Dan Beyer and Bernie Fratto React to Week 17 in the NFL!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Don't listening to Fox Sports count I'm one, two, three,
four and a happy new Year to you. Four games
in this late window, a lot riding on three of them,
and one maybe more so than the other. We are
broadcasting live from the tirect dot com studios. Ti irect
dot com will help you get there at unmatched selection,

(00:21):
fast free shipping, free road hazard protection and over ten
thousand recommended installers tiract dot com The way tire buying
should be. Bernie Fratto in with us today's we have
no George Rice, their Bernie. Happy new Year to you.
How are you in? Happy New year, buddy, Good to
be with you in already eventful week seventeen. In the
NFL playoff picture unfolding, We've got details, so much to unpack.

(00:44):
I hope three hours is enough. I hope so as well.
I want to start out in Green Bay because you
heard Moncy play the highlight of the key shot Nixon
kickoff return, and then you just had a pick six
and it wasn't a normal pick six, and by that
I mean it was a pass from Kirk Cousins on

(01:05):
a fourth down where the Vikings instead of punting or
trying to an attempt to longfield goal, went for it,
ball was deflected as it was about to enter the
hands of t J. Hockenson. Darnell Savage ends up getting
the deflection and takes it all the way to the
house from about sixty eight yards. Like that's that's the
type of pick six that it was seventy five yards
to be exact, seventy five yards. So Green Bay today

(01:27):
has scored against Minnesota on the kickoff return, and they've
scored on a defensive touchdown, and you've also had a
block punt in this game. And this is so fitting, Bernie,
because this game has so much riding on it. The
Vikings actually now have an opportunity to maybe do something special.
They actually have a chance at getting home field advantage

(01:50):
in the NFL, in the NFC, if the Eagles were
to lose next week and they win this game and
then they win next week against the Bears, that is
still in play four. Minnesota, You've got this bug a
boo that you have with the Packers. And I know
the Vikings have gotten the best of green Bay, heck
did so in Week one. But this is a game
that you have to win, and to do it on
enemy territory, Bernie, I just felt there was so much

(02:13):
riding on this game four Minnesota because of everything that
is at stake. Sure they're gonna make the playoffs. Sure
they've won the NFC North, but now with the Saints
beating the Eagles today, their adds a little bit more
to it. And to be able to go to green
Bay win this game, you knocked them out of the playoffs.
You validate your win from week one, and then you

(02:34):
have even more to playoffs. And that's that's just the
Viking side of things. I think the Vikings are so
much under the microscope more than any other team in
Week seventeen and right now they find themselves down eleven
earlier to Green Bay when they haven't given up in
the offensive touchdown as of yet. Well, take take a
bit of a bow, Dan. Back in week eight when
the Vikings were six and one, you yourself said right

(02:56):
on this show, they're not passing the eye tests. I'm
not sure why the something doesn't feel right. Fast forward,
we hold two thoughts. Concurrently, Yes, the Vikings are twelve
and three, but there's going to be a day of reckoning.
Remember they own the thirty second ranked defense in the NFL.
No team in the history of the NFL has ever
won a single playoff game that owned the worst defense

(03:19):
in the league. So far, Right on cue, this is
such an on brand game for the Vikings. Put a
hothouse team outside in the cold, the Packers defense finally
waking up. After just twelve turnovers in the first twelve games,
the Packers forced eight in the last three. They get
a couple more today. Look at what's happening now. We've

(03:39):
talked about this. Yes, the Vikings are twelve and three,
but do they really profile as a twelve and three team?
Their point differential puts them about on par with the
New York Jets. They're not twelve and three. And they've
been to the red zone three times today. Then they've
gone forward on fourth down twice field twice, did manage
a field goal and a pick six. I will tell

(04:00):
you this is setting up to be a potential disappointment
in the playoffs, and Viking fans don't play kill the messenger.
You've been doing it to me and Dan now for
two months to hate mail. I'm getting Dan. It's egregious.
Can't even show it to my kids. My mom put
my mom in tears. The bottom line is this Claude
layoff easy, easy on a soccer rapids. We love you,

(04:21):
but dear Vikings, they have raised some flags and Dan
again take a bow. And you saw this back in
week eight. This is and and the Vikings. They keep
on having opportunities. Bernie, there's still the win against the Colts,
obviously in the comeback hack to win last week against
the Giants. We know where they are in one score games.
These are opportunities to not only change the narrative but
change the direction of your season. Green Bay's kind of

(04:43):
had this slow arrow where we think things are turning
into their favor, and they did again at the at
the start of today. So like things are there with
the Commander's loss to the Browns, like that helps green Bay.
Things are turning green Bay's way, but it doesn't mean
that green Bay is firing on all Cylin. As you mentioned,
their defense now has been able to force some turnovers,
but I wouldn't say that their offense is a juggernaut.

(05:05):
Christian Watson active today, but I don't know how effective
he's going to be. And now they haven't needed anything
from their offense. They've needed Zilch right now from green
Bay's offense, and they've gotten fourteen points on the board,
and that's like, it's such a Minnesota thing to do,
even if we're talking about green Bay. Just I don't
think green Bay is even close to perfect. And I

(05:27):
you know what, they remind me of Bernie And it's
it's not exact, because there was chaos last year with
this team, but even in advance of the NBA playoffs,
what did we have people wanting to avoid the Brooklyn nets.
They wanted to they didn't want to face Brooklyn in
the first round. He had teams you know, maybe Milwaukee
didnt ends up not wanting to to play, and uh

(05:49):
play strong. At the end, Boston zake who cares? Will
take on Brooklyn? We don't care and then go and
sweep him and Boston goes to the NBA Finals. And
I feel like that's what how we talked about with Bay,
and I know that they have been playing better. So
it's not exact, but this fact of I don't want
to face Sharon Rodgers in the playoffs, I'm saying to himself,
why not? Why Why wouldn't you have you watched them

(06:14):
this year? Have you watched them like like there have
been sporadic shots and everybody's worried about the playoffs streak.
I just I don't think that green Bay is dangerous.
And it's why I also think why Minnesota has a
chance today is they now just miss a forty six
yard field goal that could have pulled them within eight.
Like you can't make this stuff up, like their opportunities.
Minnesota blocked the punt at the start of this game

(06:34):
in the first quarter and ended up coming away with
what uh three points from a first and goal from
the two yard line incormably past Dalvin Cook stuffed, stuffed
again and end up let's kick the short field goal
at least get some points off of the block pot
like this is the green Bay isn't isn't playing a
masterclass of football. Yet somehow they keep on managing waste

(06:57):
to win. I guess that's all you ask for. But
here's a portunity for Minnesota today, for Bernie or for
Minnesota Bernie to do something, and now they miss another
opportunity at getting points on the board. Let's talk about
green Bay for just a second, because these things always
have a context. It is December. Matt Lafleur is fifteen
and oh in December heading into today's game, and he's

(07:19):
off to a fine start. Today. Aaron Rodgers thirty three
and seven against the division at home in his career
divisional game today, Divisional game, Week eight, team against the Lions.
It started last week. Okay, there's an old saying, then
be at the right place at the right time. But
comma do something about it well last week and could
not have worked out any better for the green Bay Packers.

(07:40):
They're fighting for a wild card spot. But last week Detroit,
New York, Seattle and Washington all lose, and the Commanders
lose again today, So the Packers, and by the way,
by the Commanders losing again today, all Green Bay has
to do is beat Minnesota today and Detroit next week.
They finish five and eight and they are in the playoffs.
So you have a situation where in the NFL you

(08:05):
define the moment or the moment definds you. The day
of reckoning is starting for the Vikings and it's also
starting for the Packers. One Hall of famer earlier today
proved his metal going on twenty through for a million yards,
dropping dimes all day long. Tampa Bay is back in
the tournament. Well, here's another Hall of Fame quarterback. And

(08:25):
it may not rest on his back and on his
shoulder and arms, but football is played in three phases.
And now that it is December and it's winner and
this is where Green Bay lives. Yes, they're getting some help,
but they're taking advantage of it. He's Bernie Fratt. Oh,
I'm Dan Buyer. This is Fox Sports Red Zone Radio,
our first edition of a Fox Football Sunday. There are

(08:48):
three other games going on. We are not ignoring those games.
Seahawks with the lead on the Jets. Jets though just
past midfield. It's seventeen six in that game, Jets. Right
now with the first intent from the Yawks forty four.
The Niners lead the Raiders, and Bertie is gonna have
more about what happened in Las Vegas this week, how
everything went down with Derek Carr and how things could

(09:08):
move forward for the Silver and Black. But right now,
Jared Stidhamston a touchdown past to Darren Waller. It's a
fourteen ten game and the Raiders are just a Ford
just forced the forty Niners to put out of the
back of their own end zone. So the Raiders are
gonna take over in forty nine or territory at the
San Francisco forty four yard line with about two and
a half minutes left to go on the first half.
Battle of l A going on right now. Seven three

(09:31):
Chargers lead the Rams midway through the second quarters. Short
week for the Chargers, seemed to be getting maybe their
bearing straight. But right now, with that early lead, and
we mentioned the Seahawks and Jets in that seventeen to
six ball game, and with the Jets of the football
injured Seahawks Jordan Brooks on the sidelines, Seahawk defense, it's
a it's a it's a bend but don't break uh

(09:54):
sort of defense at times. But they can give up yards,
they can give up points. And now you lose one
of the best tacklers in the NFL to a knee injury.
Could be good news for the Jets, but they're down eleven.
And just as I say that, Bernie Austin Ekelers just
ripped off a run for the Chargers seventy two yard
touchdown run. So the Chargers extending their lead against the Rams.

(10:15):
We have a really good window here, it really is,
and you know, what it did burn you know what,
you know what happened? That is a super big flashback
is the Packers Vikings is on CBS and what have
been thirty years since, like you know, the top NFC
game of the week is on CBS, way before the
TV packages. This is this would have been a summer

(10:36):
All Madden sort of game on CBS. Yes, when they
and and and by the way, in the eighties, the
Packers and Vikings weren't playing any Marquee games usually because
Green Bay was four and twelve during that time. But
it's his CBS game, so you have Nance and Romo.
They're taking it all in. So it's kind of a
a blast from the past if you want to go
to the way back TV Networks and nod to the

(10:58):
great Scott Hunter. By the way, interesting irony today, Dan,
even though there are so many playoff implications, only one
of the games in the entire slate will be played
between two teams with winning record records. And you gotta
wait till Monday night Buffalo and Cincinnati one quick non
sequitur while around the you can't make it, you know,
make this stuff up. The Dolphins lost today, right and

(11:21):
uh and the and the Jets are are losing. What
does that mean? The Raiders are still not eliminated if
they win their final two games. The Dolphins lose their
final two games. The Jets lose to the Seahawks, but
then beat the Dolphins in Week eight Team. The Patriots
beat the Dolphins, which they did, but lose to the Bills.
The Steelers lose just one more game, and the Tennessee

(11:41):
Titans lose to the Jags in Week eight Team And
if you followed all that, you're better than me. The
Raiders are in the playoffs. He's Bernie Fretta. Get him
on Twitter at Bernie Fretto. You can find me on
Twitter at Dan Buyer. On Fox, we'll have a look
at your fantasy numbers. Four weeks seventeen. I know titled
games everywhere, uh in the world of fantasy football. So
Bo Benson, our executive producer, will have some of your

(12:03):
hits early on. Plus, we'll take a look at what
went down in Las Vegas this past week. Again, keeping
your locked on what's happening in least in this window
right here. A four games with a lot to play
for for a lot of these teams. It's all coming
up here on Fox fred Zone Radio. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com

(12:25):
and within the I Heart Radio app search f s
R to listen live. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join
me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fired with
Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,

(12:46):
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Oh,
this is Fox Red Zone Radio and we've got the

(13:10):
place that you may have missed. Hand off to Heckler. Heckler,
it's the whole and he's through to the forty to
the fifty to the forty. It's a foot race thirty
Ted Austin Necklo Touchsto Shugers seventy two yards a new
career long Now back live to the studios of Fox

(13:36):
Sports Radio. This is Fox Red Zone Radio, A very
happy New Year to you in yours. He's Bernie Fratto,

(13:56):
I'm Dan Buyer, It's Fox Sports Radio. And then highlight
their courtesy Matt money Smith on the call on k
Y S are all ninety eight point seven of the
Chargers radio network. Four games going on in this late window.
Getta look at your fantasy numbers. Plus after Monter Milanos

(14:16):
gives us the latest of what's going on, Bernie Fratto
is gonna fill us in on what's going on with
the Raiders. And I can tell you what's going on
with the Raiders at this exact second is that Davante
Adams has just kind of touchdown past from Jared Stidham,
which is seconds remaining in the first half. So the
Raiders have retaken the lead on the Niners. Extra point
coming up, but it's sixteen fourteen silver and black. Maybe this,

(14:39):
maybe this is rejuvenated this Raiders team, Bernie, this whole controversy, Uh,
They're gonna look and see if Davanta Adams had both
of his feet in. But this this Raiders team comes
out with a spirited effort and we touched on the top.
Niners have a lot to play for Raiders. Uh, really don't.
But you did lay out the scenario where things could
fall their way and they could get had. But a

(15:00):
great effort so far by the Raiders in the first half,
and they I guess post Derek car Era and I
think you have to if we're being honest, you have
to expect that in the National Football League. I I
had a good pleasure of covering the old sixteen Detroit Lions,
and Rod Marinelli said, one thing that is always stuck out.
A percent of what you do is observed a hundred
percent of the time by somebody, and it's going to

