Aaron Torres & Jason Martin Talk Cowboys Disfunction and Preview Conference Championship Weekend!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome in everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday Ertors
Jason Martin. We are broadcasting live from the tyrack dot
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(00:24):
tiere buying should be Ertors Jason Martin. We are broadcasting
live from the tyreck dot Com studios. Tours in our
La Tyrack Studios. Jmart In, our Nashville Studios. Jaymart what's
going on?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Man?

Speaker 4 (00:38):
How you doing?

Speaker 5 (00:39):
Pretty good?

Speaker 6 (00:39):
Man?

Speaker 5 (00:39):
Pretty good? Like college basketball today, decent college basketball, good
college basketball. We're getting here this evening. Of course, two
big games tomorrow, some weird coaching stuff in the NFL.
I was just kind of thinking about it all today
and it's just like, yeah, there's games to be played tomorrow,
but there's also a whole lot to discuss as it
relates to the teams that aren't playing right now, maybe

(01:01):
even more so than the ones that are. But glad
we have three hours to dissect it because as usual,
we definitely have a lot to get to. I didn't
even mention that whole like you know, Ohio State thing
from Monday.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Either Ohio State won a little national championships since we
last spoke.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
But yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
I actually find a lot of the non AFC NFC
Championship topics kind of frankly some of the more interesting
stuff that has happened since we last spoke. Do think
we probably should start with the two big games on Sunday,
Obviously the NFC Championship game, the surprise Washington Commanders. We
were on air as they beat the Detroit Lions last week.

(01:39):
They are traveling to Philadelphia. That is a three pm
Eastern kickoff on Fox the night game. Yet another Buffalo
Kansas City showdown, Jay Mart, we got three hours to
break this all down. But let's let's stop being around
the bush. Let's just get to the conversation that everyone
in America has had over the last couple days. Tell me,

(02:01):
j Mart, why this year is going to be different
for Buffalo or do you not believe it's gonna be
I don't want to I don't want your pick yet,
But that is the conversation that everybody wants to know.
Is this finally the year Buffalo can get beast kse
your thoughts, Jmartin, Well.

Speaker 5 (02:15):
I mean, if you just want to look at it
from the two teams and the two rosters, Buffalo is
the better overall football team right now.

Speaker 7 (02:23):
They just are.

Speaker 5 (02:25):
And Josh Allen has had a better season than Patrick
Mahomes has at quarterback. He's done more. He's certainly higher
up in the MVP voting, whether or not he wins
it or comes in second. I think that's probably likely
to be the floor for him, would be number two.
But you know, the Chiefs have kind of escaped over
and over and over again. All they gotta do is

(02:46):
do that two more times, and they've won three Super
Bowls in a row, and there's no reason to think
that they can't do that. And they're guys as usual
kind of rounding into four. Mahomes is just doing enough.
But I mean, you look at Josh Allen's numbers last week.
He just kind of did enough. He didn't do too
much and try to do too much and they end
up winning the game. But the Buffalo defense has rounded

(03:07):
into form and really has played great football down the
stretch of the season and to this stage in the postseason.
Allen is firing on all cylinders. I mean, if you
want a reason why it's different, it's different because the
Bills are a fully formed, just monolith of a football
team that should be able to go and beat anybody

(03:30):
on any given day, whether or not it's at home
or away. That's why it could be different. Again, trying
not to give away the pick there, But on the
flip side, I mean, Kansas City does this. It doesn't
matter whether or not they're the team that you look
at and say they should win it. Patrick Mahomes finds
ways to win these games. Travis Kelcey finds ways to

(03:51):
have over one hundred yards in these kind of games.
The Andy Reid finds a way in these kind of games.
Spagnola's defense makes plays in these kind of games. We've
seen this for years and years and years. There's no
reason to think that that won't happen again. So there's
reasons to make a case for both sides. It's gonna
be a great game. It should be a it should

(04:13):
be full of drama. I hope it's close. I don't
see any reason why it won't be. And that's the
reason why they're getting that Prometon billing as well. Because
the whole world's going to be watching that one.

Speaker 4 (04:23):
So let me.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Ask you, what did you make of and you don't
want to overreact to win, what did you make of
just the Bills game plan in general against the Baltimore Ravens.

Speaker 4 (04:34):
Because we obviously all watched the game.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
I don't know what the final tally was, but I'm
guessing it was probably somewhere the neighborhood of forty to
fifty million people were watching, and you know, listen, it's
been analyzed and overanalyzed over the last couple of days.
But felt like they really wanted to establish the ground
game with James Cook. Obviously Josh Allen was great in
short yardage on the ground, but it just felt I
don't know if they were if they wanted to prove something,

(04:57):
or if it was the weather. But you know, well,
Josh Allen had ninety yards passing going into the fourth quarter.
And let's call spade a spade. I don't mean to
be critical of one individual person because I know he's
had a tough week, but you know, if Mark Andrews
doesn't make two bone head not boneheaded, but just two
unfortunate plays at the worst possible time, Baltimore probably goes

(05:17):
in and wins that game, and they're headed to Case,
not Buffalo. This not Buffalo heading to Case this weekend.
So just big picture, are you worried at all or
did you have any takeaways from kind of how the
game went last Sunday.

Speaker 4 (05:31):
You get the win, it's at home, all of that.
I get it.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
I didn't think it was necessarily the best game plan
from Sean McDermott, from Joe Brady.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
What was your thought on that?

Speaker 5 (05:41):
I mean, I think more than anything, it was trying
to make sure And I think this is sort of
the maturation of Josh Allen as a player. He is
not trying to win the game on every throw, He's
not trying to win the game on every run like
he is very much understan standing of the fact that
there's a sixty minute game. There's time. I'm not saying

(06:03):
he's being conservative, but he's less reckless than he was
a season ago or certainly two years ago. He's still
got all the talent in the world, but he doesn't
just uncork it continually all the time. I don't know
that the I don't know what the weather did or
didn't do. I do think that they are very much
trying to run the football, and we've seen that increasingly

(06:26):
with Buffalo this season. James Cook has emerged and their
offensive line is solid and they've been creating space and
pushing defensive lines back and giving Cook space, and Cook
has been doing exactly what you would want him to
do with the football. But so no, I'm not worried
about Josh Allen, like I think, if Josh Allen needs
four hundred yards to win a game, he can still
give you four hundred yards to win a game. I

(06:47):
just don't think he goes out there immediately assuming that's
what he has to do for them to win, and
it's not. It hasn't been. He hasn't had to do
as many heroic things. He's been able to make that
two or three replays a game rather than having to
make the twenty or twenty three plays a game that
we are used to seeing from him. And that's the
same thing with Mahomes. Mahomes used to do a lot

(07:08):
that we haven't seen him do this year, and that
could be a function of his roster to some degree,
but there've just been other things that they can rely upon,
and both of them credited their defense after the wins
over Houston and Baltimore, respectively, And that's fair, like they
both recognize that they can win games without it all
having to be on them, and I think that just

(07:30):
shows again they're getting older, they're getting a little smarter,
and they're getting a little bit more strategic in how
they play Casey.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Obviously, we had plenty of time to talk about them
coming off of the win last week against.

Speaker 4 (07:43):
Houston, just big picture.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Every conversation that has been had that could be had
about Casey has been had over the last fill in
the blank weeks, months, etc. But where do you stand
on them right now? Going in survive against Houston? It
wasn't pretty. There's obviously, as we discussed last week, this
isn't new, but a couple questionable roughing the passer calls

(08:09):
that extended drives. Yeah, I don't know what what do
you make of Kansas City coming into this game because
obviously two time defending champ but you know, listen, it
feels like they've been skating on thin ice for a while.
But you know, we said that at this time coming
into the playoffs last year, and obviously they went on
a run beat San Francisco. So it's just the interesting

(08:30):
thing of you know, they're not playing their best football,
but you know when when was the last time they
looked like the Kansas City Chiefs that we expect, and
they just keep finding ways to win, right, I.

Speaker 5 (08:40):
Mean, they've only lost one time this season, and you know,
if they win two more, then they win another Super Bowl.
They've got it in their building. That's the importance of
being that one seed. That the place, it's going to
be loud, and it's going to be a lot more
difficult for Buffalo in that circumstance than it would be
had they had it, you know, up in Orchard Park.

(09:01):
But that's that's the benefit of being the one seed.
I don't look at Kansas City and feel like they've
been playing particularly well, but they haven't had to so far.
It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them go
out and just play a world beater football game tomorrow
and look like the team that you would assume a
one loss team would look like at this point. But

(09:23):
you know, you know what they have on the sidelines,
you know what they have in mahomes, you know some
of the weapons that they have. They got some young guys.
I mean Ken Xavier Worthy start to grow some hands
and start to make a couple more plays. Yeah, I mean,
it could certainly happen. Tyreek Hill wasn't a great receiver
in his first year either in terms of what you
could trust him with. In terms of his hands, we

(09:45):
understood how fast he was. But yeah, this Kansas City team,
you talk about them skating by. They come in here
and you think that they're vulnerable, But don't make that
mistake because playoff Patrick, especially championship game Patrick, that's going
to be a challenge that is completely different, I would say.
And because they've been so sort of conservative in how

(10:08):
they have approached offense, it's possible that there's some wrinkles
in There's some wrinkles there that we have not had
to see so far into playoffs that they are ready
to unleash that. Maybe Buffalo's defense isn't going to be
prepared for. I don't know. I think there's a chess
match to be had on both sides. Again, I think
the best thing that you can have going into a

(10:28):
championship game is a feeling that either team could win,
And I think that's exactly what you have in the
AFC title game.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
So let's quickly talk about the NFC Championship game. And
again we have two and a half hours more to
break this down, two hours and forty eight minutes to
be exact. Also, Sean Brace, radio host in Philadelphia will
be joining us in just a minute to share the
Philadelphia perspective.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
But let's talk about Philly really quick.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
We talked a lot about by the way, you know,
you could go take take a Commander's angle if you want.
We talked a ton about the Commanders for people who
were not with us last week. Jay Martin and I
came on directly after the Commanders beat the Detroit Lions
in the divisional round. Obviously that that game had a
million different narratives and storylines all in and of itself,
but we did.

Speaker 4 (11:11):
We haven't talked since the Eagles game.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
Obviously, Eagles survive against the Rams, final score twenty eight
to twenty two. The big play late was the monster
Saquon Barkley run with you know it unofficially sealed the game,
put him up thirteen. I know, obviously the Rams were
able to score from there, but Saquon with Saquan Jalen
Hurts has obviously been a little bit banged up, has

(11:32):
been said he was says he's not going to wear
a knee brace, but was wearing a knee brace earlier.

Speaker 4 (11:37):
Says he's fine. Everybody in the building says he's fine.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
But it is worth noting that he really didn't even
try to run the ball late in that game. Does
that impact things at all, because obviously Philadelphia a team
that relies on him, you know, quite a bit, along
with Saquon, and of course you know he's been kind
of just all over the place with a concussion a
few weeks ago, now a little bit of a knee injury.

Speaker 5 (11:59):
I mean, it's not what you want. I mean, he's
definitely banged up, and like you said, it's just been
very inconsistent in terms of how much he's been able
to play, and then being hampered down the stretch in
that game last week. But they've relied heavily on Saquon.
I think they're gonna have to pass the ball a
little bit more tomorrow against Washington. But Washington's defense hadn't
been good throughout much of this year. Now what we

(12:23):
saw against Detroit. If they can force herts into a
couple of mistakes. You know, all bets are off, but
I just feel like this this is the kind of
game differently than how we were talking about Mahomes and
Josh Allen and what they're capable of. This is a
game that if Washington is gonna win it, then their
rookie quarterback's just gonna have to go and steal it.

(12:44):
Like I just I feel that way going in. I
like the culture, like all the stuff is being said
about Dan Quinn. I think it's hilarious that Dan Snyder
is reportedly really upset and hates.

Speaker 4 (12:55):
Stuff back London. He's watching all these games from London.
But yeah, he's fleet.

Speaker 5 (13:00):
Good for him, Good for him. The league is better
without him as a part of it. But I just
kind of this one just feels like this is your
starmaking performance. I mean, you had it last week against Detroit,
but this takes you to another level. If you're Jayden Daniels.
I don't think they can do this without a pretty
just unreal effort from him. I think he's capable of

(13:21):
doing just that, but I don't think that their defense,
Washington's defense can be counted upon to really stop sakuon Barkley,
even if Jayalen Hurts is seventy percent and can't run
the football or whatever like that. This could be a
game where they're gonna have to score on one of
the best defenses in the league, because we already know
that Philadelphia is OH line is likely to hold up

(13:41):
and probably keep jay when Hurts pretty clean in this game.
But I just think Jayden Daniels has got to have
one of those kind of stat lines again, and if
he does, then he's going to be talked about in
a way no rookie's ever been talked about based on
what he would have then done to both Detroit and Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
The Commander's Eagles game the early one three pm Eastern time,
and of course Casey and Buffalo at six thirty Eastern.
And here's the thing, Tours and Martin Aron until too
a m. Eastern time. We're gonna be breaking down all
these games as well as a crazy, crazy, crazy week
in the coaching carousel. This is Fox Sports Radio. I
am eron Torus. He is Jason Martin. Tell you what

(14:22):
jmart will come back, what we do. I actually want
to bring on a guest our buddy Sean Brace, who
hosts in Philadelphia Monday through Friday. He's been covering this.
We have a lot to talk to him about. Philadelphia
Eagles and Washington Commanders. Is the early game. Sean Brace
out of Philadelphia joins us. Next, this is Fox Sports Areio.

Speaker 8 (14:44):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 4 (14:56):
Let me hear you all say Hey, ow Hellee, Let's
go birt.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
Welcome back everybody. Fox Sports Radio air tors Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live from Thetireq dot com studios. That
was Philadelphia Mayor, Philadelphia Mayo Cherrelle Parker. Listen, we all
have moments of weakness. You know who never has moments
of weakness? Though, our buddy, Sean Brace. You can hear

(15:28):
him three to six Eastern and Philly Monday through Friday
on Fox Sports Radio The Gambler Sean Brace. Who's more
embarrassing for the city of Philadelphia right now? The mayor
or the seventy six ers, The Flora is yours?

Speaker 4 (15:44):
What's going on?

Speaker 5 (15:44):
Buddy?

Speaker 3 (15:45):
Ooh gentlemen, great to be out with you on this
wonderful Saturday evening as we are about to embark on
one more victory to get the New Orleans here coming
up for the Birds. But that's a good question for
you for me rough the jump, Aaron, I'll tell you what.
The Sickers are pretty embarrassing.

Speaker 7 (16:02):
But here's what I'll tell you. I could promise you this.

Speaker 3 (16:06):
Not many things I've been perfect in life, but I've
always spelled Eagles correctly headed the Chad, So I got
that going for me. But yeah, Man, to your point too,
the Sixers are absolutely every bit of embarrassing.

