January 6, 2025 • 26 mins
00:00 - Wildcard Weekend is here
2:39 - LA Chargers vs Houston preview
5:34 - Pittsburgh vs Baltimore preview
8:10 - Denver vs Buffalo preview
9:55 - Green Bay vs Philadelphia preview
11:49 - Washington vs Tampa Bay preview
13:13 - Minnesota vs LA Rams preview
15:45 - Potential roster changes for the beaten teams
22:46 - Fab 5
25:00 - Top stories to look forward to in Wildcard Weekend
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bad for fly Okay one rough.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
We were set wild Card weekend incoming the NFL season,
the regular season, shall I say, is done and dusted.
My name is JJ, and I somewhat apologize for the hiatus.
I had planned to a little bit of Christmas NFL podcasting,
(00:39):
but the kids got in the road. How dare they?
And it all became a little bit too difficult. But
I'll tell you what Week eighteen is in the books.
It was a little strange. We had a handful of
teams flood out not trying. We had a handful of
teams floot out not play anyone one. And we had
(01:01):
a handful of teams who simply didn't want to win
so they did not jeopardize their draft position. Someone forgot
to tell Patriots head coach Jared Mayo that because he
won the game and his reward was the knife, he's
been shopped. Bob Kraft said, I know you played for US,
(01:22):
I know you won Super Bowls with US, but we
wanted the number one pick. What are you doing winning
the game? Syanara, You're done. Thanks for coming, but let's
focus more so firstly on the games that are set.
So wild Card weekend, we know, Kansas City and the Lions,
(01:42):
courtesy of their massive win or their big hard fought
win over Minnesota, get that all important bye week. So
mahomes Kelsey, most of the Chiefs starters get two weeks
of full rest and preparation for the playoffs. And the Lions, well,
they had to go to battle earlier today. I'm here
(02:05):
Monday night, eight thirty pm. They had to go to
battle against Minnesota to get their week off. But they
did the job. They are the number one seed. And
how about them. They've gone three wins to six wins,
to nine wins, to twelve wins to fifteen wins. What
a season. What a process. To steal a term from
(02:30):
Joel mb that's called trusting the process. Forget about what's
happening in Philadelphia in the basketball court. Unbelievable. Now this
is the schedule. This is wild Card weekend, all in
Australian times of course, Sunday morning, hop past eight, perfect timing,
(02:52):
perfect timing. Just make yourself a little coffee, a little
bit of toast, maybe even some eggs on toast. And
it is number five, the fifth seeded LA Chargers at
the fourth seeded Houston Texans it's eleven win LA against
ten win Houston. Sports Bet and Vegas tell us LA
(03:13):
will go in as favorite. And to be frank, I
can barely recall the last time we saw the best
version of Houston, or the version I thought we'd see
if Houston Nico Collins.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Nico Collins, he missed a big chunk of time.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
He did a bad hamstring early in the season, and
it was almost like the moment he went down, they
went down. The problem is he's returned, but they've never
really got their mojo back. So they've got a victory
over Buffalo in Houston as their signature win. But they
(03:52):
faced Kansas City and lost. They faced Baltimore and lost.
They faced Detroit and lost. They faced Green Bay and lost.
They faced Minnesota and lost.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
So really they're one and what's that?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
One and five against really good teams on the season,
and they're wins two against Indianapolis, two against the Jags.
They beat Chicago, the Patriots, the Cowboys, the Dolphins, and Tennessee.
They split the season with Tennessee. I actually lost to Tennessee,
(04:28):
so I can't side with Houston in this game.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I love C. J.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Stroud, I love Nico Collins. Of course, we know there's
no tank. Dal Joe Mixon looks like he's come to
a stop or has certainly slowed down. I love my man,
Derek Stingley from you nowhere Lsu Tiger haven't used that
for a while. But I just can't see on form,
(04:55):
and this is a long runner form. I can't see
how you're with Houston in this game. Now many will
have that concern about the Chargers and will they charge?
Charging is almost a thing, or it was a thing,
but I'm not sure it is now. With the new
(05:16):
head coach Jim Harbaugh in town, I'm not sure it is.
I think he instills the belief in well, obviously the quarterback,
but the whole team. So all side with the Chargers
in this one. LA twenty three Houston twenty.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You're within Indiffe.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Thanks Lottie.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
A little bit delayed, but thanks for the thanks for
the little sting Nevertheless, I get her to do those
life Number six Pittsburgh at number three Baltimore. This is
an AFC North showdown noon on Sunday, again perfect for us.
