December 18, 2023 • 34 mins
Chris and Rob discuss how Brock Purdy compares to Draymond Green in that it’s questionable how successful each guy would be away from their current team and explain why the Dallas Cowboys' inability to win on the road could be the reason why the flame out in the playoffs yet again. Plus, Hall of Fame defensive back and FOX Sport Radio NFL analyst Rod Woodson swings by to discuss Lamar Jackson’s MVP candidacy, if we can trust the Cowboys in the postseason, why fit is just as important as talent in the NFL and much more!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brushaw and Ron Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
We were talking about the MVP racing the first hour
Rock Party versus Lamar Jackson. They're one and two Party
to favorite right now and Lamar Jackson number two, and
very different circumstances for both of them. Lamar huge star,
Heisman Trophy winner in college and already has an MVP.
(00:57):
Is the focal point of his offense, makes it go.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
But numbers aren't very huge.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Rock Party, mister irrelevant, the last player chosen, you know,
played at Iowa State, was good, but you know, didn't
like the world on fire and thrown in last year
as a starter due to injury and has been great
since then. Statistically, he's having the best year of any
(01:25):
quarterback in the NFL UH and he's played great in
the biggest games he's actually been possibly better, probably better
in the big games that he has in some of
the games against lesser teams. So uh, those are the
two front runners at least right now with three weeks
(01:45):
left for the MVP. But a lot of people, Rob,
including you, still have big questions about Rock Party tell
us where you're at on him.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
It's it's the same thing talked about over and over.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
I don't deny his numbers or have any issue with
him because he's mister irrelevant. It's still like all of
the you know what, I guess, let me think about
it this way and maybe get help me to hear.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Rock Purty is Draymond Green.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know we talked is that not crazy? Chris? No? No,
because we talked about whether.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Or not he's a systant quarterback last week on First
Things First, and I didn't say that, but that thought
came to my mind.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah, because because of mind, we think.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
You and I think is undoubtedly like would not be
that he's gonna be a Hall of Fame right But
if he was.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
If he went to a bad team or a different team, Chris,
he would not have the career that he's had. He
would not be elevated till like you say, going to
to the Hall of Fame, he's he wouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I could almost don't know, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
But yeah, most people hold that opinion, and I agree
with you.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
And I think the Brock party is Draymond Green and
all of these things. He's in the perfect situation, a
perfect compliment of player that he still has to deliver
the ball, Chris. He still has to make decisions, he
still has to play. So I'm saying, like he's not
doing anything, but it's like the cake batter has been mixed.
(03:34):
Put it in the oven, you know, It's like can
I like, like, it's just put it in the oven.
And and that's where he is. And I'm telling you,
I still believe this that if he has a bad
game anywhere Chris Playoff game, they get knocked out, NFC
Championship game, they get knocked out, Super Bowl, he doesn't
(03:56):
make the play, so it was a bad pay whatever.
It is, the only way people will be able to
validate him and his career and what he's done is
if he is the reason. And what I mean by
that obviously the other players are playing, but he plays
really well and they win a super Bowl, and then
I think all of that is a racee as soon
(04:18):
as there's a misstep, just like we saw in the
middle of the season with the three losses Chris, when
there was a misstep and when he wasn't winning and
one playing like he had played, the Wolves came for him.
They did, and they will come for him in the
postseason as well if he doesn't perform.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Is it fair?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
No, it's not fair.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But that would you agree with me, or do you
agree with me that if he were again even a
fourth round pick, or because Dak's a fourth round pick,
that people wouldn't have these questions about him.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
That that would help, that that would definitely help.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Be lying if I said that it doesn't matter because
we talked about Kurt Warner and we I don't know
not too many people mention this because we talk about
it a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Because I think it's relevant. It's very relevant. It really is.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
When people say very good compared right when people say, oh, well,
they're just doing Kirt Wanner wasn't even drafted, so forget
about being mister irrelevant.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
This guy was bagging gross.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Vision one in northern Iowa. That's not even Iowa state right,
and then Awa State. Yeah, he played Northern Iowa.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
So so, and and he went and had an unbelievable year.
Chris led the Rams to a super Bowl. The rest
is history. Like his season was undernied. And there were
other great players on that uh uh team.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
At Marshall Falk right and and and the receiving corps.
I think Tory Holt was on that team who we've
had on the show. Was a tremendous receiver and they
won the Super Bowl that year. Dick Vermeil was the
head coach.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Did he believe?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Remember he became in his career Chris everything many Dick,
do you want some post?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh my god, Yeah, Tory Holt, Rob was on that team.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Isaac Bruce, Hall of Famous.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Look at the look at the players.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So it's very similar. It is.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
It is darn near identical. But I'll give you one
thing that's different. And this this also hurts party. Like
we said, they the Rams came out of nowhere, won
the Super Bowl that year, went thirteen and three. I
believe it was as we just had a host of
great players, but robed the year before four and twelve.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And that's where you go, Chris, there you go, there's
a difference maker.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
That that's the thing where people go, the Rams weren't
that good last year and they got this quarterback off
out of nowhere. This guy shows up and now they're
going to the super Bowl. Like that's the difference. Like that,
it was the difference where you look at somebody and
you know he's a difference maker. The forty nine ers
have been in the mix the last few years. They've
gone through the Super Bowl without Rock Party. Did they
(07:13):
expect to be in the Super Bowl? Do you know
what I mean?