(15:20):
be on film. So a lot of these guys are
playing for jobs. A lot of these Raiders, you know,
they're they're being evaluated. Will they be with the team
next year, might they be with someone else next year?
Or might they be working at an Apple Auto Parts?
And that's good Christian good value is good work. I'm
not putting that down. What I am saying as though
I expected the Raider to get an effort today. They
were ten point underdogs. They knew it. It's an US

(15:42):
against the world mentality, and you know, you know, you
know as well as anybody. Dan on any given Sunday
in the National Football League, learned to expect the unexpected
and that extra point was good. So the Raiders are
up three. The Rams have just gotten into the end zone.
Malcolm Brown a touchdown run. Extra point was good. Brown
running in from twenty three. It's out. It's fourteen to ten,
Chargers over the Rams. In the Battle four l A

(16:04):
Seahawks right now up on the Jets seventeen to six,
facing a fourth and nineteen with a minute to go,
and it looks like the Seahawks are just gonna have
to punt it uh trying to pin the Jets deep
after Gino Smith took a sack took him out of
field goal range. So the Jets, who have two time outs,
will get the football back. But down eleven and asked

(16:26):
for what's happening and what I think is the game
of of the day. In the game of the week,
green Bay just settled for a twenty six yard field
goal by Mason Crosby, seventeen to three, green Bay on
top of Minnesota. In that contest, green Bay had it
first in goal but unable to cash in. So you
get the short points from Crosby to extend that lead

(16:46):
to fourteen. What was the Raiders playoff scenario? Again, Burnie, So,
because this is what was funny is I went and
I looked at the looked at the standings in the
a f C. In the Cleveland Browns, who went today
against the Commanders are actually a heave of the Raiders,
yet eliminated from the playoffs. The Raiders not yet eliminated,
even with the worse record. It's because they haven't played

(17:08):
or completed their game. But when you look on the standings,
it's weird because it doesn't have anything to do with
the division. Divisions are wrapped up. It has everything to
do with the wild card. But still the Raiders are alive.
What is the scenario for the Raiders to stay alive?
You mentioned it earlier. Run it down again. So the
Raiders will need to win their final two games the
forty Niners today at home, of course, and in the

(17:29):
Chiefs January eighth, at home. They need the Dolphins to
lose their final two games they lost today. They need
the Jets to lose to the Seahawks today but then
turn around and beat the Dolphins in Week eighteen. They
need the Patriots to beat the Dolphins. Which they did today,
but loose to the Bills in week eighteen. They need
the Stealers to lose one of their final two games.

(17:50):
And then finally and what will be the battle for
the a FC South crown next week, they need to
titen the Raiders, need the Titans to lose to the Jaguars.
That's all that all they need. They also need the
Washington Generals to top the Globetrotter. And I'm telling you
he's gonna have his charges ready. This is this is
this is the crazy thing. Is you mentioned you know,

(18:13):
four or five of those scenarios, there are only one
or two that I thought it doesn't look too good,
And one of them was the Raiders beating the Chiefs.
But in a lot of those scenarios, like there's in
the Chiefs, you know very well, we'll have something to
play for coming up next week and you're gonna have
that game going on at the same time as as

(18:34):
a lot of these other games. But when you run
down some of those scenarios that are at stake, some
of them aren't aren't far fetched at all, you know,
and getting and getting the help that they had, I mean,
Patriots losing to the Bills and the Bills having something
to play for. I don't think that's shocking at all that,
you know, something like that could happen. That's just one
of the steps, the tough one. The other tough one,

(18:55):
aside from the Raiders beating the Chiefs, may actually be
the Titans beating the Jaguars because Jacksonville had nothing to
play for today, absolutely nothing, And Doug Peterson had talked
throughout the week he didn't, you know, believe in resting,
and people pointed to what he did with Nate Sudfeld
in Philadelphia. The point is this, they had nothing to
play for today. They had everything to play for this week,

(19:17):
and they played the Texans team who they wanted to
revenge John from what happened earlier this this season, but
also a Texans team that actually had been playing somewhat
okay football as of late, giving the Chiefs a run
for their money, saying with the Cowboys and the Jaguars
put it on them. And so now you have Josh
Dobbs coming to town, likely to Jacksonville on Sunday and
all the schedule is not ben set, but the fact

(19:40):
is is you're gonna have a a likely it's winner
take all match up in that game. But for the Raiders,
they would need the Titans to win. I think that
would be I don't know. I still like the titans
chances against Jacksonville, So you are exactly correct. It's gonna
come down to Week eighteen in Jacksonville. Whoever wins that
game when the NFC South he win, though the two
teams would split if Tennessee wins, Tennessee has the tiebreaker

(20:03):
because they have a better record within their division. One
interesting side note, Dan, if there's a tie in that game,
the Jaguars would advance. Having said all that, here's what's
interesting the Chiefs one today. Of course, it wasn't easy,
but it's the National Football League. The Bills have a
tough matchup with Cincinnati Monday night. Currently, the Bills will

(20:25):
get the only loan by in this new playoff format.
They're already champions of the a FC East, but they
love to have home field throughout of course, and they
would love to have that by. Should the Bills lose
to the UH Bengals Monday Night, it very much opens
the door for the Chiefs to take that situation where
they might have the buy in in in the playoffs.

(20:48):
They are down and they had to have tiebreaker, but
that's gonna force Buffalo to win a tough game against
New England the following week. And if the Chiefs beat
the Raiders, you see what can happen here. So depending
on what happens Monday night, Chiefs could be highly motivated
to come in and thump the Readers in Week eight teams. So,
so many things to unpack. And we haven't even hardly
talked about the Jets because they would clinch your playoff

(21:09):
birth if they win their final two games, or they
need to pay a priens to lose one of their
last two games. It just never ends, Dan, it doesn't.
It doesn't. But one of the reasons we can not
talk about the Jets right now is because they are
Donald eleven and you know, the Seahawks are up nearing halftime,
just twenty four seconds left to go, and if the
Jets lose this game four seconds left to go in

(21:30):
the half. Jets lose this game, they are eliminated from
postseason competition and playoff consideration. Let's get a look at
the fantasy numbers, Bernie our executive producer Bo Benson. It
is Championship Week title game. I know a lot of
a lot of a lot of big names came and
stepped up to the plate. Bo Benson's got the latest
for us fantasy heads and missus Alright, Boe who hits?

(21:54):
Does winning the Constellation Brancket count as a championship It
would be a yes, that's that's where I'm gonna hang
that banner. Yeah, next year that that banner is going up.
Quarterbacks Tom Brady today he had a four two yards
passing and three touchdowns. And Daniel Jones of the Giants,
big big day from him on both sides, a hundred

(22:14):
seventy seven yards passing, two touchdowns, added ninety yards rushing
and two touchdowns from him as well. Wide receivers Mike
Evans of the Bucks ten receptions for two hundred and
seven yards and three touchdowns. I got fifty one points
from him today and maya started so that Constellation bracket
his mind once again. Marie Cooper of the Browns three receptions,

(22:36):
a hundred five yards and two touchdowns. Running back wise,
DeAndre seu Weft of the Lions seventy yards rushing with
a touchdown and a receiving touchdown and I don't think
this has ever happened before, but we have Austin Ekeler
already in his game with ninety eight yards and two
touchdowns on the ground just in progress first half. Yeah,

(22:56):
just just an insane day from him already, and I'm
I'm sure it's going to get even better with him
out there. So yeah, those are your early and then
mid uh Mad fantasy hits. Get him on Twitter at
though not Jackson, it's the the new Twitter handle. That's
where you can find Bo Benson giving us those latest numbers. Honestly,

(23:17):
in looking at the matchups this week, I have to
give a big tip of the cap to one Mike Harmon,
who on our Fantasy football podcast, I want your Flex
recommended a Daniel Jones start and you're saying, you're saying, well,
they're playing the Colts, of course, but but Bernie, that
game was game was you know, on a hand for
you know that I don't say for much of it,

(23:37):
but for the second half it was pretty much over
yet Dan and Jones still did it with his legs,
and Mike even said on the podcast, Daniel Jones and
his running ability makes him a play this week. In
week seventeen. So if you had the guts to play
Daniel Jones and your Fantasy league in your title game,
you reap the benefits today. And it's a good call
by Mike in And I give Brian Dable top credit

(24:01):
because he has really had an incredible effect on Daniel Jones,
the same we had on Josh Allen, particularly on game
day decision making and playing the position with your eyes,
and the numbers bear it out. And top credit to
the Giants who clinch you a playoff birth today. Daniel
Jones some nice numbers through a couple of touchdown passes
at a rating of We do have a quick update

(24:24):
in the Minnesota Vikings game. Dan Vikings one for six
already in the first half on third down conversions, and
on this third down conversion they have a false start,
but they get bailed out on a roughing the pastor
so go Vikings. It's hey ed he means necessary. What
it ended up being was, uh, the unnecessary roughness is
actually on quay Walker, the rookie at a out of

(24:46):
Georgia who picked up kJ Osborne and then slammed them
to the ground. So there's that keeps the drive alive.
But again, it's nothing that the Minnesota Vikings did, because
it was the first catch by kJ osb worn and
in fact first catched by a wide receiver. Yes, that
includes Justin Jefferson so far in this game from Minnesota.
And there's six minutes until halftime. If that doesn't tell

(25:08):
you what type of game it's been from Minnesota. And
just as I'm saying, that pass from Kirk Cousins tipped
at the line of scrimmage and then picked off by
Green Bay. So it this, this is this is so Minnesota.
It is so Minnesota. I kid you not, you're looking
for Justin Jefferson. He actually ends up slipping, but it

(25:30):
didn't matter because the ball ended up being tipped. And
now frustration is starting to send in chi here, Alexander.
The Packers broke up a pass Bernie that was intended
for Justin Jefferson in the first quarter on a second
and ten broke it up and did the gritty in
front of him, and I just thought it was I
thought it was like a little premature, considering there's a

(25:51):
lot of football left to play. It was only a
second down play, wasn't It wasn't anything but just one
pass breakup can tell you on how much the Packard
defenders have been looking forward to this. He couldn't wait
to uh throw that in Justin Jefferson's face, and while
the Vikings continued to struggle like a drunk a crossing
an icy street. Give a little bit of credit to

(26:12):
Green Bay again December heading into today, Matt Lafleur fifteen
and oh in December games heading into today, the Packers
their defense has become a turnover causey machine. For a
check that eleven turnovers now in the last four games. Crazy,
absolutely crazy. The Seahawks and Jets going at halftime and

(26:34):
Jets didn't get anything going, so it's gonna be the
Seahawks up seventeen to six. Mike White sacked on an
hell Mary attempt. Bault was jard loose. Seahawks recover, but
Tom ran out and Justin Herbert was just sacked, which
would be a significant loss of yardage. The Chargers had
it second and two at the twenty four yard line
of the Rams, but Jalen Ramsey came in on a

(26:55):
blitz jarred the ball loose from Herbert's possession as he
was trying to throw it. Herbert ended up recovering the
ball at the forty eight yard line, So this should
be a twenty plus yard loss of yardage and the
Charges would have a third down with just fifty seconds
stuff to go in the half only up four on
the rams for more on these late games, the scores,
and what happened earlier, Bernie. As we're live from the

(27:17):
entirect dot com studios, let's get over to the news desk.
A big happy new Year to Monsey Bolanos. Happy what
is going? Yeah, it's happy new year? How are you doing?
How Mony? I have it on good authority that Mike
Evans took he took your advice to stop eating meat.
Look what happened today, right, Oh, you have no idea

(27:38):
how much smack. I was talking before ten am because
I'm playing for the title game, not the consolation title game,
but I'm playing in my championship Fantasy League, and I
was like, oh, Mike Evans, I can't bench him. I
have no other person to sub him with and he's
done nothing all season. I was telling Steve Harvin, and
then he went on. He absolutely went off, Yeah, I

(27:59):
have Standard, not PPR. So he gave me forty points
in standard, which is all I need because I also
have Kirk cousins, and let me tell you he's done nothing.
So yeah, whoever had Kirk? Yes, exactly. Yeah. But you
know what, he likes to do this in the first half.
He likes to do he likes to make me uncomfortable
until later in the game. So that's what I'm hoping for.

