The Rockets Should Have Seen This Coming & Will Blackmon

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:21):
you're listening to Fox Sports Radio. A happy Friday to you,
but an unhappy Friday for one team in the NBA,
plus a look ahead to week sixteen, all that more
coming up here on The Doug Gottlieb Show. Fresh off
of eight three week stint of the UK. Back in
the States is one Bucky Brooks. Bucky, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.

(00:44):
Glad to have you back in the US of A. Hey,
thanks so much for the nice, the nice, warm welcome.
It's the welcome back. He welcome back. Well, Bucky's wife
has had to do all the Christmas stuff for his family.
He was in the UK doing a lot of NFL stuff.
But we'll talk NFL. Trust me, we will so much
to get to in the next three hours. Glad to

(01:05):
have you with us in twenty minutes. You don't want
to miss it. Kyle Whittingham, head coach of the utah Utes,
will be joining us here on the Doug Gottlieb Show.
But while there's NFL to talk about in college football,
we have to start in the NBA because last night,
the Miami Heat down the Houston Rockets one oh one
to ninety nine. But it is has nothing to do
with the outcome of last night. The biggest story. The
biggest story is Chris Paul leaves the game with a

(01:28):
hamstring injury, and it's an injury that we've seen before.
With Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets now severely hampered
without their point guard who suffer the injury last night
in Miami. It's an amazing turn of events for everyone
in the Houston Rockets organization, Bucky, but not for anybody
else throughout the NBA or who watched the NBA, because

(01:49):
we saw this coming. This was something that we saw
in the Western Conference Finals last season in Game five
against the Golden State Warriors. So when Chris Paul goes
down within with a hams ring injury last night in Miami,
it is a shock to know on except seemingly the
Houston Rockets organization. Yeah, I mean, like here, here's what
happens when you are dealing with older players. And part

(02:12):
of the you know, what you worry about is when
guys get into the thirties, and particularly when they get
thirty four, thirty five years old, the injuries tend to
happen just because of the warring tear issue. And so
when the Rock has made a decision to sign Chris
Paul to a long term deal, they had to know
that this was part of the equation. And what you
try and do is you try and manage them, and

(02:32):
is trying to make sure that you get your star players,
you're older players to the finish line as healthy as
you possibly can. And I mean, I think all of
us knew that, particularly being in l A, having watched
him up and down with the Clippers, the numerous injuries
that he suffered. Uh, they should have been prepared, uh
to know that he is going to miss time. He

(02:55):
is going to be a guy that is in and
out of the lineup, and you have to have a
backup plan. And so the surprise that they may express
to me is really shocking because they should have known
that were an older player. This is some of the
stuff that you get when they already history. Well, that's
that's the part that gets me is when you looked
at the Houston Rockets off season, we pointed a lot

(03:15):
to the loss of Trevor Ariza, and we pointed to
their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, But when you really look
at the Houston Rockets, it wasn't It was a Chris
Paul injury that prevented that team from the NBA Finals.
And what do you try to do. You try to
do whatever you can to make sure that you don't

(03:36):
fall short in that same way. And what do the
Houston Rockets do instead of addressing the point guard position
or trying to figure out another way to navigate where
you still have one of the top five players in
the NBA on your team, the reigning m v P,
you have to figure out a way to surround him
with pieces that allow you to get to that point.

(03:58):
And so what they do is they put every single
one of their eggs in a basket. And it's not
even eggs from nineteen season, it's for the next three years.
Because you re up with Chris Paul on a contract
for four years that was really basically for this season.
That's what this was all about. And and now to
see this and this isn't whether Chris Paul's out two games,

(04:20):
four games, or a month. The point is is this
isn't getting better. And that's why it's so difficult for
me to try to take a look at the Houston
Rockets and say, how did you not see this coming? This?
Everybody saw this coming with Chris Paul. I understand that
you're at the doorstep, but if you're a Darryl Moore
or if you're the Houston Rockets organization, you've got to

(04:41):
figure out a way to make it work around James
Harden and they failed to do that using scotch tape
to try to put together Chris Paul and bring in
Carmelo Anthony. It's just it's it's been an awful offseason
for the Houston Rockets. It translated into the regular season
and now they are where they are and not even
a guaranteed bet to make the postseason. Yeah, I mean,
this has gone about as bad as it can go

(05:03):
for a team that was very very close to man
getting to the title, winning a title a season ago.
And so they try to bring it back, try to
keep the gang together as much as they could, Chris
Paul had some of the other veterans stay. But look,
when you take chances on older players, these are some
of the things that you have. And when you go
and you look at people's injury history and you look

