
(01:20):
Uh, I'll allow it.
Uh, it was just fourof us plus my two kids.
So small bird, like 10 poundscooked in no time, great dinner.
So I'm thankful to have you, Nick,and I'm thankful that you were on the
sidelines to wrap up week 13, yourDenver Broncos taking it to the limit.
41 32 against the Cleveland Browns.
(01:40):
Uh, and this Broncos teamat eight and five, Nick.
Uh, playing at mile high, they areriding high off of what was a lackluster
performance from the passing offenseand rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
But, taking advantage of a good runninggame and defense, uh, tell me what you
saw from your Denver Broncos last night.
Well, it was a great overall teamwin and it's great to see the offense
(02:05):
actually, uh, do their part, uh,because that's been something that's
been in question because we oftensaw that it was predominantly coming
from the defensive side of the ball.
So it was great to see,great to see them compete.
And I've said it before thatmost people thought that the
Browns at three and eight.
They were going to be a pushover team.
And what they showed was thatthey're not going to give up.
(02:27):
And this was a team that had someinjuries and the secondary, a corner,
one of the corners and one of theirsafeties was missing from the game.
So you can tell by the explosiveness withthe Broncos offense, how that impacted,
uh, the game, but, uh, it wasn't thetypical defensive production where you
(02:48):
sue, they got to clean some things up.
There was some bad eyes.
And some communication issues.
But what I did love was watching Bo Nicksbacked up, not panicking, trying to find
an open receiver and luck just so happensthat you caught the Browns and, uh, the
perfect defense for what they wanted todo and a nice explosive plays to Marvin
(03:11):
Mims who, oh, by the way, Alex, I've beenwaiting to really have one of these games
and I don't know why it's taking so long.
For the Broncos offensive coachingstaff to insert Mims into the
lineup in this particular way.
Uh, I got that one for you because SeanPeyton loves his big tall receivers.
Uh, and look, you saw how CortlandSutton carved up that defense.
(03:34):
Uh, really The Broncos just attackinggoing after, uh, the, uh, Brown's corner.
Uh, no, I'm sorry.
It was, um.
It was the, it was the JerryJudy revenge game, right?
First Marvin Mims is stuck playingbehind Jerry Judy and Cortland Sutton.
Uh, then they introduce a pair ofrookies, Devon Bailey and, uh, Troy
(03:55):
Franklin playing ahead of them.
But no, I think the most electric partof that game where the back to back
plays Marvin Mims, 93 yards, JerryJudy, 70 yards for those touchdowns.
And it was.
Really exciting in primetime, a standalonegame to see that type of offense where,
look, Bo Nix, just under 300 yards, 93as I mentioned on that one play to Mims.
(04:17):
Meanwhile, Jamis Winston,almost 500 yards.
But if you tack on the interceptionreturn yards, that's like 700
yards passing for Jamis Winstonwith the ball going both ways.
So we can do this one of two ways.
You mentioned the Browns were coming inthree and eight, they're three and nine
now, and Your Denver Broncos have the winsthat they were supposed to have, right?
(04:38):
They beat up on the likes of Carolina andthey beat up on the likes of the Raiders.
And, but at the same time, this is a teamthat is firmly planted in the AFC playoff
picture, uh, sitting in what the sevenseed right now, just behind the Chargers
and the Chiefs in that loaded AFC West.
(04:58):
But.
It's still giving them a two gamelead over the rest of the AFC
outside of the playoff picture.
So your expectation now, 13 weeksinto the season, can they hold
on to a playoff positioning?
Is it just no matter what the record is,as long as Bo Nick shows development,
maybe that defense comes along, like wesaw the way they agitated Jameis Winston.
(05:20):
What are you looking for?
And this goes, not just as anobserver grinding the tape that you'll
do, but you're on the sidelines.
For Monday Night Football, Nick, andyou tell me what you're looking for
out of that football team when youare patrolling the field like you
are Sean Payton, like you're BillCowher, like you're Mike Tomlin.
Yeah, I wish I had those guyspaychecks at the same time.
(05:43):
But, you know, what I'm looking foris more consistency because when we've
looked at any game, Coming up to thispoint, we can look at the defense, we
look at the special teams, we look atcoaches, individual players and say,
well, they haven't really put it together.
I mean, look at last week and thisweek and the way that they won, you
(06:04):
know, against the Cleveland Browns.
For me, I have to say, well, thisteam is now starting to understand.
For me, what the standard is and whatI mean by that is the standard that I
played under when I arrived as a memberof the Denver Broncos, knowing as though
every game you went into, no matterwhat Vegas said, no matter what the
(06:27):
pundits said, you knew that you had anopportunity to win that football game.
And it wasn't because there was abelief in all the players in the room
with every guy's going to do their job.
And that's something that's a phrase thatI know that you're quite familiar with.
