October 4, 2021 • 34 mins
Chris Broussard and Rob Parker react to a disappointingly dull game between the Buccaneers and Patriots, as Rob rips Tom Brady for benefitting from luck yet again. Chris and Rob debate John Harbaugh's decision to tie a rushing record instead of kneeling down in the final seconds of a victory over the Broncos. NFL Hall of Famer Rod Woodson joins the guys to discuss the demise of Ben Roethlisberger.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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 podcasts.
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 fs R.
(00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusshard and Rob Harker. All right, Rob's right, you
clearly want to go off. Let's recap quickly and then
I'll give you the floor. Nineteen seventeen, Tom Brady and
the Buccaneers do get the win over the Patriots in
(00:44):
the return game. And you mentioned that it was boring.
Here's what I it reminded. Obviously, it wasn't a great game, right,
nobody's gonna sit here and try to convince anybody of
that because that would be bs. What it reminded me of,
Rob and I used to cover these games as the
(01:05):
I was the backup Knicks writer at the time. Who
was who was the Sea Selena Robina Robert remember was tremendous. Yeah, yeah,
she was great. Um, And anyway, this this reminds me
of the late nineties Nick's Miami Heat rivalry, and we
(01:26):
were those playoff series. Now that would be something like
so you covered up so, you know, because I was
with Newsday at that time, Chris Saul Okay, I was, Yeah,
I wasn't sure if you had already gone to Detroit
or not. Okay, you noticed, Rob the final score would
be something like seventy seven seventy four, you know, eighty
one seventy nine something. And the game, look, I love Ewing,
(01:50):
I love Alonzo Morning, I loved Tim Hardaway all that.
It actually wasn't even much of Ewing at that point,
but um well, Ewing was still in there someways spree
well and all these nights. But yeah, it the games
were not great games, very low scoring, very physical, you
(02:13):
know that era US, particularly with those two teams, it
was just beating each other up. And so it wasn't
that aesthetically pleasing. And the games for the first forty
minutes weren't that great, but it always came down to
the last two or three minutes, you know. And because
(02:34):
of that, because with six minutes to play, it was
gonna be a two point game, and you didn't know
who was gonna win and every possession was gonna count.
It ended up being great because it was dramatic and
you're on the edge of your seat and you're into it.
That was what last night reminded me of. Rob wasn't
well played for the first forty whatever minutes it's fifty
(02:58):
something minutes, but because the end was in doubt and
you didn't know, there was suspense, there was drama, so
that made it entertaining and interesting. But overall, it wasn't
a well played game. No, and we get the rain,
but both sides had the rain and it wasn't the
greatest conditions. But that's football, right, We've seen, We've seen,
(03:21):
I've seen great I've seen great game. Right, he played
there for twenty years. He knows New England. You could
have a change of weather, especially October early October after
New England. Absolutely, But anyway, I'm with you, that's what
it was. It was. It was a board for the
most part. The score, of course, makes it feel better.
And then, of course, like you said, the game was
(03:42):
in the balance. But again, as I've been saying, and
I'm the one who coined the phrase because I remember
after Tom Brady won his sixth Super Bowl. I was
asked about, Okay, are you on board or whatever? Or
was it the fifth one? Now, maybe it's the fifth
one against Atlanta where Atlanta didn't kick the field or
(04:05):
whatever and they blew choked that game down. That was
That was it was five because six was against the
Rams when he didn't throw a touchdown. And now, but anyway,
tom Brady is not the goat, and last night he
remains the load, the luckiest of all time. Chris sat
(04:27):
here on Thursday before I left and told me how
tom Brady was gonna tear the shrands. Chris, you remember
the numbers. You said, four touchdowns, four hundred yards. He
was gonna make Bill Belichick and make them pay and
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. And guess what.
Tom Brady was average to below average. No touchdowns. He
(04:51):
completed like fifty five percent of his path It was
just one percent, you're right, fifty one percent, fifty one
point two. He had two hundred and sixty nine yards
no touchdowns in a passer rating of seventy point eight.
It was a clunker, a stinker. But yes, tom Brady
gets to win, and everybody goes look at them. Brady
(05:15):
let them down for the field goal and the winning game. Yes,
but he got help, Chris, because the Patriots had a
chance to win the game. And what happens, It hits
the upright, that's Tom. It don't matter. I just saw
(05:35):
a fifty six yarder in Detroit's with a different kicker,
all right, I just saw it. His doable in this man.
But Tom Brady again is so lucky. So he walks
away and he wins the night because he won the game,
and he that get in Patriots, and they cheated him
(05:57):
at before game, and they gave him a video tribute
and they applauded when he passed Drew Brees. And so
Tom Brady should have walked out of that Foxborough and
Gillette Stadium with a big fat el in a game
the Bucks had no business losing to that team. The
(06:17):
Patriots aren't that good, Chris. They got a rookie quarterback,
but they're different. Played well, No, he did. But I'm
just saying, going into that game, you didn't expect that.
Didn't you expect him to win by two touchdowns? Yes, Okay,
that's what I'm saying. I think Rob and I'll give
you this. You you brought up that it ended in
typical time Brady fashion, with to your to use your words,
(06:41):
a lucky play that enabled Brady to win. Yep, I
would say it didn't in typical time Brady fashion, but
I'd give you a different spin. It ended with him
doing what he's known for, a game winning drive to
win it in the end. That's what he's known for.
(07:01):
So it was a propos that in his return to
New England, maybe his last game there, for all we know,
he goes in there and wins it like he did
so many times with the game winning drive and a
field goal. You love giving Adam Venetary all the credit,
and he deserved because it's a right. Unless they get
(07:25):
rid of the field goal, it's legitimate. And so Tom
Brady did what Tom Brady does. Now, I'll give you this, rob.
I do think Matt Jones outplayed Brady. I think the
rookie played better. But I will say this too, Brady
did have and potentially had some big moments, like there
(07:47):
was the he could have gotten close. He wouldn't have
got four hundred, but he could have been close. I
actually said between three fifty and four fifty. He could
have gotten close to three fifty. He had the forty
four yard pass to Antonio Brown that was nelegated nullified,
I'm sorry because of an offensive foul on an offensive lineman.
(08:07):
And then Robbie and I think you will admit this.
He threw two great balls at the end of the
game in that last drive to Antonio Brown that Ab
should have caught either one of them. The one he
lost it in the air like it was a nicely
placed pass where only a b could have caught it,
(08:29):
and he just seemed to lose it in the lights,
in the air whatever. He didn't know where it was.
So that was a great pass from Brady that Ab mishandled.