Speaker 7 (16:19):
And Paul George leaving the game.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Tonight even though they won with the Bruce pinky finger,
it's just perfect perfect.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
I actually saw your tweety p Yeah, Nick Man, feel
free to steal that one on Monday. I don't know
how much Sixers you'll be talking this week, but let's
get into it first of all, just you know, first
reactions you could Sean, you could take this wherever you want,
Sean Brace joining us, Fox Sports Radio, The Gambler and
Philly Listen. There's so many storylines. The third matchup with Washington,

(16:47):
Jade and Daniels emergence, Jalen Hurts his knee, what, in
your opinion, just as the single biggest storyline heading into
this game.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah, I would have to definitely say Jalen's knee, you know,
because regardless of what he says, and regardless of.

Speaker 7 (17:01):
What we were able to see very little of it.

Speaker 3 (17:03):
At practice with the cameras and what they're able to
record in the beginning, we won't know exactly what his
situation is dealing with that knee injury until the game
gets started, until he gets going. So that's definitely the
number one concern for me. Boys, I'll tell you, like
this team is the darn good team. The big stat

(17:24):
that I've tossed out there from the beginning was that
we've only seen one other time in NFL history since
nineteen seventy a team carried.

Speaker 7 (17:33):
The number one defense and the number one.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
Overall rusher for the season into the playoffs, and that
was the ninety two Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. This
is a really good football team that, regardless of Jalen
Hurts and if he's not able to throw the football accurately,
what he should be able to do at the professional level,
with guys like AJ Browner Debte Smith, they're still going
to move the football with the best offensive line out there,

(17:57):
and say one Barkley behind him, defense is going to
be trouble for the rookie quarterback at the Link Financial
Field on Sunday.

Speaker 7 (18:05):
It's just going to be a different monster, different jungle.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
I want to give him all the credit in the
world going into Detroit, but being at the Minnesota Viking
NSA NFC championship game a couple of years ago, and
then the one just against the forty nine ers perty
got hurt in it, but still it's just a whole
different monster. So I really like the Eagles chances on Sunday,
regardless of Jalen Hurtz's injury, just based off of the

(18:28):
defense is really strong and that offensive, that rung game
behind that offensive line is todd notch.

Speaker 5 (18:34):
So what you said about Detroit, are you not concerned
about Jaden Daniels' potential to go off in this game?
Like I would look at it and almost say yeah,
considering the injuries and everything that Detroit was was dealing
with entering that game, getting Jarrett Golf on the road,
outdoors and relatively cold temperatures, I might have felt better

(18:54):
about my chances there. Than I do against Jayden Daniels.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
It's interesting. You know, look, golf made a bunch of
mistakes and that was that was, you know.

Speaker 7 (19:03):
The big factor in that game.

Speaker 3 (19:05):
If he doesn't turn the football over with those bunch
of interceptions, it's definitely a little bit different ball game
for sure, And maybe if they called.

Speaker 7 (19:13):
A different game too as well. Ben Johnson, not the.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
Best idea to have your wide receiver throwing the football
out there, but I digress. I will say, you know, look, Jaden,
I want to give a cliff a ton of credit
offensive coordinator. He's been able to work with him and
get them comfortable. You see a lot of those bubble
screens and now.

Speaker 7 (19:31):
He'll take shots down the field.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
But I just don't see those bubble screens those you know,
anything that's short really being successful. Zach Ertz has just
came back on the scene from the dead.

Speaker 7 (19:42):
We know him really well here in Philadelphia, big fan favorite.
But it's surprising to see what he's been able to
do in that offense.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
I know, they got really good wide receivers, scary Terry, decent.

Speaker 7 (19:53):
Run game, and then Eckler coming out of the backfield.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
There's a lot to like they're playing great football. Four
teams remained, they're all, well, they all have something positive
for him. But this defense, I'm telling you, this is
the message right here, right now.

Speaker 7 (20:07):
It doesn't matter what the.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
Eagles offense to does, it's what comes down to that
Eagles defense and if they rise to the occasion, that
are number one overall defense.

Speaker 7 (20:16):
And they've been a different animal.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Since that lost to Tampa back in Week four. I
want to say it was ever since then. They just
turned the page and you're getting just unbelievable play from
rookies from quinnya Minchell, Cooper, Dejen of course, Slaves coming
on strong, and Jalen Carter finally having that Jalen Carter game.

Speaker 7 (20:34):
And I really reluctant to say that.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
Because this is a guy that takes on two defenders
every single snap, but he was able to get through
against the Rams in that nasty weather.

Speaker 7 (20:44):
And get after Stafford.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
That was really his game last week, his coming out
partying in the playoffs.

Speaker 7 (20:49):
So hopefully there's some more of that tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
Sean Brace joining us here on Fox Sports Radio. Sean
of course hosts Monday through Friday three pm to six
pm Eastern in Philadelphia. Fox Sports Radio The Gambler. You
can follow him on Twitter at Sean Underscore Brace Sean.
So I just want to ask you a big picture,
how does the city feel about Sirianni. I mean, we're obviously,
you know, beyond the point of he's on the hot seat,

(21:12):
he's this, he's that. But in a big game, do
they trust him or is it just a sum is
greater than the parts. And we just believe in the
fifty three guys on the field despite what the situation
is with the with the head coach.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
There's a lot of split emotions when it comes to
head coach. Nick Sirianna is winning percentages right now, the
number one winning percentage in Philadelphia Eagles history. Four seasons,
made a playoffs in all four second trip possibly to
a Super Bowl.

Speaker 7 (21:41):
I'm hand in the air boys.

Speaker 3 (21:42):
If he lost that game to the Green Bay Packers,
I didn't see him returning. And that's just the being
realistic about the situation and the embarrassment of riches Howie
Roseman has gave him to work with, and you know
that's just Look, Doug Peterson won a Super Bowl, first
win in franchise history. He got fired. So if you
don't get the job done. Jeffrey loriie. The expectations are

(22:03):
really high, and that's just what's going to happen. But
at this point in time, his job is safe no
matter what happens. And you know, look, I'll argue with
plenty of Eagles fans over that throughout the course of
a week, because there's a lot of Nick Sirianni backers.

Speaker 7 (22:16):
He's proved me wrong, though, I want to put that
in the air.

Speaker 3 (22:19):
Two times I've doubted that guy and his coaching ability
and he's proved me wrong.

Speaker 7 (22:24):
And that one was this year.

Speaker 3 (22:25):
Against Tampa because that team didn't look like they wanted
to beat out there in that South Florida weather, and
all they did was just turn the page and became
a whole different team and been that team that we
thought they were going to be coming.

Speaker 7 (22:36):
Into the season.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
And then the Super Bowl year, they went off to
Vegas and they got blown out. I lost my mind
on air, and they turned the page and they were
able to make the.

Speaker 7 (22:44):
Run from that point on as well.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
So anytime I've doubted him, doubted him, I have egg
on my face.

Speaker 7 (22:51):
But what I will tell you is I think Kellamore
is really good.

Speaker 3 (22:55):
I believe in Vic fanned you on the defensive side
of the ball. What he's got going on has his place.
He's been able to get the team believing he is
that leader. Not the best on the microphone, but nobody
cares former player like. He brings that that mindset and
he's able to galvanize like the team behind him. So
there is a lot to like about him. But I

(23:17):
will tell you, if you had to ask me whether
I was in the Nick Sirianni camp or not, hand
in the air, I would say I was not.

Speaker 7 (23:24):
But he's proven me wrong. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (23:27):
Sean, We'll go, we'll we'll go hypothetically and say, you, guys,
the Eagles do win the game, who do you like
in a matchup in the Super Bowl between Kansas City
who of course, well we've seen that matchup before, or
a Buffalo team that's firing on all cylinders.

Speaker 7 (23:44):
I'm gonna yell it.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
I'm gonna yell it right now on Fox Sports Radio.
You ready, I can't. I'm so happy you asked me
this question. I want the Kansas City chief. It's not
about the matchup. I want the best of the best,
Like Travis Kelsey said, you think we're scared, but it's
in a Walmart parking pot.

Speaker 7 (24:02):
That's what it's all about.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
You want Mahomes, I want Andy Reid, I want Spaggs,
I want that defensive line. I want everything that Kansas
City is going to bring to that game. Taylor Swift,
Mahomes's old lady, Kelsey's old lady.

Speaker 7 (24:17):
Bring them all. I can't wait because that would.

Speaker 3 (24:19):
Be what it's all about, right, the best of the best,
so much to play for. No other team has ever
done it before. And the Eagles were so close, so close.
It pains me to relive that Super Bowl, so close
to beating the Kansas City Chiefs a.

Speaker 7 (24:32):
Couple of years ago.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
What a day that was up by double digits a
halftime and then just coughing it up. So yes, put
in the perspective as far as matchup to the side,
because I think.

Speaker 7 (24:43):
They're both the same.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
I mean, Buffalo's got their strengths, they got their weaknesses.
Kansas City is Kansas City. But if you ask me
who I want, bring on.

Speaker 7 (24:51):
The Chiefs, please the doors.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
I'm afraid to ask another question after you've called out
Taylor Swift because I feel like that's the best way
to And I did just have one sort of non
Eagles related question, and it's what jaymar and I are
going to talk as we let you off the air here.
What do you make of the situation with the Cowboys?
I mean, it's it's like it's embarrassing at this point.
As an outside I don't play him twice a year,

(25:16):
My team doesn't play him twice a year. But as
a dude who sees that organization twice a year knows, hey, listen, listen.
And I've been critical of McCarthy, but he did take
him to the playoffs three times. Whatever the point I'm
trying to make the whole debacle with is he coming back?

Speaker 5 (25:30):
Is he not?

Speaker 2 (25:31):
You get way behind on the coaching search, and then, oh,
by the way, you now bring in a guy.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
That you know, was it a play caller?

Speaker 2 (25:38):
It had no real I don't know, I'm setting it
up for you, But as a dude who has seen
the highs of the highs with the Cowboys, but certainly
a lot of loads of late what do you just
make of what happened the last twenty four hours with
that coaching search?

Speaker 7 (25:52):
Long Live Jerry Jones.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
I hope he lives till he's like one thirty. Keep
running the Cowboys, my friend. Yeah, Look, it's no surprise
that they would go with Shotneiber. I thought Kellen Moore
was absolutely going to be the guy, but it didn't
turn out to be the case.

Speaker 7 (26:10):
And I don't know.

Speaker 3 (26:11):
What Schottenneimer was able to say to him. I would
have I would assume it has something to do with like, hey, Jerry,
it's your team. You tell me where you want, you
tell me what you.

Speaker 7 (26:20):
Want to hear.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
It's just that's my take on I'm not in the room,
so I would I would imagine that had to go
something like that as far as the interview process gets concerned,
because you have to believe that people want that job.
It's the Dallas Cowboy coaching job. Like that's that's a
pretty darn good brand to be in charge of. But
the problem is is Jerry Jones is making all the decisions,
so it doesn't shock me. It does not shock me

(26:43):
one bit. And Shottenneimer is elevated now as the head
coach and I love it so long live Jared Jones forever.

Speaker 2 (26:50):
Please calling out Taylor Swift and wishing another fifty years
on Jerry Jones from israelis you're living up to the
Philadelphia brand right now, Shawbray, So, man, we appreciate you.
Can listen to Sean Monday through Friday, three to six eastern,
Fox Sports Radio, The Gambler out in Philadelphia.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
My man, it's always a pleasure talking to you.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
Hopefully, Hey tell you what if things go the way
you think that they're going to, we'll have you back
on in two weeks.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
All right, Uh, you're the best. Thank you very much, gentlemen.
Always a pleasure.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
That is Sean Brace Fox Sports Radio, The Gambler three
to six Eastern in Philly here on Fox Sports Radio.
Come back, talk a little bit about what Sean said,
and then I don't think we I think we saved
the Cowboys for the top of the hour because we
need more than about fifteen or twenty minutes on that one.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
Jaden tell is he is.

Speaker 5 (27:34):
He actually an Eagles fan.

Speaker 2 (27:38):
It was tough to It was tough to tell, tough
to decipher. Yeah, it was tough to tell. But yeah,
so we'll come back. I actually will save the Cowboys
for the top of the hour. But there is other
coaching news that is certainly plenty to talk about. We'll
discuss it all next. Let's get it over the news
desk first time this evening though, Steve Disager, what is trending?

Speaker 6 (27:55):
Hello, gentlemen, and you were talking first segment about the
Kansas City Chiefs and how they've played this year. I'll
repeat that this season, the Chiefs have won by single
digits twelve times, which is the most such wins in
a single season by any team in the history of
the NFL regular season and playoffs. Kansas City will be
hosting the Bill Sunday in the late game the AFC Championship,

(28:18):
and like last year's playoff against Buffalo, Buffalo and Bill
safety Taylor rap out Sunday back in hip injuries. This time,
by the way, Bill's offensive coordinator Joe Brady will stay
in Buffalo. After interviewing for the Saints head coach opening,
New Orleans will have a second interview with Kellen Moore.
The Saints planned to speak with former Dallas coach Mike McCarthy.

(28:38):
They just talked to Mike Kafka. Raven's defensive back Marlon
Humphrey was fined about forty five thousand dollars for using
his helmets in a hit on Bill's quarterback Josh Allen
last week. Washington defensive tackle Deron Payne is out Sunday
with knee and finger injuries. Washington guard Sam coused Me
out as he tore a ACL last Saturday. Philadelphia defensive
tackle Byron Young out with a hamstring injury. If you

(29:00):
didn't hear, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is off the injury
report after last Sunday's bad knee. He'll likely wear a
brace Sunday against Washington. Philly is hosting the NFC title
game on Fox TV three pm Eastern Time tomorrow. To
college basketball. Number one Auburn beat number six ranked Tennessee
tonight fifty three point fifty one as each team shot

(29:22):
thirty one percent from the floor. In the top ten
victories for Duke and Iowa State for Alabama and Florida,
Number seven, Houston won in double overtime at twelfth rank
Kansas ninety two to eighty six. Houston had tied it
at the end of the first ot on a steel
and a three pointer. Aight thrank Michigan State is eight
to zero in the Big Ten Conference after winning at
Rutgers eighty one seventy four. Vanderbilt at home beat number

(29:45):
nine Kentucky seventy four sixty nine Kentucky three and three
in conference to the NBA late game in LA final
seconds before halftime, Milwaukee leading the Clippers fifty seven fifty four.
Everything else. That's thirteen. Other NBA games are finals, including
the Lakers win at Golden State one eighteen to one
oh eight, Anthony Davis thirty six points at Phoenix twenty

(30:08):
nine for Kevin Durant in a win over Washington one
nineteen to one oh nine. The Washington Wizards have lost
thirteen in a row. Memphis won its six straight game,
beating Utah one twenty five to one oh three. Orlando
ended a five game losing streak with a win against
Detroit one twenty one to one thirteen thirty two points
for Franz Wagner of the Magic that included twenty five

(30:30):
in the fourth quarter. Minnesota ended Denver's four game winning
streak one thirty three to one oh four, Anthony Edwards
thirty four points, and in Paris today, Indiana beat San
Antonio one thirty six to ninety eight in late night
NHL action, It's now the Panthers seven to two at
San Jose late second period. Earlier overtime wins for Columbus,

(30:52):
the Islanders and New Jersey, which won in overtime at
Montreal four to three. Harris English took the golf tournament
in San Diego by one stroke after a final round
seventy three. Here earned nearly one point seven million dollars
in tennis overnight. Sorry to I'm American. Madison Keys won
the Australian Open, beating number one Arena Sableka the men's
final late tonight.

