Richard Sherman Podcast - NFL Week 16 Reaction

Richard Sherman reacts to Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season, including Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks dropping a crucial game against Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions clinching their best season record ever with a victory over Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers getting eliminated from NFL Playoff contention and proceeding to lose to the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles losing Jalen Hurts to a concussion in their loss to Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills narrowly beating the New England Patriots at home, Joe Burrow keeping the Cincinnati Bengals alive with another strong performance against the Cleveland Browns, Patrick Mahomes outdueling C.J. Stroud as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans, and Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens moving into a tie for the top spot in the AFC North with a win over Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Delto Bowl championship. That should always be the expectation. All right,
man Ax, you go ahead.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another incredible week,
inching closer and closer to these playoffs, and a lot
of things happen this week, a lot of games that
had some expected outcomes and others not so expected. The
Philadelphia Eagles lose to the Washington Commanders lose Jalen hurts
early in that ball game. That's gonna be something to monitor.

(00:38):
That helped the Washington Commanders. Even the Philadelphia Eagles have
not yet secured this division yet. If I'm not mistaken,
I think there's still a chance for the Washington Commanders
to pull it out. Now it's a long shot because
the Eagles play Dallas and the Giants to finish the season,
but there's a lot of things that can happen. The
Buffalo Bills had a really crazy from the New England Patriots.

(01:02):
A game that should have been a walk away blowout
was a dogfight down to the last seconds an on
sidekick recovered by Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen does not have
an MVP performance. Mitchell, your Detroit Lions find a way though.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
They're back, and Richard, I'm back, fresh off of laryngitis
last week. I apologize I missed last week's episodes. Guys,
I could not talk, and Richard heard me talk on
the phone. It was not pretty. And I was fired
up to watch these games. I mean, from a detroiter standpoint,
I was rooting heavily for your Seattle Seahawks. It looked

(01:39):
like everything was going right for Seattle. They it's vintage Seattle,
you know, Geno Smith throwing for over three hundred yards
and Jackson Smith and Jigba looks like a star in
the making for the Seattle Seahawks team. But it's just
not enough and they needed to win badly and they
go down to Almighty Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson late

(02:00):
in this game. Your thoughts what went wrong for the
Seattle Seahawks down the stretch.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
A lot of things went wrong, Mitchell, A lot of
things went wrong, starting with the turnovers. You can't have them,
and obviously the last one was to clinch the game.
Trying to find dk Metcalf deep down the field. They
were playing what looked like a form of too deep,
you know, just keeping a shell on the defense not
allowing a big play. Gino wanted it bad, he forced

(02:27):
it in there. Unfortunately, that's what happened. He was under
durest most of the day. Managed to throw for three
hundred and fifteen yards three touchdowns, but the two interceptions
were the difference in.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
The ball game.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Your boy K nine only had eight carries but had
thirty one yards. You know, had a few breakout runs there,
but just just played from behind for a lot of
this game and was chasing the Minnesota Vikings for an
good portion of this game, so had to throw the
ball forty three times.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Again.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Like you said, JSN had really another really consistent, really
good game. Catches for ninety five yards and the touchdown
had one really incredible grab in traffic, kind of flexing,
you know, great catch. He's starting to develop into one
of the better receivers in the National Football League. Obviously,
DK had his touchdown. Three catches for fifty seven yards.

(03:16):
Jaron Reed, Boye, Mafe, Derek Hall all record a sack
against a really good Minnesota Vikings offensive line. Sam Donald
just continues to amaze in a stown. If it if
this was a different life, people will be talking about,
you know, potential MVP for Sam Donald. But this isn't
that life, and it's just a really good, feel good

(03:36):
story right now, Sam Donald twenty two or thirty five
two forty six, three touchdowns, no interceptions, Aaron Jones at
eighteen carry sixty seven yards, another three catches for twenty
six yards. But Justin Jefferson, the guy you had to
find an answer for, the guy you had to stop
in this game. Ten catches for one hundred and forty
four yards and the two touchdowns. That is what killed him, obviously,

(03:58):
the dagger thirty nine yard touchdown at the end of
the game and to cover two. I wasn't sure what
happened on that play. It looked like Jordan Love was
trying to kind of give presidence sentimental the field, but
you can't give presence in that situation.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
You got to get over to Justin Jefferson.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
It looked like Reek funneled him in, even got a
lot of depth to make sure it wasn't a big window.
Sam Donald got pressured, moved up in the pocket, down
that window, yarded it in. There no air under the ball.
If there was any under the ball, I think Julian
Love would have picked it there wasn't any air. There
was a dime. That was the difference in the game

(04:36):
at the end. Obviously people talk about the as field goal,
but that was a long, long, long field goal, sixty
yarder that they tried to attempt to tie the game.
I don't think anybody expected that one. You know, it'd
been nice if you're to win, but sixty yard to
tie the game is tough from anybody. They had a
chance to go down there. I think the defense made

(04:57):
enough stops in the second half to give the offense
a chance. Unfortunately, the missfield gold and in the interception
or what what doomed them. I mean, the Seahawks couldn't
ask for to be in better position going near the
end of that game, had the ball low backed up,
but with a chance to win, to win the ball game,
or at least drive down and tie it. That that

(05:19):
interception was a was a gut punch. It was a
really really really really killed the momentum, killed everything, killed
the hopes of the Seattle Seahawks, at least for this season.
You know, I don't think they're mathematically eliminated. I think,
you know, if the Rams lose and some other crazy stuff, happens,
there's a chance they could get in, but just a

(05:40):
disappointing game for how well they played on both sides
of the football, the plays they made. You know, obviously,
the Minnesota Vikings are are a twelve ward twelve win
ball club coming into this game. So it shows that
Seattle Seahawks can play with anybody. They can keep the
quarterback up right, they can cover with the best of them.
Just Jefferson is one of the best, if not the

(06:01):
best receiver in the National Football League. Reek was with
him step for stepping a lot of these routes. Obviously,
you know that was a cover two what they called
where they scored a touchdown and there was a you know,
he got beat on a couple, but you expect that
this is the best receiver in the National FOOTBA League.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
He's gonna get his two. That's why you play the game.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
But the two interceptions by Dallas Turner and Theo Jackson
are what ended up being the difference in this ball game.
When you have a game like this, you have to
execute on all cylinders. You have to be hitting on
all cylinders in order to win this game. Seattle Seahawks
weren't the Minnesota Vikings were they are now thirteen and two.
They host the Green Bay Packers next week in a really,

(06:42):
really pivotal.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Game in that division.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
If they find a way to win that, there is
a big, big, big time game with the Detroit Lions
coming up that will decide perhaps the number one seed
in the NFC.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
That's gonna be crazy.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
It's insane to me that this team is thirteen and two.
I feel like they're not talked about enough. They deserve
to be talked about more that they are. And they've
always been a competitive team. It doesn't matter. You know
who's at the helm, like clearly, I mean, Kirk Cousins
led this team for years, and now you sub in
Sam Darnold, who's had a resurgence, a career of vitalization.