(28:21):
Because he's only completed six of sixteen passes for fifty
two yards and two interceptions. No one, No, But the
Packers are beating the Vikings seventeenth to three, less than
six minutes to go in the first half. The Chargers
still up on the rams. Really, Austin Ekeler, I mean,
what can't this man do? Five carries, a hundred yards too, touchdowns,
Chargers up on the Rams fourteen to ten, one minute

(28:42):
to go in the first half. Seahawks beating the Jets
at halftime seventeen to six, and the Raiders have a
slight lead on the forty niners at halftime as well,
seventeen fourteen. Jared'stid him? How about eleven or fourteen for
a hundred and forty five yards and two touchdowns. By
the way, Bernie, I think performing open heart surgery is easy.
You're than what you had to describe for the Raiders
to get to the playoffs. That you can very well

(29:04):
be true. You lost me. I was like, I'm sorry,
what who? No, I couldn't believe you explained that so well.
But I thought open heart surgery was a little bit
easier than what they do that every day, very successful.
So you can there's a part when you have all
those scenarios that you're like, we still have a chance,
and I'm sure you know we're gonna see the the
dumb and dumber, But when it gets to six or seven, like,

(29:30):
that's when it's a little warned out. But I mean,
that's that's that's the problem, by the way, So you're
telling me there's a chance, exactly, there's just two scenarios
that could get your really locked in. But they have
to wait for that many or to hope for that many.
A lot of things have to happen, A lot of
things have to happen. Nine games in the books for today,

(29:52):
like the Giants who cruise path the Colton for the
first time since are headed to the playoffs. You heard
bow Benson. Really the empathy of that game was d
Neil Jones in the air and on the ground. The
Browns came let in the second half to beat the
Commanders twenty four to ten, while the Saint held on
to beat the Eagles twenty to ten. The Lions dominated
the Bears forty one to ten. Jared got another m

(30:13):
v P week twenty one five yards and three touchdowns.
The jag Wars blew the Texans out of the water.
Thirty one to three was the final score the Buccaneers
and the Panthers. This really went down to the wire,
but the Buccaneers held on and defeated the Panthers thirty
to twenty four. They have won the NFC South, the
nineteenth division title for the Buccaneers, most in NFL history,

(30:35):
and the Patriots with the win over the Dolphins twenty
three to twenty one. Patriots safety Kyle Dugger recorded his
third defensive touchdown of this season, and the Chiefs outscored
the Broncos twenty seven to twenty four. But Hey, Russell
Wilson came to life two rushing touchdowns in this game,
and then the Falcons edged the Cardinals. Nobody cares, but
they did twenty to nineteen. Back to you guys, thank

(30:56):
you very much on Twitter at a monster it is
a Fox Sports red Zone radio Sunday in Green Bay
is now taken up shop in Minnesota territory. So Packers
driving three and a half minutes to go up seventeen
to thirteen first in twenty A ten yard holding penalty

(31:17):
is gonna push them back, but they've got it first
in twenty at the Vikings thirty yard line. And I'm
just gonna harp on it, like I just I don't
think that Green Bay is is a great football team.
And things go and things go their way, they really do, Bernie.
And here's the situation where the Minnesota Vikings not only

(31:39):
is it just one thing. I don't know if that's worse,
you know, to to play a great game and maybe
have one thing in the end not go well for you,
or to just have absolutely nothing go right for you.
But that's where we are. I mean, Aaron Rodgers is
five of ten for thirty seven yards right now, just
flashed up the graphic on the screen, five of ten,
thirty seven yards. His team is up fourteen nearing the

(32:02):
end of the first half in their in Vikings territory,
with an opportunity to maybe go up three scores, which
actually they just did so like that. That is that
is where I just I cannot emphasize enough on on
how frustrating life must be for a Vikings fan because
this just ends up happening. I mean, like the Colts

(32:24):
game here, you know, ha ha ha, and you win
again and the magic but to go heck, green Bay
was what three and a half point favorite in this game. Rogers, Yeah,
Rogers hits you know, Robert Tony in twenty one yard
touchdown pass and catch. I mean, it's in. It's We're
not even gonna be close to to that is it's
is it's all green Bay right now and they haven't
even played that well. And that's that's like the That's

(32:46):
the other doubly frustrating thing I think for a Minnesota
fan is it's not like green Bay is doing anything special.
These are just a lot of self inflicted wounds done
here by the Vikings. Well, this is not an offensive
master p eased by any team. The Vikings have a
whopping ninety two yards. You mentioned Aaron Roger stats, Aaron
Jones is averaging ten yards to carry. But again, fact

(33:08):
to our earlier point, this is what shows up when
you have the thirty first ranked rushing defense and the
thirty second ranked defense overall. You put a hothouse team
out in the cold eight elements where Aaron Rodgers lives
against the division in December, the Vikings are gonna have
their day of reckoning. It's not today, It's going to
be when the playoffs starts, when they are at home

(33:30):
and they've got a lesser seed, and you know, that's
when you're really going to feel the pressure. That's when
you're really gonna you know, if the season ended today
now before and today they would have faced the number
seven Commanders, they might face a game team like the Lions.
So much of this has to play out, you know what.
I'm really looking forward to though then, because of course
of all my years in Detroit. Next Sunday, it appears

(33:51):
that this is going to be the factul playoff game
between the Lions and Packers at lambeau Field, and I
think it could be one for the ages, because I
really do think the Lion and certainly offensively or for real, Yes,
the show today against the Bears, and it's I wondered
why the Titans Jaguars games since we knew Bernie was
going to be for you know, all the marbles of

(34:12):
the a f C South, and I just want to why,
why is in the NFL just announced that's the Sunday
night game. All the parties can plan, everybody can adjust,
but I think that's the last possible matchup that they
wanted on on Sunday night. And if you can have
a Green Bay Lions game, and I know that the

(34:33):
Lions aren't Marquis, but they are a heck of a
lot more popular than they were a year ago, and
I think you'd have Packer fans against everybody else who's
cheering for the Lions, and I think that would make
for compelling TV under the lights at night at Green Bay.
May give the Packers another advantage, but we shall see
if it ends up. If that ends up being the case,
get Bernie on Twitter at Bernie Fretto. You can find

(34:54):
me on Twitter at Dan Buyer on Fox. Okay, if
tease did enough, we've had certain things happening. Bernie will
give us the latest of what's happening with Derek Carr
in his future, as it's not likely in Las Vegas,
and how we got to this point. We're lying from
the Direct dot Com studios. That's next year on Fox
Sports Red Zone Radio. This is Fox Red Zone Radio,

(35:16):
and we've got the plays that you may have missed.
Roger's fine time looking love and the Enzo touchsdown, touchsdown,
Robert tun in right side of the end zone. It's
twenty three to three. They be just tell us now

(35:36):
back live to the studios of Fox Sports Radio. This
is Fox Red Zone Radio, Fox Sports Red Zone Radio.
He's Bernie Fratto. I'm Dan Buyer. We have got a
situation developing in Las Vegas. Bernie Fratto's gonna tell us
why the Raiders moved on from Derek Carr and how

(35:58):
it all happened, just as Jerry at Stidham bought himself
sometime and through a sixty r touchdown pass to a
wide open Davante Adams, the Raiders are about to take
a ten point lead on the forty Niners. Again. San
Francisco has something to play for. The Eagles lost today,
the Vikings are losing right now. There are scenarios where

(36:18):
the Niners could actually move a top to the top
spot on the NFC Conference to the NFC if they
got help next week. But right now, Raiders extending their lead.
There's a penalty on the forty Niners declined, so the
Raiders are in the end zone. The second time that
Adams Insteadham have connected on a touchdown pass and catch
for Stidham is third of the game. Two hundred and
twelve yards and three touchdown passes. All right, Bernie, let's

(36:40):
get the latest on how this old Derek carthing went
down in Las Vegas this week. So let me give
this some context. August seven, our pages went off and
Barry Sanders retired suddenly. But it turned out not to
be so sudden, because if you peel back the onion, uh,
the nine months before then, he walked off the field
and soldier field and was muttering something. Bobby Ross sent

(37:03):
him four letters. They head coach Alliance at the time
called him eleven times. Barry Centers didn't respond to anything,
and he retired. This has a backstory as well. Let's
go back to January thirty one one, Josh McDaniels was hired.
It's coming out now that McDaniels was not sold on Car.
Nida was Mark Zigler and frankly Mark Davis Biozelda mission
was called lukewarm on Derek Carr be that as it may.

(37:23):
On April, car did get a three year on one
million dollar extension. However, it was the most team friendly
extension in the history of the world. It was only
guaranteed one year, twenty five million, and if Derek Carr
was on the roster February, he would be old forty million.
If he's not on the roster, well you know what
happens next. So this past week it came to a head.

(37:48):
They realized everything is regressed. Nothing's worked. The one year
tryout for Derek Carr to prove to Mark Davison proved
the Josh McDaniels that he would in fact be the
guy under center to get the Raiders of the Super
Bowl has come to an inglorious end. He'll need to
be cut, He'll be traded. I know there were five
teams already that have inquired about Derek Carr, the Commander, Saints,

(38:08):
Jeff's Falcons and Bucks. But I'm holding out Dan an opinion,
and it is an opinion. And I'm always bragging about
all the moles I have and the people and I do,
but in this case, this is just an opinion. I
think it's fifty fifty Derek Carr retires. He's made a
hundred and thirty five million dollars in his career. He's
had a career nine years, hundred forty two stars, sixty

(38:28):
three and seventy nine as a starter. And the bottom
line is this. He has said many times, I'll be
a Raider for life, or I'll be golfing. He's a
pillar in the community. He loves living here. And that's
sort of the cliff notes version of how this thing happened.
But it was actually more like nine ten months in
the making. He's just last week. I I can't understand

(38:49):
on why it happened. I just felt like Derek Carr
deserved more for what he did, uh, for that organization. Um,
even if it's Bernie. I know it's not the uh,
the most comfortable sort of thing, but you know, I
have the final game in front of the home fans.
Um to have that, you know, one final send off,
and that's that's what I expected more. And I felt

(39:11):
like the game on Sunday night, which was played in
below zero tempts against the Steelers, or it's on Christmas
Eve night, it was a week ago Saturday, but that
game against the Steels that you can't. I don't know
how much you can hold against him for that performance,
and I know it wasn't just that performance, so I
get all that. That's why though I felt that there
could have been just a little something more for Derek Carr.

(39:34):
But in the end, um didn't happen. So and to
your point, that's where this can be such a cold,
unforgiving calculating business. Derek Carr did stabilize the quarterback position
in the last nine years for the Raiders. He did
through for a lot of yards. Football's played in three
PHAs has never had great defenses. But you know how
how the game works, and you either winning you don't.

(39:55):
And I think Josh McDaniels made sort of a sort
of a you know, a decision based on his earlier hunch,
and so at the end of the day, you're right,
You're never gonna link the way it ends, and Derek
Carr will his legacy secure. I think Welcome to the
Fox Sports Radio Tailgate presented by the Big Green Egg.
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(40:15):
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dot com, Vikings ms Field Goal Packers take over up
twenty one with thirty six seconds left to go in
the first half. It's all Packers right now and it's
all next year on Fox Sports Radio forty Niners have
just answered a Raiders score. Will tell you how that happened,

(40:36):
But first we are broadcasting live from the tire rac
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answers that Dafante Adams touchdown with a touchdown of his
own A scamper from fourteen yards out extra point is good,

(40:59):
So it's a one game is The Niners have just
gotten back on the scoreboard. Five twenty two left to
go on the third quarter. As for what's happening in
l A and this is my own commentary after this,
Chargers driving in the red zone going to be facing
a third and three from about the eleven yard line,
so the Chargers have an opportunity to add more points. Actually,

(41:22):
make that about the six yard line. I think I
got my yard lines mixed up. Third and three for
the Chargers coming up as they are up seven on
the Rams. Here at Monty tell you the Seahawks are
up on the Jets by eleven. Kenneth Walkers over the
hundred yard mark, hundred and fifteen yards on the ground.
And then that Packers Vikings game, which I don't think
Vikings fans wanted to believe it. I didn't want to

(41:44):
believe it for Vikings fans, but it's happening, and it's
happening again, and the Vikings falling short against Green Bay
three is Mason Crosby kicked a fifty five yard or
at the end of the half to make it that
twenty four point game. Bernie, this is just more more
of the same. When you and I get together, the
Vikings for some reason, are a hot topic of conversation.

(42:06):
Today is no different. So before I get to a
quick head scratching stat in that game, I was able
to get a glimpse of the audio and Patrick Peterson's
halftime speech says, hey, guys, remember three weeks ago when
we needed five touchdowns to come back and win. Today
we only need four. So here's the head head scratching stat.

(42:28):
Easy for me to say, Justin Jefferson enters this game
hundred and three receptions, almost eighteen hundred yards on the year.
Credible year he's having today. Dan, add up his receptions,
add up his yards. You and I combined have the
same amount that he does. Goose egg, goose egg. Wow.
The great Green Bay defense UH has been opportunistic today.

(42:52):
UH to say the least, they've taken advantage, but it's
also been Kirk Cousins past tipped at the line of scrimmage,
off the mark maybe a second late, it's gotten. It's
gone from bad to worse for Minnesota and up there
of what happened in l A. Justin Herbert connects with
Gerald Everett six yard touchdown pass and catch extra point

(43:13):
is good. So the Chargers extending their lead twenty four
to ten on the Rams. And I've said this on
this program a bunch. I've said it on Fox Sports
Radio a bunch, Bernie. I believe that the Rams and
Chargers should be playing every single season. I think that
is especially especially in a city like l A and

(43:33):
I and I think it would work in New York
as well. I think that you could continue that rivalry
and I think it would work. But you need something,
You need something to to spice things up. You need
We've talked about the race for l A and maybe
they're all going to finish the second to the Raiders
um at least for the near future. But this is
a game that should be happening every single year. And

(43:55):
when the NFL expanded to seventeen regular season games, I
thought it would have been great for a natural rivalry
to be developed. Instead, they went with their own formula,
which I've got my own issues with. But just to
see a Chargers Rams game. I work weekly on the
Doug Gotli Show on Fox Sports Radio and John Ramos
is our technical producer and Jason Stewart's our executive producer.