Being a New England Patriotsfan, but it is true.
You gotta be accountable as players.
To a point where you'restudying all week long.
(06:50):
And if you make a mistake, you can holdyour hand up and say, You know what?
That's on me.
This is where this teamis trying to get to.
And they're on a bind week.
So they're going to have to use thisbye week to heal up, but have some
time to reflect because they got fourtough games coming down the stretch.
When they come back, they have theColts, then they go on the road
(07:11):
for back to back weeks against theChargers and the red hot Joe Burrow
and the Cincinnati Bengals team.
And again, Alex, it's so bizarre.
To know that Joe Burrow is throwing forJameis Winston's type of Monday night
football numbers and they're losing.
It is crazy.
(07:32):
So, the Broncos as a team,they're gonna have to make sure
they have their stuff together.
Uh, simply put from the Browns perspectiveof things, Nick Ferguson, would you like
to subscribe to Jameis Winston Facts?
Well, give them to me if you got them.
Since Jameis Winston took over as theBrowns quarterback 37 days ago, which
is five games, Jerry Judy has 15 anda half percent of his career yardage.
(07:57):
Five seasons in the NFL, 15%, 15 anda half percent of his career yards has
come in five games with Jameis Winston.
Well, you know what?
Here's what that tells me, because thisis kind of the big conversation here
today on sports talk radio, and also lastnight during the game, everyone's asking,
where was this Jerry Judy when he was inthe Broncos uniform, he was always there.
(08:24):
He was always there, but itwas how you choose to use him.
And then to come back was, well, youknow, Jerry dropped a lot of footballs.
And I was like, well, do you know thegame of football is based on rhythm?
You can't throw me the ball in thesecond quarter or the third quarter
and go, Oh, Right now you get into arhythm and I get it because you're a
(08:45):
wide receiver and if a ball touchedyour hand you're supposed to catch it.
But there is a rhythm that comes alongwith playing this game and I for one, much
to the dismay of other media members hereand some fans and followers, I mean, I was
happy to see Jerry go out and perform wellbecause I know the negative narratives and
(09:06):
the things that have been said about him.
And I got a chance to kind ofknow him by going into the locker
room, talking to him one on one.
And there were thingsthat were shared with me.
Those conversations that Ihaven't shared with anyone.
And I don't plan on sharing with anyone.
Until
now.
You know how this works.
(09:26):
I can't violate the trust of a playereven though he's not, he's no longer here.
But here's what I can tell you.
He was a very frustrated player becausehe knew what he was capable of doing.
What we saw on Monday night for me.
I don't view it as.
Oh, well, that's kind of a flash in thepan because Jameis Winston, he may not be
(09:48):
a starter in this league, but he's showingas though he still have more in the tank.
But that connection with him andJerry Judy, knowing as though
the Browns didn't have a numberone receiver, and that number one
receiver right now is Jerry Judy.
It shows you what the Browns Are capableof if they have quality protection
and they have decent quarterback play.
(10:09):
A
couple more Jameis stats for you.
Jameis Winston, uh, joins Drew Breesand Ben Roethlisberger, three career
games, 450 yards passing with four TDs.
Only Peyton Manninghas more in his career.
And also these five starts for Jameis.
17 game pace of 5, 539 passingyards, which would break Peyton
(10:30):
Manning single season passing record.
So it is exciting to see lightningin a bottle with Jamis, who also
became the first 400 yard, four TD,two pick six player in NFL history.
So he's going to be a free agent.
I think had, you know, Bo Nix not falleninto the Broncos laps, or if we were
doing this podcast in April, had they notreached on Bo Nix at 12th overall Jamis
(10:55):
Winston, before we move on from MondayNight Football and take a look at Week 14.
Is he an NFL starter for just next year?
Is he going to get a multiyear contract to be a starter?
Your thoughts on the type ofUm, live by the sword, die by
the sword with, uh, Jameis.
Well, at this stage of Jameiscareer, man, he is a quality backup.
And notice I didn'tsay serviceable backup.
(11:17):
Quality.
Jameis is continuing to prove that he'sa guy that you can rely on in a clutch.
And I go back to this.
There was a game where, The Saints wentup to Green Bay to play the Packers.
And this was a point where, you know,Drew Brees is kind of winding out of
the league and Jameis is now goingthere as a starting quarterback.
(11:37):
And there was a disbelief thatJameis could actually get the job
done based on the fact that onceupon a time he was a 30 and 30.
Quarterback, not 30 for 30, but 30 and30 quarterback, he went up there and he
beat the Packers and he did it in a greatfashion, throwing the ball down the field.
So there's no issue that I take withJameis and this disbelief that he
(12:00):
cannot throw the ball down the fields.
I mean, he was throwing strikes almostlike he was, I don't know, Roger
Clemens for the New York Yankees.
