December 14, 2024 • 27 mins
NFL Week 15 Breakdown and Playoff Implications with Nick Ferguson
Join us for a deep dive into Week 15 of the NFL season with former NFL safety Nick Ferguson. This episode unpacks the critical matchups and playoff implications as the season reaches its climax. From the Rams' narrow victory over the 49ers to the strategic decisions that could make or break a team’s playoff hopes, Nick shares his expert insights and personal experiences from the gridiron.
The conversation kicks off with a critique of the Rams' game strategy and a discussion on the controversial actions of Devondre Campbell, who left his team mid-game. Nick draws parallels between football and personal relationships, emphasizing the importance of team unity and commitment.
The duo also explores the dynamics of offensive and defensive strategies, highlighting key players and matchups to watch. With a focus on the Bills vs. Lions and the Colts vs. Broncos games, they discuss the potential outcomes and what they mean for the playoff picture. Nick shares his wishlist for standout performances and strategic plays, offering a seasoned perspective on what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
As the holiday season approaches, the episode wraps up with a light-hearted exchange about Christmas shopping and the importance of balancing family and football. Nick shares personal anecdotes and reflections on the pressures of the season, both on and off the field.
00:00 Ride the Wave Media podcast kicks off NFL season Thursday with Rams vs 49ers
08:09 Campbell alienated the 49ers locker room, Nick says
14:49 The Houston Texans host the Miami Dolphins in a Monday Night Football matchup
23:05 Alex Hardy talks to former NFL safety Nick Ferguson about Christmas shopping
26:38 Make sure you don't receive any cold in your stocking this Christmas
Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis and expert insights as we continue to navigate the thrilling end of the NFL season. Subscribe to Ride the Wave Media on YouTube and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:14):
We are those guys.
We hope to be your guys as wecontinue to chart the NFL season.
It is getting cold out there, Nick,uh, where you are, not me, here in
Southern California, but Week 15 ofthe NFL season kicked off on Thursday.
Usually we come at you with aThursday special, but Nick Ferguson,
former 10 year NFL safety, Wemade the executive decision.
(00:37):
No touchdowns, no immediate reaction pod.
What's going on, Nick?
Hey man, what's, what'sgoing on with you, man?
Yes, it is cold here in Denver, Colorado.
What's the temperature therein Southern California?
Uh, well, I think todaywas a high of about 60.
Although I, I promise you it got downto about 40 overnight last night.
(01:00):
Ooh, that's, that's cold for you guys.
Hey, listen, with the two kids.
I'll pay whatever it costs toheat the rest of the house.
That's a good thing.
We've got a tiny little, uh,estate here in Orange County.
Nick, I mentioned no touchdownsand a 12 6 victory Rams over 49ers.
And of all the things to bring up, Nick, Iwant to criticize, again, we'll criticize
(01:24):
Devondre Campbell, your experiencein the National Football League and
what he did quitting on his footballteam, that's the low hanging fruit.
But I wanted to criticize theRams because the game situation is
they're up 9 6, driving, followinga Brock Purdy interception.
Um, incredible play in theend zone that gets caught, uh,
(01:46):
snatched up by Demarius Williams.
Um, shout out me, who wasn'treally watching the game while I
was working, or I was distracted.
I forgot who had possession.
I saw Williams with the ball onthe touchdown, and I go, Kyron
Williams from my fantasy team.
Wait, wait a minute, not quite.
So Rams drive the length of thefield, 70 yards, get stopped, and
(02:08):
they kick a field goal to go up 12 6.
Now, I wanted to criticize them, not justbecause how the Detroit Lions decided
to go for it, went up 3 2, iced the, uh,Green Bay Pack, uh, Green Bay Packers?
Oh my god, I already forget.
Yes, the Green Bay Packers,a week ago Thursday.
Now, the 49ers get the ballback with an opportunity to
(02:32):
score a game winning touchdown.
Again, only 20 seconds left onthe clock, but still, the You're
giving them hope of a touchdown.
I get it.
They don't convert.
They just need a field goal, but takeme inside Nick, maybe the mindset for
offensive coordinators, play callers,quarterbacks, knowing they have to do
(02:53):
a two minute or one minute drill whenthey know they need seven, as opposed to
they can just settle for a field goal.
Cause I got two examples earlierin the season for going up six.
Bit that team in the buttand ended up with a loss.
Well, everyone can't beat Dan Campbell.
Cause you know, Dan Campbell goesforward on four down all the time.
(03:13):
And it's kind of like a 60, 40 for him.
So if you saw me, here'swhat you're thinking.
If you're Sean McVay, you say, okay,well, our offense is struggling,
but we're still moving the balldown the field, but Oh, guess what?
Oh, by the way, San Francisco,they're not doing Dilly squat either.
Right.
There's no McCaffrey.
There's no Trent Williams.
(03:33):
So, kicking the field goal,you gotta take the points.
You still put the pressure onthe 49ers because they just can't
say, Well, we're gonna play,you know, game control offense.
No.
Now you gotta press the envelope.
Now you gotta drive theball down the field.
And when you look at how the Ramsdefense was playing in our game,
now they're playing into your hands.
So, you're forcing the pressure.
(03:55):
Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy, thatgroup to really attempt throws down
the field and just like you pointedout, I mean Brock Purdy threw
an interception in the end zone.
The likelihood of Purdy pressingagain and doing the same thing.
Those chances were 110%.
So, while I know some people don'tagree with the fact of kicking
(04:17):
field goals, because it leaves theopportunity for the opposite team
to move the ball down the field.
But like you said, there'svery little time on the clock.
So we're going to put themunder all the pressure.
First of all, you're battling throughinjuries, your quarterback is struggling,
the offense has been struggling allday, it's been a defensive game, you're
at home, you're in inclement weather,and oh by the way, if you lose this
(04:42):
game, you're out of the playoffs!
So all that pressure was on Kyle Shanahanand the offense, so I agree with what
Sean McVay decided to do, kick thefield goal, put the pressure on them.
But I think You, youmay not agree with that.
No, all situations aren't the same.
I kind of, you've, you've turned,you've changed my mind because I'm
(05:03):
thinking of Greg Olson who criticizedthe Arizona Cardinals, uh, a month
ago for doing the same thing, right?
