Mike Harmon and Bucky Brooks Evaluate Week 17 Matchups Across the NFL!

Mike Harmon and Bucky Brooks get you geared up for all of the action ahead in NFL Week 17 with a full slate of previews, analysis and notes on every game! How will Trey Lance fare in his start against the Texans? Is Matt Nagy playing his final games as Bears HC? Who will clinch a playoff berth today? Mike and Bucky discuss all that, and more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports. Yeah, baby, Happy New Year.
I still could say that on the second right, it's
not too late, and people are gonna get all salty. Hell,
people get salty about whatever you say and do anymore.
Welcome in wherever you are traveling back, fighting through airports,
fighting the highways and by ways of America. Maybe you're

(00:22):
just getting up and having a cup of coffee, getting
ready to walk the dog, or head to from services,
whatever you're doing, and appreciate you being part of our
extended family here. We wish you have blessed, happy, prosperous
twenty two Mike Carmen alongside Bucky Brooks. Happy New Year,
my guy. I know you're traveling a little bits back
together here. It is all good. It's been a great

(00:42):
little holiday, uh season. It's been a great holiday season
when it comes to football. We had a great slate
of games over the past few days, and so it's
good to talk about it. We get through the fun
and excitement of the college football. You know, all the
handwringing over the bowl season. I don't think I was
kind of sidelined, right because it took the week off
one of those rare things with my daughters, and then

(01:04):
every once in a while in between our our travels
and walking around sight seeing, would pull up Twitter and
I'm like, I really wish I was on air tonight.
I missed so many little things. Are stupid things being
said by our media brethren about players and their choices. Uh,
and then recognizing, all right, look, that's That's one of

(01:24):
my resolutions for two is I try to do come
at things with a rational approach. I'm not gonna do
that anymore. I'm gonna be like everybody else. I just
gotta start throwing up nonsense against the wall and then
just grinning at you. Because that seems to work. I'll
pick up. I want to get a player or two
that I fight with just over something dumb, because that

(01:46):
seems to work. A team or two that I just
decide I don't like Colors, team mascot, whatever it is,
and I'll fight with their fans. That's how I'm gonna
get over. I'm gonna go full w W E heel
two with hot take non sense left and right. I mean, look, man,
I mean you have to have an opinion in this business.
People like opinions. People. There's a difference between opinions and

(02:08):
some of the nonsense that we see speed on a
regular basis. There's nothing wrong with being a gas bag,
and sometimes if you need to be a gas bag,
be one. It makes for interesting conversation and fodder. It
makes for interesting interactions on Twitter. Um the stuff yesterday,
um the get off my lawn talking about for the

(02:29):
love of the game and all that other stuff. And
I was sitting here as I was watching the Old
Miss game, and I was like, you know, I certainly
hope man because Macarel, like the first time that he ran,
he's trying to run people over. I'm like, man, come on, Matt, like,
what are we doing? And then when he gets hurt,
I was like, let me just pop over my Twitter
and just kind of see three two one, and the

(02:53):
world decided to light up the old guys for their
take on the love of the game and those things. Dan,
I don't really saying why people are so emotional about
the Bowl games now, because like we've seen the shift
in the way bowl games are treated. And I won't
call them meaningless, but they don't have any impact like
they used to have back in the day, like when
it was all about the the A P. And the

(03:13):
u P I polled and housing gonna stack up, and
if you wanted the Blue Bonnet Bowl, then okay, that
means that you can be a top ten team. But
now it's really become about the college football playoffs and
then everything else is secondary. And so I don't really
understand like why there's this outrage. I mean, I've personally
said that for me, if I was playing and I

(03:35):
was one of those guys who was like a top pick,
and I knew that I was probably guaranteed to be
a first round pick, look, man, it'd be hard for
me to play in anything outside of a playoff game
and maybe a New Year's six gay me and even
the New Year's six thing. It just kind of depends
on where we are. And I think coaches and everyone
understands that people are making decisions, are making business decisions,

(03:57):
and a lot of the coaches around the thing have
been kind of supportive of their players, not being that
you see guys on the sideline and just not participating. Um.
I think yesterday we'll talk about the HOWI You State game?
How great was it to see Marvin Harrison Jr. Who
we hadn't seen all year have a traffected. So to me,
I treat these bowl games as like the precursor to

(04:17):
spring ball and the spring game. This is a chance
for the young guys to get on the field. We
get a chance to see the new people. And yes
it counts on record, but it really it's the first
preview for But that's the hard part, right, is the
ubiquitous use of the term meaningless because outside looking in,
you could say, well, they're not fighting for a title now,

(04:39):
it's just all right, what's the final movie? To your point,
you got young guys that get an opportunity to play
that we're third, fourth, fifth receivers because guys opting out.
Look at how State great? Look at look at those numbers.
Guys that were afterthought dudes, and all of a sudden
they're on the national stage going, holy good God, look
at the step right, so A Love and Company. They

(05:01):
all back out, and you had twenty four guys between
COVID and injury and opt outs for Ohio State. So
you're not seeing the full squad. And I get that
there's something to it, but like for for the fans
that are still invested in the program, like, yes, you
have your percentage, then are like win at all costs.
There's others that recognize the shift towards as you say,

(05:23):
spring ball and the look ahead and guys getting meaningful
reps and the jump off there. But for guys that
can make the business decision. I've been saying this as
long as I have had a pen and a microphone,
that that I had had a voice, going all the
way back to one of the first columns they let
me write that wasn't straight fantasy analysis for Yahoo back
during the whole Mike Williams Maurice Clarette. Then is if

(05:47):
a guy has an opportunity to go, and legitimately that's
where we're at in the league, and a guy wants
to go, it should be his right to go. And
if it blows up, it blows up. Colleges aren't closing right,
no matter what you want to do, Like if if
the degree is the thing, because every once in a
while put it what you know, it's the one about
the children education side that folks try to inject. But

(06:09):
then now I think a lot of folks have moved
past that and it's just the al right, you owe
it to this that the other. No, your your teammates
understand some of your teammates are in that position group
that are going good. Yeah, that's hey targets I'm getting.
So I get an opportunity to shine a New Year's Day. Hey,
good luck to you. I really wish you all the best.
And for the coaches, like it's always recruiting, so it's

(06:33):
more folks getting a chance. So you're making a first
round thinking, Look, I got that guy in the NFL.
This guy's rising up. Look what he was able to
do coming into his spot. And it's the the next
part of that cycle. Yeah, it's the next part of
the cycle. And with the rich Shard rules, because guys
are now given opportunity to play four games before UM,
they burn up their rich shirts. So now you can

(06:53):
selectively keep some of those freshmen alive, let him play
in the bowl game. But it doesn't eat up the
you of eligibility. It's a nice jump off, it's a
nice starting point, and I get it, and I think
for something like some should play their final game. It
is maybe the last time they're ever gonna put the
pads on and play UM with their teammates and their
quote unquote boys and accomplished some of those special things

(07:16):
that they wanted to when they came in four or
five years ago. Look, I think you have to allow
people to have like their independence when it comes to
those things. It was great seeing those things. It was
great seeing the Ohio State Utah game and seeing some
of those young guys emerged. I mean, if I'm an
Ohio State fan, how much more excited I am am
I today knowing oh Man, we thought we didn't know

(07:39):
what we had with Alva and those guys going, we're
going to be good. And if you think about the
people that speculate and do the previews, uh, you don't
think Ohio State is gonna have a high ranking now
that we've had an opportunity to see what the next
generation is. But even like in watching Oklahoma State and
Notre Dame and the way that they were able to

(08:00):
I'm back with some of their older guys, Like, I
think it's great. I think we just have to be
open and we can't just kind of weigh in and
take the old man on the lawn like back in
my day in the nineties. I mean, that was a
long time ago and things with change, and even but
they're forty two Bowl games now compared to eight team
back then, Well there was a specialness to the eighteen.
It was a uniqueness, like everyone didn't go and get

(08:23):
the blue ribbon. Well, but a couple of things as
we get ready to transition into week seventeen to the NFL,
here are our business going through the games of the day.
And we got some really good ones on this late
some others that will give short rift and move through.
But to the point, you know, as Herb Street and
Howard tried to do of there, you know the old

(08:45):
man on the lawn kind of talk is you know
in my day, it's like, Okay, the world's changed, the
opportunities have changed, players have more agency, coaches are moving
all over the place. So if you want to lump
everybody in and say the whole thing's gone rott and
then then be truthful about that, because with ESPN broadcasting

(09:05):
is many of the Bowl games and that's just it.
It's a trash take and gets cut down at the
legs right there. Uh, And it's a form tackle on
even Derrick Henry when it comes down to it in
terms of you know what, what larger thing is getting
fed here? But but the larger point is just that

(09:26):
you have to understand that the game itself has changed,
and the term meaningless has a different different tone tenor
for everybody, depending on your point of view and how
you're ingesting this type of information and what these games
still represent. Two different bodies right to to the old heads.