Speaker 9 (31:13):
Back to you, thank you very.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
Much, Steve Disager.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
This is Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Saturday aeron towards
Jason Martin, broadcasting live from the tai Iraq dot com studios.

Speaker 4 (31:22):
We are live taking you up till two a m Eastern.

Speaker 2 (31:25):
Rapid Radios are the official communication device of Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (31:28):
In an emergency.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
You want Rapid radios instant push to talk, walkie talkies
for clear national LT coverage and one touch communication, peace
of mind for connecting with family and an emergency. Go
to Rapid radios dot com now for up to sixty
percent off plus free shipping. Tell you what jmart want
to give us? Plenty of time to talk about Ben
Johnson to the Bears. Will it work? Will it not work?

(31:49):
Caleb Williams, will he ever catch up to Jaden Daniels
And is this the coach to get him there?

Speaker 4 (31:54):
We'll discuss it next. Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
Dor listening, No Sports, Welcome back, everybody. Fox Sports Radio,
Erra Torris, Jason Martin. We are broadcasting live from the
Zayak dot Com studios, jmart In. Addition to UH, two
pretty big games on Sunday, busy week on the coaching carousel.
Thirteen minutes from now, we uh, we're gonna break start

(32:20):
breaking down the Cowboys. We might not finish before the
show is over, but I do want to go to
some of the other news of the week, and and
and I want to start with the one that I'll
be honest, kind of caught me by surprise. Monday afternoon,
Chicago Bears officially announced well it wasn't. They didn't officially
announce it, but it was reported by Adam Schefter. It's
has since obviously not only been confirmed, but Ben Johnson

(32:43):
is officially the Chicago Bears head coach. You know, I
remember being on here on air with you this time
last week and we were talking about those Raiders rumors.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
What is that about?

Speaker 7 (32:53):
Is he?

Speaker 5 (32:53):
You know?

Speaker 2 (32:53):
And it it was the one that we felt like
all season. Oh man, you know he's He's the hot
coordinator right now. Caleb Williams needs an offensive head coach.
Then as the carousel started spinning, it felt like it
just wasn't gonna happen. The Bears were interviewing a million
different guys. Next thing, you know, looks like it was
all smoke screen. Ben Johnson is officially the Chicago Bears

(33:15):
head coach. I got a lot of thoughts, but I'm
excited to hear what you have to say as well.

Speaker 5 (33:20):
Well. I mean, I think that they did a good
job because I mean, yeah, could he turn out to
be another Matt Naggi in terms of his oc becoming
a head coach? Maybe too soon, I suppose so. But
I think this tells you a couple of things. It
tells you that Ben Johnson believes Caleb Williams can play,
and he believes that he can be a savior of

(33:40):
sorts when it comes to Caleb Williams' career. After one
bad year or one just kind of thrown away, tossed
away into the garbage kind of year. And I look
at it from Ben's perspective, So he could have had
any job, and he takes Chicago. Chicago's been and I'm
not very good for a long long time. But Ben
Johnson has been game planning against defenses in the NFC

(34:04):
North for a couple of years now, yep. So he
understands that side of the ball in terms of the
opponents that he's going to see most often. He looks
at Caleb Williams. He played him twice this year, so
he looks at him across the way and he you know,
he's able to see strengths weak and says what he
might need to tweak, what he might need to fix.
He feels pretty good about that assignment. You look at

(34:25):
some of the skill talent that they had acquired over
the last couple of years. It's not bad. The defense
is not a disaster. And here's the thing. If you're
Ben Johnson, if you go in there and win, nobody
has won in Chicago for so long that it puts
you in a first off. It's a great sports town,
especially when you're winning. And it would give him, I mean,
he would be able to write his own check after that, Like,

(34:47):
I mean, do you want to go to Jacksonville? Do
you want to go to some of these other places?
It doesn't seem like it. So I mean, I think
for Chicago, you could have done a lot worse, And
some of the names that were being valued around were
a whole lot worse. They kind of get the prize coordinator,
the one everybody was talking about. And I think for
him it shows confidence and if you're Caleb Williams, you
have to feel good because it shows that somebody who's

(35:09):
been watching and has had a lot of success in
the NFL calling plays and designing offenses thinks that you
can be the guy for him and is going to
hitch his career to yours. So I like a lot
about this quite.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
Frankly, so I do too, And I think the last
point you bring up to me is probably the most important.
Is I know Ben Johnson isn't game planning to stop
Caleb Williams, but at the same time seeing him up
closing in person twice, and if he didn't feel like
there was something to work with there, he obviously wouldn't
have taken this job.

Speaker 4 (35:41):
As a guy that was obviously very coveted.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
So you know, listen, I've used this analogy before and
maybe even specifically about Caleb, is that you know, at
the end of the day, I say this all the time,
I don't care if a quarterback succeeds or quarterback fails.
You know, like am I saying, I don't care, Like
I'm not rooting against anybody, But like my life, I'm
not a fan of it. My life doesn't fundamentally change
if Caleb Williams becomes a star or Drake May becomes

(36:04):
a star, Michael Petty, it doesn't matter to me. But
what I always like with any young quarterback is are
they at least put in the best position to succeed possible.
I remember using this analogy last year with Justin Herbert,
where you know, we spent weeks, you know, Brandon Staley's
fired the middle of the year, and we say, are
the Chargers gonna go out and make a big boy

(36:25):
coaching hire or are they are gonna nickel and dime
like they tend to do Brandon Staley, Anthony Lynn blah
blah blah blah blah. And when they hired Jim Harbaugh,
I said, look, I don't know if justin Herbert's gonna hit.
I don't know if he's not gonna hit, but I
just love that he was put in the best position
possible with Jim Harbaugh, and I feel the exact same
way with Ben Johnson. Is I do feel like this

(36:45):
is a position where Caleb Williams obviously has a great
offensive mind, a great QB developer, an offensive developer. And
you know, especially by the way, given all the reports
and rumors and innuendo about at the coaching search with
the Chicago Bears. You know, when we were on air
last week, it was Eddie George's interviewing for the job,

(37:06):
and it's like, no disrespect to Eddie George. I know
he's crushing it at the HBCU level, but is that
the guy you want to bring in? You know, Brian
Flores interviewed whoever, It doesn't really matter. The point was
Ben Johnson was always the guy. He was going to
be the guy. Jmart don't know if you have anything
else on Ben Johnson, but really quickly, I was gonna say,
I want to get some of the other coaching highs.
Did you have anything to add on Ben Johnson and

(37:28):
the Bears?

Speaker 5 (37:28):
Real quick only other thing I'll say is something I've
said in the past, especially in this case. You had
to go get an offensive coach. Yes, in my opinion,
I did not think and I generally believe this period,
although you could end up with the wrong one, certainly,
But if you don't get an offensive guy and he's
red hot and you have a good OC, that guy's
gonna leave for a head coaching job. Talk to Dan

(37:48):
Campbell about it. He just watched his guy go to Chicago.
But if you hired the offensive guy first, he's gonna
stick around because there's only lateral moves from where he
currently is unless there's money discrepancy or something to that degree.
So I think that for Caleb Williams, they couldn't mess
this up again. You have to give him the best
chance to succeed, as you said, and this, to me

(38:09):
is the best bet. This doesn't seem like a risk anymore.
This seems like about the least amount of risk that
you could have done. And it's a splash higher because
this was the red hot offensive name and you landed him,
and you've got the number one pick in the draft
only a year away, you know, a year removed from
being the number one pick in the draft, and there's

(38:29):
still time to not just fix this, but really turn
it around.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
So we'll save some of the other coaches for later
in the show really quickly. Do you believe Caleb Williams
will Do you think they'll get things going with Ben Johnson? Obviously,
you know, especially with the way Jayden Daniels is playing,
there's even a bigger spotlight on Caleb Williams. Do you
think this is the moment where things finally get going.

Speaker 5 (38:50):
Yes, I don't. I'm not gonna go as far as
to say anything about Jade Daniels or how far Caleb
Williams is going to go or anything, because we just
have no idea. But I think that this is going
to unleash Caleb Williams and give him the best opportunity
to become the Kleb Williams we thought he could be
coming out of college. So yeah, I am. I'm very
bullish on this move. I think it's going to work.

(39:12):
I think it will too.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
Like I said, I'm just excited for Caleb Williams because
you look at all of the names that they were interviewing,
and it's no disrespect to anybody else, but you draft
this kid number one overall. By the way, we all
know about the politics with the Chicago Bears. Kevin warrens
the president. You know, I did some research during this
whole process. It seems like Kevin Warren is basically acting

(39:34):
as the owner as the mccaskes kind of take a
back seat.

Speaker 4 (39:37):
So you wondered, are they going to screw this up?
And it seems like they got the right hire. Only
time will tell.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
This is Fox Sports Radio eron tourist Jason Martin. We
are broadcasting that I from the tyreck dot Com studios,
taking it up till two a m. Eastern time when
we come back. We will stay in the NFL because
the Bears aren't the only team that has a new
head coach.

Speaker 4 (39:57):
The Cowboys do. But don't really know what else there
is to say about it.

Speaker 2 (40:01):
We got a lot to discuss though, Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
Don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Welcome in everybody, hour two Fox Sports Radio ra toords
Jason Martin. We are broadcasting live from the Tirec dot
Com studios. Tirec dot Com. We'll help you get there
an unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road azer protection
and over ten thousand recommended installers tirereck dot com The
way tire buying should be. By the way Jmart, I'm

(40:31):
officially California Soft. Went next door to grab a gatorade
during the commercial break. It was raining, first of all,
almost considered not even going because of the rain.

Speaker 4 (40:41):
Then stepped in a big puddle and I'm just I'm I'm.

Speaker 5 (40:45):
Let your bag man. Yeah, I bet that was difficult.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
First of all, if I don't make it, you know,
tell my family I love them. But also, you know,
one foot soaking wet, one foot dry. You know, I
feel like you know Phil Connors in Groundhog Day. You know,
watch out for that first step. It's a doozy.

Speaker 5 (41:00):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
So yeah, if I'm a little off my game, uh
that might be it. So yes, so pray for me
with one soaking wet foot in one completely drive.

Speaker 5 (41:09):
Good job, I mean, I mean, first off, again, just
off to you for the effort being able to make
it back on time and now playing hurt too. I mean,
you've got one foot. That's that's certainly problematic right now.
I certainly hope it wasn't cold water because that could
potentially be a frostbite situation. And I mean look, Jordan

(41:33):
had this flu game. Yes, and you have got your
I stepped in a puddle trying to get a gatorade
during the commercial break game.

Speaker 2 (41:39):
Yes, it's it's it's it's really trying times. I will
say this, There's only one thing that could make it worse. Thankfully,
I'm not a Dallas Cowboys fan because I because if
I was a Cowboys fan and I had a wet foot,
I might just call it a career.

Speaker 4 (41:52):
I think we might have.

Speaker 5 (41:53):
Face planet in the puddle that you stepped in.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
Yes, somehow, I'm still having a better day than every
single Cowboys fan in America because it was really a
little over twenty four hours ago the news became official.
I can't even wait to go back and listen to
what Jason Smith and Mike Harmon had to say about
it as it happened in real time during their show.
I believe, but it is official. Brian Schottenheimer, who was

(42:15):
of course the offensive coordinator last year in title only
because of course, Mike McCarthy called plays. He has been
in the NFL forever. He has never been a head coach.
I don't know that he's ever been anywhere close to
being a head coach. He was serving as an analyst
as recently as three years ago, two years, two seasons
ago with the Dallas Cowboys. Brian Schottenheimer is officially the

(42:38):
Dallas Cowboys head coach. Jmart I have so many thoughts
on the state of this organization. First of all, so
it's crazy, right because we were on air last week,
and you know, there was the Dion stuff, but it
didn't really feel like it was going anywhere. As Sean Brace,
our guest from Philadelphia, said, it felt like Kellen Moore
was going to be the guy. Brian Schottenheimer's kind of
picking up steam all week. But I think even the

(43:00):
most you know, pessimistic Cowboys person or critic, like you know,
maybe myself and you was like, no, they're not really
hiring Brian Shott. Oh, they hired Brian Schottenheimer a little
over twenty four hours ago. Where were you and what
were you doing.

Speaker 4 (43:14):
When you found out Brian Schottenheimer was the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 5 (43:17):
I don't know if it was one of the Fox
emails that we get from everybody out there, or if
it was some other breaking news alert that I received,
but I was just kind of stunned. My reaction to
it immediately was I mean, was Mike McCarthy not available?

Speaker 4 (43:36):
Apparently?

Speaker 2 (43:37):
I mean, really like, this is the one negotiation Jerry
went hard on deck. You get whatever you want, ceedee Lamb,
you get whatever you want. Mike McCarthy, Sorry, that extra
year that you want in your contract, We're gonna go
in another direction.

Speaker 5 (43:51):
So yeah, so you know, we had Sean brace on
from Philadelphia on in the first hour, and he even said,
you know, it's a cowboys job. People want the job.
And I was looking at some of the names that said, well,
you know, they weren't interested. Jerry Jones wasn't interested in Rabel,
he wasn't interested in Belichick. So that tells you right there.
One of the things he really wasn't interested in is

(44:11):
somebody that wanted any kind of control whatsoever. Anybody that
you had a bit of a headstrong personality. Vrabel controlled
a lot of things here in Nashville when he was
with the Titans. You can see he's gonna do the
same thing in New England. And Belichick was certainly a
guy that won in power. And then you heard some
of the other offensive coordinator names. Apparently there was never

(44:31):
any interest in like a Ben Johnson type or something
like that, according to some of the things that I read.
But Brian Schottenheimer like the same Brian Schottenheimer whose offense
in Seattle was first down run, second down run, third
down Russ cooked like over and over and over again.
It really was like, hey, Russ, now it's third down

(44:51):
in sixteen, get us out of it, draw us up
and up in the dirt and make it happen for us.
Like I don't, this has gotta be the most underwhelming
hire that you could have had for a major sports team,
Like Schottenheimer is the name, that's what you end up with,
Like callin Moore made sense to me. He had name,

(45:13):
and his offense is doing great things at Philadelphia this year.
He understands the division like some of that, yeah exactly,
and of course, yeah, tied to the organization specifically. But
but but but brought Brian Schottenheimer that that's what we
are with the Cowboys. The one thing I'll say is

(45:33):
this the Cowboys. I was almost gonna ask Sean Brace
this question. I didn't because I thought I thought it
really would have been just too much low hanging fruit
for a Philadelphia radio host. But are the Cowboys now
just irrelevant and boring, Like when you really look at it,
they take no risks, they do nothing particularly interesting. They're

(45:55):
controversial only because they get covered like their contents, but
most of what they do it's not even that interesting.
Their offense is relatively boring, the defense isn't particularly exciting.
Jerry Jones has become just you know exactly what he's
gonna do, seemingly every single time. He is very conservative.