(05:25):
at the things that he's had to deal with for
the majority of his career, he has been a guy
that has always missed UM sometime throughout the course of
the season, and so that typically doesn't change. You don't
get healthier as you get older, your body begins to
break down. And so for them to not have a plan,
to not know what they were um dealing with, yeah,
that's on Darryl Morey. That's on the front office for

(05:47):
not really making a sound decision. But they really didn't
have a choice because when they brought him on a
season ago, it was either you're gonna do it for
a one year deal or you're gonna lock in and
pay him big money. So they were kind of between
a rock and our place, and this is where they
are right now. Do you think that they had any
belief that Chris Paul could stay healthy this season? Do

(06:07):
you think it was just a hope, because that's that's
it to me. Like I understand, like you're you're so
close to the top of the mountain. You were two
games away from knocking off the Golden State Warrior, one
game away. They just needed one win in the final
two of that series. But to too, is it hoping?
Is it wishing that they think that this was a
legitimate plan. That's I mean, like, I mean, they were

(06:29):
hoping that if you do it, I mean right now
on the screen to have how much he's making by
age thirty three, thirty five point seven, at thirty three,
thirty eight point five or thirty four, and then it
goes over forty million at thirty five and thirty six.
That's unbelievable money for an older player and a player
who has had his history. I love him as a player,
but I also know the look. He's a smaller guy,

(06:51):
and sometimes in the league, being NBA or the NFL,
when you're dealing with smaller guys. Some of these injuries
happened from the banging the Aaron's hair and the stress
that he's put on his body to compete against bigger,
faster guys. There's another part of this that that makes
me just scratch my head because Darryl Morey was thought

(07:12):
of and he has thought of as one of the
better gms in the NBA. And two put a team
together and do so in a creative fashion has been
one of his strong suits. There aren't NBA g ms.
If you know their name, you know that they're doing something,
whether it be good or bad. You know who Darryl
Mori is, and Darryl Morria has put something together in Houston.

(07:34):
What is bothersome to me is for a guy who
is extremely intelligent and has done different things, was they
tried to use they want the easy way out because
they were so close and they thought, you know what,
if we could just get by with this, If if
he could just stay healthy, and if we add Carmelo Anthony,

(07:54):
that's gonna be enough. As long as we have this
core together, everything is going to be the same. And
I would expect someone, well the Houston Rockets to be
able to say, if you're Darryl Morris caliber, you know what,
we don't want to pay Chris Paul hundred sixty million
dollars over four years because we know in those latter
couple of years, even though we are so close, be

(08:16):
creative in how you are shaping your team around James Harden,
and it seems that the Rockets just ended up taking
the easy way out because optics wise, it would have
looked awful if you're like, we don't want to pay
Chris Paul even though we were one game away. But
it was the smart decision. Maybe with the fans it
would have been bad. I think we all understood Chris
Paul's health. I just expected almost more from Darryl Morey

(08:37):
instead of the only thing that makes it tough. You
were so close a year ago and you saw on
the floor the chemistry in connection to Chris Paul and
James Harden had like the yang and yang between both
guys that could take it off the dribble. They could
create opportunities for others. Um, the Rockets were a forced
last year with these guys. Kind of playing is one

(08:59):
A and B and so when you have a coach
and Mike D'Antoni who is like, look, these guys are
perfect fits for my system. We have been able to
score a lot of points. We blow We kind of
run people out of the gym. You can see where
they're like, look, I know this probably isn't the best
opportunity to the best time to lavish him with a
four year deal. But man, on the court, it was

(09:19):
so beautiful to watch, and I think they kind of
got caught up in man, we're just one step away
if we can just bring it together and he doesn't
get hurt like he got hurt in the six or
seventh game and the game, you know, like so, so
I can see the temptation of trying to keep it together.
They gambled and it just hasn't worked out. I just

(09:40):
look at how the NBA and and and we'll talk
big market and small market teams later on, but when
teams try to get creative and try to put together
a team, I just don't know how out of the
box the Houston Rockets thought. They thought to themselves, all right, well,
we'll let Trevor a reason going free agency, will sign
Chris Paul to his big deal, and then all of
a sudden you end up winging a way to bring

(10:01):
Carmelo Anthony in. And it's not going back to Melo.
Trust me, I'm not piling and putting this on Carmelo Anthony.
It's the point that the Houston Rockets felt that this
was their way to get over the top and when
you're you're seeing a you're seeing a flashy red light
over Camelo Carmelo. There was one over Chris Paul as
well that we were all saying that when in three years,

(10:23):
you're gonna be paying this guy forty million dollars just
for the chance at this one championship. And now what
you've effectively done is maybe wasted James Harden's effectiveness throughout
the next couple of years because you're hamstrung pardon the
pun by the contract of of Chris Paul and his health.
There's there's no reason to believe that Chris Paul is

