Championship Sunday with Gregg Rosenthal

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
From the King of sports Books comes the Key Sports
podcast Unleashed, presented by the MGM. Here's your host, Jerry
Ferrara and Olivia Harlan Deeker. The NFL Conference championships are set.

(00:29):
They are ready to go, and so are we. As
exciting as it is, it's also kind of sad. It's
also kind of depressing. There's only three games left in
the NFL season. But look, it's all blue blood logos.
I love it. It's you know, no Cinderella's here. This
is This looks like a good final four and young
quarterback royalty including Mr extremely Relevant. So much to get

(00:54):
to Jerry Ferrara. Three more chances to win some money
in the NFL. But how did you do last weekend?
I did all right. My ten point teasers, which most
people frowned, the palm, which I've been shouting on all year.
I have an impeccable record. I didn't even the only
game I actually needed the points was our beloved Kansas
City Chiefs because Doug Peterson took the three points instead

(01:15):
of going for the touchdown, so that blew the cover.
But I had them. I just put the Chiefs and
the teaser all year long. And that's been very, very successful.
So I did all right, and I'm looking to make
some money in the last three games, that's for sure.
I also like how you said our chiefs, I don't
have a team left anymore. I gotta adopt now, that's
what happens. See, that's why I always say, you gotta

(01:37):
have two teams, and I like to have one in
each conference. Listen to this. Someone in Indiana cashed in
on a five dollar four leg parlay for each game's
first touchdown score five dollars paid out seventy two thousand
seven bucks, and he tweeted like this is life changing money.
I mean, it's that's amazing. That's a really good weekend.

(02:01):
That's a great weekend. And also cheers to him for
having the guts. I don't know if he had to
cash out option on this bet, but I'm sure once
he hit the third out of the fourth leg or
whatever he had, I'm sure the cash out was kind
of That's where it becomes deal or no deal. Realize
you could you could take this money or you could
open up what's in the in the case. So congrats

(02:21):
to someone in Indiana who that's an amazing run and
I'm gonna do something like that, I think this weekend
because it just sounds fun. Let's do it. It does
sound fun. And I was just thinking what would I
do if the first three cashed out? I feel like
if I only put five bucks on it, I'd be like,
why stop now, let's just see this one through. Right.
But if you're saying, like, okay, what did he win?
He won seventy two grand, seventy three grand, I don't

(02:43):
know what the cash out is, but there's just say,
let's say or something, I mean cash out for you know,
twelve tho dollars? Take it right? Maybe I don't know.
I wonder. I'm sure someone maybe let us know on
Twitter what the buyout was in that. So here's something significant.
Also as it pertains to betting for this coming weekend,

(03:04):
both points spreads in the a f C and NFC
Championship are less than a field goal. Again, it's Tuesday.
I doubt it's going to change much right now. I
think both games are two and a half, so that's
only happened twice before in the Super Bowl era. And
these lines are on the move to like I mentioned,
especially in Kansas City, Cincinnati and a lot of that
has to do with Patrick Mahomes ankle injury. So we'll

(03:24):
talk about how all of this is shaking out at
the end of the show with bet MGMs betting analyst
Peter Andrew. He also may be gloating because he went
out to San Francisco. He's a big Niners fan, so
he had himself a really good weekend. But in Chiefs Bengals,
the original line is what they call a bad opener
um because kan City was favored by I want to say,

(03:45):
like four or five points when it first opened, and
then Vegas quickly realized that was not right. In addition
to Peter earlier in the show, coming up, we've got
NFL insider Greg Rosenthal. He's from NFL Network NFL dot Com.
He writes in a on the NFL podcast he is
all over it and he knows everything. So we're gonna

(04:05):
get him, get him on the show, and get us
ready for Championships Sunday. Okay, Jerry. Overall, though, I mean
great weekend, Yes, and I'm very excited to talk to Greg.
I'm very excited to talk to Peter, But for the
moment right now, I'm most excited to talk to you
because you, as we mentioned last week, we're covering the
game for what Westwood won, right the Chiefs Angles game.

(04:28):
Your dad was calling the game. You were covered Chief
Chiefs Jaguar. Sorry, I'm already far ahead. I'm already Jags
are completely out of my brain already. But I couldn't
help but think of you as I was watching that
game and the Mahomes injury happens, and the whole place
goes what feels like silent for a playoff game, although
it wasn't silent. What is going on in your world

(04:51):
covering that game and Patrick Mahomes, biggest star NFL star
in the world arguably goes down with an injury. What
is going on in your mind? Jerry? I never going
to forget this moment. I've I've seen a lot of
big injuries in my time, and there's something different when
it's happening in real time in front of you, and
you're right. The place goes quiet. The loudest NFL stadium

(05:12):
going quiet is quite eerie, and it's nighttime and it's
missing and the lights are on, and the whole thing
was just very cinematic. And I am right by Patrick
Mahomes like I thought he could spit on me as
he was yelling. And the coolest thing for me is
how I'm always going to be left with this impression

(05:34):
of his lack of quit. And I know that is
kind of overused. I know people say, oh, he's such
a competitor about athletes all the time, But my god,
after seeing it right in front of me, he was
significantly hurting. I mean he was in pain, like I
could see it on his face. You could even see
after he threw a touchdown when he went back out
and his teammates go to celebrate, I mean, the zoom

(05:56):
and shot of his face was in so much pain.
But he gets to the side the mine and of
course athletic trainers first swarmed him. They taped up his ankle.
They retaped it up, and he's kind of hobbling. He's
kind of doing like caphrases, trying to get that ankle
warmed up. And his offensive coordinator Eric b Enemy, his
quarterback coach Matt Nagy, and head coach Andy Reid all

(06:17):
it looked like an intervention. The three of them come
up around him and are like, you gotta go in
the locker room. They wanted him to get next Ray,
and he's just shaking his head adamantly, vehemently, vigorously saying
I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, like basically telling him like,
f off, I'm going back on this field, and teammates

(06:37):
coming up to him like you're good, and he's just
not talking to anyone unless he's saying the words I'm good,
I'm good, and yeah. I've never seen anything like that,
the determination to stay not only on the field but
on the sideline. He did not want to go in
that locker room. So then ultimately Eric b Enemy comes
up to him and kind of puts his arm around him,
and Patrick turns around. He rips off you know those

(07:00):
Superman capes that they were on the sideline, yells an expletive,
throws down his helmet, and Jerry I think I'm the
closest person to him in this moment, and I'm just
I'm like speechless. And he runs in the locker room
and I hit up my producer and I say, hey,
come down to me, come down to me, because as
a sideline reporter, you have to convince them to open
up your mic, which is another conversation. And then they

(07:23):
come down to me. And I just I have the
first report, and I say, Patrick Mahomes is in the
locker room. He's really upset about it, blah blah whatever
I said, And I mean, it was just amazing. And
then he comes back out and he immediately puts his
cape back on and his helmet on, so the crowd
didn't see him run back out, so there was no reaction,
which was almost crazy. And so I go back on

(07:43):
the air and I say, Patrick Mahomes is back on
the sideline, same tape job, and he's got his cape
on and his helmet on, and I don't think this
crowd knows he's back out here, kind of implying that
when he takes a field, which looks like he's planning
to do, it's going to be like again, it's going
to be like Superman taking his cap off. Everyone still

(08:04):
thought he was in the locker room. It was wild.
I know him going on and on about this, but
it's a moment I'll never forget. This is great, and
some of this, you know, you can't really say in
real time, like my producer even got in my ear.
Make sure, and this is kind of a funny thing.
Make sure I'm not reporting on anything that I can
see with my access that people in the front row
can't see. Your here. It's really a funny thing. And obviously,

(08:26):
like you don't want to make a player look bad,
coaches look bad at anything, So you're kind of doing
a dance in real time as I'm reporting it. But
that that's what happened, and it was amazing, Patrick Mahomes
is amazing. I would be. I think I would be
terrible at your job because I just reliving that with you.
I put myself in that position. And here's how all right,

(08:49):
we're gonna her Dad's throwing to me right, and this
is what I oh, Kevin O, Kevin, shit, it's bad. No,
I don't know. My bet is out the window. My
bet is Jeeves are not going to cover it's bad.
And he's telling everyone funk off. He's not getting it's
crazy down here. N And let me also add in

(09:11):
the Chiefs are NFL teams can tell you what they
want to because you have to wait for the official
word from the team. The Chiefs are notoriously tight lipped,
and so I'm waiting for their head of communications to
come over. And it's me and Melissa Stark who's doing
the game for ENDBC. So he they have to tell
us one thing and one thing only questionable to return

(09:33):
or will return or won't return. They can say lower
body injury, even though everyone can see it's an ankle,
you know what I mean. So and they come up
to me and Melissa Stark and they say ankle injury,
questionable to return. And the first thing we both ask
is did he get next ray in the locker room?
And they say, we can't say. I mean, it's just

(09:53):
so you're you're playing detective down there. It's it's wild.
And then Melissa and again we kind of go our
different ways. We're on two different broadcasts. And then later
I saw that she reported that he got next Ray
and I honestly don't know how she got that information.
So it was I mean, it's just a lot. It's
it makes the profession really exciting. It also you have
to do a lot of investigative work and then you

(10:16):
cannot put your foot in your mouth. Yeah, you can't
speculate on anything. You cannot speculate. See again, we're gonna
throw it back down to the sideline that Jerry Ferrar.
You know, they're telling me he didn't get an next ray.
But I think that's bullshit. I think he actually got
I think they're lied to me and I have been
lied to before, and I mean, yeah, anyways, it was crazy.