And then the I don't know the north was the
next play. But a minute later he hits Ab with
a beautiful pass. Ab dole for it. Had it should
have caught it. As an elite receiver, which he is,
(08:52):
he should have came down with that ball, and the
story would not have been the missed field goal at
the end of the game to gave Brady the in
It would have been a wonderful pass after a mediocre
game at best. He delivers in the clutch, but that didn't.
Obviously it didn't happen. Here's where And I even go
this far rout. Not only did Matt Jones out play Brady,
(09:16):
but Bill Belichick coached a better game than Brady played.
There's no doubt about it. Bill as usual had his
defense ready. Yep. And this is this is the big
argument we had the other day. And I know we
want to you know, you want to get Brady all
the credit. Oh yeah, Well, I just think that there
are some super Bowls that were Bill Belichick's super Bowls
(09:38):
where the defense was was terrific. And they've stopped the Rams,
the greatest show on turf, and they stopped h Sean
mcvay's Rams at average thirty three points, thirty two point
nine points a game, you know, and and stuff like that.
When they didn't need they got a three, they got
three points. Brady's I mean, Belichick's had his moments where
(10:00):
his defense has been He's been a great because I've never,
in fact, i've called Belichick the goal. I've never taken
credit away from Belichick for his great defenses and no
super bowls. He's got six eight if you count him
as a defensive coordinator in New York. But if you
have to pick which player, which guy, if you're forced
(10:22):
to pick, was more responsible for their stole Super Bowls
or you know, the dynasty. Let's just put it that way,
the dynasty. There's no doubt in my mind, I'm going Brady. Now.
That doesn't nullify the greatness of Belichick, But Brady, I
would say, without question, was more responsible because the turnaround
began with him and ended with him. Not to mention
(10:44):
everything in between. But here's the one thing I questioned
Belichick on, Rob, and I like your thoughts on this.
At the end of the game, fourth and three fifty
nine seconds left, fifty six yard field goal, I think
he should have gone for the first down because Matt
Jones was moving the ball. Okay, the Buccaneers defense was,
(11:07):
particularly the secondary was a mess, and Richard Sherman just
got picked on all night. I get it. First game
back ain't ready and they exploited him. Right, He ain't
ready and they exploited him, And so I think they
could have gotten the first right, and then you get
a shorter field goal, and you don't leave time for Brady.
Because I'll say this, Rob, and if you look at
(11:29):
it objectively, not with your bias, but I don't if
if he you're having a bias against Brady, it's fine,
it's fine, it's cool. I ain't got no problem with it,
but it is it's obvious. But had he made that
field goal, Nick Folks, with fifty nine seconds left, I
firmly believe Brady would have marched down and got a
(11:52):
field goal. It ain't that hard to march that, you
know that, to get in the field goal position. Thank you.
I don't know why the defenses they don't go after
the quarterback. They play back and a team, I don't
care what team it is. They might not have been
able to move the football all game, and then they
get into the last forty five seconds, Chris, and they
(12:13):
moved the ball. I don't like all game you couldn't
move the ball, and now you have no time out
forty five seconds and boom, boom boom, you're down and
field goal. Right. You know why? Right? It's they go
two minute, right, you know they the defense is a
little softer, but but yeah, so I just think I
(12:33):
get it. If that kick is what a foot six
inches to a foot to the right, we're having a
whole different conversation. But in that rain, Rob, he hadn't
kicked the fifty six yard field goals since twenty ten
or you know, made one, so I just think it
was you could have. I think he should have went
(12:55):
for it because I think at the end of the day,
even if he made it, Brady would have come back
and got got them midfield goal position. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard
and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app
Let's Go U Interested situation Rob coming out of Baltimore. Now,
(13:17):
they had a very good win. Look, Denver, you and
I both thought, I think you agree with me. Denver.
I never believe they were as good as their three
and old record. Now they're they're okay. I mean, maybe
they'll find themselves in the wild card hunt. I don't
expect them to make the playoffs, but they're an ok team.
They're not bad, but they stepped up in competition and
(13:41):
they got it handed to him all right, twenty three
to seven. The Ravens beat him up, and I guess
from Vic Fangio, the head coach from the Denver perspective,
Denver Broncos. He felt like John Harball added insult to
injury rob when at the end of the game, so
(14:02):
it's there's ten seconds left now Baltimore had just gotten
an interception in the end zone. Okay, so Denver's trying
to score. They get an interception and they get the football.
It's over and the Ravens are three yards away from
(14:23):
a hundred yards and they have They had gotten a
hundred yards forty two straight games as a team, forty
three with tidy NFL record. My favorite team as a kid,
Frank O'harris, Rocky Blier, all of them, brash all Swine
saw her like a going in on me and Joe
Green whoever. But that team had the record for most
(14:45):
you know run games with a hundred yards or more,
and so they they hardball instead of getting in the
victory uh situation with the victory um formation and take
it the knee. He had Lamar Jackson run to the
left game five yards and then run out of bounds.
(15:07):
So the record they still are in play to break
the record next weekend and get forty four. And so
Vic Fangio was not halving it here's Fangio on his
thoughts on that play. I thought it was kind of
bull but I expected it from them. Thirty seven years
(15:28):
in pro ball, I've never seen anything like that. That's
just their mode of operation. Their player safety is secondary.
All right, Let's hear what Harball. Harball responded to him today,
and here's what he said. I thought we were on
good terms. You're a nice yet before the game, knowing
each other for a long time. But I promise you
(15:48):
I'm not going to give that insult one second thought,
which meaningful to us might not be meaningful to them.
Their concerns are definitely not our concern. If we got
the ball back, we're gonna try to get the yards,
and we got it back with three seconds left, So
throwing the ball in the end zone the ten seconds left,
I don't know that there's a sixteen point touchdown. It's
gonna be possible right there. So you know that didn't
ever even do it winning the game? Amen, Amen, John Harball.
(16:12):
A football game is sixty minutes. Don't get mad because
we compete for sixty minutes. If you don't like it,
then stop us. And Hardball made a terrific point. Vic
Fangio was trying to score. He said, it's were you
gonna get sixteen points for that touchdown pass? With ten
(16:33):
seconds you through Just like Rob said, the game was over.
You weren't winning, but you're still trying to score a touchdown.
So don't get mad at us when we intercept you
and then instead of neel and we'd go for five yards.
They didn't get into victory formation. They didn't get set
up like they were gonna drop a knee and then surprise,
(16:56):
we're running. No, he's set up in a regular format.
It was actually a shotgun, so you play defense. This
is not Cyo, it's not Pop Warner. It's not even
high school. So I don't I get I don't like it.