(10:43):
going to stay healthy through a possible playoff run that
will be a dog fight every single round. Like you're
not the number one seed anymore, you're fighting for a
playoff spot. And if you make the postseason, you're gonna
have a dog fight in the first round in the
Western Conference semis, then to the conference finals and if
they're fortunate enough to the NBA Finals. And don't think
Chris Paul can handle that load to where he is
right now, Yeah like to. So it would be interesting

(11:06):
to watch how they elect to go about this, because
we can talk about this being a serial situation. But
we haven't even got to Christmas yet, we're not at
the All Star break day, have plenty of time to
kind of right the wrong. I think the big thing
if you're Houston, you want to make sure that as
much as you can, you want to make sure that
you get Chris Paul fully healthy. You want to manage
his menace, and you really want to put him in

(11:26):
the best position that if you get into the tournament,
he can do damage. And so they gotta be really,
really careful with how they manage the situation, even though
it looks like they're really fighting for a playoffs spout
right now. That West last year, how it was log
jam between three and nine with the teams, It's log
jam right now between about seven and the second low spot.

(11:47):
You've got two and a half games separating all of
those teams from the seventh seed to what would be
the fourteen seed. In essence in the Western Conference. He's
Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer will get to the NFL
as Week sixteen. Has a very big week on tap,
starting with a doubleheader tomorrow and a nightcap that should
be a dandy coming up next. He's arguably the toughest
coach in all of college football and someone that you

(12:10):
wouldn't want to fight, He joins us here. Next on
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(13:18):
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He's Bucky Brooks, I'm Dan Buyer. It's great sitting next

(13:41):
to Bucky because his Scout hat is always on. And
f I you just extended their lead on Toledo on
a touchdown to run that by Maurice Alexander that had
him just shoot the line, and Bucky immediately goes, oh hello,
yeah like little uh, well, see if there will be
some touchdowns scored? And the Holiday Bowl, normally the Holiday

(14:04):
Day Bowl has that tradition of being a wacky affair.
This year's version can be seen on Fox Sports one
on New Year's Eve as Northwestern takes on the Utah Utes,
joining us now with the Doug Gottlieb Show. He's the
head coach and that Utes football program. Kyl Winningham joins
this coach, Mary Christmas take So what's you're coming on today? Hey,

(14:24):
thank you and the same to you guys. Appreciate it.
Let's let's start with recruiting, because you had early signing
day earlier this week and now you brought in and
we're able to get some guys signing their national letters
of intent. How different is it now with an early
signing period for you in college football? It's a lot different,
and uh, you know, it's a second time through the
through the process. So it was a little smoother this

(14:44):
year than last year. But I think the trend is
going to continue to be the vast majority of signees
are going to sign early and then it's just really
clean up work after that. You know, I think the
the days of the you know, the big build up
to signing Day in February are over and uh, you
know that's actually kind of an anticlimactic day, and then, uh,

(15:05):
you know, the early signing day is going to be
the one that everyone pays attention to, you know, coach,
So with that in mind, knowing that you know, you
have the early period that we had this week, and
then you have another opportunity to sign players in February,
how do you change your focus? Do you now kind
of go back and revisit your board and some of
the guys that may have fallen through the cracks, you
now kind of ramp up, uh your interest and attention

(15:26):
towards them. What is the process that you guys are
used to kind of feel the holes that you have
to feel in the class. Yeah, well exactly that. We
you know, we've you know, determined who's left, you know,
who hasn't signed yet, and and uh, you know, we
have some guys that have committed to us that that
opted to sign on the second signing period for whatever reason,
and uh, you know, family reasons or whatever. So so

(15:47):
you know, I'm sure everybody in the country had a
few of those. But but yeah, now it's a matter
of sifting through who hasn't signed yet and who's still available,
and uh, you know, obviously we gotta you know, only
a handful of s call just left ourselves, and so
it's just a matter of finishing off the class and
addressing those final needs that weren't met the first time around.