It does feel one sided though this game. You can
(05:59):
never you can never and you should never count out
a Mike Tomlin led team. But this run with Russell
Wilson feels totally dead and buried. They've lost their past
four He's two minute drill speaking about Wilson.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
He's two minute drill.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Trying to overcome the Bengals in Weekdan was absolutely dreadful,
Absolutely dreadful.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
But there's no going back.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I mean, you're not going to go back to Justin
Fields at this point in the season, but that's almost
where we're at. George Pickens was distasteful in the way
he was bickering and arguing with his own fans and
the Ravens on the other side of things. The Ravens,
(06:46):
they've been preparing for this all season long. They prepared
for this last offseason when they went and picked up
Derrick Henry and all he did was rumble to the
tune of seventeen hundred yards or something, sixteen or seventeen
touchdowns and he gives them the extra punch. So stick
(07:06):
to the run game. You're the most difficult team to
stop in the NFL because you've got the bulldozer in
Derek Henry and you've got the elusive magician at quarterback
Lamar Jackson. Use them use them even if you get
down four to a zil or seventeen to three or
(07:31):
twenty one seven at halftime. Don't think that Jackson can
sit back there and throw you back into the game.
Don't disregard Derek Henry. Thirty minutes of football or twenty
five minutes of football, whatever the case may be, is
still plenty of time to use Henry to run the
(07:52):
ball to be what you are. Don't give up on
the run. They did it last year and it cost
them dearly. I think they'll have learned from them mistakes.
And I just flat out don't think Pittsburgh are going
any good at all. Baltimore twenty seven, Pittsburgh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You're within deffeir.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Thank you, Loddie. A little bit more brisk on that one.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Number seven Denver at the second seeded Buffalo Bills. This
game is Monday morning at five am, So get up
bright and early. Get up bright and early, because the
rookie could go in and upend the MVP or the
surely to be MVP. The cold won't worry Denver at all.
(08:38):
Sean Peyton will make life difficult for the Bills defense
because he is a maestro. He was wearing sunnies at
night in week team, which was a little strange. But Buffalo,
I've got Josh Allen. We know that they've had him,
it hasn't been enough. But they've also got James Cook,
and a different version of James Cook. He actually co
(09:01):
led the NFL for rushing touchdowns alongside Derrick Henry and
alongside my man jar Gibbs. So I think this is
a different version of Buffalo. There are questions on Baltimore
in the playoffs. There are big questions on the Bills
as well. Losing this game would be catastrophic. It would
(09:22):
be a catastrophic moment for the Bills. If they were
to lose, no one would be safe. No one on
this squad, in this front office would be safe except
for Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
There might be an early scare, maybe the Broncos score first,
maybe they go up ten to three, but I think
ultimately Josh Allen, James Cook and the Bills will get
it sorted. Buffalo twenty six, Denver seventeen.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You're within.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
The seventh seeded Green Bay Packers at number two.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Philly.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
This one is half past eight Monday morning, perfect timing
for those who are trying to just dodge and avoid
a little bit more work. The Packers, of course, cast
your mind back twelve months. They made a beautiful run
in last year's playoffs. They went into Dallas and slaughtered
the Cowboys forty eight to thirty two, and the game
(10:21):
was never ever that close. Dallas ran up the scoreboard
late in that game to make it look a little better.
Then they went to San Francisco and they held a
twenty one to fourteen league going into the fourth quarter,
but were overrun. They weren't that far away from an
NFC championship game last year, so they'll fear no one
(10:44):
because they've got the experience of what they did twelve
months ago. But going into Philly is a place that
should carry and does carry plenty of fear for opponents.
Saquon Barkley's rested and has been running rampant two thousand
and five yards If you don't Jalen Hurts should be
good to go on the back of a full week.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Of practice off that concussion.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
AJ Brown seems happy and the defense will be singing
come four point thirty pm local time in downtown Philadelphia.
It does have the hallmarks of the weekend's upset. If
there was to be one massive upset, this may be
the one. But I'll stick with the Birds. I'll stick
(11:26):
with the Birds, and if they lose, talk about things
being upended in Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
If the Bills were to lose.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
If the Eagles lose this game, I think Nick Siriani
is gone the very next day. I think he's done
the very next day. But I think they'll win. Philadelphia
twenty eight. They're Green Bay Packers twenty three.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
You're within.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Perhaps the game that the fewest of us will watch.
I'll certainly watch it, but maybe not as many others.
Washington at Tampa Bay. This game is noon Monday. No
one expected Washington to be here. Probably plenty of us,
me included, expected Washington to be among the poorer teams
(12:12):
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But here they are because they've.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Got that bad rookie, that offensive rookie of the year,
Jaden Daniel was from you. Nowhere Lsu, Here they are,
and here were are, and they are dangerous. They're dangerous.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Tampa.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Mind you, they did enough, but only just to win
the NFC North. Baker Mayfield's been balling Mike Evans has
another one thousand yard season eleven straight, if you don't mind,
and Bucky Irving doing his thing on the ground as well.
I've got no real strong read on this one, so
(12:54):
that probably makes me lean toward the Buccaneers at home.