(46:15):
He is risk averse at this point, like the Cowboys,
the glitz, the America's Team, all of that that is
fading more and more by the day because there's nothing
to me particularly interesting about the Dallas Cowboys. Like if
basically the exact same thing had happened but it was
the New Orleans Saints, I wouldn't have been able to
tell the difference. Like the Saints are a boring team

(46:37):
in the league right now, which is why they don't
have a head coach, because they have a bunch of
people that are interviewing and saying, I don't think I'm
gonna stay in Buffalo. But you look at you look
at Dallas, and it's just kind of like, why do
I want to watch this team? Like, what about this
is interesting? At this point, we got Jayden Daniels in Washington,
we already know what Philadelphia is. New York's at least

(46:57):
doing some interesting things. I may I don't know. New
York and Dallas are supposed to be the teams in
that division and right now they're after thoughts.

Speaker 2 (47:06):
So I agree with all of it. And one, first
of all, I do agree they kind of feel irrelevant
what I would say, and I know that it's easy
to like get into all these hyperbolic, you know things
in a moment like this. I think they're officially the
worst run organization in pro sports. And I really mean
that because if you just think about everything that has

(47:28):
happened over the last couple of years.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
Okay, and first of all, I agree with everything you said.
They're boring.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
They don't take risks, you know, Jerry for whatever reason.
I think people finally picked up on it the last
year or so when they really didn't fire McCarthy after
last year's playoffs. Jerry is the opposite of who we
think that he is, or who we once thought he is,
which you know, this rebel risk taker. No, No, he's actually
very very very conservative and very very, very boring.

Speaker 4 (47:53):
But if you look at this, I mean, let's just
talk it out.

Speaker 9 (47:55):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
So you have the Mike McCarthy situation. I think you
should have been fired even before last year's playoffs. I
don't think it was justifiable in any way, shape or
form to bring him back last year, especially by the way,
given the pool of candidates that was available. Belichick was
available last year, Mike Rabel was available last year. You
could have promoted Dan Quinn, who we knew was getting

(48:18):
a job. There were so many good alternatives, but you
end up running it back with Mike McCarthy. You wait
all summer, you give Dak the biggest contract in the
history of pro football, which for some reason that weirdly
gives Jerry an ego boost when all it does is
hamstring your team with a B to B plus quarterback

(48:40):
and no wiggle room to do anything else.

Speaker 4 (48:42):
And that's another conversation for another day. Dak is fine.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
We know what Dak is at this point in his career,
and I think even Cowboys fan you know, I've told
this story a million times, but my nephew is a
Cowboys fan, and I remember talking to him probably week two,
Week three, He's just like, we're never gonna win with Jerry,
and we're never gonna win with It's that simple.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
So you should have fired Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Then you probably shouldn't have given Dak the biggest contract
in the history of the NFL. Then the worst part
was this whole Mike McCarthy situation Jmark, Because listen, I
don't think Mike McCarthy is terrible.

Speaker 4 (49:17):
I don't think he should have been retained after this year.

Speaker 2 (49:20):
But what I will also say, if you know that
he's coming into a season in a lame duck situation
and he starts this season, let's just go back and think.
Because they finished seven to ten, it's easy to forget this. Now,
let's not forget how the season started. When they were
pseudo fully healthy with Dak. They beat the Browns in

(49:41):
Week one. They proceed to get destroyed by the New
Orleans Saints at home. They then proceed to lose to
the Ravens. The final score is twenty eight twenty five,
but it was actually not at all close, and they
rally late to make it respectable.

Speaker 4 (49:55):
You get a couple wins, you come.

Speaker 2 (49:57):
Back, you proceed to get destroyed at home, by the
Detroit Lions. Okay, and I don't have all the details
off the top of my head, but if you remember,
first of all, it was four straight losses at home
dating back to the playoffs last year, three of them
basically by like thirty plus points. That was the game
where Ben Johnson was basically calling reversus to the offensive tackle.

(50:19):
You know, with four, five, six minutes to go, so
you lose, you get destroyed. Okay, you start out three
and seven through week eighteen through week eleven, excuse me,
At that point you know Mike McCarthy isn't coming back,
fire him and get a head start on the coaching search.
At that point, you not only could have gotten Mike Rable,
you not only could have gotten Ben Jonson, you could

(50:39):
have got Bill Belichick if you wanted him. Instead, you
let McCarthy coach long enough to win a couple games,
and then you start the negotiating process with him after
the regular season ends. It's like, again, you should have
fired him last year. You then probably should have fired
him after you started three and seven. You wait until

(51:00):
the end of the year where he has a tiny
bit of leverage, and then you start negotiations. You fall
behind in the process, and you get a guy that
is literally not even a candidate anywhere else. Like, say
what you want about some of these other guys, you
know whatever, blah blah. Pete Carroll interviewed for other jobs
and he's obviously been very successful. Joe whoever, Liam Cohen

(51:22):
interviewed for a bunch of jobs. We know that the
Buccaneers kind of wanted them as their own head coach.
Nobody was trying to hire Brian Schanhammer. To me, there's
nothing else to say other than that they are the
most poorly run franchise in the NFL. And you know,
Sean Brace, our guests from Philadelphia said it a few
minutes ago. But like, as long as Jerry's there, I

(51:44):
just don't think they have hope. I think we have
a thirty year track record and that's getting progressively worse
by the year. That he is as much a part
of the problem, he is now a bigger problem than
he is a solution that is indisputable over probably the
last ten twelve years, And it's just embarrassing and sad
at this point, to be perfectly honest.

Speaker 5 (52:03):
So look, there's two things here. One, Jerry has always
talked about how he would give an obscene amount of
money if you could guarantee him a Super Bowl. Bull crap.
Because you have the opportunity to go out and give
money to a coach, there's no salary cap. You can
do whatever you want. You can hire whoever it is
that you want, And the way that you have run

(52:24):
the franchise indicates pretty clearly that that's not your number
one goal. Your number one goal and your number one
priority is the dude that stares at the mirror. Yeah,
the guy that you're staring at in the mirror every morning, Jerry,
it's you. You're the priority. You're the priority one. The
Cowboys a priority too, unlike Cowboys fans, where they would
just prefer you to go away, stop doing the radio

(52:46):
show all week long, and actually do something that makes
sense for your football team. Second thing is this look.
Brian Shotan, however, might turn out to be one of
the greatest coaches anybody's ever seen, still letting me it's
a good hire today. Just doesn't like there's not there's
no reason, and your rationale and the way you laid
it out is exactly right. People not beating down the
door for Brian Schottenheimer right now. Like, if you knew

(53:09):
that this is how this was gonna end, then why
did you get rid of Mike McCarthy in the first place,
Like it doesn't again, like you don't want to give
him the extra year, but you're going to hire that
guy that would still be available for you next year,
year after pretty probably any time in the future, Brian
Schottenheimer would still be there for you. I know, it

(53:30):
sounds like we're dogging on them. It's just a bad hire.
It's an uninspired hire, it's a boring hire. The most
exciting thing about it is the content that will be
generated this week about it, and it will all be
very similar to what we're saying, which is this is dull.
I can't believe that this franchise has been reduced to this,
Like of all the coaching hires, like dude, you got

(53:52):
Dak Prescott, you got Michael Parsons, you got Ceedee Lamb,
you got some you've got some pieces, you got some
guys that are coming back next year off injury, and
you're still the Dallas Cowboys. Like dude, the Raiders got
Pete Carroll and they don't have a quarterback like they
don't have a starting quarterback on the roster like at all,
and they.

Speaker 2 (54:14):
Than you got how about this the fifth best job
in the ACC got Bill freakin Belichick, Right, he.

Speaker 4 (54:21):
Was available six super bowls. He was available. But but again,
when you when you're you're sitting on your hands, you're waiting.

Speaker 2 (54:31):
It's just because, like I said this a minute ago
with Caleb Williams, I don't care if Caleb Williams is
the best quarterback ever or he isn't, but I want
him to be in the position to succeed.

Speaker 4 (54:43):
I don't care if the Cowboys win or lose.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
What I don't want is to just see utter incompetence
where you know where it's just so obviously a disaster
and so I just I mean, it's it's just it's stunning.
And then to your point, I think this is the
most important one is it's just so obvious that winning

(55:07):
is not the priority, and it's just I just I'll
be very let me say this, I'll be very curious
to say. I don't know how it will show up
because a couple things. One, I know that that the
Cowboys are always going to get a lot of visiting
fans and the you know, Jerry World is a great
place to watch a game if you're visiting, and even
if you're a Cowboys fan, you know you still want

(55:28):
to show up to this day.

Speaker 4 (55:29):
I wonder what the response is from the fan base.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
Is there some way that they can tangibly show that
they are not going to continue to support this organization,
because I just if you're a Cowboys fan, I mean,
if you're a Cowboys season ticket holder right now, how
can you justifiably spend money to buy tickets knowing that
it's exactly what you said, Jason, My organization is not committed.

(55:57):
They're committed to winning on their terms. They're not committed
to winning at all costs, like Philadelphia, like the Rams,
like the forty nine ers, like They're they're committed to
winning on their terms. Again, I don't know if there's
a tangible way that we'll ever be able to tell,
but I just I don't know how the fan base
can tolerate this, because this is just it's it's mind

(56:19):
boggling and it's embarrassing.

Speaker 5 (56:21):
Yeah it is. Again. I just can't believe that the
Dallas Cowboys are reduced to a move like this. I
just it's it's it is staggering, honestly, Like, I don't
understand how you get to this point. And I don't
understand how you think. I mean, is there nobody that
can tell Jerry Jones like this is not going to

(56:43):
be received very well, Like our franchise is kind of
teetering on the brink right now. I understand what we're
making monetarily, but is there any part of you that
wants to do what's best for the franchise when it
comes to being a success on the field. And I don't.
I just don't know that there is. And again, Brian
Scheinheimer might end up being great, great higher right, Like

(57:04):
in the end, he might turn out to win a
bunch of games, turn everything around, you know. I mean
people mock Dan Campbell. A lot of people didn't know
some of the biggest names that ended up being great coaches.
Like I understand that it's still possible, and I hate
to dog the guy out because he hasn't done the
job yet, but I mean, the the betting odds that

(57:25):
they're going to succeed with this move have to be
just astonishingly low. It's just it's it's it's crazy. When
I first heard it, I was just like, Ah, that's funny,
and then it happened. It's just like, really, I'm I am.
I would say I'm speechless, but we've talked like twenty
minutes about it. I still feel like everybody out there

(57:45):
has the same take. If you're a Cowboys fan, feel
free to call the show and tell us how you feel.
Legitimately eight seven seven niney nine on Fox. That's nine
nine six nine. What is the number again? Three six?
And I ice to say it so often, I haven't
said it in a long time. Ninety nine on Fox.
Call us. If you're a Dallas fan especially, I'd like

(58:06):
to hear from you. If you're super geeked about this
son hanging by the phones guys out there, because I
don't think that we're gonna They're probably not gonna be
lit up on that side of the ostle. I just
could you imagine being a Cowboys fan and this is
the move, Like, how do you feel after something like this?
Like and now you're about to watch two teams in

(58:27):
your own division play for a chance at the super
Bowl in less than twenty four hours.

Speaker 4 (58:32):
Well, and I know this.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
We got to put a bow on this we'll come back,
and by the way, if you do have any thoughts,
you feel free to call in one eight seven seven
ninety nine on Fox because I would like to hear
from some Cowboys fans. But my thought is that's the
other thing, is that Philadelphia, to the point that we've
talked about throughout this year, they're may be the best
run franchise top to bottom. I know there's questions about Sirianni,
but Howie Roseman's a rock star, maybe the most talented

(58:55):
roster in the league, or certainly right up there Washington,
you know, or something just catastrophic, and you know nobody's
rooting for that. I mean, they have their franchise quarterback
for the next fifteen years. It's like, what do the
Cowboys have. They have a thirty whatever year old quarterback
that can't win, getting paid astronomical money, a coach that
nobody else would hire.

Speaker 4 (59:16):
It's nothing short of embarrassing.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
So if you want to get in one a seven
to seven ninety nine on Fox one eight seven, seven
nine nine, six sixty three sixty nine, give us a
buzz and when we come back, I'll tell you what
we will continue the coaching stuff. I want to talk
a little bit more about the Cowboys. But the counter
to that is, I do want to talk about a
guy that you just mentioned. Pete Carroll is back in
the NFL with the Raiders. Will continue the Carousel conversation.

(59:39):
I got a little bit of an NBA take too
after today's games. Obviously, the first Saturday without the NFL,
or I should say without football, but first Saturday without football.
I saw something from the NBA that I didn't like,
but that's not that surprising. We'll discuss that next. Fox
Sports Radio. Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Eric Towards,

(01:00:00):
Jason Martin broadcasting live from the tire Rack dot Com studios. Yes,
we are live at twelve thirty Eastern. Speaking of being live,
speaking of Eastern time, ten am Eastern. Tomorrow, football fans
tune into Fox Sports Radio. Countdown to Kickoff, presented by
bet MGM, Brian No, Jeff Schwartz, Professional Better Bill Krackenberger
will have you covered three hours before kickoff. That's this Sunday,

(01:00:24):
that's every Sunday. Listen to count Down to Kickoff, presented
by bet MGM right here on Fox Sports Radio in
the iHeartRadio app for the break we were talking about
the Cowboys debacle of a search.

Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
We'll get back to that in a minute with a
couple of your calls.

Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
Before we do, though, let's toss it over to the
news desk, my man the Sager.

Speaker 9 (01:00:43):
While you're talking NFL.

