January 9, 2025 • 28 mins
00:00 - Your chance to win
02:28 - LA Chargers vs Houston Texans
07:21 - Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
10:41 - Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills
15:05 - Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles
18:51 - Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22:32 - Minnesota Vikings vs LA Rams
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bad, Sir fay run rough.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
A welcome back for the second time this week. I
did mention I'd had an unexplained absence quote Aaron Rodgers,
quote Robert sala in excused absence. I wasn't fine for it.
But I'm back for the second time this week. My
name is JJ. Welcome to the field, NFL. It is
(00:38):
wild cut and these games have got me fired up.
They've got me ready to rock and roll. I'm going
to lock in on them. I've had a nice deep
dive in all six games, so looking forward to it.
Some look easy to read, some look very difficult to read,
if not impossible. It is the NFL, remember, and there
(00:58):
are a couple of games where the upset looks ripe
for the picking, and I've got something special in store.
So the Fab five officially is done. We ended the
season with a nice winning record. But I've got something
special for y'all. So jump on to my ig my
(01:20):
Instagram at Josh Jenkins zero four and correctly guess the
score for the winning team and the losing team, and
you can win two hundred and fifty dollars in cold
hard cash. Well, it's unlikely I'll be able to get
you the cash, unless you'd like me to send it
(01:42):
via Australia Post. But jump on the IG. There'll be
a video there and you can see where you can
just drop a comment. Guess the game. So it might
be Chargers forty Houston thirty three. If that's what the
score is and your selection is the first correct guess,
(02:03):
you'll be the winner. I'm not giving away seven hundred
and fifty bucks. If three people happen to get the
score right the first correct answer, I presume I'll be
able to work that out on Instagram. I'm not an
absolute expert, but that's all you need to do. So
make sure you look at for the video on IG
and you could win two hundred and fifty cold hard cash.
(02:23):
Hole you're with him in all right, let's hook straight in.
Let's look straight in the LA Chargers at Houston. This
game eight point thirty Sunday morning at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
And I'm looking forward to this one. I'll tell you what.
(02:43):
How long though, so Houston to the home team here?
We know that, but how long is it since we've
seen the best version of Houston? So I went back
through their schedule. They rolled the Bills in Houston. In
Week five, CJ. Stroud threw for three hundred and thirty
one yards. He dropped a bomb to Nico Collins on
(03:07):
a sixty seven yard dime. Collins was injured not long
after and the offense went with him. CJ has not
had a three hundred game yard game since then. That
was Week five. That's a long time. I know it's
not all about yards, but CJ. Stroud has not had
a big, big game like that since Week five, and
(03:30):
that's a long time. And that's got me worried because
most of us thought he would be one of the
standouts when it comes to quarterbacks this season based on
what he did last year. It feels like if CJ
can throw for three hundred plus, they'll win this game.
Because the Chargers are the masters under their new head coach,
(03:52):
Jimmy h the man from Michigan. He and they the
Chargers are able to dictate the tempo of a game.
They're able to dictate the pace of a game and
the way a game is played. They'll run the ball
heaps to keep the opposing quarterback on the bench. They'll
(04:14):
play great defense. They'll bend but not break to allow
that clock to run. So that's going to be the
fascinating part. Can the Texans start hot? Can they start hot?
Because that's the key because when you look through their schedule,
the Bills win for them in Week five was a
(04:35):
very nice win, but what the heck comes after that?
So these are the teams Houston beat Aside from the Bills.
They beat Indianapolis twice, didn't make the playoffs, Chicago bad team,
Jacksonville twice, very bad team, New England, bad team, Dallas
didn't make the playoffs, Miami did not make the playoffs,
(04:58):
and they split the season against Tennessee one and one,
a very bad team. So the teams they beat have
a combined record of thirty nine wins and eighty losses.
That's not good, not good. All in all, you can
mount a very very strong argument that this team has
(05:19):
beaten absolutely no one and the offense has done very
very minimal in doing so. On the opposite side of NRG,
the Bolts Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. I never say
his name the same way two times in a row,
(05:39):
Jim h. They were two and two after four weeks
and not too much looked too different from last year.
They then won five out of six and got rolling,
and the gym effect was real. Like Houston, they pretty
much beat everyone they should have beaten. Maybe they didn't
beat too many teams of real. Note they did win
(06:02):
a nice shootout against Cincinnati when the Bengals were starting
to roll thirty four to twenty seven. They come into
Houston on the back of a thirty four to twenty
seven win over Denver that was two weeks ago, and
they completely sorry. That game was three weeks ago, and
they completely thumped New England and Vegas, so they're feeling
(06:23):
good about themselves. For mine, Houston will need to start well.
It's what I said a couple of minutes ago, and
I'll revert back to it. If they can get up
ten three, fourteen to three, something like that and control
the tempo and force Herbert to drop back and throw
at forty times, maybe that is the recipe to success.
(06:47):
But even in Texas, even in Houston, and it is
snowing in parts of Texas at the moment, believe it
or not. Luckily we've got a roof at NRG. I
do like the chain just to control the tempo, run
the ball well, play solid defense and ultimately win the game.