(07:21):
This team's locked and loaded, and they're so well coached defensively,
they can gun anyone. And you go on the road
against Seattle, who desperately needs a win. And by the way, Richard,
they are not eliminated. They go on the road, like
you said, and play against these lowly Chicago Bears, who
we saw the Detroit Lions beat up on today, and
then they finish up in what could be a deciding

(07:43):
factor game at the end of the season against the
La Rams. I don't know the tiebreakers. I'm not that
guru Esse yet. I'd have to check exactly what has
to go on here for the Seattle Seahawks to make
the playoffs. But if it comes down to it and
the Seattle Seahawks have to play the the La Rams
for that final week, a playing game, potentially, I mean, Richard,

(08:04):
this could be. This is exactly what the NFL wants
at the tail end of the season. And to say why
they schedule these division games at the end, the fact
that the Detroit Lions at thirteen and two and the
Minnesota Vikings at thirteen and two are fighting for the
one seed and one of these teams is not going
to have home field advantage in Week one of the
playoffs is a complete Nutter joke. I would say confidently

(08:28):
right now, these are the two best teams in the NFC.
But the fact that two teams in the NFC North
are both thirteen and two and it could potentially come
down to that final week in Detroit, it is madness.
And this is exactly what the NFL wants. Let's talk
more about the Detroit game, because obviously this team has

(08:48):
been oh my goodness, I mean to say they've been
injured is an understatement. Twenty two guys on the IR
entering this week. The next closest team with six. I mean,
by a comparative factor for all the listeners out there,
the Detroit Lions have twenty two guys on IR. The
team they played last week, the Buffalo Bills have a

(09:08):
total of three. It's a battle of attrition in the NFL. Richard,
you know that better than anybody. These injuries can come
up at random at any time, and this Detroit Lion
team is battling injuries right now. Hopefully they can get
some key guys back entering the playoffs, but right now,
the focus and goal of this franchise is to take

(09:30):
that one seed so that they can have a first
one first round by and get healthy. They desperately need
David Montgomery back.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
Today.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
Didn't matter, right, you're playing the Chicago Bears on the road,
you're projected to win. You take care of business. But
the reality is you're playing a Division four Richard. You
know all too well it doesn't matter the record when
you play a division rival, especially on the road, it does,
it's anyone's game, and for the Detroit Lions to come
out with their hair on fire and go up numerous

(09:59):
score early in this game, it was huge. You can't
take more than than what the Lions have had to
overcome this season, and they.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Keep doing it and doing it and doing it.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
And I don't know, I'm curious to know where your
head's at with the Detroit Lion team, despite the injuries.
Do you believe still that they are the NFC's best
team at this point?

Speaker 1 (10:20):
And I don't think it's particularly close, and I don't
We watched what the Philadelphia Eagles were today without Jalen
Hurts obviously, but until they lost CJ. Gardner Johnson. They're
pretty old on defense, and Jalen Hurts doesn't play defense.
So to see jayde and Daniels, a rookie quarterback, throw
for five touchdowns against that defense, was concerning, and it's

(10:43):
concerning on a number of levels. They scored thirty six
points on this defense. So that's one of the strengths
and has been a strength of this Philadelphia Eagles team
down the stretch, and what we've started to really really
count on and really give them credit for even when
Jalen Hurts struggled, it was Akwon Barkley who picked up
all the extra carried the extra weight. But I believe

(11:06):
in this Detroit Lions team. I think it's inspiring what
they're doing. It's inspiring that you talk about next man
up mentality. It's been that and that's what it is
for super Bowl caliber teams. You talk about the Kansas
City Chiefs and what they overcome every single year. They
lost Pacheco for a while, they put Kareem Hunt in there,
and it was next man up. They lose a guy,

(11:29):
they replace him. They lose a guy, they replace him,
and the next man just keeps stepping up until they
get to the super Bowl. That's what Detroit is gonna
have to do. And it's unfortunate. Thankfully, they're saying David
Montgomery isn't lost for the season. They're saying there's a
chance that he can return, which would be huge. But
right now, Jamir Gibbs is gonna have to carry a

(11:49):
load and that's what he's doing.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
He's and that's what he did today.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Twenty three carries, one hundred and nine yards, one touchdown,
four catchers for forty five yards pacted both both phases
of the offensive game plan. Jamison Williams with his best
game career high one hundred and forty three yards in
five catches with the one touchdown. That's what you expected
from him. And sometimes these injuries allow for other guys

(12:13):
to flourish and other guys to develop. And these are
still NFL players you got, you gotta find more, you
gotta get other guys. Guys are gonna have to step up,
and it's going to be an inspirational story at the
end of the day if the Detroit Lions can pull
it all together and win a Super Bowl under these circumstances,
with everything against them. They're not making any excuses. They're

(12:35):
just going out there and getting to work. This was
a beautifully game plan game by both Aaron Glenn and
Ben Johnson. Again, the same thing that makes you laugh
can make you cry. And hopefully the team is able
to finish a job this year because those coordinators are
likely going to get head coaching jobs other places. You
heard Ben Johnson earlier in the week talk about Caleb

(12:59):
Wodlliams and what's what makes him special and what he'd
do and how he'd fix him and you know, he
hasn't looked at a lot of tape, and it's like,
what are we saying, Ben Johnson? But I hear you
focus on where your feet are. Focus on where your
feet are, and that's what he said. He's saying all
the right things. But that was very curious for me, Metell,
that was very curious for me to hear. And Caleb

(13:21):
Williams over the last five games, sixty three percent completion percentage,
ten touchdowns, no interceptions, one hundred and one point nine
passer rating.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Hmm.

Speaker 1 (13:30):
These are things that make me say, hmm. Now he's
gotten sacked a lot over those games, and I think
he's held a lot of footballs he could have thrown away,
which would have lowered that passer rating and things like that,
And those are things the fans don't really know, but
an offensive lineman would because an offensive lineman is credited
with those sacks, but the quarterback's not credited with it

(13:50):
any completion.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Mitchell.

Speaker 1 (13:51):
You see how that works there, When a quarterback coats
the ball and he doesn't have something, he could throw
it away and lived by another down, but they eat
it so they can protect their passer rating and things
of that nature, and offensive linemen have to deal with
the sac numbers, so we'll get to that at another time.
But Caleb Williams throws for three hundred and thirty four yards,
who touchdowns ran it for thirty four yards. But again,

(14:12):
playing from behind most of this game, it wasn't there.
They were never really a threat in this game. Keenan Allen,
the veteran did have nine catches for one hundred and
forty one yards and one touchdown on a double move,
which I don't understand why you're biting on in this.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
Situation, but it is what it is.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
Our guy Sonic gets our Brightling players in prime time,
brought to you by our friends and partners over at Brightling.
He had a heck of a game. Mitt what they
asked for more and he delivered. He delivered more in
both phases of the game. And I think he's going
to continue to do that. He's going to continue to say, Hey,

(14:50):
if you don't have knuckles here, I can carry it.
I can show you I'm a viable back. I am
a Pro Bowl running back in the National Football League,
and if you need me to be that, I will
be that for every down, not just third down. Not
just past situations. I will be at one hundred percent
of the time until my guy gets back. And I
love the unselfishness of this locker room. Whatever it takes,

(15:10):
seems to be the mentality of everybody in this locker room.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Mitchell, you gotta be proud, Richard. I am, and you
know what I am proud about. I was just at
the Brightling store, you know, this week, flashing off my
Honolulu Blue Brightling and I'm pretty sure Jamir Gibbs has
got to match in one of these. And they said,
the Detroit Lions Brightlings have sold out, my friend. But
if you yeah, Richard, that's how hot this team is