Speaker 6 (01:00:44):
The Jets do have a new general manager, Darren Moogie
from Denver, and the Lions promoted Kelvin Shephard to defensive
coordinator after Aaron Glenn left to become the jets new
head coach. The Raiders formally announced Pete Carroll as their
new head coach. He did not coach this past season.
After fourteen years with the Seahawks. Carol turns seventy four
in September, so he'll be the oldest head coach in

(01:01:06):
NFL history. Reportedly its contract for three years plus a
team option. The Raiders haven't won a playoff game since
the two thousand and two season, when they lost the
Super Bowl. Since then, a robust zero to two in
the postseason and eleven head coaches since then. Colorado quarterback
Shoodeur Sanders says he's not sure if he'll throw it
next month. Scouting combine on Friday, he did meet with

(01:01:28):
teams that will be drafting high Tennessee, Cleveland and the Giants.
The late game in the NBA is early fourth quarter
in LA. The Bucks lead the Clippers ninety seven ninety six,
thirty points for Jannison tenecumpo for the Clips James Harden
with twenty nine points. The Lakers got thirty six from
Anthony Davison. A win at Golden State Phoenix over Washington
twenty nine points for Kevin Durant. The Washington Wizards have

(01:01:50):
lost thirteen in a row. Memphis won it six straight,
ripping Utah. Orlando ended a five game losing streak with
a win over Detroit. Minnesota be Denver today and in
Paris it was Indiana all over San Antonio one thirty
six to ninety eight. Not much scoring in the key
matchup in college hoops tonight at number one Auburn, A
win for the Tigers beating Number six Tennessee fifty three

(01:02:13):
point fifty one was the final. Each team shot thirty
one percent from the floor from three point range in
the first half. These teams were one for twenty one combined.
Number two Duke won at Wake four is sixty three
fifty six. Duke is seventeen and two nine to zero
in the ACC Wake seven and two in conference Cooper

(01:02:33):
flag twenty four points. He had six assists seven turnovers
in the win, but Wake loses at home from three
point range three for eighteen. Number three Iowa State needed
a nineteen to three run to end the game for
a win at Arizona State seventy six sixty one. The
Cyclones were down seven at a half. Curtis Jones thirty
three points playing all forty minutes. Number four Alabama was

(01:02:55):
a home winner tonight against LSU eighty to seventy three.
Fifth ranked Florida beat george to eighty nine fifty nine.
The Gators have beaten Georgia twelve straight times, and seventh
ranked Houston won in double overtime at Kansas ninety two
to eighty six. Bill's offensive coordinator Joe Brady will stay
in Buffalo after interviewing for the Saints head coach opening,

(01:03:15):
which is the last opening currently in this NFL off season.

Speaker 4 (01:03:19):
Back to you, Thank you very much, Steve Sager.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
This is Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday at the
Sunday Era towards Jason Martin. We are broadcasting live from
the tire rack dot Com studios Before the break, we
were talking about the Dallas Cowboys debacle of a coaching search.
We do have a caller on the phone, De Trees
in Memphis. You're joining Aaron Torres and Jason martin Fox

(01:03:42):
Sports Radio. Detrees on a scale of one to ten,
with ten being the highest possible enthusiasm. How enthusiastic are
you about the Brian Schottenheimer era in Dallas?

Speaker 4 (01:03:53):
My man.

Speaker 3 (01:03:55):
Toomb and I'm a lady.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
Oh De Trees, I'm so sorry. My producer told me
you were a gentleman. I apologize to Grees.

Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
But a two?

Speaker 4 (01:04:08):
Okay, why is it not a one?

Speaker 2 (01:04:10):
No, I'm kidding in all seriousness, So, like, where are
you at as a Cowboys fan? Because, like I thought,
Jamar brought up the best point, it's no longer about winning.
It's about winning on Jerry's terms, which is not winning
at the highest level.

Speaker 4 (01:04:25):
Like, obviously you live in Memphis.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Obviously I'm guessing you probably don't get to Dallas for
a ton of games. But like, if you were a
season ticket holder, is it an auto no renew for you?
I just don't know how you can support the team
that they're not serious.

Speaker 3 (01:04:39):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
Because he put in his he putting his.

Speaker 7 (01:04:41):
Pocketbook on the wrong thing he wanted to revolve around
him and were trying to.

Speaker 3 (01:04:47):
Go to the super Bowl. We can't even get out
of the tunnel.

Speaker 7 (01:04:51):
He paying the wrong people.

Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
How worried are you now seeing Jaden Daniels knowing that
Washington's not going anywhere, Philly's not going anywhere, and you
have Brian Schotenheimer and Dak Prescott for sixty million.

Speaker 4 (01:05:02):
Dollars a year.

Speaker 7 (01:05:05):
That can't get us to the He can't get us
to the super Bowl. And that boy jayde and Daniels,
he do it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:10):
There, you go do it, the terse I appreciate your call.
Apologize for my producer who just messed everything up. No,
I'm kidding, it's it's all good. But thank you for
the call. What's that, ye girl?

Speaker 7 (01:05:26):
No?

Speaker 4 (01:05:26):
I know, no, I know, I understand. I'm just I'm
frusht up.

Speaker 2 (01:05:29):
The producer is gonna get a tongue lashing during the break,
so so don't worry about it to terrees, but thank.

Speaker 4 (01:05:34):
You for your call.

Speaker 2 (01:05:35):
We appreciate your time, and our thoughts and prayers are
with you in all Cowboys Nation because you're gonna need
him because uh, Dak isn't getting you to the super Bowl,
as you just said, and uh, thank you, thank you
to tes Uh yeah, I I uh, I don't know

(01:05:55):
what else there's Dad, I think the trees said it all.

Speaker 4 (01:05:57):
I mean, listen, I mean, what what is there to add?
There's it's it's what's worst.

Speaker 5 (01:06:03):
What's the worst thing that you can possibly be? If
you're an entertainment product. If you're really good or you're
really bad, you're talked about. Yep. If you are, you know,
top of the if you're cock of the walk, then
we're talking about you. If you're absolute dumpster fire, then
we're talking about you, you're being talked about. It depends
on how you feel about publicity. But you're still like

(01:06:26):
in the news cycle. The absolute worst thing that you
can be as an entertainment product is something that generates apathy,
something that generates almost no interesting conversation, something that's just there.
The last thing you want to do is just be invisible.
And that's to me. The only thing that saves the
Cowboys is their history and tradition. There's nothing about them

(01:06:49):
now that you give them any visibility whatsoever. But they
are If I was a Cowboys fan, it would be
very difficult for me not to feel very apathetic about this, Like,
I mean, how excited are you gonna be every Sunday?
And to your point, like if you want to show
the team, then en Mass Cowboys fans have to, you know,

(01:07:13):
refuse to buy tickets. I don't think it's gonna happen.
And I think Jerry knows that Jerry is an owner
with Carte Blanche to just continue to be mediocre as
a football team or even worse and just break in
the dough because it's a Dallas Cowboys. Are gonna sell
tons of jerseys, He's going to sell tons of merch.
They're gonna be all over the place. They're gonna be
talked about for more than fifty percent of the time

(01:07:33):
during the NFL season, whether that whether they should be
or not, on a lot of sports television programs and
things like that. But the apathy is coming, if it's
not already here, and this has to result. This hire
is about as apathetic or armpit fart, if you will,
as you could get out of a higher It's just
kind of like, oh man, I what's what could be

(01:07:58):
more boring than this?

Speaker 2 (01:07:59):
I really don't know they are going to be really bad.
I don't think there's anything else to really add. I
want to actually, so first of all, we'll say pee
careful next hour because I want I want to actually
talk to you about one NBA topic. And you talk
about apathetic and uninteresting. The NBA apathetic, uninteresting. But I

(01:08:20):
was thinking about this. So so today was the first day,
uh no, first Saturday without football since August. Right, so
a ton of ton of college football leads into NFL
regular season games, leads into NFL playoff games, and this
Saturday has always been, you know, a pseudo.

Speaker 4 (01:08:39):
Important day for the NBA. I don't want to over
sell it, but it is. It's it's an important day.
It's the first Saturday.

Speaker 2 (01:08:45):
You know, if you love football, you're looking for something
else in front of the TV.

Speaker 4 (01:08:48):
Whatever.

Speaker 5 (01:08:49):
Hey, it happened to me. I went to the gym
and what was showing was Spurs Pacers from Paris.

Speaker 4 (01:08:54):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (01:08:55):
So my question, my thought is this is the the NBA,
obviously in theory takes center stage today. Who knows if
it did or not whatever, eight pm Eastern ABC game
Lakers and Warriors. Forty year old Lebron James versus thirty

(01:09:17):
Let me make sure I have this right, thirty six
year old it's gonna be thirty seven in March, Steph Curry?

Speaker 4 (01:09:27):
How long?

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
I don't know how any other way to use it,
but how long is the NBA gonna keep, you know,
going to this well of Lebron versus Steph like and
I know we gotta get to break and get back
to Disagram. Well, I got about four or five minutes
to talk about this, and it's probably a two hour conversation.
The first big night of the year, by the way,

(01:09:49):
the primetime game on Christmas Day Lebron versus Steph forty
versus soon to be thirty seven Like NBA. It's not
even like I'm mad, It's just what are we doing?
You have to prioritize other players than forty year old
Lebron James thirty seven year old Steph Curry, Jmar Take

(01:10:12):
that where you want. But it just struck me is
that's such an important time slot this day on the calendar,
and you go back to the well that you've been
going to for literally well over ten years now, whether
it was Lebron and Cleveland, Lebron and whatever, Lebron versus
Steph The floor is yours, Jamar.

Speaker 5 (01:10:28):
I mean, we've talked about this, but there's a lot
of tremendous talent in the NBA, but the NBA wants
to focus on three guys, the two that you just
mentioned and Kevin Durant. That's what it's been built around
now for basically a decade. And we can talk about
the Lucas and Jannis and the Palo Bank Caros of
the World and all of these names, but it's really

(01:10:49):
still built around those three guys. And this falls at
the feet of one guy, Adam Silver. It's his league.
He's the one that can set up the marketing to
build around all these young superstar that you have in
the league, and you're just not doing it. You're giving
us the same slot over and over again. I'm gonna
give you one quick comparison, and it's this after Steve

(01:11:10):
Austin got hurt in WWE and The Rock decided to
go do movies. The WWE had relied on those guys
to carry the show and had not developed new stars
to replace them, so they had a major dip in
their ratings because they didn't have anybody there to take

(01:11:31):
that mantle. They had to then build talent and realize that.
But you always have to be looking to the future.
As the president is going on. You cannot continue to
do the same thing over and over and again, especially
when you have a lot of talent in the building,
which I think that WWE did at the time, and
I think that the NBA does right now. You have
to find a way to put a marketing machine behind

(01:11:54):
some of these young guys that are going to be
in the league for the next fifteen to twenty years,
who still have a ton to prove, who haven't won
championship yet, who their journey is just beginning. There's so
many stories that could be told in all this, But
if you continue to do this, those guys are eventually
going to stop playing basketball. And if you haven't marketed
anybody else by that point, then you don't have a league.
Then you're scrambling to make stars as opposed to using

(01:12:18):
the Lebrons and the staffs and the Kevin Durantz and
some of those guys that are getting a little bit
longer in the two As good as they may be,
you got to use them to build other guys through them.
And that's one of the things the NBA does very poorly.
They still say the marquee matchup is the forty versus
thirty six as opposed to the forty against the twenty

(01:12:40):
four or the thirty six against the twenty two or
something like that, Like, I mean, get behind Wimby, get
behind some of these guys that are going to be
the future of the league, or you're not going to
have a future in your league.

Speaker 4 (01:12:53):
It is insane, and.

Speaker 2 (01:12:56):
Yeah, it is insane, and I think the crazy art
is I don't really know the wrestling analogy. I'm not
being sarcastic, guy, I don't know the history of wrestling.
But the crazy part is this has been an issue
for about four or five years now, not that Lebron
and Steph aren't great, but that you've known that they're
on the back nine of their careers. Now they're both
on the final hole or two, and you've never really,

(01:13:19):
I don't want to say you haven't made it up.

Speaker 4 (01:13:21):
Whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:13:21):
The point I'm trying to make is you know, that's
the thing. You've known this as an issue for several
years now, and you've done little about it. Fox Sports
Radio eritors Jason Martin, we are broadcasting live from the
TIREC dot Com studios. We will come back to Sager
with his extended update, as he does every week at
twelve forty five Eastern.

Speaker 4 (01:13:40):
That's next.

Speaker 2 (01:13:40):
Fox Sports Radio, Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Aer Torris,
Jason Martin, broadcasting live from the Tirec dot Com studio.
So Ian it was Shay Gilgess Alexander I was thinking
of and I almost said, welcome back Fox Sports Radio,
Aeron Torres, Jason Alexander, who is, of course George Costanza.

(01:14:05):
So no, I'm not working with George Costan's. I'm working
with the great Jason Martin. I'm also working with the
great Steve de Sager. Toss it over the news desk
to say to the floor, is yours my friend?

Speaker 9 (01:14:13):
Oh you had to say it was summer and George.

Speaker 4 (01:14:15):
People would have cut on. I think the winter. Jmart
there we go.

Speaker 6 (01:14:19):
Yeah, take care, take care with that damn foot. We're
all we're all looking out for you here. As for
the NBA that you just mentioned, they just had a
Celtics Lakers TV game.

Speaker 4 (01:14:29):
I looked it up. Yeah, it wasn't pretty, bood.

Speaker 9 (01:14:31):
It wasn't great.

Speaker 6 (01:14:31):
It was under one point three million viewers for Celtics
Lakers on TNT Thursday night. And they had a lot
of basketball on the holiday this past Monday, including the
Celtics blowout of the Warriors that was about one point
three million viewers. College Football's Final got twenty two million
viewers if you add up all the ESPN networks for
Ohio State's Monday win NFL Playoffs, forty two million viewers

(01:14:54):
for Ravens Bills last Sunday. Something finally topped the Cowboys
Thanksgiving game as the largest audience of the NFL season
A Rams Eagles by the way last weekend with about thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:15:07):
Eight million viewers.

Speaker 6 (01:15:09):
And by the way, for that college football final on Monday, Yes,
that is the most watched game of the college football season.
The Finals. Something finally out did the Rose Bowl, which had.

Speaker 9 (01:15:20):
Been number one.

Speaker 6 (01:15:21):
We've got on Fox TV. Sunday the NFC Championship game
at three pm Eastern time, Washington at Philadelphia. They split
their two regular season meetings. No snow in the forecast
this time. How did it go when they were in
Philadelphia in mid November? The Eagles beat Washington twenty six eighteen,
But watching that game back again, this week they replayed
it on NFL Network. Philadelphia's offense did nothing for three quarters.