Or Red Sox, or the Boston Red Sox, yeah.
Nah, I don't even mention that.
That didn't even happen.
That's a blurb in my memory, butJameis was actually dealing last night.
But this was kind of an auditionfor him, let's be totally honest.
(12:23):
This was an audition for him, showingother teams that he could come in
and be a viable backup for them.
And that's kind of wherehe is in his career.
Yeah, he's, he's crossed the line frombeing goofy and authentic to, you know,
whatever the, uh, I mean, you can'tjust brush off, um, the concerns and
allegations that followed him out ofcollege, but, you know, flaming out as
(12:45):
a number one overall pick in his firstdestination, kind of learning from that
adversity, maybe in new Orleans afterthat ACL tear, not long after that
Packers comeback you referenced and.
He's got the locker room, like, thatis, that is his football team for the
rest of the season, and I hope thathe's given another opportunity, even
if he is the type of, uh, uh, you know,a quality backup, shout out another
(13:08):
Broncos legend in Kyle Orton, youknow, that's, that's a guy that had
a nine year NFL career without beinggiven a ton of opportunities to start.
Um, you know, later in his career.
So you fast forward, right?
The Broncos and Browns are headedin completely opposite directions,
but certainly have young pieces ontheir offense that they hope grow as
(13:29):
time goes on, um, so that these gamesdown the stretch don't mean nothing.
I think there are a few, a handful ofgames, albeit we have the Bipocalypse,
six teams that are off for week 14, butas far as the AFC is considered, you've
got the Chiefs and the Chargers stay inthe AFC West for Monday night football.
And you have another compelling,you know, right there again with the
(13:49):
Browns and the Steelers, um, who upsetPittsburgh just a couple of weeks ago.
So the AFC over the next coupleof weeks is going to be really
interesting to shake out knowing that.
Eight and five Broncosis, you know, the bar to.
to enter the threshold thatis the playoffs, right?
(14:10):
Once you get past those first seventeams, the Indianapolis Colts have
a 25 percent chance of making theplayoffs just because they're only
trailing in the AFC South by two games.
It is going to be a very high bar toclear 10, maybe 11 wins if you want to be
in the postseason coming out of the AFC.
This is kind of what we talked aboutgoing into the year with the quality
(14:31):
quarterbacks, with the ceiling thatthe Chiefs and the Bills provide.
I mean, the Bills belong in thatconversation now, having beat Kansas City
since we last spoke, and the way thatthey dominated your 49ers in the snow.
How do you make heads or tails ofthe next few weeks for the AFC, Nick?
Well, it's going to be really,uh, competitive as teams try to
position themselves To be oneof, uh, one of those top seeds.
(14:55):
And the whole thing is that you'retrying to stay in the playoff race,
but still from a strategic standpoint,almost like, you know, an NBA tournament,
do you lose games to play a team thatspecifically you match up better with?
Because if the playoffs started today,obviously Kansas City and the Detroit
Lions have the number one seed inboth, uh, conferences, respectively.
(15:19):
But at the same time, the Broncoswould have to face off against the
red hot Buffalo Bills and Buffalo.
Now we'll love to say, well, Buffalogets the advantage due to cold weather.
Not so fast because.
We deal with weather here and in La JollaCity as well, but once again, it would be
a great matchup because you would have aguy in Josh Allen, who has, I guess, on
(15:44):
a surface level, surpassed or gotten overthe hump of Kansas City in regular season.
He still has to do it in thepostseason, but you get it.
Joe Brady versus Sean Payton and you getJosh Allen versus a guy like Bo Nicks.
To me, sign me up for that.
And then, oh my God, you think aboutVon Miller, a guy who was traded
(16:09):
away from Broncos to the Rams toBuffalo, gets an opportunity to
face off against his own team.
And we saw what Jerry Judy was able to do.
Sign me up for it, man.
That's gonna be one hell of amatchup if it works out that way.
Von Miller's name popped up last nightafter Nick Benito became their first
double digit SAC artist since Von Millerand Bradley Chubb several years ago.
(16:33):
So, Von Miller's name still relevant,still hallowed, uh, at Mile High,
winning that Super Bowl 50 championship.
Um, He's Nick Ferguson.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We're those guys, and we always wrapthings up with a little Nick before
we split, and Nick Ferguson, forthe Chicago Bears, it is the third
iteration where the general manager,the head coach, and the quarterback
(16:55):
have not been under the same tenure.
Right?
One of them is fired, one of themis retained from an old regime,
and maybe the quarterback, uh,is, is a holdover, more or less.
I, I'm sort of curious with the, uh,Project around a number one overall
quarterback with Caleb Williams with theskill set that he has and correct me if
I'm wrong, Nick could still be the mostcoveted job will be the most coveted
(17:20):
head coach opening come this offseason.