They go up six, 22, 16 with aboutthree minutes left in the game.
Vikings go eight plays, 70 yards andabout two minutes to win that game.
And then week two, it happens that the.
Eagles, where they go up six, and then theFalcons go the length of the field in a
(05:26):
minute and five seconds to take the lead.
But again, less time, you understand it's,uh, how the 49ers had been playing, and
the conditions they were dealing with.
There wasn't as much rain in the secondhalf, but still you're dealing with a wet,
slick ball, and a gross, muddy field, and,like you said, A lot of 49ers backups.
They're third, fourthstring running backs.
(05:48):
Uh, obviously no Brandon Iuke, JawanJennings has been sensational, uh,
at times, really lacking the weapons.
Um, other than a Debo Samuel, who.
Like all great things in therain just looks washed right now.
Ooh, wow.
I mean, I know it's been reallyinteresting because Deebo Samuel was
(06:10):
complaining that he was not gettingenough touches as most wide receivers
and often do, but for him not tomake that, can I say a routine catch?
Like, that you expect for him tomake, that was kind of disappointing
because even Kyle Shanahan said,had Deebo hauled in that reception,
(06:31):
that was possibly a house call,but this is where the 49ers are.
And, you know, no pun intended.
When it rains, it literally pours.
Well, you know, other than that, uh,we, we can all point to the incredible
shock of Cooper Cup being held withouta catch just a third time in his career.
And the first time against the 49ers,but it's not just me sweating my
(06:55):
fantasy football matchup with him.
And I swear, it's not just me.
It's just about everybody who inthis week 15, usually playoff time.
You know, you have to go back, uh,to five years ago, the last time the
Cooper Cup was held without a catch.
So, we're stressing a little bit.
Um, you know, who's notstressed right now, though?
Devontrae Campbell,Devontrae Campbell, man.
(07:18):
He's just going to pick up hishelmet and his pads and go home in
the middle of the third quarter.
Reporters at Ash Shanahan.
How come they didn't see Campbellwho had gotten some playing time
with Drake Greenlaw out who returnedfor this game, so to Joey Bosa.
So I'm sorry, Nick Bosa, his little bro.
Um, you know, the teeth of thisdefense was getting healthy.
(07:39):
But, Campbell left this game in themiddle of the third quarter, according
to Kyle Shanahan, and, uh, at thispoint, Nick, you criticize Anthony
Richardson for skipping one play, butalmost the entire second half, Like,
I think the 49ers are pretty unifiedin their response to this postgame.
(08:02):
But do you want to pile on, consideringyou know a lot of that defensive
coaching staff under Kyle Shanahan,based on your time in San Francisco?
Like, this is, this is game overfor Campbell and the 49ers, right?
Uh, yeah, of course, man.
This is one of those situationswhere there's no way that you can
(08:23):
go back and resolve this situation.
It's almost like cheatingon your girlfriend.
Right.
Right?
You get caught red handed.
I mean, you can say, I'm sorry,and make all these excuses as why
you cheated, but he caught you.
So there's no going back.
And there's no going back forCampbell and the 49ers right now.
Knowing Kyle the way that I know him,I'm sure he was pissed on the field
(08:48):
when it was made or brought to hisattention, but he's trying to focus
on the game and knowing as thoughsometimes he internalized things.
I'm sure that was goingaround in his head.
I'm trying to keep ourplayoff hopes alive.
I have players who are tappingout and let's be totally honest.
Campbell's real issue wasthat Greenlaw was out.
(09:10):
He was the guy who wasgetting those starting reps.
Greenlaw comes back, he is sat down.
Greenlaw is pulled out of the game becausehis Achilles, what he injured against
the Chiefs earlier this year in the SuperBowl in Vegas, it started to get tight.
So they said, Hey, Campbell!
Come on over here.
You're back in.
(09:31):
And Cam will say, nah, bro.
No, no, no, no.
See, you wanted to puthim in the game, right?
And he was supposed to be the man, right?
But no, no, no, no.
See, I'm the man.
See, I'm the man and youguys somehow forgot that.
So he was like, you know what?
I'm gonna do, I'm gonnado you guys one solid.
I'm out of here.
(09:51):
We're not going to the playoffs anyway.
So what he essentially did,he alienated the locker room.
And if any other team aroundthe league, unless you're in a
desperate mode, because desperatetimes make people do stupid stuff.
I am not going to haveCampbell on my team.
Now I'm all for everyone working,but in this case, Knowing how
(10:13):
hard it is to get into the leagueand how hard it is to stay.
You said you were notgoing back in the game.
Are you kidding me?
It's like my kid telling mehe's not going to clean his room
and he's putting his foot down.
Oh, really?
Yes.
So I'm sure that 49ers locker roomlooked at Campbell like, oh, really?
(10:35):
And when they do that.
Leave it to George Kittleto quote after the game.
I've never been aroundanybody that's ever done that.
And I hope I'm never aroundanyone that does that again.
So, that tells you all you need to know.
Um, that locker room essentially unifiedaround, uh, getting him out of there.
It's still, you know.
(10:56):
A lot left to be desired.
A lot of meat left on that bone in termsof how the 49ers performed, but Nick, just
to put a bow on a miserable Thursday nightgame that we somehow spent over 10 minutes
discussing, um, the 49ers season waslost in the off season, the distractions
around Christian McCaffrey's injury,the contract negotiations for Brandon
(11:16):
Ayuk and, uh, Trent, uh, Trent Williams.
This team was far from focused.
When they were just a few playsaway from winning the Superbowl.
So for as consistent and competitivethis team has been in years past, they
come up well short this season because.
Of all the distractions that camein before a single snap was even
(11:37):
played that and whatever reason theyget bit again by the injury bug.
Yeah.
You know what?
It seems like, uh, that window thatwe always talk about in sports,
it started to get really small.
I think it's closed.
I think the windows closed, Nick.
They got one more year ofBrock Purdy on his rookie deal.
(11:59):
He's.
Going to hold out if theydon't get a deal done.
Uh, beyond that, Chris McCaffrey andBrandon Ayoub are probably not going
to be ready for week one next year.