(44:18):
Jason's a Chargers fan, John is a Rams fan. Perfect
synopsis right there. They went to the game today together
like this is this is the stuff that you can do.
And it's not just a but, but it would make
especially in the city of l A where we're located.
I know you're in Vegas, but when we're in l A.
I think you could only help garner interest if you
have this matchup every single year, but the NFL not

(44:41):
gonna have it. I'm in agreement. The NFL has their
own formula for scheduling, and I think it's time to,
you know, perhaps revisit that because you have to have
six games against divisional opponents. We know that, but then
it rotates from conference to conference, in division to division
every year. But it makes sense you have regional matchups

(45:02):
around the nation. You've got two teams playing the same stadium.
It makes perfect sense to have those two play every
year for lots of you know, lots of reasons. I
know there are gonna be some that will argue that
you've already got eight home games, that creates an extra
home game, whatever the case may be. But I am
in agreement with you, and kind of piggyback when you
said about half an hour ago, who would have known

(45:23):
you put this in your notes that the Jets and
Seahawks would be a de facto playoff game today? It
is that might have had great interest flex tonight versus
Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which could be a snoozer. You've got
a situation in major market New York as well. So
you're not wrong about how the NFL needs to revisit
their scheduling policies. Are they merely an inflexible anchor or

(45:44):
can we create a guideline and some flexibility to create
more fan interest regionally. Here's here's the other thing, and
I'm glad you brought up the Seahawks and Jets. The
reason that they're playing is because this is the seventeen game.
The the the NFC West played the a f C
West this year, but in the cross division sort of

(46:06):
way that they have done this seventeenth game. This is
the seventeen game. Do you think the New York Jets
wanted to fly across the country to the Pacific Northwest
and and and play this game and one of the
longer flights you take a team like like the Seahawks
and the Seahawks matchup would be their arrival would be
a different story. You'd have to figure out something to

(46:29):
work out their natural arrival would be because there is
in the same a shared team in the same city. However,
do you think that if it was vice versa, do
you think the Seahawks wanted to add another trip to
New York, you know, to to They're already tough travel
schedule from where they're located. It cuts down on travel
for four teams and at least at least gives them

(46:49):
a break if you have, if you have that matchup,
if the Jets had to play the Giants, that's one
less three thousand mile road trip the Jets would have
had to have taken. I'm sorry. It's better for the NFL,
it's better for the Jets, it's better for everybody involved.
It's just for for some reason in their way of
competitive balance, and I just don't I don't know how
you can have a competitive schedule, Bernie over an eighteen

(47:12):
weeks schedule when division games are way in a certain way, like,
it's not it's not fair. I I think it's or
it's not equal when a division game is played in
Week two as opposed to maybe one in Week seventeen,
when one team maybe doesn't have as much to play for,
injuries have have ravaged a certain team. The names of
the jerseys are are the same, but it's just it's

(47:34):
not the equal matchup. And I think that the NFL
needs to get that out of their heads, that You
can have much more intriguing matchups if you can just
you know, open your eyes a little and to take
it further. You're right, that just grew as they have
to fly across country in one of the longest trips
on side of a London trip. You turn right around.
If you're the New York Jets, you gotta play in

(47:55):
Miami next week, So back to back road games, a
ton of travel, neither one at home. Yeah, that's gonna
be a little tough when you're the Jets. You know,
heading into today, you can clinch your playoff birth, but
you gotta win your final two games. You need the
Patriots to lose one. That happened today, but no help
from the schedule makers, the Jets really have, you know,
tough task. He's Bernie Fratto. Get him on Twitter at

(48:17):
Bernie Fratto. You can find me on Twitter at Dan Buyer.
On Fox Football fans, be sure to tune into Fox
Sports radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by bet MGM on
Saturday morning, three hours before kickoff. That's right. Tune in
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And next week should be absolutely crazy considering they're gonna

(48:40):
be games that are meaningful, games that aren't meaningful, and
and whatnot. So you'll not want to miss that coming
up on Sunday. I do want to get your thoughts,
Bernie on what happened with the Eagles and Saints today.
And it's not really on the Saints sort of thing,
but I thought that the performance of Philadelphia put together
again it's the Cowboys at that time, I actually thought

(49:02):
it was more about the performance of Gardner Minshew and
what the Eagles were able to do without Jail and Hurts,
and even in a loss, they had that cushion at
the top. Black cushion has gotten a lot thinner it is.
It is not as soft as it was, especially after
a game today Eagles fall to the Saints where Gardner
Minshew and the Eagles could not get a drive going.

(49:23):
They were mocked when they got a first down late
in the first half by their fans on a cheer.
Saints absolutely dominated time of possession, they dominated the ground
game in New Orleans goes to Philadelphia, beats the Eagles
twenty to ten. Now, if the Eagles win next week
against the Giants, no harm, no foul, they're the number
one overall seed, they win the NFC East. All is good. However,

(49:44):
do you think all is good for the Philadelphia Eagles?
Is they've not lost their last two games? Well, if
you have designs on getting the loan by and having
home field advantage during the entire playoffs, you've opened the
door for teams chasing you, So that part is not good. Again.
Another scheduled situation, today's game sandwich between two divisional games,

(50:06):
the you know Eagles. But all of a sudden, now,
all of a sudden, now the dynamic has changed, right,
the Eagles already dealing with injury bug coming into their
matchup against the Saints. They take another huge blow. Josh Schweat.
He had eleven sacks so far this season, He's carried
off the field. So it's your point, Dan, when you
add it all up and put it in a blender. No,
it doesn't look anywhere near as daunting for the Eagles

(50:29):
this year. And I think when we talked a couple
of weeks ago, I ask you, is this one of
those years then where forget the usual suspects. You get
the Chiefs and the Bengals and the Bills and over
in the NFC. You know, maybe maybe the Eagles made
the cob wass. Here's the deal. Is it right for
one of these teams to come out of left field
like the Chargers like to stand Humphreys Chargers did back

(50:50):
in Is it possible? Are we looking with so much
parody that there you know, there are no great dominant
teams like the Steelers of the seventies, are the Niners
in the eighties and the Cowboys of the nineties or
the New England in this earlier decade. The point I'm
making is it seems like it's setting up for someone
to come out of left field. Yeah, especially in the NFC.

(51:11):
And again I am not I I am going to
stand on this mountain. I just even if Green Bay
gets in, I am not a believer. And I know
that there are people think that there could be. I
picked him to win the Super Bowl, Bernie, and I'm
still like, not a I am not a believer. I'm not.
I just I don't think that they have what it
takes a f C. I think it is a different story.

(51:32):
You mentioned this stand Humphrey led Chargers, like I think
the Justin Herbert led Chargers could get on a run.
But it's just the gauntlet of Buffalo, Kansas City, and
Cincinnati right now that are at the top. When you
look at what is going on right now, and I
think that if if you would have we you know,
we start this show, say it we normally every week

(51:52):
we started at five o'clock eastern top, But if we
would have started this show at four o'clock Eastern time,
I would have said, well, it's there for the Niners,
like this is this is the opportunity. And I know
people have been on the Niners train much much earlier
than I have, but I think it would set up,
especially with this matchup against the Raiders today. But now
you've got Jared staid, I'm picking apart this forty Niners defense.

(52:13):
You're kind of wondering, all right, what's what's going on?
This hasn't happened? Is this just a blip on the radar?
But it's there for San Francisco. But yeah, I just
you know, every time I go to the NFC, and
I know, maybe I'm not answering your question, I just
I question the teams that on top. But do I
see the Giants making a push? No? Do I see
the Packers making a push? No? Um there, I think

(52:35):
the Buccaneers and winning the division are gonna surprise. No,
I don't you know. And so like in the end,
I think it just comes down to Philadelphia and San
Francisco for me and who's gonna come out of the
NFC and maybe Dallas, but you know, Dall, even in
Dallas's wins, I haven't been so impressed. Maybe Dallas is
that team Bertie, But I just I don't see any
of the out of nowhere kind of like a Rams

(52:56):
team did last year. Um, you know, not the they
came out of nowhere, but they were what the four
They were the four seed and yeah yeah, and you
went on the road in Tampa and you end up
getting a home game in the NFC Championship. So I
just I don't see that. I'm still seeing. I'm still
seeing the top seeds hold serve And if Jalen Hurts

(53:18):
can come back from Philadelphia for Philadelphia, um, that's obviously
an enormous boost. And I just think that they would
be difficult to knock off. I know people wanted to
knock their schedule, but earlier in the season. But I
still think that they're better than than a vast majority
of the NFC. You might have beenadvertently answered you on question,
so full is closed. Let's go back to August. You know,
it's part of our man cars. We have to predict

(53:40):
who's gonna be in the super Bowl. It's it's it's
the law we have to write. We're men. I had
Kansas City in green Bay. Can't line now why green
Bay had seven first round draft choices on defense, and
I believed Aaron Rodgers would do enough and get that
receiving crew. I didn't believe the Vikings would do what
they're doing. I thought the lines were a year or
two away. If that right. We all know about the Bears,

(54:02):
so I believe the Packers would be in the playoffs.
Over in the a f C. The Chiefs. I think
the Bills when they play the Chiefs in the playoffs,
it's like Yogi Berra used to say, teams play the Yankees,
they can't beat this because they gets stuck staring at
the pen stripes. When it matters in the playoffs, I
think the Chiefs prevail and the Chiefs remember what Cincinnati
did last year, and boy, they're carrying it around like

(54:22):
a boulder on their shoulder. I think the Chiefs are
I really think they're in. Having said that, who's their
dance partner at this stage? Green Bay? I'm not predicting
it could come out of left field. Who's daunting, certainly
not Tampa Bay. But I think they can clip Dallas
in Week one, so they're done. Philadelphia's very much showing
their vulnerability. Green Bay lying there in the weeds with

(54:43):
Aaron Rodgers who knew. Am I predicting it? No? But
they could very well be that team that. It's not
the script he would have written. They have been dominant
this year, but if they get in the tournament, you
know how this thing goes. Dan, anything can happen. Uh.
He's Bertie Fratto. I'm Dan Bayer. We are alive from
the tirac dot Com studios. Get Bernie on Twitter at
Bernie Fretto. You can find me on Twitter at Dan Buyer.

(55:04):
On Fox, Packers up on the Vikings twenty seven, three
two minutes gone by in the second half. Seahawks lead
the Jets twenty to six, three fifty left to go
on the third quarter, in l A. Chargers up on
the Rams ten at six minutes to go on the
third quarter. Rock Purdy just picked off in Raiders territory,
so the Raiders will get the football back up three
on San Francisco one. All right, not only do we

(55:27):
have coaching news to dive into, there's quarterbacking news in
so much more. Our NFL in center Adam Kaplan joins
us next right here on Fox Sports Red Zone Radio.
It's a Fox Football Sunday. He's Bernie Fratto. I'm Dan Buyer.
Welcome in the Red Zone Radio. Get Bernie on Twitter
at Bernie Fratto. You can find me on Twitter at
Dan Buyer on Fox. A Happy New Year to you.
Get you updated on what is happening in these late games.

(55:51):
Seahawks up on the Jets twenty six, nearing the end
of the third quarter. The Chargers lead on the Rams.
That's late in the third Green Bay right now leading
Minnesota bias score of to three, and the Vikings were
driving until Kirk Cousins got strip sacked by Kenny Clark,
who recovered the fumble, and now Minnesota has turned it over.

(56:15):
It's been all Packers in the weirdest of ways. Today
green Bay dominating Minnesota, and then in the one that
nobody really saw coming, Raiders leading the forty nine just
under way in the fourth quarter. Joining us now as
he does every week at this time, and we wish
a very very happy new year to Adam Kaplan. Find

(56:37):
him on Twitter at Kaplan NFL. Here I'm on the
inside the Birds Podcast. Adam, how are you doing on
this first Day's great to be with you. Happy New Year. Yeah,
I'm fine. Look it's back here in Philly. There's panic
in the streets. The Philly Eagle fans wanted to fench
coordinator fire. They want the head coach to take away
his head coaching badgets uh, when you lose to the

(56:59):
team like the same as who don't do normally score
very many points and don't do a lot of things, Well,
it's not going to go over. Well, Eagles could have
had the number one seed today, have they won? They
did not. Now they have to actually play for something
next week. Yeah, let's let's let's get into that. Is
it is it a quarterback problem because you don't have
Jalen Hurts or is it a defense problem? Who you
know gave up forty a week ago? And now couldn't

(57:21):
get off the field today against the Saints. What is
what is the main problem right now with those I
think the Eagles kind of know that they're way better
with Jalen Hurts, who's certainly still in the running for
m v P. But this is a game where when
they try to run it, they didn't really run it
very well. They got behind very early, defense had a
very bad first quarter, then really completely shut down the

(57:43):
Saints in the second half. Of fact, the Saints did
not score a point an offense in the second half.
They do get to pick six thrown by Guarden Minshew,
but they gotta get Hurts back. My understanding is he's
doing pretty well. I I would, quite frankly at this point,
I'd be surprised if he doesn't play next week. He
was close this week. He should be able to get clear. Now,
if he's not cleared by Wednesday to take all the reps,

(58:03):
I would be very concerned about his ability to play
on Sunday against the Giants. And by the way, they
we don't know what time that game is going to be.
The game. The game means nothing to the Giants because
they're locked in. But right now, uh they have to.
The NFL needs to see what happens in these late window. Yeah. Yeah,
And that's what I wondered as well, like if if
depending on what happens with this forty Niners game, depending

(58:23):
on what happens obviously we think we know what's going
to happen with with Minnesota. UM. I wondered that aspect
of what's going on with with the Giants, Um, let's
just transition there. They clinch a playoff spot. That story
in itself is something to talk about. But also like,
do you do the Giants Patriots thing? You know that
that we saw fifteen years ago and then the Patriots

(58:45):
were unbeaten? You know, do what Doug Peterson did today
with this team having to, you know, play for something.
Talk about the job that Brian Dable is done, and
what do you think they should do next week? A
couple of things. So I actually taught Giant fans before
the season starter you they're over on the seven and
a half of the guys that they got a real
shot to beat, that this team will overchieve because this
is one of the best coaching staffs that I've seen

(59:06):
this year, particularly the new head coaches. We attend to
head coaching changes. They've just done a phenomenal job of
overachieving one of the worst receiver cords in the NFL.
They manufactured points, They're able to run the ball well,
they played good defense, they don't really turn the ball over.
Daniel Jones is a guy that I think has earned
the trust of the coaches talking to them, talking to
the club. They really like Daniel. They start to see

(59:27):
him developed. Finally, the Giants, I think it would be
excited to see him in the second year in this offense,
and they're gonna they'll address the receiver cord. They'll probably
two or three new Rod receivers there, but just a
couple of issues on defense though. They If you're a
Giants fan, listen to us right now, you've gotta be
pretty happy with what the staff has done. Adam Caplan
joining us here on Fox Sports Radio. Get him on

(59:48):
Twitter at the Kaplan NFL. The Niners did turn the
Raiders over a deflected pass that was then picked off
by the Fort Honors, So they're in Las Vegas territory
trying to retake the lead in that game in Las Vegas.
So we're keeping our eye and the Eagles keeping their
eye on that game as well, because if the scores
hold in essence of what we're talking about, then next

(01:00:10):
week maybe it wouldn't be as important, but you still
have a division to win because the Cowboys are are
alive and well, you'd still have to win that game
against the Giants. Let's jump over to to what's going
on right now in the a f C, specifically Wild Card.
Picture wise, there's just a lot of Okay, the Dolphins
seem to be falling off. The Patriots get the win today,

(01:00:32):
but it's not necessarily impressive. I want I want to
start with that game. Isn't a positive with what we
got from Mac Jones? Is this complete failure from Miami?
What do you see from those two a f C
East folks, Patriot source. Look, it's been it's been a
real rough go for Matt Jones with the snow coaching staff.
When I say new staff for a vamped offensive staff,
no Josh McDaniels anymore, who developed a great relationship with

(01:00:53):
Matt Jones. It's just been a complete turnover. It just
hasn't really worked. Bill Belichick's gonna have to make a
decision for the season what he wants to do and
how they're gonna coach Matt Jones. But look, they found
a way to win. As you said, it was not pretty. Unfortunately, Uh,
Teddy Bircher would have heard his finger. It doesn't sound
good for what I understand. But here's the great thing
about Matt Jones. He did not turn the ball over today.