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Like, yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Ain't like Jimmy Garoppolo was healthy Rob and it's I
think five in San Francisco. They went to the NFC
title game, right, And now, to me, Rock Party is
clearly better than Jimmy G. I mean, Jimmy G for
the success that he had with the Niners. Rob was
(07:39):
never even remotely in the MVP conversation and never was
a Pro Bowl. Is that nobody said oh he should be. No,
he was a good quarterback and he won. I mean
that was the thing about Garoppolo. You just kind of
were like, he wins, you know what I mean? He
wasn't great numbers, He was solid decent, but he was
(08:01):
able to help them win, and Purdy is winning but
putting up numbers.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Look, as I said, we talked about it last week.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I can't say with certainty Rob right now that he's
not a system quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I think what might be. I think what in my.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
View is probably the most likely situation or scenario, is
that right now or even maybe he's coming out of
that already.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
But he started off.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
As a system quarterback and he will grow or has
grown into a franchise quarterback. We saw it with Tom
Brady started off as a system quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
That was the view.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I mean, you gotta get Brady the credit that they
turned it around immediately under him and have been struggling
without him before he took over, even with Drew Bledso
was a pro bowler, but Brady still had to tag
Rob of system quarterback Joe Montana. Rob. You know, early
in his career, he didn't even start his first two years,
you know, Uh, he was a third round draft pick,
(09:11):
and so there were people he had tons of talent
with him that were saying system quarterback. And obviously that
you know, view change as it should have. So we've
sick Kurt Warner even then Mike Martz, you know, was
the one who he stepped in as the OC that
first year with Warner and really helped turn around.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
So a lot of people were giving Martins credit.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Mike right, So it was like, Okay, yeah, Warner's good,
but Marshall Falk, Tory Hole, Isaac Bruce, Mike Martz calling
plays like and then when.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Remember Warner struggled rob.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
With the Giants, and then it goes to Arizona and
plays well gets.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And let me tell you something, if it wasn't for
that Santonio Holmes catch Chris in the end zone, they
won a Super Bowl, Like like, U oh, you remember
you threw the touchdown to who am I thinking of
the receiver Larry Fitzgerald? Remember Larry Fitzgerald had the touchdown
and put him my head with a couple of minutes
to go or whatever it was. I can't remember the
exact time Chris, and then Antonio Holmes makes yeah and
(10:17):
that great catch.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I thought.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I was like I.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Remember sitting there when Larry Fitzgerald Junior, you know, caught
that ball or whatever touchdown. I thought, wow, Arizona is
going to win Super Bowl. You know, like when you
think about how bad that franchise was.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, and so, like I said, I think Brock Purty
is most likely on that path as far as you know,
growing into a franchise quarterback. Because the thing is this
Rob and obviously he does have a lot of talent
around him, and it's kind of like I look at
his situation, Rob, kind of like like a beating a
(10:52):
bad team where you say, well, they weren't any good, yeah,
but we beat him forty to nothing, you know what
I mean, Like like, you can only beat a bad
team so badly, and at some point you.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Got to get credit.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
If you struggle with a bad team, then people can
throw that in your face that all they're no good,
But when you beat them, beat the breaks off of them,
you should get credit even if they're bad. And the
thing with Purdy is you couldn't play much better Rob.
His passer rating of one to nineteen is for quarterbacks
(11:27):
who started essentially the whole season.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It's the fourth highest ever.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Only Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have had higher.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know, yeah, I mean here's some of his big
his biggest games this year as far as the opponent
Philadelphia three hundred and fourteen yards passing four touchdowns, no interceptions,
one forty eight point eight passer rating.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Jacksonville, which you know, at that.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Time was one of the top teams in the league
as far as record two hundred and ninety six yards passing,
three touchdowns, zero interceptions, one forty eight point nine passer rating,
Dallas two hundred and fifty two yards passing four touchdowns,
no picks, one forty four point four passer rating. So
he's been some of his biggest games have been against
(12:15):
the best teams they've played. Cincinnati, he struggled, Like you said,
those three games in a row. That awful, but it
was struggling. They lost, right, I mean, he had been
winning everything, hadn't even thrown an interception to that point,
and then you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Know, struggled a little bit. Wasn't terrible though, to your point.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
I mean Cincinnati three for three hundred and sixty five yards,
Minnesota two seventy two, and Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Was a bad game.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
But he got him in a position for the lakefield
goal to win it and the rookie missed it.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So you know he's playing well. He just robbed. We've
talked about I.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Think smarts and tangibles, decision making that's so big a
part of being a quarterback in the NFL, and he
seems to have those, and he's done have the strongest arm,
but he can make all the throws and he's accurate.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I think you like it.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Our next guest one of the best defensive backs to
ever do it, also a Super Bowl champion. Fox Sports
Radio NFL analyst.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
Our man Rod mat Up, brother from Another Mother. How
you I'm doing good.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Guys, Hey ro.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
We started the show where I said, Lamar is the MVP,
and he don't have the Gordy numbers when he wanted
unanimously a few years back. But what he does and
how he opens up everything for everybody else, and he
doesn't have to throw the ball forty times. I saw
the stat rod they've allowed ten points or less and
(14:32):
thirteen of their last fourteen games in the first half.
They don't have to play from behind him. They can
run the ball, throw when he has to. And I
think he's the MVP.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
Hey, I'm near Wiki, you know. I'm looking at all
these other quarterbacks they're talking about should be the MVP,
could be the MVP, And I'm looking at what Lamar
has done throwing the football. Yes, he's not getting three
hundred yards consistently, he's being one hundred and seventy five,
one hundred and eighty two hundred, and he's rushing for
(15:05):
sixty five seventy five in a touchdown. I mean that's
I mean if you look at what he has done
and how he manhandles the defenses like I'm watching, I
mean the game yesterday, right, You're looking at the game
and I'm calling it, and the defense is playing outstanding
football and they're doing everything right, they're doing everything right,
(15:27):
but they can't touch Lamar. I mean they're all over
the plays. I mean the Jags have a really fast defense,
but they could they barely touched him.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Then you remember when he ducked out of that one
big play, Like, I don't even know how they didn't
get them.
Speaker 7 (15:43):
I mean, he one time, he dropped back, he stepped
up in the pocket, he dropped back again, he stepped
back up in the pocket, he dropped back a kid,
and then he took off to the right side, and
they couldn't touch him. I'm was like, man, he is
so elusive. He is so hard to tackle. But you
know what he's doing. Even when he gets out of
the pocket, he's looking down the field and throw the rock.
(16:04):
And he's throwing the rock in his last resort that
he will he will scramble with the ball and take
off with it. Two years ago, Lamar would have took
off with it as soon as he got out the pocket.
But he has learned to trust his receivers, to trust
his tight ends, to trust his running backs, and to
throw the football to to his playmakers and let him
make plays.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
And Chris brought up a great stat Chris can you
say it again, the one against those good teams would
double digit win, like when they played there, when they
played the big boys, they put it on them.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
They're six and two against teams with winning records, and
five of those wins right have been by two touchdowns?
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Right, Yeah, I mean it's look and what he has
done really well is that he is completion percentages at
sixty seven percent. He has gotten really good at throwing
the football outside the numbers this year and then previous years.