(09:49):
I mean, look, Desmond Howard went and played in the NFL.
Do you remember his NFL career? You remember his college career?
Trade went from college into broadcast. So so guys that
had the opportunity, right, No, But but that's my point, right,
Like he was he was in college about the time
I was, so I knew there, right, But but same

(10:10):
thing where you know, it's it's in like folklore at
this point of look what he was, and it's like
you go back in times like right, maybe maybe, And
it's not to demean it, like the guy played, Like
I'm not here to to denigrate anybody's career. But we're
talking about guys that are gonna go at the top
of the to the next level. And in the end,
you've got a couple of paths as you begin your

(10:32):
college career. Even going back to to those guys and
when they matriculated, it was, Yes, the NFL is a
goal but I'm here to use the school, or should be.
I'm here to use the school and the opportunities as
much as they're going to use my athletic ability. And
that hasn't changed. Right, everybody's trying to come out of
there with something, and it's the same thing now, whether

(10:54):
it's all right, I'm hunkering down and I'm making connections
and I'm getting my classes in, which you know, at
Northwestern that's a lot of guys unless you you end
up getting picked and play with the Chargers. A lot
of a lot of Northwestern guys on the Chargers. But
for the most part, you know what your path is. Right,
You're gonna go to a prestigious university, you're gonna get

(11:15):
a degree, You're gonna make a lot of connections, and
then you go off into whatever your next phase is.
For the guys that they're barking and wagging their fingers
on their opportunities to go make generational money, and we
all know that window is short, right, you played five years,
you got past the line of demarcation what that average is.

(11:36):
So we know that colleges aren't closing, and you can
always get a j O B. If you have an
opportunity to go to the pros and they want you now,
and you're getting the word that the evaluation and you're
going through trusted sources that you're a first round guy.
I don't understand how anybody can have a problem because
that's what you were working towards, that's what you were
training for, and all of your efforts were heading into

(11:59):
that that path. So now that you choose to take
it and make sure that you protect the bag that
you've worked so hard to attain, why is that a
bad thing? Like that is just lost? No matter who
the other whoever arguing on the other side is yeah,
I don't understand that. I think most of us go
to college for opportunities. Right. College is an opportunity for

(12:19):
us to UH advance that education, UH surround ourselves with
people from a networking standpoint, from a mentoring standpoint that
will enable us to maybe accomplish some of the dreams
that we have later in life. And so whatever that
experiences in the classroom on the field, you want to
maximize it. And so when guys have an opportunity to
take advantage of the three or four years that they

(12:41):
have put in in college and they're ready to move
on to the next stage. I don't think we can
begrudge them. But I also love the fact that some
of these guys, like Oklahoma State, had a veteran laden
team and all their older players played and we saw
what that looked like. Look man to each us own.
I think the bigger thing and the challenge for CO
which is going forward, is to build a team where

(13:03):
you can offset an injury and those things that you
stand in front of the room next man up. In
all this, you have to live it because in these
bowl games, in these situations, the next man is up
and you have to get them ready to play. And
you can't why and then cry about it, like you
have to play whoever is available in and play, and
you expect the same standard that you've had throughout the season.
You want them to uphold the standard. Just as we're

(13:24):
looking at Week seventeen of the National Football League, next
man up, changes, protocols, injuries, illnesses, all of it in
a grand level of theater unlike any other. He's Bucky
Brooks on Mike Carmen. This is Fox Football Sunday. The
Order of the Day, Week seventeen. We've got fifteen games today,
ending with a Sunday Night affair between a couple of heavyweights,

(13:48):
and then obviously Monday Night Football, the final Monday Night
Football game of the season, as well as perhaps the
last home date for a would be Hall of Famer.
We'll get into all of that as we it rolling.
If you've got fantasy questions sit starts in your championship week,
of course send those over at S, won't we to them?
I'll answer them as in the morning Rolls. This is
Fox Sports Radio. Happy to her everybody, Let's go. Fox

(14:11):
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
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s R to listen live. I'm George Rice Stir, host
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intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet. The truth,

(14:34):
absolute fire on Monday's, Wednesdays and Friday's Facts Only. Make
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is allowed. We keep it one hundred. This is where
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on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever

(14:54):
you get your podcasts. Welcome back, and it's Fox Football
All Sunday. So jacked up to be back with you
here week seventeen. If you're National Football League Brandon Chris Perfect,
Isaac Low and come making us all sounds so pretty
this morning, Crystal pop in for the Lions chatter. Big

(15:15):
game against Seattle coming up a little bit later, so
you know, hey, we're playing out the string. We're celebrating
all two hundred seventy two of them. That's a great
it's a very big game, huge game. Huge. Hey, no,
there's still gonna be money. Bet and fantasy titles are
on the line this week. Right. Even if you're just

(15:36):
playing in what is your league's quote unquote toilet bowl,
whatever you term it, and you're trying to avoid the seller,
you know where you've got to get a tattoo or
something truly embarrassing, that game still has meaning to you.
Absolutely nobody wants nobody wants to tattoo, not to mention,
and you've got more of the you know, Pete Carroll

(15:59):
and Russell Wilson, somebody has to go. That's it. It's
the loser leaftown, that's it. That's right now. It's just
a question of which guy becomes the heel because we
know Russ has done everything he can to stay there.
Russ right now is Hull Hogan in the yellow and
the yellow trunks, right all right, he's whole Comania in

(16:20):
the mid eighties after defeating the Iron Cheek. But he
and I know the Shechic listens out there. Yeah, but
he's on the verge of reinventing himself as the other
whole code. You think we need to just say send
him some spray paint right now, I'm just saying hit
my music and w oh. Yeah, he's a different dude.

(16:43):
So he's on the verge of joining the n W
oh so keep an eye. It's funny because I just
as part of a sale, I just ordered a brand
spanking new n w O shirt to replace one that
had been properly weathered. I'm okay with New World Order conducted.
I was kind of And then then you had the
wolf Pack. He had all of that. All right, what
we could do wrestling talk. That'll be a podcast aside

(17:06):
sidelight to all of this, maybe a new thing for two.
But let's get into the games of the week. She said.
Bengals chief's a four point favorite on the road. Fifty
one is your total. Last week, Wake Martindale said, Hey,
Joe Burrow, that's guys not you know, not a Hall
of Famer. That's not a guy that we have to

(17:28):
go and do crazy things. What we see five plus
yards yet Tee Higgins go off to march. Everybody plays,
everybody wins. You look at Kansas City Chiefs, though all
of a sudden, tied for fifth in terms of total defense.
Bucky after what was a miserable start to the season
on a roll, give it up now just twenty point
four points per game. That's for the season. Getting no

(17:50):
Clyde Edwards Hilaire here with the shoulder injury. He is
out for the Bengals. A couple of injuries on the
defensive end. You got Jalen Davis cornerback, and Ham's sample
are out. We're not available you obviously, Joe Burrow still
with the finger injury, doesn't seem to be affecting him
too much. Joe Mixing has been fantastic, But this is
the collision course we wanted to see. Right the Bengals,

(18:13):
we talked about a mid year and they were rising
and then they got punched in the face, and then
they rose up like Hulk Domania, shaking it. They were
hulking if they were feeling the crowd, and then they
got punched in the face again and right now surging
against this Chiefs team, winners of eight straight, when everybody
left them for dead, they went undertaker. See, we're gonna
take all our w w e WWF references and bring

(18:36):
them together. What gives in this one? This is a
great game. It's a very compelling matchup because the Bengals
offense is explosive. Joe Burrow coming off that five plus
game um the weapons that he has at his disposal,
between Tee Higgins, Jamaar Chase, and taller Boyd you factor
in Joe Mixing, I don't know if there's a more
dynamic offense in the league. But then I look over

(18:58):
the other side of the Kan City Chiefs and you
talked about their defense stepping up since they moved Chris
Jones inside and had Melvin Ingram come over via trade
from the Steelers defensive playing lights out that force and turnovers,
they're doing a good job of creating chaos at the
point of attack. The thing that I like about the
Chiefs and the reason why I'm leaning towards them in
this game. I felt like I saw the old Chiefs

(19:19):
come back last week, and the old Chiefs can line
up in score points with anybody on the field. Last week,
no Travis Kelsey, tyreek Hill was limited. We saw Pringle
and Miko Hartman go off and have big games. We
saw the running back Derry Gore and Darry Williams replaced Clyde.
It was he lar and so I am beginning to
think that as we're getting closer to the tournament the

(19:42):
Chiefs are looking like the Chiefs again. That's why I'm
gonna go with the Chiefs in this monet and go
figure all those things that were problems early in the season.
When you sit down in the meeting room for several
weeks and Andy Reid gets another look at it, suddenly
those defensive fronts don't look so daunting and Patrick Mahomes
playing good tamed football. We look at the the plus

(20:03):
minus in the turnover differentials. We've talked about it all
season long, and it's the broken record, but it is
the most important statistic in all of football. And as
soon as you turn that around low and behold your
Fortunes do as well. I'm gonna take the Chiefs. I'll
take them to cover as well. Kansas City, Uh has arrived,
Cincinnati on the come. Not quite there with this heavyweight

(20:26):
just yet. Next Ram said, Ravings, all right, as we
look at this one, we've got the Rams five and
a half or six depending on where you're getting it
road favorites against Baltimore forty six and a half year total.
Tyler Huntley most likely back under center once again. UH.
Lamar Jackson with the ankle not quite there just yet.