Houston's form on paper and via the eye test tells
(07:11):
you they're just not playing it well enough, and they
haven't done so for quite some time. So charges twenty
three Texans twenty you're rising, all right. Pittsburgh at Baltimore.
This is AFC North Divisional Football, Noon Sunday at MM ANDT.
(07:33):
Banks Stadium in downtown Baltimore. Presume that stadium's downtown. It
looks it. This game, typically speaking, we see them twice
a season, the Steelers at the Ravens, the Ravens at
the Steelers, and whatever the record seems to be for
both teams, the game always seems to be close. It
(07:55):
always seems to be hard fought and unpredictable. But this
one does feel like one way traffic. The Ravens are rolling,
the Steelers are reeling. We know Russell Wilson was thrust
somewhat surprisingly into the starting role despite the fact Justin
Fields was doing a reasonable job. They didn't lose for
(08:17):
four or five weeks on the back of Wilson coming
in to the number one job, but they haven't won
for a month. Coming into this. You look at the
men in purple and Lamar Jackson's charging toward a third MVP.
Josh Allen Permitting and Derrick Henry rumbled and bumbled and
(08:39):
truck people on the way to nineteen hundred and twenty
one yards and a league co leading sixteen touchdowns. That
one two punch is phenomenal. Zay Flowers is out of
this game. That is a concern. He's their number one receiver. TJ. Watt,
by his own admission, was quiet last week. He'll be
(09:03):
wound up. He'll be looking to make a play on
Henry or Jackson. And we know Mike Tomlin is the
king of digging up motivation, of inspiration, of something from nothing,
to stay in games and to steal games that nobody
thinks they can win. And this is that exact spot.
This is the perfect spot for Mike Tomlin to be
(09:27):
Mike Tomlin divisional opponent on the road, massive underdog. No
one gives him or them a chance. That's they are
the moments he seemingly prefers and thrives on. And we
know Lamar has had his playoff woes. We know he has,
(09:48):
He's only got one or two playoff wins. But surely
this will be different. Surely this one will be different.
They completely went away from the playbook last year. But
Derrick Henry the big man, you can't miss him. Give
him the ball twenty times, call another eight to twelve
runs for Lamar, play solid defense, force a mistake or
(10:11):
two from Russell Wilson, and you'll be winning the game.
Well you cover the ten point spread. I'm not sure
these rivalries are crazy, but Baltimore should be winning and
should be winning well. And if they happen to lose,
it'll be a Mike Tomlin special, but cheap as creepers.
There will be some serious questions asked in Baltimore Baltimore
(10:34):
twenty seven Pittsburgh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
You're rising him to effeir.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
The Denver Broncos at Buffalo the Bills five am Monday
at New Era Field. I think that's still what they
call it Orchard Park, Western New York. Bo Nicks has
been all that and more for Denver. We know that
he's had a helping hand in offensive guru head coach
(11:05):
Sean Payton, but a ten win season has to be
as much as any Bronco fan could have hoped for,
and ten wins earns them a trip to Buffalo to
face the Bills. But the Broncos are built quite nicely
for this situation. They've got a really formidable pass rush.
They've got a versatile pass rush too, and they'll need
(11:27):
it for Josh Allen. They've got the best dB in
the NFL, Patrick Sirtan out of Alabama. He's unbackable to
win Defensive Player of the Year. We know how rare
it is for dbs to win that award, and it
does feel like if Josh Allen targets him and goes
after him a couple of times, it does feel like
(11:49):
certain might need to make him pay for the Broncos
to be in this game. James Cook's season for the
Bills has been incredibly understated. Did match Derrick Henry and
Jimia Gibbs with sixteen rushing touchdowns on the season, but
between Cook and Josh Allen they amassed fifteen hundred rushing
(12:12):
yards and twenty eight rushing touchdowns between them. It is
a really potent one two punch. We talk about Saquon
and Jalen Hurtz or Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, but
this one two punch Cook and Allen's probably underrated. Sack Allen.
I mentioned the Denver pass rush, Zach Allen and Nick Benito.
(12:36):
They will be the primary guys on that D line.
They'll be the ones having to make plays. Can they
get in the backfield? Can they force some TfL some
tackles for loss? Can they sack the quarterback? Can they
create a force fumble, a strip, sack, something big, just
to give them some life and to keep them in
(12:57):
the game, in a similar way to the Steelers and
Ravens game. Vegas expects a blowout, but I think this
might be a close game. I think they'll roll in
here Denver without fear and they'll keep it close. Knicks
has got Peyton's backing. He's been excellent all season long.
(13:20):
The Bronco defense can make plays on the front line
and back there in the secondary and the cold weather.
He's no concern for Denver, of course, either. But one squad,
the men in Orange, will have a very even team
across most phases of the game, which is great and
(13:41):
handy and gets your ten wins. But the other team's
got Josh Allen, and he's the man who can make
anything happen. It feels like a game and playoffs are
often this type of game where Allen can make four
or five plays which just separate the game game, just
separate the Bills from their opponents. A big third down
(14:04):
where he tucks it and he runs and he runs
over people, and he runs around people and he stiff
arms defenders and he gets that big first down to
extend the drive. Or a big fourth and short call
where he just runs straight over a linebacker, or a
fourth down where he throws a strike for a touchdown.