I'm a little fIF taking on Jaden Daniels of LSU,
but I think all side with the home team, the
Buccaneers twenty eight, the commander is twenty.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Six, you're within the indefe.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And finally it's the Rams hosting Minnesota on Tuesday. Tuesday,
so basically Monday night football for US quarterbas twelve.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
In the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And this is the quirk of the NFL playoff rules
and why winning your division means so much, because it's
a fourteen win Minnesota going to play to play and
face a ten win LA. Four more wins and you've
got to go on the rope. Now, Minnesota coming off
that harrowing, daunting loss to the Lions. Sam Darnold was
(13:52):
once famous for coming to the sidelines as a New
York Jet and telling Adam Gase, the head coach, that
he was seeing ghosts.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Well, maybe he was as close.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To that moment as he's been as a Viking in
this game, he was under intense heat. They heeded him
up all day, did the Detroit Lions. And he struggled
and they struggled. The offense was a shall of the
one we saw all season long. At one stage, I'd
counted eighteen plays ran by Minnesota inside the red zone,
(14:28):
eighteen snaps taken for no touchdowns, no touchdowns. I'm not
sure where their numbers are on red zone plays or
red zone trips to converted touchdowns, but my goodness, gracious,
they just couldn't get it going, and the Rams are
(14:48):
a little bit scary.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
You listen to.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Any number of ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL network experts talking
heads on Twitter and x and Instagram and TikTok, you
might not want to see Matthew Stafford Gunnan. You might
want to see Cooper Cup. You might want to see
Pookin nakul Is brilliance and the impossibility to bring him down.
(15:14):
You might want to see Sean mcvayh calling the shots
at home on side with Minnesota. But I'll tell you what.
The confidence has wane on the back of their week
eighteen lost. But fourteen wins is a lot of wins,
and it's four more wins than the Rams have been
able to put together this season. So Minnesota thirty, LA,
(15:40):
the Rams twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
You're with him, Inde, All right.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Now, let's pay a little bit of lip service to
those who are done, who had done. Now, it's hard
to drop a podcast on the back of week eighteen
at any stage because I'm sitting here, as I said,
hupa stayed at night on Monday, will go to bed
in the next couple of hours and then wake up,
and all sorts of things will have happened.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
In the NFL.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I'd say two or three head coaches will have been sacked,
plus the ones we've already had sacked. Offensive coordinators, defensive
coordinators will be done. They'll be out. General managers will
have been sacked. Will we see a coach like Kyle
Shanahan traded like we did see with Sean McVeigh, sorry,
(16:27):
with Sean Payton. I should say, it's going to be fascinating.
So obviously that's all about to happen. So I can't
get to that. But let's have a look at the
teams who are done. Let's have a look at the
teams who are done now in reverse standings order, Tennessee.
They land the number one pick, which means William Levis
(16:51):
can go unpack these things. New York Giants, the g
men will laughed at all season long as Saquon moved
a couple of hours on the road and completely dominated
malite neighbors. Is the only thing that Giants fans have
been able to hold on to this season.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And you know where he went to school, Cleveland. Are
they about to torch?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Are they about to torch a top five pick to
get rid of Deshaun Watson and his contract? There's talk
around that Cleveland might couple up DeShawn Watson and their
top pick just to get rid of him, And would
anyone bite anyway? The pick could be appealing, but do
you want that contract in that player? Aside from that,
(17:38):
it's pain everywhere, pain everywhere. Las Vegas one of so
many direfranchises with no real sunshine insight. I know that's
haas to say, but I'll tell you what they need
to land a real blow in the quarterback stakes, either
draft or free agency, whatever it looks like, get in
the game.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
New England.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I mentioned head coach Mayo's prize for winning against the
Bills was the acts, and I wonder if Mike Frable
is already in the local area in his Navy blue
polo Jacksonville, what in the world have we got here?
Trevor Lawrence is ode at King's ransom. Doug Peterson went
(18:19):
into job saving mode from week five, and we know
the owner is very random and very unpredictable. I'm not
sure what this team, what this franchise looks like going
in the next season. New Orleans from two and oh
scoring almost one hundred points in two games to a
slippery slope to the doghouse. And likewise, Derek Carr ain't
(18:42):
going to get it done. Spencer Ratler sure is hell
ain't the answer. They need a quarterback Carolina. Bryce Young
turned his fortunes around, but ultimately only won four games
against subpar teams. Andy Dalton won the fifth game for them. Still,
so much needs to improve for the Panthers to be
(19:03):
taken seriously. They're still a fair way off Chicago. Cayler
Williams famously now famously told the punter they will barely punt,
and all they did was punt. Get some of the
organization intact. And I think he's got a chance. But
They've got to face Minnesota, Detroit and green Bay six times.