I get ticked off. It irks me when professional athletes
(17:19):
and coaches who are being paid complain about, oh, they
ran up the score. Oh they shouldn't have done this,
they shouldn't have done that. No, you stop them if
you don't like it. You're paid to do it just
like they are. And the record, Yeah, it's not baseball,
(17:40):
we're not gonna it's not a hallowed mark, but still
it means something. It is a testament years from now
people will look back and seeing Lamar Jackson gets too
much criticism for supposedly not being able to throw the
football though he's throwing it for almost two hundred and
seventy yards a game this year. But this is a
(18:01):
testament to him that this dude was the architect, the
orchestrator of one of the best running attacks in the
history of the sport. So I'm here for it, John Harball,
I'm glad you did it. Let's see if they break
the record next week, and it's all good. This is
(18:22):
professional football. It's big. Put your big boy pants on
Vic Fangio because you you went for the touchdown that
was meaningless, So don't get mad at him for going
for five yards that you say is meaningless. John Harball
should be ashamed of himself and his bad karma. And Chris,
(18:44):
you have no idea what you're talking about. Of course,
of course, the Broncos aren't gonna lay down, and they're
gonna try even if you can't score sixteen point touchdown.
But but quo, no, but go. There's no reason to
try to break some meaningless record that doesn't even mean anything.
(19:05):
And not one person Chris could have told you that
forty three games in the row was the Pittsburgh Nobody
knew that, nobody. It's a meaningless record, and god forbid
John Harbaugh's lucky. What if Lamar Jackson would have got
a broken leg on that play? Did he would have
been killed? Did he would have been feeling to get touched?
(19:28):
Why would you give up give a running quarterback, Chris?
You sit here every game? Oh no, how long he's
gonna last? Because you know he keeps taking those hits
we don't know about he takes quarterback? No, he didn't
because he got lucky. He don't play stop it. You're
talking fiction. I don't. I'm talking about didn't call it
(19:52):
because what you should do is kneel down. You didn't
get it in regulation. I'm gonna give you another example.
There was a there was a player Chris for the
Yukon women's basketball team. I can't remember her name, and
she was like a few points short, you remember, but
she had a broken leg or something or had had
an injury. She put on her uniform with a cast.
(20:15):
She cherry picked and stayed down on one end for
them to throw them the ball so that she could
score and break the record and I swear to you,
if I was a coach, I would have put two
people on her and refuse to let her score because
to come out there with an injury and sherry pick,
not even to get the record in the real course
(20:36):
of the game. If if Baltimore course of the game right,
when that was that when he fell down or whatever,
he didn't let him get the sack, right, But it's
straight hand in the record books. No, that's it was
weak though. That's not the memorable sack record you want.
I'm just talking about what you would have felt good about.
(20:58):
A woman would have would have broken egg or whatever
she had jerry picking. They gave love, rob they gave
it a lot of love. I would have plucked every
you know, she wouldn't have scored. First of all, she
would have schooled you, even with a broken leg. You
want to school me. Look, I dare her. You don't
feel bad about that because you look at it like obviously,
(21:20):
if she hadn't broken her leg, she would have gotten
That's a part of the game. You can't come out
there with a competing competing minutes part of the game. No,
not cherry picking, laying You sound like a guy coaching
eight year olds at the wild. You know what, that's
where John Harbor, you remember the players. This will grow
(21:43):
back to him. And you don't put the quarterback inst
the brisk Stop me with your spookism. I'm telling you
it's ridiculous. John Harbor knows better talking about viction to
try to score a touchdown and they were in the
red zone. What are you talking about him? He didn't.
He just said, you played the full game out. Don't
(22:05):
get mad at us for playing the full game. Oh,
everybody in the NFL kneels down when the game is
out of reach. The game is out of reach. Why
ain't yo? You don't do that when you're behind. You
don't teams? Do you behind the teams? No, they don't. Yeah,
I've never seen for the touchdown. No, it's just taking
it's over. It's ridiculous. And and John Hardball knows better.
(22:30):
You would think that he's some some coach who's never
wanted anything. This guy's won a Super Bowl. This guy's
been to two Super Bowls, and he's worried about three
yards so that they could get to a hundred in
a game that's out of reach with ten seconds left,
and he's putting his quarterback in harm's way. I wish
I was on the defense. I wish well, you're lucky
(22:52):
he didn't get touched. I would have broke his leg
if I had a chance. Yeah, I wish you would
have come this way. You talking all big and bad.
Stop my chester stuck out. I'll be a lineback. I'll
break that lay, all right, lamar with a stiff arm
jew and gone in for the all right, eight seven,
seven ninety nine or five. Nobody, nobody with ends of
(23:16):
nobody gonna be with you. Have you want to play
in the little sisters of the poor league, then go
right ahead. I'm about big boy football with ten seconds blah. Yes, indeed,
it's a sixty minute game. You get paid to play
for sixty minutes, not fifty eight minutes and fifty seconds.
(23:37):
Fifty nine minutes of fifty seconds. Can you get it right?
They're like I want to sixteen? Yeah? Whatever, Hey, you
got my school right though. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then Rob
Parker week days at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. Hey,
(23:59):
this is Jason McIntyre join me every weekday morning on
my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your
typical sportspod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat
every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all
the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win
big at the sports book, and all the best guests.
(24:19):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever
you get your podcasts. That's right, he's the Hall of Famer,
one of the best ever doing in the defensive backfield.
Fox Sports Radio in fl analyst the great Rod Woodson.
(24:44):
What up, brother? What's up? My brothers from another mother?
We are good man. Hello, We're gonna have you settled this? Yes,
we just we just had debate. Yes, I had no
problem whatsoever with what John Harbor I did at the
end of the game with Lamar Jackson getting his yards
and then right and Rob, Rob's got that c y
(25:06):
O Y mc man co dmember you my light skin brother? No,
you know, so where you at settling this score? Rod?
You know I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna be on
the fence on this one. If I was losing like
Denver was, I would want them to take a knee.
(25:27):
If I was winning like Baltimore was, I'm like, didn't
get that record, Man, get that record? Nobody Wait a minute, Rod,
come on, that record means nothing. Nobody even knew that
who was holding the record, and it tied the record.
And if you if, if let me ask you, it
means it means it means a lot to John Hurball
because remember this also they won a lot how many
(25:47):
with twenty preseason games in a row? Yeah, another one
trying to win that instead of trying to save its
running back, trying to win preseason games. Now, let me
ask you this, Rod, if if Lamar got hurt on
that play with ten seconds ago, instead of taking a
victory formation, John Harball would be getting killed. Am I right?
(26:08):
I mean yes? But if you know, if I was
a fifth we all be drunk. Yes. I mean if
you can't, you can't live. You can't live in retrospect, right.