(15:33):
right now. These bad boys have sold out. But if
you are a fan of another team in the NFL
and you want one, go get you on. Brightling's doing
some special stuff with teams across the NFL. You guys
got to check them out. But Richard, this team was
laughed at. The Detroit Lions were laughed at for drafting
Jamiir Gibbs at number twelve, and Brad Holmes said he

(15:53):
would have drafted him at number six if they had
stayed there, but they chose to trade back, and they
got him at twelve and it showing why they did that.
And obviously this team is wanting to grind it out
and beat teams up between the tackles, Jamier Gibbs, They're
gonna have to lean on them quite a bit, you know,
down the stretch. They're gonna have to go to San
Francisco next week. Rich I'm Monday Night Football, and they're

(16:14):
gonna have to get another dub A redemption tour continues
in San Francisco. Make right for that NFC championship game
the Detroit Lions. They needed this win bad and they
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Speaker 3 (18:39):
But Richard, let's take it to your San Francisco forty
nine ers, another team desperate for a win on the
road in Miami. I know it's tough. I know it's tough,
and here comes the hat change, the infamous hat change
to the San Francisco forty nine Ers.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
Richard.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
This team needed it bad, they know the head coach
from the Miami Dolphins all too well. Going on the road,
especially from West coast time zone the East Coast time zone,
is not easy, and it didn't look easy out there
for the San Francisco forty nine ers at all. Today
Miami had a field day. Devon ah Chan got wild
on him for one hundred and twenty one yards. I

(19:16):
don't know what's going on with Tyreek Hill, though, Rich
I want to start there with Tyreek before we get
more into the San Francisco forty nine ers. What the
hell is going on with Tyreek Hill? He puts out
some cryptic tweet earlier today saying that I don't know
if he wants out of town, or if he wants
a coaching position, or what the hell's going on. But

(19:37):
this Tyreek Hill does not look like the Tyreek Hill
we've become accustomed to. Know what's your mindset with Tyreek?

Speaker 2 (19:45):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
I got to make some phone calls and try to
figure it out. I got some guys on that coaching staff,
but he doesn't look like the same guy. He's not
making the same impact. He looks disinteresting, and obviously you
see all the he's dropping some passes that he used
to catch, and that's outside of all the social media theatrics.

(20:07):
He's just not playing well and they're winning almost in
spite of him and his performances. To a tunnel Billow
of twenty two of thirty four two fifteen one touchdown,
no interceptions, But they need more out of him, and
they're starting to lead on guys like Jon new Smith
who's had six catches for sixty two yards, a couple
of crucial catches in that game. But Devon a Chan

(20:29):
also six catches for seventy yards. You know, starting to
become a real factor in the passing game. This was
a tough one to watch. And I'm not sure what's
going on with Tyreek Hill, but they didn't need him.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
They didn't need him today.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Their defense put enough pressure on this, on this San
Francisco offense that that's gonna have to be a point of.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Of concern this offseason.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Like even with Trent Williams coming back, the rest of
this offensive line needs to be talked about. It needs
to be addressed like there should not be there shouldn't.
I mean, unless we get rid of a couple guys,
there should not be another position that they focus on
more than the offensive line. And I know you can't
just draft them one, two, three, four, five, six, but
that's what I would do. We gonna hit on one

(21:16):
of them, like I'm focusing every better free agency, every
offensive line, defensive line, the rest of it. I think
they got great guys there. Deebo had a really good
game seven catches for ninety six yards, five kids, five
rushes for twenty five yards. He looked motivated, He looked passionate.
He looked like a guy trying to prove a point,
trying to make up. He literally caught the same pass

(21:38):
that he dropped last week versus the Rams and took
it for a touchdown. You could see fight, fight through
everything to get that touchdown. Had another big play on
a third down that got called back because of an
illegal formation that really frustrated Kyle Shanahan. But at this point,
this season is a wrap. Guys are playing for a
pride and playing to see who really wants to be

(22:00):
on this team next year. Draft position is gonna matter.
Obviously they got this game against Detroit and they finish
it off against the Arizona Cardinals. But now you gotta
focus on where you're draft and I think they're eleventh
right now in draft order.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
And then you need a right tackle.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
You're gonna need a right tackle that's not no if
sands or but no discussion, no nothing, a right tackle.
You need to figure out a center, maybe in the
second round, a young center that can get you know,
has an anchor smart.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
There's plenty of them in a big ten.

Speaker 1 (22:32):
Somewhere to find them, maybe one in the SEC, find
a center, and then maybe find a guard and free agency,
it looks like you have one in Poony. You got
to put a competition out there at left guard and
the rest of it. I think you feel good about
the pieces coming back, but that offensive line needs to
be the number one, number two, and number three priority

(22:54):
this offseason. If you're gonna pay this quarterback all the
money you're gonna have to pay him, or if they
decide to franch or whatever they're gonna do, you want
to keep him up right. You want to keep him
up right so that he can be the playmaker that
he has been.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
This year.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
He's been under a lot more drest, He's been using
his legs more, He's had to leave the pocket more
often than not. It hasn't been great, and a lot
of a lot of it is because the offensive line
hasn't been strong, and without Trent it's looked even worse.
Jalen Moore came out and now it looks Spencer Buford
went to left tackle and it was a rough game

(23:31):
in that regard. They put a lot of pressure. Jordan
Brooks had a sack, Zack Seeler had a sack, Chop
Robinson had a sack, and on the opposite side, the
San Francisco for nine Ers defense had no sacks. And
that's another concern because to what some of I Loowa
is one of the quarterbacks that gets the ball out
quick because of his concussion issues, because of the things
that he's had to deal with. But you got to

(23:54):
find a way to get home when receivers are covered up.
You got to find a way to get turnovers. You
got to find a way to impact this game. And
there's no sacks, no turnovers in his game. That's a
point of concern, But I think they got the right
pieces in place. Obviously, gotta get green Law healthier him
and Fred you might have to find another pass rusher
and free agency. I know, obviously Javon Hargrave is a

(24:17):
guy they paid a lot of money who hasn't been
able to play. You know, injury took him out of
the lineup. But that's somewhere else you're gonna have to
address after further after the offensive line, because there has
been a lot of investment in defensive line. Again, are
Karmstead was a big deal guys he was doesn't always
show up on the stat sheet, and sure he missed

(24:39):
some games, but when he's in there, he makes an
incredible impact on and off the stat sheet, and you're
missing that.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
The Forest Buckter got traded away a couple years ago.

Speaker 1 (24:48):
I'm sure they'll they'll look to maybe have a conversation
within Indianapolis Colts and see if they can bring him home.
Perhaps that'd be a good move to make. But right now,
this team is playing for a pride. Get through the
end of the year healthy. There's not a positive lot
of positives that come out of this game only scoring
seventeen points, kicker misses another kick. I think that's gonna

(25:12):
be a position they have to address. I think it
should be. Jake Moody should not be going feeling comfortable
about his job next season. I think there needs to
be a competition all offseason long. There should not be
comfort at the kicker spot. He did not play well enough.
Regardless of draft position. You have to bring kickers in
here because that is a position where guys are a
lot more efficient and reliable than he has been this season.