(10:38):
I was wondering, as someone who is really um constant better,
had you had significant futures bets on the Chiefs, would
you consider hedging at that point? Yeah, yes, but again
we're talking about My instincts would be yes. But then also,

(11:00):
hearing you tell the story about Mahomes is courage and
it's cool under pressure, just knowing what something like that
could do for a team. You will talk about leading
through example. Is there any way now going into this
Bengals game, And we'll get into who we like in
that game, but is there anyone who's going to be
taking their film work lightly, or their practice lightly, or

(11:21):
their rehab and treatment lightly, knowing that their leader, who
again probably the biggest NFL star in the world. Also,
the talent backs up. I've had an high ankle sprain
playing pick up basketball and I was out for eight weeks.
I couldn't imagine if if a if a linebacker landed
on my ankle. So to show that kind of toughness,
I just think that that's gonna go a long way

(11:42):
with that team. Not that they need any more inspiration,
but yeah, how do you uh not do the extra
hour of film work knowing that your quarterback just gut
it out a game that they could have lost. They
could have lost that game and it felt like they
were going to And I've got to say I'm really
impressed with Jacksonville and talking to Doug Peterson and a
halftime he said, we got him right where we want him.

(12:03):
I think at that point they were down seven or ten.
I think they were down ten, came back, scored a
field goal, and then they were down seven. And I
talked to Doug Peterson on the field before the game.
Could not be more loose and comfortable. That guy is
just cool. Trevor is cool. We had a Dog Peterson
love fest. What Andrew Brandt last week? If you were
I did, I said, I I host a podcast. Uh sorry,

(12:28):
I co host a podcast and we had Andrew Brandt
on and he immediately lit up. He loved Andrew. So yeah,
I and props the Dog Peterson for saying we got
him right where they want him in an age where
like similar you're talking about how as a sideline reporter,
you have to be very very careful what you say. Well,
coaches don't want to say anything in any of those

(12:49):
we know that we've seen it. So even having the
courage to say we got him right where we want them,
I don't think we get a better SoundBite. Really, And
as far as NFL coaches, gol So, what a game
hap before you? That was awesome. I mean so much
to to unpack with that game. Obviously my heart broke
a little bit with the Giants. I felt for you, Yeah,

(13:09):
but I wasn't all that heartbroken or shocked. I again,
like the minute you go into a game saying, oh, well,
Hurts is a little banged up and Lane Johnson is
not that healthy, and can they beat us three times
and throw It's like, yeah, yeah, they can because it's
a really terrible matchup for you. They're really strong on
both lines, both sides of the ball, and they have
weapons all over the place. So, but cheers to Philly

(13:31):
because they've kind of been the best team, or at
least in the NFC, you could say the NFL for
most of the year. They had their little slide, which
still wasn't a slide. It was injury based and it
seems like they're back to peeking at the right time
for sure. I mean a thirty eight to seven victory,
and really that score makes it sound like it was
a game almost more than it was. It was. It

(13:52):
was horrible and Jalen Hurts looks so strong right from
the jump, two past touchdowns, one rush. What gave me
a lot of confidence in his oath was they had
so many designed runs for him, so they're confident in
where he's at healthwise. And yeah, like you said, that
Philly offensive line gave him so much time. But either way,
cheers to the Giants. That was a great year. As
a fan, I'm completely grateful. That is way more than

(14:15):
I expected. I know some people don't like to live
their fanhood like that, like being satisfied with a loss.
Um just a great, great, enjoyable season. So thank you
to all the Giants coaches and players. That was an
awesome season for me for sure for sure. Okay, looking
at Cowboys forty Niners defensive battle first and second NFL

(14:37):
and defense squaring off, and it can be really exciting
to watch this forty Niners defense played this weekend and
I think beyond because I think the forty Niners are
winning this game this weekend. They were so impressive, so fast,
Like that's the word that everyone keeps using with this
forty Niners defense. Obviously the matchup Fred Warner with Ceedee Lamb,
Like what that was the patch up the Cowboys wanted.

(14:59):
They were like, oh good, we got the linebacker on
CD and wow, I mean that was that play alone
had a lot of people talking. And then offensively for
San Francisco, the George Kittle bobble off the face mask.
That will be an image we see over and over
and over and him staring down the camera. I mean,
just fantastic. And when you look at Kittle, McCaffrey, Deebo,

(15:22):
I mean, these weapons that they have in the backfield,
let alone catching the ball, I mean, it's it's exciting.
I've I've got to admit, for as many times as
the forty Niners have broken my heart as a Packer fan,
I'm on the forty Niners bandwagon. I like Mr relevant
brock Purty. He is pretty great. He's definitely not afraid.

(15:45):
I could tell you that even Cowboys defense is good.
And I was watching that game knowing like, Okay, these
are the two. This is the kind of defense the
Giants would need to beat the Eagles. So already, not
like it my chances there, but all so just look
like the play, the kiddle, the bobble those as as
a Giants fan who seen plays like that, go my way.

(16:06):
Those are the type of bounces you have to get.
It's those. It's the fumble that you just your guy
gets right back on. It's the off the face mask
bobbling catch, like those little plays that start making you believe, Okay,
this is meant to be. It's breaking our way because
both those two teams are pretty evenly matched. I mean,
I know Dallas and Dad did not have the outcome

(16:27):
they wanted, and the two picks definitely hurt and some
weird play calls, but overall, I thought it was a
really good season for the Cowboys. Disappointing for sure. I
still think they're loaded with talent, but the Niners have
the at least to me, the kind of defense that
could at least really make Philly work. So I'm I
can't wait for that game to great gate the storylines

(16:49):
and if Rock Purty goes to the freaking Super Bowl undefeated,
Mr Irrelevant if I was taller, I'd be like I
and younger. I'd I wish I could play this guy
in his movie, but I can't because I'm short and old.
You can write it. You can write it. The Kurt
Warner story, Kurt Warner story was so good it got
a movie American Underdog. This I think as well. Now

(17:11):
Kurt was undrafted. Technically, Brock was drafted. Okay, before we
go on to look at the forty Niners ahead, we
I've got to stay on this game for one more
second because I've got to unleash on these Cowboys. It's unleash. Okay.

(17:35):
Another disappointing end of the Cowboys season. Mental errors, bad decisions,
Dak Prescott. Two interceptions should have been three, They dropped one.
Brett Mayor poor the kicker, My god, there was never
more bets placed on a kickers missing extra points or
more camera work on the kicker's face. I was watching

(17:55):
that game with my family and we're all just like this,
poor guy. And then a course it's blocked with a
bad kick, a low kick, and it also didn't look
like it was going the right direction. I mean, if
that wasn't blocked, I don't think that was going in.
I think he's actually lucky it was blocked, But my god,
I just it was five to one odds at one

(18:16):
point Jerry for him to miss an extra point, I mean,
just absolutely crazy. But just in general, with this, a
lot of Cowboys fans wake up this week seething furious.
I've seen people burning jerseys and it feels like a rerun. Really,
the forty Niners ended their season last year in the
wild Card felt like deja vous with how it ended,

(18:38):
and the Cowboys now have back to back twelve and
five seasons. Now, I ask you, is twelve and five
a successful year? One playoff win a successful year? Yeah? Yeah,
maybe it is, But with Dallas, it just doesn't feel
like that. With a team that is as hyped as
any every year. We're thinking they said that we hear

(19:00):
about him so much, we have to see him all
the time, and dac led the league in interceptions this season,
so it's not like it was a big surprise that
it came down to this in the final game. They
might be losing their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Arizona.
He's already on a second interview there. Their offensive coordinator
Kellen Moore interviewing with the Panthers, and I think a
few others, So it kind of looks like at least

(19:24):
one of those two is leaving. I think dan Quinn.
They have a lot of free agents. Cooper Rush, the
backup quarterback who filled in for Dac when he was
injured this year. He's a free agent. And I don't
mean this completely joking. A lot of people wanted Cooper
to play because remember they were winning some games with him.
Tony Pollard, whose ankle injury was gruesome to watch it,