So I think next year is a wash as well,or at the very least, they're far from
the a hundred percent fully healthy teamthat was in the Superbowl a year ago.
So how does this team look and restructurethemselves when Brock Purdy is set to
(12:20):
make 45, 50, 55 million dollars a year?
I don't know, two years from now,maybe after a franchise tag, he makes
as much as Dak Prescott at 60 million.
I think it's just going to beimpossible for that team to recover.
So I don't expect them tobe 10, 11 wins next year.
Here's what I never really figured out.
I mean, Brock Purdy's played in theSuperbowl and I don't know what kind
(12:45):
of agreement that he's made with JohnLynch, Kyle Shanahan, or the York family.
But usually, normally guys go, youknow what, I'm not returning to
the team until I get a new deal.
And you have to wonder, I mean,with the window closing on the
49ers, What does that deal reallygoing to look like for Brock Purdy?
(13:06):
Because you have a U and CMC, likeyou mentioned, those guys were just
paid and they are coming off injuries.
And then you have Kittle, Bosa, right?
And Deebo Samuel.
That's a significant amount of money whenit comes to looking at the 49ers payroll.
And once rent comes due,which it is about to.
(13:30):
You're not going to beable to keep everyone.
And oh, by the way, I forgot aboutTrent Williams and his deal, right?
So, so that's a, that's a lot ofmoney for a team that seemed to be
trending in the opposite direction.
Well, they're old too, right?
Trent Williams will be 37 next year.
Talking about contract extensions.
Uh, Kittle will be 32.
(13:51):
Um, you know, Debo's, let's sayhe's gone at this point, right?
29 with diminishing skillset.
Uh, at least what I'veseen so far this season.
So it remains to be seen.
I'm just a little down on them becausethe best version was still coming up
short in the Superbowl, um, a coupleof times, but credit to Shanahan for
getting them there in the first place.
(14:12):
Um, week 15, Nick, we've got obviously.
The best matchup, I think, in awhole week compared to what we just
saw with the Bills and the Rams.
You turn around, you get the Billsand the Lions, which is going
to be, uh, excellent, excellentviewing pleasure for ourselves.
But Nick, we're a couple weeks outfrom Christmas and Hanukkah and the
(14:34):
holidays, so I thought I'd go through acouple of games, um, and add them to my
wish list for Nick Ferguson, the MiamiDolphins are visiting the Houston Texans.
And on my wish list for this game,I want to see the trunk plays.
I understand that the quick offense thatboth the Dolphins and the Texans execute
Um, kind of mitigated the success orceiling of a tank Dell, uh, for Houston
(15:02):
side, both Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddleon the Dolphin side, but can we please get
some chunk plays from both of these teams?
That's what I would put onmy wish list in this matchup.
So basically you say on thefirst day of Christmas, I want.
A baby of chunk plays.
I don't know if you're goingto get a baby of chunk plays.
(15:23):
I don't know if that's going tohappen because D'Amico Ryan spent
a lot of time in San Franciscowith offensive coordinator and
head coach, Mike McDaniels.
You know, by the way, Bobby Slortspent some time in the San Francisco
49ers offensive side of the ball.
So basically,
You're staring in the mirror.
(15:44):
It's like two twinsfighting one another, right?
With the same hand.
So let me,
let me, let me pause you rightthere because the Bobby Sloick and
it's, it's all personnel, right?
It's predicated on who they have up front.
And who they have at the skillposition, Bobby Slowick, to
his own detriment, right?
Like, the Texans lead the NFL with,like, third and long situations, just
(16:08):
in terms of the amount of yardage thatthey have on third down, because they
are committed to running the footballwith Joe Mixon on first and second down.
Meanwhile, Due to a lack of personnelor success in the run game, the Dolphins
use quick screens and bubbles, uh,bubble routes as their running game.
So it's looking in the mirror, but tellme how those two offenses resemble one
(16:31):
another, even though one is predicatedon running the football and the other
is one of the worst running teamsin the national football league.
Well, let's start with BobbySlug and the Houston Texans.
That's the staple of theMike Shanahan offense.
You, you run the setup to offensebecause now if you're successful on
the ground, it opens up play action andyour second level players that you're
(16:55):
playing against, those linebackers arecreeping close to the line of scrimmage.
So that means it creates space.
And oh, by the way, unlike thefirst year's rookie year, C.
J.
Stroud is not looking the same.
And right now what BobbySlogan said, you know what?
We're going to lean into it byhanding the ball off to Joe Mixon.
And for me, yeah, I paid a lot ofattention to it because having C.
(17:17):
J.
Stroud on my team for a lot ofgames thinking that he's going to
duplicate that last year performance.
It's hurt me on the fantasyfootball side of it.
But let's go look onthe Miami Dolphins side.
Miami Dolphins.
Because yet I digress.
Well, when you look at the 49ers, MikeMcDaniel, he wants to run the ball.
Once again, it goes back towhat's the staple of the system
(17:37):
when you can't run the ball.
Now you are manufacturing runplays with screen plays, right?
Throwing it out to the rightor left or middle screens.
So if you're D'Amico or Ryan's,you've seen that you just have to
make sure that your guys are prepared.
They are able to see what'sin front of them, communicate.
But more importantly.
(17:59):
And I'll tell you this, Waddell, twoof the more explosive plays in the
league and for the Miami Dolphins.
Here's what I've learned.
If either of those two guysare off the ball, then most
likely it's a total screen.
You just rally and you tackle.
But if either of those guys are on thepoint, they're on the ball, then you
(18:22):
better communicate and make sure you'reon your P's and Q's in the back end.
And because the Dolphins have not beenable to muster the run game, guess what?
That means you put more pressure onTor to throw the ball down the field.
And what we've seen is whenhe has that pressure and he's
pressing, Turnovers galore!
(18:43):
Taron
Armstead, the quality left tackle,doubtful for this game after only
playing five snaps a week ago.
So time in the pocket is notgoing to be there for him, right?
There's the reason he's thequickest release in the National
Football League this season.
Um, we're going to put a pin in theChiefs and Browns because, uh, yes.
(19:05):
I, on my wishlist, would love tosee Jameis throw four touchdowns,
three picks again, and we have a onepossession game against the Chiefs.