(14:25):
Whatever the Bills need, whatever the game asks, Alan is
capable of delivering, and he has delivered all season long.
That's why he is the odds on favorite to be MVP.
A loss here like Baltimore, no matter how competitive and
(14:45):
admirable Denver have been, a loss here for Buffalo would
be in utter disappointment, and there will be serious questions
asked of Sean McDermott like they have been in the
past when the Bills have lost Buffalo twenty six Denver seventeen.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
You're with him, indiffeir the.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia eight point thirty am at
the Link Monday morning. Then you remember, cast your mind
back to last year's playoffs. In fact, almost every playoffs. Ever,
someone becomes the surprise packet, someone comes in and threatens
(15:27):
or does go all of the way. Last year that
team was Green Bay. They walked into AT and T
Stadium in Dallas and hammered the Cowboys forty eight to
thirty two, and the game was never ever that close.
They then went to San Francisco and took a twenty
one to fourteen lead into the fourth quarter before being
(15:50):
run over. So these young Packers, who were even younger
last year, believe it or not, are not scared. They're young,
they've brashed their talented and they're very very well coached
by Matt Lafleur. But we do have some health concerns
over the quarterback Jordan Love. We seemingly have less health
(16:13):
concerns on Jalen Hurts after his concussion. He's had plenty
of time to get over that. But the Eagles, even
here at home, I don't think they'd want to fall
behind against this Packer offense. We know and we've seen
Jalen Hurts struggle when the game gets away from the
(16:36):
Eagles and he needs to drop back thirty five times
and become a pocket passer and make the big plays
down the field. That's in part the reason why AJ
Brown's been so upset. At different stages, He'll have his opportunities.
Green Bay have not got their best corner in Jair
(16:56):
Alexander Jai Air, I should say, but they do. The
Eagles have Saquon Barkley, the NFL's most recent two thousand
yard rushier, and what a season he put together. Green
Bay are a top ten run defense. They can see
less than one hundred yards per game, and maybe that
(17:19):
could be a key to the game. Maybe that's a
great way to track how this game is going. Where
is Barkley at in terms of rushing for one hundred yards?
Is he up around sixty seventy eighty yards in the
first half, Because if he is, Philadelphia will be in
control of this game. If Barkley has nine carries for
(17:42):
twenty five yards in the first half, if I was
a betting man, I'd say Green Bay are in this
game up to the eyeballs. But it's easier said than done.
Stopping Barkley and Hurts in the run game is so
difficult to do. Saquon can take one fifty five to
(18:04):
the crib. Hurts is unstoppable down on the goal line
thanks to the brotherly shove aka the tush push. And
if Barkley does begin to get downhill on Green Bay's
run defense, then I think the Eagles will be on
their way for the Packers an early bomb. I reckon
(18:25):
Matt Lafleur will have something drawn up. What is it
that he can bring to the table to give this
team life, to give them a spark on the road
in a really difficult environment. That's the interesting part. That's
the part I'll be looking for early in this contest.
But all in all, Philadelphia twenty eight, Green Bay twenty three.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You're with him.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Indiffe Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers noon Monday at
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. I've been there. Another
rookie steps into the playoff fire. Bo Nicks is won.
Jadon Daniels is another. And this kid, Jaden Daniels feels
(19:13):
a little different. The boy won a Heisman Trophy at
Tagers LSU. There you go, thanks, Ed, and he's sure
to collect more silverware as the offensive rookie of the Year.
He's announced himself earlier in the season in Cincinnati at
(19:33):
the hands of are out gunning, I should say a
fellow LSU Tiger and Joe Burrow. It was a Monday
night football showdown, and Washington went to work. Daniels went
to work, and he hasn't really looked back since. There
were shades of a rookie wall maybe four or five
(19:55):
six weeks ago, but he ended the regular season in
serious style Week sixteen and seven seventeen a pair of
game sealing, game winning drives. That overtime touchdown against the
Eagles was remarkable. But he faces a team who simply,
(20:16):
I think, does not get the respect it commands. Tampa Bay.
They have earned my respect, but I have been slow
to the party. I've got to concede. Baker Mayfield is
a baller wearing buccaneer. Red Mike Evans, we know eleven
straight one thousand yard seasons. Bucky Irving is probably the
(20:37):
best running back no one ever talks about. And the
Bucks d is really, really solid. I think life will
be tough for Jaden and the command is not impossible,
but tough. And like I've said, with a couple of
other road teams, road underdogs, it feels like Washington will
need something early. Could there be a deep ball? Could
(21:02):
Cliff Kingsbury, the former Cardinals coach, draw up something. Daniels
to Terry McLaurin. That's handy, an early bomb, an early
chunk play, just to get everyone up and about to say, Hey,
we're here. Don't worry about the rook he's good. The
(21:23):
Buccaneers will be desperate to contain Daniels. He's picked and
chosen his opportunities to run the ball and carry the
ball this season. But the playoffs are here, all bets
are off, All bets are off. My boys in Vegas say,
Washington have been one of the more overvalued teams this
(21:44):
season and better as have fallen in love with Jaden
Daniels and the story. And that's fair enough. But in
this case, I think Tampa other side at home, underrated, underappreciated.
