January 13, 2022 • 35 mins
In hour 4 of the Jason Smith Show, the guys talk a little purple and gold as the Lakers fall to the Kings. Jason explains why your NFL team will look exactly the same next year if they happen to be looking for a quarterback. Plus, the guys preview and rank the winners and losers going into the NFL's Wildcard weekend. Then, Julius Randle has clearly took media training from Bill Belichick himself.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two a m Eastern seven to eleven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox
Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every night
on the I Heart Radio app by searching fs R.
(00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, The
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon and
I win. Mike Harmon, I told you I was gonna
win and win because you know what's trending right now
on social media? What's at the top. Buddy Healed? I
(00:46):
told you, Buddy, I told you that's gonna happen. I
told you we get Lakers playing the Kings. Get ready,
Buddy Healed is gonna trend all over this because eventually
Laker fans are gonna get on Twitter and go Why
did we didn't get Buddy Healed? Why do we go
get Russell Westbrook? I don't understand. And there he is
at the top. Look we mentioned did outscore him, Russell Westbrook?
(01:11):
He had his ten points in his twenty nine minutes.
Of play. Look, I think he had that in his
brain because he wasn't doing much offense. Is like, I
gotta outscore him because then I'll be the guy going
on into the overnight. Look, this is why we said
a few minutes ago tonight, is that not a sea
change night? Because clearly it's been going in the direction
(01:31):
of Okay, Russell Westbrook with the Lakers is not working,
and the fans understand the Lakers, the Lakers have to
understand that after tonight that this experiment, what they're doing
is just not working, and they could have put him
in a better spot, but they didn't. And Look, I
feel bad because I thought it was gonna work. Look,
I'll tell you what I'm wrong about stuff. I thought
Russell Westbrook was gonna work because I thought the Lakers
(01:52):
are gonna let him come in and he's gonna be
a dominant player in the regular season. He's gonna allow
a d Lebron to get rest, not have to carry
the team, and he's gonna do what he's done for
the last twelve years. Well, the Lakers blew that by saying,
oh no, no, you're gonna fit in with what we
do in the offense. And and Russell Westbrook is standing
on the wing while Lebron James is bringing the ball up.
How was that work? How's that gonna work? How's it
(02:13):
gonna work? Frank volgl has got an NBA championship and
I know that wasn't gonna work. How does he think
that's gonna work. Let's take Russell Westbrook who's done one
thing and make him do something different actually doing it
for a dozen years. That was just that was just
I don't I don't know why you thought that was
gonna happen. That was just that's just bad coaching, right,
That's just that's just not even seeing who the players are.
But but but but the reality is, though, I mean,
(02:34):
how much of that is Lebron James and his willingness
or not to shuffle up and deal right when they
he's been putting up a ton of points and effective
in the five slot right first time in his career.
Look at what he's doing whatever, I mean, and you've
got to adjust to that. But part of it is
(02:54):
on him. And I said that before the season, that
that that needed to be where you were going to
your point about Westbrook being your ball handler and trying
to make the offense go if he If the Lakers
had allowed that to be the way it was developed,
it would have worked. And I feel that because I
thought it was gonna work. I thought it would go.
But now it clearly isn't. And and Lebron James, the
(03:16):
GM has a lot of faults. But look, I understand
it's done. Now it's done. The experiment is done. They
lost to the Kings. The Kings stink. They're looking at
Buddy Healed hitting shots off the bench, the guy that
everybody wanted them to go get. Now, Now, if you
want to go get Buddy Healed, the asking price is
a lot low work. You're talking about a guy coming
off the bench now for Sacramento who's not scoring quite
(03:37):
what he was and not playing as many minutes. So
you can still go get him. But now everything is
coming to ahead. Tonight we lost to the Kings. He
was a guy we got. We chose Russell Westbrook over him.
Westbrook was terrible. He'll still, you know, gave him points
off the bench in the game. They won and they
beat us. And this is this is that. Will you
take a second and side and go all right, it's
(03:58):
just not working. We we just have to make a move.
And this is how it's done in the NBA, and
now the Lakers have to unless unless they can get creative.
This is just who they're gonna be. A five hundred team.
They're gonna win some games and losome games, and we'll
be getting to the playoffs going oh if this Laker
team now, only now, if they could take off, and
it's just not gonna happen. But this is the night
where I don't know that anybody can back up and say,
(04:20):
come on, man, give Westbrook some time. And even the
staunches of supporters like me that I thought it was
gonna work in the beginning, I'll tell you it's not working.
It's not gonna work. It's not ever gonna work. It's
a lost cost. Sitting at five, you're in that back
end of the playoff bracket, and now it's just grind
it out. Get Anthony Davis back, get his his legs
(04:41):
back under him, do your best to navigate this rest
of the season right. Obviously, protocols changing as they will,
and trying to make sure, you know, from a health perspective,
you go in as best you can. Maybe you can
make a move at the trade deadline gonna take a
lot of creativity when you look at the absence of
a pile of draft picks or really any tradeable assets
(05:04):
outside of Taylor Horton Tucker who depending on which game,
opposing teams have watched right in their scouting departments, like
you really look good here, not so much these nights.
So send them half the tapes, uh, that kind of
thing and see if you can't up you skate you know,
reality there. But I think it's it's done and now
(05:29):
it's the while you're not going raw raw when you
get to the playoffs. There certainly is some intrigue, right
going back and forth with some folks on Twitter about it,
like would I be excitable thinking, yeah, they're gonna go
in and dominate any series. No, but I would love
to see, you know, the veterans in a you know
(05:50):
series kind of atmosphere these one off games, travel whatever else. Yeah,
you're professionals, you gotta get through it. But is it
the same same level bowl of intensity right now we're
talking about it, you know, with the NFL and the
end of season and all the the fervor, uh to
finish things off right now, other than twenty games from
(06:11):
now starting to play for seating if you can jockey
for a slaughter. Two, what what are you planning for? Right?
You're just trying not to get hurt. You're playing to
fill your pockets and the coffers, and you know NBA
fans are gonna start screaming and going at me and
and have at it at Swollen Dome. But that's the
reality some of it is. It's not that you're playing
(06:32):
out the string. This is the baseball equivalent of the
Dog Days of August right where you're at the half point,
halfway part of the season, but the All Star Game,
which should be the half and the midpoint, is still
weeks away. Long time, keep waiting, waiting. The Jason Smith
(06:55):
Show with Mike Harvon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studio. So, yeah,
tonight's that night for Ussell Westbrook, Buddy Heal to everybody else,
it's that night. Now you win for the Buddy Healed predicted.
I don't know. I guess I win. I win the
honor of being right, like you know, like I am
a lot. So I'll take that. I'll just I'll just
put it's another win in the column. I'll just roblinkas trending. Yeah,
(07:16):
it's another one in the column. Yeah, Rob Polinka, Rob Polenka,
why didn't you go get Buddy Healed? It's all one sentence.
Why why did you get Russell Westbrook instead of Buddy Healed?
Rob Polinka? Boom boom so. I clicked on the Rob
Pelinka and the first thing to show up was from
a an account which may actually be part of our show.
(07:37):
But nobody told me. Nobody told me, No one told
me at Lake Show. Yo is the name of the account?
How is Russell Westbrook this bad? And it is a
matchup of miss shot air balls off the top of
the backboard, you name it. It's about as bad as
(07:59):
I mean. That's that's a super cut that would keep
you out of the Hall of Fame. Wow, that same guy,
that the same guy is now apparently giving away Lakers
T shirts, just giving them away. H Cumberbat Rob Polinka
trying to make everyone forget he traded for Russell Westbronk
(08:23):
getting ready to set the spell from the Spider Man
eight seven seven nine fix eight seven seven six three
six nine spider Man, spider Man. But it's some big
time NFL to get to now as earlier today, and this,
this one instance from today jumps into a much bigger
(08:44):
question that affects really a third of the league. Colts
owner Jim Mercy put out a statement today saying how
upset he was with the way the season ended for
the Colts, and already they are working on making things
better for next year. The Colts to completely gacked away
a playoffs by getting thumped by the Jaguars the final
week of the season. Carson Wentz was awful on Now
(09:05):
everybody wants Carson Wentz out of Indianapolis. Indianapolis, Cleveland, the Lions, Broncos, Panthers, Giants, Washington, Miami, Pittsburgh.