He's very inconcern and I mean he has done a
tremendous job. And if anybody wants to talk about MVPs
(17:05):
and all that, you have to talk about Lamar. Yes,
does he have the gutty numbers passing about? No, But
let all those other the quarterbacks who maybe have those
gun numbers, they're not went in.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Let me ask you.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Let me ask you this as a former defensive back,
as you said a few years ago, when you know
he he left the pocket, he was running. Now he's
leaving the pockets scrambling to pass, which as a former dB,
which is more dangerous like which would you have more.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
People with getting out of the pocket and still want
to pass Because now I got a cover guy for
four five six seconds. You can't do that. I mean,
it's hard to cover somebody for three seconds in the
National Football League, and now you got to come them
four six, six and a half. I mean, it's it's
it's you know, that's why you see so many dbs
get beat because it's not the first move, it's not
(18:00):
the first route. It's the break up and going back
tour with Lamar probably running from scrambling to and they're
getting open there. I mean, that's hard to do in
the NAS FOOTBA League. And you tell, you know, your
rushers don't get too high, you know, make sure you
try to keep him in the pocket. But man, that's
hard to do. I mean they were doing everything right
the Jacksonville Jackuarsyes, and he was still getting out of
(18:22):
the pocket, he was still scrambling for first downs, he
was still throwing the ball down in the field. I mean,
the things he's been doing is just he's a remarkable
individual when it comes to just a dynamic playmaker. But
he's gotten so good at throwing the football down the
field and keeping his eyes alert down the field at
(18:43):
all times.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Let's go to the game that was the most anticipated
over the weekend, of course, Dallas at Buffalo and it
wasn't even close. Yeah, what what do you I mean,
what does this say to Dallas about you? I know,
one day is one game, but there's three and four
on the road. You look at all the other elite
teams and all the other elite teams win on the
(19:06):
road too. So is this is this saying something more
about Dallas than just one bad game?
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Yeah? You know what bothers me about Dallas that the
times they've played the good teams, they lose, but they
get smashed right right, Like it's not like they just
taking a three point loss or a five point loss.
They're getting you know, it's a twenty point loss. Like
what in the world going on with Dallas? Like I
(19:35):
understand the loss of the loss. I get it. And
people are going to say, oh, yeah, but you know,
it doesn't really matter if you're losing by warning. But no,
it does matter because against the good teams, they're not
barely losing, They're they're beating you by twenty points, twenty
one points. That makes me a little concerned for Dallas
when they go to the postseason. Can they beat the
(19:56):
best teams in the NFC on the road if they
don't get home through the advantage, can they do it on
the road? I don't think they can?
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Does that?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I mean you would think these are not only world
class athletes. A lot of these guys, Michael Parsons and others,
you know, they're they're gonna be in the Hall of
Fame one day.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
But does this does that make me?
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Whoa whoa, whoa whoa.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You don't think Parsons is on his beak the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
He's on. He's on a path. He's on a path.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
But don't put him in there? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Right, yeah, he gotta keep it yellow.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
The yellow brick road is just being I know you're
protective of it.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I remember what you said about Elive.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yes, but.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
No, but Ron, forget that hall of Fame. Whatever they're
they're professional athletes. They're a top team in the league.
Does it still mess with their confidence? If they get
beat the way they did with San Francisco, the way
they did yesterday? Does that mess with their confidence? Are
they able to shake it off? Like it don't matter
if we lost by twenty five or five.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
All you gotta do is look at the body languae
which you go back and watch that game where the
Cowboys in Buffalo plan and in that fourth quarter when
that game was out of hand, they did not have
that same body language like they were in the game.
They were walking back to the huddle, they were walking
off to the sideline. There wasn't no spark like when
(21:20):
they're winning. And that tells you that, Yeah, it does
message the psyche when you're getting beat like that. Now
you might come into the game saying, hey, we can
do it, we can get this done, we can beat
one of the good teams. We can we can play
with them. And then once you get down by fourteen seventeen,
where's the psyche at? And that every way they showed
(21:42):
me is running and dragging on and off the field
or apt to the play if they're going to drop
back to the huddle. I mean, that tells me a lot.
And they were. They were really pluggish. They were He
looked like they were like, whoa, it was me. I
can't believe this was happening again.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
One last thing I want to ask you, Kyler Murray,
just what I mean when you think about he had
made what two Pro Bowls at the start his career,
offensive Rookie of the Year or whatever all that they
one time they were seven and zero and like they
were doing something in Arizona and it's all come undone.
(22:21):
What's next for him? Are they looking for another quarterback?
Home dinner or show? Is what's going to happen with Kyler?
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Well? You know, I feel bad forward players who don't
go to a solid organization in a solid program, because
it means a lot. Mis I understand. Listen, all these
players are great athletes, right, I mean it was said
to me back in nineteen eighty seven. Everybody. Everybody has talents,
(22:50):
everybody's athletic, everybody has ability. Some are better than the others, right,
But it really matters what program you go to. Really
matters to stability of the franchise. It really matters how
the organization is ran inside out because it took them
down to the players, and it's a culture thing. Yes,
if you if you don't allow that, and that's what
(23:11):
you've been your hope the whole time that your team
has been around, that's what it's always going to be.
And if you don't ask for more. I just feel
bad for guys who don't go through solid programs who
don't go to a solid franchise with a strong culture,
who doesn't have that opportunity.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Like being drafted by the Jets. I'm just saying that,
could you want you know what I mean? Like like
the just a mess? Like just a mess, and that's
one of them.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yes, right right, thank you, and that's why Merry Christmas
to you and your family.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
We'll talk to you.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
A Merry Christmas to you guys.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Thank you by be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker. He said,
seven pm Eastern, four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It was also weird Rob seeing Dallas get Shellac? Was
it you and I both thought they would win that game?
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I did, I really did. I just I had no
confidence in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I was hoping Buffalo won, but I, like you said,
I just didn't know which Buffalo team was gonna show up.
And they showed up, the the good Buffalo showed up
and the bad Cowboys. I gave him an f game
on First Things first, this morning or this afternoon, and Rob,
here's the this is what if I'm a Cowboys fan.
(24:37):
If I were a Cowboys fan, what would scare me
the most is this that they are a different team
on the road than they are at home.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And it's just it's.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
They won night fourteen or fifteen straight home games. Yeah,
they're they're tremendous at home. I think it's fourteen straight.
Like we know, they just beat Philly at home. I
think it is fourteen straight. They're they're very good in Dallas.
But on the road, rob this year they're three and
(25:11):
four on the road. Okay, they're seven and zero at
home and three and four on the road.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
And a lot of people might say, well, you know road,
I mean, you're not expected to be as good.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
But look at the top teams in the league, rob
Let's these are teams that I think.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Everyone pretty much looks at as contenders.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
San Francisco six and two on the road, Philadelphia five
and two on the road, Kansas City five and two,
Baltimore six and one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Good team everywhere. Right, that's what I see.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And here's the thing, right over two years, because you know,
let's go back two years. Is this a flucish thing
for the Cowboys. No, they were good last year, won
twelve games. This year they're gonna probably win about that.