Both sides of the ball are rock solid. Baker is balling.
Ignore what you previously thought about him. Watch the tape,
check the standings, CHECKI stats. He's bawling. Daniels absolutely could
(22:09):
be the guy who goes in there and lights it
up and up ends Tampa and plays a Lamar Jackson
like game to advance the divisional weekend. But it's just
I think you simply have to side with the hometown
Bucks and I am Buccaneers twenty eight Commanders twenty six.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
You're with him.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
And finally Minnesota Vikings at the LA Rams. It's been
a difficult week for those in LA. Thoughts are with
everyone affected. This game likely at this point noon Tuesday
at so Far Stadium, with the chance it will be
relocated to Arizona, So make sure you're checking X for
(22:54):
that type of information. Sam Darnold and the Vikings offensive
at large wasn't just Sam. They laid an egg last
week in Detroit. But remember this, That game was claimed
as the largest game in fifty years of regular season
football for the Lions, So there was so much on
the line. So maybe we should not sensationally just declare
(23:21):
that Sam Donald is the old Sam Donald. Maybe it
was expected he should have struggled in that spot. The
Lion's defense played off the chain, and now Donald and
the Vikings offense go to LA and face the Rams
defense that I think is unlikely to be able to
replicate that level of pressure and intensity. The Vikings should
(23:46):
be able to make some big plays. They had their
opportunities last week. They should be able to make the
plays in the red zone this week that they failed
to make last week. Making even half of the plays
that they left on the table last week will have
them in this game. So many folks around the league
want to talk down Donald. I think it's a perfect
(24:09):
bounce back spot, and I think he will and I
think they will. The kid from California who went to
USC returns returns to Alat to get it done in
a playoff game. On the other side of the field,
people around the NFL often talk about how scary this
(24:33):
healthy offense of Stafford, Nakua, Cup and Williams can be.
With Sean mcvagh pulling the strings, Kyra and Williams. I
think is the underrated element here. Almost thirteen hundred yards,
fourteen touchdowns. He's the one. If he gets going, they'll
get going, particularly with play action at the disposal of
(24:57):
Matthew Stafford and with what Pookin who can do. He
missed some games this season, still picked up almost a
thousand yards, would have picked up a thousand yards had
he have played in Week eighteen. Seventy nine catches for
the season seven times this year. This gives you an
indication of his effectiveness and his impact when he is
(25:17):
playing seven times this year, Pooker had ninety or more
receiving yards. Stafford season was solid, thirty seven hundred yards,
twenty touchdowns on the eight picks. But I don't think
it's the numbers that scare people. It's not the numbers
that make people believe that this team could go on
a run. It's the single elimination element that the playoffs provide.
(25:41):
It's what the Rams could do in a one off situation.
They could put thirty eight on you. They could do
what they did to the Bills in LA. Go back
and have a look at that game. They just exploded.
Buffalo's offense was unbelievable. The Rams were just more unbelievable.
No matter what the Buffalo offense did, they just couldn't
(26:02):
keep pace. I think that's what has people just keeping
the Rams safe. And I agree they are very dangerous
and they can make a run at this scene. But
I do think last week was the perfect storm against Minnesota.
I'm surprised their favorites. I thought Vegas would have totally
(26:26):
written them off. But they can rebound. Sam Darnold can rebound.
Jefferson will be borderline unstoppable. Addison will make his plays. TJ.
Hockinson will be important over the middle, and Aaron Jones
will be important. Hopefully he's healthy. I'm not convinced he is.
I'm gonna roll purple skull skull Minnesota thirty seven LA Rams. Sorry,
(26:55):
let me be accurate. Minnesota thirty. I'm not giving him
that many. Minnesota thirty the LA Rams twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
You're within in dnfe.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
All right, there you go. There are my picks. There
are my score line predictions. If I had to comment
on my own Instagram post with a guess, I would
guess Charges twenty three, Texans twenty. I might put that
in there. Pay myself the two hundred and fifty dollars.
So if you didn't hear the start, hear it now.
(27:29):
Jump on my Instagram. Check out the most recent post
from me on my profile at Josh Jenkins zero four.
Leave a comment. You can only guess. In fact, you
can have as many guesses as you like. If you're
that Wayne Klin, leave a comment. Guess the two teams.
(27:50):
Guess the score line. If you get it exactly right,
the winning team the winning score, the losing team the
losing score. If you get it right, and you're the
first one to do so, you will win two hundred
and fifty dollars cash. I'll find a way to get
it to you, two hundred and fifty cash. Jump on there,
Josh Jenkins zero four. Guess the exact score for one
(28:13):
of the playoff games and you can win two hundred
and fifty dollars for me. The Vikings that bucks the
Eagles to bills, the Ravens and the Chargers will be
winning on wild Card weekend and advancing to Divisional weekend
with the Chiefs and the Lions. Rejoin us. Thanks for listening.