I mean it's it's easy to be Monday morning quarterback
like we're doing right now. But you know, I just
think you play the game, you know, and sometimes those
records mean a lot to the players. And if it's
(26:28):
gonna mean that it motivates them for the following week
to play even better. Then as a head coach, you
have to make that decision, even though it's gonna kick
some people off from the other side of the field.
Ryan Mark that down ride a group. I can't believe
a guy like Rod, a Hall of famer one the
defensive then would let them line up with ten seconds
(26:49):
to go to get some cheese. Nobody. I wouldn't let
him get it. I wouldn't let him get it. There
it is. You play for sixty minutes. The stars leg
you hear me? If follows out there, I don't care
to flag. All right, Rod, let's go to the big
game last night obviously New England. I want to hit
it at another angle than what people are Richard Sherman.
(27:12):
They were picking on him all night. Now he'll probably
be a Hall of Famer, but I want you as
one of the best defensive backs ever, how difficult, no
matter how good you are at his age, having been
away from the game, you know, as long as he was.
I mean, he played five games last year because of injury.
How difficult was because he was They were treating him
(27:34):
like he was a six round rookie, you know, six
rounds rookie draft pick. That's what they should have. What
did you like did you understand that? Like, you know,
I get it. I mean it would I would have
picked on him too. Let me think about it. Okay,
you got an older you got an older cornerback, which
you know he's played, so he's played tremendous in his career. Um,
(27:54):
but he's gonna be always you know, when you talk
about him as an older player, he's always going to
be compared to his younger selves. He's only practiced for
a week. He was out there for what three days?
Pretty much? Huh. Well, I thought he played well. I
thought the one pass interference call with bogus Um that
(28:17):
very first one. I thought he you know, he did
get a little hands on even, but he didn't impede
the progress of the receivers going to the ball. Like
some of the rules that used to be which are
still there. They don't even care about it anymore. Like
even pass interference of the balls throwing twenty yards out
of bottles, they still called pass interference. Well, it used
to be uncatchable ball. There's no pass interference. I mean,
(28:37):
so some of those rules that they used to have
that still are in play. They just don't even call
him anymore. They just call pass interference because they want
to see points scores. I mean, that's that's the bottom
line in the national football They they want to see
the numbers go up. They want to see the numbers girl,
because that's what fans like. It's a fantasy world. They
want to see the fantasy points. I mean, that's just
the way it is. I mean, for ship, for you know,
(29:00):
for Richard to say he was going to be at
his best when he hasn't played in such a long time.
He only practiced for three days, it's really kind of unfair.
And if I was the head coach on the opposing team,
but we're gonna take multiple shot. Took his cat this
to see where he's at, and they did no doubt. Hey,
it's time to pull the plug on Big Ben. I mean, Rod,
(29:22):
you cannot defend I know what your gut your organization.
But he said I talked about it last year that
they should have cut Bait. I'd rather have Big Uncle
Ben than Big Ben and Kenny, can they continue this
another week or two or three or the rest of
the season. Well, first of all, they're still struggling and
(29:44):
running the football. Yep. So it's you know, Ben is
like the offense and the you know, we're all looking
for this young Ben who would throw two or three
defenders on the ground and then he would just make
it a miracle throw down the field and for a
big catch. And it's not going to happen. I mean,
(30:04):
when you get older, you just don't have that thing,
uh about yourself. And you know, and I said it
in the off season, I think Ben has nothing to
prove to anybody. If you see the organization. I think
he's played extremely well. I think he has something to
prove to himself, especially the way the season ended last
year for them. Um, but you know, it's just tough.
(30:26):
It's tough to watch that, you know. You know, if
they didn't have that block punt against Buffalo, I mean
they're all four well and you look at their schedule.
They got the Browns, they've got get easier. Yeah thenies
you sound like a stealer or now, but they got Seattle,
(30:48):
then they got Denver, they got three Denver Seattle, Cleveland.
So they could either be two and five or one
in six in short order. Let me ask you this
because Robin and I were saying this is they got
no to go, So I don't care how bad Ben's
looking home? Is this an indictment on Dwayne Haskins? And
have you heard anything? I know you still talk to people,
(31:11):
have you heard anything about him? Like? Is he that
bad that you're not even hearing his name mentioned as
a possible replacement? Yeah? I mean you know right now, Um,
you know, I haven't heard a bunch. I haven't really
asked about him, to be honest with the people in
in Pittsburgh, So I can't I can't really answer that question.
(31:34):
I can just say that they just, you know, they
seemed like, you know, whatever that was that week twelve
for them last year, that funk, that funk is still there,
you know that that that that whatever stigma, whatever happened
to him after that person, Eleving Weeks, is still there
with him. On offense and defensively. You know what concerns
(31:55):
me about the defense is that man, you know, if
t J. Watsinson get the pressure, nobody gets the pressure,
and then the cornerbacks aren't that good enough for nobody
to get pressure? And you know, so it seems like
somewhere along the line, something's gonna have to give. Um.
But let's say this. Let's just let's say Ben, this
is last year. It doesn't work out, well, Aaron Rodgers
(32:17):
is going to be a Steeler baby. Hey man, if
i'm eron, yeah, they high on my list. I'll tell
you that much. Right, and they're gonna I would think
they're gonna give him. You know, they will give him
a bunch of money. Then let it. He can run
his office the way he wants to run his offense.
He might want to bring in one of his receivers
(32:39):
from Green Bay who might be a free agent. Who knows.
And I mean, yeah, you know, I'm not saying names.
I'm not saying names, but he wears seventeen. You know
what I'm saying. Um, But you know, this year, you know,
it just it just let's some type of miracle occurs
on the officive side. It's gonna be tough. I mean,
(33:02):
it's it's gonna be tough to turn around. How hard
is it? And now you're still trying to win obviously,
But when you know, like We're in week four intern
week five, and kind of knowing you, it's gonna be
tough for you to play significant games and you got
thirteen left. That's gotta be tough, man in a sport
(33:24):
like this where it's painful every day. Yeah, Well, you
know Mike Thominum, he always puts a pretty pretty good
product on the field. Uh you know, you know, for him,
it's quarterback of struggling. So he's gonna try to rally
the troops around the quarterback. So what happens, you know,
in a team sport when your major player is not
(33:45):
playing his best, everybody around him has to play better.
And that's what I'm gonna That's what I'm gonna say
about the Steelers. Everybody around him has to play better.
Off of the line. Tight end receivers can drop ball,
dvs can get beat Kevin Butler. Defensive coordinator got to
be more creative with this play calling on the defensive side.
(34:06):
Canada has to be more creative with the play calling
on the offense. Special teams will need more block punts
and kickoff returns and punt returns. Everybody has to do
it together. Um, And I think you know, if anybody
can get it done. It would be Mike Tomlin because
you know he rallies the troops like Northern coach in
the National Football League. All right, that's our man in
(34:27):
the Hall of Famer. Looks frustrated. You look like you
was thinking, man, I should have went to Roger. Bye Rod,
great stuff. Brother. We appreciate you. I appreciate you. Guys,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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 fs R.