(20:48):
Cam Akers as we expected, not activated yet, still having
some issues. A hitch in the old gidea coming off
the Achilles. But you're looking at Leonard Floyd with the ankle, uh,
still having some issues. For the Ravens. We can do
this all day long with thirty seven guys on the
injury list, not to mention all the guys already gone
to their i R for the year. You look at

(21:11):
the situation with with Markey's Brown expected to go. You've
got Mark Andrews, who at times quarterbacks have been my opic.
That's the guy that they focused. But we've seen the
offense still able to put up some decent numbers now
they got buried, So they're kind of hollow numbers against Cincinnati,
who absolutely worked Baltimore twice this year. But you're you're

(21:32):
seeing that even with Andrews being the focal point, that
they're able to move the ball and push the issue.
That said, when we look at the Rams playing much
better efficient football right now and expecting that defense at
least from where I sit, to maybe rise up a
little bit here, uh and take advantage of the young quarterback.

(21:54):
So when I look at the Rams and I see
Sony Michelle's emergence over the last four games, he has
over four hundred yards, he's everging over twenty carries per
game during that span. He has given the Rams an
opportunity to go back to the way that they used
to run their offense when they were really affected with
Jared Golf And so as the running game re emerges
and balances out that they are able to with stand

(22:16):
some down moments and some bad games from Matthew Stafford
on the outside, Cooper Cup oh b j Dy named
one to punch. Van Jefferson contributes offensively. I think they
just have too much firefower for the Baltimore Ravens Defensively,
it's about Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Aaron Donald, the Stars.
If the stars come out for the Rams band, they

(22:38):
can run through anybody, and they are another team that
is kind of peaking as they get into the postseason
despite the heavy turnover effort from Matthew Stafford. I just
think they have too much for the Baltimore Ravens, and
without Lamar Jackson, the Ravens offense is still a little different.
I know Tyler Huntley's played pretty well in his absence,
but it's different. And because of the differences, I'm gonna

(23:00):
with the Ramps. Ravens also likely to be missing Jason
o'daffeway off the defensive line. And we talk about Micah
Parsons and his impact always been fantastic. Right after all
the talk of where the sacks going on, they found him.
He found the pressures here in Baltimore. Scheming him up
for Wink Martindale. I'm with you. I'll take the Rams

(23:23):
giving a touchdown uh here they went by at least
seven for me in this one. Another big game to
get to in a moment. First, let's kick it over
to Isaac Lowendron. He's got the latest on the ends
outs and news of the morning, What's all about it?
Good morning Mike, and Good morning Bucky. Will start with
Ian Rappaport support the San Francisco forty Niners. Quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo not expected to start today against the Houston Texans

(23:46):
and in fact is likely to undergo offseason surgery on
his thumb. And college football. On New Year's Night at
the Sugar Bowl, Number seven Baylor finished the season twelve
and two to seven victory over Old miss The Rolls
Will was sensational. Number six Ohio State prevailed over eleventh
ranked Utah fort Noah Ruggles the game winning nineteen yard

(24:08):
field goal with nine seconds to play. Buckeys quarterback C. J.
Stroud a school record five hundred seventy three yard performance.
He threw six touchdown passes. Then there was Jackson Smith
and Jig fifteen catches for an FBS Bowl game record
three hundred forty seven yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Marvin
Harrison Jr. Also with three touchdown receptions. Finally in the

(24:30):
NBA on New Year's Night, this one's for you, Harmon.
We're actually gonna go back to Friday night the Chicago
Bulls at Indiana in the final seconds. Here's the venerable
Chuck squir Sky on w SCR tomorrow with two seconds
he's got a hustle, comes up shooting onions. We will

(24:59):
take you back from Friday to last night, Chicago at Washington,
and what you're about to hear is not a replay
of what you just heard. Didn't play the Rosen Spence
hard quorter for the win it again, Rolson, Happy New Year.

(25:19):
Back to back game winners to bar de Rosen from
the laft corner, hence won the ball game for the
Bulls like its baby. Onions win, Bulls win, Bulls win.
What to one nineteen? How about that game? Winning three
pointers at the buzzer on back to back nights. It's

(25:41):
the first time it's ever happened in NBA history. Indeed,
an order of extra onions in Chicago fellas a little
bit of love for Swertzky. Bill Raftree, as you know,
had Isaac lowan crime where you find him on Twitter.
I will say this, uh the score. They're commemorating their
thirtieth anniversary. As a kid in Chicago, sports talk radio

(26:02):
becomes the thing, becomes one of those aspirational things like wow,
what you did around the the lunch room tables? Right
everybody coming from all points of the city where I
went to high school at Saint Ignatius Downtown, which means
everybody's trying to get there. And if you missed one bust,
you were probably gonna be late, which meant you were
probably sitting around for forty five minutes waiting on the

(26:22):
first bell. And what did you do? You argued about everything?
Where did you start those arguments? Whatever you heard on
the radio on the score coming in. So congratulations to everybody.
They're back in Chicago. Just a big point in my life.
And Chuck Swirsky some of the TikTok's and and Instagram
videos that he's posting dancing like a fool after these

(26:42):
wins because they're loving it right now. Right Lonzo Ball
has become the player that Magic Johnson wanted to put
the jersey in the rafters here in l A. It
didn't work. He had to bounce to New Orleans and
then back to Chicago. And it's working. You've got de
rozan uh and Levine and all those guys, I mean,
just playing incredible basketball right now. So excitement about the

(27:03):
Bulls for the first time and forever buck. Yeah, a
lot of excitement. I mean I do like the onions.
Call is our onions are prerequisite on Chicago dogs, Like
oh yeah, yeah, you're gonna get the very finely sliced onions.
Gets a grilled if you if you want right, gets
a caramelized grilled onions if you want to go that

(27:25):
route to that's sorry, everybody's got you know, like we
pass the food around. I know Chris was saying Jonas, uh,
well that that was my my thing is as well
as it's just a matter of everything is so delete
So you'll get a package with a bunch of Chicago
dogs here. I like it. Big onions. Well you guy.

(27:46):
That folks question the signing when he showed up. Man,
they look good at the baby bulls. I guess they're
not the baby bulls anymore because they're a little older.
But yeah, but right now getting it done. Other than
Derrick Rose in his MVP year, there's not been a
lot of excitement for I Go basketball other than the
last dance and Scottie Pippen trying to tarnish anybody's legacy.
I mean, he looks he's definitely on the tourist to

(28:08):
World the scortch Earth Tour Scotty p But I know
he was mad. Look the half second on it. I
know he was mad that they called out the contract
thing on the last dance to to hit the re
one button on this Scottie Pippen made more money on
court than Michael Jordan did for his career. He got paid,
didn't get paid by the Bulls, but he eventually in Houston. Uh,

(28:31):
he got his big contracts. So why you're so mad,
I don't know. I don't know why you feel mad.
Top fifty of all time. Come on, he got directing guys.
All right, our game here is the National Football League
Week seventeen, and we've got a big battle. Because I
need to ask one very important question, Cardinal said. Cowboys.

(28:53):
Cow Boys six and a half point favorites at home.
Big D fifty two is your total for this one, Bucky?
It is one of your highlight games of the game.
And when we look at the Arizona Cardinals scuffling trying
to roll through, obviously no, DeAndre Hopkins has been the
order of the day. But for me, as as important

(29:14):
as he is, the things you don't have to sledgehammer
and James Conner things seem to bog down a bit.
Get Jase Edmonds back was nice and everything else, but
if you can't go and pick up your short yardage
and work that around the goal line, it's a completely
different offense that they're running. It is a completely different offense.
And I think this is a huge game. I'm sure
you've looked at the numbers in terms of Cliff Kingsbury,

(29:36):
what he does, what he does before week seven and
week eight and after going all the way back in
Texas Tech. This is part of a late season swoon
trend that he's always had as a coach, And so
what everyone is beginning to one to now is can
he fix it? Can he resolve the issues that are
plaguing the Cardinals. When I look at the Cardinals, then
I really explosive on the outside. You lose DeAndre Hopkins,

(29:59):
ca Lamarray prefers to throw outside the numbers. You take
that part of way his game changes, and then Connors Edmunds.
The run game was really a big part of what
they were doing early. They're not getting the same kind
of production, so they can't balance and control the ball
like they were but for the Cowboys, Cowboys are Super
Bowl contended and this is a huge game for the
Cowboys because everyone is waiting for the other shoot to drop.