(01:01:14):
They were able to move the football a little bit. Uh,
the lack of explosive plays they've got. They're kind of
beat up at wide receiver. They didn't really run the
ball as well as they would have liked. But you
know what, they found a way to win. And somehow
I cannot believe that right now at the season's end
of today, which is not but if it did, they'd
be in Yeah, you're right, Dan, you had the response,
they're not very good. Yeah, yeah, they're not. Bucketeers win

(01:01:35):
the division. They win the NFC South um and which
which is so crazy because it was crazy to think
that that division was up for grabs with everybody seemingly
still up for grabs, and now you go in to
week eighteen and it's already been decided. Um, do we
take something from Brady's performance today? He and Mike Evans
absolutely on the same page four hundred plus yards, you know,
three touchdowns. Evans had over two hundred yards receiving. Like,

(01:01:58):
is this is this that turnaround game? Is there more
to be concerned about? What the Buccaneers. No, Well, here's
what happened. The Panthers were without both their starting corners,
so they the Bucks knew they'd have to come out throwing,
and they did. They were very successful. Brady did get
pressured a little bit, but he hung in there and
they attacked that secondary. This is what good coaching is.
Bible Left which got it. He knew he had to
go after those corners, that the guys who were replacing

(01:02:19):
the two starters, and he did. They were able to
do that, and they were able to win. They do
what they always do. They can't run the ball at all.
They had to throw the football. Now give me also credit.
Look they got down. Sam Donald got really hot. He
actually played really well. He and d J. Moore hooked
up and in the end of the problem was they
could not stop Brady. Now, so you talk about going forward,
can they do any of the playoffs? No, they've got problems.

(01:02:42):
That Bucks are beat up of the secondary. The offensive
line's got issues. This is a different Tom Brady. Let's
call like it is. He has not had a good season.
They haven't protected them well. But you know you're talking
about the best of all time. Maybe they win a game,
but in the end, I just don't see her run
in this football team. Does Steve Wilkes stick around in Carolina?
I could tell you talking to a couple of people.
First of all, the players love Steve Wilkes, very highly

(01:03:04):
respected guy. What can you do today? Their defense didn't
show up like they needed to. But you're you're down.
Dante Jackson tours Achilles weeks ago. It was one of
the starting corners and J. C. Horn had the risk surgery,
so that you're you're not going to be able to
put out high level corner So it's not Steve Wilkes's problem.
He will definitely get an interview to be the permanent
head coach. They're gonna look at other guys, but I

(01:03:26):
could tell you the players absolutely adore him and they'll
just have to go from there. He's Adam cap on
our Fox Sports Radio NFL Insider joining us here on
Fox Sports Radio. That turned to Carson winston't work out
for the Commanders, today. How does that all all fall out?
I mean there they are eliminated. It seemed to be
news to Ron Rivera a little bit um with ownership

(01:03:47):
in question there with the commanders, what do you see
with that organization now that they're they're you know, outside
on the outside looking in. I think it remains to
be seen. This is what when they're when a team
is up for sale, like you you've seen it with Denver.
Everything that the new ownership came in with that they
inherited Russell Wilson's contract. The front office, they had nothing

(01:04:09):
to do with it, and everything is as is. Ron Rivera,
don't forget the the head coach's personnel control. So if
you removed him, you would have to read we're gonna
see their front office to a certain degree. So I
would say it's something the air that look at like
three weeks ago, look like things were going to go well.
They would definitely be in the playoffs. But they've collapsed here.
Taylor Henneck didn't work. We knew it was a backup

(01:04:30):
all the way. It's a good backup quarterback. He's not
a starter. Quincas rears come to a crashing hole, so
they don't have a quarterback. This is the story of
this league, folks, more than ever in my cover this business.
When you don't have a quarterback, you cannot win. That's
just the way it is. I'm gonna wrap it up
with this Denver valiant effort. But they lose to the
Chiefs today, obviously the first game since Nathaniel Hackett's dismissal.

(01:04:52):
We hear big game hunting for the Broncos, trying to
get a big name. Reports on that is Sean Payton
that big name? Or what are you hearing about the
Bronco's next head. I would be shocked if if Payton
took the job simply simply because Russell Wilson right now
is a lost cause. He's just not the same player
he once wasn't, not even close to it. He did
some good things today. Ironically, the two games he actually

(01:05:13):
played well were against the Chiefs. Now he played much better.
In the other game where they were down twenty seven nothing,
he brought the team back. They almost put off the upset.
But to me, talking to people are close to Payton,
he's gonna want to go somewhere where he knows you
could win. The right quarterback is a guy that they
they're married to because of his contract. That guy, I
I'd just be shocked if that happened. He's Adam capitlit
our Fox Sports Radio NFL in Cider. Catch him on

(01:05:35):
the Inside the Birds podcast as well, and find him
on Twitter at Capolin NFL. Happy New Year, we'll talk
to you week a team. Thanks Adam, thank you. He's
Bernie Freddo. I'm Dan Buyer. It's Fox Sports Red Zone Radio.
Let's gonna look at what's happening in the four games
going on right now. Monty Belanos is at the news desk.
We've got one blowout, We've got one game that could
be a blowout in a little bit, another game that's

(01:05:56):
teetering on maybe being completely one sided, and then we
have a barn burner in Las Vegas. Well, the forty
Niners were trying to take the lead against the Raiders
in Vegas. Brock Party cannot connect with George Kittle in
the end zone. They had to settle with the field goals,
so they tied the game tied at twenty four, very
early in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas currently has the
ball in their own territory. The Seahawks have been all

(01:06:18):
over the Jets. Not a lot of scoring in the
second half, but they're up twenty six also early in
the fourth quarter, and Kirk Cousins, I'm gonna have a
heart attack, like I really just I'm gonna pass out.
So Bobetz and Chris Perfette, if you guys see that,
nobody is sitting here. I'm just on the floor because
I passed out. But the Packers are still beating, beating
the Vikings twenty seven to three less than two minutes
to go in the third quarter. Kirk Cousins is killing me. Okay, okay,

(01:06:41):
moving on. The battle going on, and so find not
really a battle, but it is. Rams are at home,
but they're the away team taking on the Chargers, and
the Chargers are up twenty four to ten, also early
in the fourth quarter. And there was news earlier today
in the NFL. The turf conversation continues. The NFL p
Association is filing a grievance against the NFL and the
Carolina Panthers for the hardness of the artificial turf at

(01:07:04):
Bank of America Stadium in last Saturday's game between the
Panthers and the Lions. Apparently they complained before the game
about the field conditions in the coldest home game that
the Panthers have had in history twenty degrees and the
n f L p A wanted to delay before the
game to address the issue, and a delayed during the
game after it started at the schedule time of one
pm Eastern time. The conditions improved, but they are still

(01:07:26):
filing a grievance, so it continues. You you know, in
a lot and then in these cold weather places when
you have a playing surface, um, a lot of times
what teams will do is they have heating coils underneath
the surface so that you know where the turf then
will not get is hard. The question is is do

(01:07:46):
they have that in Charlotte, because, as you said, it
was the coldest game that they played. You wouldn't think
that they would need to put that in there because
you're just saying yourself, well, hey, you know, when is
it ever going to be this cold? Um? Yeah, I'm
curious to find J got my own in my own
time of figuring out. Do they have heating coils in

(01:08:07):
vacup Americas? Yeah? I don't. I don't deal with the cold.
I don't believe that there's that it's actually had cold
in places because here in southern California it's not so
I hear that. I'm like, this is crazy, But Jared
Goff was quoted that's saying that it felt like cement.
It is so cold that it felt like something. I
can't even imagine having to play on cement. That's you know,
that Rubbert that turf as well, like when it heartens,

(01:08:27):
it's yeah, difficult, it's crazy, crazy to think of. And
then when you look at the weather today, like Bill
belichicks in in New England, like just in like a
in a fall jacket, you know, like a week ago there,
you know, everybody's you know, stuff to the nines with
winter caps and and parks and everything, and today now
it's warm everywhere. So alright to you guys, Thanks, Marty appreciated.

(01:08:50):
It is Fox Sports Red Zone Radio. He's Bernie Fratto.
I'm Dan Buyer. Seahawks missed if field goal, Jets took over,
but then Seahawks force day three and out. So the
Jets are punting it back to the Seahawks. They're gonna
have to get a stop and get the football back
as time is running out. Twenty six is Monsey mentioned
with eleven minutes to go in that contest, green Bay

(01:09:12):
is knocking on the door. There was a third and
four from the Minnesota seventeen yard line schemes over by
the way, Minnesota jumped off sides, which is gonna give
green Bay um actually an opportunity to cash in. There
were two penalties on the third and four and they

(01:09:32):
were both on Minnesota. One was the off sides, one
was a substitution penalty. So it keeps green Bay's drive
alive if if you are just tuning in, So what
has happened today with the Packers and Vikings? And I
don't mean to continue to harp on this because it
but it is the biggest game. Green Bay controls their

(01:09:53):
own destiny. You don't like that phrase, that's fine. But
if green Bay wins today, which they're on their way to,
and beats Detroit next week, the Packers are in the playoffs.
That's because the Commanders lost earlier today, so it is
there for green Bay to get to the postseason. But
everything that that that could go wrong for Minnesota has
gone wrong. The one thing that they did do right
was block a hunt and recover it at the two

(01:10:14):
yard line. However, they couldn't get into the end zone
and had to settle for a really short field goal.
Like that's it. Like Justin Jefferson has one catch on
the day and now on a third and four when
they get a stop, you have not one but two
penalties against the Vikings to keep the play alive. So
just in case maybe the one penalty wasn't enough, let's
double down on it and make sure that there's another

(01:10:36):
that is that it's been the type of day for
the Minnesota Vikings. Charges are in the end zone. Justin
Herbert is just throwing a touchdown past the Donald Parham
from three yards out extra point. Was good. Chargers winning
that battle of l A one to ten or early
in the fourth quarter. And we mentioned keeping our eye
on the Niners and Raiders twenty four all with two
left to go. Is Jared Stidham is making the start

(01:10:58):
for the Raiders and doing so that impressive fashion. Two
d and sixty yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Get
Bernie on Twitter at Bernie Frotto. You can find me
on Twitter at Dan Buyer on Fox As we are
coming to you alive from the ti iraq dot com studios.
Coming up next, there was a crazy situation that a
coach made a decision today in the National Football League
that I'm not sure that we've seen before. Plus we'll

(01:11:21):
give you the conclusion of these next four games, these
late games. It's all coming up next year. On Fox
Sports Red Zone Radio. This is Fox Red Zone Radio.
And we've got the plays that you may admits so
rogers understand, and he takes gifts to telling you to

(01:11:41):
the left side of the line, fighting motoring for the
goal line, the end zone, for the textdown and the
dagger till now back live to the studios of Fox
Sports Radio. This is Fox Red Zone Radio. He's Bernie Fraddo.

(01:12:15):
I'm Dan bay Are. It's Red Zone Radio here on
a Fox Football Sunday. A Happy New Year to you
Green Bay, all over Minnesota. It's just gotten worse. Yes,
you heard the touchdown there at seven point three the
game w R and W and the Packers radio network.