Last year the Cowboys were four and four on the road.
San Francisco five and three, Phillies seven and one, Kansas
City seven and two, Baltimore five and four. So over
(26:04):
the last two years San fran eleven and five, Philly
twelve and three, Kansas City twelve and four, Baltimore eleven
and five on the road, those are the best teams
in the league. Dallas over the last two years seven
and eight on the road. And check this out, the
one contender, I think, fringe contender, but a lot of
(26:26):
people like this team.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Miami.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Miami is like Dallas the last two years. They're seven
and nine on the road. You know what else those
teams have been Commy rock. They can't beat good team, right.
Dallas won in three against teams with winning records this
year Miami, oh, win three.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Those are the telltale signs. I mean, that's why we
talked about it. I picked Dallas before the Philly win. Chris,
you thought maybe they turned the corner, but it was
a home game. It's about going on the road. I
thought Buffalo was downtrodden, beaten, you know what I mean,
Like this was their opportunity to come in and do something,
(27:09):
and they still couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
No, they rob their records on the road, win percentage,
point differential, yards per game differential. Even the passer rating
of Dak Prescott, who we know is third in the
MVP race, it's all comparable to the Atlanta Falcons, who
we know aren't a very good team. And Dak's passer
(27:32):
rating is basically the same as Desmond Ridders. Wow stop
on the road, like at home, it's one twenty two
point five, on the road is.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Eighty four point two.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
That's a huge drop.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Huge.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
So look this game against Miami, it's in Miami this weekend,
big game for both teams. Miami still got a chance
to be the number one seed. Dallas, I mean, you know,
a remote chance. Big game for both teams. That's what
I'm gonna be looking at rib Dallas and how they
play on the road. It's a good team. I don't
(28:06):
think Miami is great personally, but they are a good team.
There's no doubt about that. And I can't wait to
see how Dallas plays in that game in Miami.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
If they lose that game, which I think they have
a chance to, but if they lose that game, the
the the doubts will continue. I know I saw someone
Michael Parsons was saying it was unacceptable.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Right the word he used. I read something there.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's it's unacceptable and mind boggling how they play night
and day like it's night and day and and that
that's that says something because you know, you know you
have talent, and you know you could play, and you
know you could beat teams.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
It's a mindset when you go on the road and
they don't have it.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
We can ask Daunte Whittner about it, because you're right, like,
I mean, what does that say? A team is immature?
Speaker 3 (28:58):
You know? Are they? I don't know? I mean, you
wonder what is it? What else could it be?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I get I expect there to be a little slippage
right on the road and that you won't you know,
the home team may have an advantage, we all know that,
but this much hey, and we look at the other
great teams and they don't have that slippage. To me,
I don't know if it's immaturity, if it's not preparing
(29:27):
on the road like you do at home.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I don't know what. And again will last?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
Dante Whitner but it's something going on there beyond Rob
just like physical football issue.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Now, I don't want to hear Gronk sing the national anthem. Chris,
I know you didn't see that. It was an awful
rob g went an awful rendition. He was there with
two other people, but he was god awful. But he
did say on the Fox Football pre and postgame show
about the Boys that, uh, their road performances, Chris is
(30:05):
just they're a mentally weak team. That they thought that
that that that was and I'm not gonna disagree with that.
I said, I don't want to hear them singing, but
that makes sense to me because, as I just said,
there is a mindset and it's got to be us
against them, and you gotta be together, and you gotta
you gotta understand you're on a business trip. It's a
(30:27):
business trip.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
And I don't know if they're hanging out, but it's
not about hanging And if you do, you know, nobody
saying you can't go out and do whatever you do.
But like you said, your first priority is it's a
business trip.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
You and I were beat writers for you know decades. Well,
I was a beat writer for eight years covering an
NBA team and and you were for probably longer my.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Guests, Well I did.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
I did it for eight total. Okay, so we're saying
about it the same.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
And we you know, when I went to cities, I
did it.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
One thing that was nice is, you know friends in college, teammate,
former teammates or just friends whatever that I was good
friends with but probably would have lost some contact with,
you know, Yeah, I still got to see him, you know,
when we were still relatively young and right out of college.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Because I was traveling to the cities.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
They were in.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
You could get get together a launch or meet you
at the hotel for breakfast. I did that.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
But Rob, I always knew I'm not here just to
hang out like that secondary to what I'm here to
really do cover the game.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
And if you turned in some bad stuff, they're gonna
be like, well, Chris, we can't send him on the
road because he turned to sloppy copy you know what
I mean, Like, you're not because you want to hang
out at exactly, you're.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Giving us a half baked story and all that.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Doing the right through people see through that, and they
do in our business, and you're right from them.
Speaker 7 (32:06):
So you.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Definitely, it's a business trip and you have to understand it.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, I want to ask winner, but you look, Gronk
obviously knows a thing or two about winning check.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
Road.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah so I I you know, like you said, who
are we to question him on that? And I think, Rob,
when you look at Philadelphia, when you look at San Francisco,
when you look at Kansas City and Baltimore, no one
would call those teams mentally weak at all. And I
do think people would question Dallas and it it Brobab.
(32:41):
I don't know that it's just the road record, Rob,
But Dallas doesn't you know.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I've talked about the culture.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
There and the Jerry Jones and I I don't think
that culture.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Screams a mental toughness.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Like some of the other teams I mentioned, and this
could be an example of that. But they better get
it together, because Rob, they're probably gonna be on the road.
I mean, they're not likely to be the number one seed.
If they don't win the division. Well, there'll be a five, right.
And here's another stat.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
The Cowboys minus eighteen point two points per game is
the third largest home slash road point differential christ in
the Super Bowl era. So that's a big different super
Bowl era eighteen point two points per game is the
third largest.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
That says it all. That's a big difference. That's almost
three score all right, eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
I also say this quickly, Rob, that weighs into the
MVP discussion.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
That weighs into the MVP discussion. Wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I mean it has to, No, absolutely, it does.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
It has to.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
That's what I'm saying. That's what I said to you.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
You say he's out.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
He got eliminated, like like, unless there's a total collapse
by both of the players.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
Chris, I just can't see.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
I can't see him winning coming off of that, because
that's what everybody was waiting to see.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
That's what any and he he delivered exactly what people.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
There's not anybody Chris who was on the national shows
on ESPN, Fox talking about dak is m v P.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
Nobody said, oh, that's just a bad day at the office.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Nobody right, because it didn't come against Carolina, right, you
know what I mean? Or something came in a big
game that they needed and everybody was watching
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brushaw and Ron Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
We were talking about the MVP racing the first hour
Rock Party versus Lamar Jackson. They're one and two Party
to favorite right now and Lamar Jackson number two, and
very different circumstances for both of them. Lamar huge star,
Heisman Trophy winner in college and already has an MVP.