(30:20):
They can't be this good, they can't get it done,
and so this is a statement game for them. And
when it comes down to make statements, I think they
do it better than others. Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb, Michael Gallup,
Marie Cooper, Zeke Pollard. Those guys are great, but it's
the defense that is the difference. Uh, Michael Parson's, Randy Gregory,
DeMarcus Lawrence, Traymon Dicks. They have played at a high

(30:42):
level and I expect him to continue play a high
level given the Cowboys because remember last year when the
Cardinals beat him. I want to say Calamaria might have
rubbed their nose in a little bit. I think it's
a payback three five days later. I like that you
you kind of read off that list of names like
you were getting played off at an award show, and
you were kind speech and this guy I think him
and hit him there and the thing over there I

(31:05):
think with the guy who plays James Connor is of
course a game time decision. Note from Brandon over there.
You've got an injury list that is curious. Zach Allen
on the defensive line, instrumental for them, He's got an
ankle injury. He is questionable, as is Buddha Baker, who
came onto the scene, uh the playing well, but came
onto the scene big time last year and certainly getting

(31:27):
his run for the Cardinals. I'm I'm just feeling it
that they that they come up with one big effort,
that we've seen the swoon, that somehow they're able to
find one more play. I don't think it's pretty. So
I'm taking them plus the points and you know what,
I'll take them out right for the win here in
Big d to create chaos because right now Dallas sitting

(31:50):
pretty they're starting I think they're starting to read their
press like they're getting awards, like you just ran all
that stuff out that by the way for purpose ceedee
Lamb has been trashed to you. Sorry, I gotta call
it what it is. Uh he has a scort since
Week ten, only a couple of hundred yard games on
the year. Uh, So approach with caution there, but I'll

(32:10):
take Arizona. I know Bucky's on Dallas here in a
big spot. All right, next Viking sent Packers here we go.
As we talked about this one. No Kirk Cousins rolling
up in this one. It's Mannon Country for you. U
thirteen the latest spread. It's been twelve thirteen, thirteen and

(32:32):
a half. Forty two and a half is your total?
Or Ian Rappaport reporting this morning. Davante Ad is most
likely to get the franchise tag. I don't know how
well that sits with his best friend Aaron Rodgers as
they try to navigate the future, right, But that to me, Look,
Aaron rodgersnt going anywhere. Packers still have to trade him. No, no, no, no,

(32:56):
no no. But that's what I'm saying, Like everybody keeps
forgetting the hat. Just because he's unhappy, doesn't mean they
have to do anything. He can go on and do
his search for the universe with files Teller again, and
he still has to come back in this in the
spring and then the fall. He and Joe Rogan can
sit and have all kinds of chats on podcasts and
stuff like that. They can do whatever they want, you know,

(33:18):
speak speak to whatever your truth is, and and hang
out with McBee whatever our business here is what he
does between the white lines, and well, if you do
it better and for the opportunity here, very frigid game
coming ahead here, I'm expecting a lot of a J.
Dillon with no Pierce on the defensive front from Minnesota.
Obviously Kirk is out feeling done for the year, still

(33:42):
got Dalvin Cook, still got you know, kJ Osborne and
Justin Jefferson. But when you're looking at Green Bay playing
as they are, defense humming along and Rogers Adams, no
matter what you try to throw Adam, they find a way.
They find they typically find a way. And what has
been so good about the Packers um offensively, they've been
very efficient. Funny when you look at Roger's number, it's

(34:04):
not like he's averaging three passing yards per game, but
he's just operating at a very efficient clip. The running
game Aaron Jones and a J. Dillon stabilizes everything. But
the man that you talked about, the guy who assumed
to be the twenty million dollar man, Davante Adams twenty
twenty nine million dollars, is what the franchise tag would
be for him. If they give that to him, that's

(34:26):
a ton of cash for a guy, but they're good
to go. And look, man, I just wonder how this
thing is going to end in Minnesota. You got Kirk Cousins,
who is oh, thirty five million dollars next year. Cut
Cousins is not available for the biggest game of what
we would call the Vikings season. Uh, Mike Zimmer is
on the hot seat. This doesn't look good and it's

(34:50):
on the road. Might be the end. It might be
the end of the Zimmer and Captain Kirk is as
efficient as you, then this is the thing that you've
been looking for all year, knowing vaccination status with Star Wars,
the Enterprise, Kevin Kirk an enterprise. It goes down Star Trek,
Star Trek, Star Trek, Star Wars. They're trying to the

(35:13):
Star Star Trek, Star Trek. Guess what I meant. I
was thinking. I was thinking about William Shatner. And be
careful now that you mentioned his name. That's a whole
other thing here at Fox Sports Radio. I'll explain to
you off air. He's Bucky Brooks on Mike Carmen. This
is Fox Sports Radio. Take the Packers, Take the Packers
Big Today. As we roll on, We've got a ton

(35:34):
more games to get through. The next one is more
about the coach and some reports circling about embarrassment. As
soon as that word hits, well, we've got it. We've
got to investigate a little further. We'll do that next
Here on Fox Football Sunday, Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio.
It is Fox Football Sunday. Curson through the games of

(35:55):
week seventeen with you Mike Armen alongside Bucky Brooks at
Bucky Brooks where you find him on Twitter, the Amazon. Well,
it was the Thursday games. It was the scout. That
was a good run. It It was a nice little run.
We're back. We'll be back for the postseason though. There
you go for the postseason run obviously. FS one, Fox

(36:17):
Sports Digital here with me every Sunday morning, breaking down
all the good, the bad, the ugly of our National
Football League games, and well one that is potentially ugly,
not necessarily on the field, well that could get there too,
but certainly off the field. Some headline swirling Thurs Saints

(36:38):
New Orleans six and a half point favorites at home
against Carolina as we look at this thirty seven and
a half showing the confidence in these offenses, right there
or is it a defensive struggle however you want to markets, Yeah,
we'll just say the offenses are a nimick and will
leave it at that. Sam Donald your starter once again.
As we look at your injury report for this one,

(37:01):
Stefon Gilmore is out. You've got a number of questionable tags,
including a couple of members of that Carolina offensive line
for the Saints. Trun Quon Smith chest injury is out.
Mark ingram questionable means more of wealth, Taysom Hills back
under center, more Alvin Kamara for you out there. But
the bigger story is Matt Rule only year two of

(37:23):
his seven year deal, and reports of well, just a
lot of stuff that he reportedly told the locker room
I could leave for one of these big college jobs,
but I'm here that temper is quote unquote embarrassed by
what he's seen. Okay, well that's just an observation. And
then it becomes a you know, are they soft? Like

(37:46):
that term started getting thrown about for this Carolina squad
And obviously you lose Christian McCaffrey, you lose a lot.
What what what do you make of the Matt Rule telling
his guys, hey, you know what I could leave. Um,
I'm saying, maybe, what are you trying to do is hey, guys,
I want you guys to know that I'm right here.
I'm in the foxhil with you. If I wanted to

(38:07):
run and I didn't believe in the program, I could
have gone elsewhere and taking the check. But no, I
bypassed all of that and decided to stay right here
with you. Where would I rather be? Right here, right now?
Your grown ass man in the locker room. I'm not
saying I'm not saying that they went well. I'm just
saying that maybe it's a win one for the gipper

(38:29):
type speech trying to go that way. We know with
the New Orleans defense back healthier than they were a
week ago, and we saw what a mess that all was,
as he in book UH has predicted, saw a lot
of heat from Miami. And you watch that Monday night game,
go to hell? Uh? They respond here in New Orleans
six and a half point favorite. I'll take a minus

(38:50):
to touchdown against this Carolina team limping to the end. Yeah,
I would take the Saints over their defensively, the Saints
are superior and Sam Donald playing, Yeah, so I think
we're assured of seeing a handful of turnovers from Sam Donald.
That's just typically what he does, and so we'll see
what that looks like. There you go. We can get
one in really quick because this will only take a minute.

(39:14):
Giant said bear hold miserable environment. Six and a half
is the line Bears favorite at all thirty six and
a half even lower total. Andy Dalton back under center
for the Bears in this one. Yeah, uh but showing
just how bad are Can you explain to me why

(39:36):
is Andy Dalton back? Nick Foles just got him a win?
Why is Andy Dalton? Well, the report is that Matt
Dagg he's done and remember he was dying on the
hill of Andy Dalton is my guy when healthy and
he's showing it. Geez, that's such a bad look. Um
this game. If you're leaving, do you care? I mean
why like you just want with Nick Foles? Like why

(39:56):
not trying to stack him up? This game is a
tough one to watch. The New York moved the ball
at everybody's hurt at all? If they don't have anybody available? Uh,
the Bears, even with the Andy dogg maybe this is
this is the one uh Andy dogt I just had
this vision of Matt Andy Dalton showed his running off
the field and sold feel not a Mike Glennon revenge game.