I'll see you on the back end of wild Card weekend.
Bad, Sir fay run rough.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
A welcome back for the second time this week. I
did mention I'd had an unexplained absence quote Aaron Rodgers,
quote Robert sala in excused absence. I wasn't fine for it.
But I'm back for the second time this week. My
name is JJ. Welcome to the field, NFL. It is
(00:38):
wild cut and these games have got me fired up.
They've got me ready to rock and roll. I'm going
to lock in on them. I've had a nice deep
dive in all six games, so looking forward to it.
Some look easy to read, some look very difficult to read,
if not impossible. It is the NFL, remember, and there
(00:58):
are a couple of games where the upset looks ripe
for the picking, and I've got something special in store.
So the Fab five officially is done. We ended the
season with a nice winning record. But I've got something
special for y'all. So jump on to my ig my
(01:20):
Instagram at Josh Jenkins zero four and correctly guess the
score for the winning team and the losing team, and
you can win two hundred and fifty dollars in cold
hard cash. Well, it's unlikely I'll be able to get
you the cash, unless you'd like me to send it
(01:42):
via Australia Post. But jump on the IG. There'll be
a video there and you can see where you can
just drop a comment. Guess the game. So it might
be Chargers forty Houston thirty three. If that's what the
score is and your selection is the first correct guess,
(02:03):
you'll be the winner. I'm not giving away seven hundred
and fifty bucks. If three people happen to get the
score right the first correct answer, I presume I'll be
able to work that out on Instagram. I'm not an
absolute expert, but that's all you need to do. So
make sure you look at for the video on IG
and you could win two hundred and fifty cold hard cash.
(02:23):
Hole you're with him in all right, let's hook straight in.
Let's look straight in the LA Chargers at Houston. This
game eight point thirty Sunday morning at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
And I'm looking forward to this one. I'll tell you what.
(02:43):
How long though, so Houston to the home team here?
We know that, but how long is it since we've
seen the best version of Houston? So I went back
through their schedule. They rolled the Bills in Houston. In
Week five, CJ. Stroud threw for three hundred and thirty
one yards. He dropped a bomb to Nico Collins on
(03:07):
a sixty seven yard dime. Collins was injured not long
after and the offense went with him. CJ has not
had a three hundred game yard game since then. That
was Week five. That's a long time. I know it's
not all about yards, but CJ. Stroud has not had
a big, big game like that since Week five, and
(03:30):
that's a long time. And that's got me worried because
most of us thought he would be one of the
standouts when it comes to quarterbacks this season based on
what he did last year. It feels like if CJ
can throw for three hundred plus, they'll win this game.
Because the Chargers are the masters under their new head coach,
(03:52):
Jimmy h the man from Michigan. He and they the
Chargers are able to dictate the tempo of a game.
They're able to dictate the pace of a game and
the way a game is played. They'll run the ball
heaps to keep the opposing quarterback on the bench. They'll
(04:14):
play great defense. They'll bend but not break to allow
that clock to run. So that's going to be the
fascinating part. Can the Texans start hot? Can they start hot?
Because that's the key because when you look through their schedule,
the Bills win for them in Week five was a
(04:35):
very nice win, but what the heck comes after that?
So these are the teams Houston beat Aside from the Bills.
They beat Indianapolis twice, didn't make the playoffs, Chicago bad team,
Jacksonville twice, very bad team, New England, bad team, Dallas
didn't make the playoffs, Miami did not make the playoffs,
(04:58):
and they split the season against Tennessee one and one,
a very bad team. So the teams they beat have
a combined record of thirty nine wins and eighty losses.
That's not good, not good. All in all, you can
mount a very very strong argument that this team has
(05:19):
beaten absolutely no one and the offense has done very
very minimal in doing so. On the opposite side of NRG,
the Bolts Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. I never say
his name the same way two times in a row,
(05:39):
Jim h. They were two and two after four weeks
and not too much looked too different from last year.
They then won five out of six and got rolling,
and the gym effect was real. Like Houston, they pretty
much beat everyone they should have beaten. Maybe they didn't
beat too many teams of real. Note they did win
(06:02):
a nice shootout against Cincinnati when the Bengals were starting
to roll thirty four to twenty seven. They come into
Houston on the back of a thirty four to twenty
seven win over Denver that was two weeks ago, and
they completely sorry. That game was three weeks ago, and
they completely thumped New England and Vegas, so they're feeling
(06:23):
good about themselves. For mine, Houston will need to start well.
It's what I said a couple of minutes ago, and
I'll revert back to it. If they can get up
ten three, fourteen to three, something like that and control
the tempo and force Herbert to drop back and throw
at forty times, maybe that is the recipe to success.
(06:47):
But even in Texas, even in Houston, and it is
snowing in parts of Texas at the moment, believe it
or not. Luckily we've got a roof at NRG. I
do like the chain just to control the tempo, run
the ball well, play solid defense and ultimately win the game.
Houston's form on paper and via the eye test tells
(07:11):
you they're just not playing it well enough, and they
haven't done so for quite some time. So charges twenty
three Texans twenty you're rising, all right. Pittsburgh at Baltimore.