(01:12:36):
Wayne Laravy it's got a bit of a cough or
because he's been screaming so much in this game, he's
got a little uh rasp in his voice. And on
the ensuing possession after that, a J. Dillon touchdown. Kirk
Cousins was picked off again, So the Minnesota Vikings are
down thirty four to three. Kirk Cousins sixteen forty nine yards,

(01:13:01):
three interceptions today, just a Jefferson, NFL's leading wide receiver,
one catch fifteen yards. That is it in what was
a statement game for the Minnesota Vikings. Uh boy, they
have made a statement by not showing up. This is
what is happening elsewhere in the NFL. The Seahawks are
knocking on the door against the Jets. Second down to

(01:13:24):
nine and Gino Smith just tried to pump fake but
it looks like he didn't hold onto the football tight
enough and it went flying about fifteen yards behind him.
That's the bad news for the Seahawks. The good news
they're up twenty to six with seven thirty left to
go in the game on the Jets. This is bad
news for the Jets. Mike White, who returned Jets offense,

(01:13:45):
just hasn't been going today. In fact, White was just
picked off. That's how the Seahawks got into this position.
The Seahawks right now up twenty to six, and a
lost by the Jets would knock them out of any
playoff contention. They would be eliminated if they don't rally
within the next six and a half minutes now um
and come back with a victory against the Seahawks. The

(01:14:06):
Chargers winning comfortably against the Rams. It's thirty one to
ten in the Battle of l A, so comfortable that
the Chargers have put Chase Daniel in at quarterback. So
Justin Herbert is done for the day. While the game
of the afternoon right now is the Raiders and the Niners.
San Francisco has just taken a lead on Las Vegas

(01:14:27):
seven to twenty four, but the Raiders do have the
football near midfield and a three point game, and this
has been a competitive game. It has been the Jared
Stidham show, hooking up twice with Davante Adams also hooked
up with Darren Waller. So the forty Niners defense, which
we thought was one of the best, if not the best,
in the NFL, being tested by Stidham, who's getting his

(01:14:50):
first start in the Silver and Black this season. We're
keeping our eye on that game as really it's the
only one that's competitive right now in this late window.
In Week seventeen, I brought up something that happened earlier
today in a game that I had I had never
I had seen before, but the thinking process of it

(01:15:12):
was a little bit backwards. So the Buccaneers end up
going and taking a lead on the Panthers twenty one,
they get a turnover and then they end up cashing
in on a Tom Brady quarterback sneak makes it thirty
to twenty one. Extra point was no good, so the
Buccaneers very much on their way to winning the NFC South. However,

(01:15:33):
the Panthers on the ensuing possession, drove down the field
and got in a field goal range. There was a
minute left to go in the game. They were they
held all three of their time outs in this scenario,
and they were down by nine points, and so what
Steve Wilkes decided to do was, let's kick a field goal.

(01:15:55):
Let's kick a field goal here, because we're gonna need
a field goal and a touchdown out and at some
point we're gonna need a combination of those two. So
instead of maybe wasting all of our time or because
we have three time outs, we could actually kick the
field goal now and maybe force a stop on Tampa Bay.
This is sixty seconds to go in the game, so

(01:16:18):
Steve Wilks and the Panthers end up choosing to kick
a field goal from forty nine yards out. Eddie Paniero
was good, thirty. It's twenty four, and now you're saying
Tom Brady is they haven't gotten the running game going
because Brady is throwing for four hundred yards today taking
advantage of that depleted Panthers secondary. But what ended up
following just didn't make any sense. In a scenario where

(01:16:40):
you kick a field goal to try to go up six,
tells you that you need a combination of a touchdown
in a field goal. But what you do on that
ensuing kickoff because you have the three time outs, is
you kick the ball deep. And what the Carolina Panthers
did in that scenario was they kicked it on side
kick and so so so the thinking to kick the

(01:17:04):
field goal by Steve Wilkes was a smart decision. You
needed a field goal, you needed a touchdown. You gotta
break because the Buccaneers missed the extra point, so it's
a nine point game. You kicked the forty nine yard
field goal with fifty nine seconds left when you're at
the Tampa Bay thirty one yard line, which gives you
a minute to go fifty seconds if you're able to

(01:17:26):
get a stop, call the time outs and do what
you need to do. What happened on the ensuing possession
was the Buccaneers got four yards on the ground, The
Buccaneers got two yards of yards on the ground, and
then they had a loss of one. So it ended
up being fourth and five, exactly how the Panthers wanted
it to turn out, but they screwed themselves by kicking

(01:17:47):
the onside kick. Tampa then was able to punt deep.
Took a couple of delay of games. Carolina was backed
up to their own eight yard line, and so then
Sam Donald and the Panthers had no time outs and
they needed to go the full ninety two yards. Is
the Buccaneers were able to down the punt at the
eight yard line and do so with no time outs

(01:18:09):
to tie the game. Great original thinking, but a lot
of times when we were in this analytics days and
going with your gut and doing this and doing that,
you have to play along with what is going on
and and and what happened with the Panthers is if
you have the three time outs and you choose to
kick the field goal, what you're saying is we think
our defense can get the football back. We believe that

(01:18:31):
that is the case. We believe that the defense can
get the football back to us, to our offense. And
by kicking the outside kick, you put your defense in
a tough spot, but you actually put your offense in
a worst spot to where if they did get the
football back, there's no way they'd be able to travel.
If you kicked deep and stop tamper the twenty yard line.
Sam Donald can take over maybe at his own thirty

(01:18:51):
yard line and trying in twenty seconds, which is I know,
not a lot better, but that's the thinking and you
have to think it through. So for the great a
job as Steve Wilkes has done this year, they completely
mismanaged those final moments of their game against the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. All right, so here's what's happening. The forty
Niners and Raiders. Still. Raiders have the football, third and

(01:19:14):
ten from the forty thirty eight yard line. Jared Stidham
faced big pressure, almost got did get the ball off
on a pass, but it was almost picked off. So
it's gonna be third down. Actually that that was the
third down, so now it's fourth down, Daniel Carlson on
to kick. Seahawks added a field goal, so they're up
twenty three to six right now on the Jets. Four

(01:19:35):
thirty five left to go and the Seahawks have just
four stay fourth down while Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers
continue to pour it on to go. Rogers has just
ran in a touchdown for the Packers all green Bay
today from two yards out. It's gonna be forty to
three with the extra point coming up and the charges

(01:19:56):
we told you up on the Rams thirty one to ten.
He's Bernie Freddo. I'm Dan Buyer. This is Fox Sports
at Red Zone Radio, presented by the Big Green Egg.
Nothing beats the flavor of live fire cooking on a
Big Green Egg. It's the most versatile grill you'll ever own.
The completion of these dandies coming up next year on
Fox Sports Radio. The Vikings are in the end zone. Hey,

(01:20:18):
why do you know? Uh? Too little, too late? As
he heard Monty say, it's all Packers today. The Niners
are the end zone. So Jared Stidham's gonna have to
pull a rabbit out of his hat to even things up.
In his first start as a Raider Seahawks putting the
finishing touches on a win against the Jets and the
Chargers and Rams just running out the clock in l A.

(01:20:38):
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The Packers win, Bernie Fratto or soon to be win
in seven minutes in thirty six seconds is bad news

(01:21:01):
to the Washington Commanders and bad news to the New
Orleans Saints. They would be eliminated. Uh, they will be
eliminated from playoff contention because of that outcome in Green Bay.
So now you've got a wild card in the NFC
that is down to uh, well, I'm just gonna call
him your Detroit Lions, Bernie my my Seattle Seahawks and

(01:21:25):
the Green Bay Packers and the Green Bay Packers uh,
and the Detroit Lions play next week at lambeau Field
in week eighteen. Should be a dandy atmosphere and what
I'm sure that Dan Campbell relishes, but I would I
would have to think that that is that's got to

(01:21:48):
be the Sunday night game, right, I mean it has
to be because of Aaron Rodgers, because of who the
Lions are, that's got to be the game that they're
gonna put on Sunday night football. You'd think, well, you
certainly hope. So. First of all, you've got a Hall
of Fame quarterback in the twilight of his career that
it basically been written off all season. You've got the
Detroit Lions. We've won one playoff game since nineteen fifty seven.

(01:22:12):
This is a Marquee Divisional matchup. Takes you back to
old school football. And Dan, when you look at the
rest of the slate next weekend, as it were heading
into two week eighteen, you know, I wouldn't exactly say
it's enticing. You've got a lot of games, you know what,
Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Tampa Bay is already in right now
in New England. Buffalo will have some ramifications, fair enough,

(01:22:35):
but you know, Rams Denver right on down the line.
I think Detroit Green Bay. Now here's the thing, Dan,
and I think you speak to this as better than
I would. Mighty League believe that if you move the
game to nighttime and it's that much colder when the
sun goes down to Lambo Field, that it's a slight
advantage to the Packers because the Lions are again a

(01:22:57):
hothouse team. Will they take that? I can to consideration?
Or is it you know, Danna Torpedoes. This is you know,
made for TV event. You know, first of all, if
if there's any advantage, this is I know this is
going to be. Um. Listen, the NFL wants the Green
Bay Packers in the playoffs, right, I mean, that's what

(01:23:20):
they want. And if you can put a game at
night and you can put it at lambeau Field and
Aaron Rodgers not only play in that game, but maybe
have their advantage be you know, like more so over
the Lions. I think that they'll absolutely do it. I
mean you're you're looking at Packers Lions or Jaguars Titans.
That's what you're looking at, right, I mean, like there's

(01:23:42):
and and for as much as Jaguars Titans for a
division crown, um may seem like it's more important. We
all know, we all know what's going on and where
it's going to be. I just you know, and and
and the the other thing is Bernie is if you
have Packers Lions, is you know, like the Seahawks play

(01:24:02):
the Rams, and the Seahawks, who are about to beat
the Jets still would be still would be alive. So
if the Seahawks would win that game against the uh
next week against the Rams, it would be difficult for
the Lions, but you would still um because the Seahawks
won the head to head against Detroit earlier in the season,

(01:24:25):
you would have that sort of tiebreaker. You still just
have the the the headline of Aaron Rodgers trying to
get into the playoffs. And I think that's what they'll
end up wanting on Sunday night. And I'm pretty sure Dan,
the Lions won today and the Commander's lost, so they're
in fine fettle. But the Seahawks are gonna win today.
I'm pretty sure the Lions not only need to win

(01:24:45):
next Sunday, but they would also require the Seahawks losing. Yeah,
because that that that game early on in this season
at Ford Field where where the Seahawks and Rashod Penny
ended up running running past the Lions. That would be
the tiebreaker. If Seattle and Detroit ended up at nine

(01:25:06):
and eight. Now, if Seattle ended up losing, then it
would be a winner take all game for that final
wild card in the NFC between Green Bay and Detroit,
which I wonder then if that factors in. If Seahawks
lose earlier in the day, let's just put it that way,
then you've got the Marquee matchup. But if the Seahawks win,
then of course I guess green Bay. Yeah, that's what

(01:25:28):
I think is the ultimate thing is like, if they
can have Aaron Rodgers and be a win in you know,
a win in your in scenario, even if it's the
Titans and Jaguars playing, you know, that's it's just my guess.
Maybe they wouldn't want to risk it if you know,
like hey, what would Dan Campbell do with with with

(01:25:50):
Jared Goff or what would he do with you know,
DeAndre Swift and a montra st Brown if it ends
up being a meaningless game. But I I think that
they would want I think that they would want Green
Bay in that primetime spot. I think you're right. And
and to that, look, the Rams visit Seattle next week.
The Rams have only won one road game all year.

(01:26:10):
They've been terrible on the road. But I like the
way that the Seahawks stuffed up today, and uh, I
feel like Pete Carroll and Gino Smith can rise to
the occasion next week, So I I will, and I
believe that the Seahawks will be favored, of course, to
be favored, I actually would expect him to win that game.
I really would. I would expect the youngest to win

(01:26:30):
next week and finish the season nine and eight. In
the interesting development in this Raiders forty Niners game, at
seven point lead for San Francisco, Jared Stidham has just
thrown one up to Davante Adams. It appears that Adams
has made a spectacular diving catch that a look appeared
to be headed for the ground, except for Davante adams

(01:26:52):
left forearm gets in the way and appears to keep
the ball from touching the turf. Bernie. If that's the case,
the Raiders would have it first and ten at the
nineteen yard line, down seven, with a minute twenty nine
left to go in this contest. Instead, hum it would
be for over three. It would throw for over three

(01:27:15):
twenty yards. It would put Adams over the century mark.
This is this would be an amazing grab for Davante
Adams and It's so interesting off of the heels of
our conversation that we had throughout this past week of now,
what does Davante Adams do? His best friend Derek Cars
no longer there. He's just send this long term deal

(01:27:36):
with the Raiders, and he's come up with a couple
of huge plays. I can't I can't find a camera
angle where we have that would show that the ball
hit the actual turf. An agreement and what was the
call him the field Dan? It was it was a
completed catch with you yeah, yeah. And and the interesting scenarios.

(01:28:04):
The forty Niner defender uh was basically going for the
interception and it was Adams who jumped in front of
him with a diving catch, and they said that they
have ruled it a catch. So it is a first
down for the Raiders in forty Niners territory, first and town. Again,
this is a seven point game, and so the forty Niners,

(01:28:25):
the Raiders need to score a touchdown. If they score
that touchdown, then you have the decision of going for
two or not. If I'm I'm Josh mcdanish, you go
for two. But here here, but I'm not him here.
You know what in watching this catch. Um, the ball
was slightly underthrown, but Davante Adams readjusted sight, adjusted his

(01:28:49):
route and used his vertical leap and his leverage to
box out the defender. As it were, Dana conjures up
memories that had great catch by Lynn Swann in the
Super Bowl. If folks aren't watching, I don't think I'm
overselling it. An incredible it's a good call. I gotta
ask you a question, um, And he had obvious pass
interference playing the zo and so it's setting up for
the Raiders. Then I gotta ask you a question. I'm

(01:29:10):
not that smart. Now I know that Jared Student went
to the same school as Daniel Carlson a couple of
Auburn guys. Did Jared Student go to school with DeVante
Adams like middle school or something? Because he seemed to
have chemistry. Davante Adams a hundred and fifty three yards
today on ten targets, averaging twenty one yards per catch,
two touchdowns, and some key catches in high leverage situations.