These are all teams that either need or they want
a new quarterback for These are all teams that going
(09:28):
into next year we need or want a new quarterback
because what we've been going on isn't working and we
gotta go get somebody new. And I got news for you.
Your team next year is gonna look just like it
did this year. A. Right, the culture is still gonna
try it out Carson Wentz opening week, Right, the brown
(09:48):
is still gonna try it out. Baker Mayfield, the guys
untradeable The Lions are still gonna throw Jared Golf out
their Week one. The Broncos are still gonna have Teddy
Bridgewater taking reps with the Ones all through train camp
right Caroline is gonna have the Sam Donald cam Newton
quarterback battle next summer. The Giants are still gonna have
Daniel Jones out there trying to do things. Washington is
(10:09):
still gonna have Taylor Heineck out there going, Oh, he's
had some good games, some nuts so good. Miami is
still gonna be going with TWA, and the Steelers are
gonna be still trying to go with Mason rudolpherever else
they try to make it work with as Roethlisberger is
going away. All these teams, this is a third of
the league that need or want a new quarterback next year,
and they're not gonna get it because this is a
(10:31):
bad year to need a quarterback. Because free agency is
not gonna see you bring somebody in. There's nobody in
the draft. You were talking about a top ten that
could not see a quarterback taken. When's the last time
you ever thought that could happen. But we may see
the top ten picks in the NFL go in the
draft and not one of them as a quarterback. Maybe
Matt carl sneaks in, Maybe maybe Kenny Pickett sneaks in.
(10:54):
You know, Sam Howell is gonna be outside the top ten.
This is not a year. And when you do draft
a guy like that, it's not someone you're just gonna
give him the job right away. So all of these
teams are gonna be going the next year with the
same names and the say and it's it's really it's
disheartening to hear at this point because you know, look,
we're just turning the page to two and alright, hey,
(11:15):
I'm hoping for next year. No, no, no, no, all
these guys are gonna be back because it's not a
great year to remake your quarterback room and go get
somebody to the best you can hope for. If you're
one of these teams, are we're gonna bring in somebody
to challenge them that maybe if instead of our instead
of putting out our guy that I can't stand, we're
gonna have somebody else. If that guy falters, that's gonna
(11:37):
be your best bet. Because unless you can trade for Rogers, Wilson,
or Watson, which are the three big jewels of the offseason,
depending on Deshaun Watson's legal situation. But you know, Russell
Wilson wants out, and who knows what side of the
bet Aaron Rodgers waking up on you're calling those teams
or you're stuck right and you or you are absolutely
stuck because there's just nowhere to go to get better. Look,
(12:00):
the Browns could go to case Keenum and they would
have been better off right away. They didn't do it.
We're gonna bring Baker may Feel back. Okay, so maybe
it's Baker may feel the case keenom next year. But
now all of these teams there's just nowhere to say.
Now we got our franchise guy in the future, we're
handing him the job and we've turned the page and
we're rebuilding. All these teams now that are in the
middle of these rebuilds are all gonna be A're all
(12:21):
gonna have another year that's a lot like this one,
because they gotta hope that after this year, alright, other
quarterbacks will shake free. That's gonna be a better year
in the draft, a better year in free agency, whatever
trades happen. Other players will shake loose. The weekend, go
get because this is not the year to need a
quarterback if you need one, because it's just not there.
I mean to think of think about the Colts saying, yeah,
(12:42):
Carson Wentz is gonna be our guy beginning next year.
Oh my god, Colts fans want to pull their hair out.
Same thing with Giants fans and Daniel Jones and and
to how polarizing is in Miami. All of these teams,
they're gonna have the same guys going out there. Well,
you talk about the Colts, it goes back to perception
versus reality, right, you look at the final stats kind
of like in Minnesota with Kirk Cousins. I can't say
(13:02):
that blame Kirk Cousins for a bunch of the losses,
but he certainly gets a giant piece of that pie.
If we're you know, divvying it up. You know with
Carson Wentz's same thing. When they need him to be big,
he was not. Uh play calling that takes the ball
out of Jonathan Taylor's hands. Also part of it, which
you know, was some of the video clips I guess
(13:24):
from the end of the in season hard knocks stuff
that the Colts did kind of a all right, we
kind of did that to ourselves now, like, yeah, and
if I'm a member of that squad and I'm looking
at playoff moneys and checks, I'm not getting for that stupidity.
I'm a little pist going in and saying, hey, and
I wonder if it's an eight man out situation. You
did not win thirty games. Uh, But anyway, as you said,
(13:47):
and shuffling the debt chairs, because there's a lot of
the familiar names that have been on one year deals
as a placeholder, and now it becomes all right, that
guy didn't work out in situation X. Can he be
a guy with the personnel we have to make it
work right. Denver is trying to figure out what they have.
Is it? Is it Drew Lock? Do they bring in
(14:08):
another guy because it won't be Teddy, but it did
Teddy two Gloves moves on to his next team. Maybe
he goes back to Carolina. Now probably not. They probably
draft a guy. But the point is that you're you're
still looking at between the Sam Donald's and Baker Mayfield's. Yeah,
it looks like they're stuck, but they're cheap. So if
someone saw something in Baker in the last you know
(14:30):
two years, look at the season. Then maybe there's something
that you think you could push through, But otherwise it's
slim pickings and wishing and hoping that you're shiny new
quarterback or second year guy suddenly gets that much better.
Oh good luck, because it doesn't look like that's gonna happen.
Good luck. I mean, you gotta deal with the hand
(14:51):
that's dealt, right, you gotta play the hand that's dealt.
And and this is this is where it is. Not
every year is gonna be rich. You can't go to
the quarterback tree and just pick a new one off
got a great question. No, not gonna happen. And I
mean I can already see the storylines another year of
talking about two for eighteen weeks. And isn't love him?
I mean the stuff coming out of Miami Kidney Daniel Jones,
(15:14):
you had Flora's getting in with getting into it with TWA,
and the GM was like, don't you talk to my
quarterback that way? Kind of like Chris Penn. Stop yet
I get my dad, Matt Rule, who's gonna be back?
And say if Donald is gonna be back and all,
it's gonna be so great, be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays
(15:36):
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the Heart Radio app Ty Shirt. I don't know, man,
it might be too early to drink velvet right now, Man,
we still got some time to go here. We got
four perfect time. Na I think it's too early to
drink velvet. And think it's too early. You know, you've
not played one Ronnie Specter song all night. I'm sorry,
(15:57):
not gotten one Ronnie Specter. She died earlier today. Be
My be, my little baby, little Ednie Money, take me
home tonight with Ronnie Specter, not one happ nineties and
your light refreshing favorites and fifty minutes of music an
hour here. Uh yeah, boy, what a shock Ronnie Specter
(16:18):
earlier today and uh, you know, so many hits and
you look and so many people it's it's weird, Mike
that and you say Ronnie Specter's name, and so many
people know her from the big any Money song, like,
oh yeah, I did that song with any Money. It's like, no,
she had a huge career before that. He was It
was like one of the first big samples of songs
that was like in the in the early eighties, we
(16:39):
need to take Me Home Tonight and and you know
use Ronnie Specter, you know, be my little Baby in it,
and that was that's like one of the first ever
samples and be oh yeah yeah that song with any money. No,
she's the ron Edge. She was really big deal before that,
and a great version of can't put your Arms round
a memory. Yeah, so she's got plenty. She didn't say
(17:00):
it quite like that though, no, no, no, no no, no,
not quite to the punk level, but certainly we heard
a lot of her in our holiday holiday holiday month
of music across the Fox Sports Radio networks. So another
loss here early in twenty two. Add to the Spotify
(17:20):
lists and and take yourself back for your career that
spanned what six decades? Five decades? I mean just crazy, uh,
and the number of tracks that that she was a
part of just go through the laundry list. Just a
huge career. Ronnie Specter, seventy eight years old, Rest in peace.