(19:44):
and when they were showing the replay, they kept comparing
it to Mahomes injury. I thought it looked worse. He's
gonna be having surgery and significant rehab, and just as
free agency should really be heating up when he's supposed
to get his bag, that's when he he is gonna
be doing all his rehab. So I really hope this
hasn't set him back, because that guy deserves a lot

(20:05):
of money. He played so well the season. He played
better than Ezekiel Elliott. Would Zeke have like twenty six
yards or something in that game. I'm such a disappointment
for a guy who makes like a couple of million
bucks to carry. It seems like, and I just my
unleash is on Dallas in general. Even their own Twitter
was taking shots at them. I'm kind of sick of

(20:28):
the Cowboys. I'm sick of the Cowboys underachieving. I guess
I feel like, if you're gonna be so show body
and be such a show, then when you know and
and I guess to me as someone who's not a
fan of the team, I think twelve and five, two
seasons in a row, early playoff exit is a disappointment,
and I'm just annoyed with them. I agree with everything

(20:49):
you said. It's a great unleashed I do feel bad
for the kicker there, because that might be a career
that we might not see much longer. I start talking
about people's careers, it's like, all right, I know it
like was a joke a couple of weeks ago, but
now it's like, all right, this guy might be out
of the the NFL. Tony Pollard completely And don't don't listen.
The two interceptions, for sure hurt and the Niners were

(21:11):
just a little bit better, but losing Tony Pollard at
that point in the game was huge. So but I'm
with you like, yes, it's enough of already. Like now,
it's almost like the new thing that's assumed every year
is like the Cowboys will be a disappointment and won't
go as far as everyone thinks they should. Jerry, Look,
it's been twenty seven straight seasons without a conference appearance.

(21:33):
That's tough. When you start looking around in the in
the title game, you start thinking, like, the Panthers have
made a super Bowl, you know, the Cardinals have made
the Super Bowls. Like, start looking around, I mean I think, yeah,
the Commanders might have just the draught the walk off play,
the walk off plate was watching Zeke just get drilled flattened,

(21:58):
and you you understand they obviously going to try to
laterally a bunch. They didn't even get one. I mean more,
you know, like, don't maybe leave that party out of
your interview wherever teams you were interviewing for Yeah, yeah,
maybe they just fell asleep at that part, but I mean,
same thing as last season. So yeah, anyways, I feel better.

(22:18):
I feel ten pounds later. I feel like you got
something out there. I don't even want to follow that.
I don't even have the No, this doesn't even qualifies
in the least, this is like a quick one. I
hate to keep going back to the Giants game. But
for everyone criticizing Dable for the fourth and eight that
early in the game, like I understand, it didn't work out,
so it's easy to criticize that Giants have been doing
that all year. Go look at the Titans game, going

(22:40):
for to walk off win like that. So at that point,
I think Dable knew early on we got to score
a bunch of points that our offense might not be
built for. We were at you know, I think we
finally crossed midfield or almost at midfield. I think he
saw the storm come in, and I think that was
just a guy trying to get every one out of
the storm safely. And it didn't work out. But let's relax,

(23:03):
and now we're going to turn on Dable already as
a coach. Calm down, everyone. Yeah, I'm sad. I know
you were getting in some Twitter wars turned to twitter fingers.
The guy he made a bad call, alright, move on.
Is that really what influenced the game? Coach? Yeah, I

(23:24):
don't think. I think he was doing anything he could
to just smoke in mirror his way through that game.
But all good, Giants, all good. I like your optimism.
You know it's to sit here and be right your team.
I think you're right. I think it was a successful season.
What they end up doing at quarterback will be no.
But were we just sitting here last week saying how
great Daniel Jones was and I kept saying last week

(23:47):
he's he looked more like Josh Allen than Josh Allen, Like,
I don't think the Daniel Jones ara is over. No,
he might have just gave a few million bucks back
to the organization, which is fine, which we said it
to brand last week, or like you know, every company's
like a dred thousand dollars more on war. He might
have given back a few million bucks. But either way,

(24:07):
the Giants haven't necessarily treated him the most fairly in
his time. They're like all those offensive coordinators, coaches all that.
You know. It just was been bizarre until Dable and
Shane got there. So I think everyone will be on
the same page. I love it. So in the a
f C, a lot of people were upset about the

(24:29):
potential neutral site game in Atlanta. Tickets were sold, flights
were booked, all of this, but the Bengals had another idea.
They ended what was going to be a lot of controversy.
I know if if the Bills had made it, that
would have been the talk all week. Is this really
isn't fair? This should go through Arrowhead or whatever people thought. Anyways,

(24:50):
that is going to go through Arrowhead, and Joe Cool
had something to say about it in our audible of
the week talk about it yesterday. Just that chip on
your shoulder, everyone talking about a neutral a NFC championship game,
not even thinking about you. Guys, how much did that
motivate you coming into this? You better send those refunds. Okay,

(25:23):
Let's bring in our guests from around the NFL podcast,
NFL Analyst. You also see him on NFL Network. It's
Greg Rosenthal for his second appearance. Greg, what made you
come back? I wanted to brag. I wanted to brag
because I think I actually could be totally wrong. But
you had me on when the Russell Wilson trade went down,
and I feel like I was relatively like low key, mixed,

(25:47):
like not that excited for the broadcast. I might just
be lying and wishing that's what That's what it was?
My recollection? Is it was the day that that happened,
which on the same day, Am I right? Aaron Rodgers
said he was staying in Green Bay, which kind of
stole the thunder from the move in general. But so
we had all these questions for you. But I do
remember saying that you were you were running around, as

(26:07):
I remember in the offices. Right now, I'm at home
and we're right back to not knowing where Aaron Rodgers
is going to be next to sisod. It's kind of
every pie. Actually, can we start there before we get
into this weekend's games and all the playoff action, When
we look at all the quarterbacks who are going to
be making moves, whether they're free agents or looking to

(26:27):
be free agents, what are you most excited for in
this off season? Because once you know that final, the
final whistle of the Super Bowl, I feel like that's
when you really get cracking. Yeah, I'm very into the
free agency period. Already put out like a top fifty
one free agents. We end up doing a hundred of them.
I'm into that off season. But you know what's crazy
I've learned is like it starts now. The trade of

(26:50):
Matthew Stafford happened in Super Bowl week the trade, or
at least it started to pop up there. Alex Smith
to Washington happened during Super Bowl Week two, so like
it could start popping out and you hit it. It's
the quarterbacks the most excited about because it's it's not
just Brady and Rodgers, who are great to talk about,
but it's Geno and Daniel Jones and Jimmy g And

(27:13):
it's a weirdly long list, like even like the second
level guys Derek Carr obviously available for trade, but then
backups like Jake Jacoby Brissett and Teddy Bridgewater, and it's
just if you go on and on, I've never seen
this many quarterbacks available. Cooper Rush. Everyone wanted Cooper Rush
to play this last weekend. He's on the block. Ah,
he'd be a little lower on my list. I actually

(27:35):
have it right here. I got Gardner Mins, You've got
Sam Donald who look good for a couple of games.
You got Baker could be out there, Mike White, Taylor, Heinik.
It's like kind of like all the filling quarterbacks of
the of seasons past are going to be available. Yeah.
I've always said this is like the closest to you know,
everyone talks about the NBA off season when free agency
kicks in and tracking players planes and who's going where,

(27:57):
who's having lunch with who. I think the NFL's finally
they're at least just at the quarterback position, because you
start looking around, you named all the quarterbacks, and you
start looking at the teams. It's one big puzzle, like
what are the Jet's gonna do? What are the Raiders
gonna do? And you probably have a lot better of
a beat on it, but I mean it's too it's
too hard to even make a prediction right now, I think.