(40:19):
Huh he got his bag from the Bears are snow revenge.
I'll take the Bears given the touchdown. Congratulations, Devin Hester.
You'll end up in the Hall of Fame. He's Bucky
Brooks on Mike Garmen. We continue with the games of
Week seventeen next year on Fox Grannings. Welcome in an
hour two of the program three hours until kickoff of
this week seventeen in your National Football League. That's right,

(40:41):
we didn't have any Thursday games. Saturday was owned by
college football. If you were mad about the semi finals
and blowout status and you want to have rants about Cincinnati,
plenty of time for that as everybody gets back from
holiday holiday holiday, and the new week begins as we
rev up for the sec chance, i mean, the NZ

(41:03):
Double a championship game a week from Monday. Mike Garment
alongside Bucky Brooks having fun with you here as we
go through the games of the day and some really
interesting twists and turns along the way. The Injury Reports
Protocol lists all of those things constantly moving. Are we
moving towards load load management in the NFL? With all

(41:25):
of this? Bucky, I think God, I think teams would
be smart if they would kind of incorporate that strategy
into the way that they build out the season. It's
a marathon and the season is so long and we've
seen the impact of injuries that the number one thing
that I would focus on is playing well, but making
sure that I get to the tournament with all of
my guys. If I can't get the number one seed

(41:45):
where I'm guaranteed the buy, I need to at some
point make sure I get my guys some time off
so they can be fresh and ready to go. And now,
if you want of those teams that's fighting to the
end and you have to fight to get that last
spot today, so had you gotta play you guys. But
if you want of those teams where you know where
you kind of locked in and you don't necessarily have
a problem with the potential matchups because no one likes

(42:06):
to say this, but you always look at it and see, Okay,
well we're the two seed, we had the seven, Oh
we're we're three, so we can have six, Like, do
we like that matchup or not. You want to make
sure that you have your stars ready and rocking in
the postseason because the Stars ultimately win it. So yeah,
I think we are kind of veering towards a little
low management party. At one point, it kind of looked

(42:28):
that way for Arizona. We talked about the Cardinals and
they're big game against Dallas, uh coming up tonight, a
little bit earlier, but when you get down to it,
it looked like it with Colt McCoy of, hey, we've
got to buy week in here. He wins the first game,
so we're buying some time for the ankle and now
trying to figure out how to get that offense revd up.
Once again, has been hard week to week for the Cardinals.

(42:53):
Defensively still most weeks putting up pretty strong efforts and
now it's just finalizing things in the red zone, sputtering
again owing to James Conner and DeAndre Hopkins not being
there for stretches here. But it's just the curiosity of
trying to manage it, and obviously the COVID protocols or
a whole other thing as we see the adjustment with

(43:14):
CDC recommendations, but certainly the leagues themselves trying to say,
you know, these games will will go through, these games
will pass, and we see changes. So when all of
a sudden Carson wentz earlier this week, was all right,
he's not gonna be available because of a of a test,
and it's like, all right, here's gonna be Ellinger reportedly

(43:34):
a call out to Philip Rivers like no, no, no, no,
he made it through. He's gonna play. It's like he
got a lot of folks ringing their hands, gonna wait
a minute, my guy or twelve of my guys didn't
get to play, and that was a game that might
have started to sink us down to out of the
playoff pictures. So the inequity of these things, and look,
it's we know it's a moving target all the way through,

(43:56):
but I gotta imagine there's a bit of a battle
going on behind the scenes relative to changing while in process,
given the number of stars that have been held out
of prior games. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I
think it's certainly an issue, and it's one of those
things that you want to talk about and try and
figure out a it's not fair to us. But then
it's also I'm moving target when it comes to the
protocols and the way the pandemic has started surging, and

(44:20):
so you can be mad about it, and we talked
about it earlier. Next man up. You have to play
with whoever shows up, and you have to be able
to get those guys ready. And no one is going
to feel sorry for you if you miss the playoffs
by a game or two, because inevitably, somewhere in that
season you dropped one that you probably could have or
maybe should have won with or without the protocols being
a part of the equation. And you know, it's one

(44:41):
of those things. We can wind about it and cry
about it, but they ain't stopping and ain't changing. But
the machine rolls on. The machine rolls on, and the
Carson Winstein is interesting because he went from being out
to oh five days he can play boom just like that.
He's back in under center. Well, a lot of it
is the two steps to Jonathan Taylor, So I think

(45:02):
other guys could have executed that well. But for the
most part Went has done the job. And then some
as folks expected he would with Frank reich Uh the
quarterback whisper as it were, after all of the negativity
uh and reports coming out of Philly a year ago.
But we'll we'll continue to monitor this obviously the final
two weeks of the regular season. Don't think it's done

(45:24):
just because we get to the postseason, no question about it. Uh.
It is a storyline that continues to evolve, UH and
has a lot of handwringing, not just you and your
fantasy title games. I know that your daily fantasy choices,
but also on the larger, larger scope of just trying
to figure out what this playoff picture looks like and
how those grids set up. UH. Let's face it, every

(45:46):
game is meaningful at this point, whether you're playing for
draft position and maximizing you know the uh, the draft
picks you acquired in prior deals uh, and obviously looking
your head to the playoff picture and trying to fight
your way in. As you said, all you gotta do
is get an invite to the dance, because this year,

(46:06):
who the hell knows what happens once you are in. Well, no,
once you're in, that'stimating thing, and that's always kind of
been a thing with the tournament. I think this year,
what any of the year, the parody that we've seen
in the league. Anytime we can see the Houston Texans
knockoff the Chargers, uh, when no one expected that stuff
to happen, and some of the other and what was
ast What is a huge game and then you come

(46:28):
out flat like that? Yeah, I mean, look, we saw
the Jackson with Jaguars knocked off the Buffalo Bills, the
same Buffalo Bills that thrashed the Patriots, so we could
go and so it's just one of those things any
given Sunday. And so the one thing that you are
are are asking your team are you're telling your team guys,
it doesn't matter once we started dancing. Once we get
into the tournament, all the records reset and we got

(46:50):
just as making a chance to win it as anybody else.
So just get into the tournament because then it just
becomes a three game deal to get to the super Bowl.
And I think anyone would sign up for a three
game winnings three game winning street results in an opportunity
to win the title. Think about all the extra cash
incentives that are there, no question about it, the glory
and what you played for each and every week. He's

(47:12):
Bucky Brooks. I'll bike Armen this is Fox Football Sunday.
Let's get back into the games. Let's ease back in
with one that we'll we'll pick the winner, but you know,
the side stories are more important. Ears and ships. All right,
Nearly two touchdowns and that's how you spell it, no
question about it. Thirteen and a half. Uh. The favorites

(47:32):
on the road are the Buccaneers forty five and a half.
Bruce Arians has gotten through protocol, so he will coach.
Barrett is out, Jason Pierre Paul is out, Richard Sherman
is out. Antonio Brown looks like he's gonna give it
a go. Mike Evans also gonna give it a go.
But for fantasy purposes, he's a no fly zone. For me,
I'm staying away from that. Uh. And then you've got

(47:54):
Antoine Winfield Junior questionable as well. That's a lot of
defensive players. But against the Jets, UM, it doesn't much
matters pointing you, Hey, they ran really well last week.
Yeah that was the Jaguars, But this is via by
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And no one runs on the Buccaneers
like that, not inside in particular. Um. I feel like
at some point the Tampay Buccaneers need to hit the stride.

(48:15):
The problem is you have so many guys on and
off the injured list. Uh, Mike Evans, hamstring, Chris Gott
when done, Antonio Brown is expected to play, and so
when he plays, he and Rob Gronkowski immediately move up
to the number one and number two spots when it
comes to the priority list in the passing game. Um,
the Buccaneers have to get right. I don't think Tom

(48:36):
Brady will let them fall apart. He knows how important
is to gain a little momentum. I think they start
with a little momentum against the Jess give the thirteen
and a half Buccaneers role. It's just a matter of account,
all right, storylines, new faces. Let's go next. Tech Sens
at forty Niners twelve and a half point favorite. That's

(48:59):
with Trey Land under center. It is time. Jimmy Garoppolo
with the thumb injury, will not go in this one.
For the forty Niners. Drake green Law, the linebacker is out.
Al Shayer is out as well with a knee injury.
And then you've got Maurice Hearst and mcafe injury out
on the d line. Elijah Mitchell expected to go knee injury,

(49:19):
but you'll expect to see the usual two to three
guys including Deebo Samuel in the run game. Fairly healthy
Houston Texans squad. They're still fighting, right if we're gonna
do the fighting Campbell's the fighting Cullies are still out there.
The reports this morning that they haven't shown their hand
as to whether he gets retained or or they move

(49:39):
on after one year from him. But you look at
David David cal after one year, that is kind of crazy.
But you never know. Well, but yeah, I mean part
of it is you still have the Deshaun Watson effect
there well in terms of the off field, but also
the can you men fences and is there a guy

(50:01):
that he'd feel comfortable that would be out there that
would make it work for him to want to play
for you again? Yeah, I think that, which is a whole.
That's an offseason story. Buddys have been really good. Davison
Mills gives him a chance. He gives him a chance
to continue to build this team out, to take those
picks that they have at the top of draft and
use them elsewhere, particularly after they trade Deshaun Watson as