(01:15:45):
They were down in the third ten to three on
this Thursday night game in November. Saquon Barkley came through
though back to back touchdowns in the fourth, with an
interception by his defense in between. Then the rematch before Christmas,
Philadelphia lost at Washington Rington thirty six to thirty three
on a touchdown pass in the final seconds by Jaden Daniels,
who had five touchdown passes and two interceptions and on

(01:16:08):
the ground. Daniels that game nine carries eighty one yards,
but Barkley was still great one hundred and fifty yards
rushing and two scores in that loss. He owns this team.
I'd be surprised if he doesn't have another good game tomorrow.
I'd also be surprised if the Eagles aren't going to
the Super Bowl. Washington's run defense was among the worst
in the league this past season. It allowed almost one

(01:16:30):
hundred and forty yards rushing per game average and allowed
twenty three points per game, which was worst among the
playoff teams. This month, no rookie quarterback has ever started
a Super Bowl. Now Washington's offense is moving this month
in the playoff games with Jaden Daniels this postseason sixteen drives,
they've punted just once, eleven scores, seven touchdowns plus four

(01:16:54):
field goals, but as far as rookies at this stage
of the postseason, zero to five in conference champion ships.
That does include an l that goes on brock Perties
record when he got Hurts a couple of years ago
at Philly. Philly is home tomorrow, ten and one at
home this year sixteen and three overall. Now in the snow,
Jalen Hurts clearly wasn't the same for fourth quarters with

(01:17:17):
the injury, and he was sacks seven times. The Eagles
defense had five sacks. Philly last game did only lead
sixteen to fifteen to start the fourth quarter, and remember
the kicking woes. Granted it was a weather game, but
Jake Elliott, who was three for three on field goals
against the Rams, did miss two extra points. Philly advanced
despite only two receptions from aj Brown. The Eagles had

(01:17:40):
the league's top ranked defense easily this season, but linebacker
Nakobe Dean is out for the postseason with a torn
peteller tendon, and he missed last game. The Eagles allowed
just eighteen points a game. They're also the number one
rushing team in the NFC, so that's the matchup. And
by the way, this will be the eagles fifth straight
Sunday with a home game. They ended the regular season

(01:18:02):
with two straight at home and now three straight in
the playoffs. The Super Bowl will be in New Orleans,
indoors next month, only a couple weeks off, and Philadelphia's
last game they played outside of Philadelphia was the one
at Washington before Christmas where they lost. It's a conference
title game, by the way, that features two teams from
the same division. That's happened now five times since two

(01:18:23):
thousand and every time the winner of that type of
conference final does go on to win the Super Bowl
as well, such as the Rams a few short seasons
ago beating their division rival forty nine ers in the
conference final and then in their home stadium winning a
Super Bowl. The AFC Championship Game is the second game

(01:18:44):
on Sunday, Buffalo at Kansas City. The Bills did beat
them in November. That was ian Buffalo Chiefs had been
nine to zero at the time. This is their fourth
playoff meeting in the last five years, Kansas City's won
the previous three. The Chiefs are undefeated at home nine
to zero, six in sixteen and two overall. And the
Chiefs defense in that playoff win against the Texans last

(01:19:05):
weekend had eight sacks, three by George Carloftis temperature was
about twenty degrees for that game. It's going to be
about thirty in Kansas City tomorrow. The Chiefs are into
the AFC title game for a seventh straight year. The
record New England eight straight years through twenty eighteen. Patrick Mahomes'
career playoff record sixteen and three. He's won eight postseason

(01:19:28):
games in a row. And keep in mind Kansas City
had the best record this year despite not scoring over
thirty points in any game this season. We saw all
the offense from Detroit and for that matter, for Buffalo
this season. But the Chiefs have a defense again this year,
top five in the league. They allowed just nineteen points
per game.

Speaker 4 (01:19:48):
The Sega you are the man. Thank you very much,
Steve Seger. This is Fox Sports right.

Speaker 1 (01:19:54):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 4 (01:19:57):
Welcome in everybody. Our three Sports Radio, Eric Tors, Jason Martin.

Speaker 2 (01:20:02):
We are broadcasting from the tyrack dot Com studios tyrac
dot com. We'll help you get there an unmatched selection, fast,
free shipping, free road hazard protection, and over ten thousand
recommended installers ti iraq dot com. The way tire buying
should be eron Torris Jason Martin, we are taking up
till the top of the hour. Bernie Fratto of The

(01:20:24):
Bernie Frado Show will follow us. By the way, we
were talking last hour about the the inspiring Brian Schottenheimer,
hire from the Dallas Cowboys, texted my nephew to see
if he was awake. He is awake. He did not
call in. We did get Deteresa I believe was her name,

(01:20:44):
who gave us a great commentary. He sent me a
long text. I won't read all of it, but it
ends by saying, I'm not sure what the quote, I'm
not sure what the plan is, but nothing makes sense
anymore in Jerry's world. I don't want to even lean
into any optimism because I know i'll get let down.
Dallas Cowboys, Baby, how about them Cowboys? I don't even

(01:21:06):
want to lean into optimism because I know I'll get
let down. And I feel like that's pretty much the
consensus for pretty much every single Cowboys fan on the
planet right now.

Speaker 5 (01:21:20):
So, I mean, what is that? That's apathy? Yep. Now
I can't even allow myself to get optimistic about this, Like,
but he's not even like super upset either. It's just
kind of like, yep, that's that is the worst thing
and entertainment product can be. Is not really worthy of

(01:21:40):
even getting up or down.

Speaker 2 (01:21:41):
About, especially that entertainment product. Yes, like it'd be one
thing if it was the Tampa Bay Bucks or the
Jacksonville Jaguars, who obviously were tied at the hip this week.
It's another thing when it's the freaking Dallas Cowboys. And
by the way, I know the parallels are there, and
we're not the first ones to make the analogy. It's
hard not to compare it to the Lakers situation. And

(01:22:02):
it's funny because I go back to our one Sean
Brace Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia host said, you know, it's
the Cowboys. I mean, I don't know how people couldn't
take that job, And it's like, that's what we were
saying about the Lakers. And then Dan Hurley flew out
for a free trip to La to get a new
contract with Yukon, and it's like, I did anyone want

(01:22:23):
that job except for JJ Reddick, who listens to JJ
Reddicks credit, He's been fine. But he was also a
guy who had never coached basketball at any level beyond
the youth level, who also had a personal relationship with Lebron.
So it's not to say that he was the worst candidate,
and I don't even know that there was any other
serious candidates, but it just like, that's the Los Angeles Lakers.

(01:22:46):
They literally hired a guy that, at least in JJ
Reddicks defense, like other people were interested in hiring him
even with a lack of experience. The Cowboys literally hired
a guy who nobody else would have even interviewed for
a head coaching job.

Speaker 4 (01:23:02):
And that's where we're at with the Cowboys in twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 5 (01:23:06):
Yeah, I mean, and that should never be. It really shouldn't.
Like there are certain franchises that should never be irrelevant,
at least by their play or by the decision making
processes and things like that, And that is that's where
we are with the Cowboys. Yes, we spend a good
bit of time talking about them, but I can promise

(01:23:27):
you we're not gonna be talking much about them when
the season comes, because we're gonna be talking about teams
that are winning football games or ones that are surprised
dumpster fires. There's nothing that will be surprising about Dallas
other than them becoming interesting. There's no reason to believe
that they're gonna be worth talking about once we actually
get to football. Now we'll see right again. Everybody may

(01:23:50):
eat their words, and Brian Schotteimer may turn out to
be great, but regardless of that, this is about as
uninspired as a higher could be and about his mismanaged
a coaching cycle in terms of your hiring practices as
you could have had if you were Dallas. Because they're timetable,
they're scheduling the way that Jerry laid all this out,
It's just like, if you're going to do this, just
keep the guy you already had in how oh, that's

(01:24:12):
what you did. You You kept a dude that was
already close by that no one was looking at. And
so either you're playing four dimensional chess, I don't think,
or this was just badly handled and botched, but you
ended up with the guy you wanted because you have
a dude that you can completely control, all right.

Speaker 4 (01:24:31):
Let's let's move on and I'll tell you what.

Speaker 2 (01:24:34):
We'll save nine thirty we'll start previewing the two games
and make our official picks. I do want to talk
about something interesting. It's certainly, oh my goodness, you talk
about a talking point the Chiefs and the refs, and
there are two layers to this. So one, there's what

(01:24:55):
could happen in the AFC Championship. Can't I want to
talk about that, but I do. I want to bring
up an interesting story that Adam Schefter put out at
five thirty eight Eastern time, So we're talking what about
six six and a half hours ago. The headline sources
NFL expected to include QB slides and expanded replay assist

(01:25:17):
the lead of the article for all of those complaining
that the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets too
many calls relief could soon be on the way, and
he gets into all this, but he also quotes something
that we talked about last week, Troy Aikman, and I
remember saying at the time, I said, what Patrick Mahomes
has turned into me is kind of James Harden in

(01:25:39):
the NBA at the peak of his powers, where it's like, yeah,
we know how the rules are written, but you're kind
of abusing the way the rules are written. And in
Mahomes's case, it's kind of this like getting outside the pocket,
then either dancing on the sidelines or dancing in the
middle of the field, and then basically dropping down as
fast as he can to try to get a late hit.

Speaker 4 (01:26:02):
And in the article, Adam.

Speaker 2 (01:26:03):
Schefter actually quoted Troy Aikman, who we quoted on the
show last week. Troy Aikman, after a fifteen roughing the
passer or not roughing the passer, but you know, unnecessary
roughness penalty said quote, Oh, come on, I mean he's
a runner and I cannot disagree with that one more.
He barely gets hit, he said. The NFL has got
to address it in the offseason. You can't as a

(01:26:25):
quarterback run around and play games with the defenders and
then get called for a penalty. So I don't know
it's gonna have too much impact on on Sunday's game,
and I do want to get to that element of
it with the Chiefs here j Mart. But it's an
interesting development in that Troy Aikman used a very loud
microphone to discuss this. It is obviously a frustration of fans,

(01:26:46):
and it seems like the NFL is at least considering,
you know, essentially further monitor you know, you know, you
can go essentially, you can go to the command center
in New York on some of these unnecess sorry roughness
calls that are frustrating fans for the Chiefs.

Speaker 5 (01:27:04):
Yeah, I penalise for playing football is a problem, and
Mahomes has definitely exploited it, like he's he understands the
rule and then he he kind of has a loop
bowl where he just pushes it as far as humanly
possible to benefit him. And I mean, it's gamesmanship, it's
what it's what a lot of people have done. Again,
Aaron Rodgers used to do something similar with the sidelines.

(01:27:26):
Now he didn't do the slide thing quite the same.
But what Mahomes is doing, I can understand why so
many people are upset by it. The point is the
rule needs to change. They need to figure out a
better way so that this stops happening. However, I think
this is going to affect the AFC Championship Game, and

(01:27:49):
I think that's the more interesting story today. We'll see
what they do in the offseason, if they make certain
things reviewable where they can have something from New York
where they can fix it, or even where look, Patrick,
we're not giving you this call. When you're dancing down
the sidelines. If you get absolutely destroyed, that's on you.

(01:28:09):
Like if you get out of bounds properly, that's fine.
But if you do this ballet tightrope act where you
just continue to look like you're gonna stay in bounds
and as soon as somebody begins to launch you step
on the white, that's gonna be on you. That's gonna
that's not gonna be that because it's very close to
the flop. I think the hard analogy is good. You
can make the Paul Pierce and now he did a
lot of guys just so lean into contact where it

(01:28:31):
was clearly them initiating the contact, but the way the
rules written still benefited them. So I think the rule
needs to change. But ultimately, right now today, I do
not think that unnecessary roughness calls will be called against
Buffalo in this game. I just don't unless there's something

(01:28:51):
absolutely egregious. Those calls with the Texans, those are bad calls.
A week ago, Will Anderson was right uh. To me.
Ryan's tried to be nice about it, but he was right.
I don't like complaining about the officiating. I don't like
the idea that, oh, it's the Chiefs, because the Chiefs
have become a real villain. It seems like because they've won,

(01:29:12):
they're very much the Golden State Warriors at this point
where some people are very tired of them. I saw
some real ug we still said about Mahomes last week,
and I think the Bills are overwhelmingly the fan favorite
to win this game. But I do not think I
think the officials are going to be very careful about
the calls that they make in this game as it

(01:29:32):
relates to Patrick Mahomes specifically, that I think is the
immediate reaction to all this the Texans outcried. But also
I just think the way that this week has played out,
I have a feeling that Mahomes is not going to
get the calls that he's used to getting, even if
it's in Kansas City. It better be egregious or they're
not going to blow the whistle.

Speaker 2 (01:29:52):
So I want to get back to that in half
a second, Producer Ian has just alerted me. By the way,
Producer Ian after his major screw up telling me we
had a male guess when we had a female caller.
Just kidding that actually did not happen to terse if
you're listening, I actually threw that on of my producer
and he actually did nothing wrong.

Speaker 4 (01:30:07):
Anyway, I have.

Speaker 5 (01:30:09):
That Brendy Spanner move of you to the producer staff.

Speaker 2 (01:30:13):
Yeah, that is a very I guess I've worked with
him too long, even though I have been working with him.
In a minute, I do want to get back to
what could happen on Sunday because I think that's an
interesting conversation. But apparently Tom Brady was on The Herd
with Colin Cowherd earlier this week and just had some
big picture commentary about Mahomes and the refs.

Speaker 10 (01:30:31):
When quarterbacks become running backs and they're out of the pocket,
they should lose their protection, and we are in essence,
we're trying to say we're trying to protect the quarterbacks,
but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever.

Speaker 7 (01:30:44):
In the history of the game.

Speaker 11 (01:30:45):
So who's protecting the quarterback? If you're running with the ball,
you should protect yourself. If you don't want to get hit,
you can go down, you can run out of bound.
But you can't, in essence, have the defensive player come
in at half speed and then you run over the
defensive player because he's afraid of getting a penalty.

Speaker 10 (01:31:01):
And I think it's a just a disservice to the game.

Speaker 4 (01:31:04):
So there you have it. I mean literally it goes
without saying.

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
But the biggest you know, the lead play by the
lead color commentator on both Fox Sports with Tom Brady
with with you Know, ESPN, ABC, Troy Aikman, two of
the greatest to ever do it seemed to be in
agreement with it, and I do agree. Is I think
there's a fine line between protecting quarterbacks and being overly protective.

(01:31:30):
And I think to the point that he made, to
the point that Troy Aikman made on the broadcast, you know,
once you're out of the pocket, you are a runner
and nobody else is protected in the manner that quarterbacks are.
And again listen, and by the way, really quick because
I want to get to Sunday, is that I don't
blame Patrick Mahomes for manipulating the rules in his favor. Again,

(01:31:53):
it's no different than James Harden. It's no different than
the point you made Paul Pierce and other guys in
the end, whoever it is, you know, the other football whatever,
it doesn't matter. I don't blame him for manipulating the rules,
but it is a little bit obnoxious and it does
feel like the Chiefs do get a lot of those
always seem to go in their favor at the worst,
at the best possible times for them, the worst possible

(01:32:14):
time for their opponent. But to put a bow on
this conversation, I want to bring it back to what
you said, Jmart, because I actually happen to agree with you.

Speaker 4 (01:32:20):
Is listen, is it right? Is it wrong? I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:32:25):
What I do know is this has become such a
big talking point and you can't argue that it didn't
impact the Chiefs Texans game because two unnecessary roughness penalties
late in drives led directly to ten points for the
Chiefs want to touchdown, won a field goal. They end
up beating the Texans by nine points. And listen, I'm

(01:32:47):
not saying if those calls don't get made, the Texans win,
But what I am saying is it led directly to
ten points for them, and so it has become such
a big conversation there's going to be so many people
watching this game.