(00:57):
Is the focal point of his offense, makes it go.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
But numbers aren't very huge.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Rock Party, mister irrelevant, the last player chosen, you know,
played at Iowa State, was good, but you know, didn't
like the world on fire and thrown in last year
as a starter due to injury and has been great
since then. Statistically, he's having the best year of any
(01:25):
quarterback in the NFL UH and he's played great in
the biggest games he's actually been possibly better, probably better
in the big games that he has in some of
the games against lesser teams. So uh, those are the
two front runners at least right now with three weeks
(01:45):
left for the MVP. But a lot of people, Rob,
including you, still have big questions about Rock Party tell
us where you're at on him.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
It's it's the same thing talked about over and over.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
I don't deny his numbers or have any issue with
him because he's mister irrelevant. It's still like all of
the you know what, I guess, let me think about
it this way and maybe get help me to hear.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Rock Purty is Draymond Green.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know we talked is that not crazy? Chris? No? No,
because we talked about whether.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Or not he's a systant quarterback last week on First
Things First, and I didn't say that, but that thought
came to my mind.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah, because because of mind, we think.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
You and I think is undoubtedly like would not be
that he's gonna be a Hall of Fame right But
if he was.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
If he went to a bad team or a different team, Chris,
he would not have the career that he's had. He
would not be elevated till like you say, going to
to the Hall of Fame, he's he wouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I could almost don't know, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
But yeah, most people hold that opinion, and I agree
with you.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
And I think the Brock party is Draymond Green and
all of these things. He's in the perfect situation, a
perfect compliment of player that he still has to deliver
the ball, Chris. He still has to make decisions, he
still has to play. So I'm saying, like he's not
doing anything, but it's like the cake batter has been mixed.
(03:34):
Put it in the oven, you know, It's like can
I like, like, it's just put it in the oven.
And and that's where he is. And I'm telling you,
I still believe this that if he has a bad
game anywhere Chris Playoff game, they get knocked out, NFC
Championship game, they get knocked out, Super Bowl, he doesn't
(03:56):
make the play, so it was a bad pay whatever.
It is, the only way people will be able to
validate him and his career and what he's done is
if he is the reason. And what I mean by
that obviously the other players are playing, but he plays
really well and they win a super Bowl, and then
I think all of that is a racee as soon
(04:18):
as there's a misstep, just like we saw in the
middle of the season with the three losses Chris, when
there was a misstep and when he wasn't winning and
one playing like he had played, the Wolves came for him.
They did, and they will come for him in the
postseason as well if he doesn't perform.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Is it fair?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
No, it's not fair.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But that would you agree with me, or do you
agree with me that if he were again even a
fourth round pick, or because Dak's a fourth round pick,
that people wouldn't have these questions about him.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
That that would help, that that would definitely help.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Be lying if I said that it doesn't matter because
we talked about Kurt Warner and we I don't know
not too many people mention this because we talk about
it a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Because I think it's relevant. It's very relevant. It really is.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
When people say very good compared right when people say, oh, well,
they're just doing Kirt Wanner wasn't even drafted, so forget
about being mister irrelevant.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
This guy was bagging gross.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Vision one in northern Iowa. That's not even Iowa state right,
and then Awa State. Yeah, he played Northern Iowa.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
So so, and and he went and had an unbelievable year.
Chris led the Rams to a super Bowl. The rest
is history. Like his season was undernied. And there were
other great players on that uh uh team.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
At Marshall Falk right and and and the receiving corps.
I think Tory Holt was on that team who we've
had on the show. Was a tremendous receiver and they
won the Super Bowl that year. Dick Vermeil was the
head coach.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Did he believe?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Remember he became in his career Chris everything many Dick,
do you want some post?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh my god, Yeah, Tory Holt, Rob was on that team.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Isaac Bruce, Hall of Famous.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Look at the look at the players.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So it's very similar. It is.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
It is darn near identical. But I'll give you one
thing that's different. And this this also hurts party. Like
we said, they the Rams came out of nowhere, won
the Super Bowl that year, went thirteen and three. I
believe it was as we just had a host of
great players, but robed the year before four and twelve.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And that's where you go, Chris, there you go, there's
a difference maker.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
That that's the thing where people go, the Rams weren't
that good last year and they got this quarterback off
out of nowhere. This guy shows up and now they're
going to the super Bowl. Like that's the difference. Like that,
it was the difference where you look at somebody and
you know he's a difference maker. The forty nine ers
have been in the mix the last few years. They've
gone through the Super Bowl without Rock Party. Did they
(07:13):
expect to be in the Super Bowl? Do you know
what I mean?