(50:23):
everyone assumes because his number goes from timmillion this year
to thirty five million next year. Um, but I think
all the entrgue is really on the other side. With
Trey Lance expected to start in place of Jimmy, I
would expect if Kyle Shanahan is on his game, I
would expect Trade Lance to run the ball twelve the
fifteen times. I would expect to see a very dynamic

(50:43):
and creative run game. You know, she's gonna look like
Philly's offense the same thing. Like if anything, Kyl is
the origin that they should be able to do all
of those things and more, um and just pummel people
with the running game. We'll see what that looks like.
But yeah, like this one where I said this, Um,
we saw this happen when Kyla Kaepernick stepped in for

(51:05):
Alex Smith. If Trey Lance plays well over the next
game or two and the Niners going to the postseason,
I think you have to roll with the young guy
in the postseason because it gives them opportunity to get
that accelerated learning curve, to get that stuff out the
way we talked about Bowl games early about young guys. Whatever,
go ahead and get them the sauce if you can
get them to sauce, because we've seen what Jimmy Garopp

(51:27):
blows up. He's fine and they can win with him.
But I'm saying, if the young guy plays well the
next two weeks, I think you have to stick with it.
Well that you won't have that much in terms of tape,
because you don't have a lot of college tape as
it is. And then certainly here you're gonna get two
weeks of a sample size and then you get a
chance to see what it looks like. Let's go see
what it looks San Francis take them giving the hefty

(51:49):
total in this one. That's it, man, that's a that's
a big number of points number. I like them winning stuff,
but but that's it. Sometimes you gotta be bold. I
like it that New Year's resolution over here from I
would tell you this. I would say this, it's gonna
be one or the other. Either he's just winning them
winning out right, or they're getting blown out in San

(52:13):
Francisco's defense has something for Davis Mills. You can mock
me all you want. I like it. Well, that's just it,
Like you know, go harder, go home. He's the old
rule of thumb. He's Buckey Brooks out by Carmen. We
have plenty more games to get through. The next one
is well, the big one on Monday Night. A lot

(52:35):
of storyline both quarterbacks in the press this week. We
will get to that as we continue on Fox Football Sunday.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app
search f s R to listen live. Welcome back in
Fox Sports Radio. It's Fox Football Sunday here week seventeen.

(52:58):
You're fan of see titles are on the line at
Swall and Dome. I'll get to your SI starts coming
up in about forty minutes from now. We've still got
a number of games to get through. Mike Harmon alongside
Bucky Brooks having fun with you this morning. That's Wall
and Dome at Buckey Brooks where you find Bucky. Plenty
of content UH flowing through on Bucky's UH Twitter handle

(53:20):
and various medium including FS one appearances and of course
on the Fox Sports Digital app where you find him
NFL network. I mean he is a man, renaissance man
and from the scouts of you giving you the the
eagle eyed look from a man who's been in the
locker room five years in the National Football League scouting

(53:41):
and now well forced to sit with me on Sunday
mornings and listen to my uh well theories on the
meaning of life. And let's get to the next one,
shall we. But Brown said, Steelers Cleveland three or three
and a half your number on the road favorites against

(54:01):
the Steelers, and what Ben Roethlisberger says is likely his
last big appearance here for the Pittsburgh Steelers at home
forty one is your total Harrison Hill Johnson all out
keeping score. Those are all in the secondary for Cleveland,
Kareem Hunt game time decision, but right now leaning out,

(54:24):
I think you would see more Ernest Johnson in that
process for the Steelers. They're coming in pretty healthy at
this point. For But for Big Ben, is this saying,
I mean, we all expect this, but you've got the
great storylines You've either got all right, do we love
or hate Baker this week? And Ben Roethlisberger is on
his way out, something has to give because here, Bucky,

(54:45):
we talked about Cincinnati playing Kansas City, both these teams
are still alive to perhaps win the division and certainly
to make the tournament. Yeah, both teams are alive, but
both of them all on life support. The Cleveland Browns
made given away a game that I would say they
may look like almost I'll play the Green Bay Packers

(55:05):
for most of that game on Christmas Day. They give
it away. So then I got to go on the
road and be Pittsburgh. Um Ben Roethlisberger's last game or
do they have the emotion to withstand it? But the
thing about the Pittsburgh Stills, I just don't know if
they have enough to be able to get it done Offensively.
They just have been there all year. Uh. The Browns
have a running game that it looks good. Even without

(55:27):
Kareem Hunt. You have Nick Chubb. They've been able to
run the football effectively. But it all comes down to
Baker Mayfield. With Baker Mayfield shows up, if the efficient
effect of Baker Mayfield shows up, I think they have
an advantage. Uh. I already expect the Browns will be
able to get this done on the road. Looking at
these Steelers and for Nagi Harris, there's been some empty
numbers over the course of the year. You know, when

(55:48):
we talk about thousand yard backs, okay, that means more
or less you stayed healthy, which is in this league
is a big deal. But it's not the same benchmark
that it was once about a time when Tops was
putting insert cards, commemorate and try it. I've got trade.
But you know, first career Ben has owned the the
Browns and I don't. I don't think this one has

(56:09):
to be pretty, even as evidenced by that forty one
total that's been put up on it here. I'll take
the Steelers that that Mike Tomblin's able to rally him
one time here. It's gonna be ugly. Oh it's I
don't expect a lot of style points from either team
and this one. To your point, Nick Chubb, as a
runner and receiver, he puts up a hefty total each

(56:31):
and every week. But I think this gets into a
field goal kicking contest when it's done, and I'll take
my chances. I can't fault to you and still something
I'll find a way to win these games. I can't
fault you. Just Mike Tomblin's history, Big Ben and what
he does to Cleveland, he can rip their heart out
one more time and then we'll be talking about the
pass interference that wasn't forever in that game against Green Bay. Okay,

(56:55):
next Dolphins. Sense we talked about teams fighting, teams not
giving up, you know, the intestinal fortitude. We're gonna take
the guerrilla monsoon. That's right. We started with w W
E references. We're gonna continue it here as we flow.
Miami left for dead, giving up just twenty one points

(57:15):
per game. That's tenth in the National Football League. Right
behind them the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Tannehill. He got his
favorite receiver back in a J. Brown. You look at
at a hefty target total on a week to week basis,
and this might be one of my favorite games of
the day. Here, Bucky Uh to a tongue of volo,
I think folks finally starting to give a little bit

(57:35):
of credit what he is. Again, it doesn't have to
be world beating. I don't need a guy to throw
three hundred and three to your point earlier about what
Aaron Rodgers has been doing for the Packers. Just don't
turn the ball off, be efficient, and let your playmakers
go to work. A thing that's a to a tongue
has been great, But make no mistake, the reason why
the Dolphins are on a seven game streak is because

(57:57):
their defense is played lights out there number one in
the league since Week nine and points per game, third
down percentage, red zone presentaged in sacks per game. They're
only giving up eleven points seven points per game during
the win streak, and when you look at how they
have been able to do it, they are really bringing
a lot of cover zero pressure, meaning all out pressure
with some bluff and bill tag as they really confused

(58:20):
the quarterback. That's it. A J. Brown returns to the
line up, and when A J. Brown returns, Ryan Tannehill's
numbers go up. They've been able to survive to Derrick
kennything with the guys running back by committee kind of
still being able to be productive, but A J. Brown
is their most dynamic player. The thing is, I worry
about Ryan Tannehill being able to withstand that onslaught of

(58:41):
pressure that the Dolphins bring at them. Give me the
Dolphins I want to see, maybe because I personally want
to see this. Give me the Dolphins win because I
want to see them have to battle the Patriots at
the end of the year. When I go home for
the Dolphins win. Let's go to Dolphins. Yeah, I know,
if we go back, And we've talked about it in
the fighting campbells and those lines, But it started with

(59:02):
the Flores squad right because there was a lot of
what seemed like chaos and that the grand experiment of
building a program wasn't going to come together. And then
you saw it turn last year pretty fast, what seemed
like a year ahead of schedule. And to uh, the
it was let's figure out what he is how it goes,
And folks talked about him getting pulled as a big deal.