(19:26):
Not easy, but it's an appealing job. A need a
head coach the New Jersey Jets. Aaron Rodgers is surely
done as a Jet, saying with DeVante Adams, you think
the Skies are not blue in Jetland?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
And who knows where they turn to?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Moving forward San Francisco, the window has officially closed.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Who survives the cleanup?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I mentioned the trade prospects of the head coach's debo,
moved on, he's expensive and getting older. What do they
do with Rock Purdy? How much does he cost? George Kittle,
Trent Williams. The list goes on and on. Dallas, tell
me we're not rinsing and repeating here, tell me, if so,
(20:11):
what's going to change the team? Let me remind you
was not good when Dak Prescott was healthy. It wasn't
that much worse when he was gone. We can't just
rinse and repeat. We can't just think bringing back Dak
Prescott is the answer.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
It ain't. Arizona. They look good early, then they fall
apart rapidly.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The quarterback look, he flashes, he shows some dash, He
does some things that make you go well, and then
he does some things that make you want to bang
your head against the brick wall, and they hurt the team.
They live in the desert, and I'll tell you what
they feel like. They're in the middle of nowhere as
a franchise. The quarterback is too good for them to
(20:54):
go down the bottom and get a look at the
top picks. But he's not good enough to take them
to the prom Mus Slam in Miami, Tyreek Hill says
he wants out. That counts for nought, for what it's worth.
I've watched the clip in full. I don't even really
think he knows what he's saying. He's just frustrated. It's
the end of the season. Look, he might leave, he
(21:15):
might be done, but.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I doubt it. I doubt it. I doubt it.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Indianapolis, some thought Anthony Richardson may be generational me then
the world exploded when he tapped out of a game.
I think was still unsure where he ends up, somewhere
between Cam Newton and Vince Young. Most think it's closer
to Vince Young, and it's tracking that way. But I
(21:40):
still hold out hope that big number five can be
like a big number one. Atlanta moving on from Kirk.
Michael Pennix is the man. Bijan exploded late in the season.
Drake London was massive as well. We could be cooking
something up here in the Dirty South with the Dirty Birds. Cincinnati. Look,
(22:04):
when you lose to New England in your home opener
in week one, it's going to be grim. It's gonna
be grim. The only thing that matters for Cincinnati re
signing Jamar Chase a and don't take that as a given,
and then be finding a way to bring back t
Higgins as well.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Oh boy, good luck, Joe. You might need to give
some money back Seattle, even though you've earned a lot. Seattle.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Gino earned six million dollars in the last game of
the season. Probably more money to go nowhere with him
at quarterback. He's good, but he's not good enough.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You're within NDE.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Show me anybody else here here we do talk alright.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
The final week of the Fab five officially, and it
was another successful week three and two. In the week,
we end up from our ninety selections eighteen weeks of
picking our favorite five to Fab five fifty three and
thirty seven fifty eight point eight percent.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Not bad. I started the.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Season one and four and I was downright petrified about
what my record might look like. But I picked up
two perfect weeks where we went five and zip, and
twelve of the eighteen weeks were winning weeks and did
not have a week where it was zip and five.
The problem is, and I listened to plenty of podcasts
(23:46):
and chit chat they say this has been one of
the weirdest seasons of all from a betting perspective.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So I'm going to try and repeat the dose.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
In twenty twenty five slash twenty six before I retire
and become a profe national NFL better best all. But
I'm happy fifty three and thirty seven is not bad.
I'll keep picking across the playoffs, but I might I
won't record them because there are far fewer games to
choose from. I might use a little bit more as well,
(24:18):
maybe some player props involved as well, rather than just
the head to head markets, the spreads and the titles.
Keep it on the socials or try and do a
video correspondence has been just absolutely gigantic through the roof.
Can't believe it not, but I'll drop one anyway, so
hopefully we can keep going through the playoffs and keep
(24:40):
picking successfully.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So the Fab five all and all great fun. Enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Wifeve got on me a lot for being on the
betting apps way too often, the sports bet betting app
shall I say, way too often?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
But in the end it was worth it. Fifty three
and thirty seven, not too bad.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
You're with him?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Well, that's it. Wild Card Weekend is on the way.
I got this out of the way nice and early.
It's the Chargers at the Texans, Herbie versus CJ, the
Steelers at the Ravens, Mike Tomlin versus John Harbor, Dangerous
versus Lamar Jackson. Then we've got the Broncos at the Bills,
the rookie versus the MVP.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
The Packers at the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
The fearless young cheeseheads against Saquon and Siriani, the Commanders
at the Buccaneers. It's the offensive rookie of the year
versus the resurgent back in Mayfield. And then the Vikings
at the Rams. Slang and Sammy Day against Slanging Stafford.