I think it's just going to happen, right?
The Chiefs are, uh, I forget, you know,I'm not the biggest betting person.
I know you weren't either, but itwas, you know, they are, they've
never covered, I think, in theirwin, their 12 wins this year.
(19:29):
Meanwhile, You know, they, they stillfind the win those one possession games.
Um, so they can win itwhile James gives it away.
Uh, so I digress.
Uh, Nick, what's on your wishlist for this Colts Broncos game
with the 7 seed at stake here?
And again, Texans win, Colts lose.
They've got the AFC South wrapped up.
(19:51):
Well, my wish is really simple.
A Broncos dub, right?
Dub City.
Oh, come
on.
How did they
get there, Nick?
I mean, did you expect forme to say anything less?
Look.
I mean, the Broncos have beenplaying well up to this point.
Last game against the ClevelandBrowns on Monday night, the defense
didn't look that great, but theoffense finally found their sea legs.
(20:15):
Right?
So if you continue with that momentum hereat home, knowing everything that is at
stake, and knowing that on a short week,You gotta play a Chargers team that you
lost to in Week 5 earlier this season.
So
there's
no holds barred for this Broncos team.
And they gotta go out andthey have to play well.
And it's kind of a simple recipe.
(20:36):
Don't give up explosive plays similarto what you gave up against Cleveland.
And more importantly, nopenalties on either side.
No drive extenders.
No drive killers.
And the Broncos shouldwalk away with this game.
Uh, we'll spend the most timehere on Bill's Lions, uh,
Lions hosting Buffalo, uh, 3.
(20:58):
The Bills locked up the AFC East,uh, I don't know, week two, week
three, do you remember exactly?
Uh, meanwhile, Detroit, just agame up on the Minnesota Vikings.
So I guess on my wish list forthis game, Nick, is the Bills
understanding that this is Uh, theirbest game left on the schedule.
I, I don't want them to be pullingpunches and saving it for the postseason.
(21:19):
Um, you, you know that with the Lionsas the odds on favorite to win the
title, still, again, scratching andclawing in the NFC North, which has
been the best division in football.
I'm not worried about a Dan Campbellteam being ready for this game.
I would just like to see, uh, Buffalogo full throttle, whatever that means.
Uh, I'm pretty sure that would beemphasizing the run game against
(21:41):
this leaky Lions defensive front.
Meanwhile, this defense, which has beenlacking a pass rush going up against one
of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
I'd love to see the Bills get nasty in thetrenches on both sides of the football.
That's on my wishlist forthe Bills and the Lions.
How do you see it, Nick?
Like saying through the hourglass,these are the days of our lives.
(22:03):
And these are the days of Dan Campbelland the fans of the Detroit Lions live.
They've been waiting for this forwhat, almost 20 something years to get
to this point, and now they are here.
So for me, once again, going back toWhy the Broncos need to beat the Colts
to keep their playoff hopes alive.
(22:25):
For me, it works great for theBroncos if Detroit is able to
knock off the Buffalo Bills.
Because, once again, that would mean backto back weeks the Bills have lost games.
And that means That with the pressureon Josh Allen, right, to now become
the man and usurp Jim Kelly asbeing the quarterback of the Buffalo
(22:49):
Bills and establish his own legacy,two losses in a row, he's going to
start to overthink things, right?
This is a guy who just, I thinka week ago, just got engaged.
You want to put more on his mind, moreon his, you want to make him think
because now he's thinking, well, youknow what, I beat Patrick Mahomes
in the Chiefs in a regular season.
(23:10):
I just lost two games back to back,you know, once against the Rams
and one against the Detroit Lions.
I get it.
They're not in my conference, but I lost.
I lost to two good quarterbacks.
You want him to play with that levelof pressure, and for me being a Broncos
fan and living here in Denver, itworks well because chances are the
(23:32):
Broncos are probably going to haveto go on a roll on wildcard weekend
and play Josh Allen in Buffalo.
So, I like it.
I'm rooting for the Lions.
Roar, Lions, Roar.
Shout out to your guy, Aaron Glenn.
I think one of the names we mentioned mostfrequently when we started this podcast.
The Lions defense, 13 players on IR.
(23:53):
31 other teams in theNational Football League.
No more than 7 defensive players on IR.
Just putting it together with scotchtape and band aids and 4th stringers.
They also had another depthlinebacker who's ruled out.
Uh, against Buffalo.
So they are without 15 of theirdefensive players on this roster.
So shout out your guy,Aaron Glenn, Nick Ferguson.
(24:15):
We got cute.
We talked about what was on our wishlist.
So Nick, we always do Nick before wesplit, before we get on out of here.
And Nick.
Before we split, how's theChristmas shopping going, buddy?
Like everything all taken care ofthe missus, the kids, the coworkers.
I mean, you're, you're on air partners,um, maybe on the podcast format, like
should I be expecting something in mystocking, like how are we living, Nick?
(24:40):
Well, it's going to be a long distancefor me to, uh, put anything in your
stocking as far as stocking stuffers.
But as far as the guys herein Denver, they can handle
their own and they can manage.
As far as everything else, we gottabe a little quiet around here.
We can't tell everything, right?
(25:00):
So yeah, um, do I need to get on theboogie as far as that is concerned?
Absolutely.
But here's something interesting.
Like, my wife and I, we don't really,we do Christmas, but we put a budget.
On how much we can spend and it's notan enormous amount, but every time we
put the limit on the budget, sometimesmy wife goes over that budget, right?
(25:23):
She goes over.
And I understand the reason she goesover because she is thinking about
me and wanting to put me first.
So I love her for that.
But with that being said, Igot some thinking as far as
what am I going to get her?
See, that's where the heavy lifting comes.
Well, they don't call you St.
(25:44):
Nicholas for nothing.
I mean, if you can't do it, uh, nobodycan, you go to all those houses,
every single, you know, billionsof homes on December 24th, making
sure that everyone, including Mrs.
Claus, I'm sorry, Mrs.
Ferguson is all taken care of.
He's Nick Ferguson, former 10 year NFLsafety, who I believe has a side gig,
(26:04):
uh, two weeks from now on Christmas Eve.
Just a thought, St.