(28:18):
But hopefully something shakes out in the next two weeks.
Would be really fun. During Super Bowl Week, someone steals
the Thunder, I would love it, especially if it's Rogers
or car which feels like the biggest trades possible. I
think someone's getting traded in Green Bay. I think it's
gonna be Jordan's Love more likely than Rogers, just because like,
the next team that gets Rogers has to pay him

(28:38):
sixty million dollars next year, and that's just that's a lot.
Some teams could figure it out, but it's a lot,
and I think some people might want Jordan's love after
he showed a little more UH this season, but it's
not too early to have like a feel like your
your Giants there, Jerry, Like I got a feeling after
their press conference. Daniel Jones is more likely to stay

(28:59):
with the Giants then sae Quon Barkley, for instance. I
you definitely get a feeling from the Seahawks. They'll probably
keep Gino Smith. They'll find a way to do that.
Whereas with Tom Brady, you know, I know he's you know,
dropping f bombs on his podcast that he doesn't know
what he's doing. But I feel like I know what
he's doing and it's not gonna be on the bus.
I'm just not sure where. Well, what do you feel
like he's gonna do? You can't just dangle that in

(29:21):
front of us. Well, I mean, I think he's gonna
look for the best non bucks situation. Most like it
felt like a Vegas I I was on that corner
a long time ago. Just because it's so logical. Mark Davis,
their owner, wanted Tom Brady like it's out there, it's
public there at the UFC thing. There's been good reporting

(29:42):
that John Gruden did not and which is really funny
to think back on it because Brady almost want an
m VP won a Super Bowl, and I think it
was an ego thing that Gruden didn't want Brady running
the show. But Mark Davis is still there, John Gruden
is not, and who's the coach is Josh McDaniels. Sometimes
I think we make it a little too complicated, and
it feels that's the best spot for him. You mentioned
being here for the Russell Wilson news and then now

(30:04):
we're all hearing about Sean Payton meeting with Denver and
all that, And I just can't imagine if I'm Sean Payton.
First of all, what a position to be in. If
you're Sean Payton just sitting back. He could sit another
year and his value will only probably grow. But that
Denver job, which they have a very talented roster, But
I don't know if you see Russell Wilson bouncing back
from this year but also maybe having to give up

(30:25):
picks which the Broncos don't really even have. So is
is Denver really a place for Sean Payton? Or she
just chill and wait for more amazing job opportunities to
open up. So, yeah, he's talking with Carolina this week,
or he did. He's talking with Arizona, which to me
made some sense because of Kyler Murray. But if if

(30:46):
you take Sean Payton at his word, and I don't,
to be honest, he says, like ownership, front office matters more.
We didn't have a quarterback. When we got to New Orleans,
we figured out. I think he thinks he can make
any quarterback work. I still think that Russell Wilson contract
is a mess because if you keep him another year,
it's like you're committed another year. So it's a contract thing.
It's a trade thing. But man, Walmart money, like that's

(31:10):
long money. And I feel like the way Sean Payton
has worked this is very interesting to me. I'm kind
of a closet Saints fan. I'm a little annoyed how
he's worked it. I think there's more going on behind
the scenes that they're both playing these games in the
media in terms of well, I might not take a
job this year, or you know, and then my trade
value will go down, so you better just get this

(31:30):
trade done. But he's kind of got the Saints over
a barrel. He's got all these billionaires over a barrel,
and no shade to him that he's not being totally upfront.
You said it, Jerry, like more power to him. He
learned from uh, your guy Bill Parcels on how to
kind of work the media and and get everyone interested
and and he's done a great job. I was joking
earlier about Cooper Rush, but for real, Dallas is losing

(31:52):
some players and maybe coordinators. As we're talking about head
coaches and coordinators interviewing. Both Dallas coordinators are interviewing this week.
Do you think Dallas takes a step backward? Oh? Man,
Everyone thought that this year because they've been really bad
at handling success, and they ended up being I think
a little better this year overall. You know, it ended
similarly twelve wins. Though. I think dan Quinn gets a

(32:16):
job in this cycle, I think Denver. If I had
to guess who Denver ends up hiring, I think it's
dan Quinn. Just because I'm with you, Jerry that I
don't know if Sean Payne's gonna want that job. Carolina
makes more sense to me for him. I think dan
Quinn has done an incredible job making all that talent
on defense sing and they do have a lot of needs,
So you're right. I think Zekiel Elliott should be gone.

(32:39):
We'll see if Jerry Jones actually can be unemotional and
do it. Tony Pollard is a free agent. Uh, They've
definitely got questions on defense. I think that they have
some holes to fill, all right. I think we gotta
focus on some of the stuff that just went on
this past weekend. I mentioned earlier, as you know, I'm
a Giants fan. Um, semi heartbroken. I mean I saw
it coming. I knew everyone's on table about the fourth

(33:02):
and eight go for that. My opinion as a fan,
they were doing that all year and that's the furthest
I saw them maybe even getting to in the first half.
I was all for it, even though it didn't work out. Um,
is it okay as a Giants fan to not be
crazy disappointed? I have Giant fans on Twitter mad at
me because I'm not crazy disappointed we didn't beat the Eagles. No,

(33:23):
I think you have to be realistic and obviously there
were high hopes. Like I know some Giants fans too,
and they were wild confident. I was surprised by that,
just because you look at the talent on these two teams,
and yeah, Philly didn't have a healthy quarterback, we thought,
but they ended up looking pretty great. They remind me
the Giants of the Bills in their first year under

(33:45):
Brandon Being and Sean McDermott, where they made the playoffs
with Tyrod Taylor and I don't know if there'll be
a quarterback switch there, but that was like a show
that like, hey, we're not the old Bills were still
a little while away, and they did take a step
back actually before they became the Bills that we know now.
But I've said it for a while with Giants fans,
I've been so down on the Giants for more than

(34:05):
a decade. It's probably the Patriots fan in me, but
I really meant that that. When they brought in Shane
and Dable, I thought like, this is a start of something,
and I kind of just trust these dudes to make
the right decisions. I'm fascinated to see what they do
with se Quon, though I think it's gonna be tough
to keep them. You mentioned the Bills. What did you
make of the Stefon Diggs kind of storming out of

(34:26):
the building and really the banter between him and Josh
Allen on the sideline. I mean, you're you're an insider,
So what did you read between the lines there? Well,
just that he's like an emotional wide receiver. We saw
this in Minnesota. I think it just kind of comes
with the package. I'm with Stefon Diggs where he tweeted
out like it's easy to criticize the reaction instead of

(34:46):
the play and in the long run, like the play
does kind of matter more and you don't want that reaction.
But I think they all know Stefon Diggs like what
a competitive is, what a pro he is in terms
of the work that he puts in that you live
with that off now over time, Like if that keeps happening,
if they keep losing, is it something that ends up
grading on you more and then you make a change?

(35:08):
Like sure, But Jerry, you mentioned how the n b
A and the like, the NFL is becoming more like
the NBA, Like, I'm with you because those wide receiver
trades last year and these big names now getting traded,
I think that showed the mistake of trading them, Like
every receiver that went to a new place changed their team.
I know the Raiders didn't have a good season, but

(35:29):
they would still do that trade anytime. And like you
do not want to get rid of a Stefan Diggs.
Big time receivers to me are just just about worth
more than anything except for a quarterback. Yeah, I always
talk about that Digs trade. Was that may be the
most even trade that we can talk about for years
to come, because there's not a winner but the Digs
for the pick, which becomes justin Jefferson. It's only even though,

(35:50):
because the Eagles took Jalen Reagor though, like it's only
even because they had the best wide receiver pick of
the last like ten years, so like, more power to them.
They got lucky that the Eagles took Jalen Reagor right
before them or else that picked. I would not have
traded stuff on things if I was them either. So Okay,
now I think I don't know how much love you
have for the Cowboys. You know, I don't have any

(36:12):
love for the Cowboys at all. That was certainly a
winnable game, not the most fun game to watch, and
so but it came down to the wire. But in
what on earth is the Dallas Twitter account doing tweeting
out article? I'm just very confused. Is this the sign
that there's gonna be major changes in Dallas. Like I know,

(36:33):
we just talked about it, but I'm still afraid of
them too. Was a Giants fan. They're a loaded roster.
I think they're closer than further away. But in this generation,
how do you do that? As the gold check mark
Dallas Cowboys Twitter account, I mean, I kind of loved it.
I'm gonna push back here just because please do so.
I worked for NFL dot com and everyone thinks, you know,

(36:54):
I don't write as much as they used to, but like, oh,
you guys are biased. You're always carrying the water for
the shield, and and we just say what we feel
on our podcasts, and we were critical when we can.
And there's certain third rail issues like ownership that are
you definitely gotta be a little more careful than if
you were elsewhere. But like I know people that work
for team sites and like some actually are pretty critical

(37:17):
and and get good get give good information, and then
there's others that are like pr arms that add no value,
and everyone's like those guys are useless. So now when
one is out there, I kind of Jerry Jones. It
doesn't surprise me that Jerry Jones. I've heard some people
talk that. Jerry Jones basically told his website like in general,
do whatever you guys want, and they have some really
good writers over there and stuff, and like he doesn't mind,

(37:40):
Like if Jerry Jones, if you I know you're not
a fan, but if nothing else, he wants that smoke.
Like he like doesn't care if you talk trash on
the Cowboys apparently even if you work for the Cowboys.
It's amazing. Oh man, Jerry, how can you say that
wasn't a fun game to watch? That was such a
fun game, Like I just I'm telling you, I knew
my face going into my night game as a Giants fan,

(38:02):
So I just I just didn't see it being that competitive.
So it was like eighties ninet nineties football when people
ask like like the good old days, and I like
scoring more ultimately, but when they asked for the good
old days, it's kind of like games like that, you
know what I mean, where it's like two great defenses
and timely offense. Well that's how I was watching it

(38:23):
to Greg and Olivia. I was watching it kind of
already no defeatist attitude, but watching and watching it scouting
the defenses because then watching that Giants Eagles game. I
knew the Giants were gonna have a hard time stopping
that offense, but then seeing the surgical ease that they
had with that defense, I really do think that the
best team won Niners Cowboys wise. As good as the

(38:45):
Cowboys defenses, I think the Niners defense might be a
slightly better matchup for that Eagles offensive defense. It is
necessary you need a Fred Warner because I don't know
that the Eagles have six guys on offense that could
touched the ball in short yardage and turning into big
plays at any time. It's the matchup I've wanted to see.