(17:41):
The Jason Spend Show with Mike Carmen Live from the
Fox Sports Radio Studios. All right, so now to take
a look ahead at this weekend in the NFL, we're
getting to the point we're gonna preview games and take
a look and see how things are gonna shake down.
Who's gonna make it till the next weekend. I honestly
can see scenarios where all the underdog teams win this weekend,
where where they all can win not created equally. So
(18:05):
there's certainly some games where, boy, I really could see
this upset where this one was, well, this would have
to go right. So we'll rank the upsets. Will rank
the games in order of most least likely upset to
most likely upset. How does that sup? What? We'll do
it that way? Go? And I got some surprises the
top of mine. All right, so we'll see if we
match up here. You're ready, Yeah, let's go. All right.
(18:26):
So at number six, I could see it happening because
they are and they always find a way to win.
They're balanced, they've won four in a row. Is a
big clutch game they won. The Raiders have everything they
need to win this game against Cincinnati, But boy, I
really see them getting a bounce off that game last
week and Cincinnati is at home. They're too dynamic, their
(18:49):
offense is hot. Yes, the Raiders are good enough to
win this game. But this is one of those games
where we watch and go, man, all right, now the
whole world is getting a see Joe Burrow and Jamaar
Chase and what this team is like and how the
the era of good feeling for the Bengals is here. Yeah,
you're not stopping that offense. Now, here's the thing. Will
they be able to uh stop the force that is
(19:13):
Max Crosby well as a storm Norton's not playing right tackles.
I think they're as long as they can him a
little bit. I am concerned to see you know exactly
what's up with burrows knee right? Obviously go back to
week sixteen and and off the field, and then I
should say, yeah, week weeks seventeen, and then in the
(19:34):
week eighteen didn't play. Sorry adding that extra week just
it's just unnatural. But we'll get there. But didn't play
and part of it well there was nothing to play for.
But by the same token, it's ay, all right, are
we sure he's okay? Full participant at practice today? But
still want you raise your eyebrow on But yeah, too
much talent, uh, too many opportunities to make big plays
(19:57):
and it's not just hey, throw the ball up to Chase.
I know he's out there somewhere. That's part of the strategy. Uh,
those other guys are no slouches either. Alright, So if
I got that as my least likely upset number five,
I know a lot of people like this, But Dallas
at home, their offense is going to get points on
(20:19):
the board against San Francisco, who's just kind of okay
across the board. And unless San Francisco gets out to
a lead early and looking at the second quarter where
it's tend nothing, forty Niners, Dallas is gonna win this game.
It all depends on the start because if Dallas gets
out to a lead or they're up seven nothing or
seven three, their offense is gonna feed because Dallas are
great front runners. So yeah, the forty Niners can win
(20:42):
this game because because clearly, look Dallas has issues, but
they need a lot to go right early for them
to be able to hold Dallas at bay. So even
though Niners can do it, I see Dallas winning this
game three point line. And this one, this one, to
me is the the lack of the week ranking. I'm
one through six. Part of that is part of that
(21:04):
is based on the fact that I have San Francisco
playing in the Super Bowl from our grid sixth season.
Uh and and jim might mean Look, I went out
on the limb saying Jimmy Garoppolo would still be standing
as the quarterback lo and behold, here we are. He's
got a little bit of issue still with the thumb,
but big play potential and who doesn't love watch Deebo
Samue'll get after it. We'll see what he versus. Uh.
(21:26):
He he can do against Micah Parsons as Parsons tries
to run sideline to sideline and chase him down. So
I'm looking for also a big game from Kittle, clearly,
but Ayuk is the guy I'm circling as a big contributor. Uh.
That is the number one on my board, number one.
(21:46):
So there we go. Now there's five, there's six, five,
four for me. Patriots over the Bills. Clearly, they're good enough.
We know this, and and what Bill Belichick has done
to other teams, what he does to other quarterbacks, We've
seen this. The Patriots, the way they've played the last
few weeks. Their win against the Bills when they threw
(22:07):
the ball three times was emasculating for Buffalo. That looked
to me to be the peak of the Patriots this year.
They're not coming into the playoffs on a roll. They
lost three out of their last four. The only team
they beat was was the Jaguars. The Jaguars stink. They're
limited offensively. This is one of those I think Belichick
has taken the Patriots as far as they as he
(22:29):
can because they're not gonna be able to score with
the teams they need to score to now and win now.
Look clearly they they have the team and and and
He's done it many times and it's hard to go
against him. But Buffalo, their defense is too good. They
they had the big get right game against the Jets
last week. They're gonna be able to run the football.
Identified Devin Singletary as their guy. Alan is really really good.
(22:52):
It's gonna be hard to slow him down at home again.
They had the big wake up call with the Patriots
in that game about a month ago. Um, it's gonna
be clearly the Pagers can do it. But I still
see the Bills coming away with this one. Yeah, it's
it's one of those games for I mean, need to
go back to the the run game, Stefon Diggs and
(23:12):
Dawson Knox both dropped touchdown passes. How much different is
that game if now mac Jones has to throw right,
I mean, just go and go back to opportunities missed. Look,
a loss is a loss and and you wear it.
They also lost to the Jaguars. Uh during the season.
Think about that. Jaguars take down the Mighty Bills and
(23:33):
then eliminate the Colts. What a year? What a year?
But for the for the Bills now that they've got
Devin Singletary running the football and more balance and and
Josh Allen has been running the ball a ton as well.
Just I mean, you look at the tail of two games.
This one is gonna be really cold. But we'll we'll see.
(23:53):
If it's you know, inclement weather, you can always just
sit by the heater a little bit longer. But it's
he went for three fourteen and three in Foxborough. So
third time the charm? Where where's is it? Somewhere in between?
And can the Patriots get enough from Harris and Stevenson
and a little play action to work to break Hunter
(24:15):
Henry uh downfield right down the seam. But yeah, this
one's uh the fourth most likely for me on my list.
All right, so now we get to the top three,
and these are ones that I feel pretty good about,
and I feel pretty good about the Steelers and the Chiefs. Um. Look,
the Steelers have figured out their formula. They played great defense,
(24:37):
and they run a lot of plays on offense. Doesn't
mean they score a lot, doesn't mean no. But they
run a lot of plays and they control the clock
and they keep the ball away and that's what they're
gonna do in this game. And unless the Chiefs get
out to a big lead, that that's what the Chiefs
calling card has been. Being up four teen nothing. Getting
out early is a big deal. But obviously in this
game it means a lot um. Even though the Steelers
(24:59):
just got handed to them by them not too long ago. Uh,
this is a different Steeler team that's figured out this
is how we win, this is how we have to
do it. And they've been able to survive and they
somehow get in the playoffs. And it's a shocking to me,
as it is to you, as to everybody else. But
I could see the Steelers controlling the clock and frustrating
the Chiefs, and then the and the Steelers defensive line
(25:21):
getting pressure on Mahomes, my Homes having trouble throwing the football,
and the Steelers slowly imparting their will on the game
and controlling the clock and kicking a field goal late
and winning this game. As you and I have talked
about a lot going back to the first half of
the season, now, likelihood on this one, this one's lower
on my depth chart, but uh, the compelling you know
(25:42):
side of it is, Yeah, the Steelers have been here frequently,
and can you get the Chiefs to revert to the
first half of where you're frustrating Patrick Mahomes and you're
taking away the deep shots with either Hardman or Tyreek
Killer is you know Kelsey bottled up a little bit
(26:05):
on the inside Ken your offensive line, keep that pass
rush at Bay. All of those things commins which as
we saw, Patrick Mahomes starts to press and all of
a sudden, you've got opportunity. You need that long protracted drives.