Nicholas.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We are those guys we hope to be your guys.
Week 15 of the NFL season, we highlightedsome of our favorite matchups.
And look, like, we'recoming down the stretch.
We're potentially going to have, uh,more than half of the playoff teams.
(26:26):
Slotted in.
So we're going to have alot to look forward to.
So make sure you don't missa single episode with us.
Um, YouTube, Apple podcasts, wherever youget your podcasts, ride the wave media.
Nick Ferguson, let's get on out of here.
What do you have for the people?
Make sure you don't receiveany cold in your stocking.
(26:47):
Up to you though.
You're, you're the guy.
Yeah.
I mean, that's why it'scalled naughty and niceless.
So obviously if you'renaughty, you get cold.
Do I have to be nicer to you now?
Is that, is that what's happening here?
Man, I don't know, but this is thattime of year that you might need to.
We are those guys.
We hope to be your guys as wecontinue to chart the NFL season.
It is getting cold out there, Nick,uh, where you are, not me, here in
Southern California, but Week 15 ofthe NFL season kicked off on Thursday.
Usually we come at you with aThursday special, but Nick Ferguson,
former 10 year NFL safety, Wemade the executive decision.
(00:37):
No touchdowns, no immediate reaction pod.
What's going on, Nick?
Hey man, what's, what'sgoing on with you, man?
Yes, it is cold here in Denver, Colorado.
What's the temperature therein Southern California?
Uh, well, I think todaywas a high of about 60.
Although I, I promise you it got downto about 40 overnight last night.
(01:00):
Ooh, that's, that's cold for you guys.
Hey, listen, with the two kids.
I'll pay whatever it costs toheat the rest of the house.
That's a good thing.
We've got a tiny little, uh,estate here in Orange County.
Nick, I mentioned no touchdownsand a 12 6 victory Rams over 49ers.
And of all the things to bring up, Nick, Iwant to criticize, again, we'll criticize
(01:24):
Devondre Campbell, your experiencein the National Football League and
what he did quitting on his footballteam, that's the low hanging fruit.
But I wanted to criticize theRams because the game situation is
they're up 9 6, driving, followinga Brock Purdy interception.
Um, incredible play in theend zone that gets caught, uh,
(01:46):
snatched up by Demarius Williams.
Um, shout out me, who wasn'treally watching the game while I
was working, or I was distracted.
I forgot who had possession.
I saw Williams with the ball onthe touchdown, and I go, Kyron
Williams from my fantasy team.
Wait, wait a minute, not quite.
So Rams drive the length of thefield, 70 yards, get stopped, and
(02:08):
they kick a field goal to go up 12 6.
Now, I wanted to criticize them, not justbecause how the Detroit Lions decided
to go for it, went up 3 2, iced the, uh,Green Bay Pack, uh, Green Bay Packers?
Oh my god, I already forget.
Yes, the Green Bay Packers,a week ago Thursday.
Now, the 49ers get the ballback with an opportunity to
(02:32):
score a game winning touchdown.
Again, only 20 seconds left onthe clock, but still, the You're
giving them hope of a touchdown.
I get it.
They don't convert.
They just need a field goal, but takeme inside Nick, maybe the mindset for
offensive coordinators, play callers,quarterbacks, knowing they have to do
(02:53):
a two minute or one minute drill whenthey know they need seven, as opposed to
they can just settle for a field goal.
Cause I got two examples earlierin the season for going up six.
Bit that team in the buttand ended up with a loss.
Well, everyone can't beat Dan Campbell.
Cause you know, Dan Campbell goesforward on four down all the time.
(03:13):
And it's kind of like a 60, 40 for him.
So if you saw me, here'swhat you're thinking.
If you're Sean McVay, you say, okay,well, our offense is struggling,
but we're still moving the balldown the field, but Oh, guess what?
Oh, by the way, San Francisco,they're not doing Dilly squat either.
Right.
There's no McCaffrey.
There's no Trent Williams.
(03:33):
So, kicking the field goal,you gotta take the points.
You still put the pressure onthe 49ers because they just can't
say, Well, we're gonna play,you know, game control offense.
No.
Now you gotta press the envelope.
Now you gotta drive theball down the field.
And when you look at how the Ramsdefense was playing in our game,
now they're playing into your hands.
So, you're forcing the pressure.
(03:55):
Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy, thatgroup to really attempt throws down
the field and just like you pointedout, I mean Brock Purdy threw
an interception in the end zone.
The likelihood of Purdy pressingagain and doing the same thing.
Those chances were 110%.
So, while I know some people don'tagree with the fact of kicking
(04:17):
field goals, because it leaves theopportunity for the opposite team
to move the ball down the field.
But like you said, there'svery little time on the clock.
So we're going to put themunder all the pressure.
First of all, you're battling throughinjuries, your quarterback is struggling,
the offense has been struggling allday, it's been a defensive game, you're
at home, you're in inclement weather,and oh by the way, if you lose this
(04:42):
game, you're out of the playoffs!
So all that pressure was on Kyle Shanahanand the offense, so I agree with what
Sean McVay decided to do, kick thefield goal, put the pressure on them.
But I think You, youmay not agree with that.
No, all situations aren't the same.
I kind of, you've, you've turned,you've changed my mind because I'm
(05:03):
thinking of Greg Olson who criticizedthe Arizona Cardinals, uh, a month
ago for doing the same thing, right?
They go up six, 22, 16 with aboutthree minutes left in the game.
Vikings go eight plays, 70 yards andabout two minutes to win that game.
And then week two, it happens that the.
Eagles, where they go up six, and then theFalcons go the length of the field in a
(05:26):
minute and five seconds to take the lead.
But again, less time, you understand it's,uh, how the 49ers had been playing, and
the conditions they were dealing with.
There wasn't as much rain in the secondhalf, but still you're dealing with a wet,
slick ball, and a gross, muddy field, and,like you said, A lot of 49ers backups.
They're third, fourthstring running backs.
(05:48):
Uh, obviously no Brandon Iuke, JawanJennings has been sensational, uh,
at times, really lacking the weapons.
Um, other than a Debo Samuel, who.
Like all great things in therain just looks washed right now.
Ooh, wow.