(39:06):
I was kind of rooting for the Cowboys just because
I feel seeing I feel bad for Dak, who's like
an incredibly successful person and what he does is ridiculous.
Like I'm just saying, like, as a human, he's achieved more.
It is better at what he does than than I'll
ever be at what I do. I think he's a
great quarterback, maybe not a top five, top six quarterback,

(39:26):
but I kind of want to see him have his moment,
and so for him to shrink in that moment was
hard for me to see. But just as a football fan,
forty Niners Eagles is the better matchup. These are the
two teams. These are the two matchups in both conferences
that I wanted to see the most, and that one
in the NFC especially, Like I have no idea how
it's gonna go, but I'm with you, Jerry. Like their

(39:48):
pass rush and especially their linebackers being able to maybe
contain Hurts in the running game. Um, it helps stop
Dallas Gotter w where who I think is just even
bigger than you realize for the goals is huge, and
I think it'll be much more of a defensive game,
certainly than that. The Giants put up well when we
looked at what Jalen Hurts was able to do, again
with a lot of question marks around him, definitely benefiting

(40:10):
from the bye week. I think he had so much protection,
he had so much time his offensive line dominated. They
had to sixty eight on the ground six point one
per rush. So as you look more at that matchup
on that side of the ball and Nick Bosa in
this forty Niners defense, do you think it'll be a
different story. Yeah, They're not gonna be able to run
that well. The Giants were a great matchup for them.

(40:32):
They knew it, and it was almost like a light
warm up for this NFC Championship. I didn't think that
going into the game. I picked the Giants to cover,
so I was crazy. I mean I had the Eagles winning,
but so it's not like I knew. But the way
it played out, now you look at this matchup, there's
no way they're going to run the ball that well.
They're gonna have to win on the outside. Jalen Hurts

(40:54):
still doesn't get the credit for what a good pocket
passer is. He's different than Maho Homes or Josh Allen
or you know, even some of the running quarterbacks in
that like when he wins throwing the ball, it is
really from the pocket and he's kind of a hit
his back foot and throw some beautiful deep balls. That's

(41:15):
actually not what you necessarily see out of Mahomes or Allan,
Like he's not a second reaction thrower Jalen Hurts. So
to me, that's where the mismatches in terms of them
against their cornerbacks and the safety. So I think it's
gonna have to be much more of a DeVonta Smith
A G. Brown got her too, But winning on the
outside and Hurts kind of showing that he really has improved,

(41:36):
like I'm talking about compared to where he was in
the playoffs a year ago when the Bucks really confused him. Yeah,
anytime you're a fan saying, oh, well, you know Hurts
is injured and Lane Johnson is not. You know, that's
not the things you need to be talking about before
a game. All right, last thing on the NFC, and
we'll definitely kick over to the a f C. And
we talked a lot about quarterbacks. I think one of

(41:57):
the more fascinating potential decisions to be made is if
the Niners do run the table right and pretty will
step into uncharted territory going undefeated, winning a Super Bowl.
He has to keep his job, right, Greig like, could
they go into next season saying, well, it's an open
competition here, Trey Lances back healthy, Jimmy G's parted ways,

(42:19):
it's a think you have a quarterback competition when a
guy who's never lost and won the Super Bowl. No,
they won't. I wonder unless he totally bombs out this week,
that might already be settled. Not that Trey lances future
is done there, but that Brack Purdy goes into it
as the starter. I think they love the way he

(42:40):
runs the offense. I think he has a higher ceiling
than Jimmy G. I think he's already playing at a
similar or better level to Jimmy G. Certainly there's some
veteran things Jimmy G knows that Pretty doesn't. But like
Pretty makes extra plays. I think he doesn't play scared,
and I think they love him. And it's weird because

(43:00):
he's a late seventh round pick, But if he was
a second round pick, you'd just be like, Okay, that's
the dude, and we move forward, not that he's going
to be a top five quarterback, but that he's going
to be the guy next year. I feel like almost
in any scenario and that they're gonna have lands there
and it's gonna be awkward, but you know, there they
can handle it. Okay, let's go over to the a
f C. I live in Kansas City. I'm a Chiefs fan.

(43:23):
I was working the game and I was right by
Patrick Mahomes as this happened. When he threw off the helmet,
throw off the cape. It was a moment I'll never forget. Really,
I'm so impressed with him as a competitor. But now
this ankle sprain, which he was basically on one leg
to finish that game, and I promise you it was
even worse up close than it was on TV. He's
saying it's not as bad as the one in twenty nineteen.

(43:45):
And he's not practicing this week, and he's never played
without practicing that week, But it looks like that might
kind of be the plan. What are you expecting from
Mahomes and the whole Chief's offense and what they're gonna
be able to do without him or with him limited
even I have this theory that it's almost like a
like a great artist sometimes does his best work, like
if you put limitations on it, like writers talk about

(44:08):
the authors, and that now you're asking Andy Reid and
Patrick Mahomes to come up with a way to win
without his mobility. And this Chief's team, to me, feels
better suited than ones in the past because they're running
the ball well, really well. I mean that that won
them that game. They ran the ball with even Cincinnati
last time really well in week thirteen. That that that

(44:28):
was huge. And then Mahomes is different than he was
in when he won the m v P he can
win from the pocket. He can kill you with his
decision making, and like his numbers actually got better Olivia
in that game. I don't know how it happened, but
if you look at the yards per attempt, they went
up and he wasn't he wasn't incredible, but man, he
still made some big throws with good velocity, made good decisions.

(44:51):
There was the last touchdown. I just never count that
dude out. I still think it's gonna be tough to win,
but I feel like their offense, I'm still more worried
about their defense than I am about their offense. Even
with Mahomes with his ankle injury. That's sort of what
I worry about cause I think back to the last
time Mahomes had this injury. In the last time you
saw Chad Henny, you come in and break all the

(45:12):
Browns fans hearts and then you know, heroically he got
them to the Super Bowl. But then against a good
defense with Tampa, you just saw his mobility was limited.
They had offensive line problems as well, so it wasn't
all the injury, And I'm just worried that this is
a little bit of a repeat, meaning like if they
do beat Cincinnati and it's heroic and I'm sorry, Olivia,
and it can't happen, of course, But then are they

(45:34):
just walking into the super Bowl? Those high ankle sprains,
you know, they don't go away, even in two three weeks,
still gonna be painful. I just wonder, even if he
gets to the sup Bowl against forty nine or an
Eagles defense that has a million sacks in the last
ten games, you know, is he even in more trouble?
And would the best Super Bowl be entertainment? Why? Sorry, Olivia.

(45:55):
If it's the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, I think
either would just fan I don't love, I'm just a
fan perspective. I think either would be great. I'm torn
here because my instinct is to pick the Bengals too.
I picked them to beat the Bills, and I think
they might be a better team than the Chiefs. Anyways,
like a neutral site that said, like Mahomes to me,

(46:15):
is the best player I've ever seen play, Like he's
the best player to enter the league since I started
covering the league twenty seasons ago. And so I don't
I don't try to pretend I know anything about the
guys before I just saw them on NFL Prime Time
or just hear what people say. But in those twenty years,
he's the best player, so to me, Jerry, like, if
he overcomes the high nicles, right and then wins this game,
that's some Jordan's stuff, and you get excited about maybe

(46:38):
he gets healthier for the super Bowl. So either way,
I'm excited. I almost wish this was the super Bowl.
But either way, like it's amazing. Okay, two things I
think we're throwing out Michael Jordan's comparison to literally this
week Jalen Hurts with Michael Jordan's said seriality. And another thing, Greg, Now,
I'm trying to figure out how old you are. If
you've been covering the league twenty years, you look much younger.