(25:32):
And I know you can talk about injury, you can
talk about this you can talk about that, but this
is the National Football League, and I'm sorry, the margin
peer in that position is a lot less than every
other position because of what it means, what it takes,
like it's so much harder to do every other position. Now,
it's not saying kicker is an easy position, but there

(25:53):
are guys that become kickers a few years before they
come into the National Football League and do the job
at a high level. Very few other positions in the
National Football League you can just kind of learn as
you go, kick a few balls and then become an
NFL kicker. That's You're not becoming an NFL corner that way,
you know, just coming, Hey, I've never played played sport,

(26:13):
but let me get out here, cover a couple guys
and see what I got. Like, that position is gonna
need to be addressed because again in this game, this
game could have been a lot closer with a made kick.
You know, I think that changes the trajectory, changes the
thinking during some of these drives. But you're missing kicks consistently,
you know, it's almost like you're so unreliable. That's the
only thing that's reliable about it is that you you're

(26:36):
probably gonna miss, and you don't want to have that.
You don't want to have that mindset going in as
a coach when you're kicking field goals, You don't. You
don't want to feel like you have to go forward.
And Kyle doesn't take that on and take that mentality
on and just go for it every time. But if
you have a more reliable kicker these out some of
these outcomes would be different. So that's something that they're
gonna have to address again. The forty nine ers host

(26:57):
the Lions next week in a game that the Lions
are highly motivated for and I don't know if San
Francisco is as motivated, but they'll have to go out
there and deal with the Detroit Lions. The Detroit Lions
or got something on their minds.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
They do.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
And you talked about playing for pride, Richard, That's what
San Francisco forty nine ers are playing for his pride.
And I asked them to play for one pride, you know,
my Detroit Lions. Let's play for one pride here and
let's let's help the Detroit Lion secure that one seed
in the NFC. Richard, you can't fault the forty nine
ers for draft and make Jake Moody. He was a

(27:31):
stud at U of M. But you do have to
question John Lynch's deciding to draft him in the third round,
especially if you give up so much draft capital to
move up and get Trey Lance, which has proven to
be one of the bigger blunders in recent NFL. You
know history here, Richard. I don't mean to put you

(27:51):
on the spot, but in my role here, I got
to put you on the spot. If you're John Lynch,
how do you handle this rock Pretty situation in the
office season, Because this is a turning point of this franchise,
whether you want it to be or not. You pay
the man, you franchise them. You have so many other
positions of need at this point. The championship window is
not closed in San Francisco. We've already talked about that,

(28:15):
But the big question is brock party. Richard Truman put
your GM hat on. How do you handle the brock
Pretty situation in San Francisco this offseason?

Speaker 1 (28:23):
Well, they're gonna they're gonna pay him, and we pay them.
You obviously are gonna have to make some other decisions,
probably restructure Fred, extend him something along those lines. Same
thing with George. Guys that you want here, Guys that
do things the right way, you know. I hope people
don't take that the wrong way. Restructure doesn't mean take
money away or less money or anything like that. It

(28:45):
will likely be in an extension and longer contracts for
these guys, pushing their money out further, which will make
their cap hits less for this year, which will change
the way that you you know, either make them less
for this year or make them more for this year
so that Brock's hits can be bigger later on you
figure out what the number is with Brock. Obviously, there's

(29:07):
going to be a lot of guaranteed money in this deal.
I hear people talking about the three for one hundred
that I think Kirk signed. Who's signed a three four oh,
Baker Mayfield signed. It's not going to be anything like that,
And I don't think Sam Donalds is going to be
anything like that. I think I don't think Sam donald

(29:27):
signs for anything less than one hundred and fifty million dollars.
But that's just me, and I definitely don't think Brock
Party signs for anything less than one hundred and fifty
million dollars.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
Guaranteed, that'll probably be low end of it.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
I think they'll they'll make a decision about Javon Hargrave
what they want to do there, whether there's a salary
reduction or a cut, depending on what the number looks
like the June first option, I think they'll look to
either extend or renegotiate to our various ward. There's a
number of things they can do to get the money
where it needs to be to have availability. This is

(30:03):
not again the people talk about the window being closed.
It's nowhere near closed. And that's why they've managed it
the way they have. That's why they structured these things
the way they have, and I'm sure they'll leave themselves
room to move maneuver going forward. Obviously, Deebo has another
year on his contract, Brandon Ayuk will come back hopefully
healthy next season. You just extended Christian McCaffrey, so I

(30:24):
think that'll they'll leave that there. But I think again,
offensive line will be the thing that they focus on
this this offseason, like it has to be through both
free agency and the draft. You have to address that
and you have to address it in a big way.
He can't just be like, hey, we just We're just
gonna put guys out there and whoever you need talented
guys out there. We've it hasn't been good enough at

(30:46):
the center position. It hasn't been good enough at the
right tackle position, hasn't been necessarily good enough at the
left guard. The right guard showed promise, especially early on
in the season, showed showed that he could be a
really capable player. Obviously, you know it's his first year.
We expect you know, him to be better next year,
and you expect things to get better with time. But
the rest of the positions need to be addressed in

(31:08):
a big way, and you have to find a way
to do that young. You have to find some young
guys to get it done. That's how you continue to
keep this championship window open. I know everybody wants to
sit there and dive off, to jump off the deep
end and say.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
The windows closed all this loss. It's not. It's not.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
These guys are really talented team still, it's just been
a bad year and a bad offensive line. They're gonna
make some changes. They're gonna get healthier, and they're going
to go in next year with a different hunger and
a different mentality and you're going to see a different team.
And I expect this team to be a team that
can competes next year for the Super Bowl, competes to
be at top of this division. Obviously. You know this

(31:48):
division is still up for grams. If the Rams win
next week against Arizona, I think that that pretty much
locks it up for them, you know, in regardless of
what happens in Seattle. But uh, against the Seattle Seahawks
at the end of the year. But that's the story
for a different day. But I don't think this window
is closed. I think this is still a really talented team.

(32:08):
I think they needed a reset. I think this a
lot of things have been weighing on them. A lot
of the contract issues earlier in the season, a lot
of the things coming in with holdouts multiple years in
a row, deep playoff runs every single season, disappointment, hurt, frustration.
These are humans, and so a reset, you know what
I mean, A good stern like understanding band, a man

(32:32):
conversations happening in this locker room. I think this team
comes back with a renewed vigor, a renewed intensity, and
ready to compete. And I think John Lynch will say
the same thing. I think Kyle Shanahan will say the
same thing. I look forward to seeing what they do
next year and what they do in this all season,
because right now, you know, it's not much to say
it's this season has been a disappointment on a lot

(32:54):
of on a lot of on a lot of levels.
I'm sure by both the staff, the fans, the players,
nobody expected this. But I don't think this is a
reflection of how this is gonna be or what the
future is gonna hold. You gotta remember, this will be
the first year in a number of years that this
team isn't in an NFC championship game or Super Bowl,

(33:15):
So give them a break.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
It happens.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Like you said, this roster is littered with Pro Bowl veterans,
and once they get healthy, the San Francisco forty nine
Ers are still going to be a championship caliber team.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
It's time to take a look at this weekend's tastiest
matchups in a segment we're calling Sunday Night food Ball,
brought to you by Uber Eats. You know what game
it is. It's the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Washington Commanders.
Philadelphia roared out to a commanding lead. They were up
twenty seven to fourteen. At one point it looked like

(33:51):
this game again, Washington was pushing out of their weight
class and Philadelphia is gonna walk away with this division again.
In walk away with this win, you know, showed them
who's the boss, et cetera, et cetera. But jayde and
Daniels flipped the switch and really got after it. The
Commanders won this game. He threw five touchdowns despite the

(34:14):
five turnovers they had on offense, which should have doomed them.
It should have doomed them, obviously, your Lions or Detroit
Lions or the other only other team this season to
win a game after turning the ball over five times,
that's just crazy, But sometimes it's your year. The Commanders
only had nine turnovers before this game, and so to

(34:38):
have five in one game.