(59:25):
Is like, well, he still had chances to win games
and Fitzpatrick hadn't turned into a pumpkin. Oh he did
turn her pumpkin. Yes, they chances, but they still had chances.
So they kept going back to that route. Yeah, they
they had chances. And so here's the thing that I
think defensively they can do it. And then offensively, what
they've discovered is two is one of the best rpo
quarterback that you'll ever find in terms of his ability

(59:47):
to put the ball in the bility, read the defense,
and then make these quick rhythm throws. And so as
long as he's able to do that, it's a problem.
And so the only way you can slow that down,
and you gotta play man to man and are they
willing to play man demand all game long? The Tennessee type,
And so I think it's an issue. That's why I
gonna go to Dolphins upset minded. I think I'm gonna

(01:00:08):
go right there with you. Why because it's Duke Johnson. No,
I'm just kidding. I think it's all about that defense.
And while it's not Ian Book back there getting attack,
but from all sides, it's it's a put up or
shut up for for Ryan Tannehill, and he's got one
guy to go up and get the ball for him.
It's a very formidable guy. Thirty nine and overcast for

(01:00:29):
this one. We've got rain in some of our spots
over the course of the day. This is not one
of them, but a little bit of a wind as well,
both on the Dolphins and this one next Raiders at
Colts alright referenced it before the Colts get Carson Wentz back.
Eight point favorites in this one. Five is your total, uh,

(01:00:54):
fairly healthy both sides of this one. Colts obviously get
Ryan Kelly back huge emotional lift after he'd missed time
after you know, the tragedy and their family are best
to hear his wife and and and all of their
friends and family and the support that he's got. You
look at what the Colts have been able to do here, Bucky,
A lot of trying circumstance. For one thing remains. The

(01:01:18):
run game continues with Jonathan Taylor, and if you don't
get him on your first crack, he's running through you.
He is running through you. And this is what we
said about teams that are able to play with the
next man up. They've been able to do it UH
time and time again. We saw him knock off the
Cardinals when they didn't I mean, they had a very
depleted roster and it didn't matter. And now they get
Carson Wentz, who they didn't think we played, but now

(01:01:39):
he is going to play. That's certainly is a boost
to their UH fortunes. It gives them a chance to
have a complimentary UH pass attacks to go with Jonathan
Taylor just running absolutely rush shot UH through the heart
of the Raiders defense. I just like the Colts here.
I think that the tougher team and this is a
game that is going to be a battle of toughness
when it comes to the running game. I don't think

(01:02:00):
the Raiders can defend it well enough to slow them down.
Defense playing good football as well giving up twenty one
points per game. Uh. The Derek Carr conversations always swirling
about as well, his future obviously coaching decisions to be
made there for Las Vegas as well. Give me the
colds only the points to another one of those, Taylor, Hey,

(01:02:24):
I think I've got my my my win, right, I'm
only down to Nope, there he goes, uh, and he's
off to the races once again. Mike Carmen alongside Bucky Brooks.
We got five more games to get through. But first
let's kick it over to Isaac Lowan grond get an
update of what's trending are on our sporting universe and
a bonus serving of onions coming up. Just a preview

(01:02:45):
coming attractions. We start though, in the National Football League.
It's official. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz has been medically
cleared to play today against Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas
Oil Stadium. I Rapavort of NFL Media reporting that San
Francisco forty Niners quarterback Jimmy Afolo is not expected to
start today against the Houston Texans and in facts as
likely to undergo off season surgery on his thumb. Able

(01:03:07):
Sugar Bowl on Saturday night, Number seven Baylor finished the
campaign twelve and two thanks to a one to seven
victory over Number eight Old Miss earlier Saturday at the
Rose Bowl. Sixth ranked Ohio State want a thriller over
number eleven Utah forty eight forty five Noah ruggles the
game winning nineteen yard field goal with nine seconds to play.

(01:03:29):
Ohio State quarterbacks C. J. Stroud through for five hundred
seventy three yards with six touchdown passes. Buckeys receiver Jackson
Smith and Jiga fifteen catches for an FBS Bowl Game
record three hundred forty seven yards and three touchdowns. Marvin
Harrison Jr. Also with three touchdown receptions. Finally, take you

(01:03:49):
back to Friday night, the Chicago Bulls at Indiana final seconds.
Here's the venerable Chuck swersky on w SCR Toro with
two seconds. He's got a hustle, comes up shooting from
the wind. Budgets Baby Onions Bull Game Bubber Bulls Wind,
Bulls Wind, Bulls Wind. And then on Saturday night, the

(01:04:14):
Chicago Bulls were at our Nation's Capital when the exact
same scenario believe it or don't unfolded, didn't play the
De Rosen Spence hard quarter for the Wind got it
again when the bar De Rolson Happy New Year back
to back game winners to bar De Rosen from the

(01:04:34):
lamp parterer has won the ball game for the Bulls, Buggets,
Baby Onions, Bullswin, Bulls Wind, Bulls win what twenty to
one nineteen? Now for the record, The Bulls next game
is scheduled for tomorrow at home against the Orlando Magic.
Just throwing that out there, and I'm happy to report

(01:04:57):
that despite a sprained and ruse larynx, are Man Chuck
Swirski is listed as probable for that game. Fellas back
to you Eastern Conference leading Bulls. At this point, I
had of Brooklyn winners of seven straight. Uh, and they
do know a thing or two about winning three in
a row. So maybe, maybe, just maybe, I loo, so

(01:05:19):
I see what you don't have to do that again?
And I see what you did there? They do they
do know, they actually know two things about winning three
straight to three pets. Very good. See now you owe
pat Riley money, but I don't. I raised that from
the podcast. Please walked you right into it. I didn't
say it, but you did. At Isaac Lowan Grod where
you find him on Twitter, keep a prize for all

(01:05:40):
Charger updates because if you have Chargers in your fantasy lineups,
Ilo is part of the broadcast squad there I He'll
be posting updates as information becomes available. Mike Armen, Bucky
Brooks with you here, Fox Football Sunday, five games remaining.
All right, here's another one that at least looks easy
on paper. Falcons and Bills. Bills fourteen and a half

(01:06:04):
point favorites in this one is your total at Oliver
and Emmanuel Sanders questionable for this one. Moreau in the
secondary for Atlanta, doubtful rib injury for for Josh Allen.
This just becomes a how much do I want to
win by kind of scenario? That's what you feel like.

(01:06:24):
Do you feel like it's man? These points sphere is
so big, But that's it. There's a lot of them.
I mean this year, they haven't those points spread like
it used to be double digit. No, I'm not laying
that many. We've seen a lot of hefty covers. My
favorite team, the Bills, did a good job of taking
care of business last week, so now this gives him
a chance to kind of put a stranglehold on the division.

(01:06:45):
They play well. Uh, Josh Allen did. Josh Allen experience
is terrific. When he is running and throwing in doing
all the things that he can do with his athleticism.
The Falcons don't have enough weapons on defense to be
able to keep up with him. So I'm with you
fourteen point. It scares me, but I'm with you, all right,
roll it up as we go. You got one guy
and he got his welcome to Buffalo package defon dig

(01:07:08):
sending a very big spread to core Darrell Patterson. So
maybe he was hoping that he would be laden by
eating a bunch of Buffalo wings and other goodness, that
he won't be quite so quick with the burst here.
Buffalo still has just given up seven d point six
points per game. All right, guess coming in on this one?
Next game, Lions said, Seahawks forty one and a half

(01:07:34):
your total Seattle seven and a half point favorites at home.
Chris Perfett my guy Pride of Detroit at Chris Perfett
on Twitter where you find him to the fighting Campbell's
continue to reac havock, especially against the number. Chris. We
know that. I think they'll reac havoc against the number
Lions or ten and five against the spread this year.
And I think Seattle is laying eight and a half

(01:07:56):
at home last night looked. Uh, it's pretty hanged up
again for Detroit. Not a lot of receivers but uh
and Tim Boyle getting a start. But the big storyline
from this one is rookie almand ross st Brown, who
has quietly become one of the more dominating wide rookie
wide receivers that there's only about three from this class
that I've outperformed him, and he's a fourth round pick.

(01:08:18):
People thought he was just gonna be a slot receiver.
He needs sixty five yards to pass Calvin what the
rookie yardage Calvin Johnson had, which would put him second
for rookie yards among Lions wide receivers, right behind Roy Williams.
And I believe there was the stat that he has
had I think what is it now, four games with

(01:08:38):
eight plus receptions. The company that he keeps with rookie
wide receivers for that is only Odell Beckham Jr. So
he is he has quickly become a weapon for Detroit
and he's quickly become a diamond in the row and
will be interesting to see. I think he again only
needs sixty five yards and it'll be interesting see if
he can get that in the sixteen games that Calvin

(01:08:59):
Johnson had to play six seven years with them and
then decides to walk away like other guys that have
been great. Now you're just I'm sorry. At that point,
spread has gone up a point since we've been on air.
It's all the way up to eight and a half.
As Chris said was at nine and a half in
the opener, had gone back all the way down to
seven seven and a half, settling in at eight and

(01:09:20):
a half. As we sit here and Bucky Um, we're
talking about Seattle and all of their issues. Yeah, Seattle,
UM losing to the Bears to the Bears, and les
Nick Foles have been sitting on ice so bad. But
but here's the thing we got. We don't have Jerry Goff.
We got Tim Bold his third NFL start all coming

(01:09:40):
this year. Oh no, I have to go. I have
to go with Seattle and this no matter who, I
just have to go with them. If they lose the
Temple up man, you talk about the wheels coming all
the way off the wagon for Pete Carroll. Uh, give
it to me. I think. I think they can't lose
another They can't lose another one, and not to Detroit after.
They can't lose. They can't those two games, the Twils

(01:10:02):
would go absolutely bananas. Forty one and a half is
your total. I'll take Seattle lawd in the game. I
will take this the eight and a half balloon. Beyond
that a that key seven number? Alright, eight point, I mean,
I give it. I know we've been on the big
spreads it a lot, but do I trust Seattle? Can
they score enough to stretch it out? Plus? That's it.