Can't wait for it. Six massive games, and then the
(25:49):
Chiefs and the Lions will join in the fun and
take us to the Super Bowl. Make sure you check
it out on the socials. Make sure you're listening. Make
sure you are subscribed to your friend. Tell a friend
as the great pack of Pat McAfee. We'll say I'm
out of breath, I need to go.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We'll catch you
Bad for fly Okay one rough.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
We were set wild Card weekend incoming the NFL season,
the regular season, shall I say, is done and dusted.
My name is JJ, and I somewhat apologize for the hiatus.
I had planned to a little bit of Christmas NFL podcasting,
(00:39):
but the kids got in the road. How dare they?
And it all became a little bit too difficult. But
I'll tell you what Week eighteen is in the books.
It was a little strange. We had a handful of
teams flood out not trying. We had a handful of
teams floot out not play anyone one. And we had
(01:01):
a handful of teams who simply didn't want to win
so they did not jeopardize their draft position. Someone forgot
to tell Patriots head coach Jared Mayo that because he
won the game and his reward was the knife, he's
been shopped. Bob Kraft said, I know you played for US,
(01:22):
I know you won Super Bowls with US, but we
wanted the number one pick. What are you doing winning
the game? Syanara, You're done. Thanks for coming, but let's
focus more so firstly on the games that are set.
So wild Card weekend, we know, Kansas City and the Lions,
(01:42):
courtesy of their massive win or their big hard fought
win over Minnesota, get that all important bye week. So
mahomes Kelsey, most of the Chiefs starters get two weeks
of full rest and preparation for the playoffs. And the Lions, well,
they had to go to battle earlier today. I'm here
(02:05):
Monday night, eight thirty pm. They had to go to
battle against Minnesota to get their week off. But they
did the job. They are the number one seed. And
how about them. They've gone three wins to six wins,
to nine wins, to twelve wins to fifteen wins. What
a season. What a process. To steal a term from
(02:30):
Joel mb that's called trusting the process. Forget about what's
happening in Philadelphia in the basketball court. Unbelievable. Now this
is the schedule. This is wild Card weekend, all in
Australian times of course, Sunday morning, hop past eight, perfect timing,
(02:52):
perfect timing. Just make yourself a little coffee, a little
bit of toast, maybe even some eggs on toast. And
it is number five, the fifth seeded LA Chargers at
the fourth seeded Houston Texans it's eleven win LA against
ten win Houston. Sports Bet and Vegas tell us LA
(03:13):
will go in as favorite. And to be frank, I
can barely recall the last time we saw the best
version of Houston, or the version I thought we'd see
if Houston Nico Collins.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Nico Collins, he missed a big chunk of time.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
He did a bad hamstring early in the season, and
it was almost like the moment he went down, they
went down. The problem is he's returned, but they've never
really got their mojo back. So they've got a victory
over Buffalo in Houston as their signature win. But they
(03:52):
faced Kansas City and lost. They faced Baltimore and lost.
They faced Detroit and lost. They faced Green Bay and lost.
They faced Minnesota and lost.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
So really they're one and what's that?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
One and five against really good teams on the season,
and they're wins two against Indianapolis, two against the Jags.
They beat Chicago, the Patriots, the Cowboys, the Dolphins, and Tennessee.
They split the season with Tennessee. I actually lost to Tennessee,
(04:28):
so I can't side with Houston in this game.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I love C. J.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Stroud, I love Nico Collins. Of course, we know there's
no tank. Dal Joe Mixon looks like he's come to
a stop or has certainly slowed down. I love my man,
Derek Stingley from you nowhere Lsu Tiger haven't used that
for a while. But I just can't see on form,
(04:55):
and this is a long runner form. I can't see
how you're with Houston in this game. Now many will
have that concern about the Chargers and will they charge?
Charging is almost a thing, or it was a thing,
but I'm not sure it is now. With the new
(05:16):
head coach Jim Harbaugh in town, I'm not sure it is.
I think he instills the belief in well, obviously the quarterback,
but the whole team. So all side with the Chargers
in this one. LA twenty three Houston twenty.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You're within Indiffe.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Thanks Lottie.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
A little bit delayed, but thanks for the thanks for
the little sting Nevertheless, I get her to do those
life Number six Pittsburgh at number three Baltimore. This is
an AFC North showdown noon on Sunday, again perfect for us.