(16:07):
Joining us here on the Doug Gottlieb Schokal winning Hamma
head football coach at Utah. You guys are eight years
in now to the Pack twelve. You made your first
conference championship game, and even though you didn't come out victorious,
you're still playing in a darn good bowl game in
the Holiday Bowl. What has been the toughest part there?
There are very few coaches that are in your spot
coach that can understand what it's like to be going

(16:30):
from a group of five conference to a Power five.
You and Gary Patterson at TCU, I think the only
ones that can really do it. With all this talk
about UCF and and where they should be looking back
of the eight years, what was the toughest transition to
move from where you guys were in the Mountain West
to the back twelve. Well, probably everything really, you know,
the bar was raised in every area that was a

(16:51):
That's a huge, uh move for a football team to
go from from uh, you know, group of five to
Power five and there's just no no way around it.
There's uh, there's so many things to it. Now. It
will start with the depth of your roster hooding as
the starting point. We felt really good about our first
twenty two coming in. You know, when we first joined
the Pack twelve. But but there was a drop off

(17:11):
you know after that, and you get a few guys
hurt during the season and and it really took its toll.
And so job one was upgrading the roster. And it's
still a work in progress. I mean, we're eight years
in and I think we're deeper and more talented than
we've ever been since we've been in the Pac twelve.
But we're still looking. You know, we're still a few
players short depth wise at certain positions. But but that's

(17:32):
that's the number one job. Facilities. You know, we had
to upgrade facilities. We got a brand new building right
when we joined the Pack twelve, was about a year
or two into that where we moved into a new
facility that was on par with was the with the
rest of the league budget. You know, you got to
get your budgets up and so you can compete, you know,
and have the money to recruit the right way and
and uh that type of thing. We're expanding our stadium

(17:54):
that should be done in a couple of years here. Uh,
it's gonna be a nice expansion and a real uh
finishing off of that stadium that we have right now,
which is a you know, we've sold out fifty eight
straight games, so we're getting great support from our fans.
But but we need a bigger stadium and so that's
that's in the works as well. Uh. Uh coaches, you know,
you got to make sure you get coaches that have
experience and and uh, you know, you know, there's not

(18:17):
really a any opportunity for a guy with no experience
to join, you know, join a P five staff. That's
a very that's an exception to the rule. That doesn't
happen very often at all. Whereas you know when we
were in the Mountain West, you know that that happened
quite frequently. You know, guys that were you know, coming
from maybe a grad assistant spot and uh, joining your staff.
So so every area the bar was raised. And uh

(18:38):
it's still you know, it's it's a race. It's it's
an arms race. And I don't think anybody is sitting
there saying, hey, this is exactly what we need to be.
You know, as far as any program, everyone's always trying
to get better and everybody's a moving target, you know,
because one of the things that has changed recently has been,
like we've always been excited about going to bowl games
because you get the extra weeks to prepare and develop

(18:59):
your young guy. But now with the rich Short rule
where guys can play four games and still we're saying
that extra year eligibility, How does the rich short rule
and the added weeks of playing in a bowl help
you get prepared for twenty nineteen. Well, first of all,
I think the rule was a huge positive, and I
think that was something that one of the best rule
changes that that has occurred in the last several years.

(19:22):
We felt like we took pretty good advantage of it, uh,
you know, and we monitored closely every week. Uh you know.
We we had the red shirt list up there and
staff meeting the red shirt candidates and making sure we're
tracking their participation in how many games they were in.
And as we got towards the end of the season,
uh you know, it was a little bit of a
unknown because we weren't positive we're going to be in

(19:42):
that championship game, the Pact twelve championship game, and and
so you got a budget for that, and so it
came out where we were able to red shirt you know,
eight to ten guys and and but still get a
game experience. And and most of those guys have one
game left, which will save for the bowl game, which
will be you know, in a week and a half here.
And so I think it was a very positive move.
And I don't think you'll find a coach in the

(20:03):
country that will disagree with that. I think everybody's excited
about that. And it lets you have the opportunity, you know,
as the season wears on when guys get banged up too,
you know, guys that still have I have not reached
that five game threshold, which is the point of no return.
You know, once you get to five then you cannot
utilize the red shirt year. And so it was a
big help on special teams, you know, as you lost
a few guys here and they're getting those guys that

(20:25):
haven't played yet an opportunity to help you out on
special teams. Kyle Wedding Hamma had coach of the Utah
Utes joining us here on the Doug Gottlieb Show. He's
Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. We talked about the changes
to the PAC twelve. We talked about the early signing period.
Is there a change with college football quarterbacks in transferring?
I know within your program you did have, you had
a kid who transferred out. But it's been such a

(20:46):
topic of conversation, whether it be justin fields at Georgia
or whether it be the talk around jail and hurts
at Alabama. Is this something new to college football? Is
something that knew that that that coaches have to deal with?
And if so, why is that? Well, you've always had
deal with quarterback transfers in the past, and that's the
most prevalent position that that, at least in our experiences,

(21:08):
is the quarterback as far as you know, because you
only can play one at a time, and there's uh,
you know, the kids that are younger see the see
the writing on the wall earlier that hey, I'm gonna
have to wait X amount of years to have a shot,
and they get a little impatient. But in years past,
you obviously had to have the you know, the the
approval and go through the process, you know, getting the
coaches to release you in that type of thing. Now

(21:29):
that it's just automatic and you can put yourself in
that transfer transfer portal without seeking permission, then uh, that's changed.
That's been a game change, and I think you're going
to see, uh and in fact, I know you're seeing
right now more and more transfers. And I don't think
it's an epidemic. I don't think it's out of control,
but it certainly has increased the numbers. And particularly a quarterback.