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Like, yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Ain't like Jimmy Garoppolo was healthy Rob and it's I
think five in San Francisco. They went to the NFC
title game, right, And now, to me, Rock Party is
clearly better than Jimmy G. I mean, Jimmy G for
the success that he had with the Niners. Rob was
(07:39):
never even remotely in the MVP conversation and never was
a Pro Bowl. Is that nobody said oh he should be. No,
he was a good quarterback and he won. I mean
that was the thing about Garoppolo. You just kind of
were like, he wins, you know what I mean? He
wasn't great numbers, He was solid decent, but he was
(08:01):
able to help them win, and Purdy is winning but
putting up numbers.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Look, as I said, we talked about it last week.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I can't say with certainty Rob right now that he's
not a system quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I think what might be. I think what in my.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
View is probably the most likely situation or scenario, is
that right now or even maybe he's coming out of
that already.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
But he started off.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
As a system quarterback and he will grow or has
grown into a franchise quarterback. We saw it with Tom
Brady started off as a system quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
That was the view.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I mean, you gotta get Brady the credit that they
turned it around immediately under him and have been struggling
without him before he took over, even with Drew Bledso
was a pro bowler, but Brady still had to tag
Rob of system quarterback Joe Montana. Rob. You know, early
in his career, he didn't even start his first two years,
you know, Uh, he was a third round draft pick,
(09:11):
and so there were people he had tons of talent
with him that were saying system quarterback. And obviously that
you know, view change as it should have. So we've
sick Kurt Warner even then Mike Martz, you know, was
the one who he stepped in as the OC that
first year with Warner and really helped turn around.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
So a lot of people were giving Martins credit.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Mike right, So it was like, Okay, yeah, Warner's good,
but Marshall Falk, Tory Hole, Isaac Bruce, Mike Martz calling
plays like and then when.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Remember Warner struggled rob.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
With the Giants, and then it goes to Arizona and
plays well gets.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And let me tell you something, if it wasn't for
that Santonio Holmes catch Chris in the end zone, they
won a Super Bowl, Like like, U oh, you remember
you threw the touchdown to who am I thinking of
the receiver Larry Fitzgerald? Remember Larry Fitzgerald had the touchdown
and put him my head with a couple of minutes
to go or whatever it was. I can't remember the
exact time Chris, and then Antonio Holmes makes yeah and
(10:17):
that great catch.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I thought.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I was like I.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Remember sitting there when Larry Fitzgerald Junior, you know, caught
that ball or whatever touchdown. I thought, wow, Arizona is
going to win Super Bowl. You know, like when you
think about how bad that franchise was.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, and so, like I said, I think Brock Purty
is most likely on that path as far as you know,
growing into a franchise quarterback. Because the thing is this
Rob and obviously he does have a lot of talent
around him, and it's kind of like I look at
his situation, Rob, kind of like like a beating a
(10:52):
bad team where you say, well, they weren't any good, yeah,
but we beat him forty to nothing, you know what
I mean, Like like, you can only beat a bad
team so badly, and at some point you.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Got to get credit.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
If you struggle with a bad team, then people can
throw that in your face that all they're no good,
But when you beat them, beat the breaks off of them,
you should get credit even if they're bad. And the
thing with Purdy is you couldn't play much better Rob.
His passer rating of one to nineteen is for quarterbacks
(11:27):
who started essentially the whole season.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It's the fourth highest ever.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Only Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have had higher.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know, yeah, I mean here's some of his big
his biggest games this year as far as the opponent
Philadelphia three hundred and fourteen yards passing four touchdowns, no interceptions,
one forty eight point eight passer rating.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Jacksonville, which you know, at that.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Time was one of the top teams in the league
as far as record two hundred and ninety six yards passing,
three touchdowns, zero interceptions, one forty eight point nine passer rating,
Dallas two hundred and fifty two yards passing four touchdowns,
no picks, one forty four point four passer rating. So
he's been some of his biggest games have been against
(12:15):
the best teams they've played. Cincinnati, he struggled, Like you said,
those three games in a row. That awful, but it
was struggling. They lost, right, I mean, he had been
winning everything, hadn't even thrown an interception to that point,
and then you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Know, struggled a little bit. Wasn't terrible though, to your point.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
I mean Cincinnati three for three hundred and sixty five yards,
Minnesota two seventy two, and Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Was a bad game.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
But he got him in a position for the lakefield
goal to win it and the rookie missed it.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So you know he's playing well. He just robbed. We've
talked about I.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Think smarts and tangibles, decision making that's so big a
part of being a quarterback in the NFL, and he
seems to have those, and he's done have the strongest arm,
but he can make all the throws and he's accurate.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I think you like it.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Our next guest one of the best defensive backs to
ever do it, also a Super Bowl champion. Fox Sports
Radio NFL analyst.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
Our man Rod mat Up, brother from Another Mother. How
you I'm doing good.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Guys, Hey ro.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
We started the show where I said, Lamar is the MVP,
and he don't have the Gordy numbers when he wanted
unanimously a few years back. But what he does and
how he opens up everything for everybody else, and he
doesn't have to throw the ball forty times. I saw
the stat rod they've allowed ten points or less and
(14:32):
thirteen of their last fourteen games in the first half.
They don't have to play from behind him. They can
run the ball, throw when he has to. And I
think he's the MVP.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
Hey, I'm near Wiki, you know. I'm looking at all
these other quarterbacks they're talking about should be the MVP,
could be the MVP, And I'm looking at what Lamar
has done throwing the football. Yes, he's not getting three
hundred yards consistently, he's being one hundred and seventy five,
one hundred and eighty two hundred, and he's rushing for
(15:05):
sixty five seventy five in a touchdown. I mean that's
I mean if you look at what he has done
and how he manhandles the defenses like I'm watching, I
mean the game yesterday, right, You're looking at the game
and I'm calling it, and the defense is playing outstanding
football and they're doing everything right, they're doing everything right,
(15:27):
but they can't touch Lamar. I mean they're all over
the plays. I mean the Jags have a really fast defense,
but they could they barely touched him.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Then you remember when he ducked out of that one
big play, Like, I don't even know how they didn't
get them.
Speaker 7 (15:43):
I mean, he one time, he dropped back, he stepped
up in the pocket, he dropped back again, he stepped
back up in the pocket, he dropped back a kid,
and then he took off to the right side, and
they couldn't touch him. I'm was like, man, he is
so elusive. He is so hard to tackle. But you
know what he's doing. Even when he gets out of
the pocket, he's looking down the field and throw the rock.
(16:04):
And he's throwing the rock in his last resort that
he will he will scramble with the ball and take
off with it. Two years ago, Lamar would have took
off with it as soon as he got out the pocket.
But he has learned to trust his receivers, to trust
his tight ends, to trust his running backs, and to
throw the football to to his playmakers and let him
make plays.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
And Chris brought up a great stat Chris can you
say it again, the one against those good teams would
double digit win, like when they played there, when they
played the big boys, they put it on them.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
They're six and two against teams with winning records, and
five of those wins right have been by two touchdowns?
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Right, Yeah, I mean it's look and what he has
done really well is that he is completion percentages at
sixty seven percent. He has gotten really good at throwing
the football outside the numbers this year and then previous years.