(01:29:36):
Jared Jared Student was quite the quite the prospect when
he was remember, yeah, I went to Baylor and then
ended up, as he said, going going to Auburn. After that,
the Raiders, by the way pass interference call on the
forty Niners defense on an attempted passed to Darren Waller
set him up now first in goal from the one
yard line, and Josh Jacobs has just cashed in. It's

(01:29:59):
thirty four to thirty three. So now here is the
decision in the Allegiance Stadium where you are, Bernie, it's
I mean, it's a sea of red and black in
this battle of former Bay Area teams. Seahawks have just
beaten the Jets twenty three to six, so the Commanders
and Saints eliminated Jets with the loss out of the

(01:30:20):
playoff picture. The Raiders are kicking the extra point, so
Daniel Carlson is on for the extra point and the
kick is good. So we're tied up at thirty four
apiece in Las Vegas. Now all the Raiders need is
for Brandon Aiyuk to throw a backwards pass to Chandler
Jones at midfield and run at fifty yards back for

(01:30:43):
a touchdown and they can win this bad boy in regulation.
Oh my goodness, you know this is one. We love this, Dan,
We see it every week. Uh. Sports of the greatest
reality show and you can script everything but the ending.
And should the Raiders hold on the this out and
not only stay alive heading into next week because nothing

(01:31:03):
has happened today that would eliminate the Raiders and the
Chiefs are coming to town next week and again next week.
You need the Titans to lose to the Jags, and
the Dolphins to lose to the Bills, and the Steelers
to lose either tonight or next week. But listen, stranger
things have happened. I can't name any at the moment,
but it makes it alive. What I find interesting, Dan,
is if Jared Stadhum does this, or the Raiders finished

(01:31:26):
strong and proud in any way their last two games.
They have sixty two million dollars in camp space. Next year,
you go out and get some defensive pieces, maybe another
offensive lineman. I'm not so sure Josh Jacobs wants to
be back. That's the story for a different day. But
do you consider, Dan, hey, let's open up camp next
year with Jared's Stadhum and see what happens. I would

(01:31:47):
be very very uh cautious. Yeah. I don't want to
go a prisoner at the moment, but you know, shows
today mccarnie always says, look at look at Today is
a perfect example of White with the Jets. Mike White
comes back after the Jets have just had had an
awful time at quarterback with Zach Wilson. But there there

(01:32:08):
were a lot of people uh in the NFL that
we've talked to on this network and said, hey, you
still have questions about Mike White. Mike White can do
a lot of things that Zack Wilson isn't doing, but
it doesn't mean that the the the you know that
the Mike White's potential is to the moon, like, there's
some limitations there. So we hear throughout the week Derek

(01:32:30):
car is not gonna be back with the Raiders. There
are people are saying any the Jets could be in
play for that. You want to know why, because they
aren't sold on Mike White. Mike White today picked off
twice twenty three forty six, did throw for twitter and
forty yards, but in a game where they only put
up six points as an offense, that's that's not good.
And so that tells you it's you know, we even
have almost almost a season's worth of work with Mike

(01:32:52):
White and kind of understanding. I don't think that, yeah,
you're right, we'd be a prim because that's just about
the perfect analogy because last year Mike White was all
the rage, and when he got to his sixth, seventh,
eighth quarter, all of a sudden, defensive coordinators there are
some of the sharpest people on the planet. They knew
his tendencies, and he had like six picks in the

(01:33:13):
next two or three games. So yeah, look, Mike White
is a nice story. He's a fifth round draft pick
for a reason. He doesn't have a little bit more arm,
talent and size and moxie. But this is the thinnest
position in all the sports, because good doesn't become great
until you repeat success. I was told when I was
are the lines, takes about twenty seven starts to know
if you've got a bona fide major league quarterback. Mike's

(01:33:34):
Mike White's solid backup. So I think you're comparison to
Jared's did him is appropriate? He's Burnie Fratto. I'm Dan Buyer.
The Niners have just gotten the first down on the
ensuing kickoff, so they are approaching midfield and have just
crossed midfield. San Francisco has all of their time out.
So there's forty seconds left to go. It's a thirty
four thirty four ball game. Thirty eight seconds and now

(01:33:56):
the forty Niners have just used their first time out.
What we're gonna do is we're gonna take one as well.
Welcome to the Fox Sports Radio Tailgate presented by the
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Green egg dot com. We're bringing the conclusion what happens

(01:34:18):
between the Niners and Raiders next year on Fox Sports
Radio Fox Sports Red Zone Radio. He's Bernie Freddoh, I'm
Dan Buyer. A Happy New Year to you, Bernie, sitting
in for George Rice. S there today on this first
day of three and we have over time in Las Vegas.
The forty Niners drove down and I'll tell you what.

(01:34:38):
The forty Niners may may not be happy. Forty fans
may not be happy that Robbie Gold missed a forty
one yard field goal with no time left that would
have won it for the forty Niners. But there was
a play just prior that got them from a fifty
one yard field goal to a forty one yard field goal.

(01:34:59):
And that so when Brock Purdy had a little bootleg
out to the left and ended up finding or looking
for George Kittle who was wide open down the down
the sidelines on a little post route. Bernie, and if
Purty hits Kittle in that scenario, it's probably a touchdown.
But what happened was Purdy was hit on the play

(01:35:20):
ball went about twenty feet up in the air, only
to drop down in the arms of Brandon I you
who want to jump ball with a Raiders defender. That
then set up the attempted game winning field goal that
was missed. But that that field goal may not have
ever happened if if the Niners in Brandon I you
didn't make that play with a couple of big catches

(01:35:42):
down the stretch. But yeah, they missed the field goal,
but they almost didn't have the field goal because of
the turnover by Purty. Great great description. This is so
delicious and by the way, just quickly then you show
the tweeter who was inquiring about who would have the
timebreaker between the Seahawks and the Packers. It's a little complicated,
so we'll keep it short. If both the Seahawks and

(01:36:03):
the Packers win next week, the Packers will have the tiebreakers,
simple as that. Yeah, better conference record than UH than
what the the Seahawks had. So the Raiders ended up
winning the toss. UH elected to get the football, so
a touchdown by the Raiders will end up this game

(01:36:23):
forty Niners looking for a stop and then any points
UH to put them victorious. But quite the performance again
from Jared Stidham. Was thrown for three d and sixty
five yards three touchdowns, was picked off once. That was
really the only blemah of his game so far in
this matchup. Who would have thunk it pretty versus Stidham
that we have in week seventeen and having high level

(01:36:45):
of play from both of these quarterbacks. It's the only
game going on. Green Bay beat Minnesota seventeen, so that
eliminated the Commanders and the Saints and Seattle we told
you beat the Jets twenty three to six, So the
Jets have been eliminated the Raiders as crazy as it is, Bernie,
in that scenario that you laid out, still alive, and

(01:37:09):
because the Jets lost, it means the Raiders are still
alive with the playoff ups and they can still win
this game and still be in the thickest things in
the a f C. And Dan as we as we
observe what's taking place from a three sixty panoramic view,
we see it at the forty Niners with Brock Purty.
They're a very good team with an outstanding defense, but

(01:37:32):
they're not world beaters. They're they're vulnerable. The Vikings are vulnerable.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles
are all vulnerable. Where am I going with this? I'm
gonna just kind of tuck this away and watch what happens.
The Green Bay Packers could just be sliding in the
back door when we all least expected it after that

(01:37:52):
Joe Barry defense that was so terrible for the first
ten weeks, and all of a sudden now in the
last four weeks. There you know they're turning the ball
over there, playing complementary football, and that's what you wanted
to be, playing your best football when the playoffs starts.
So I don't see a clear dominating NFC team that
anybody's really afraid of Week one, although I do think

(01:38:13):
Tampa Bay is a little scary for Dallas, and I
don't know that anybody wants to play them right now
in their backyard. But the point I'm making is I
think it's a wide open NFC tournament and I really do.
And uh, the scenario with the Green Bay Packers is
uh one that is um. I mean when you look
at and and we've just got to play in Las

(01:38:35):
Vegas where Jared stid Of was thrown one up and
it was picked off by San Francisco and returned all
the way into the red zone in Raiders territory. So
if I just I think I just said thirty seconds
ago that that there was just one blemish on Jared
Stidhams resume for today, and now there is another. Through

(01:38:58):
one deep. It looked like he was going, uh to
Davante Adams, and what happened was heck nick Bosa, Everyone's
defensive player of the year, was able to get pressure
and pushed the tackle into Jared's Stidham's face as he
attempted to throw the football downfield which made him short

(01:39:19):
armed landed about ten yards before where Davante Adams was,
and so the Niners have picked it off and have
now ran it back where now they would just needn't
even shorter Robbie goldfield goal uh to end up getting
a victory. So San Francisco could be taking and maybe
putting that not final nail in the coffin of the
Raiders playoff hopes that we said we're still alive just

(01:39:42):
a few minutes ago. Raiders, excuse me, the Niners would
have it first and ten at the it looks like
it's going to be all the way down to the
four yard line because there was a there was a
penalty on the Raiders on the return as they went
out of bounds at the eight yard line, made at
half the distance. So now thirty thirty four first and

(01:40:03):
ten and the forty Niners just need a field goal
and they have the offense out on the field. I
don't know if they're gonna move the hash and that's
what they're going to do just to set it up
on the hash mark that Robbie Gold wants, or they're
gonna put it directly. That's exactly what's gonna happen. So
Brock Purty has just taken a knee um in the
middle of the field, and so now the forty Niners
will bring out the special teams unit and kick a

(01:40:26):
field goal attempt to try to win this game. This
is this is big in a lot of cases because
if if the Raiders would have won this game. We
were talking about scenarios and I'll get but we'll get
back to Green Bay and in talking about that, plus
bow Benson's got some fantasy numbers and whatnot. But in

(01:40:47):
this scenario, the Eagles still needing a win next week
or a Cowboys loss to win the NFC East. But
for all intents and purposes, the Niners would be out
of it because of there'd be two games back with
one to go. The Vikings would be out of it
because they would lose the tiebreaker uh to Philadelphia. In

(01:41:09):
that scenario, I've had the head, so the Eagles would
have been first round by or first wild card, depending
on what happened next week. But now the forty Nins
at least stay alive. In that scenario where if the
Eagles do lose um, the Eagles still could win the
d NFC East with with a loss, they would need
a Cowboys loss as well next week to the Commanders,

(01:41:32):
but the Niners hope of getting the number one overall
seat is actually still alive as well said, Uh, it's
interesting just to put a final capper on the Raiders,
and Dan, I gotta ask you, by the way, will
it will it be? Somewhat? Second guest, the Raiders had
put up five one yards of offense today, they might
have given themselves a better opportunity one play, one time,

(01:41:53):
two yards and go home with a victory versus trying
to get in the ring back with a far superior
team and have to navigate overtime. And you've got brock
Purty now starting out. You know he's four and old
in his first four starts. But it will be come moot.
Raiders fans take heart. If the Dolphins lose to the
Bills next week, the Steelers lose one of their final

(01:42:15):
two games, and the Titans lose to the Jaguars, all
three of those things have to happen next week. If
they happen and the Raiders would have won today, the
Raiders would have been going to the playoffs instead. Uh,
they are looking ahead I was gonna say, but it's
already three season. He's Bernie Fratto. I'm Dan by Area

(01:42:38):
live from the Direct dot Com studios. We'll get a
look at the fantasy numbers and just a little bit,
but I want to jump over to the news desk
now that all the games are final months. Belaos here
puts the finishing touches on her work of what's been
a crazy week sevent It has been a crazy week
and I needed this overtime game to end as quickly
as possible because Kirk Cousins did nothing for me, and
I was playing against Christian McCaffrey and I needed him

(01:42:59):
to do nothing else. And so it ended in the
best possible way for me. The forty nine ERDs have
now won nine in a row. They've eliminated the Raiders.
They won thirty seven thirty four in overtime. I mean,
brock Purdy was not Jared Stidham really had like a
great performance. Brock Purty completed thirty five passes for two

(01:43:19):
eight four yards. He threw two touchdowns one interception. Jared
Stidham completed twenty three or thirty four passes for three
hundred and sixty five yards. Three touchdowns, two interceptions, but
one crucial one in overtime. The Chargers have won four
in a row. They defeated the Rams at SOFI thirty
one to ten. Justin Herbert threw for two and twelve
yards and two touchdowns and Seattle Seattle on the Jets.

(01:43:42):
When they started playing Seattle was like they already scored.
It's been like seventy five seconds. Well that really should
have told us how the game was gonna go, because
they never looked back. They won twenty three to six.
Geno Smith completed eighteen of twenty nine for a hundred
and eighty three yards and two touchdowns. The Jets have
also been eliminated from the playoffs, but the Cap the
Packers have kept their playoff hopes alive after destroying the

(01:44:04):
Vikings forty one to seventeen. But it was a total
team effort. They had a kickoff return for a touchdown
by Keishan Nixon, then they had to pick six fight
Darnell Savage, and then Aaron Rodgers threw for a hundred
and fifty nine yards and a touchdown and he had
one rushing touchdown. So a total team effort by the Packers.
We had nine games that started this morning. In the NFL,

(01:44:25):
the Chiefs outscored the Broncos twenty seven to twenty four,
while the Patriots with the win over the Dolphins twenty
three to twenty one. Patriots safety Kyle Dugger recorded his
third defensive touchdown of the season. The Buccaneers and the Panthers,
this one went down to the wire, but the Buccaneers
held on came out on top thirty twenty four. They
won the NFC South. They totally put on a show
by Tom Brady and Mike Evans. Tom Brady threw for

(01:44:47):
four hundred and thirty two yards and three touchdowns. Mike
Evans had ten receptions two hundred and seven yards and
those three touchdowns. It's probably gonna be another playoff home
game for Tom Brady. Absolutely crazy. The Giants cruise passed
the Colts no problem, thirty eight to ten. They're headed
to the playoffs for the first time since twenties sixteen.
M VP of the game was definitely Daniel Jones, who
threw for a hundred and seventies seven yards and two touchdowns.