(21:52):
Do you do you have to change anything differently that
you do? Uh? Yeah, you gotta be you gotta be
uh in tune with your players and and you know
what they're thinking and and try to stay ahead of
the game and not let something catch you by surprise,
although that's probably impossible to guard against entirely, but but uh,
you know it's good. You have to be aware of

(22:13):
potential guys that maybe you've got that look in their
eye that that hey, you know, I'm I'm you know,
wondering what my role is here, and and uh, you know,
you don't want to be caught shorthanded, especially a quarterback,
and so uh and I guess it's uh, you know,
it's it's a situation where if you do lose a
guy to transfer, most likely you're gonna try to find
a guy that's transferm somewhere else. And so it's it's uh,

(22:34):
you know, you get you get to scramble and and
try to make sure you keep your quarterback numbers up
and and uh, like I said, you can't get caught
short of that position. It's way too important, you know. Coach.
One of the things that comes with having a very
very successful program is you have people kind of raid
your coaching staff because you have good guys and they
elevate guys. So you had a coach in Troy Taylor

(22:56):
who was named hey coach at ecremental stage. You had
another linebacker coach that was a point of defensive coordinator.
When you're a head coach and you obviously want your
assistance to kind of maximize who they can be and
what their career aspirations are, how do you manage the
turnover that can take place on your staff when it
kind of happens at this time of year. Well, you

(23:16):
always gotta have a short list, Uh, you know that
you keep as far as you know, if this happens,
you know, if I lose guys, you know, who are
the guys that I'm gonna you know, go to and
and interview and and being that you know the replacements
that that you're looking at. Um, And you're right, you know,
when you do have success, Uh, there's more of a
chance of losing guys, and the guys we lost this year,

(23:37):
I think Gary Anderson went back to becoming a head
coach at Utah State, which was, you know, certainly a
good move for him. And Justin Enna, who is our
linebacker coach, had a chance to go with Gary and
be a coordinator on the defense himself. And Troy Taylor
was made a very attractive offer by Sack State as
far as length to contract and and uh sary, I mean,
it was in its home for him. So so you've

(23:59):
got to be prepared for it, and it's it's going
to happen most years. Now. We were fortunately last year
we didn't lose anybody. We had all nine guys stay
and we were able to add the tenth coach that
they then two A had allowed for last year. And
this year we had, you know, a pretty good season,
and uh, you know, we've lost three coaches and so
that's just how it goes. But but you gotta have
I think the bottom line is you've gotta be anticipating

(24:21):
that and don't let it catch you by surprise, kind
of like the quarterback situation, and and have a short
list of guys that you think would be a good
fit for your program. Just a couple of more minutes
with Utah head coach Kyle Winningham joining us here on
Fox Sports Radio. So does this Holiday Bowl match up
with Northwestern? Does this wrap up? Or does this start
nineteen for you guys, because I know there are a
lot of you fans that are looking forward to next year.

(24:43):
And I think you even said, you said in the fall,
maybe a pack twelve media days, how you felt that
your team right now this is maybe the first legitimate team.
You've got a lot of young guys, You're only gonna
be graduating a few seniors. Does this wrap up? Is
this bault ahead of I would say a little both.
I think that's a mixed bag. I think it's uh,
you know, obviously the you know, for the record, I mean,
this is the last game of this season that it's

(25:04):
gonna go on your record, But but it's also a
springboard in the next season in spring ball, uh, you know,
finish off your recruiting. And so I think it's it's twofold.
I think it affects both ends. Uh you know, the
season it's ending in this season coming up, and uh yeah,
we uh you know, we felt going into the fall
that we had a chance to be pretty good this
year and the team uh was really we only have

(25:25):
eleven scholarship seniors, so it was really built for uh,
for two thousand nine team. But then, you know, things
can catch you off guard. I mean if you have
juniors that declare I mean we've got, you know, several
juniors that are weighing their options of coming out. So
the complexion of your team can change in a big hurry.
But right now, we feel like we're a pretty good position.
And and again it all boils down and comes back
to recruiting. That's the most important thing we do on