Now it's the third straight timewhere you have a general manager and
a quarterback and a head coach, notall of whom entered at the same time.
So Do you agree with me thatthis is the most coveted job for
the NFL offseason hiring cycle?
(17:40):
Not knowing that there are goingto be a couple of interesting names
out there that we don't know of asof week 14 of the regular season.
For a head coach coming in,do you have concerns with the
way that the Bears operate?
Because you're a head coach coming in,inheriting a number one quarterback in
Caleb Williams for a general managerthat seems to be answering questions,
(18:01):
uh, and, and responding to workingdirectly under the CEO and Kevin Warren.
It's a interesting power structurewith input from an owner, which usually
doesn't end up going well for that team.
I guess, Nick, before we split.
Your guy, Aaron Glenn.
You know, Ben Johnson staying in Detroit.
Uh, Cliff Kingsbury reuniting.
(18:22):
I, no, don't name names.
I mean, Mike Vrabel or Bill Belichickoff the, you know, off the couch.
The Chicago Bears is a job thatyou want for one of your guys,
or you're concerned about theexisting power structure in Chicago?
Hell no.
I don't want my guys taking that job.
I mean, have you seen what happenedwith the Bears over the last 10 years?
That's not a job that you keepfor a long period of time.
(18:45):
It's almost like havinga car on lease, right?
You have it on lease for like two yearsand then now you got to return it back.
I mean, we seen Matt Nagy was there.
Uh, Matt Eberflug's, Shane Waldron, uh,Was a OC and they still couldn't get
it, get it done, but it was an all, itwasn't all Shane Walden's fault, right?
When you look at the fact, from apersonnel standpoint, everything
(19:06):
starts with your offensive line.
At any team, I don't care who you are,if you're going to invest a top pick in a
quarterback, your first order of business,as you better fortify that, that wall
around him, if you don't do that, I don'tcare who he is, he's going to struggle.
And oh, by the way.
We've seen this movie before, haven't we?
I wonder if Justin Fields in Pittsburghwanting to troll Caleb Williams and
(19:31):
the Bears like, I told you so, but noone thought it, no one believed me.
Everyone just thought it was me.
But look at where theBears find themselves.
And I'm sure it may be considered tobe a hot job because you have a rookie
quarterback and you have a decentdefense from a personnel standpoint.
But it should come with a buyer bewarebecause if you're leaving another team
(19:54):
looking to take on the Chicago Bearshead coaching job, you know what?
Remember, you rent, don't,you rent, don't buy, right?
Because your stay may not be long.
And who's to say whomever comes in,they may start renting Matt Ibeflus.
Same home that he had, right?
It's like a revolving door.
You just change thesecurity code on the door.
(20:16):
But I mean, is it a coveted job?
No, it's not.
If you're a coach looking for a jobfor the first time, and especially if
you are a minority coach, most likely.
You might take that job.
You might take that interview, butif you are a seasoned coach, no, you
don't want to take that job unless,unless you make a deal with ownership,
(20:38):
just like John Lynch and KyleShanahan made with the York family.
This has got to be a six year deal.
No matter what, are you going to buy in?
Are you going to be patient?
If that is a deal.
For maybe a Brian Flores, who I know,uh, Aaron Glenn, who I know, uh, as well.
Bobby Sloic, who I know as well.
Hell, even Rob Esala, if for that matter.
(21:00):
Be careful what you're signing upfor, because once again, it is that
Buyers Beware sticker that may be kindof, you may have to put on outside
of that Chicago Bears franchise.
He's Nick Ferguson, at NickFergusonunderscore 25 on social, breaking
down tape, uh, any takes that you havefor your team or his Denver Broncos.
(21:23):
He's there to answer questionsfor you anytime, anywhere.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We are those guys.
We hope to be your guys as wecontinue to navigate this NFL season.
Um, Nick, I wish you allthe luck in the world.
I'm sure you're not sweating.
Uh, you've already got your fantasyfootball team all taken care of.
Um, I'm, you know.
(21:43):
Itching the playoffs formajority of my leagues.
Um, shout out, you know, our guy, KeithArizari knocking me out elsewhere.
However, however, I just want to say,I'm having so much fun doing this with
you, Nick, we ought to, we ought tocome back, uh, after Thursday night
football, when we get a very exciting,very enticing matchup in the NFC North.
(22:06):
What do you say, Nick Ferguson?
Hey man, uh, let's do it.
And I'll leave you with this.
Beware of people who say, trust me, right?
My mom always told me bewareof people like that, right?
Be constantly aware of people.
Hey, you know what?
I got a deal for you.
Trust me.
Same as if you say, let me be honest.
(22:26):
Yeah.
That means you haven't beenhonest with me this whole time?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Same translation.
Yes.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.