This is AFC North Divisional Football, Noon Sunday at MM ANDT.
(07:33):
Banks Stadium in downtown Baltimore. Presume that stadium's downtown. It
looks it. This game, typically speaking, we see them twice
a season, the Steelers at the Ravens, the Ravens at
the Steelers, and whatever the record seems to be for
both teams, the game always seems to be close. It
(07:55):
always seems to be hard fought and unpredictable. But this
one does feel like one way traffic. The Ravens are rolling,
the Steelers are reeling. We know Russell Wilson was thrust
somewhat surprisingly into the starting role despite the fact Justin
Fields was doing a reasonable job. They didn't lose for
(08:17):
four or five weeks on the back of Wilson coming
in to the number one job, but they haven't won
for a month. Coming into this. You look at the
men in purple and Lamar Jackson's charging toward a third MVP.
Josh Allen Permitting and Derrick Henry rumbled and bumbled and
(08:39):
truck people on the way to nineteen hundred and twenty
one yards and a league co leading sixteen touchdowns. That
one two punch is phenomenal. Zay Flowers is out of
this game. That is a concern. He's their number one receiver. TJ. Watt,
by his own admission, was quiet last week. He'll be
(09:03):
wound up. He'll be looking to make a play on
Henry or Jackson. And we know Mike Tomlin is the
king of digging up motivation, of inspiration, of something from nothing,
to stay in games and to steal games that nobody
thinks they can win. And this is that exact spot.
This is the perfect spot for Mike Tomlin to be
(09:27):
Mike Tomlin divisional opponent on the road, massive underdog. No
one gives him or them a chance. That's they are
the moments he seemingly prefers and thrives on. And we
know Lamar has had his playoff woes. We know he has,
(09:48):
He's only got one or two playoff wins. But surely
this will be different. Surely this one will be different.
They completely went away from the playbook last year. But
Derrick Henry the big man, you can't miss him. Give
him the ball twenty times, call another eight to twelve
runs for Lamar, play solid defense, force a mistake or
(10:11):
two from Russell Wilson, and you'll be winning the game.
Well you cover the ten point spread. I'm not sure
these rivalries are crazy, but Baltimore should be winning and
should be winning well. And if they happen to lose,
it'll be a Mike Tomlin special, but cheap as creepers.
There will be some serious questions asked in Baltimore Baltimore
(10:34):
twenty seven Pittsburgh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
You're rising him to effeir.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
The Denver Broncos at Buffalo the Bills five am Monday
at New Era Field. I think that's still what they
call it Orchard Park, Western New York. Bo Nicks has
been all that and more for Denver. We know that
he's had a helping hand in offensive guru head coach
(11:05):
Sean Payton, but a ten win season has to be
as much as any Bronco fan could have hoped for,
and ten wins earns them a trip to Buffalo to
face the Bills. But the Broncos are built quite nicely
for this situation. They've got a really formidable pass rush.
They've got a versatile pass rush too, and they'll need
(11:27):
it for Josh Allen. They've got the best dB in
the NFL, Patrick Sirtan out of Alabama. He's unbackable to
win Defensive Player of the Year. We know how rare
it is for dbs to win that award, and it
does feel like if Josh Allen targets him and goes
after him a couple of times, it does feel like
(11:49):
certain might need to make him pay for the Broncos
to be in this game. James Cook's season for the
Bills has been incredibly understated. Did match Derrick Henry and
Jimia Gibbs with sixteen rushing touchdowns on the season, but
between Cook and Josh Allen they amassed fifteen hundred rushing
(12:12):
yards and twenty eight rushing touchdowns between them. It is
a really potent one two punch. We talk about Saquon
and Jalen Hurtz or Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, but
this one two punch Cook and Allen's probably underrated. Sack Allen.
I mentioned the Denver pass rush, Zach Allen and Nick Benito.
(12:36):
They will be the primary guys on that D line.
They'll be the ones having to make plays. Can they
get in the backfield? Can they force some TfL some
tackles for loss? Can they sack the quarterback? Can they
create a force fumble, a strip, sack, something big, just
to give them some life and to keep them in
(12:57):
the game, in a similar way to the Steelers and
Ravens game. Vegas expects a blowout, but I think this
might be a close game. I think they'll roll in
here Denver without fear and they'll keep it close. Knicks
has got Peyton's backing. He's been excellent all season long.
(13:20):
The Bronco defense can make plays on the front line
and back there in the secondary and the cold weather.
He's no concern for Denver, of course, either. But one squad,
the men in Orange, will have a very even team
across most phases of the game, which is great and
(13:41):
handy and gets your ten wins. But the other team's
got Josh Allen, and he's the man who can make
anything happen. It feels like a game and playoffs are
often this type of game where Allen can make four
or five plays which just separate the game game, just
separate the Bills from their opponents. A big third down
(14:04):
where he tucks it and he runs and he runs
over people, and he runs around people and he stiff
arms defenders and he gets that big first down to
extend the drive. Or a big fourth and short call
where he just runs straight over a linebacker, or a
fourth down where he throws a strike for a touchdown.