(25:46):
daily basis, and it's the most important thing that you
can do for the success of your program. And and uh,
you know, so as long as we continue to to
recruit the right way and bring the right kids in here,
I think we'll have a chance. We'll wrap up with this.
You had to feel pretty when Mike Leach picked you
as the coach that would probably win the Pac twelve
Battle Royal, Right, and they kind of make you feel
a little good. You know that that he that he

(26:08):
named your name right, Well, I think Mike is your
stirring the pot. I just think he wants to rile
some people up and see if we can get a
cage match lined up or something. But he's he's a
good friend of mine. I he's one of the most
entertaining guys you'll ever come across. And uh, I'm sure
he gave it a lot of thought, because he gives
everything a lot of thoughts. He's a deep thinker. But
I think I think maybe his main impetus would be, Hey,

(26:30):
let's see if we can rile things up a little
bit here. Yeah, it was, he said a witt and herm.
Where's the two finals that you can see at Summer
Slam coming up this fall. We appreciated coach good luck
on New Year's Eve against Northwestern. We'll see the game
on Fox Sports one and U yeah, best of luck
with everything else. Thanks guys, appreciate you having me on.
Cayl Whittingham, head football coach at utahgether taking on Northwestern

(26:51):
New Year's Eve on Fox Sports One at seven o'clock
Eastern tim kick. He's bucking Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. What's
the real problem with the Philadelphia Eagles? Well, that answer
comes up after Steve the Seger gives us an update
from the Bahamas, not about the weather, although I could Yeah,
let me guess, I was gonna say nice, That's what
I thought it would. Compare that to the game that's

(27:12):
coming up, the other Bowl game today at the top
of the hour, Boys is gonna be hosting. They're gonna
be happy that it's only forty degrees and not mid
thirties for that one you mentioned FS one. With the
Holiday Bowl these days, there is question about the future
of that game, because you know, Qualcom Stadium is almost
a thing in the past where that Holiday Bowl and
where the Chargers used to be for years. They had
a vote in San Diego last month of what to do.

(27:34):
Everyone agrees destroy Qualcom Stadium before it falls down on
its own, and the San Diego State proposal one. So
they're gonna theoretically, by the land from the city of
San Diego, get rid of the stadium, build a half
sized stadium for San Diego State football on the same place,
and then plenty of buildings for San Diego State, which
is only three miles away. So the question where is

(27:57):
the Holiday Bowl in the future. I guess they're gonna
have to knock on the door of the San Diego
Padres downtown and say can we play there? This Bahamas
Bowl game in front of next to no One, ladies
and gentlemen, has about seven minutes to go. It is
a Toledo back in the game, Florida International in the lead.
Did you guys see the beginning of this game? No,
none of the country did, but I'll tell you about it.

(28:18):
The I saw highlight the kickoff bounced at about the five,
and the f I you return man picked it up,
froze and thought, oh this is not a touchback. I
guess I have to run. And he runs a few yards,
tackled and fumbles. In short story, it became ten nothing
pretty quickly for Toledo. In fact, the new quarterback that

(28:38):
f I use using when he came out to finally
offenses is out there on the field. They had to
call a time out before first down because they only
had ten men on the field. So they have been
enjoying the Bahamas no doubt. Well we do have NFL news,
Uh yeah, professional football news. The Falcon say wide receiver
Julio Jones is a game time decision at Carolina. He
did return to practice today after hipping rib injuries. Giants

(29:01):
wide receiver Odell Beckham, with a quad injury, will miss
a third straight game. Giants play at the Colts Sunday,
and Colts wide receiver t Y Hilton, with his bad ankle,
is listed his questionaball, though he did return to practice today.
Ten NBA games, the late contest Lakers hosting New Orleans.
Anthony Davis questionable due to illness, Lebron James a game
time decision due to illness. And there's college basketball on

(29:23):
FS one. Tonight's eight thirty Eastern Time Top twenty matchup
with undefeated and fourteenth ranked Buffalo, a slight underdog at
number twenty Marquette who this month Marquette beat Wisconsin and overtime.
Marquette has beaten Kansas State as well. Back to you,
Thank you very much, Steve. This is the Doug Gottlieb Show.
You're on Fox Sports Radio. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer.
We are in for Doug today. Speaking of Dougs, Doug

(29:43):
Peterson is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, and
he talked about well his quarterback situation earlier today. I
can stand here and say that the Carsons our quarterback,
you know, He's our our quarterback in the future, and
that's why we drafted him. It's also why we have
Nick here, you know, as as a backup, as a
as a trom player too. I want to say bailiss out,
but to come in and execute the offense. Is it

(30:05):
an obvious answer that Carson Wentz is the quarterback of
the future and I and I need the preface this
by saying this bucket because it does seem like it's
obvious from the outside. This is a guy who had
injury issues in college. They have now translated to the
National Football League with the torn E c L and
other ligaments and now the back injury. But is Doug