And I like the idea that they recognize, Hey, it's
house money. Ben Roethlisberger gets to go sling it one
(26:26):
more time. Who knows, maybe it'll be more than seven
yards past the line of scrimmage here. But look for
all the gadgetry that you might have ever dreamed up.
This is gonna be great. This is the Henry Winkler playbook,
from from the from Bobby Boucher, al right, from the
water book. This is this is what we're gonna do.
We're gonna find that play on page three four that's
(26:47):
never been seen before. He's gonna fake or pretend to
face and all of a sudden, it's a touchdown. Now
one upset. I really like we're gonna get to as
the week goes on, because, as you can tell where
I'm gonna pick this from my upset special, I really
like the Eagles over the Bucks. I do. I think
there's a lot of things the Eagles have going for him,
(27:07):
and the Bucks are not going to the playoffs at
quite the right uh speed like they were a year ago,
and they're struggling in the skill position department. But even
though I like that, look, I'm the first. I'll be
the first guy to admit I picked the Rams and
go to the super Bowl and they Monday's game against
the Cardinals is a toss up. I can't wait. It's
(27:27):
gonna be so much fun. I mean, it's gonna be
weird being on the air during a playoff game. It's
gonna be so strange. And the guy I keep getting
all the calls from the ticket folks, Hey, would you
like to come to the playoff game? I gotta work.
I'd love to, but no, I gotta work. The Rams
have all kinds of problems defensive that they just signed
(27:48):
Eric Weddle. I mean, come on, could Ed Reid be
that far behind? Let's go get ed read Uh. DeAndre
Hopkins is not playing on Monday. This is really a
toss up game from two teams that are not playing
their best football at the time they need to be.
The Rams are playing a little bit better and the
Cardinals seem like they're on fumes. But going into Monday night,
(28:08):
if if, if, if, the Rams are gonna have trouble
covering anybody uh coming out of there, even if Hopkins
is playing or not. Yeah, this is a true toss
up game. I think it comes down to the fact
that you've got James Conner back and healthy. He had
a fantastic season, and when he wasn't there, the run
game bogs down, and the ability to do a little
play action bogs down your red zone efficiency. Uh really
(28:31):
went to hell as well. So you're looking at him
as such a big piece of the puzzle here, Kyler
Murray has been using his legs more frequently. I mean
this is my number two most likely on the board. Uh,
push all all in on the on the Cardinals here
to go in and bludgeon the Rams upfront and and
(28:53):
create havoc. J. J. Watt, your guy gonna potentially give
you some snaps here to get after Matthew Stafford as well.
How great theater is that Twitter and out about a
Fresco Mike gets swollen down the Jason Smith's You're with
Mike car and say you go ranking the upsets from
(29:13):
most like from least likely to most likely? Yeah, yeah,
Before we we continue, I want you to know a
five dollar bet pays off six thousand dollars if you
just bet them all straight like like win on the field,
right on the field. If all the upsets win, a
five dollar bet returns six Raiders, Niners, Patriots, Steelers, Eagles, Cardinals,
(29:36):
five dollars would get me six grand correct. Okay, five
dollars for six k. Now that's a bet. Now that
that's a bet. That's a bet I'd love to have
for the price of a latte. Oh yeah, yeah, that's
I can because I can still buy a latte if
I want to say, if you go the latte, just say,
you know, you've got to give up the five bucks.
I think the potential to put six grand in your pocket,
(29:59):
like you might be done after the first game. That's true. Yeah,
but how much fun would it be if that were
live on Monday Night football? Oh? I would be insane
if that happened, and I would walk away going Okay,
I can't do the show anymore because I need to
go gamble for a living. I need to be a
professional gambler. I need to bet sports for a living.
(30:20):
I don't know if I could do that though, my god,
my system. I might think my insides would attack me.
But boy, that would be a fun way to make
a living. What do you do for a living? I'm
a gambler? What do you play poker? No? I gamble
on football? Really? Oh yeah, what do you do? I
picked nothing but upsets? Yeah? What else do you do?
That was the last time you bet a favorite? Seven? Hey? Man, dude,
(30:42):
I was twenty four and thirteen and my upset specials
this year. That's a pretty good year twenty four and thirteen.
It's a way to get some money. That's how to
get bag. All right, Well, if only you had bet
that that that that that. But somewhere out there some
listener did, if you bet all of his upset specials,
get after it. I want to say thank you to
Nate for his lovely tweet basically just cursed at me
(31:06):
for picking against cowboys. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at
ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
(31:26):
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
(31:50):
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike harmon. Hey buddy,
Live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. I mean we've
been on something there. I like that. It's big. Bet
your throat will be sore. Oh yeah, investing heavily in
throat coat. Yeah, but it's only one day a week.
(32:11):
I have to do it because I only have to
pick the the upsets. Once it's got it's got an
air on Friday, it's when I do the show. Okay,
that what works. It's gonna be tough that I'm allergic
to dogs and that's gonna be the tough part. Is
that so ironic that I would hit it big on
a TV? No, but we could. But we could green
screen them in. We can see g I the dogs in.
(32:31):
You know, it'll be fine. It'll look like a Pettigan
dog when you know what you've got is someone in
the green suit with tennis balls on them, you know,
like for videos. I've played eleven different dogs on this show.
All Jason does his pick the browns, all right, So
he pats me on the head and then it looks
(32:51):
like you said good boy. On the night where even
the most staunchest of Lakers supporters and the Lakers themself
realized that Okay, Russell Westbrook is a lost cause. Right,
It's one of those nights they lose to the Kings.
You watch Buddy Healed score points off the bench. Westbrook
has another game with less than ten points. He shoots horribly.
The Lakers felt good after their last couple of games.
(33:12):
Now they don't. This is one of those Okay, even
the last line of defense has to realize that Russell
Westbrook's a lost cause. Three thousand miles away, it was
a little bit different. Nick's beat the Mavericks earlier. Tonight,
Julius Randall nearly has a triple double. And and what
is the most fun night the most fun part of
(33:33):
the night in the NBA. Julius Randall, who got into
a lot of trouble a week ago by thumbs downing
the fans. Metsio apologize in a statement for saying he
wanted to put the thumbs down to the fans, saying
blank you to them for booing him, because Julius Randall
doesn't like to get booed. Uh. He channeled his inner
Bill Belichick today at a press conference. First time he
(33:54):
talked about, uh, what went on with putting the thumbs down?
And he has learned from the Patriots head coach what
to say when he gets a question. He doesn't want
to answer that you wanted to out there on Instagram.
So like, I'm need to address a certain stuff that
(34:15):
said or whatever it was, already addressed it the relationship
with the fan right now? Is it something that you
hope to where you want this to go? Right now,
I've already addressed it. Definitely, I've already addressed it. It's
already been addressed. It's already been addressed. Everything's already been
(34:38):
Belichick keeps saying that everybody loves him, immite has already
been addressed. Well, if you're gonna steal, steal from the best, right,
you're trying to copy best in breed. I mean they
got the Hawks up next. He could have said, I'm
onto Atlanta. No, no, no, I Like, it's already been addressed.
He can save that for another time, like start with,
start with it's already been addressed, and then go to
the next one. No building blocks, apps has already been addressed.
(35:00):
I'm doing that around my house now. My wife says
something to me that I don't like, I'm just gonna say,
it's already been addressed. We'll see how that works out
for you. Please make sure you've got the L. Frankin
camera on your head. How did you forget to get
milk from the store. It's already been addressed. No, I
want to know why you, frank It's already been addressed.