I mean, I know it's been reallyinteresting because Deebo Samuel was
(06:10):
complaining that he was not gettingenough touches as most wide receivers
and often do, but for him not tomake that, can I say a routine catch?
Like, that you expect for him tomake, that was kind of disappointing
because even Kyle Shanahan said,had Deebo hauled in that reception,
(06:31):
that was possibly a house call,but this is where the 49ers are.
And, you know, no pun intended.
When it rains, it literally pours.
Well, you know, other than that, uh,we, we can all point to the incredible
shock of Cooper Cup being held withouta catch just a third time in his career.
And the first time against the 49ers,but it's not just me sweating my
(06:55):
fantasy football matchup with him.
And I swear, it's not just me.
It's just about everybody who inthis week 15, usually playoff time.
You know, you have to go back, uh,to five years ago, the last time the
Cooper Cup was held without a catch.
So, we're stressing a little bit.
Um, you know, who's notstressed right now, though?
Devontrae Campbell,Devontrae Campbell, man.
(07:18):
He's just going to pick up hishelmet and his pads and go home in
the middle of the third quarter.
Reporters at Ash Shanahan.
How come they didn't see Campbellwho had gotten some playing time
with Drake Greenlaw out who returnedfor this game, so to Joey Bosa.
So I'm sorry, Nick Bosa, his little bro.
Um, you know, the teeth of thisdefense was getting healthy.
(07:39):
But, Campbell left this game in themiddle of the third quarter, according
to Kyle Shanahan, and, uh, at thispoint, Nick, you criticize Anthony
Richardson for skipping one play, butalmost the entire second half, Like,
I think the 49ers are pretty unifiedin their response to this postgame.
(08:02):
But do you want to pile on, consideringyou know a lot of that defensive
coaching staff under Kyle Shanahan,based on your time in San Francisco?
Like, this is, this is game overfor Campbell and the 49ers, right?
Uh, yeah, of course, man.
This is one of those situationswhere there's no way that you can
(08:23):
go back and resolve this situation.
It's almost like cheatingon your girlfriend.
Right.
Right?
You get caught red handed.
I mean, you can say, I'm sorry,and make all these excuses as why
you cheated, but he caught you.
So there's no going back.
And there's no going back forCampbell and the 49ers right now.
Knowing Kyle the way that I know him,I'm sure he was pissed on the field
(08:48):
when it was made or brought to hisattention, but he's trying to focus
on the game and knowing as thoughsometimes he internalized things.
I'm sure that was goingaround in his head.
I'm trying to keep ourplayoff hopes alive.
I have players who are tappingout and let's be totally honest.
Campbell's real issue wasthat Greenlaw was out.
(09:10):
He was the guy who wasgetting those starting reps.
Greenlaw comes back, he is sat down.
Greenlaw is pulled out of the game becausehis Achilles, what he injured against
the Chiefs earlier this year in the SuperBowl in Vegas, it started to get tight.
So they said, Hey, Campbell!
Come on over here.
You're back in.
(09:31):
And Cam will say, nah, bro.
No, no, no, no.
See, you wanted to puthim in the game, right?
And he was supposed to be the man, right?
But no, no, no, no.
See, I'm the man.
See, I'm the man and youguys somehow forgot that.
So he was like, you know what?
I'm gonna do, I'm gonnado you guys one solid.
I'm out of here.
(09:51):
We're not going to the playoffs anyway.
So what he essentially did,he alienated the locker room.
And if any other team aroundthe league, unless you're in a
desperate mode, because desperatetimes make people do stupid stuff.
I am not going to haveCampbell on my team.
Now I'm all for everyone working,but in this case, Knowing how
(10:13):
hard it is to get into the leagueand how hard it is to stay.
You said you were notgoing back in the game.
Are you kidding me?
It's like my kid telling mehe's not going to clean his room
and he's putting his foot down.
Oh, really?
Yes.
So I'm sure that 49ers locker roomlooked at Campbell like, oh, really?
(10:35):
And when they do that.
Leave it to George Kittleto quote after the game.
I've never been aroundanybody that's ever done that.
And I hope I'm never aroundanyone that does that again.
So, that tells you all you need to know.
Um, that locker room essentially unifiedaround, uh, getting him out of there.
It's still, you know.
(10:56):
A lot left to be desired.
A lot of meat left on that bone in termsof how the 49ers performed, but Nick, just
to put a bow on a miserable Thursday nightgame that we somehow spent over 10 minutes
discussing, um, the 49ers season waslost in the off season, the distractions
around Christian McCaffrey's injury,the contract negotiations for Brandon
(11:16):
Ayuk and, uh, Trent, uh, Trent Williams.
This team was far from focused.
When they were just a few playsaway from winning the Superbowl.
So for as consistent and competitivethis team has been in years past, they
come up well short this season because.
Of all the distractions that camein before a single snap was even
(11:37):
played that and whatever reason theyget bit again by the injury bug.
Yeah.
You know what?
It seems like, uh, that window thatwe always talk about in sports,
it started to get really small.
I think it's closed.
I think the windows closed, Nick.
They got one more year ofBrock Purdy on his rookie deal.
(11:59):
He's.
Going to hold out if theydon't get a deal done.
Uh, beyond that, Chris McCaffrey andBrandon Ayoub are probably not going
to be ready for week one next year.
So I think next year is a wash as well,or at the very least, they're far from
the a hundred percent fully healthy teamthat was in the Superbowl a year ago.
So how does this team look and restructurethemselves when Brock Purdy is set to
(12:20):
make 45, 50, 55 million dollars a year?
I don't know, two years from now,maybe after a franchise tag, he makes
as much as Dak Prescott at 60 million.
I think it's just going to beimpossible for that team to recover.
So I don't expect them tobe 10, 11 wins next year.
Here's what I never really figured out.
I mean, Brock Purdy's played in theSuperbowl and I don't know what kind
(12:45):
of agreement that he's made with JohnLynch, Kyle Shanahan, or the York family.
But usually, normally guys go, youknow what, I'm not returning to
the team until I get a new deal.
And you have to wonder, I mean,with the window closing on the
49ers, What does that deal reallygoing to look like for Brock Purdy?