(47:01):
I'm about to turn forty four. Is twenty years right?
That might not even right. The first season I did
a little bit was two thousand three. My first super
Bowl though, was watching the Patriots finished off their eight
seed in one season. Jerry, So I had to learn
how to be a professional there in the crowd for
that one. That was my first one. Listen, I'm I'm
forty three years old with you, and uh, that's why

(47:24):
the Giant. I find it hard to get mad at
him because of that. Even going back to those years,
and I skipped that Super Bowl like a total scared,
thinking we were gonna lose. I had an opportunity to
go as in Arizona, so full circle, and I said,
and I said no, And I watched it with three
people in my house while we all cowered in the
corner because we were terrified of that game. Oh man,

(47:45):
well the Giants fans showed up in Glendale and uh yeah,
I have bad memories of that game. But yeah, I've
never seen I don't need to see more to see
save Mahomes is the best player I've ever seen. I mean,
I know he hasn't played as long as Brady, but
he's the best. So looking at the way teams are
structured now and the way people are loading up their
rosters also NBA like super team like and winning quickly,

(48:07):
do you think this is now the age of aggressive
gms like less need when all in last year, John
Lynch did it this year, especially with Christian, Howie Roseman
and Philly Is this just the way business will be
done now? Yes? Because I just think the talk about
window is overrated. I thought the Patriots proved that a
little bit the way they sustained success. I think Green

(48:29):
Babe and has to a much lesser degree. They didn't
get it done in the playoffs, but they've always been good.
If you have that quarterback, be aggressive around him because
you can still make some mistakes. The Patriots almost won
a Super Bowl where they had the thirty first best
defense in the league. Like, so take big swings. And
the reason I say yes is because I think trades
is going to be a bigger and bigger part of

(48:50):
the equation here, because look, I'm making this free agent list.
It's not great, like teams don't let great players get
to free agency. But since teams have done a good
job managing having so much cap space, there's more flexibility
for trades. And I think you saw the Patriots and
the Eagles especially be on the forefront of that last decade.
They were the two teams that traded the most I remember,

(49:11):
and now you're just seeing more and more teams like
make trades. It's better for fans too, but I just
think it's like one of the only good ways to
get good players now is making trades. So speaking to that,
down of all the fan bases that had the tough
weekend and lost, Dallas, Giants, Bills, Jaguars. You know, which
of those four teams, if you're thinking about it from

(49:33):
a GM perspective, has their work cut out for them
most And you can make the case I will say
to just remember, you know, with Dallas, obviously they're still loaded,
but we're already now talking about the quarterback situation after
one bad game. So which of those four teams you
think that GM has the most cut outfit I'm going
into the next season. Well, I think it's the Giants,
just because they have the most talent to get, but

(49:55):
they also have lower expectations. But they have the most
holes to fill. Twelve their starters are free agents, and
that they already weren't that talented. It's hard to find
wide receivers as we know. I think the Bills, though,
are the other team that stands out, just because you
really saw a change in the expectations and the fan
base with everything they went through this year with themar

(50:16):
Hamlin and everything out. It's been a terrible year in
Buffalo injuries but also just real life stuff. Um, you
would think they would be somewhat understanding, but man, they're upset,
like everyone wants people fired. They actually haven't drafted like
a pro bowler in about four or five years, so
that they've they haven't done a good job. They have talent,

(50:36):
but they just kind of kept it. They need to
find new talent. I just think the bar is so
high with them now with Josh Allen that like any
step back, and I think the ANFC East is tougher,
people will really be hard on them. So just expectation wise,
I think the Bills do have some holes to fill.
Tremaine Edmonds as a free agent, Jordan Player is a
free agent. They have some problems up front on offense too. Okay,
what do you think, Jerry? Final prediction for this weekend?

(51:00):
Do you want to go ahead and end there? Sure?
I want to hear you guys first, Oh, go round, Robin.
I actually, as much as I was hyping up the
Chiefs and all that, I'm very concerned. I think I
think Joe Burrow is exactly where he wants to be,
and I think they smell blood and I like the
Bengals here. I gotta say, wow, was that allowed that?

(51:22):
You know what she's doing right? I'm not this week
reverse psychology. You're doing reverse like I do this all
the time. Greg, you got to tack against your team.
And then I like San Francisco and I'm not talking spread.
We're gonna talk that later in the show with Peter Andrew.
Both games are two and a half point games. But
I just money line. I like Bengals San Francisco. I

(51:47):
I I also like the Bengals. I think that, um,
this is just gonna be so much fun for hopefully
the next ten years getting to watch Mahomes verse Borrow.
I don't want to discount Josh Allen and whatever other
quarterbacks will enter into the a f C because they
all seem to be going over there. But I will
say to your point, yeah, if Mahomes does this win,
this win with the injury will rank up there and

(52:09):
quarterback victories for sure. But I'm going with the Eagles.
I saw enough. I have total respect for the forty
Niners and Brock Purty, but I just really don't know
how you stopped that offense. It's so confusing and everyone
could get the ball. And also I think they have
the best offensive and defensive line in football. No disrespect

(52:30):
to Bosa just all around. I just think they have
the two best lines in football. So I'm going Eagles
Bengals Super Bowl. I have the same one. Sorry for
throwing it back to you, guys. It's like earlier in
the week, I'm like, do I want to lock myself
in here? I gotta think about it. Uh No, I'm
with you on the Eagles. So that's I had the
Eagles winning the Super Bowl before the season. My pick
was Eagles Chiefs before the season, which is looking like

(52:52):
amazing right now. They have one seeds. I'm with you
on the line play, like that's where they spend their money.
You know, it's funny you think of them. They have
a very forward thinking, analytics driven front office, and one
of the their tenants is really like spend on lineman,
offensive line, defensive line. That you can't have enough high
draft picks. You can't spend enough money, Like if you

(53:13):
just have seven of those dudes on each side, like it,
spend it all there and everything else is gonna look better.
And they've done a great job with that with some
of their pickups. So I'm with you on the egos.
It feels weird, but I think the Bengals are gonna
win this game. Even though you know I had the
Chiefs before the season. The injuries enough to make me
flip it. I might have taken the Bengals anyway. It's
just something about this team, man, and I'm all about

(53:34):
wide receivers, and I think that mismatch them versus the
chief secondary is what gets it done for them. Okay,
good place to end, Greg, You're welcome back anytime. We
have a lot of fun with you. Thank you so much.
You can follow Greg Rosenthal on Twitter at Greg Rosenthal
with two g's for a little something extract, Greg, Thanks
so much, Thanks guy. I finally did it. I finished

(54:14):
season six and it was very good. You warned me.
It's just a lot of love triangles, and you're right.
I cannot believe how it ends with an engagement. I
guess I shouldn't say who in case it gives it away.
But for your character, for Turtle, Jamie goes to New
Zealand and she tries to test you and at the
airport says, you can see other people blah blah, and

(54:35):
you cry and she was mad that you didn't cry.
And then this seems very dramatic. She leaves and you
turn around and you do cry. I'm curious as an
actor did you do because you do turn around? So
I was thinking, oh, this could have been the eye
drops or what do you do? Listen? That was real hears.
It was something I've always been good at since I

(54:57):
was a little kid. I can summon that up when
I need it. It's actually funny. That's how we used
that skill. One time. We went up to the schoolyard
to play hoops one time, and we're like twelve years old,
but we didn't have a ball, and we thought maybe
it would be like an extra ball we could bumm
from someone to shoot around. And there was like a
game going on and they were finishing up and we
needed a ball and they had one other one. Some

(55:18):
guy was an older kid was shooting around. So I
pretend I put the tears on and I ran up
saying that was my ball, and I left it in
the schoolyard. The night before, my mom's so mad at
lost my I was hysterical crying in the older dude
just like, here, take it, take the ball. I've always
had that skill. But I will say, obviously entourage not
a huge emotional show. It's a comedy. I think I

(55:39):
was the first main cast member to tear up like that,
And I will say I don't know if that was
well received. I don't know if people liked all the
male emotion back then. But those were real, a real
to you. I might have been listening to boys to
mend in between takes, to get in the mood, to
get a little sad, real tears wells magice being stuck
on a flight to New Zealand from l A and

(56:00):
then you find out you're going to see It's like,
don't come here, awful, Oh my god. And that's what
happens to your character, and it sucks. It's funny too.
One of the women who played one of the flight attendants,
Nikki Wheel, and I end up doing a movie years
later with her that takes place entirely on an airplane.
I I swear at her and I are we're married.

(56:23):
We're a newly married couple in the movie. It's a
horror movie that takes place on the plane. I'm not
suggesting anybody go watch this movie, but I'm just saying
iron ironic that her and I would then be on
the plane for two months shooting a movie. Season six
had some ups and downs, right, Like I told you,
it was heavy with love triangles and relationships. But then
there's also a lot of great cameos and stuff like that.