It's already been addressed. Coming up next, my buddy Ben
Mallard from Mike. I'm Jason. This is Fox Buck like
(35:20):
a dog.
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two a m Eastern seven to eleven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox
Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every night
on the I Heart Radio app by searching fs R.
(00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, The
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon and
I win. Mike Harmon, I told you I was gonna
win and win because you know what's trending right now
on social media? What's at the top. Buddy Healed? I
(00:46):
told you, Buddy, I told you that's gonna happen. I
told you we get Lakers playing the Kings. Get ready,
Buddy Healed is gonna trend all over this because eventually
Laker fans are gonna get on Twitter and go Why
did we didn't get Buddy Healed? Why do we go
get Russell Westbrook? I don't understand. And there he is
at the top. Look we mentioned did outscore him, Russell Westbrook?
(01:11):
He had his ten points in his twenty nine minutes.
Of play. Look, I think he had that in his
brain because he wasn't doing much offense. Is like, I
gotta outscore him because then I'll be the guy going
on into the overnight. Look, this is why we said
a few minutes ago tonight, is that not a sea
change night? Because clearly it's been going in the direction
(01:31):
of Okay, Russell Westbrook with the Lakers is not working,
and the fans understand the Lakers, the Lakers have to
understand that after tonight that this experiment, what they're doing
is just not working, and they could have put him
in a better spot, but they didn't. And Look, I
feel bad because I thought it was gonna work. Look,
I'll tell you what I'm wrong about stuff. I thought
Russell Westbrook was gonna work because I thought the Lakers
(01:52):
are gonna let him come in and he's gonna be
a dominant player in the regular season. He's gonna allow
a d Lebron to get rest, not have to carry
the team, and he's gonna do what he's done for
the last twelve years. Well, the Lakers blew that by saying,
oh no, no, you're gonna fit in with what we
do in the offense. And and Russell Westbrook is standing
on the wing while Lebron James is bringing the ball up.
How was that work? How's that gonna work? How's it
(02:13):
gonna work? Frank volgl has got an NBA championship and
I know that wasn't gonna work. How does he think
that's gonna work. Let's take Russell Westbrook who's done one
thing and make him do something different actually doing it
for a dozen years. That was just that was just
I don't I don't know why you thought that was
gonna happen. That was just that's just bad coaching, right,
That's just that's just not even seeing who the players are.
But but but but the reality is, though, I mean,
(02:34):
how much of that is Lebron James and his willingness
or not to shuffle up and deal right when they
he's been putting up a ton of points and effective
in the five slot right first time in his career.
Look at what he's doing whatever, I mean, and you've
got to adjust to that. But part of it is
(02:54):
on him. And I said that before the season, that
that that needed to be where you were going to
your point about Westbrook being your ball handler and trying
to make the offense go if he If the Lakers
had allowed that to be the way it was developed,
it would have worked. And I feel that because I
thought it was gonna work. I thought it would go.
But now it clearly isn't. And and Lebron James, the
(03:16):
GM has a lot of faults. But look, I understand
it's done. Now it's done. The experiment is done. They
lost to the Kings. The Kings stink. They're looking at
Buddy Healed hitting shots off the bench, the guy that
everybody wanted them to go get. Now, Now, if you
want to go get Buddy Healed, the asking price is
a lot low work. You're talking about a guy coming
off the bench now for Sacramento who's not scoring quite
(03:37):
what he was and not playing as many minutes. So
you can still go get him. But now everything is
coming to ahead. Tonight we lost to the Kings. He
was a guy we got. We chose Russell Westbrook over him.
Westbrook was terrible. He'll still, you know, gave him points
off the bench in the game. They won and they
beat us. And this is this is that. Will you
take a second and side and go all right, it's
(03:58):
just not working. We we just have to make a move.
And this is how it's done in the NBA, and
now the Lakers have to unless unless they can get creative.
This is just who they're gonna be. A five hundred team.
They're gonna win some games and losome games, and we'll
be getting to the playoffs going oh if this Laker
team now, only now, if they could take off, and
it's just not gonna happen. But this is the night
where I don't know that anybody can back up and say,
(04:20):
come on, man, give Westbrook some time. And even the
staunches of supporters like me that I thought it was
gonna work in the beginning, I'll tell you it's not working.
It's not gonna work. It's not ever gonna work. It's
a lost cost. Sitting at five, you're in that back
end of the playoff bracket, and now it's just grind
it out. Get Anthony Davis back, get his his legs
(04:41):
back under him, do your best to navigate this rest
of the season right. Obviously, protocols changing as they will,
and trying to make sure, you know, from a health perspective,
you go in as best you can. Maybe you can
make a move at the trade deadline gonna take a
lot of creativity when you look at the absence of
a pile of draft picks or really any tradeable assets
(05:04):
outside of Taylor Horton Tucker who depending on which game,
opposing teams have watched right in their scouting departments, like
you really look good here, not so much these nights.
So send them half the tapes, uh, that kind of
thing and see if you can't up you skate you know,
reality there. But I think it's it's done and now
(05:29):
it's the while you're not going raw raw when you
get to the playoffs. There certainly is some intrigue, right
going back and forth with some folks on Twitter about it,
like would I be excitable thinking, yeah, they're gonna go
in and dominate any series. No, but I would love
to see, you know, the veterans in a you know
(05:50):
series kind of atmosphere these one off games, travel whatever else. Yeah,
you're professionals, you gotta get through it. But is it
the same same level bowl of intensity right now we're
talking about it, you know, with the NFL and the
end of season and all the the fervor, uh to
finish things off right now, other than twenty games from
(06:11):
now starting to play for seating if you can jockey
for a slaughter. Two, what what are you planning for? Right?
You're just trying not to get hurt. You're playing to
fill your pockets and the coffers, and you know NBA
fans are gonna start screaming and going at me and
and have at it at Swollen Dome. But that's the
reality some of it is. It's not that you're playing
(06:32):
out the string. This is the baseball equivalent of the
Dog Days of August right where you're at the half point,
halfway part of the season, but the All Star Game,
which should be the half and the midpoint, is still
weeks away. Long time, keep waiting, waiting. The Jason Smith
(06:55):
Show with Mike Harvon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studio. So, yeah,
tonight's that night for Ussell Westbrook, Buddy Heal to everybody else,
it's that night. Now you win for the Buddy Healed predicted.
I don't know. I guess I win. I win the
honor of being right, like you know, like I am
a lot. So I'll take that. I'll just I'll just
put it's another win in the column. I'll just roblinkas trending. Yeah,
(07:16):
it's another one in the column. Yeah, Rob Polinka, Rob Polenka,
why didn't you go get Buddy Healed? It's all one sentence.
Why why did you get Russell Westbrook instead of Buddy Healed?
Rob Polinka? Boom boom so. I clicked on the Rob
Pelinka and the first thing to show up was from
a an account which may actually be part of our show.
(07:37):
But nobody told me. Nobody told me, No one told
me at Lake Show. Yo is the name of the account?
How is Russell Westbrook this bad? And it is a
matchup of miss shot air balls off the top of
the backboard, you name it. It's about as bad as
(07:59):
I mean. That's that's a super cut that would keep
you out of the Hall of Fame. Wow, that same guy,
that the same guy is now apparently giving away Lakers
T shirts, just giving them away. H Cumberbat Rob Polinka
trying to make everyone forget he traded for Russell Westbronk
(08:23):
getting ready to set the spell from the Spider Man
eight seven seven nine fix eight seven seven six three
six nine spider Man, spider Man. But it's some big
time NFL to get to now as earlier today, and this,
this one instance from today jumps into a much bigger
(08:44):
question that affects really a third of the league. Colts
owner Jim Mercy put out a statement today saying how
upset he was with the way the season ended for
the Colts, and already they are working on making things
better for next year. The Colts to completely gacked away
a playoffs by getting thumped by the Jaguars the final
week of the season. Carson Wentz was awful on Now
(09:05):
everybody wants Carson Wentz out of Indianapolis. Indianapolis, Cleveland, the Lions, Broncos, Panthers, Giants, Washington, Miami, Pittsburgh.