It does feel one sided though this game. You can
(05:59):
never you can never and you should never count out
a Mike Tomlin led team. But this run with Russell
Wilson feels totally dead and buried. They've lost their past
four He's two minute drill speaking about Wilson.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
He's two minute drill.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Trying to overcome the Bengals in Weekdan was absolutely dreadful,
Absolutely dreadful.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
But there's no going back.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I mean, you're not going to go back to Justin
Fields at this point in the season, but that's almost
where we're at. George Pickens was distasteful in the way
he was bickering and arguing with his own fans and
the Ravens on the other side of things. The Ravens,
(06:46):
they've been preparing for this all season long. They prepared
for this last offseason when they went and picked up
Derrick Henry and all he did was rumble to the
tune of seventeen hundred yards or something, sixteen or seventeen
touchdowns and he gives them the extra punch. So stick
(07:06):
to the run game. You're the most difficult team to
stop in the NFL because you've got the bulldozer in
Derek Henry and you've got the elusive magician at quarterback
Lamar Jackson. Use them use them even if you get
down four to a zil or seventeen to three or
(07:31):
twenty one seven at halftime. Don't think that Jackson can
sit back there and throw you back into the game.
Don't disregard Derek Henry. Thirty minutes of football or twenty
five minutes of football, whatever the case may be, is
still plenty of time to use Henry to run the
(07:52):
ball to be what you are. Don't give up on
the run. They did it last year and it cost
them dearly. I think they'll have learned from them mistakes.
And I just flat out don't think Pittsburgh are going
any good at all. Baltimore twenty seven, Pittsburgh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You're within deffeir.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Thank you, Loddie. A little bit more brisk on that one.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Number seven Denver at the second seeded Buffalo Bills. This
game is Monday morning at five am, So get up
bright and early. Get up bright and early, because the
rookie could go in and upend the MVP or the
surely to be MVP. The cold won't worry Denver at all.
(08:38):
Sean Peyton will make life difficult for the Bills defense
because he is a maestro. He was wearing sunnies at
night in week team, which was a little strange. But Buffalo,
I've got Josh Allen. We know that they've had him,
it hasn't been enough. But they've also got James Cook,
and a different version of James Cook. He actually co
(09:01):
led the NFL for rushing touchdowns alongside Derrick Henry and
alongside my man jar Gibbs. So I think this is
a different version of Buffalo. There are questions on Baltimore
in the playoffs. There are big questions on the Bills
as well. Losing this game would be catastrophic. It would
(09:22):
be a catastrophic moment for the Bills. If they were
to lose, no one would be safe. No one on
this squad, in this front office would be safe except
for Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
There might be an early scare, maybe the Broncos score first,
maybe they go up ten to three, but I think
ultimately Josh Allen, James Cook and the Bills will get
it sorted. Buffalo twenty six, Denver seventeen.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You're within.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
The seventh seeded Green Bay Packers at number two.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Philly.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
This one is half past eight Monday morning, perfect timing
for those who are trying to just dodge and avoid
a little bit more work. The Packers, of course, cast
your mind back twelve months. They made a beautiful run
in last year's playoffs. They went into Dallas and slaughtered
the Cowboys forty eight to thirty two, and the game
(10:21):
was never ever that close. Dallas ran up the scoreboard
late in that game to make it look a little better.
Then they went to San Francisco and they held a
twenty one to fourteen league going into the fourth quarter,
but were overrun. They weren't that far away from an
NFC championship game last year, so they'll fear no one
(10:44):
because they've got the experience of what they did twelve
months ago. But going into Philly is a place that
should carry and does carry plenty of fear for opponents.
Saquon Barkley's rested and has been running rampant two thousand
and five yards If you don't Jalen Hurts should be
good to go on the back of a full week.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Of practice off that concussion.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
AJ Brown seems happy and the defense will be singing
come four point thirty pm local time in downtown Philadelphia.
It does have the hallmarks of the weekend's upset. If
there was to be one massive upset, this may be
the one. But I'll stick with the Birds. I'll stick
(11:26):
with the Birds, and if they lose, talk about things
being upended in Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
If the Bills were to lose.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
If the Eagles lose this game, I think Nick Siriani
is gone the very next day. I think he's done
the very next day. But I think they'll win. Philadelphia
twenty eight. They're Green Bay Packers twenty three.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
You're within.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Perhaps the game that the fewest of us will watch.
I'll certainly watch it, but maybe not as many others.
Washington at Tampa Bay. This game is noon Monday. No
one expected Washington to be here. Probably plenty of us,
me included, expected Washington to be among the poorer teams
(12:12):
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But here they are because they've.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Got that bad rookie, that offensive rookie of the year,
Jaden Daniel was from you. Nowhere Lsu, Here they are,
and here were are, and they are dangerous. They're dangerous.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Tampa.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Mind you, they did enough, but only just to win
the NFC North. Baker Mayfield's been balling Mike Evans has
another one thousand yard season eleven straight, if you don't mind,
and Bucky Irving doing his thing on the ground as well.
I've got no real strong read on this one, so
(12:54):
that probably makes me lean toward the Buccaneers at home.