(30:25):
Peterson right in saying Carson Wentz is his quarterback of
the future. Well, I think they have to commit to
him because they took him with the second overall pick.
He has played at an m VP level at times
throughout his career. However, I mean the facts are the facts.
As you laid him out. He has missed significant time.
He missed the last part of last season due to
an injury. He has missed parts of this season with

(30:47):
a back injury. When Nick Foles has played in key
moments in critical games he has played well. I think
that the thing that I'm waiting on. Let's just say
the Philadelphia Eagles kind of running, take what they get
into the tournament, and and maybe they make some noise.
For back to back seasons, we have seen Nick Foles
in the biggest games be the quarterback successfully for the

(31:09):
Philadelphia Eagles. What do you do with that? How do
you how do you determine that? Look, Carson Wentz is
gonna be our quarterback. We can pay him thirty million
dollars even though he hasn't played in these big games
that Nick Foles has played in. We're trusting that the
young quarterback that we deemed to be our franchise quarterback
can get us to the Promised Land when we really

(31:31):
don't have any evidence of him being the guy to
do that. Is it all about quarterback play with the Eagles?
Because I don't think that it is, like I get
I actually give them a pass this year because to
repeat that, to do what they did and really how
they did it last year, To think that that's going
to happen again, I think it is unrealistic. So as
I look at the you know, I look at the
Eagles and I see, you know, as you said, Nick

(31:51):
Foles coming up in a big spot against the Rams
and coming up in a big spot obviously in Super
Bowl fifty two. But I look at the Eagles as
a whole as being like, this is one of the
teams we thought of the best offensive line in football,
and now they can't run the ball. And this is
the back end of a second area that is down
to the third string pretty much everywhere you go. So
there seemed to be a lot of holes that the

(32:12):
Eagles have to fill that maybe worked out their way
a year ago that maybe quarterback isn't just the only
issue with Philadelphia. Um, you know, I don't. I don't
think quarterback is the only issue. I think the way
that they were constructed a season ago when they won
the Super Bowl, I feel like they had depth, uh
everything hit. They had depth of running back Jaiji La
Garrett Blunt. Uh. Those acquisitions really helped them. They were balanced.

(32:34):
I want to say they finished with the third best
running game this year. They let La Garrett Blunt go
Ja Jack gets Heart very early in the year. They
don't adequately feel the running back room and to Darren
Sprowls kind of pops up a few weeks ago. They
haven't been able to run the ball, and so that
has put more pressure and stress on the quarterback. They

(32:54):
have to play well, and I like Carson Wentz, but
Carson Wentz was coming off a knee injury, and I
felt like they were asking him to do too much
based on where he was in his rehab process and whatever. Um.
But in saying all that, the reason that they're able
to succeed with a backup quarterback is because the rest
of the pieces around him are pretty good. Wide receivers

(33:15):
are pretty good. Alshon Jeffrey steps up when he has
an opportunity. The defenses can be lights out, particularly in
the front four. That defensive line is as good as
any that you will find, and so sometimes when the
backup has to play, I think everybody elevates their own game.
Whereas when Carson Wentz was playing, I think even their
own players bought into the hype of him being the

(33:36):
m v P and kind of sat back and waited
for him to carry them there, as opposed to then
pitching in and doing their parts. I get that, but
I also I get the sense that this is almost
worst case scenario for the front office and you and
you mentioned them maybe wanting to rush Carson Wentz back
to come back from that knee injury. They didn't want
to face these questions. It was it was easy to

(33:57):
say Nick Foles got on a hot run, but Carson
Wentz is the guy that we invested the second overall
pick in as you touched on. But they didn't want
this to have They didn't want to have to answer
Nick Foles questions. They didn't want to have to be
put in a decision because if Nick Foles comes in
and plays I don't know, the first six weeks of
the season and ends up having a Ryan Fitzpatrick sort
of start, which he didn't. But the point being is

(34:19):
now you've got a conversation, and we're we're now having
this conversation, Bucky. We had members of the egos, including
Doug Peterson, on the show in the preseason, and they
had asked us when Doug Peterson was promoting his book
to not ask about Carson Wentz his injury. You've seen
him yell at members of the Philadelphia media asking about
Carson Wentz. To me, this is worst case scenario. The

(34:40):
Nick Foles is actually good because it puts pressure on
the front office to have to make a decision that
maybe they never wanted to make in the first place.
Absolutely does put a lot of pressure on them because
now we have in the conversation about Nick Foles playing
well and what happens if Nick Foles keeps it going
and Carson Wentz has been injured, the doors crack because
a year ago we saw him be the guy that