These are all teams that either need or they want
a new quarterback for These are all teams that going
(09:28):
into next year we need or want a new quarterback
because what we've been going on isn't working and we
gotta go get somebody new. And I got news for you.
Your team next year is gonna look just like it
did this year. A. Right, the culture is still gonna
try it out Carson Wentz opening week, Right, the brown
(09:48):
is still gonna try it out. Baker Mayfield, the guys
untradeable The Lions are still gonna throw Jared Golf out
their Week one. The Broncos are still gonna have Teddy
Bridgewater taking reps with the Ones all through train camp
right Caroline is gonna have the Sam Donald cam Newton
quarterback battle next summer. The Giants are still gonna have
Daniel Jones out there trying to do things. Washington is
(10:09):
still gonna have Taylor Heineck out there going, Oh, he's
had some good games, some nuts so good. Miami is
still gonna be going with TWA, and the Steelers are
gonna be still trying to go with Mason rudolpherever else
they try to make it work with as Roethlisberger is
going away. All these teams, this is a third of
the league that need or want a new quarterback next year,
and they're not gonna get it because this is a
(10:31):
bad year to need a quarterback. Because free agency is
not gonna see you bring somebody in. There's nobody in
the draft. You were talking about a top ten that
could not see a quarterback taken. When's the last time
you ever thought that could happen. But we may see
the top ten picks in the NFL go in the
draft and not one of them as a quarterback. Maybe
Matt carl sneaks in, Maybe maybe Kenny Pickett sneaks in.
(10:54):
You know, Sam Howell is gonna be outside the top ten.
This is not a year. And when you do draft
a guy like that, it's not someone you're just gonna
give him the job right away. So all of these
teams are gonna be going the next year with the
same names and the say and it's it's really it's
disheartening to hear at this point because you know, look,
we're just turning the page to two and alright, hey,
(11:15):
I'm hoping for next year. No, no, no, no, all
these guys are gonna be back because it's not a
great year to remake your quarterback room and go get
somebody to the best you can hope for. If you're
one of these teams, are we're gonna bring in somebody
to challenge them that maybe if instead of our instead
of putting out our guy that I can't stand, we're
gonna have somebody else. If that guy falters, that's gonna
(11:37):
be your best bet. Because unless you can trade for Rogers, Wilson,
or Watson, which are the three big jewels of the offseason,
depending on Deshaun Watson's legal situation. But you know, Russell
Wilson wants out, and who knows what side of the
bet Aaron Rodgers waking up on you're calling those teams
or you're stuck right and you or you are absolutely
stuck because there's just nowhere to go to get better. Look,
(12:00):
the Browns could go to case Keenum and they would
have been better off right away. They didn't do it.
We're gonna bring Baker may Feel back. Okay, so maybe
it's Baker may feel the case keenom next year. But
now all of these teams there's just nowhere to say.
Now we got our franchise guy in the future, we're
handing him the job and we've turned the page and
we're rebuilding. All these teams now that are in the
middle of these rebuilds are all gonna be A're all
(12:21):
gonna have another year that's a lot like this one,
because they gotta hope that after this year, alright, other
quarterbacks will shake free. That's gonna be a better year
in the draft, a better year in free agency, whatever
trades happen. Other players will shake loose. The weekend, go
get because this is not the year to need a
quarterback if you need one, because it's just not there.
I mean to think of think about the Colts saying, yeah,
(12:42):
Carson Wentz is gonna be our guy beginning next year.
Oh my god, Colts fans want to pull their hair out.
Same thing with Giants fans and Daniel Jones and and
to how polarizing is in Miami. All of these teams,
they're gonna have the same guys going out there. Well,
you talk about the Colts, it goes back to perception
versus reality, right, you look at the final stats kind
of like in Minnesota with Kirk Cousins. I can't say
(13:02):
that blame Kirk Cousins for a bunch of the losses,
but he certainly gets a giant piece of that pie.
If we're you know, divvying it up. You know with
Carson Wentz's same thing. When they need him to be big,
he was not. Uh play calling that takes the ball
out of Jonathan Taylor's hands. Also part of it, which
you know, was some of the video clips I guess
(13:24):
from the end of the in season hard knocks stuff
that the Colts did kind of a all right, we
kind of did that to ourselves now, like, yeah, and
if I'm a member of that squad and I'm looking
at playoff moneys and checks, I'm not getting for that stupidity.
I'm a little pist going in and saying, hey, and
I wonder if it's an eight man out situation. You
did not win thirty games. Uh, But anyway, as you said,
(13:47):
and shuffling the debt chairs, because there's a lot of
the familiar names that have been on one year deals
as a placeholder, and now it becomes all right, that
guy didn't work out in situation X. Can he be
a guy with the personnel we have to make it
work right. Denver is trying to figure out what they have.
Is it? Is it Drew Lock? Do they bring in
(14:08):
another guy because it won't be Teddy, but it did
Teddy two Gloves moves on to his next team. Maybe
he goes back to Carolina. Now probably not. They probably
draft a guy. But the point is that you're you're
still looking at between the Sam Donald's and Baker Mayfield's. Yeah,
it looks like they're stuck, but they're cheap. So if
someone saw something in Baker in the last you know
(14:30):
two years, look at the season. Then maybe there's something
that you think you could push through, But otherwise it's
slim pickings and wishing and hoping that you're shiny new
quarterback or second year guy suddenly gets that much better.
Oh good luck, because it doesn't look like that's gonna happen.
Good luck. I mean, you gotta deal with the hand
(14:51):
that's dealt, right, you gotta play the hand that's dealt.
And and this is this is where it is. Not
every year is gonna be rich. You can't go to
the quarterback tree and just pick a new one off
got a great question. No, not gonna happen. And I
mean I can already see the storylines another year of
talking about two for eighteen weeks. And isn't love him?
I mean the stuff coming out of Miami Kidney Daniel Jones,
(15:14):
you had Flora's getting in with getting into it with TWA,
and the GM was like, don't you talk to my
quarterback that way? Kind of like Chris Penn. Stop yet
I get my dad, Matt Rule, who's gonna be back?
And say if Donald is gonna be back and all,
it's gonna be so great, be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays
(15:36):
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the Heart Radio app Ty Shirt. I don't know, man,
it might be too early to drink velvet right now, Man,
we still got some time to go here. We got
four perfect time. Na I think it's too early to
drink velvet. And think it's too early. You know, you've
not played one Ronnie Specter song all night. I'm sorry,
(15:57):
not gotten one Ronnie Specter. She died earlier today. Be
My be, my little baby, little Ednie Money, take me
home tonight with Ronnie Specter, not one happ nineties and
your light refreshing favorites and fifty minutes of music an
hour here. Uh yeah, boy, what a shock Ronnie Specter
(16:18):
earlier today and uh, you know, so many hits and
you look and so many people it's it's weird, Mike
that and you say Ronnie Specter's name, and so many
people know her from the big any Money song, like,
oh yeah, I did that song with any Money. It's like, no,
she had a huge career before that. He was It
was like one of the first big samples of songs
that was like in the in the early eighties, we
(16:39):
need to take Me Home Tonight and and you know
use Ronnie Specter, you know, be my little Baby in it,
and that was that's like one of the first ever
samples and be oh yeah yeah that song with any money. No,
she's the ron Edge. She was really big deal before that,
and a great version of can't put your Arms round
a memory. Yeah, so she's got plenty. She didn't say
(17:00):
it quite like that though, no, no, no, no no, no,
not quite to the punk level, but certainly we heard
a lot of her in our holiday holiday holiday month
of music across the Fox Sports Radio networks. So another
loss here early in twenty two. Add to the Spotify
(17:20):
lists and and take yourself back for your career that
spanned what six decades? Five decades? I mean just crazy, uh,
and the number of tracks that that she was a
part of just go through the laundry list. Just a
huge career. Ronnie Specter, seventy eight years old, Rest in peace.