(13:06):
Because you have a U and CMC, likeyou mentioned, those guys were just
paid and they are coming off injuries.
And then you have Kittle, Bosa, right?
And Deebo Samuel.
That's a significant amount of money whenit comes to looking at the 49ers payroll.
And once rent comes due,which it is about to.
(13:30):
You're not going to beable to keep everyone.
And oh, by the way, I forgot aboutTrent Williams and his deal, right?
So, so that's a, that's a lot ofmoney for a team that seemed to be
trending in the opposite direction.
Well, they're old too, right?
Trent Williams will be 37 next year.
Talking about contract extensions.
Uh, Kittle will be 32.
(13:51):
Um, you know, Debo's, let's sayhe's gone at this point, right?
29 with diminishing skillset.
Uh, at least what I'veseen so far this season.
So it remains to be seen.
I'm just a little down on them becausethe best version was still coming up
short in the Superbowl, um, a coupleof times, but credit to Shanahan for
getting them there in the first place.
(14:12):
Um, week 15, Nick, we've got obviously.
The best matchup, I think, in awhole week compared to what we just
saw with the Bills and the Rams.
You turn around, you get the Billsand the Lions, which is going
to be, uh, excellent, excellentviewing pleasure for ourselves.
But Nick, we're a couple weeks outfrom Christmas and Hanukkah and the
(14:34):
holidays, so I thought I'd go through acouple of games, um, and add them to my
wish list for Nick Ferguson, the MiamiDolphins are visiting the Houston Texans.
And on my wish list for this game,I want to see the trunk plays.
I understand that the quick offense thatboth the Dolphins and the Texans execute
Um, kind of mitigated the success orceiling of a tank Dell, uh, for Houston
(15:02):
side, both Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddleon the Dolphin side, but can we please get
some chunk plays from both of these teams?
That's what I would put onmy wish list in this matchup.
So basically you say on thefirst day of Christmas, I want.
A baby of chunk plays.
I don't know if you're goingto get a baby of chunk plays.
(15:23):
I don't know if that's going tohappen because D'Amico Ryan spent
a lot of time in San Franciscowith offensive coordinator and
head coach, Mike McDaniels.
You know, by the way, Bobby Slortspent some time in the San Francisco
49ers offensive side of the ball.
So basically,
You're staring in the mirror.
(15:44):
It's like two twinsfighting one another, right?
With the same hand.
So let me,
let me, let me pause you rightthere because the Bobby Sloick and
it's, it's all personnel, right?
It's predicated on who they have up front.
And who they have at the skillposition, Bobby Slowick, to
his own detriment, right?
Like, the Texans lead the NFL with,like, third and long situations, just
(16:08):
in terms of the amount of yardage thatthey have on third down, because they
are committed to running the footballwith Joe Mixon on first and second down.
Meanwhile, Due to a lack of personnelor success in the run game, the Dolphins
use quick screens and bubbles, uh,bubble routes as their running game.
So it's looking in the mirror, but tellme how those two offenses resemble one
(16:31):
another, even though one is predicatedon running the football and the other
is one of the worst running teamsin the national football league.
Well, let's start with BobbySlug and the Houston Texans.
That's the staple of theMike Shanahan offense.
You, you run the setup to offensebecause now if you're successful on
the ground, it opens up play action andyour second level players that you're
(16:55):
playing against, those linebackers arecreeping close to the line of scrimmage.
So that means it creates space.
And oh, by the way, unlike thefirst year's rookie year, C.
J.
Stroud is not looking the same.
And right now what BobbySlogan said, you know what?
We're going to lean into it byhanding the ball off to Joe Mixon.
And for me, yeah, I paid a lot ofattention to it because having C.
(17:17):
J.
Stroud on my team for a lot ofgames thinking that he's going to
duplicate that last year performance.
It's hurt me on the fantasyfootball side of it.
But let's go look onthe Miami Dolphins side.
Miami Dolphins.
Because yet I digress.
Well, when you look at the 49ers, MikeMcDaniel, he wants to run the ball.
Once again, it goes back towhat's the staple of the system
(17:37):
when you can't run the ball.
Now you are manufacturing runplays with screen plays, right?
Throwing it out to the rightor left or middle screens.
So if you're D'Amico or Ryan's,you've seen that you just have to
make sure that your guys are prepared.
They are able to see what'sin front of them, communicate.
But more importantly.
(17:59):
And I'll tell you this, Waddell, twoof the more explosive plays in the
league and for the Miami Dolphins.
Here's what I've learned.
If either of those two guysare off the ball, then most
likely it's a total screen.
You just rally and you tackle.
But if either of those guys are on thepoint, they're on the ball, then you
(18:22):
better communicate and make sure you'reon your P's and Q's in the back end.
And because the Dolphins have not beenable to muster the run game, guess what?
That means you put more pressure onTor to throw the ball down the field.
And what we've seen is whenhe has that pressure and he's
pressing, Turnovers galore!
(18:43):
Taron
Armstead, the quality left tackle,doubtful for this game after only
playing five snaps a week ago.
So time in the pocket is notgoing to be there for him, right?
There's the reason he's thequickest release in the National
Football League this season.
Um, we're going to put a pin in theChiefs and Browns because, uh, yes.
(19:05):
I, on my wishlist, would love tosee Jameis throw four touchdowns,
three picks again, and we have a onepossession game against the Chiefs.
I think it's just going to happen, right?
The Chiefs are, uh, I forget, you know,I'm not the biggest betting person.
I know you weren't either, but itwas, you know, they are, they've
never covered, I think, in theirwin, their 12 wins this year.
(19:29):
Meanwhile, You know, they, they stillfind the win those one possession games.
Um, so they can win itwhile James gives it away.
Uh, so I digress.
Uh, Nick, what's on your wishlist for this Colts Broncos game
with the 7 seed at stake here?
And again, Texans win, Colts lose.
They've got the AFC South wrapped up.
(19:51):
Well, my wish is really simple.
A Broncos dub, right?
Dub City.
Oh, come
on.
How did they
get there, Nick?
I mean, did you expect forme to say anything less?
Look.
I mean, the Broncos have beenplaying well up to this point.
Last game against the ClevelandBrowns on Monday night, the defense
didn't look that great, but theoffense finally found their sea legs.