(56:44):
Speaking of which, last question on season six, Lebron James
and Matt Damon and Jim Edmonds the baseball player of
all people quick cameo at the airport. Now, your character
is not in that scene in New Zealand. I know,
of course, like and look, we're all big sports fans,
but I don't think anyone would argue who the biggest

(57:04):
basketball fan is in the can. I mean, I don't
like any of them argue Connolly's got hockey, Dylan's like baseball.
And yeah, I wasn't there. It wasn't even like a visitor.
So Lebron came worked on the show. But we did
have a dinner. I think after we wrapped that, I
was at uh it might have been like a back
room at Mastro's something like that. In Beverly Hills. Lebron

(57:26):
Maverick was there, Matt Damon. Funny quick story with Matt
Damon and we mentioned like, you know, basketball. He was
recently at courtside at the Knicks game, right and they
always show, like even when I go like they do
they show they go to Celebrity Row, they show a
clip and they cut to the actor. They freaking showed
this is Matt Damon. They showed his cameo from Entourage

(57:50):
as his clip. Yes, if you go on and I
actually have to get back. There's a couple of reporters
who hit me up wanting to like do a story
on it because they thought it was hilarious of all
of things to pick, I love you New York Knicks.
Maybe you were trolling everyone, but that Oven twelve Jason Bourne,
a little someone named Jason Bourne good Will hunting, but

(58:12):
they showed his cameo from Entourage. I'm sorry, I must
fell off my chair. Um in my favorite, my favorite
movie of all time is the talented Mr Ripley Awesome, awesome,
Favorite mont And honestly, he was a prime example of
someone who came on wanting to do something poke fun
to himself a little bit. And there's even like a

(58:35):
great did you stick around to like after the credits
of that episode to see there's like a post credit
scene where it's just him doing a bunch of different takes,
yelling at Vince on the phone and he has a
complete meltdown, screaming at him like I think all your
movies sucking, suck. How do you get I come there,
I'm calling you, like he's freaking out, go back. There's

(58:56):
a post credit thing. Awesome. But yeah, Lebron him on
and this was like not long after I think on
like p t I Kornheiser when talking about like math
and Lebron said like this is when they formed like
their business and all that, and he said, this is
exactly what Vince and E would do. Will Bon. He
said that to Wilbon on PTI years ago. So just

(59:19):
this is that. That's the high points of the season,
for sure. It was. It was an interesting season six.
I'm glad you finished it. Oh it was amazing. Love
season six. Now I gotta start season seven again. I
always sy this. I watched on T at like six am.
It's like what I turned on in the morning when
I'm up with the baby. I'm like, all right, and
he I'm not kidding. He watches the show. His eyes

(59:41):
are That's why season I can't wait. I'm curious for
your thoughts on season seven. Controversial season all right, more
to come But in the meantime, let's get to bet
MGM betty expert Peter Andrew to talk about this weekend's game.

(01:00:10):
All right, fresh and maybe not so fresh from a
red eye flight back from the Bay Area, is our
resident forty Niners fan who was just sitting here in
a jersey and a hat, and I hope these have
been washed maybe since the long flight. I'm not sure.
It sounds like a great day in San Francisco. How

(01:00:30):
was it, Peter? It was amazing, have been washed. I
had to rock rock my guy George Kittle here after
his stellar performance, amazing catch. We're clean here. I don't
have the Niners Pa Jamazon, so it's just top. Don't worry.
I'm so glad I went. It is amazing team look,
great defense, was balling, got a little help from Dock

(01:00:50):
on some questionable throws, but it was amazing experience at
LEVI and what was your betting angle? I was I
hit my straight bet minus three half, but I missed
by five yards my big bet. I needed the Caffrey
forty plus rushing yards. He had that calf bruise whatever
was had Kittle yards. I had a spread. I had

(01:01:11):
the under I had a lot of different things, so
one easily run kind of cost me a couple hundred bucks.
But it's okay as long as we get the w
Tailgate was good. Tailgate was amazing. We did three and
a half four hours. I met a couple of guys
at the super Bowl. Um, a couple of met some
guys at the super Bowl in Miami a couple of
years ago, and every year they invite me back. So

(01:01:34):
grateful for them to quell the shots. Mark's ribbed corn.
I mean, you name it, we had it. So that's
why the flight was so rough on the way home
that this sounds like the sounds like Hangover four Part four.
Met some guys at the super Bowl five years ago.
Every year you go out, we think we just came
up with a Hangover Part four. So okay, you got

(01:01:56):
a chance now to watch everything now. The spreads have
been changing like crazy this week. Okay, mainly that Bengals
Chiefs game, obviously with the Mahomes injury. But when you
saw that opening line Chiefs Bangles, what did you first think?
Because I even thought I was even a little puzzled
by that opening line, and now where it is now,
I don't even I gotta check because it's changing so quickly. Yeah, listen,

(01:02:19):
you take out the Mahomes injury and it makes more sense.
But he looked pretty bad last week, and I think
they're lucky he was able to come back in able
to do what they needed to do. That line puzzled
me too, But as many know that are part of
the betting industry or or close to it, sharp money
dictates a lot of these things, especially early on the week,
whether you have some inside knowledge or these guys have

(01:02:40):
a typically positive hunch. That's what dictated that line moving
so where it was could have gone down too close
to a pick um, but instead went the complete opposite
way and ended up being a three to four point
swing to the Bengals, which I think makes sense. It's
you have to go with the healthy team. They're hot
right now. They looked great against the Bills and and
the Chiefs are dealing with a pretty significant injury. This

(01:03:02):
isn't Darius Tony, this isn't some lineman. This is your
probably the best quarterback of our generation that's pretty banged up,
and they're gonna make him throw the ball and try
to throw the ball, and he's gonna get a lot
of pressure this week, especially if at ankles in your So,
I think the line moved in the right way, so
we'll see where it goes. Do you know, off the
top of your head, is this the first time the

(01:03:24):
Chiefs are underdog all year? I think so, I think
it actually is. I mean, it's kind of hard to alry. Look,
I I I've already feel pretty good about the Bengals,
but it's hard to say, Like if you just think
about like a restaurants, like, hey, today we're serving the
Chiefs underdog plate. We haven't served it yet this year?
Would you like to try? It's almost like you gotta
try it, right, Yeah, it's any other team you maybe

(01:03:48):
second guess it. I don't know, it's it's gonna be
really interesting, the dynamic of the Bengals having their number
last year. I mean, there's so many things you can
factor into this. But it will be a close game.
As much as Mahomes will make a difference with his injury,
I think it's still a really tight game. So I
highly doubt it goes anything more than three ish points
in favor of the Bengals, and we'll see the money

(01:04:08):
changes things as the week goes on. As soon as
the news wire comes around, it comes out of his health.
Things are gonna excuw it. So it's gonna be really
interesting to see up until Thursday, Friday, and then obviously
until the weekend. Yeah, both games are really close. As
we record right now Tuesday, it's just two and a
half point spreads for both of them, which is crazy,
less than a field goal that's only happened twice before

(01:04:29):
in the Super Bowl era. So do you have advice
to betters when the line is that small and the
games are this important, what to do to help sway
your mind? I have a couple of pieces of advice.
I don't know about the swaying, but I think value perspective.
If you really feel good about a team that two
and a half point is, it's tricky. So I would

(01:04:50):
just say take the money line, get the extra value.
The other thing you can do is take the alternate spread.
So we talked about teasers a lot on the show,
or some sort of alternate line, push it up a
little bit. So if you you have it at let's
say the Niners are plus two and a half and
you think it's gonna be a field goal game, take
the extra six points and combine it with something. So
the six and a half points might be a minus
to something at a prop that you think has a

(01:05:12):
good likelihood of hitting. Get it back to that minus
one ten amount. Buy yourself a little bit of flexibility.
If I wasn't a Niners fan, that's probably what I
would do for that game. Obviously, I'm confident in my
defense and my team. But we saw and we were
dead wrong. Where I was dead wrong about the Giants
last week. We saw how powerful that that Eagles offenses.

(01:05:32):
The pressure they put on Daniel Jones. I mean, he
had no time to do anything. He wasn't able to
run rampant like he was against Minnesota a couple of
weeks ago. So they're gonna come out hot. I respected
you for picking the Giants plus seven and a half
last week. I also think that's part of the problem
of one the Giants lost because we became a very
popular pick. No offense. You went too and too. You
were kind of robbed of three and one. Doug Peterson
took three and one away from you, opting for the

(01:05:55):
field goal instead of the touchdown a little backdoor cover,
so you were on the wrong end of that should
have been three and one. You were two and two.
So you're still you're kind of keeping the momentum. So
in our second to last week remaining of NFL football,
which is which is awful, the awful thing to say.
I don't even want to say that ever again, but
I'm sorry I had to. I've been sticking with what

(01:06:16):
we've been doing. Where are you at this week? What
our ten unit plays here? Yeah, so I'm gonna keep
the same style is last week. Two and a half
of the ten units for each of these four bets
start with the easy ones Bengals minus one and a half.
I think injury, the way the Bengals played against the Bills,
I mean they look phenomenal in a terrible weather game.