I'm a little fIF taking on Jaden Daniels of LSU,
but I think all side with the home team, the
Buccaneers twenty eight, the commander is twenty.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Six, you're within the indefe.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And finally it's the Rams hosting Minnesota on Tuesday. Tuesday,
so basically Monday night football for US quarterbas twelve.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
In the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And this is the quirk of the NFL playoff rules
and why winning your division means so much, because it's
a fourteen win Minnesota going to play to play and
face a ten win LA. Four more wins and you've
got to go on the rope. Now, Minnesota coming off
that harrowing, daunting loss to the Lions. Sam Darnold was
(13:52):
once famous for coming to the sidelines as a New
York Jet and telling Adam Gase, the head coach, that
he was seeing ghosts.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Well, maybe he was as close.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To that moment as he's been as a Viking in
this game, he was under intense heat. They heeded him
up all day, did the Detroit Lions. And he struggled
and they struggled. The offense was a shall of the
one we saw all season long. At one stage, I'd
counted eighteen plays ran by Minnesota inside the red zone,
(14:28):
eighteen snaps taken for no touchdowns, no touchdowns. I'm not
sure where their numbers are on red zone plays or
red zone trips to converted touchdowns, but my goodness, gracious,
they just couldn't get it going, and the Rams are
(14:48):
a little bit scary.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
You listen to.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Any number of ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL network experts talking
heads on Twitter and x and Instagram and TikTok, you
might not want to see Matthew Stafford Gunnan. You might
want to see Cooper Cup. You might want to see
Pookin nakul Is brilliance and the impossibility to bring him down.
(15:14):
You might want to see Sean mcvayh calling the shots
at home on side with Minnesota. But I'll tell you what.
The confidence has wane on the back of their week
eighteen lost. But fourteen wins is a lot of wins,
and it's four more wins than the Rams have been
able to put together this season. So Minnesota thirty, LA,
(15:40):
the Rams twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
You're with him, Inde, All right.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Now, let's pay a little bit of lip service to
those who are done, who had done. Now, it's hard
to drop a podcast on the back of week eighteen
at any stage because I'm sitting here, as I said,
hupa stayed at night on Monday, will go to bed
in the next couple of hours and then wake up,
and all sorts of things will have happened.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
In the NFL.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I'd say two or three head coaches will have been sacked,
plus the ones we've already had sacked. Offensive coordinators, defensive
coordinators will be done. They'll be out. General managers will
have been sacked. Will we see a coach like Kyle
Shanahan traded like we did see with Sean McVeigh, sorry,
(16:27):
with Sean Payton. I should say, it's going to be fascinating.
So obviously that's all about to happen. So I can't
get to that. But let's have a look at the
teams who are done. Let's have a look at the
teams who are done now in reverse standings order, Tennessee.
They land the number one pick, which means William Levis
(16:51):
can go unpack these things. New York Giants, the g
men will laughed at all season long as Saquon moved
a couple of hours on the road and completely dominated
malite neighbors. Is the only thing that Giants fans have
been able to hold on to this season.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And you know where he went to school, Cleveland. Are
they about to torch?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Are they about to torch a top five pick to
get rid of Deshaun Watson and his contract? There's talk
around that Cleveland might couple up DeShawn Watson and their
top pick just to get rid of him, And would
anyone bite anyway? The pick could be appealing, but do
you want that contract in that player? Aside from that,
(17:38):
it's pain everywhere, pain everywhere. Las Vegas one of so
many direfranchises with no real sunshine insight. I know that's
haas to say, but I'll tell you what they need
to land a real blow in the quarterback stakes, either
draft or free agency, whatever it looks like, get in
the game.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
New England.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I mentioned head coach Mayo's prize for winning against the
Bills was the acts, and I wonder if Mike Frable
is already in the local area in his Navy blue
polo Jacksonville, what in the world have we got here?
Trevor Lawrence is ode at King's ransom. Doug Peterson went
(18:19):
into job saving mode from week five, and we know
the owner is very random and very unpredictable. I'm not
sure what this team, what this franchise looks like going
in the next season. New Orleans from two and oh
scoring almost one hundred points in two games to a
slippery slope to the doghouse. And likewise, Derek Carr ain't
(18:42):
going to get it done. Spencer Ratler sure is hell
ain't the answer. They need a quarterback Carolina. Bryce Young
turned his fortunes around, but ultimately only won four games
against subpar teams. Andy Dalton won the fifth game for them. Still,
so much needs to improve for the Panthers to be
(19:03):
taken seriously. They're still a fair way off Chicago. Cayler
Williams famously now famously told the punter they will barely punt,
and all they did was punt. Get some of the
organization intact. And I think he's got a chance. But
They've got to face Minnesota, Detroit and green Bay six times.