(00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusshard and Rob Harker. All right, Rob's right, you
clearly want to go off. Let's recap quickly and then
I'll give you the floor. Nineteen seventeen, Tom Brady and
the Buccaneers do get the win over the Patriots in
(00:44):
the return game. And you mentioned that it was boring.
Here's what I it reminded. Obviously, it wasn't a great game, right,
nobody's gonna sit here and try to convince anybody of
that because that would be bs. What it reminded me of,
Rob and I used to cover these games as the
(01:05):
I was the backup Knicks writer at the time. Who
was who was the Sea Selena Robina Robert remember was tremendous. Yeah, yeah,
she was great. Um, And anyway, this this reminds me
of the late nineties Nick's Miami Heat rivalry, and we
(01:26):
were those playoff series. Now that would be something like
so you covered up so, you know, because I was
with Newsday at that time, Chris Saul Okay, I was, Yeah,
I wasn't sure if you had already gone to Detroit
or not. Okay, you noticed, Rob the final score would
be something like seventy seven seventy four, you know, eighty
one seventy nine something. And the game, look, I love Ewing,
(01:50):
I love Alonzo Morning, I loved Tim Hardaway all that.
It actually wasn't even much of Ewing at that point,
but um well, Ewing was still in there someways spree
well and all these nights. But yeah, it the games
were not great games, very low scoring, very physical, you
(02:13):
know that era US, particularly with those two teams, it
was just beating each other up. And so it wasn't
that aesthetically pleasing. And the games for the first forty
minutes weren't that great, but it always came down to
the last two or three minutes, you know. And because
(02:34):
of that, because with six minutes to play, it was
gonna be a two point game, and you didn't know
who was gonna win and every possession was gonna count.
It ended up being great because it was dramatic and
you're on the edge of your seat and you're into it.
That was what last night reminded me of. Rob wasn't
well played for the first forty whatever minutes it's fifty
(02:58):
something minutes, but because the end was in doubt and
you didn't know, there was suspense, there was drama, so
that made it entertaining and interesting. But overall, it wasn't
a well played game. No, and we get the rain,
but both sides had the rain and it wasn't the
greatest conditions. But that's football, right, We've seen, We've seen,
(03:21):
I've seen great I've seen great game. Right, he played
there for twenty years. He knows New England. You could
have a change of weather, especially October early October after
New England. Absolutely, But anyway, I'm with you, that's what
it was. It was. It was a board for the
most part. The score, of course, makes it feel better.
And then, of course, like you said, the game was
(03:42):
in the balance. But again, as I've been saying, and
I'm the one who coined the phrase because I remember
after Tom Brady won his sixth Super Bowl. I was
asked about, Okay, are you on board or whatever? Or
was it the fifth one? Now, maybe it's the fifth
one against Atlanta where Atlanta didn't kick the field or
(04:05):
whatever and they blew choked that game down. That was
That was it was five because six was against the
Rams when he didn't throw a touchdown. And now, but anyway,
tom Brady is not the goat, and last night he
remains the load, the luckiest of all time. Chris sat
(04:27):
here on Thursday before I left and told me how
tom Brady was gonna tear the shrands. Chris, you remember
the numbers. You said, four touchdowns, four hundred yards. He
was gonna make Bill Belichick and make them pay and
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. And guess what.
Tom Brady was average to below average. No touchdowns. He
(04:51):
completed like fifty five percent of his path It was
just one percent, you're right, fifty one percent, fifty one
point two. He had two hundred and sixty nine yards
no touchdowns in a passer rating of seventy point eight.
It was a clunker, a stinker. But yes, tom Brady
gets to win, and everybody goes look at them. Brady
(05:15):
let them down for the field goal and the winning game. Yes,
but he got help, Chris, because the Patriots had a
chance to win the game. And what happens, It hits
the upright, that's Tom. It don't matter. I just saw
(05:35):
a fifty six yarder in Detroit's with a different kicker,
all right, I just saw it. His doable in this man.
But Tom Brady again is so lucky. So he walks
away and he wins the night because he won the game,
and he that get in Patriots, and they cheated him
(05:57):
at before game, and they gave him a video tribute
and they applauded when he passed Drew Brees. And so
Tom Brady should have walked out of that Foxborough and
Gillette Stadium with a big fat el in a game
the Bucks had no business losing to that team. The
(06:17):
Patriots aren't that good, Chris. They got a rookie quarterback,
but they're different. Played well, No, he did. But I'm
just saying, going into that game, you didn't expect that.
Didn't you expect him to win by two touchdowns? Yes, Okay,
that's what I'm saying. I think Rob and I'll give
you this. You you brought up that it ended in
typical time Brady fashion, with to your to use your words,
(06:41):
a lucky play that enabled Brady to win. Yep, I
would say it didn't in typical time Brady fashion, but
I'd give you a different spin. It ended with him
doing what he's known for, a game winning drive to
win it in the end. That's what he's known for.
(07:01):
So it was a propos that in his return to
New England, maybe his last game there, for all we know,
he goes in there and wins it like he did
so many times with the game winning drive and a
field goal. You love giving Adam Venetary all the credit,
and he deserved because it's a right. Unless they get
(07:25):
rid of the field goal, it's legitimate. And so Tom
Brady did what Tom Brady does. Now, I'll give you this, rob.
I do think Matt Jones outplayed Brady. I think the
rookie played better. But I will say this too, Brady
did have and potentially had some big moments, like there
(07:47):
was the he could have gotten close. He wouldn't have
got four hundred, but he could have been close. I
actually said between three fifty and four fifty. He could
have gotten close to three fifty. He had the forty
four yard pass to Antonio Brown that was nelegated nullified,
I'm sorry because of an offensive foul on an offensive lineman.
(08:07):
And then Robbie and I think you will admit this.
He threw two great balls at the end of the
game in that last drive to Antonio Brown that Ab
should have caught either one of them. The one he
lost it in the air like it was a nicely
placed pass where only a b could have caught it,
(08:29):
and he just seemed to lose it in the lights,
in the air whatever. He didn't know where it was.
So that was a great pass from Brady that Ab mishandled.
And then the I don't know the north was the
next play. But a minute later he hits Ab with
a beautiful pass. Ab dole for it. Had it should
have caught it. As an elite receiver, which he is,
(08:52):
he should have came down with that ball, and the
story would not have been the missed field goal at
the end of the game to gave Brady the in
It would have been a wonderful pass after a mediocre
game at best. He delivers in the clutch, but that didn't.