(01:06:38):
Joe Burrow just getting hot again. I mean the right
time of the season there. I think they're on the
second biggest winning streak. They're probably eight in a row
or something like that as the season ended and going
into the playoffs. Ride the hot hand, the weapons between
Chase Higgins, boy mixing, I mean, they had everything. I
would take it now at one and a half. I
think if the news comes out and starts to progress
worse and worse that my homes is limited on Thursday, Friday,

(01:07:01):
whatever it is, you're going to see that line change
a little bit. Um. So the minus one and a
half is where I'm at there the other side of
the spectrum. So those are these are the two straight
or single bets. Um. I think to the point I
made earlier with the plus money the plus two and
a half, I'm taking my Niners money lines, so I
think it's plus one right now something around there. So

(01:07:24):
on the Bengal side, next forty seven bucks. On the
taking the money money line with the Niners being the
the dog nets you around fifty seven dollars. So you
see the value right there in what you're getting. You're
losing a couple of points, But what are the chances
that game comes down to one point or one and
a half or two points, you know what I mean?
I think there's more opportunity for that game to get

(01:07:46):
blown out in either way based off how good those
teams are. I don't know, that's just kind of kind
of my take, but I feel really comfortable about the Niners.
I think it is a high scoring game. I don't
think it's what you saw last week. Where is Ene
with a lot of issues and a lot of mis throws.
I look at an Eagles run defense that just hasn't

(01:08:07):
done well this year. You combine now Elijah Mitchell coming back,
it looks like McCaffrey will be healthy. Get a bit
of a calff bruders. Both are day to day though
both are day to day. But I think, um, I
think the scheme means more than anything there. I think
they'll have their holes, and then on the other side
of it, I think it's just containing Jalen Hurts. Again,
if you can contain that guy, I don't know if

(01:08:28):
they will, and you'll see that in one of my
one game parlays here. But I think that's the name
of the game. Because nine A shirt up the the
back end really well between the corners and safeties there.
I mean they came after dark, they played the position well.
The two interceptions were pretty telling. Fred Warner has just
proven I think he is the best middle linebacker in football.
Just the way he's able to cover Ceedee Lamb or

(01:08:50):
the way he's a being boxed. It's it's insane. Um.
So yeah, Niner's money line Bengals minus one and half
of the single bets there um. I know, Olivia, we
were talking a little bit on this text, but interested
in your guys thoughts on both of those games from
a half biased and half non biased perspective. I suppose
Jerry's laughing because already with Greg Ross with Thal, I

(01:09:10):
said I was taking the Bengals, so the Cats out
of the bag literally. I still think there's a little
reverse psychology there, I feel like, but we'll see, alright,
no games. I'm a little more clear on the Bengals
than I am with the Niners Eagles games. I leaned Eagles.
This might be just because of what I had to
go through with that you know, beat down that the

(01:09:30):
Eagles gave us. But you know, because I'm looking at
those two bets that you want. Though it feels like
the Bengals Niners from last week and now you're kind
of on them again. I do like to, you know,
to get with it if you're running hot. But I
I lean Eagles just because I just I saw too
much and I think those are the two best lines
offensive defensive in football. No disrespect your boy Bosa. I

(01:09:53):
love Bosa. Just think all around. But we're here for
some single game, one game parlay as I should say,
because that's where we really get some some good odds.
You laid out a good case for your single bets.
Those are two and a half units each five total.
You have five units left for both games, so I'm
hoping you got this one game parlay for each and

(01:10:15):
we're getting a little crazy here with some good odds.
So let's do it. First one, we're going a FC
Championship plus twelve fifty on this one four legs, so
you got Bengals minus one and a half. So again
sticking with that momentum of where they're at verse healthwise. First,
the Chiefs anytime touchdowns. I think Tee Higgins has proven
to be constantly a guy who's find the end zone. Um,

(01:10:37):
expect a little bit of more pressure on Jamaar Chase
especially looked really good last week. Kelsey, just Travis Kelsey.
I think when they get to the red zone, he
is the guy that's just going to find the targets.
So both of those guys to be anytime touchdowns and
then Mahomes under three twenty nine and a half, I
think there's gonna be a lot more of a dump
off mentality. I think they're gonna have to be a

(01:10:58):
little bit tricky in terms of what they do. You
can expect an extra guy coming in the box, especially
with that injury. They're gonna put pressure on him and
force him to make some of those quicker throws, maybe
find guys on the out routes, not looking for the
deep ball that he's used to. I think he's just
gonna have a lot of trouble with timing and obviously
the injury. So um, I think he still gets his

(01:11:18):
yards to fifty plus whatever it ends up being, but
I think they limit him a bit and they're focused
on just a little bit more trickery, making sure the
backs are a little bit more active in the game. Um,
so that's plus twelve fifty, that's twenty five. So the
two point five units to win three forty or three
thirty nine. Big pay day. Again, not getting too crazy,

(01:11:38):
not asking for too much, but really nice odds there
for that for that Bengals game. I like all that too.
The only thing I will not worry about it because
I'm just looking at from what I saw last week.
If the Bengals don't put four guys on Travis Kelsey
in the red zone, that would be the craziest thing.
But if they do, they have so many other weapons
it doesn't matter, no disrespect. I would rather to take

(01:12:00):
my chances with Valdez Scantling or Cadarius Tony. Then then
a wide open Kelsey was opened by yards like three
three releases. Before this last week, Kelsey had a six
game drought where he didn't score a touchdown. So I
think that that great. Yeah, double him up. It doesn't matter.

(01:12:21):
They still were winning games and Kelsey doesn't need to score.
I'm thinking too about again, I'm assuming the homes is
pretty banged up and they're going to find some trick
things to do. Like we've seen Kelsey in the Wildcat,
I wouldn't be surprised if he rush is a touchdown
in here a little I thought we were have seen
the Pacheco, Yeah McKinnon or yeah. I just never know

(01:12:41):
who's gonna get the damn ball. They're so low that
you gotta go with the shore of fire things. No,
I do like it. And look, I've said many times
when Kelsey's caught touchdowns, how is he? How are they
letting him do that? He you know what's coming, but
sometimes it's just so good you can't stop it. Uh,
all right, let's shift over to the NFC where your

(01:13:01):
heart lies. Let's hear what you got yep. So I'm sticking.
I'm staying away for this one. With any spread er
money line. I'm taking a little bit more conservative route
because I think there's a winnable bet here even without
the game going which way over fourty six and a half,
I think explosive offense on the eagle side, Niner is
gonna have to keep up with them. They're not gonna

(01:13:22):
be able to just win a dog fight game. It
just doesn't to me. It doesn't seem like it can happen.
They're hating gonna put up three points, so over forty
six and a half there, and then the theme is
really around rushing here. So McCaffrey anytime touchdown, it looks
like he's gonna be good to go. It's just a bruiser,
should be fine. Hurts anytime touchdown and over forty four
and a half yards, so they're gonna need to contain him.

(01:13:45):
But what we saw with Dak last week, who's not
the most mobile quarterback. Um, if if that's any indication
of what's gonna happen this week with Jane Hurts. He
will get fifty plus yards UM, and that's something they're
just gonna have to live with. They're gonna have to
protect the longer threat. But he's going to get his
chunks of yards. That's his game. That's why he's one
or two for m v P this year, probably finished

(01:14:06):
number two. But um, but he will hurt us. No
pun intended, it's it's gonna happen, um. And then the
last one is just one I've seen, and I've taken
a couple of games throughout the course this latter half
of the year. Jowan Jennings, who's pretty much known as
kind of their passing widers or their pass block or
run block wide receiver. He always gets these small, little
chunk yardage big place on third down. I expect a

(01:14:29):
lot of pressure on Brock Purty, and I expect a
lot of those dump offs to happen, those big clutch
third downs fourteen and a half yards um. He is
kind of a George Kittleish in terms of a security
blanket for Purty. He's always just running those quick five
ten outs and is sure handed, so I think he
gets a couple of those big chunk yardage in big plays.
I don't know what they're gonna do with Deebo, and

(01:14:50):
I you, Shanahan always has something cooking up his sleeve
for a big game like this, so I didn't want
to mess with taking debot receiving yards when next thing
you know, he's out of the backfield or or something crazy. So, um,
fourteen and a half yards, that's one play, that's two plays.
This guy has been super clutch for us as an
on your fan for um those big third down especially

(01:15:11):
to stretch fifteen yard big plays. Um, So I love that.
And it's plus seven seventy five again the twenty five
dollars that's to win two nineteen. So when one of
these two we're in for a nice pay day and
doubling up essentially what we have for the week. That's
all right. Yeah, it's sad that we only have this
and one more. And I don't know, maybe we could

(01:15:31):
uh start segue and it's an NBA, but I'm gonna
I'm gonna miss the I'm gonna miss the Niners jersey.
I mean, you literally dressed like Turtle from Season two
Vontarage buddy, and I I say that with all due respect.
I love it making smile. I wish I was able
to put the Giants jersey on and cheer from my
team this Sunday. We'll listen, Pete, good luck. It's been

(01:15:51):
a wild ride. I'm glad we got at least one
more of these coming up. Good Luck to your niners,
and good luck to all your bets, and good luck
to everyone out there betting and uh, there's nothing left
to do but play football, right. Thanks for joining us
for another great week guys, and good luck with all
your bets this weekend. M H.

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