Speaker 2 (34:41):
Was crazy.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
But Saquon had a great first quarter seven carries for
one hundred and nine yards. I think he had a
seventy yard run for a touchdown, and again he looked
like the MVP to Philadelphia. Eagles looked like they were
doing what they've done majority of this season, playing great defense,
taking the ball away and Saquon Barkley feeding him. They

(35:02):
lost Jalen Hursts early on to a concussion. Can he
picket through an interception a couple drives later? But after
that he looked like they settled in. He continued to
do what they have been doing, feed aj Brown. They
targeted him fifteen times, only targeted everybody else ten times.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
So yeah, I guess you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
The love it, Richard. I had to love it. The
squeaky will gets the oil, Mitchell.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
And you know what this this marks the return of
is Kenny Pickett?

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Yes he can, Yes he can, Kenny Pickett, Yes he can,
Yes he can't throw a Yes he can, Yes he can, Mitchell.
You knew Kenny Pickett was gonna throw a pick, but
he played solid.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
You know.

Speaker 1 (35:50):
I think after that interception they played a lot more
conservatively with him.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (35:54):
He only threw the ball twenty four times for one
hundred and forty three yards, the one touchdown, the one
interception only completed it to three receivers. And Davonte Smith
had had a really critical drop in this game that
was uncharacteristic. That was one of those players I'm sure
he wants back. That could have gave them a chance
to win this game, Red Blankenship had an interception.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
CJ.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Gardner Johnson had the interception got kicked out of the
game for a play I kind of I don't really
really know what happened, and I don't really know if
I agree with it. Nobody really explained it to me,
and I gotta I gotta go back and look and
see if they got a better explanation postgame of what happened.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
But it looked like he got his helmet mushed off, and.

Speaker 1 (36:42):
I know the reffle was standing right there, so whatever
he said was worthy of an unsportsmanlike penalty. But then
it gets your helmet mushed off and the other guy
not get anything. I just didn't get that. I know
life is hard enough on defensive players, and yes, I'm biased,
just like everybody. The whole world is biased for offensive players,
so nobody gotta be biased the other way. It's disgusting.

(37:03):
And some of those PI calls, That's another thing. Those
PI calls on Latimer will absolute horseshit, absolute horseshit. I'm
so tired of this game getting so soft and ridiculous
and people having an audacity to complain about it, Like,
how are those pis like, if the receiver's physical, then
you have to let the dB at least defend himself

(37:26):
from it.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
Don't be praising these receivers for being all man. He's
so physical, he's so strong.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
You look how physical is at the catch point and
you see him pushing the corner in the neck and
pushing him off and grabbing him by the collar. And
then when the corner gets his hands off of him,
you're like, oh my god, you can't grab him.

Speaker 2 (37:46):
That's illegal. You can't grab him. What about him grabbing
me by the neck while running this route?

Speaker 1 (37:50):
Because everything's acceptable for a receiver to do, but there's
nothing acceptable for a corner to do. Let the boys play.
Let the boys or call off. And if you're not
gonna call and you gotta let the boys play. I'm
tired of these penalties that they're calling, almost back to
back to back, punishing corners for covering these receivers when

(38:12):
they're quote unquote physical, and it's like, I don't know
what you want them to do. You want to stay
close to him while he's getting pushed around and not
grab him back. It's like, have you ever been punched
in a face and then just kept getting punched in
the face, and then they're like, hey, don't worry, we'll
we'll if he punched it in the face one more time,
we'll we'll say something they're not And it's hard to

(38:32):
play that way, I got, you know, I mean, he
has a team to play for. Thank god that Washington
Commanders were able to come out with a win because
those penalties were those were disappointed, to say.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
The least, no question about it. And and Richard, I,
I know I've followed you for my for your entire career,
and I too, am biased, but objectively speaking, I think
it's hard to argue against the fact that cornerback position
is the hardest position to play in all of sports.
You are expected to go against these top flight athletes

(39:05):
that can do anything they want after five yards right,
they can do anything they want. They can hand fight you,
they can shove you, they can do anything they want,
and if you lay a fingertip upon them, you're getting
a flag thrown at you. It's getting ridiculous. Kudos to
the Washington Commanders and this is a huge win for them.
It seemed that the trajectory their season had plateaued, right.

(39:29):
It was this beautiful crescendo of oh my god, Jayden
Daniels is the second coming of CJ. Stroud, And then
all of a sudden, it was like, okay that that
rookie wall kind of was hit. And now to see
them take this win, albeit without Jalen Hurts on the
opposing side of the field. I mean, that's a huge injury.
Let's not undersell that. I mean, Jalen Hurts going out

(39:52):
impacted this game mightily. The Philadelphia Eagles had this game
in control prior to that injury, and kudou kudos to
the future gold jacket wearing middle linebackers. One of the
goats in the game, Bobby Wagner with a huge pass
breakup on Saquon Barkley late in that contest. Bobby poked
that ball out Saquon's arms, was a dime Toquon falling

(40:15):
to the ground, Bobby smacked it out. You gotta give
a shout out to one of your best buds, Rich
Bobby Wagner keeping it rolling here with the Washington Commanders
bias aside, I know your buddies are Bobby's. How much
fear would you have playing Washington Week one? If you
are say the Minnesota Vikings say, the Detroit Lions, say

(40:39):
the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
Well you have you gotta have a little bit of
fear because the quarterback has no none. And that's the
thing about young quarterbacks that you gotta you gotta be
careful with because they don't know any better. Older veteran
quarterbacks getting there and they panic. Sometimes they don't play well,
they throw the game away because they're thinking too much.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
They're like paralys is buy analysis.

Speaker 1 (41:05):
But young guys sometimes not all the time, because obviously
there's young guys that go to the playoffs and go
home and it's like, hey, good try. You a young
quarterback and you learned. But if you're not playing against
a really crazy elite or a complex scheme like Flores
or like Todd Bowles who's going to give you a
lot of crazy, exotic looks in the playoffs, I give

(41:29):
him a puncher's chance because you got a young quarterback
who can be really efficient and can catch fire like
he did in this game against the Philadelphia Equals, that
isn't scared of the moment. You got veteran receivers Zakias
who had two touchdowns today. Obviously Terry McLaurin, who can
get the job done. Set the franchise record for receiving
touchdowns with twelve this year, but has this fifth straight,

(41:50):
fifth consecutive thousand yard season.

Speaker 2 (41:53):
They can get it done. A veteran tight end and
zach Ertz, a defense.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
That is getting a little bit better and learning to
play together, and got a lot better by getting a
cornerback that they needed. I think they're going to be
a team that, if they get the right matchups, it's
gonna be a mail bider for one of these teams.