He's very inconcern and I mean he has done a
tremendous job. And if anybody wants to talk about MVPs
(17:05):
and all that, you have to talk about Lamar. Yes,
does he have the gutty numbers passing about? No, But
let all those other the quarterbacks who maybe have those
gun numbers, they're not went in.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Let me ask you.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Let me ask you this as a former defensive back,
as you said a few years ago, when you know
he he left the pocket, he was running. Now he's
leaving the pockets scrambling to pass, which as a former dB,
which is more dangerous like which would you have more.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
People with getting out of the pocket and still want
to pass Because now I got a cover guy for
four five six seconds. You can't do that. I mean,
it's hard to cover somebody for three seconds in the
National Football League, and now you got to come them
four six, six and a half. I mean, it's it's
it's you know, that's why you see so many dbs
get beat because it's not the first move, it's not
(18:00):
the first route. It's the break up and going back
tour with Lamar probably running from scrambling to and they're
getting open there. I mean, that's hard to do in
the NAS FOOTBA League. And you tell, you know, your
rushers don't get too high, you know, make sure you
try to keep him in the pocket. But man, that's
hard to do. I mean they were doing everything right
the Jacksonville Jackuarsyes, and he was still getting out of
(18:22):
the pocket, he was still scrambling for first downs, he
was still throwing the ball down in the field. I mean,
the things he's been doing is just he's a remarkable
individual when it comes to just a dynamic playmaker. But
he's gotten so good at throwing the football down the
field and keeping his eyes alert down the field at
(18:43):
all times.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Let's go to the game that was the most anticipated
over the weekend, of course, Dallas at Buffalo and it
wasn't even close. Yeah, what what do you I mean,
what does this say to Dallas about you? I know,
one day is one game, but there's three and four
on the road. You look at all the other elite
teams and all the other elite teams win on the
(19:06):
road too. So is this is this saying something more
about Dallas than just one bad game?
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Yeah? You know what bothers me about Dallas that the
times they've played the good teams, they lose, but they
get smashed right right, Like it's not like they just
taking a three point loss or a five point loss.
They're getting you know, it's a twenty point loss. Like
what in the world going on with Dallas? Like I
(19:35):
understand the loss of the loss. I get it. And
people are going to say, oh, yeah, but you know,
it doesn't really matter if you're losing by warning. But no,
it does matter because against the good teams, they're not
barely losing, They're they're beating you by twenty points, twenty
one points. That makes me a little concerned for Dallas
when they go to the postseason. Can they beat the
(19:56):
best teams in the NFC on the road if they
don't get home through the advantage, can they do it on
the road? I don't think they can?
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Does that?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I mean you would think these are not only world
class athletes. A lot of these guys, Michael Parsons and others,
you know, they're they're gonna be in the Hall of
Fame one day.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
But does this does that make me?
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Whoa whoa, whoa whoa.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You don't think Parsons is on his beak the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
He's on. He's on a path. He's on a path.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
But don't put him in there? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Right, yeah, he gotta keep it yellow.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
The yellow brick road is just being I know you're
protective of it.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I remember what you said about Elive.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yes, but.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
No, but Ron, forget that hall of Fame. Whatever they're
they're professional athletes. They're a top team in the league.
Does it still mess with their confidence? If they get
beat the way they did with San Francisco, the way
they did yesterday? Does that mess with their confidence? Are
they able to shake it off? Like it don't matter
if we lost by twenty five or five.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
All you gotta do is look at the body languae
which you go back and watch that game where the
Cowboys in Buffalo plan and in that fourth quarter when
that game was out of hand, they did not have
that same body language like they were in the game.
They were walking back to the huddle, they were walking
off to the sideline. There wasn't no spark like when
(21:20):
they're winning. And that tells you that, Yeah, it does
message the psyche when you're getting beat like that. Now
you might come into the game saying, hey, we can
do it, we can get this done, we can beat
one of the good teams. We can we can play
with them. And then once you get down by fourteen seventeen,
where's the psyche at? And that every way they showed
(21:42):
me is running and dragging on and off the field
or apt to the play if they're going to drop
back to the huddle. I mean, that tells me a lot.
And they were. They were really pluggish. They were He
looked like they were like, whoa, it was me. I
can't believe this was happening again.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
One last thing I want to ask you, Kyler Murray,
just what I mean when you think about he had
made what two Pro Bowls at the start his career,
offensive Rookie of the Year or whatever all that they
one time they were seven and zero and like they
were doing something in Arizona and it's all come undone.
(22:21):
What's next for him? Are they looking for another quarterback?
Home dinner or show? Is what's going to happen with Kyler?
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Well? You know, I feel bad forward players who don't
go to a solid organization in a solid program, because
it means a lot. Mis I understand. Listen, all these
players are great athletes, right, I mean it was said
to me back in nineteen eighty seven. Everybody. Everybody has talents,
(22:50):
everybody's athletic, everybody has ability. Some are better than the others, right,
But it really matters what program you go to. Really
matters to stability of the franchise. It really matters how
the organization is ran inside out because it took them
down to the players, and it's a culture thing. Yes,
if you if you don't allow that, and that's what
(23:11):
you've been your hope the whole time that your team
has been around, that's what it's always going to be.
And if you don't ask for more. I just feel
bad for guys who don't go through solid programs who
don't go to a solid franchise with a strong culture,
who doesn't have that opportunity.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Like being drafted by the Jets. I'm just saying that,
could you want you know what I mean? Like like
the just a mess? Like just a mess, and that's
one of them.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yes, right right, thank you, and that's why Merry Christmas
to you and your family.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
We'll talk to you.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
A Merry Christmas to you guys.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Thank you by be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker. He said,
seven pm Eastern, four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It was also weird Rob seeing Dallas get Shellac? Was
it you and I both thought they would win that game?
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I did, I really did. I just I had no
confidence in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I was hoping Buffalo won, but I, like you said,
I just didn't know which Buffalo team was gonna show up.
And they showed up, the the good Buffalo showed up
and the bad Cowboys. I gave him an f game
on First Things first, this morning or this afternoon, and Rob,
here's the this is what if I'm a Cowboys fan.
(24:37):
If I were a Cowboys fan, what would scare me
the most is this that they are a different team
on the road than they are at home.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And it's just it's.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
They won night fourteen or fifteen straight home games. Yeah,
they're they're tremendous at home. I think it's fourteen straight.
Like we know, they just beat Philly at home. I
think it is fourteen straight. They're they're very good in Dallas.
But on the road, rob this year they're three and
(25:11):
four on the road. Okay, they're seven and zero at
home and three and four on the road.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
And a lot of people might say, well, you know road,
I mean, you're not expected to be as good.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
But look at the top teams in the league, rob
Let's these are teams that I think.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Everyone pretty much looks at as contenders.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
San Francisco six and two on the road, Philadelphia five
and two on the road, Kansas City five and two,
Baltimore six and one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Good team everywhere. Right, that's what I see.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And here's the thing, right over two years, because you know,
let's go back two years. Is this a flucish thing
for the Cowboys. No, they were good last year, won
twelve games. This year they're gonna probably win about that.
Last year the Cowboys were four and four on the road.