(20:15):
Right?
So if you continue with that momentum hereat home, knowing everything that is at
stake, and knowing that on a short week,You gotta play a Chargers team that you
lost to in Week 5 earlier this season.
So
there's
no holds barred for this Broncos team.
And they gotta go out andthey have to play well.
And it's kind of a simple recipe.
(20:36):
Don't give up explosive plays similarto what you gave up against Cleveland.
And more importantly, nopenalties on either side.
No drive extenders.
No drive killers.
And the Broncos shouldwalk away with this game.
Uh, we'll spend the most timehere on Bill's Lions, uh,
Lions hosting Buffalo, uh, 3.
(20:58):
The Bills locked up the AFC East,uh, I don't know, week two, week
three, do you remember exactly?
Uh, meanwhile, Detroit, just agame up on the Minnesota Vikings.
So I guess on my wish list forthis game, Nick, is the Bills
understanding that this is Uh, theirbest game left on the schedule.
I, I don't want them to be pullingpunches and saving it for the postseason.
(21:19):
Um, you, you know that with the Lionsas the odds on favorite to win the
title, still, again, scratching andclawing in the NFC North, which has
been the best division in football.
I'm not worried about a Dan Campbellteam being ready for this game.
I would just like to see, uh, Buffalogo full throttle, whatever that means.
Uh, I'm pretty sure that would beemphasizing the run game against
(21:41):
this leaky Lions defensive front.
Meanwhile, this defense, which has beenlacking a pass rush going up against one
of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
I'd love to see the Bills get nasty in thetrenches on both sides of the football.
That's on my wishlist forthe Bills and the Lions.
How do you see it, Nick?
Like saying through the hourglass,these are the days of our lives.
(22:03):
And these are the days of Dan Campbelland the fans of the Detroit Lions live.
They've been waiting for this forwhat, almost 20 something years to get
to this point, and now they are here.
So for me, once again, going back toWhy the Broncos need to beat the Colts
to keep their playoff hopes alive.
(22:25):
For me, it works great for theBroncos if Detroit is able to
knock off the Buffalo Bills.
Because, once again, that would mean backto back weeks the Bills have lost games.
And that means That with the pressureon Josh Allen, right, to now become
the man and usurp Jim Kelly asbeing the quarterback of the Buffalo
(22:49):
Bills and establish his own legacy,two losses in a row, he's going to
start to overthink things, right?
This is a guy who just, I thinka week ago, just got engaged.
You want to put more on his mind, moreon his, you want to make him think
because now he's thinking, well, youknow what, I beat Patrick Mahomes
in the Chiefs in a regular season.
(23:10):
I just lost two games back to back,you know, once against the Rams
and one against the Detroit Lions.
I get it.
They're not in my conference, but I lost.
I lost to two good quarterbacks.
You want him to play with that levelof pressure, and for me being a Broncos
fan and living here in Denver, itworks well because chances are the
(23:32):
Broncos are probably going to haveto go on a roll on wildcard weekend
and play Josh Allen in Buffalo.
So, I like it.
I'm rooting for the Lions.
Roar, Lions, Roar.
Shout out to your guy, Aaron Glenn.
I think one of the names we mentioned mostfrequently when we started this podcast.
The Lions defense, 13 players on IR.
(23:53):
31 other teams in theNational Football League.
No more than 7 defensive players on IR.
Just putting it together with scotchtape and band aids and 4th stringers.
They also had another depthlinebacker who's ruled out.
Uh, against Buffalo.
So they are without 15 of theirdefensive players on this roster.
So shout out your guy,Aaron Glenn, Nick Ferguson.
(24:15):
We got cute.
We talked about what was on our wishlist.
So Nick, we always do Nick before wesplit, before we get on out of here.
And Nick.
Before we split, how's theChristmas shopping going, buddy?
Like everything all taken care ofthe missus, the kids, the coworkers.
I mean, you're, you're on air partners,um, maybe on the podcast format, like
should I be expecting something in mystocking, like how are we living, Nick?
(24:40):
Well, it's going to be a long distancefor me to, uh, put anything in your
stocking as far as stocking stuffers.
But as far as the guys herein Denver, they can handle
their own and they can manage.
As far as everything else, we gottabe a little quiet around here.
We can't tell everything, right?
(25:00):
So yeah, um, do I need to get on theboogie as far as that is concerned?
Absolutely.
But here's something interesting.
Like, my wife and I, we don't really,we do Christmas, but we put a budget.
On how much we can spend and it's notan enormous amount, but every time we
put the limit on the budget, sometimesmy wife goes over that budget, right?
(25:23):
She goes over.
And I understand the reason she goesover because she is thinking about
me and wanting to put me first.
So I love her for that.
But with that being said, Igot some thinking as far as
what am I going to get her?
See, that's where the heavy lifting comes.
Well, they don't call you St.
(25:44):
Nicholas for nothing.
I mean, if you can't do it, uh, nobodycan, you go to all those houses,
every single, you know, billionsof homes on December 24th, making
sure that everyone, including Mrs.
Claus, I'm sorry, Mrs.
Ferguson is all taken care of.
He's Nick Ferguson, former 10 year NFLsafety, who I believe has a side gig,
(26:04):
uh, two weeks from now on Christmas Eve.
Just a thought, St.
Nicholas.
I'm Alex Hardy.
We are those guys we hope to be your guys.
Week 15 of the NFL season, we highlightedsome of our favorite matchups.
And look, like, we'recoming down the stretch.
We're potentially going to have, uh,more than half of the playoff teams.
(26:26):
Slotted in.
So we're going to have alot to look forward to.
So make sure you don't missa single episode with us.
Um, YouTube, Apple podcasts, wherever youget your podcasts, ride the wave media.
Nick Ferguson, let's get on out of here.
What do you have for the people?
Make sure you don't receiveany cold in your stocking.
(26:47):
Up to you though.
You're, you're the guy.
Yeah.
I mean, that's why it'scalled naughty and niceless.
So obviously if you'renaughty, you get cold.
Do I have to be nicer to you now?
Is that, is that what's happening here?
Man, I don't know, but this is thattime of year that you might need to.
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