Obviously it didn't happen. Here's where And I even go
this far rout. Not only did Matt Jones out play Brady,
(09:16):
but Bill Belichick coached a better game than Brady played.
There's no doubt about it. Bill as usual had his
defense ready. Yep. And this is this is the big
argument we had the other day. And I know we
want to you know, you want to get Brady all
the credit. Oh yeah, Well, I just think that there
are some super Bowls that were Bill Belichick's super Bowls
(09:38):
where the defense was was terrific. And they've stopped the Rams,
the greatest show on turf, and they stopped h Sean
mcvay's Rams at average thirty three points, thirty two point
nine points a game, you know, and and stuff like that.
When they didn't need they got a three, they got
three points. Brady's I mean, Belichick's had his moments where
(10:00):
his defense has been He's been a great because I've never,
in fact, i've called Belichick the goal. I've never taken
credit away from Belichick for his great defenses and no
super bowls. He's got six eight if you count him
as a defensive coordinator in New York. But if you
have to pick which player, which guy, if you're forced
(10:22):
to pick, was more responsible for their stole Super Bowls
or you know, the dynasty. Let's just put it that way,
the dynasty. There's no doubt in my mind, I'm going Brady. Now.
That doesn't nullify the greatness of Belichick, But Brady, I
would say, without question, was more responsible because the turnaround
began with him and ended with him. Not to mention
(10:44):
everything in between. But here's the one thing I questioned
Belichick on, Rob, and I like your thoughts on this.
At the end of the game, fourth and three fifty
nine seconds left, fifty six yard field goal, I think
he should have gone for the first down because Matt
Jones was moving the ball. Okay, the Buccaneers defense was,
(11:07):
particularly the secondary was a mess, and Richard Sherman just
got picked on all night. I get it. First game
back ain't ready and they exploited him. Right, He ain't
ready and they exploited him, And so I think they
could have gotten the first right, and then you get
a shorter field goal, and you don't leave time for Brady.
Because I'll say this, Rob, and if you look at
(11:29):
it objectively, not with your bias, but I don't if
if he you're having a bias against Brady, it's fine,
it's fine, it's cool. I ain't got no problem with it,
but it is it's obvious. But had he made that
field goal, Nick Folks, with fifty nine seconds left, I
firmly believe Brady would have marched down and got a
(11:52):
field goal. It ain't that hard to march that, you
know that, to get in the field goal position. Thank you.
I don't know why the defenses they don't go after
the quarterback. They play back and a team, I don't
care what team it is. They might not have been
able to move the football all game, and then they
get into the last forty five seconds, Chris, and they
(12:13):
moved the ball. I don't like all game you couldn't
move the ball, and now you have no time out
forty five seconds and boom, boom boom, you're down and
field goal. Right. You know why? Right? It's they go
two minute, right, you know they the defense is a
little softer, but but yeah, so I just think I
(12:33):
get it. If that kick is what a foot six
inches to a foot to the right, we're having a
whole different conversation. But in that rain, Rob, he hadn't
kicked the fifty six yard field goals since twenty ten
or you know, made one, so I just think it
was you could have. I think he should have went
(12:55):
for it because I think at the end of the day,
even if he made it, Brady would have come back
and got got them midfield goal position. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard
and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app
Let's Go U Interested situation Rob coming out of Baltimore. Now,
(13:17):
they had a very good win. Look, Denver, you and
I both thought, I think you agree with me. Denver.
I never believe they were as good as their three
and old record. Now they're they're okay. I mean, maybe
they'll find themselves in the wild card hunt. I don't
expect them to make the playoffs, but they're an ok team.
They're not bad, but they stepped up in competition and
(13:41):
they got it handed to him all right, twenty three
to seven. The Ravens beat him up, and I guess
from Vic Fangio, the head coach from the Denver perspective,
Denver Broncos. He felt like John Harball added insult to
injury rob when at the end of the game, so
(14:02):
it's there's ten seconds left now Baltimore had just gotten
an interception in the end zone. Okay, so Denver's trying
to score. They get an interception and they get the football.
It's over and the Ravens are three yards away from
(14:23):
a hundred yards and they have They had gotten a
hundred yards forty two straight games as a team, forty
three with tidy NFL record. My favorite team as a kid,
Frank O'harris, Rocky Blier, all of them, brash all Swine
saw her like a going in on me and Joe
Green whoever. But that team had the record for most
(14:45):
you know run games with a hundred yards or more,
and so they they hardball instead of getting in the
victory uh situation with the victory um formation and take
it the knee. He had Lamar Jackson run to the
left game five yards and then run out of bounds.
(15:07):
So the record they still are in play to break
the record next weekend and get forty four. And so
Vic Fangio was not halving it here's Fangio on his
thoughts on that play. I thought it was kind of
bull but I expected it from them. Thirty seven years
(15:28):
in pro ball, I've never seen anything like that. That's
just their mode of operation. Their player safety is secondary.
All right, Let's hear what Harball. Harball responded to him today,
and here's what he said. I thought we were on
good terms. You're a nice yet before the game, knowing
each other for a long time. But I promise you
(15:48):
I'm not going to give that insult one second thought,
which meaningful to us might not be meaningful to them.
Their concerns are definitely not our concern. If we got
the ball back, we're gonna try to get the yards,
and we got it back with three seconds left, So
throwing the ball in the end zone the ten seconds left,
I don't know that there's a sixteen point touchdown. It's
gonna be possible right there. So you know that didn't
ever even do it winning the game? Amen, Amen, John Harball.
(16:12):
A football game is sixty minutes. Don't get mad because
we compete for sixty minutes. If you don't like it,
then stop us. And Hardball made a terrific point. Vic
Fangio was trying to score. He said, it's were you
gonna get sixteen points for that touchdown pass? With ten
(16:33):
seconds you through Just like Rob said, the game was over.
You weren't winning, but you're still trying to score a touchdown.
So don't get mad at us when we intercept you
and then instead of neel and we'd go for five yards.
They didn't get into victory formation. They didn't get set
up like they were gonna drop a knee and then surprise,
(16:56):
we're running. No, he's set up in a regular format.
It was actually a shotgun, so you play defense. This
is not Cyo, it's not Pop Warner. It's not even
high school. So I don't I get I don't like it.