Speaker 4 (01:33:00):
And the one thing.

Speaker 2 (01:33:00):
About the NFL is they don't want and I think understandably.
I'm not to understand it's obvious, but they don't want
the perception that, you know, favoritism exists. And I think
there's the you know, the fan side of it, there's
the gambling side of it. We know how much the
sports books and everybody are paying the league as sponsors,
and you can't have fans and gamblers feel like the

(01:33:24):
results are being manipulated. But I also think it has
nothing to do with that, and it has a lot
more to do with just the fact that this has
been a talking point. There are clearly thirty one other
fan bases that are frustrated by this, and I'm with
you as I think, unless it is egregious, I actually
expect what you said a minute ago, for the referees
to largely swallow their whistles out anything that could be

(01:33:46):
deemed fifty to fifty Yep.

Speaker 5 (01:33:48):
I mean, I think that's all right. I just I
don't know if it's been like an internal conversation within
the officials in the league this week or the head officiating.
I don't know if it's come down from the front
office of the NFL or Goodell himself, But this being
a talking point, this being the subject of so much commentaries,
so many articles, and all this stuff during the course

(01:34:09):
of the week, they are going to be incredibly cautious
and careful about whistles that benefit particularly Patrick Mahomes in
this football game. We could be wrong, but I don't
think we are. I think that they are absolutely aware
of this, and they do not want this to be
the story of this game after it is over. So

(01:34:30):
I think they may go in the opposite direction, and
this thing may actually be called rather loosely in terms
of what they permit and what they allow, And there
could even be a scenario where the call would be
okay on Mahomes and they might not make it. I
just I think they are going to be They're going
to be walking on proverbial eggshells as it relates to
not letting whistles benefiting Patrick Mahomes and his kind of

(01:34:54):
manipulating of rules dictate how this game is decided, or
certainly how it's talked about afterwards.

Speaker 2 (01:35:01):
It is the oldest cliche in the book, but this
will be the second most watched NFL, you know, second
most watch maybe event of twenty twenty five. And I
don't think any ref wants people to feel like they
are the reason that one team won.

Speaker 4 (01:35:16):
And obviously in this case, it would be the chiefs.

Speaker 2 (01:35:18):
Fox Sports Radio ertors Jason Martin, we are broadcasting live
from the Tirack dot Com studios. Tell you what, Jamart,
why don't we come back and actually preview these games
and actually make some picks. We'll do that next. This
is Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back everybody. Fox Sports Radio
eron Torris J. Smartin, broadcasting live from the tire Rack

(01:35:38):
dot Com studios. We will take you up till the
top of the hour. Bernie Frado off The Bernie Frado
Show will follow us. Cannot wait to hear what Bernie
has to say about the two games tomorrow or Sunday.

Speaker 4 (01:35:51):
Depending on where you are.

Speaker 2 (01:35:52):
It might not be tomorrow as well as we gotta
talk maybe before the end of the show about the
conference champion the college football playoff as well. And he's
got ties to the Midwest, Burns got ties to Vegas.
So yeah, Burn's got ties to every story going on.
So I can't wait to hear him he is at
the top of the hour following us. But we still
got thirty five minutes and fifty forty six seconds to go.

(01:36:18):
So with that said, Mary, give us a little music,
put us in the mood. I want to preview these
two games.

Speaker 4 (01:36:25):
Music music. Oh there it is, jmar. Let's start with
the early one.

Speaker 2 (01:36:31):
It is the early game Philadelphia against the Washington Commanders.

Speaker 4 (01:36:38):
Philadelphia Eagles, of course.

Speaker 2 (01:36:40):
Were the number two seed the NFC East champ split
with the Commanders during the regular season. The second game.
Jalen Hurts was hurt in that game with the concussion.
He's obviously since come back. The issue, of course, there
is that while he came back, he now has a
knee injury. With that said, Philadelphia is still a six

(01:37:00):
and a half point home favorite, the over under set
at forty seven and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:37:05):
The floor is yours. How do you see this one going?

Speaker 5 (01:37:07):
Man? I mean the heart pick here feels like Washington.
With what Jaden Daniels did last week and what Washington's
offense was able to do and how they were able
to put Detroit on their heels in a raucous situation.
This is gonna be another raucous situation. In Philadelphia, and
I would actually, I think i'd be more interested in

(01:37:28):
seeing Washington go to the Super Bowl this year. I'd
like to see Jayden as a rookie, you know, make
history and do that and have this run and all
this kind of stuff. But the head pick is still Philadelphia.
I still don't think Washington's defense is gonna be able
to corroud Sakuon Barkley for four quarters. Even if they

(01:37:50):
do kind of what we saw last week with the
Rams defense, Taquan will rip off a couple of runs
and still end up near two hundred yards by the
end of it, as long as he's healthy. Hurts situation
bothers me a bit, but for some reason, I think
they'll be able to throw the ball a little bit
more in this game. AJ's not going to be that
kind of not important to the offense as he was

(01:38:12):
a week ago. I still feel better about the Eagles
right now. I'd like to pick Washington again. I think
that's the more fun story, but I just can't get there.
I just can't. I think that they're already playing with
house money at this point. But this Philadelphia team is
battle tested, and I think that defense is gonna make

(01:38:34):
it a really tough day on Jayden Daniels if he
doesn't have one of those games that we'll be talking
about for the remainder of our lives. I do not
think they can win this game. So I'll take Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (01:38:45):
So I'm gonna take Philadelphia as well. And my thought
process is pretty simple. Like you said, Jaydon Daniels is
a sentimental Everybody likes him. He's new, he's fun, he's
an awesome, awesome, awesome player. And as I always say,
when you're picking against him, doesn't mean that you hate
the player, you hate the team, or you hate whatever.
But I guess what concerns me about this game is

(01:39:05):
a couple things. First of all, we can go back
to that game against Detroit last week. I don't want
to undersell what Washington did going into Ford Field and
getting the victory, but you go back and look at it,
and it's been discussed and over discussed over the last
couple of days. But you know, I mean, let's also
be honest here, Washington won the turnover battle for nothing.
In other words, Detroit had four turnovers, Washington had zero.

(01:39:29):
Find that hard to be sustainable. Jared Goff obviously picked
a bad time to play the worst game of his career.

Speaker 4 (01:39:35):
Didn't love Jamison Williams.

Speaker 2 (01:39:37):
Throwing the ball when you're down whatever, ten, twelve points,
whatever it was, and you were still very much in
the game. And I think the other thing too, j
mart Is, I was thinking about this as well, is listen,
I don't want to do like.

Speaker 4 (01:39:52):
The oh can you slow down Jayden Daniels.

Speaker 2 (01:39:54):
But at the same time, I do think it's interesting
like historically, the teams that have given Lamar Jackson the
biggest fits are the division teams, the teams that have
seen him before and you know, to a degree, know
how to game plan. And so when I look at
this game, I do think having seen Jaye and Daniels twice,

(01:40:15):
I think it helps. I think the fact that the
secondary is great helps, you know in the passing game.

Speaker 4 (01:40:22):
And so I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (01:40:24):
I do have the Philadelphia Eagles winning and going to
the second to their second Super Bowl in three years,
because I just think it's not that it's a bad
matchup for Washington as much as it is just a
familiar matchup with Washington. I think the defense for Philly
steps up anything else. Before we get to the Sager
and then preview the second game.

Speaker 7 (01:40:42):
Now.

Speaker 5 (01:40:42):
I mean, I think the biggest biggest issue for Jayden
Daniels is who outside of Terry McLaurin is gonna be
able to get free against that secondary? And I just
don't know that I have an answer to that, Like,
is it gonna be a Johan Dotson, Is it going
to be you know, the tight end, is Art's gonna
get lose or something like that. But mclaurin's really the
only guy that scares me on their offense for Jayden Daniels,

(01:41:07):
and I just think they're gonna find a way to
just make him uncomfortable enough that he's gonna have to
do too much with his legs. And I just think
their defense is strong enough in the secondary to stop
him from getting those big chunk games. I hope it's close.
I kind of have this sense that Philadelphia may may
win that thing by double digits. But we'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:41:27):
We will indeed see Philadelphia Washington the early game on Sunday,
three pm Eastern noon Pacific.

Speaker 4 (01:41:35):
Tell you what, Jamar will come back when we do.

Speaker 2 (01:41:38):
You already know we got to talk about the second one,
the big one, Buffalo versus KSE will do all that
in just one moment. Before we do, though, let's toss
it over the news desk final time this evening, Steve Disager,
what is trending?

Speaker 6 (01:41:50):
You know, if the Bills don't win tomorrow, they will
finish the season fifteen and five. That is ten and
zero at home, five and five on the road. Wow,
if they don't win at case case, if they take
that tomorrow, would go ten and oh at home, and
it would push their overall record to seventeen and two.
By the way, Philadelphia is currently nine and one ian

(01:42:12):
Philly technically ten and one at home because remember they
opened the Brazil game, which was for them a home game,
beating Green Bay. The actual home opener they had the
next week was a loss against Atlanta, So not since
mid September have the Eagles lost a game in Philadelphia.
That's the first of the two games tomorrow Sunday, three

(01:42:34):
pm Eastern Time on Fox TV Washington at Philly for
the NFC Championship. The late game Buffalo at Kansas City
for the AFC title. Josh Allen is famously oh to
three against the Chiefs in the playoffs, the only quarterback
to ever go oh to four against a single opponent
in postseason Aaron Rodgers, who kept losing to San Francisco. Conversely,

(01:42:56):
Patrick Mahomes has a chance to go four and oh
against the Bills in postseason. There are quarterbacks who have
beaten one opponent four times in their playoff careers. Tom
Brady went four and one against the Colts, Brett Favre
went four and one against San Francisco in playoff games.
And by the way, the NFL team opponents for next
season are known, even though we won't get the exact

(01:43:17):
schedule until about May, but we know that if you
have season tickets for Buffalo next year, and I think
it's going to be their last year in that old stadium.
Next year, the Bills will host Kansas City, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
and Tampa Bay and as far as Kansas City's home
schedule that will include a visit from Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore,

(01:43:38):
and Washington at Kansas City as well. By the way,
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady will stay in Buffalo after
interviewing for the Saints head coach opening Washington defensive tackle
Deron Payin is out for Sunday's game with knee and
finger injuries. The Jets new general manager is Darren Moogie
from Denver. The Lions promoted Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator.

(01:44:00):
The Raiders formally announced Pete Carroll as their new head coach.
In college basketball, Number one Auburn defeated number six Tennessee
fifty three fifty one, even though each team shot thirty
one percent from the floor. Wins in the top ten
for Duke and Iowa State. For Alabama and Georgia. The
Gators are ranked fifth at Florida, I should say, beating

(01:44:20):
Georgia for a twelfth straight time. Gators are ranked fifth.
Eighty nine to fifty nine was the final seventh ranked
Houston was at Kansas tonight. The Cougars tied it at
the end of the first overtime on a steal at
a three pointer and beat the Jayhawks in two ots,
ninety two to eighty six. Eighth rank Michigan State is
eight to zero in the Big Ten Conference after winning
at Rutgers eighty one seventy four. Rutgers super freshman Ace

(01:44:44):
Bailey was four of seventeen shooting today for his eighteen points.
Vanderbilt at home led ninth ninth ranked Kentucky by fourteen
points at the half, beat the Wildcats seventy four to
sixty nine. Texas was down eighteen at the half but
got a home comeback win on a late lay up.
Again It's thirteenth ranked Texas A and m seventy to
sixty nine. Longhorns freshman Trey Johnson thirty points. Fourteenth rated

(01:45:07):
Mississippi State needed overtime to win at South Carolina sixty
five to sixties. South Carolina now zero to seven in
the SEC. Minnesota's Gophers were two and six in conference
but beat number fifteen Oregon. Missouri over old Miss Xavier
at home, beat nineteenth ranked Yukon seventy six seventy two,
and at Kansas State, the Wildcats pounded number twenty three

(01:45:28):
West Virginia seventy three sixty was the final, but case
State led nineteen to two early and led a half
forty two to eighteen. NHL overtime wins for the Islanders, Columbus,
and New Jersey, which won in overtime at Montreal four
to three. The late game to Florida seven to two
at San Jose. The NBA's late game was in La.
The Clippers beat Milwaukee won twenty seven to one seventeen

(01:45:49):
forty points for James Harden. The Lakers got thirty six
from Anthony Davis in a win at Golden State. Phoenix
sent Washington to a thirteenth straight loss. The Wizard's record
is six and thirty eight this season. Philadelphia's Paul George
left with a finger injury and a win at Chicago
Tyrese Maxi with thirty one points.

Speaker 9 (01:46:08):
Yes, it's a pinky cruised.

Speaker 4 (01:46:09):
Pinky, according to Bracer Philadelphia Friend.

Speaker 9 (01:46:11):
Yes.

Speaker 6 (01:46:12):
Memphis won at sixth straight, beating up Utah, which is
lost five in a row. Utah Jazz ten and thirty
three New York and Toronto with wins. Houston won at Cleveland,
won thirty five one thirty one a Men Thompson a
triple double. Orlando ended a five game losing streak beating
Detroit thirty two points each for Polo ban Carol and
Franz Wagner of the Magic, who scored twenty five just

(01:46:33):
in the fourth quarter. Wins for Miami and Charlotte. Boston
got a win at Dallas, Minnesota beat Denver, and the
game in Paris today went to Indiana over San Antonio
one thirty six to ninety eight and a final note
in case you didn't hear yesterday, The Celtics, as far
as NBA store sales, are number one in team merchandise
so far this season, ahead of the Lakers, who are
number two based on receipts from the first half of

(01:46:56):
the season. As far as top sailing jerseys, Steph Curry
number one, Lebron James number two, Jason Tatum's jersey number three.

Speaker 9 (01:47:03):
Back to you, thank you very.

Speaker 4 (01:47:05):
Much, Steve to Sager to Saga, have a great evening, Saga.

Speaker 5 (01:47:07):
You in tomorrow.

Speaker 9 (01:47:08):
Yeah, you're in tomorrow, right?

Speaker 4 (01:47:09):
Yeah? Mark Willard calling out sick. I don't know what's
going on.

Speaker 9 (01:47:13):
But Niners they're not in the conference.

Speaker 5 (01:47:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:47:15):
Last year, he yes, last year he ducked to watch
the Niners. Listen, happy to be filling in for you
from Salaam so Disagrea and him.

Speaker 7 (01:47:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (01:47:23):
So you're on before Arnee Sunday night.

Speaker 2 (01:47:24):
I am on before Arnie. So, like I said, it
must be the residual knowing I'm gonna be tossing to.