Speaker 3 (42:12):
That has been this week's Sunday Night Foodball, brought to
you by our friends and partners at uber eats, the
official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Uber eat
says the best game day deals all season long. Order.
Now for game day, let's talk about the Bills.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
Today.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
They play the lowly New England Patriots. They get down
fourteen points early, and they narrowly escape defeat against a
division rival or suld. You've played in this year, this
league a number of years, and you know how big
division foes and opponents are. But riddle me this, how
in the world does this Buffalo Bills team go on

(42:51):
the road against Detroit, beat one of the best, if
not the best team in the NFL on their home turf,
return back home as a fourteen point favorite against the
lowly New England Patriots and have a dog fight, and
not to mention, you know, Josh Allen doesn't look like
the second coming of an MVP candidate. He looks more
like that what was the quarterback Peterman that played with

(43:14):
the Buffalo Bills. It looks more like the second coming
of Peterman with the Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 2 (43:20):
I just I don't get it with this. How does
this happen?

Speaker 3 (43:24):
Because the Buffalo Bills to me, looked like the team
to beat after last Sunday and now they just look
like a good team slash decent team. They still come
out with a w. But Richard, it did not come
without a tremendous fight against a three to one Patriots team.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
Complacency and human nature.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
You know, they knew they had this Detroit game schedule,
they had it circled, they got hyped for it, they
got up for it. They gave everything they had and
then you look up and you say a New England
Patriots say they've they're a three win team, like we
can take it easy here. And although you know you
may say all the right things in the media, you
may say all the right things in practice, you may

(44:04):
practice regular Clearly, your performance says you overlooked him. Clearly,
your performance says you didn't respect him. You didn't think
they would be an opponent that would give you a challenge.
And this was a game Josh Allen needed to beat
Josh Allen and he wasn't and his defense stepped up enough,
made enough plays to help him get the win. And
I know Buffalo fans are sitting there arguing in my

(44:26):
comments every week, he's the MVP. How do you not
think you how do you think anything else? Because games
like this, because games like this happen, and when they happen,
you question it. You question like, hey, Throe for one
hundred and fifty four, one hundred and fifty one yards
this game, a touchdown in an interception, ran it for
twenty eight yards, did enough to win the game. Sure,

(44:48):
but you keep saying he has no help when Cook
had eleven carries for one hundred and.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Ten yards in this game.

Speaker 1 (44:54):
And so when they say he doesn't have any help,
he doesn't have any running backs, he doesn't have anybody
behind him.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
And you look up and.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
Cook is having one hundred yard games after one hundred
yard games, and you're like, wait a minute, now, wait
a minute, is it no help or.

Speaker 2 (45:10):
Is it helped?

Speaker 1 (45:10):
Because his defense is playing pretty well. Sometimes they didn't
play well against Detroit because they gave up forty two points,
but they played well in this game when he had
to have it, you know, when they had to have stops,
when they had to get stops, they got them. They
helped this team to twenty one points. Now, it's not
a great team. They were down fourteen oh at one point,
but games like this MVPs are one in December. And

(45:37):
if you looked up and Joe Burrow doesn't have a chance,
but his numbers, his numbers say it should they're silly.
His numbers say it should have a chance. They don't
have a chance, But then his numbers say he should
have a chance. He is thirty nine touchdowns, passing eight interceptions,

(45:58):
forty two hundred yards. Those are MVP numbers any other season.
He still has two games to go.

Speaker 3 (46:06):
Let me paint a picture for you, Richard, because the Bengals.
I'm here to tell you, guys, the Bengals are not
out of the playoff picture just yet. They got a
glimmer of hope. They play the Denver Broncos next week,
and then they need the Broncos to lose against the
Kansas City Chiefs. If the Bengals can win out and
the Broncos lose out, Richard, dare I say Joe Burrow

(46:27):
has a shot at the MVP after all, if they
sneak into this playoffs.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
You may not say that, Mitchell, because he does not.
I wish, I wish I would be with you, Mitchell,
I would be with you, but he does not.

Speaker 1 (46:40):
That is not enough for an MVP unless I mean
his numbers would have to be really really really really really.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
Really really really really really insane.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
But really, Richard, but they have been really really really
really really really insane up to this point. So that's
my point. If he can bring this team back and
sneak them into the playoffs, no one's gonna want to
play Cincinnati round one. If they can sneak in, absolutely
no one. And so how can you tell me with

(47:12):
these really really really insane stats that Joe Burrow is
putting up that he will not have the I do
I dare Go, Tony Romo, GM Richard Richard, Are you sure,
Joe Burrow? I mean give him, give him a shooter shot.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
Here, because this is why, Mitchell, because there are very
few quarterbacks any I gotta look at it. I don't
think a quarterback has had thirty five plus touchdowns in
under five interceptions thrown on the season like Lamar Jackson has.
And knock going it, Mitchell. It hasn't happened yet. It's

(47:54):
gonna happen this year because they keep telling me Josh
Allen's gonna win it. And last year they told me
Lamar was gonna win it. When I said, how, and
I'm saying with Josh Allen, how like I want you
I know you guys want the numbers to be numbering,
but they're not. Lamar Jackson is a second in touchdown passes,
a second in yards four interceptions on the season. How

(48:18):
and I think he has forty total maybe forty one
total touchdowns?

Speaker 3 (48:23):
How?

Speaker 2 (48:24):
How can he not get it? Menchell? How can he
not get it?

Speaker 1 (48:27):
Actually has forty total touchdowns, So let me not misquote
because I know how they are. So he has forty
total touchdowns, thirty seven of them passing thirty seven hundred
passing yards, which will probably end up being forty three
hundred or so. He'll likely get to forty or so
touchdown passes. So if he gets to forty, let's call

(48:48):
it if he has two and two forty one. If
he throws for forty one touchdown passes and only has
four or five interceptions and they're the three seed, you're
telling me that's not the MVP of the league. If
you're telling me that, then you gotta show me the
numbers that support that, because all I keep hearing is
look at the tape, look at the eye test. Well,

(49:09):
is I am I still taking the eye test because
I watched the game today and that eye test didn't
look as good that eye test that you're not passing
that test by my eye, Like, that's not an MVP.
And if it has to be every week either, it's
like because now the goalports are gonna move for people.
They're gonna tell me that it has to be record,

(49:31):
But record matters when you're the one seat, Like it
matters if you're gonna be the one seed in the conference.
If you're not the one seat, then you're just everybody else.
You're playing a playoff game. You're playing in a wildcard
just like everybody else, So that really doesn't differentiate you
that much. Lamar was the one seed, that's why he

(49:51):
got it. His record had him as in his team
as the one seat, clearly the best team. And when
they had to have that game against the San Francisco
forty nine ers that everybody circled and needed him to
have a big game, he had a great game. He
had he had five touchdown passes, like he had the
game he needs to have. Give him the trophy. They
gave him the trophy. Now you could say, did Josh

(50:13):
have a good game against the Detroit Lions that you
need to have? And then he uh used his used
the restroom in the bed this game of sorts. You know,
use use easier language, pick up what you're putting down.
I smell what you're saying, rich, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
smelled what he was putting out there this week. And

(50:35):
that's the difference. Like they aren't the number one seed
and they aren't the number one seed on either side.
It ain't like, oh, if they were in an NFC,
they'd be the one seed.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
They wouldn't be they'd be the three.