(14:25):
Whatever the Bills need, whatever the game asks, Alan is
capable of delivering, and he has delivered all season long.
That's why he is the odds on favorite to be MVP.
A loss here like Baltimore, no matter how competitive and
(14:45):
admirable Denver have been, a loss here for Buffalo would
be in utter disappointment, and there will be serious questions
asked of Sean McDermott like they have been in the
past when the Bills have lost Buffalo twenty six Denver seventeen.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
You're with him, indiffeir the.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia eight point thirty am at
the Link Monday morning. Then you remember, cast your mind
back to last year's playoffs. In fact, almost every playoffs. Ever,
someone becomes the surprise packet, someone comes in and threatens
(15:27):
or does go all of the way. Last year that
team was Green Bay. They walked into AT and T
Stadium in Dallas and hammered the Cowboys forty eight to
thirty two, and the game was never ever that close.
They then went to San Francisco and took a twenty
one to fourteen lead into the fourth quarter before being
(15:50):
run over. So these young Packers, who were even younger
last year, believe it or not, are not scared. They're young,
they've brashed their talented and they're very very well coached
by Matt Lafleur. But we do have some health concerns
over the quarterback Jordan Love. We seemingly have less health
(16:13):
concerns on Jalen Hurts after his concussion. He's had plenty
of time to get over that. But the Eagles, even
here at home, I don't think they'd want to fall
behind against this Packer offense. We know and we've seen
Jalen Hurts struggle when the game gets away from the
(16:36):
Eagles and he needs to drop back thirty five times
and become a pocket passer and make the big plays
down the field. That's in part the reason why AJ
Brown's been so upset. At different stages, He'll have his opportunities.
Green Bay have not got their best corner in Jair
(16:56):
Alexander Jai Air, I should say, but they do. The
Eagles have Saquon Barkley, the NFL's most recent two thousand
yard rushier, and what a season he put together. Green
Bay are a top ten run defense. They can see
less than one hundred yards per game, and maybe that
(17:19):
could be a key to the game. Maybe that's a
great way to track how this game is going. Where
is Barkley at in terms of rushing for one hundred yards?
Is he up around sixty seventy eighty yards in the
first half, Because if he is, Philadelphia will be in
control of this game. If Barkley has nine carries for
(17:42):
twenty five yards in the first half, if I was
a betting man, I'd say Green Bay are in this
game up to the eyeballs. But it's easier said than done.
Stopping Barkley and Hurts in the run game is so
difficult to do. Saquon can take one fifty five to
(18:04):
the crib. Hurts is unstoppable down on the goal line
thanks to the brotherly shove aka the tush push. And
if Barkley does begin to get downhill on Green Bay's
run defense, then I think the Eagles will be on
their way for the Packers an early bomb. I reckon
(18:25):
Matt Lafleur will have something drawn up. What is it
that he can bring to the table to give this
team life, to give them a spark on the road
in a really difficult environment. That's the interesting part. That's
the part I'll be looking for early in this contest.
But all in all, Philadelphia twenty eight, Green Bay twenty three.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You're with him.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Indiffe Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers noon Monday at
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. I've been there. Another
rookie steps into the playoff fire. Bo Nicks is won.
Jadon Daniels is another. And this kid, Jaden Daniels feels
(19:13):
a little different. The boy won a Heisman Trophy at
Tagers LSU. There you go, thanks, Ed, and he's sure
to collect more silverware as the offensive rookie of the Year.
He's announced himself earlier in the season in Cincinnati at
(19:33):
the hands of are out gunning, I should say a
fellow LSU Tiger and Joe Burrow. It was a Monday
night football showdown, and Washington went to work. Daniels went
to work, and he hasn't really looked back since. There
were shades of a rookie wall maybe four or five
(19:55):
six weeks ago, but he ended the regular season in
serious style Week sixteen and seven seventeen a pair of
game sealing, game winning drives. That overtime touchdown against the
Eagles was remarkable. But he faces a team who simply,
(20:16):
I think, does not get the respect it commands. Tampa Bay.
They have earned my respect, but I have been slow
to the party. I've got to concede. Baker Mayfield is
a baller wearing buccaneer. Red Mike Evans, we know eleven
straight one thousand yard seasons. Bucky Irving is probably the
(20:37):
best running back no one ever talks about. And the
Bucks d is really, really solid. I think life will
be tough for Jaden and the command is not impossible,
but tough. And like I've said, with a couple of
other road teams, road underdogs, it feels like Washington will
need something early. Could there be a deep ball? Could
(21:02):
Cliff Kingsbury, the former Cardinals coach, draw up something. Daniels
to Terry McLaurin. That's handy, an early bomb, an early
chunk play, just to get everyone up and about to say, Hey,
we're here. Don't worry about the rook he's good. The
(21:23):
Buccaneers will be desperate to contain Daniels. He's picked and
chosen his opportunities to run the ball and carry the
ball this season. But the playoffs are here, all bets
are off, All bets are off. My boys in Vegas say,
Washington have been one of the more overvalued teams this
(21:44):
season and better as have fallen in love with Jaden
Daniels and the story. And that's fair enough. But in
this case, I think Tampa other side at home, underrated, underappreciated.