I get ticked off. It irks me when professional athletes
(17:19):
and coaches who are being paid complain about, oh, they
ran up the score. Oh they shouldn't have done this,
they shouldn't have done that. No, you stop them if
you don't like it. You're paid to do it just
like they are. And the record, Yeah, it's not baseball,
(17:40):
we're not gonna it's not a hallowed mark, but still
it means something. It is a testament years from now
people will look back and seeing Lamar Jackson gets too
much criticism for supposedly not being able to throw the
football though he's throwing it for almost two hundred and
seventy yards a game this year. But this is a
(18:01):
testament to him that this dude was the architect, the
orchestrator of one of the best running attacks in the
history of the sport. So I'm here for it, John Harball,
I'm glad you did it. Let's see if they break
the record next week, and it's all good. This is
(18:22):
professional football. It's big. Put your big boy pants on
Vic Fangio because you you went for the touchdown that
was meaningless, So don't get mad at him for going
for five yards that you say is meaningless. John Harball
should be ashamed of himself and his bad karma. And Chris,
(18:44):
you have no idea what you're talking about. Of course,
of course, the Broncos aren't gonna lay down, and they're
gonna try even if you can't score sixteen point touchdown.
But but quo, no, but go. There's no reason to
try to break some meaningless record that doesn't even mean anything.
(19:05):
And not one person Chris could have told you that
forty three games in the row was the Pittsburgh Nobody
knew that, nobody. It's a meaningless record, and god forbid
John Harbaugh's lucky. What if Lamar Jackson would have got
a broken leg on that play? Did he would have
been killed? Did he would have been feeling to get touched?
(19:28):
Why would you give up give a running quarterback, Chris?
You sit here every game? Oh no, how long he's
gonna last? Because you know he keeps taking those hits
we don't know about he takes quarterback? No, he didn't
because he got lucky. He don't play stop it. You're
talking fiction. I don't. I'm talking about didn't call it
(19:52):
because what you should do is kneel down. You didn't
get it in regulation. I'm gonna give you another example.
There was a there was a player Chris for the
Yukon women's basketball team. I can't remember her name, and
she was like a few points short, you remember, but
she had a broken leg or something or had had
an injury. She put on her uniform with a cast.
(20:15):
She cherry picked and stayed down on one end for
them to throw them the ball so that she could
score and break the record and I swear to you,
if I was a coach, I would have put two
people on her and refuse to let her score because
to come out there with an injury and sherry pick,
not even to get the record in the real course
(20:36):
of the game. If if Baltimore course of the game right,
when that was that when he fell down or whatever,
he didn't let him get the sack, right, But it's
straight hand in the record books. No, that's it was
weak though. That's not the memorable sack record you want.
I'm just talking about what you would have felt good about.
(20:58):
A woman would have would have broken egg or whatever
she had jerry picking. They gave love, rob they gave
it a lot of love. I would have plucked every
you know, she wouldn't have scored. First of all, she
would have schooled you, even with a broken leg. You
want to school me. Look, I dare her. You don't
feel bad about that because you look at it like obviously,
(21:20):
if she hadn't broken her leg, she would have gotten
That's a part of the game. You can't come out
there with a competing competing minutes part of the game. No,
not cherry picking, laying You sound like a guy coaching
eight year olds at the wild. You know what, that's
where John Harbor, you remember the players. This will grow
(21:43):
back to him. And you don't put the quarterback inst
the brisk Stop me with your spookism. I'm telling you
it's ridiculous. John Harbor knows better talking about viction to
try to score a touchdown and they were in the
red zone. What are you talking about him? He didn't.
He just said, you played the full game out. Don't
(22:05):
get mad at us for playing the full game. Oh,
everybody in the NFL kneels down when the game is
out of reach. The game is out of reach. Why
ain't yo? You don't do that when you're behind. You
don't teams? Do you behind the teams? No, they don't. Yeah,
I've never seen for the touchdown. No, it's just taking
it's over. It's ridiculous. And and John Hardball knows better.
(22:30):
You would think that he's some some coach who's never
wanted anything. This guy's won a Super Bowl. This guy's
been to two Super Bowls, and he's worried about three
yards so that they could get to a hundred in
a game that's out of reach with ten seconds left,
and he's putting his quarterback in harm's way. I wish
I was on the defense. I wish well, you're lucky
(22:52):
he didn't get touched. I would have broke his leg
if I had a chance. Yeah, I wish you would
have come this way. You talking all big and bad.
Stop my chester stuck out. I'll be a lineback. I'll
break that lay, all right, lamar with a stiff arm
jew and gone in for the all right, eight seven,
seven ninety nine or five. Nobody, nobody with ends of
(23:16):
nobody gonna be with you. Have you want to play
in the little sisters of the poor league, then go
right ahead. I'm about big boy football with ten seconds blah. Yes, indeed,
it's a sixty minute game. You get paid to play
for sixty minutes, not fifty eight minutes and fifty seconds.
(23:37):
Fifty nine minutes of fifty seconds. Can you get it right?
They're like I want to sixteen? Yeah? Whatever, Hey, you
got my school right though. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then Rob
Parker week days at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. Hey,
(23:59):
this is Jason McIntyre join me every weekday morning on
my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your
typical sportspod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat
every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all
the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win
big at the sports book, and all the best guests.
(24:19):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever
you get your podcasts. That's right, he's the Hall of Famer,
one of the best ever doing in the defensive backfield.
Fox Sports Radio in fl analyst the great Rod Woodson.
(24:44):
What up, brother? What's up? My brothers from another mother?
We are good man. Hello, We're gonna have you settled this? Yes,
we just we just had debate. Yes, I had no
problem whatsoever with what John Harbor I did at the
end of the game with Lamar Jackson getting his yards
and then right and Rob, Rob's got that c y
(25:06):
O Y mc man co dmember you my light skin brother? No,
you know, so where you at settling this score? Rod?
You know I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna be on
the fence on this one. If I was losing like
Denver was, I would want them to take a knee.
(25:27):
If I was winning like Baltimore was, I'm like, didn't
get that record, Man, get that record? Nobody Wait a minute, Rod,
come on, that record means nothing. Nobody even knew that
who was holding the record, and it tied the record.
And if you if, if let me ask you, it
means it means it means a lot to John Hurball
because remember this also they won a lot how many
(25:47):
with twenty preseason games in a row? Yeah, another one
trying to win that instead of trying to save its
running back, trying to win preseason games. Now, let me
ask you this, Rod, if if Lamar got hurt on
that play with ten seconds ago, instead of taking a
victory formation, John Harball would be getting killed. Am I right?
(26:08):
I mean yes? But if you know, if I was
a fifth we all be drunk. Yes. I mean if
you can't, you can't live. You can't live in retrospect, right.
I mean it's it's easy to be Monday morning quarterback
like we're doing right now. But you know, I just
think you play the game, you know, and sometimes those
records mean a lot to the players. And if it's
(26:28):
gonna mean that it motivates them for the following week
to play even better. Then as a head coach, you
have to make that decision, even though it's gonna kick
some people off from the other side of the field.