(01:10:23):
I'll give him to win. I can't take two points now, yeah,
all right? Next Eagles and Washington Eagles given four and
a half on the road, Forty four and a half
is your total. Miles Sander's gonna miss this one with
a hand injury. And then you've got Jordan Howard coming
off a stinger. They're expecting him to go, but perhaps

(01:10:45):
limited a little bit, but we know what Jalen hurts.
They've had a multi pronged approach to the run game.
For Washington, Montes sweat unfortunate horrible news of losing his
brother in a shooting in the last forty eight hours.
Just terrible stuff. Best thoughts to his family. Uh. Curtis

(01:11:06):
Samuel on the injury report once again, William Jackson out
Uh in the secondary for them, Washington playing out the
string with Tyler Heineke, but Ron Rivera doing his best.
All right, we're not done yet. We can still play spoiler.
All of those great speeches and all of those Can
they rally for him here? Or is Sirianni got the

(01:11:26):
squad and their identity too locked in heading towards the postseason. Yeah,
I think they're locked in. Uh, they can sniff it.
They can different post season appearances. They take care of
ben since to Watchington football team and take some of
the pressure off of them to have to win their
last game of the season against the Cowboys, and so
you get a focused effort from the Philadelphia Eagles and
the running game. The running game with Jalen Hurst being

(01:11:47):
the centerpiece is one that is problematic. I like the
Eagle for this one. Points per again, just twenty one
point to per game allowed by that defense. Very quietly,
they made you turnaround, made you turnaround since the beginning
of the year, doing a really good job, just like
Kansas City early on, a lot of question marks and holes,
but they've hunkered down. Uh No, Gibson for this one

(01:12:07):
means Jared Patterson, the rookie's gonna get the start. If
you're looking, perhaps in your PPR leagues for that desperation
flex play, you'll at least get the touch count to
give you an opportunity for for big But you're looking
at Washington thirty in terms of scoring defense given up
over twenties seven points per game. Give me Philly playing

(01:12:28):
the four and a half. When we continue, we have
two games left here on a f C West battle,
and then one will give its requisite a minute and
a half. He's Bucky Brooks on Mike Carmen in this
is Fox Football Sunday. Welcome back in it's Fox Sports Radios,
Fox Football Sunday. Here Week seventeen of your National Football League.
Two more games to preview and then a little bit

(01:12:50):
of storylines here Mike Harmen alongside Bucky Brooks. Find me
at swollen Ow. If you've got those last minute desperation
sits starts as you're in championship week and adulations you
made it. If you're in a consolation bracket, or the
unenviable task of trying to keep from a tattoo or
something embarrassing at the bottom of your team standings, well

(01:13:10):
we'll do our best to get your victory to avoid
that as well. At Buckey Brooks is where you find
him all the content, uh that flows as well. He's
got the podcast with Daniel Jeremiah. We'll see in the playoffs,
the return of his work on AMAZI with Daniel and
our own Joy Taylor and of course FS one and
Fox Sports Digital here every Sunday with me breaking it

(01:13:33):
all down, the good, the bad, the ugly of the
NFL slate as it were. And we have two games left, Bucky,
so uh stretch and let's get it here. Guys. Games
started as Chargers given six all the way up to

(01:13:54):
eight or nine, depending on where you're finding your pricing,
Uh is your it'll it'll be the Drew Lock experience here, Uh,
Teddy Bridgewater still out Courtland's Sutton Melvin Gordon and Javante
Williams and just gonna keep on going, right, Kareem Jackson,
I can read all of them. It's kind of like
again going to your award list earlier on with all

(01:14:16):
the Dallas Cowboys defenders. It is a laundry list of
injured players, many on the defensive side, but both running
backs will be available for Denver against one of the
league's worst rush defense in the Charges. They've got a
very clean UH injury report this week and COVID protocols.
They've got their guys back UH and ready to go.

(01:14:37):
But they dropped, as we talked about earlier, one of
those must win right. This is where we see the
new Chargers. Not the same ultar I know, but then
they were the same old Chargers. They came out of
the corner like all right, let's go, and then they
got jabbed and pushed back into that corner and bludgeon
and you yell, throw the dats howl. Which teams shows

(01:14:58):
up this week? I don't know. The upball folks will know.
At least that's what Brandon Staley would like us to know.
After he lectured us a couple of weeks ago about
his analytical driven decide a mark and then he fell
apart against the Texans. So I don't know which team
shows up against the Denver Broncos. I do know you
pointed out the issues against the run. That is not
a good thing against a team that can really run
it and run it down your throat. The problem is

(01:15:20):
you have guys that are dealing with injuries, and I
just don't know which version of the Broncos is going
to show up. I'm gonna lead, I'm gonna go with
the Chargers in this, but man, it is a corn
flip to me. I just don't like the way they
played it last week against the Texans. Just did it
in for me. But let's go on the heels of

(01:15:41):
Justin Herbert being able to lift the team up and
them getting some of the defenders that were out last week.
They get some of those guys back, They're getting me
the folks back. Gets me to lean that way, I'm
not I'll take Denver with the points as we passed
one of those key numbers, it's more than a touchdown.
But yeah, this Charger team is just showing shades of

(01:16:02):
the guys we've seen for years, right winning games later
in the season, but then when they need one and
coming up with an effort, right, we talked about next
man up and roster to roster and they weren't able
to do it and had no response to for Davis
Mills and what Houston brought to bear. No, they just did.

(01:16:23):
And that's the thing. If you can't knock off Davis Meals, Um,
it's a problem of me. You talk about a Texas
team that was also without a lot of personnel due
to COVID short calls in those situations, guys, Yeah, but
I'm banking on pride kicks in today. Pride enables them
to get over the hump and make make the difference.

(01:16:45):
But look, I don't feel great about them. I thought
this was a team that would have an opportunity to
get into the playoffs and do some damage. But now
those feelings have subsided. I think they win. They win,
so they can finish with a winning record. But that's
about it. Two more games left on this laying of
course eight and seven sitting in the ninth spot. The
tie break over the head to head percentage win over

(01:17:08):
over Las Vegas in terms of tie breaking, uh for that,
you know, for the for the ninth slot. But you
know that's not getting anything. That's getting you, you know,
a hearty handshake and congratulations on a job done, as
it were. But yeah, to your point about the running
game for Denver, you know, Melvin Gordon being the sledgehammer
in and around the goal line, and Javonte Williams has

(01:17:30):
shown that he's gonna be something special, no matter of
keeping that front five healthy and finding a quarterback in
Denver and Vick Fangio some of his coaching decisions, that's
a that's a whole other philosophical thing they need to
work out there in Denver out But you look at
Teddy Bridgewater, who was supposed to take care of the football,
and look, he's injured, so he's not here. But the

(01:17:50):
whole point of him over drew Lock to start the
season once he would take care of the football, and
oftentimes he did not. You know, he didn't and I
don't like to design of this offense, but Teddy didn't
A uh, he didn't play great. I thought his strength
was supposed to be his manager skills, his ability to
play for a winner and to make winning plays. He
didn't do that enough, which is why they're kind of
languishing in purgatory, not quite good enough to get into

(01:18:14):
the postseason, but not quite bad enough to be high.
We're in that lot of remix m when we talking
about the draft. Alright, last game, let's go Jaguars and Patriots.
You didn't think we'd forget about the Jaguar well played,
Chris Well playing? Uh? New England at last Look, we're

(01:18:34):
looking at a sixteen and a half point line. Sixteen
and a half? Actually, uh, who's seventeen and sub books
at this point, Jacksonville. We know the anemic offense New
England coming off of an him Well a terrible loss,
as we previewed last week, thinking Buffalo would get them

(01:18:56):
because there were no huge wind elements in flame. But
for Mac Jones and company, this is kind of a
put up games because because they want to keep their
playoff hopes alive, the running game there with Bolden and
Harrison company expected to go. So here we are sixteen
and a half, I guess is the only argument. Yeah. Look,

(01:19:18):
the Patriots tend to take care of business when they're
playing against teams where they're superior, their superior team. Mac
Jones needs to get back on track. I think this
is an opportunity for Bill Belichick to play the game
like they're gonna play in the postseason. I expect in
the knock off the Jack Buards it should be a
little resistance from the Jacks. It's just a matter of
how does Mac Jones look. We need to see Mac
Jones put up numbers in the passing game to show

(01:19:40):
that he is ready to handle the challenge that will
be presented with to him in the postseason. Number of
players on the h the injury report for New England,
as we've come to expect, a lot of questionable tags,
all expected to go. It's just a matter of what
the workload split becomes. To your point, for Mac Jones
has to answer a lot of questions, but this one
seemed it's more just dive the ship into port and

(01:20:02):
don't be fancy. Just a smack him and go ahead
and get out of here without getting better hurt. Just
run over him. He's Bucky Brooks out by Carmen. Thanks
for having with us here on Fox Football Sunday. Enjoy
your Week seventeen of the National Football League. Good luck
in those title games.