Both sides of the ball are rock solid. Baker is balling.
Ignore what you previously thought about him. Watch the tape,
check the standings, CHECKI stats. He's bawling. Daniels absolutely could
(22:09):
be the guy who goes in there and lights it
up and up ends Tampa and plays a Lamar Jackson
like game to advance the divisional weekend. But it's just
I think you simply have to side with the hometown
Bucks and I am Buccaneers twenty eight Commanders twenty six.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
You're with him.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
And finally Minnesota Vikings at the LA Rams. It's been
a difficult week for those in LA. Thoughts are with
everyone affected. This game likely at this point noon Tuesday
at so Far Stadium, with the chance it will be
relocated to Arizona, So make sure you're checking X for
(22:54):
that type of information. Sam Darnold and the Vikings offensive
at large wasn't just Sam. They laid an egg last
week in Detroit. But remember this, That game was claimed
as the largest game in fifty years of regular season
football for the Lions, So there was so much on
the line. So maybe we should not sensationally just declare
(23:21):
that Sam Donald is the old Sam Donald. Maybe it
was expected he should have struggled in that spot. The
Lion's defense played off the chain, and now Donald and
the Vikings offense go to LA and face the Rams
defense that I think is unlikely to be able to
replicate that level of pressure and intensity. The Vikings should
(23:46):
be able to make some big plays. They had their
opportunities last week. They should be able to make the
plays in the red zone this week that they failed
to make last week. Making even half of the plays
that they left on the table last week will have
them in this game. So many folks around the league
want to talk down Donald. I think it's a perfect
(24:09):
bounce back spot, and I think he will and I
think they will. The kid from California who went to
USC returns returns to Alat to get it done in
a playoff game. On the other side of the field,
people around the NFL often talk about how scary this
(24:33):
healthy offense of Stafford, Nakua, Cup and Williams can be.
With Sean mcvagh pulling the strings, Kyra and Williams. I
think is the underrated element here. Almost thirteen hundred yards,
fourteen touchdowns. He's the one. If he gets going, they'll
get going, particularly with play action at the disposal of
(24:57):
Matthew Stafford and with what Pookin who can do. He
missed some games this season, still picked up almost a
thousand yards, would have picked up a thousand yards had
he have played in Week eighteen. Seventy nine catches for
the season seven times this year. This gives you an
indication of his effectiveness and his impact when he is
(25:17):
playing seven times this year, Pooker had ninety or more
receiving yards. Stafford season was solid, thirty seven hundred yards,
twenty touchdowns on the eight picks. But I don't think
it's the numbers that scare people. It's not the numbers
that make people believe that this team could go on
a run. It's the single elimination element that the playoffs provide.
(25:41):
It's what the Rams could do in a one off situation.
They could put thirty eight on you. They could do
what they did to the Bills in LA. Go back
and have a look at that game. They just exploded.
Buffalo's offense was unbelievable. The Rams were just more unbelievable.
No matter what the Buffalo offense did, they just couldn't
(26:02):
keep pace. I think that's what has people just keeping
the Rams safe. And I agree they are very dangerous
and they can make a run at this scene. But
I do think last week was the perfect storm against Minnesota.
I'm surprised their favorites. I thought Vegas would have totally
(26:26):
written them off. But they can rebound. Sam Darnold can rebound.
Jefferson will be borderline unstoppable. Addison will make his plays. TJ.
Hockinson will be important over the middle, and Aaron Jones
will be important. Hopefully he's healthy. I'm not convinced he is.
I'm gonna roll purple skull skull Minnesota thirty seven LA Rams. Sorry,
(26:55):
let me be accurate. Minnesota thirty. I'm not giving him
that many. Minnesota thirty the LA Rams twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
You're within in dnfe.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
All right, there you go. There are my picks. There
are my score line predictions. If I had to comment
on my own Instagram post with a guess, I would
guess Charges twenty three, Texans twenty. I might put that
in there. Pay myself the two hundred and fifty dollars.
So if you didn't hear the start, hear it now.
(27:29):
Jump on my Instagram. Check out the most recent post
from me on my profile at Josh Jenkins zero four.
Leave a comment. You can only guess. In fact, you
can have as many guesses as you like. If you're
that Wayne Klin, leave a comment. Guess the two teams.
(27:50):
Guess the score line. If you get it exactly right,
the winning team the winning score, the losing team the
losing score. If you get it right, and you're the
first one to do so, you will win two hundred
and fifty dollars cash. I'll find a way to get
it to you, two hundred and fifty cash. Jump on there,
Josh Jenkins zero four. Guess the exact score for one
(28:13):
of the playoff games and you can win two hundred
and fifty dollars for me. The Vikings that bucks the
Eagles to bills, the Ravens and the Chargers will be
winning on wild Card weekend and advancing to Divisional weekend
with the Chiefs and the Lions. Rejoin us. Thanks for listening.
I'll see you on the back end of wild Card weekend.
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