(01:45:08):
He also had eleven carries for ninety one rushing yards
and two touchdowns. He let all players in the game
in rushing yards. The Browns came out alive in the
second half and beat the Commander's twenty four to ten.
White receiver and Mark Cooper had three receptions a hundred
and five yards and two touchdowns. The Saints held on
to beat the Eagles twenty to tend. The Lions dominated
the Bears forty one to tend. The Jaguars blew the

(01:45:28):
Texans out of the water thirty one to three, with
the Falcons beating the Cardinals, but nobody cares about that one. Guys,
Happy New Year. It's been fun. I'm having a heart attack,
but I'm catching my breath. I'm okay, I'm okay, okay,
get yourself a double cheese burger with bacon and more bacon. No,
I'll get a veggie burger with extra veggies. But don't worry,

(01:45:53):
I will think. I will think of you. That Cardinals
Falcons game, Oh it was so good. I mean, do
you think it was for the birds? Nicely done? Yes,
there it is the first dad joke of I thought
I was outstanding. I understand you're opening up for Shecky

(01:46:15):
Green and the can Skills. Yes, yes, for the Birds.
Is such a You know, we used it a lot
in the NFL. But when Monsey doubled down on saying
that she didn't care about that, then it acts absolutely
that dad joke needed to be of course, I set
you up fast down the middle. There. It is appreciated.

(01:46:37):
Many talk. We are live for the Direct dot Com studios.
Find Monsey on Twitter at mons Beloos. Get Bernie on
Twitter at Bernie Fred or you can find me as
well at Dan Buyer on Fox. Let's get a look
at some of those fantasy numbers, but in the wrong way.
Our final check in with our executive producer Bo Benson
on the fantasy misses for week seventeen, Fantasy heads and

(01:47:01):
missus ah Man. Alright, a lot of championships on the line.
If you're losing, you may be hearing your players in
what Bo Benson is about to deliver here in our
fantasy misses for week seventeen. What do you got, Bo? Yeah?
Starting with the quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Vikings, just
an awful day for his standard standard of play this year.

(01:47:22):
Just two five yards a touchdown in three interceptions and
they're big loss. Um. Justin Fields had a massive day
if he was a running back, but just seventy five
yards passing, a touchdown and an interception for him, So
not the production from him that you would have hoped
for if you had started him. Uh. Running back wise,
se Kwan Barkley the Giants. He only had fifty eight

(01:47:43):
yards rushing in the Giants big win where they didn't
really need to play him, So you probably were upset
if he you had him starting. David Montgomery of the Bears,
same scenario, twenty four yards rushing and their loss to
the Lions. Wide receiver wise, Jalen Waddle noah to ah
so just three receptions for year it from him. Dk
Metcalf of the Seahawks one reception for three yards from

(01:48:04):
him today. Uh. And then Justin Jefferson of the Vikings,
horrible performance from him today. One reception for fifteen yards
and he got grietied on by bye Jaire Alexander. So
not a good day for him at all. There's a
lot of grittying going on there in front of what
Justin Jefferson today. I'll tell you what you know you got.

(01:48:27):
You gotta be ready for it. But when your Alexander
did it on a second down play on an incomplete
pass for ten yards. I thought maybe it was a
little too much. Instead, it was foreshadowing of what was
to come for the Minnesota Vikings. Man unreal. Thanks, bo appreciated,
Happy New Year. Get him on Twitter at bow not Jackson, Yes,

(01:48:47):
that's what it is. Bo at bow not Jackson is
where you can find bow Benson. So we are live
from the direct dot Com studios, So it's this is
this is where we are in all of this. The
Raiders eliminated, so that leaves the Patriots, Dolphins, and Steelers

(01:49:07):
for that final wild card. Now, if I'm correct, Bernie,
the Jaguars um can still get a wild card. And
I don't mean to put you on the spot, but Tennessee,
essentially if they win, they're gonna win the division. And
and they're because they're at seven and nine, they're a
game back they would not be able to. So for

(01:49:29):
that wild card, you've got the Patriots and and Dolphins
who ended up playing today, and you have the Steelers
obviously playing tonight, and none in the NFC, We've got
the Lions, Seahawks, and Packers. And the Packers beat the Lions,
then the Packers go. If the Seahawks beat the Rams
next week, and the Lions beat the Packers, the Seahawks go.

(01:49:50):
The Lions would need to beat Green Bay and for
Seattle to lose to get that final playoff. That's pretty simple,
pretty simple in the NFC, pretty simple. And interestingly enough,
if the Titans and Jaguars tie next week, uh, the
Jaguars would go. They would advance because they beat the
Titans earlier in the year. Again, you've got a somewhat

(01:50:13):
Raider like scenario because yes, if the Jaguars lose next week,
they still got a shot. If Miami loses out Miami
lost today, Seattle defeats the New York Jets with they
which they did, Buffalo defeats New England, which they did,
and Pittsburgh loses tonight but beats the Browns next week.

(01:50:35):
That's so Jaguars fans, uh, take heart. Even if you
lose Week eighteen. If those scenarios happen, the Jaguars are
in as a wild card. And and and what's interesting
is the Browns are in the scenario even though they've
been eliminated from the playoffs. There's no way that the
Browns can get in, but they are seven and nine. Yes,

(01:50:58):
they are they are eliminated, but they could play into
it because of tiebreakers if their record were to get
to eight and nine and those scenarios fell through. Where
if you where, if you had that log jam like
I believe, essentially, the Jaguars would just need the Browns
to be a part of that so they could end
up getting a playoff spot if everybody was at eight

(01:51:21):
and nine. You know what I loved about today, And
in all seriousness, in addition to being on year with you,
we we entered the day five playoffs spots remained remained undecided.
Right four of the league's eight division titles. We're still
up for grab and we're in the second final week
of the season. That's not bad. That's not bad. I
I personally like that. So, you know, the the Bucks

(01:51:43):
got it done, the Giants got it done. The Dolphins
needed to win, and they needed the Jets to lose. Well,
the Dolphins didn't take care of business, but the Jets lost.
The Commanders needed to win versus the Browns you just mentioned.
They also needed losses by the Seahawks and Lions. But
the point of the matter is we're staying engaged, and
I think maybe this extra the seventh playoff position. It's

(01:52:04):
gonna be good for the NFL. I'll say this, I
don't think it's good for a playoff game. I don't
think that that that we have a And now if
the Vikings get the two seed, maybe a different story.
I don't think the two seven game is is intriguing.
But if that's the price to pay for what you're
talking about over these last two weeks, then that's the
price we pay. And I think that that that I'd

(01:52:25):
be okay with that. He's Bernie Fratto. I'm Dan Buyer.
Welcome to the Fox Sports radialtail Gate presented by the
Big Green Egg. Nothing meets the flavor of live fire
cooking on a Big Green Egg. It's the most versatile
grill you'll level. Owned back by a lifetime warranty roll
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green egg dot com. Lifetime warranty, free home delivery, Big
green egg dot com with most of the games in
the books. Who is the real big winner? In Week seventeen,

(01:52:47):
We'll tell you that plus our m vps next year
on Fox Sports Radio, Happy New Year to you. It's
Fox Sports Radio, a Fox Football Sunday Red Zone Radio.
He's Bernie Fratto. I'm dan buy are most a week's
seventeen in the Bucks sixteenth game? Still it's still taking
me a while to get a week eighteen used to it, Bernie,
it's seventeen game schedule. I got used to the whole

(01:53:09):
You know, it becomes a party of sixteen games seventeen weeks.
So you're thinking the second till last week of the
season is is week sixteen. But yeah, week seventeen. I
know I've said it a time or two on the
show today with a week sixteen, but it's uh, the
sixteenth game played in a week seventeen. We still have
two more to go, including a dandy tomorrow between the
Bills and Bengels. Real quickly two. Piggyback on that January eighth.

(01:53:32):
The regular season concludes in the playoffs begin January fourteenth.
Why don't I bring this up? When the Rams went
to Super Bowl fourteen and lost to Pittsburgh at the
Rules Bowl back in nineteen eighty The game was played
January fourteenth. Speaks to the length of the season. Now
the plays are just starting, and back then the Super

(01:53:52):
Bowl was completing. Get Bernie on Twitter at Bernie Fratto.
You can find me on Twitter at Dan Buyer. On Fox,
here are our m v P for week seventeen. But
this is Fox Sports Red Zone Radio. Let's most valuable
plays Cowboys. It tight ends. Here comes second down seventh

(01:54:16):
Fresh got back looking left, throwing it in the back
of the ends up for Shore to You want to
gram did you get it touched down? Dolton show the
Dallas Cowboys Radio Network, Cardinals at Falcons Liam the color
will snap Pegin spot, the kick is from Coup and
it is go and Atlanta wins. Nine the game Falcon's

(01:54:39):
radio network, Shair and Lions that's up stream. Got at
the swift picks up a block at the twenty five dot.
Don't tuck down to try Lions s u x y
t FM ninety seven point one that ticket, Lions Radio Network,
Broncos and Chiefs Home will throw it over the middle
world opened like three jan rolling into the end zone.

(01:55:02):
If we're gonna give it torn touch Dart one oh
six five the Wolf in the Chief's radio network Dolphin
said Patriots Myers taggle, all right, the snap, Joy's throwing
at tork Parker touch down the WI five The Sports
Hub and the Patriots Radio Network. Cold said Giants three

(01:55:24):
step drop hold fire Taylor tetrify Magna Collins up sideline.
Collins was at twenty depte t puck down Diant Collins
with the pick w F an Giants Radio Network. Saint said,
Eagles takes the snap, quick one. Then that's picked up
by Marshaw a little more pick six. Welcome back, Marshawn.

(01:55:48):
That's how you do it. Happy New Year, Baby, w
w L Saints Radio Network Panther said. Buccaneers Brady takes
the snap and looks toward his wife. Those torn devots
toward the ends on ever und Mexican touched Upper Bay
ever Child's free fire look Carralts fire up. Buccaneers Radio Network.

(01:56:10):
Brown said, Commanders wing up in the pocket. Lucky co
for quite up with cat it. He did the five.
He up MYLN tout down Amory Cooper technic of the day.
Brown's radio network Jaguar SI text sens the ball has
come out there tight to Campbell picked it up. He's
gonna run it into the Enddow for the touchdown for Jacksonville.

(01:56:34):
W j x L A M ten ten and FM
ninety two five Jaguars Radio Jet said, Seahawks, do you
know how he's gonna throw the back corner touch down? Hawks?
Kobe Parkinson from Troon Yards Seahawks Radio Network. Viking said, Packers.

(01:56:54):
Here comes dicks into the five luck Tash parks ten
fifty pitch hole part piece to the cortic five thirty
puts into the clear t Shawn Nixon hits off to
the racist Bits secretary of the pub No one will
catch him. Hits a touchdown. N three the game w
r n W Packers Radio Network rams at charge Heirs

(01:57:14):
Herbert sets smart in motion to throw looking for my
pressure comps to the ends. Tost Chargers k y s
are all seven Chargers Radio Network forty Niners said Raiders.
It's great. Drop by Stead. I'm gonna draw on Laft
for Davante Adams and send up septad. He throw the
ball to Sharn Gibson running back. The other one Derby

(01:57:37):
Tony ten five out a k NBR forty Niners Radio Network.
The most valuable place for everybody, This is Fox Football Sunday.
You know, Bernie, before we we go, I do wanna
give major props to Ricky Herrera in our imaging department

(01:57:58):
who puts those things together. We again and week out
a great, great collection of highlights. So a big thank
you to Ricky and a happy to him as Welle.
Another behind the scenes big thanks to Bow Bentson obviously
our executive producer Monster who is always at the news
desk in Iowa, Sam and Chris Perffett, who are technical

(01:58:18):
producers always running this show. I'm gonna I'm gonna pat
myself on the back for this one. Bernie, all right,
ready for this one. I told you weeks ago that
there was a reason Brian Dable punted in overtime with
two minutes to go near midfield, and and in that
situation the Giants a tie to them was very valuable.

(01:58:40):
Remember they had lost to the Seahawks, they had ended
up losing to the Lions. If they could just avoid
a loss against the Commanders, that allowed them some room
when it came to a tiebreaker. The Giants clinched a
playoff Berth today and without that tie, it's not that
they would be eliminated, but they would not have been
able to clinch that playoff Berth this week, and there

(01:59:01):
would be scenarios next week that would have them playing
for their playoff lives with the matchup against the Philadelphia
Eagles on the horizon. So kudos to Brian Dable, not
only on the playoff birth in his first year as
a head coach of the Giants, but also in making
the right decision when people said he didn't have enough
guts and he should have played for the win. He
made the right move in that time made all the

(01:59:22):
difference in the Giants clinching early great call. Remember, remarkable
turnaround and not for nothing, Dan, the Packers have opened
up minus four next week against the Lions. Early action
coming in on the Lions. Uh. And all the NFC
Central showdown this time in the NFC North Uh. So
much to play forward Week eighteen for Bernie Fratte. I'm

(01:59:44):
Dan Bayer. This has been Fox Sports Red Zone Radio.
Keep it locked here on Fox and we'll talk to
you next week in Week eighteen. Happy New Year,

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Dan Beyer and Bernie Fratto React to Week 17 in the NFL!