(17:41):
The Jason Spend Show with Mike Carmen Live from the
Fox Sports Radio Studios. All right, so now to take
a look ahead at this weekend in the NFL, we're
getting to the point we're gonna preview games and take
a look and see how things are gonna shake down.
Who's gonna make it till the next weekend. I honestly
can see scenarios where all the underdog teams win this weekend,
where where they all can win not created equally. So
(18:05):
there's certainly some games where, boy, I really could see
this upset where this one was, well, this would have
to go right. So we'll rank the upsets. Will rank
the games in order of most least likely upset to
most likely upset. How does that sup? What? We'll do
it that way? Go? And I got some surprises the
top of mine. All right, so we'll see if we
match up here. You're ready, Yeah, let's go. All right.
(18:26):
So at number six, I could see it happening because
they are and they always find a way to win.
They're balanced, they've won four in a row. Is a
big clutch game they won. The Raiders have everything they
need to win this game against Cincinnati, But boy, I
really see them getting a bounce off that game last
week and Cincinnati is at home. They're too dynamic, their
(18:49):
offense is hot. Yes, the Raiders are good enough to
win this game. But this is one of those games
where we watch and go, man, all right, now the
whole world is getting a see Joe Burrow and Jamaar
Chase and what this team is like and how the
the era of good feeling for the Bengals is here. Yeah,
you're not stopping that offense. Now, here's the thing. Will
they be able to uh stop the force that is
(19:13):
Max Crosby well as a storm Norton's not playing right tackles.
I think they're as long as they can him a
little bit. I am concerned to see you know exactly
what's up with burrows knee right? Obviously go back to
week sixteen and and off the field, and then I
should say, yeah, week weeks seventeen, and then in the
(19:34):
week eighteen didn't play. Sorry adding that extra week just
it's just unnatural. But we'll get there. But didn't play
and part of it well there was nothing to play for.
But by the same token, it's ay, all right, are
we sure he's okay? Full participant at practice today? But
still want you raise your eyebrow on But yeah, too
much talent, uh, too many opportunities to make big plays
(19:57):
and it's not just hey, throw the ball up to Chase.
I know he's out there somewhere. That's part of the strategy. Uh,
those other guys are no slouches either. Alright, So if
I got that as my least likely upset number five,
I know a lot of people like this, But Dallas
at home, their offense is going to get points on
(20:19):
the board against San Francisco, who's just kind of okay
across the board. And unless San Francisco gets out to
a lead early and looking at the second quarter where
it's tend nothing, forty Niners, Dallas is gonna win this game.
It all depends on the start because if Dallas gets
out to a lead or they're up seven nothing or
seven three, their offense is gonna feed because Dallas are
great front runners. So yeah, the forty Niners can win
(20:42):
this game because because clearly, look Dallas has issues, but
they need a lot to go right early for them
to be able to hold Dallas at bay. So even
though Niners can do it, I see Dallas winning this
game three point line. And this one, this one, to
me is the the lack of the week ranking. I'm
one through six. Part of that is part of that
(21:04):
is based on the fact that I have San Francisco
playing in the Super Bowl from our grid sixth season.
Uh and and jim might mean Look, I went out
on the limb saying Jimmy Garoppolo would still be standing
as the quarterback lo and behold, here we are. He's
got a little bit of issue still with the thumb,
but big play potential and who doesn't love watch Deebo
Samue'll get after it. We'll see what he versus. Uh.
(21:26):
He he can do against Micah Parsons as Parsons tries
to run sideline to sideline and chase him down. So
I'm looking for also a big game from Kittle, clearly,
but Ayuk is the guy I'm circling as a big contributor. Uh.
That is the number one on my board, number one.
(21:46):
So there we go. Now there's five, there's six, five,
four for me. Patriots over the Bills. Clearly, they're good enough.
We know this, and and what Bill Belichick has done
to other teams, what he does to other quarterbacks, We've
seen this. The Patriots, the way they've played the last
few weeks. Their win against the Bills when they threw
(22:07):
the ball three times was emasculating for Buffalo. That looked
to me to be the peak of the Patriots this year.
They're not coming into the playoffs on a roll. They
lost three out of their last four. The only team
they beat was was the Jaguars. The Jaguars stink. They're
limited offensively. This is one of those I think Belichick
has taken the Patriots as far as they as he
(22:29):
can because they're not gonna be able to score with
the teams they need to score to now and win now.
Look clearly they they have the team and and and
He's done it many times and it's hard to go
against him. But Buffalo, their defense is too good. They
they had the big get right game against the Jets
last week. They're gonna be able to run the football.
Identified Devin Singletary as their guy. Alan is really really good.
(22:52):
It's gonna be hard to slow him down at home again.
They had the big wake up call with the Patriots
in that game about a month ago. Um, it's gonna
be clearly the Pagers can do it. But I still
see the Bills coming away with this one. Yeah, it's
it's one of those games for I mean, need to
go back to the the run game, Stefon Diggs and
(23:12):
Dawson Knox both dropped touchdown passes. How much different is
that game if now mac Jones has to throw right,
I mean, just go and go back to opportunities missed. Look,
a loss is a loss and and you wear it.
They also lost to the Jaguars. Uh during the season.
Think about that. Jaguars take down the Mighty Bills and
(23:33):
then eliminate the Colts. What a year? What a year?
But for the for the Bills now that they've got
Devin Singletary running the football and more balance and and
Josh Allen has been running the ball a ton as well.
Just I mean, you look at the tail of two games.
This one is gonna be really cold. But we'll we'll see.
(23:53):
If it's you know, inclement weather, you can always just
sit by the heater a little bit longer. But it's
he went for three fourteen and three in Foxborough. So
third time the charm? Where where's is it? Somewhere in between?
And can the Patriots get enough from Harris and Stevenson
and a little play action to work to break Hunter
(24:15):
Henry uh downfield right down the seam. But yeah, this
one's uh the fourth most likely for me on my list.
All right, so now we get to the top three,
and these are ones that I feel pretty good about,
and I feel pretty good about the Steelers and the Chiefs. Um. Look,
the Steelers have figured out their formula. They played great defense,
(24:37):
and they run a lot of plays on offense. Doesn't
mean they score a lot, doesn't mean no. But they
run a lot of plays and they control the clock
and they keep the ball away and that's what they're
gonna do in this game. And unless the Chiefs get
out to a big lead, that that's what the Chiefs
calling card has been. Being up four teen nothing. Getting
out early is a big deal. But obviously in this
game it means a lot um. Even though the Steelers
(24:59):
just got handed to them by them not too long ago. Uh,
this is a different Steeler team that's figured out this
is how we win, this is how we have to
do it. And they've been able to survive and they
somehow get in the playoffs. And it's a shocking to me,
as it is to you, as to everybody else. But
I could see the Steelers controlling the clock and frustrating
the Chiefs, and then the and the Steelers defensive line
(25:21):
getting pressure on Mahomes, my Homes having trouble throwing the football,
and the Steelers slowly imparting their will on the game
and controlling the clock and kicking a field goal late
and winning this game. As you and I have talked
about a lot going back to the first half of
the season, now, likelihood on this one, this one's lower
on my depth chart, but uh, the compelling you know
(25:42):
side of it is, Yeah, the Steelers have been here frequently,
and can you get the Chiefs to revert to the
first half of where you're frustrating Patrick Mahomes and you're
taking away the deep shots with either Hardman or Tyreek
Killer is you know Kelsey bottled up a little bit
(26:05):
on the inside Ken your offensive line, keep that pass
rush at Bay. All of those things commins which as
we saw, Patrick Mahomes starts to press and all of
a sudden, you've got opportunity. You need that long protracted drives.