Speaker 5 (01:47:32):
Arnie the open for the main event.

Speaker 4 (01:47:34):
Wow, according to Arnie, I don't know. I don't know
about anybody else.

Speaker 9 (01:47:37):
That's why you are just blasting co workers tonight.

Speaker 4 (01:47:39):
Yes, yes, yeah, I guess so.

Speaker 7 (01:47:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:47:41):
By the way, is.

Speaker 5 (01:47:42):
Airing to just for everything needs to be uniform from
day to day on Fox Sports Radio, So on Sunday evenings,
the staff kind of gets tomatoes thrown in their face
and so you have to step in. So you've prepared yourself. Well,
you practiced yourself well.

Speaker 4 (01:47:56):
In defensive Arnie.

Speaker 2 (01:47:57):
It was actually Sunday on the East Coast when I
threw producer in completely under the bus for no reason.
So must have it's residual, it's rubbing off. By the way,
Arizona Wildcats got to win today, so congrats to them.

Speaker 9 (01:48:08):
Maybeat Colorado because Arnie was not on the air.

Speaker 4 (01:48:10):
That's why.

Speaker 2 (01:48:11):
That's why every time I think of Arnie, I think
of the Arizona Wildcats only losing lost. I know, well,
listen there, without a lottery pick, we don't need to
we don't need.

Speaker 4 (01:48:20):
To freak out.

Speaker 5 (01:48:20):
You're not the three peats. Probably not going to happen.

Speaker 4 (01:48:24):
Three peats probably not gonna happen.

Speaker 9 (01:48:27):
Well, maybe not winning by double digits everywhere.

Speaker 5 (01:48:30):
They do have the best bleeping coach in college basketball.

Speaker 9 (01:48:33):
Just to ask him.

Speaker 2 (01:48:34):
Yeah, listen. All I'll say is I did not love that. Uh,
but I will add that if you listen to the
post game, he brought up some valid points. Yes, and
like the crazy part was he was like, look, I
was telling somebody this and disager you'll appreciate this. I
was talking to Brandon U in the back and then

(01:48:54):
we do have to you know, actually preview the bills
in casey, but we were talking about Mick Crow versus
Dan Hurley, and I said, the thing about Dan.

Speaker 9 (01:49:03):
Hurley, that's some explosive sidelines.

Speaker 2 (01:49:05):
Well, I said the thing about Dan Hurley, like you
can disagree with everything he does on the sidelines.

Speaker 4 (01:49:10):
I'm a Yukon guy. Of course I'm gonna defend him.

Speaker 2 (01:49:12):
But if you listen to his post games, he's always
complimentary of the other teams, the other coaches, the the
and he was a complimentary of the officials. He said, look,
we have great officials. And then he also said, like,
the only thing that I'm really embarrassed about is yes,
I said it, and it's an insult to the other
great coaches in this sport.

Speaker 4 (01:49:28):
Tom is O. Bill Selfie named a bunch Mick Cronin.

Speaker 2 (01:49:33):
He's not only a bully during the game, which I
actually don't care about, but then he's a whiner after
the game too, just goes in and oh, the big
ten's doing this.

Speaker 9 (01:49:41):
And uh, you know, getting Nicoll.

Speaker 4 (01:49:43):
Yeah, and yeah, we're not getting soft yeah Rtie, and.

Speaker 9 (01:49:47):
He's yeah, so UCLA coach.

Speaker 4 (01:49:49):
Yes, this is the UCLA coach.

Speaker 2 (01:49:50):
Because Brandon Deutsch, who's of course a USC fan, brought
up Mick Cronin earlier today and I said, listen, I'm
not condoning some of the stuff Hurley did on the sidelines,
but I will say after the games, if you listen
to his press conferences, he actually is very complimentary and
you know whatever.

Speaker 4 (01:50:05):
But to make the.

Speaker 6 (01:50:06):
Comment which the sentence that we just brought up, he
could say it. He just yells at a ref, I'm
the best coach in college. That's a big time. That
is genuine. That is clearly the comment of somebody who
probably should have taken an NBA job so he could
get smacked around a little bit and not be in
his own silos.

Speaker 2 (01:50:25):
I loved I saw this this week was the Lakers.
It was Adam Zagori, who covers college hoops, and Adam
does a great job, so it's not a criticism of Adam,
but he put out some report of the Lakers are
happy they didn't end up with Dan Hurley because they
don't think that he could have handled whatever. You know,
And I'm like, you knew what you were getting into

(01:50:45):
when you interviewed him. And again, we don't have to
re litigate all this, but I think it was pretty
much a sham interview from both sides.

Speaker 4 (01:50:51):
They knew they wanted Reddick, he wanted his extension. Whatever.
Tell you what Jamar.

Speaker 6 (01:50:55):
One thing about the Bills before you talk Bills case
this hour going into tomorrow. The Bills have gone twenty
one straight games without losing the turnover battle. That's tied
for the longest streak in the history of the NFL.
And this was the team that had easily the best
turnover margin in the entire NFL. So that to me
is a key to winning a road game.

Speaker 4 (01:51:16):
And you said, Josh Allen is trying to avoid being
the only the second quarterback ever to go zh to
four against.

Speaker 9 (01:51:22):
Rogers too against one in the playoffs.

Speaker 5 (01:51:24):
That sounds like a kicker curse you just placed on
the Bills. Steve.

Speaker 9 (01:51:28):
I'm just saying they're only you know, so there's only
so much margin for victory. Let's put it that way.

Speaker 6 (01:51:34):
What helps is that Kansas City has kept one game
after another close this year.

Speaker 4 (01:51:39):
And you can't beat yourself when you're playing Casey.

Speaker 6 (01:51:41):
Well, you remember they lost the game last year, didn't
send it to overtime with a field goal miss in
the final minutes, standing by I got.

Speaker 4 (01:51:48):
I got a lot of thoughts on last year. I
got a lot of thoughts on this game. We'll come back.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
We will wrap the show with our official chiefs, Bills Pick,
and also talk about everything else that happened in the
world of sports this week.

Speaker 4 (01:51:59):
I haven't even talked to State notre to day. Maybe
we'd try to sneak that in as well.

Speaker 2 (01:52:03):
This is Fox Sports Tree, Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (01:52:10):
Who's Hot? Who's not?

Speaker 2 (01:52:12):
This was my jam back in the day, Mary Mac,
when your parents were and when you were just a
glint in your parents' eye. Torres had the old cassette
and I'd just played back again.

Speaker 4 (01:52:25):
And again and again.

Speaker 12 (01:52:26):
I have memories of this song.

Speaker 2 (01:52:28):
Nobody more problems, right, Yeah, came out in like what
two thousand and three. I feel I was.

Speaker 12 (01:52:32):
Born two thousand and three. Okay, And I was listening
to it in two thousand and five, okay, yeah, and crib.
I all I remember is this song would play at
night when I'm going on the way home.

Speaker 4 (01:52:44):
That's all I remember.

Speaker 2 (01:52:45):
The literal crib, not the figurative clip crib. All right,
I swear on my life. So I have a little
bit of an obsessive uh personality.

Speaker 4 (01:52:57):
And I used to have the single.

Speaker 2 (01:52:59):
They used to have these same called CDs, and they
would make singles and I would just blast this NonStop.

Speaker 5 (01:53:06):
It wasn't the only still buy CDs. Really.

Speaker 1 (01:53:10):
I have that.

Speaker 4 (01:53:12):
On vinyl, and then I also have a bunch of CDs.

Speaker 7 (01:53:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:53:15):
I still buy a few vinyls. And there's a few
bands that when they put stuff out, I buy the
hard copy just that goes. Look, I'm forty six, but
I still like some physical media, not nearly as much,
like just mainly because I don't like the space that
it takes up. But there's still there's something about a
CD that I haven't gotten over.

Speaker 4 (01:53:38):
Well, this was my jam back in the day.

Speaker 2 (01:53:39):
I mean, I after the show Mary Mac, I'll sing
the whole song beginning to end, but we gotta get yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:53:45):
Man, I'm glad I'm in Nashville.

Speaker 9 (01:53:46):
I won't be able to hear that shame.

Speaker 2 (01:53:48):
We'll make sure we stream you in, but I'll tell
you how's your leg? My leg's fine, my foot's a
little cold. I mean, I was worried about amputation earlier
in the show, but I think we're going to survive.
For people who missed it, Torres stepped in a major
huddle between hour one and hour two. This is essentially
as J Mart said, my MJ flu game. But at
least I'm not a Cowboys fan. So let's wrap the show.

(01:54:10):
One game, one segment left, one game that we have
yet to We've discussed it, we haven't given our official
pick yet. It is the game everybody's intrigued by Buffalo Bills.
At Kansas City Chiefs case, he is a one and
a half point favorite. At Arrowhead. We know the history.
J Mart, you don't need any more setup for me.
Who you got winning, how you got it going down?

Speaker 5 (01:54:31):
Bill's rosters better. Josh Allen's played better football this year
than Patrick Mahomes has. I like the running game and
the offensive line better right now for the Buffalo Bills,
I think the defenses rounding in the form. They have
some guys that have won Super Bowls. There. I think
that they've got everything you want. Joe Brady is really
really maximizing josh Allen but also keeping him safe. And

(01:54:54):
Josh Allen's matured and he's ready to win this football game.
He you know, the mistakes and the way that Steve
even told us the turnover battle. Twenty one games in
a row, Buffalo has won the turnover battle, which is
unheard of. That's just insane in terms of their efficiency
and how careful they've been with the football. They're doing
absolutely everything right. And I got to Kansas City Chiefs

(01:55:17):
going back to the Super Bowl, and it's because I'm
just not going to be dumb enough to pick against
Patrick Mahomes in any AFC Championship game. I said this last year, said,
you just won't catch me do it again. Yeah, I
might be wrong. I think the bill should win the game.
I just don't think they're going to win the game.
I can't describe how it's going to happen. But I
know what Patrick Mahomes does in moments like this. I

(01:55:38):
know what Travis Kelcey does in moments like this. I
know maybe more importantly than all of that, I know
what Chris Jones does in games like this. I know
what Carloftus can do in games like this. I know
what Andy Reid and Steve Spagnola can do in games
like this. And I have not seen that from Sean McDermott,
not in this moment.

Speaker 4 (01:55:56):
You still you just stole my punchline because.

Speaker 5 (01:55:59):
I'm just going to stop it right there and tell
you I've still got the Chiefs because until they get
beat I just I've been you just can't count them out.
And so I've got the Chiefs and the Eagles in
a rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago.

Speaker 4 (01:56:14):
Yeah, the punchline I was going to use.

Speaker 2 (01:56:16):
You talked about all the people that you trust for case,
ranging from Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reied, Travis Kelsey, everybody, Chris Jones,
on and on. The one person in this building that
I don't trust to Sean McDermott. And I said it
to lead the show. If you missed the show, by
the way, make sure to go back and download the podcast,
which is available as soon as we get off air.
You could search it anywhere that you find podcasts. Just

(01:56:37):
search Fox Sports Radio weekends and you can find the
podcast there and we open the show with this jmart
Is that I don't trust Sean McDermott.

Speaker 4 (01:56:47):
I didn't love the game playing last week.

Speaker 2 (01:56:49):
I know you weren't as worried about it as I was,
but felt like they were trying to prove something more physical.

Speaker 4 (01:56:54):
We're tough.

Speaker 2 (01:56:54):
I know the weather wasn't great, but it didn't stop
Lamar Jackson from throwing the ball all over the field.
And I think if Mark Andrews doesn't have those two
crucial screw ups in the fourth quarter, I hate to
say it. I know Mark Andrews didn't do it on purpose,
but the turnover followed by the drop two point conversion,
I think it's the Baltimore Ravens that are going to
Arrowhead this week and so and by the way, that's

(01:57:15):
not a knock on Josh Allan. He did what he
was asked to do. I worry about the person doing
the asking and I worry about this team.

Speaker 4 (01:57:24):
They're on the road.

Speaker 2 (01:57:26):
History is against them, and you know they have the
single greatest weapon left in this playoffs, and I don't know,
based on what we saw last week that they know
they have the single greatest weapon left in the playoffs
this weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:57:38):
So listen.

Speaker 2 (01:57:41):
It goes without saying everybody who's not a Chiefs fan
is rooting for the Bills.

Speaker 4 (01:57:47):
But I just I don't like what I saw from
the Bills. I know they won.

Speaker 2 (01:57:50):
I know they beat Baltimore. I know that was the
most anticipated game that we've had in the playoffs in
the divisional round in sometime.

Speaker 4 (01:57:56):
But I just worry about what I saw from them.

Speaker 2 (01:57:58):
And for that reason, I have the Chiefs on Sunday
at Arrowhead to go back to the super Bowl.

Speaker 5 (01:58:02):
Like you said, so the record, I think NFL TV
records like fifty five million somewhere in that neighborhood. Do
you think this game is gonna beat it? Uh?

Speaker 4 (01:58:12):
Pro Yeah, I think it's it's in the conversation.

Speaker 5 (01:58:16):
What did to say?

Speaker 4 (01:58:17):
Do we remember what de Seger said was the Ravens
Bills rating last week?

Speaker 5 (01:58:21):
It was in the forties, wasn't ith?

Speaker 7 (01:58:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:58:23):
I think it was pretty I think I.

Speaker 5 (01:58:24):
Think it was in the forties. I can't remember exactly.

Speaker 4 (01:58:27):
I mean I would have to imagine.

Speaker 2 (01:58:28):
I mean it's not only case, it's the team that
has had the most success with them, at least in
the regular season the number the guy that's I still
think gonn win the MVP.

Speaker 4 (01:58:39):
Yeah, I think it's in play.

Speaker 2 (01:58:40):
I think it's in play that whatever the record is
for the Divisional round, that this game comes pretty close
to breaking it, if not breaking it. I believe Chiefs
Patriots a few years ago might actually have that record.

Speaker 4 (01:58:50):
But I think a lot of people are gonna watch
watch this.

Speaker 5 (01:58:52):
Fifty five point four to seven million is the record
for the most watched AFC Championship game in history, and
that was last year's Chiefs Ravens game.

Speaker 4 (01:59:02):
How much was it?

Speaker 5 (01:59:03):
Fifty five point four to seven million?

Speaker 4 (01:59:05):
Wow? Well, I think that'll absolutely be in play on Sunday.
But we gotta get out of here.

Speaker 2 (01:59:10):
I want to thank the crew, Mary Mack on the board,
producer Ian for Steve to Say, Steve Sagger, as well
from a partner Jayson Martin.

Speaker 4 (01:59:15):
I'm mere Torres.

Speaker 2 (01:59:16):
Make sure to download the podcast wherever you get podcasts.
We appreciate you, We appreciate your support. Bernie Fredo of
The Bernie Fredo Show as next, He's got so much
to discuss. Two more NFL games on Sunday. Bernie's up next.

Speaker 4 (01:59:32):
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