Speaker 1 (50:48):
You know, there's three teams, there's two teams in the
NFC North with better records than them. You're Detroit Lions,
the Minnesota Vikings, and then you got the Philadelphia Eagles
with the same record as him. So again, this isn't
even the best record in the National Football League. So
the record argument doesn't really compute. So if the eye
test doesn't compute, the numbers don't compute, what's computing. They

(51:10):
keep telling me he's breaking records, But the records I'm
seeing is Lamar Jackson is breaking records and they're gonna
continue to be broken. And again, if you just keep looking,
and they're gonna keep putting the graphic out there's a
graphic out there. Thirty five plus touchdowns under five interceptions.
MVP is what they are awarded to those players. I'm sorry,

(51:30):
Buffalo fans. That's not me making it up. That's what
it's been.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Now. Can it change? Sure doesn't make sense to change it.

Speaker 1 (51:37):
It doesn't unless Lamar Jackson does not play well over
these next two games and Josh Allen plays out of
his mind, and maybe maybe the Tennessee Chiefs lose two games,
Buffalo grabs the one seed, all everything points to Josh
Allen carrying an MVP trophy out. But if that doesn't happen,

(51:58):
and Lamar Jackson has two d games where he doesn't
throw an interception, he throws for two touchdowns, maybe runs
for one. It throws for two, runs for one again,
you're gonna have a hard argument saying a guy with
forty six total touchdowns and two interceptions, i mean four
interceptions doesn't deserve the MVP.

Speaker 3 (52:17):
I'm sorry, we shall see, Richard. There's a couple of
games left here and it's still a battle for that MVP.
Let's talk a little bit about the New York Football Jets,
not the Giants, and the LA Rams. Vegas did not
like this game so much. For the Rams, they only
favored him by three points, and we saw it potentially

(52:41):
as a trap game for the LA Rams going on
the road again, going across coast to a very cold
environment in New York and the j e Ts Jets
Jets Jets looked like the team to beat early on,
and kudos to this LA Rams team being able to
pull it off.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
In the fourth quarter.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
He saw Tyler Higbee come back. Thank god he's back
after the devastating knee injury he took in Detroit last
year with the game winning touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.
This marks four wins in a row five of six
for the La Rams. This La Rams team is getting
hot at the right time, similar to how they did
last year. How much do you believe in the La Rams?

(53:24):
You know entering this playoffs in the NFC with the
Detroit Lions injured, the Philadelphia Eagles facing adversity late in
the season with Jalen Hurts going down with a concussion. Obviously,
the Minnesota Vikings still playing competitive, But can we throw
the La Rams hat in the ring as true contenders
in the NFC?

Speaker 1 (53:44):
Well, give Chris Shula a lot of credit for taking
the lowest paid defense in the National Football League and
making something out of it. You know, hild their last
two opponents under ten points back to back weeks. It's
impressive to do that. Shout out to a Kello. Witherspoon
made some really good plays this week and last week,

(54:07):
playing out of his mind, starting to play like the
guy that I think everybody in San Francisco knew he
could be anytimes.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
Stafford's in it. All bets are off with me. Mitchell.

Speaker 1 (54:18):
I'm not betting on that game. I'm not betting against them.
I'm not betting Witty because he gonna he gonna make
it shake. And the way Pokin Naku is playing, the
way Cooper Cup continues to play, and if they if
they find a way to get to to that well
out there as much as they can, they can do
something cool.

Speaker 2 (54:37):
Tyler Higbee's back.

Speaker 1 (54:38):
That's a guy who who Stafford has liked and during
his time in in LA obviously Kyern Williams and the
way he's been running the ball. If they're playing good
defense and offensively scheming it up like they have, anything's
possible in these playoffs. And none of these teams look
totally unbeatable. None of these teams look like their world beaters.

(55:02):
They run into the right matchup, they can find a way, Mitchell.
They run into the Minnesota Vikings in the first round.
Who knows, they'll be at home, you know, if they
can win this division, they'll be at home in LA
playing the Minnesota Vikings. They're not having to go to Elements.
You put Stafford in that stadium, and so far, anything's possible, Mitchell.

(55:27):
And they're playing good defense, they believe you know, they
got the underdog mentality. They're playing with house money. Why
not Saturday we had two showcase games. I mean, the
NFL couldn't have dreamed up two better games to have
on this Saturday slate. Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston
Texans was the first one, and Mahomes supposedly had a

(55:49):
high ankle sprain. Everyone was saying, oh my gosh, he's
so bruised and battered, and you know the Houston Texans
are going to take advantage of them, et cetera, et cetera.

Speaker 3 (55:59):
It certainly didn't look like it out there. Patrick Mahomes
at one of his better games in the season in
terms of just controlling this game early and often. He
threw for two hundred and sixty yards at a rushing
TV early in this game. He got if you're worthy
involved heavily, you hate to see Tank Dell go out
with the injury he did. Houston Texans are just battling

(56:20):
injuries in their wide receiving corps. You're hearing rumors that
Odell Beckham Junior might join that fold.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
We shall see. But the Chiefs just keep.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
On winning and winning and winning and winning and winning
and say it with me, Richard and winning. They just
they cannot find a way to lose.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
Richard.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
What's it gonna take to beat this Kansas City Chiefs team.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
And it's gonna take some pass rushers. It's gonna take
not missing sacks on Patrick Mahomes. It's gonna take mistake
free football. And you know they've they've moved Toney out
to left tackle. They switched Colleendo into guard to replace Tony,
and they're shuffling this offensive line to make things work,
but you see it's creating more issues. They're getting more

(57:07):
interior pressure from the defense than they used to give
up with Tony on the inside. So I think they're
gonna have the teams are gonna have to get home,
and it's gonna take high Smith, TJ. Watt, Cam Hayward,
Preston Smith to really show what is capable, what teams
can be capable of if they attack these tackles and
find a way to win inside and not miss sacks

(57:30):
on Patrick Mahomes. Obviously, that ankle isn't in two out
of shape. He ran a lot this game. He used
his legs a lot, He got out of bounds, he
got himself to safety. There's a little bit of limping,
but he had thirty three rush yards. He had the
rushing touchdown from pick at least fifteen yards out. Took
a hit in that got up, kept going. Kareem Hunt

(57:51):
eleven carries fifty five yards in the touchdown.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
Xavier' Worthy. They found ways to get him the ball
in the run game.

Speaker 1 (57:57):
In the past game, our guy for End of the Program,
Trent McDuffie, back to back games with an interception. Congress
to him. I told him we'd have him back if
he got another. If he got his first interception, He's
got two, so we got to get him on the schedule.
We got to talk about it before these playoffs. They
gonna get to buy so maybe we can get to
catch them in the bye week. Jayden Hicks also had
an interception, but I think c J. Stroud and Houston

(58:19):
Texans played a really good game. They just ran out
of steam. They emotions got to him. When Tank Dale
had that tragic injury that looked horrible and don't ever
replay it.

Speaker 2 (58:29):
I don't want to see it. You know, I think
that took their hearts.