Ryan Mark that down ride a group. I can't believe
a guy like Rod, a Hall of famer one the
defensive then would let them line up with ten seconds
(26:49):
to go to get some cheese. Nobody. I wouldn't let
him get it. I wouldn't let him get it. There
it is. You play for sixty minutes. The stars leg
you hear me? If follows out there, I don't care
to flag. All right, Rod, let's go to the big
game last night obviously New England. I want to hit
it at another angle than what people are Richard Sherman.
(27:12):
They were picking on him all night. Now he'll probably
be a Hall of Famer, but I want you as
one of the best defensive backs ever, how difficult, no
matter how good you are at his age, having been
away from the game, you know, as long as he was.
I mean, he played five games last year because of injury.
How difficult was because he was They were treating him
(27:34):
like he was a six round rookie, you know, six
rounds rookie draft pick. That's what they should have. What
did you like did you understand that? Like, you know,
I get it. I mean it would I would have
picked on him too. Let me think about it. Okay,
you got an older you got an older cornerback, which
you know he's played, so he's played tremendous in his career. Um,
(27:54):
but he's gonna be always you know, when you talk
about him as an older player, he's always going to
be compared to his younger selves. He's only practiced for
a week. He was out there for what three days?
Pretty much? Huh. Well, I thought he played well. I
thought the one pass interference call with bogus Um that
(28:17):
very first one. I thought he you know, he did
get a little hands on even, but he didn't impede
the progress of the receivers going to the ball. Like
some of the rules that used to be which are
still there. They don't even care about it anymore. Like
even pass interference of the balls throwing twenty yards out
of bottles, they still called pass interference. Well, it used
to be uncatchable ball. There's no pass interference. I mean,
(28:37):
so some of those rules that they used to have
that still are in play. They just don't even call
him anymore. They just call pass interference because they want
to see points scores. I mean, that's that's the bottom
line in the national football They they want to see
the numbers go up. They want to see the numbers girl,
because that's what fans like. It's a fantasy world. They
want to see the fantasy points. I mean, that's just
the way it is. I mean, for ship, for you know,
(29:00):
for Richard to say he was going to be at
his best when he hasn't played in such a long time.
He only practiced for three days, it's really kind of unfair.
And if I was the head coach on the opposing team,
but we're gonna take multiple shot. Took his cat this
to see where he's at, and they did no doubt. Hey,
it's time to pull the plug on Big Ben. I mean, Rod,
(29:22):
you cannot defend I know what your gut your organization.
But he said I talked about it last year that
they should have cut Bait. I'd rather have Big Uncle
Ben than Big Ben and Kenny, can they continue this
another week or two or three or the rest of
the season. Well, first of all, they're still struggling and
(29:44):
running the football. Yep. So it's you know, Ben is
like the offense and the you know, we're all looking
for this young Ben who would throw two or three
defenders on the ground and then he would just make
it a miracle throw down the field and for a
big catch. And it's not going to happen. I mean,
(30:04):
when you get older, you just don't have that thing,
uh about yourself. And you know, and I said it
in the off season, I think Ben has nothing to
prove to anybody. If you see the organization. I think
he's played extremely well. I think he has something to
prove to himself, especially the way the season ended last
year for them. Um, but you know, it's just tough.
(30:26):
It's tough to watch that, you know. You know, if
they didn't have that block punt against Buffalo, I mean
they're all four well and you look at their schedule.
They got the Browns, they've got get easier. Yeah thenies
you sound like a stealer or now, but they got Seattle,
(30:48):
then they got Denver, they got three Denver Seattle, Cleveland.
So they could either be two and five or one
in six in short order. Let me ask you this
because Robin and I were saying this is they got
no to go, So I don't care how bad Ben's
looking home? Is this an indictment on Dwayne Haskins? And
have you heard anything? I know you still talk to people,
(31:11):
have you heard anything about him? Like? Is he that
bad that you're not even hearing his name mentioned as
a possible replacement? Yeah? I mean you know right now, Um,
you know, I haven't heard a bunch. I haven't really
asked about him, to be honest with the people in
in Pittsburgh, So I can't I can't really answer that question.
(31:34):
I can just say that they just, you know, they
seemed like, you know, whatever that was that week twelve
for them last year, that funk, that funk is still there,
you know that that that that whatever stigma, whatever happened
to him after that person, Eleving Weeks, is still there
with him. On offense and defensively. You know what concerns
(31:55):
me about the defense is that man, you know, if
t J. Watsinson get the pressure, nobody gets the pressure,
and then the cornerbacks aren't that good enough for nobody
to get pressure? And you know, so it seems like
somewhere along the line, something's gonna have to give. Um.
But let's say this. Let's just let's say Ben, this
is last year. It doesn't work out, well, Aaron Rodgers
(32:17):
is going to be a Steeler baby. Hey man, if
i'm eron, yeah, they high on my list. I'll tell
you that much. Right, and they're gonna I would think
they're gonna give him. You know, they will give him
a bunch of money. Then let it. He can run
his office the way he wants to run his offense.
He might want to bring in one of his receivers
(32:39):
from Green Bay who might be a free agent. Who knows.
And I mean, yeah, you know, I'm not saying names.
I'm not saying names, but he wears seventeen. You know
what I'm saying. Um, But you know, this year, you know,
it just it just let's some type of miracle occurs
on the officive side. It's gonna be tough. I mean,
(33:02):
it's it's gonna be tough to turn around. How hard
is it? And now you're still trying to win obviously,
But when you know, like We're in week four intern
week five, and kind of knowing you, it's gonna be
tough for you to play significant games and you got
thirteen left. That's gotta be tough, man in a sport
(33:24):
like this where it's painful every day. Yeah, Well, you
know Mike Thominum, he always puts a pretty pretty good
product on the field. Uh you know, you know, for him,
it's quarterback of struggling. So he's gonna try to rally
the troops around the quarterback. So what happens, you know,
in a team sport when your major player is not
(33:45):
playing his best, everybody around him has to play better.
And that's what I'm gonna That's what I'm gonna say
about the Steelers. Everybody around him has to play better.
Off of the line. Tight end receivers can drop ball,
dvs can get beat Kevin Butler. Defensive coordinator got to
be more creative with this play calling on the defensive side.
(34:06):
Canada has to be more creative with the play calling
on the offense. Special teams will need more block punts
and kickoff returns and punt returns. Everybody has to do
it together. Um, And I think you know, if anybody
can get it done. It would be Mike Tomlin because
you know he rallies the troops like Northern coach in
the National Football League. All right, that's our man in
(34:27):
the Hall of Famer. Looks frustrated. You look like you
was thinking, man, I should have went to Roger. Bye Rod,
great stuff. Brother. We appreciate you. I appreciate you. Guys,
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. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!