(19:26):
Not easy, but it's an appealing job. A need a
head coach the New Jersey Jets. Aaron Rodgers is surely
done as a Jet, saying with DeVante Adams, you think
the Skies are not blue in Jetland?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
And who knows where they turn to?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Moving forward San Francisco, the window has officially closed.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Who survives the cleanup?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I mentioned the trade prospects of the head coach's debo,
moved on, he's expensive and getting older. What do they
do with Rock Purdy? How much does he cost? George Kittle,
Trent Williams. The list goes on and on. Dallas, tell
me we're not rinsing and repeating here, tell me, if so,
(20:11):
what's going to change the team? Let me remind you
was not good when Dak Prescott was healthy. It wasn't
that much worse when he was gone. We can't just
rinse and repeat. We can't just think bringing back Dak
Prescott is the answer.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
It ain't. Arizona. They look good early, then they fall
apart rapidly.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The quarterback look, he flashes, he shows some dash, He
does some things that make you go well, and then
he does some things that make you want to bang
your head against the brick wall, and they hurt the team.
They live in the desert, and I'll tell you what
they feel like. They're in the middle of nowhere as
a franchise. The quarterback is too good for them to
(20:54):
go down the bottom and get a look at the
top picks. But he's not good enough to take them
to the prom Mus Slam in Miami, Tyreek Hill says
he wants out. That counts for nought, for what it's worth.
I've watched the clip in full. I don't even really
think he knows what he's saying. He's just frustrated. It's
the end of the season. Look, he might leave, he
(21:15):
might be done, but.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I doubt it. I doubt it. I doubt it.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Indianapolis, some thought Anthony Richardson may be generational me then
the world exploded when he tapped out of a game.
I think was still unsure where he ends up, somewhere
between Cam Newton and Vince Young. Most think it's closer
to Vince Young, and it's tracking that way. But I
(21:40):
still hold out hope that big number five can be
like a big number one. Atlanta moving on from Kirk.
Michael Pennix is the man. Bijan exploded late in the season.
Drake London was massive as well. We could be cooking
something up here in the Dirty South with the Dirty Birds. Cincinnati. Look,
(22:04):
when you lose to New England in your home opener
in week one, it's going to be grim. It's gonna
be grim. The only thing that matters for Cincinnati re
signing Jamar Chase a and don't take that as a given,
and then be finding a way to bring back t
Higgins as well.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Oh boy, good luck, Joe. You might need to give
some money back Seattle, even though you've earned a lot. Seattle.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Gino earned six million dollars in the last game of
the season. Probably more money to go nowhere with him
at quarterback. He's good, but he's not good enough.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You're within NDE.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Show me anybody else here here we do talk alright.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
The final week of the Fab five officially, and it
was another successful week three and two. In the week,
we end up from our ninety selections eighteen weeks of
picking our favorite five to Fab five fifty three and
thirty seven fifty eight point eight percent.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Not bad. I started the.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Season one and four and I was downright petrified about
what my record might look like. But I picked up
two perfect weeks where we went five and zip, and
twelve of the eighteen weeks were winning weeks and did
not have a week where it was zip and five.
The problem is, and I listened to plenty of podcasts
(23:46):
and chit chat they say this has been one of
the weirdest seasons of all from a betting perspective.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So I'm going to try and repeat the dose.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
In twenty twenty five slash twenty six before I retire
and become a profe national NFL better best all. But
I'm happy fifty three and thirty seven is not bad.
I'll keep picking across the playoffs, but I might I
won't record them because there are far fewer games to
choose from. I might use a little bit more as well,
(24:18):
maybe some player props involved as well, rather than just
the head to head markets, the spreads and the titles.
Keep it on the socials or try and do a
video correspondence has been just absolutely gigantic through the roof.
Can't believe it not, but I'll drop one anyway, so
hopefully we can keep going through the playoffs and keep
(24:40):
picking successfully.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So the Fab five all and all great fun. Enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Wifeve got on me a lot for being on the
betting apps way too often, the sports bet betting app
shall I say, way too often?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
But in the end it was worth it. Fifty three
and thirty seven, not too bad.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
You're with him?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Well, that's it. Wild Card Weekend is on the way.
I got this out of the way nice and early.
It's the Chargers at the Texans, Herbie versus CJ, the
Steelers at the Ravens, Mike Tomlin versus John Harbor, Dangerous
versus Lamar Jackson. Then we've got the Broncos at the Bills,
the rookie versus the MVP.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
The Packers at the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
The fearless young cheeseheads against Saquon and Siriani, the Commanders
at the Buccaneers. It's the offensive rookie of the year
versus the resurgent back in Mayfield. And then the Vikings
at the Rams. Slang and Sammy Day against Slanging Stafford.
Can't wait for it. Six massive games, and then the
(25:49):
Chiefs and the Lions will join in the fun and
take us to the Super Bowl. Make sure you check
it out on the socials. Make sure you're listening. Make
sure you are subscribed to your friend. Tell a friend
as the great pack of Pat McAfee. We'll say I'm
out of breath, I need to go.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We'll catch you
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