Speaker 1 (58:33):
You know, they continue to go out there and play
but football's emotional game when you care about people that
you're playing with, and I think that took an emotional
toll on this team, especially on the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
You could see him visibly hurt and frustrated by it.
That matters. I'm sorry.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
I know how much people want want these people to
be robots, but they're not. They're not robots. They're human,
human beings. And you could see the connection and the
camaraderie and the brotherhood that he and Tankdale have had.
I think he was a big reason that the Houston
Texans drafted Tankdale. I think they've developed a friendship. Obviously,
he cares about that human being a tremendous amount. He

(59:10):
felt like he put him in harm's way. Tank Deal
did everything he could to bring that pass in to
at least make it a touchdown without the major injury.
We still haven't got a lot of information on that,
but things like that take an emotional toll on the team,
you know, and they can send you one way and
you go out there and fight for your teammate. But
I think they sent this young team into shock a
little bit. Obviously, Nico Collins coming back has helped them.

(59:33):
Tankdale had six catches for ninety eight yards in a
touchdown before he left. They're gonna find have to find
a way to replace that kind of production. Obviously, you
just said Odell Beckham Junior might be called. I'm not
sure if he has what he used to have in
the tank, but it'll be better than what they have
without Tankdale, without Stefan Diggs, who they came into the
season with.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
They're gonna need some help to get some of that
production back.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
But your prayers up to Tankdale and hoping that he
could get that fixed and that he comes out and
heals quickly and is able to get back out there
playing a game that he loves, because that was a
devastating injury.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
C J. Stroud was visibly shaken up, and that changes
the complexity of the game.

Speaker 1 (01:00:18):
Chiefs have now won sixteen straight one possession games. I
told you, Mitchell, they could go they could get put
out in Divisional, or they could win the Super Bowl
by a field goal walking off. You don't really know.

Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
They found a way to win every other game at
this point. It's not luck. They got a system and
they're executing.

Speaker 3 (01:00:39):
No question, and they get Hollywood Brown back here soon.
I see they activate them off Ir at least activated
his practice window. We'll see how that transpires. Both of
these teams are going to be playing on Christmas Day.
They only got a couple of days to recover. Chiefs
had Steelers, the Texans hosts the Ravens. It's going to
be an awesome Christmas Richard. Let's talk a little bit

(01:01:01):
about that Baltimore Ravens Steelers game. This game was tight,
It could have gone either way, and then you talked
about it. Lamar Jackson kind of took over late and
ultimately blew this game wide open. The Baltimore Ravens go
home of victor thirty four to seventeen.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
But it was tied.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
You know, it was tied early in the second half,
and the Pittsburgh overcame some adversity down ten late in
that first half and ultimately tied it up. But Baltimore
comes away the victor. To me, this Baltimore team is
starting a fire at the right time because you look
at Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the maturity is a

(01:01:40):
flowers he and Mark Andrews is finally healthy, and Isaiah
likely there's so many contributors to this Ravens team. I
would be putting some money on Baltimore to come away
with the AFC crown. I really like what they've got
going here, and to take down a division FO that
is really beaten up on him quite a bit. The
Ravens have beat the Steelers just twice in the last

(01:02:01):
ten games, and for them to double them up this
Saturday was impressive to me. Richard, how much do you
like the Ravens right now?

Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
I really like them and I like what they're doing
because they're running Derrick Henry. He had twenty four carries
for one hundred and sixty two yards. And I said
this earlier in the season.

Speaker 2 (01:02:19):
Run it. That's the formula. Obviously.

Speaker 1 (01:02:21):
Lamar Jackson makes his impact throws the football all around
the yard. He has this impact running it when he
has to. Dereck Henry twenty plus carries, twenty plus carries.
I believe they have a high probability to winning that game.
It's not fool proof, you know, you still have to
do other things right. They still needed to play good defense,
and they did. Marlon Humphries, who's having an All Pro

(01:02:41):
season even despite missing a couple of games, having an
All Pro season, had a thirty seven yard pick six
that blew this game open. Russell had the fumble and
the red zone on an incredible run on an incredible
scramble that took points off the board. The last nine
games have been decided by seven points. Are fewer between
these teams. This game obviously seventeen point win by the

(01:03:04):
Baltimore Ravens. A lot of it came because of those turnovers.
But a guy that's made a lot of money by
not playing George Pickens, George Pickens. This offense has averaged
nineteen points a game the three weeks without George Pickens.
George Pickens is out with a hamstring, and sometimes your

(01:03:25):
value shows when you're not there. Sometimes absence makes the
heart grow fonder. And I don't think Pittsburgh fans could
be any more fond of George Pickens than they are
right now because they know how much they need him
in order for this offense to go. I think they
appreciate the way he impacts the game a lot more

(01:03:47):
right now than they ever have before. And they're gonna
need him healthy in the playoffs to make a run
because they're stumbling. And they have a game in three
days against the Kansas City Chiefs, and I think hopefully
he's back.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
For that game.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
I think that's going to be a doll fight even
if he is back, because the Kansas City Chiefs are
trying to lock up home field advantage so they can
rest Patrick Mahons in that ankle for two weeks before
they have a divisional game.

Speaker 2 (01:04:12):
But their d line isn't going to just give up.
Alex Hedge Smith had a sack in this game.

Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
He had a lot of pressures over there on Ronnie Staley,
but Minka Fitzpatrick had an interception.

Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
Their defense is still capable of getting things done.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
The things that make Russell Wilson really picture perfect for
this offense is when their running game is reliable with
Naji Harris and Jalen Warren and he's able to drop back,
push the ball down the field, play mistake free football,
don't give the ball to the other team, and they
can win these games. But when you turn the ball over,
you throw a pick six, you fumble the ball in

(01:04:50):
your red zone, that's when these games can get out
of hand. So again, I think they understand the formula.
He understands the formula. You got to take care of
the football they got to be able to run the
ball better than they did this game, and defensively, they
got to give him a few more cracks at it. Obviously,
the Menka Fitzpatrick interception was one, but they need another
one and that's going to be their formula for win

(01:05:10):
any these playoffs and getting upset. But you're right, Baltimore
Ravens are playing as good as anyone right now, and
that AFC is up for grabs. I don't think you
feel like the Kansas City Chiefs are a juggernaut. I
don't feel like the Buffalo Bills are a juggernaut. I
don't think the Baltimore Ravens are afraid of to go
to Buffalo and run the ball and play in the
cold to frigid. I don't think they're scared to going

(01:05:31):
to Kansas City and playing a fridge of coal. I
think they're more than likely going to have to go
to Buffalo to seeing at how things are gonna shake.

Speaker 2 (01:05:38):
Out right now.

Speaker 1 (01:05:40):
But I think Baltimore would be favored in that game
with Derrick Henry and what he's been able to do,
and you know, depending on how Buffalo ends this season.

Speaker 3 (01:05:50):
Well, Richard, we're almost at the finish side of this
regular season. Week sixteen is almost over. I will let
you sign us off my front.

Speaker 1 (01:06:00):
Well, it's been a great week, a great weekend of football.
Thank you guys for joining us as always, whether you
stay for a minute, an hour, or the entire thing,
we sincerely appreciate you. I hope you have a merry,
very merry Christmas with your family and friends, eat a
lot of good food, enjoy some more football, love and

(01:06:20):
respect from the Richard Truman Podcast, we sure do appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (01:06:24):
Happy Holidays. Hit that sub button if you're new.

Speaker 1 (01:06:46):
The volume