And I like the idea that they recognize, Hey, it's
house money. Ben Roethlisberger gets to go sling it one
(26:26):
more time. Who knows, maybe it'll be more than seven
yards past the line of scrimmage here. But look for
all the gadgetry that you might have ever dreamed up.
This is gonna be great. This is the Henry Winkler playbook,
from from the from Bobby Boucher, al right, from the
water book. This is this is what we're gonna do.
We're gonna find that play on page three four that's
(26:47):
never been seen before. He's gonna fake or pretend to
face and all of a sudden, it's a touchdown. Now
one upset. I really like we're gonna get to as
the week goes on, because, as you can tell where
I'm gonna pick this from my upset special, I really
like the Eagles over the Bucks. I do. I think
there's a lot of things the Eagles have going for him,
(27:07):
and the Bucks are not going to the playoffs at
quite the right uh speed like they were a year ago,
and they're struggling in the skill position department. But even
though I like that, look, I'm the first. I'll be
the first guy to admit I picked the Rams and
go to the super Bowl and they Monday's game against
the Cardinals is a toss up. I can't wait. It's
(27:27):
gonna be so much fun. I mean, it's gonna be
weird being on the air during a playoff game. It's
gonna be so strange. And the guy I keep getting
all the calls from the ticket folks, Hey, would you
like to come to the playoff game? I gotta work.
I'd love to, but no, I gotta work. The Rams
have all kinds of problems defensive that they just signed
(27:48):
Eric Weddle. I mean, come on, could Ed Reid be
that far behind? Let's go get ed read Uh. DeAndre
Hopkins is not playing on Monday. This is really a
toss up game from two teams that are not playing
their best football at the time they need to be.
The Rams are playing a little bit better and the
Cardinals seem like they're on fumes. But going into Monday night,
(28:08):
if if, if, if, the Rams are gonna have trouble
covering anybody uh coming out of there, even if Hopkins
is playing or not. Yeah, this is a true toss
up game. I think it comes down to the fact
that you've got James Conner back and healthy. He had
a fantastic season, and when he wasn't there, the run
game bogs down, and the ability to do a little
play action bogs down your red zone efficiency. Uh really
(28:31):
went to hell as well. So you're looking at him
as such a big piece of the puzzle here, Kyler
Murray has been using his legs more frequently. I mean
this is my number two most likely on the board. Uh,
push all all in on the on the Cardinals here
to go in and bludgeon the Rams upfront and and
(28:53):
create havoc. J. J. Watt, your guy gonna potentially give
you some snaps here to get after Matthew Stafford as well.
How great theater is that Twitter and out about a
Fresco Mike gets swollen down the Jason Smith's You're with
Mike car and say you go ranking the upsets from
(29:13):
most like from least likely to most likely? Yeah, yeah,
Before we we continue, I want you to know a
five dollar bet pays off six thousand dollars if you
just bet them all straight like like win on the field,
right on the field. If all the upsets win, a
five dollar bet returns six Raiders, Niners, Patriots, Steelers, Eagles, Cardinals,
(29:36):
five dollars would get me six grand correct. Okay, five
dollars for six k. Now that's a bet. Now that
that's a bet. That's a bet I'd love to have
for the price of a latte. Oh yeah, yeah, that's
I can because I can still buy a latte if
I want to say, if you go the latte, just say,
you know, you've got to give up the five bucks.
I think the potential to put six grand in your pocket,
(29:59):
like you might be done after the first game. That's true. Yeah,
but how much fun would it be if that were
live on Monday Night football? Oh? I would be insane
if that happened, and I would walk away going Okay,
I can't do the show anymore because I need to
go gamble for a living. I need to be a
professional gambler. I need to bet sports for a living.
(30:20):
I don't know if I could do that though, my god,
my system. I might think my insides would attack me.
But boy, that would be a fun way to make
a living. What do you do for a living? I'm
a gambler? What do you play poker? No? I gamble
on football? Really? Oh yeah, what do you do? I
picked nothing but upsets? Yeah? What else do you do?
That was the last time you bet a favorite? Seven? Hey? Man, dude,
(30:42):
I was twenty four and thirteen and my upset specials
this year. That's a pretty good year twenty four and thirteen.
It's a way to get some money. That's how to
get bag. All right, Well, if only you had bet
that that that that that. But somewhere out there some
listener did, if you bet all of his upset specials,
get after it. I want to say thank you to
Nate for his lovely tweet basically just cursed at me
(31:06):
for picking against cowboys. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at
ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
(31:26):
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
(31:50):
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike harmon. Hey buddy,
Live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. I mean we've
been on something there. I like that. It's big. Bet
your throat will be sore. Oh yeah, investing heavily in
throat coat. Yeah, but it's only one day a week.
(32:11):
I have to do it because I only have to
pick the the upsets. Once it's got it's got an
air on Friday, it's when I do the show. Okay,
that what works. It's gonna be tough that I'm allergic
to dogs and that's gonna be the tough part. Is
that so ironic that I would hit it big on
a TV? No, but we could. But we could green
screen them in. We can see g I the dogs in.
(32:31):
You know, it'll be fine. It'll look like a Pettigan
dog when you know what you've got is someone in
the green suit with tennis balls on them, you know,
like for videos. I've played eleven different dogs on this show.
All Jason does his pick the browns, all right, So
he pats me on the head and then it looks
(32:51):
like you said good boy. On the night where even
the most staunchest of Lakers supporters and the Lakers themself
realized that Okay, Russell Westbrook is a lost cause. Right,
It's one of those nights they lose to the Kings.
You watch Buddy Healed score points off the bench. Westbrook
has another game with less than ten points. He shoots horribly.
The Lakers felt good after their last couple of games.
(33:12):
Now they don't. This is one of those Okay, even
the last line of defense has to realize that Russell
Westbrook's a lost cause. Three thousand miles away, it was
a little bit different. Nick's beat the Mavericks earlier. Tonight,
Julius Randall nearly has a triple double. And and what
is the most fun night the most fun part of
(33:33):
the night in the NBA. Julius Randall, who got into
a lot of trouble a week ago by thumbs downing
the fans. Metsio apologize in a statement for saying he
wanted to put the thumbs down to the fans, saying
blank you to them for booing him, because Julius Randall
doesn't like to get booed. Uh. He channeled his inner
Bill Belichick today at a press conference. First time he
(33:54):
talked about, uh, what went on with putting the thumbs down?
And he has learned from the Patriots head coach what
to say when he gets a question. He doesn't want
to answer that you wanted to out there on Instagram.
So like, I'm need to address a certain stuff that
(34:15):
said or whatever it was, already addressed it the relationship
with the fan right now? Is it something that you
hope to where you want this to go? Right now,
I've already addressed it. Definitely, I've already addressed it. It's
already been addressed. It's already been addressed. Everything's already been
(34:38):
Belichick keeps saying that everybody loves him, immite has already
been addressed. Well, if you're gonna steal, steal from the best, right,
you're trying to copy best in breed. I mean they
got the Hawks up next. He could have said, I'm
onto Atlanta. No, no, no, I Like, it's already been addressed.
He can save that for another time, like start with,
start with it's already been addressed, and then go to
the next one. No building blocks, apps has already been addressed.
(35:00):
I'm doing that around my house now. My wife says
something to me that I don't like, I'm just gonna say,
it's already been addressed. We'll see how that works out
for you. Please make sure you've got the L. Frankin
camera on your head. How did you forget to get
milk from the store. It's already been addressed. No, I
want to know why you, frank It's already been addressed.
It's already been addressed. Coming up next, my buddy Ben
Mallard from Mike. I'm Jason. This is Fox Buck like
(35:20):
a dog.
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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