San Francisco five and three, Phillies seven and one, Kansas
City seven and two, Baltimore five and four. So over
(26:04):
the last two years San fran eleven and five, Philly
twelve and three, Kansas City twelve and four, Baltimore eleven
and five on the road, those are the best teams
in the league. Dallas over the last two years seven
and eight on the road. And check this out, the
one contender, I think, fringe contender, but a lot of
(26:26):
people like this team.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Miami.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Miami is like Dallas the last two years. They're seven
and nine on the road. You know what else those
teams have been Commy rock. They can't beat good team, right.
Dallas won in three against teams with winning records this
year Miami, oh, win three.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Those are the telltale signs. I mean, that's why we
talked about it. I picked Dallas before the Philly win. Chris,
you thought maybe they turned the corner, but it was
a home game. It's about going on the road. I
thought Buffalo was downtrodden, beaten, you know what I mean,
Like this was their opportunity to come in and do something,
(27:09):
and they still couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
No, they rob their records on the road, win percentage,
point differential, yards per game differential. Even the passer rating
of Dak Prescott, who we know is third in the
MVP race, it's all comparable to the Atlanta Falcons, who
we know aren't a very good team. And Dak's passer
(27:32):
rating is basically the same as Desmond Ridders. Wow stop
on the road, like at home, it's one twenty two
point five, on the road is.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Eighty four point two.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
That's a huge drop.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Huge.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
So look this game against Miami, it's in Miami this weekend,
big game for both teams. Miami still got a chance
to be the number one seed. Dallas, I mean, you know,
a remote chance. Big game for both teams. That's what
I'm gonna be looking at rib Dallas and how they
play on the road. It's a good team. I don't
(28:06):
think Miami is great personally, but they are a good team.
There's no doubt about that. And I can't wait to
see how Dallas plays in that game in Miami.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
If they lose that game, which I think they have
a chance to, but if they lose that game, the
the the doubts will continue. I know I saw someone
Michael Parsons was saying it was unacceptable.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Right the word he used. I read something there.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's it's unacceptable and mind boggling how they play night
and day like it's night and day and and that
that's that says something because you know, you know you
have talent, and you know you could play, and you
know you could beat teams.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
It's a mindset when you go on the road and
they don't have it.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
We can ask Daunte Whittner about it, because you're right, like,
I mean, what does that say? A team is immature?
Speaker 3 (28:58):
You know? Are they? I don't know? I mean, you
wonder what is it? What else could it be?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I get I expect there to be a little slippage
right on the road and that you won't you know,
the home team may have an advantage, we all know that,
but this much hey, and we look at the other
great teams and they don't have that slippage. To me,
I don't know if it's immaturity, if it's not preparing
(29:27):
on the road like you do at home.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I don't know what. And again will last?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
Dante Whitner but it's something going on there beyond Rob
just like physical football issue.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Now, I don't want to hear Gronk sing the national anthem. Chris,
I know you didn't see that. It was an awful
rob g went an awful rendition. He was there with
two other people, but he was god awful. But he
did say on the Fox Football pre and postgame show
about the Boys that, uh, their road performances, Chris is
(30:05):
just they're a mentally weak team. That they thought that
that that that was and I'm not gonna disagree with that.
I said, I don't want to hear them singing, but
that makes sense to me because, as I just said,
there is a mindset and it's got to be us
against them, and you gotta be together, and you gotta
you gotta understand you're on a business trip. It's a
(30:27):
business trip.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
And I don't know if they're hanging out, but it's
not about hanging And if you do, you know, nobody
saying you can't go out and do whatever you do.
But like you said, your first priority is it's a
business trip.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
You and I were beat writers for you know decades. Well,
I was a beat writer for eight years covering an
NBA team and and you were for probably longer my.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Guests, Well I did.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
I did it for eight total. Okay, so we're saying
about it the same.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
And we you know, when I went to cities, I
did it.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
One thing that was nice is, you know friends in college, teammate,
former teammates or just friends whatever that I was good
friends with but probably would have lost some contact with,
you know, Yeah, I still got to see him, you know,
when we were still relatively young and right out of college.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Because I was traveling to the cities.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
They were in.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
You could get get together a launch or meet you
at the hotel for breakfast. I did that.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
But Rob, I always knew I'm not here just to
hang out like that secondary to what I'm here to
really do cover the game.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
And if you turned in some bad stuff, they're gonna
be like, well, Chris, we can't send him on the
road because he turned to sloppy copy you know what
I mean, Like, you're not because you want to hang
out at exactly, you're.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Giving us a half baked story and all that.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Doing the right through people see through that, and they
do in our business, and you're right from them.
Speaker 7 (32:06):
So you.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Definitely, it's a business trip and you have to understand it.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, I want to ask winner, but you look, Gronk
obviously knows a thing or two about winning check.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
Road.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah so I I you know, like you said, who
are we to question him on that? And I think, Rob,
when you look at Philadelphia, when you look at San Francisco,
when you look at Kansas City and Baltimore, no one
would call those teams mentally weak at all. And I
do think people would question Dallas and it it Brobab.
(32:41):
I don't know that it's just the road record, Rob,
But Dallas doesn't you know.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I've talked about the culture.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
There and the Jerry Jones and I I don't think
that culture.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Screams a mental toughness.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Like some of the other teams I mentioned, and this
could be an example of that. But they better get
it together, because Rob, they're probably gonna be on the road.
I mean, they're not likely to be the number one seed.
If they don't win the division. Well, there'll be a five, right.
And here's another stat.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
The Cowboys minus eighteen point two points per game is
the third largest home slash road point differential christ in
the Super Bowl era. So that's a big different super
Bowl era eighteen point two points per game is the
third largest.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
That says it all. That's a big difference. That's almost
three score all right, eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
I also say this quickly, Rob, that weighs into the
MVP discussion.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
That weighs into the MVP discussion. Wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I mean it has to, No, absolutely, it does.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
It has to.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
That's what I'm saying. That's what I said to you.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
You say he's out.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
He got eliminated, like like, unless there's a total collapse
by both of the players.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
Chris, I just can't see.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
I can't see him winning coming off of that, because
that's what everybody was waiting to see.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
That's what any and he he delivered exactly what people.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
There's not anybody Chris who was on the national shows
on ESPN, Fox talking about dak is m v P.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
Nobody said, oh, that's just a bad day at the office.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Nobody right, because it didn't come against Carolina, right, you
know what I mean? Or something came in a big
game that they needed and everybody was watching
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
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
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.