(35:01):
was chiefly responsible for them winning a Super Bowl. Um,
we've now seen him kind of come back, go on
the road against l A play one of his better games.
If he continues to do so, because they have the
Texas this weekend, they knock off the Texans. Uh, they
knock off another good team at the end of year
to get into the playoffs. You then wonder, look, if

(35:22):
it was a beauty contest, beauty pageant, Look, Carson wents
to win all day. However, for this team and the
way that they constructed, maybe you can make the reasonable
argument that Nick Foles is a better quarterback for them
based on what they're doing. Amazing times, and again I
can go back to this is a team that won
the Super Bowl not only without their starting quarterback, but

(35:43):
without their starting All Pro left tackle last year and
things are not a messiable, but they could still make
the playoffs. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. This is
the dog gott Leaps Show on Fox Sports Radio. Will
Patrick Mahomes lock up the NFL's m v P Award
this weekend that next year on Fox Sports Radio. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Doug dot Leap

(36:05):
Show weekdays at noon Eastern three pm Pacific. No Doug today,
He's Fucking Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. Today's shows brought to
you by True Car and Sports and Trade can make
or break your team. It's no different when it comes
to selling or trading in your car. You need to
make good choices in with True Car, You've got a
star on your roster. So when you're ready to sell
a trade in your car, check out True Car. True
cash offer not available in all areas. Man. This this

(36:28):
Bahamas Bowl, Bucky go out to the wire. No no
offense to the current sponsor makers wanted, But I was.
I warmed up to the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl when it
was just you, just every score. I thought about a
nice spicy chicken tender every every single time. It was

(36:50):
like hitting pay dirts. Um, let's let's play a game.
This is game time Side a Doug Gottlieb Show. Steve
the Sager joins us, and before we get to what
game we're playing, Steve, I want to tell you guys
a secret, Bucky. I don't know if you know about this, Steve,
you know about this, But Popeye's fish very good. Likely

(37:15):
they'll you'll have to wait like six minutes because they
have to make it. They thank you. Yes, it's a
it's a hidden gem. You maybe it's got a little
nice little kick. Is that often men like in and
Out has the hidden hidden Yeah, if it's on the board.
But now when I walk into my Popeyes where they

(37:36):
know me, know me, like they know the order, and
they know that the fish is gonna take a while,
so they'll just call back to the kitchen, even if
I'm like three people in the back in line, So
then it's ready by the time it comes up. But
off the board you walk in, you like the old
Joker's Wild Game Show. I'm gonna go off the board
to the host. I'd like to order fish. Did anybody
happen to bring fish for lunch? I'll take US capitals

(37:59):
for fifty and I'll take the fifth for fifty. Alright,
the game, Uh, Steve, you know what it is? Joker, joker? Oh,
I didn't see that psychic. Okay, a little prediction from
the two of you will start with the NFL. Of course,
current odds have Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes is the
favorite to win the m v P this season entering
weeks has seen at least followed by Drew Brees and

(38:21):
Philip Rivers. Will Mahomes lock up the m v P
race this weekend with his performance against the Seahawn? Is
it gonna be a done deal? Bucky? I think it's
already done, dude. I think they've already etched his name
on the trophy plat. Mahomes is your m v P.
Look at the numbers, he's the guy. I I think this.
I think that the Saints beat the Steelers, so Drew
Brees isn't going to need to play in week seventeen,

(38:43):
and when you end up really looking at the numbers
and what the guys did, mahomes numbers are way more impressive.
I do think that Philip Rivers does have the opportunity, though,
to slide in there. So while Drew Brees may win
the silver and be second, he's not going anywhere. It's
Philip Rivers and the bronze. So I don't in Mike
crystal Ball, I don't see this happening. But card A

(39:05):
Bucket's have done deal Patrick Mahomes averaging three five yards
per game. However, I'm surprised your answer is not affected
by the fact that it's a Sunday night game at Seattle. Yes,
I will. The Seahawks I think could give him a
run for their money and that could allow that could
allow Philip Rivers to move into the equation if they
get that big win tomorrow night against the Race Rivers

(39:27):
a Saturday night. Well, we saw earlier this week that
the Panthers had the decision to shut down quarterback Cam
Newton for the season with the bad shoulder. Aaron Rodgers
has said he will play the rest of this season
despite the Packers being eliminated from the playoffs. So, considering
the injuries he's dealt with already this year, will the
Packers regret playing Aaron Rodgers the rest of this season? Oh?

(39:49):
Um No, I don't think so. Rodgers came out and
said that you know, what kind of leader would I
be if I didn't play? I'm I don't think he's
you know, fingers crossed that Aaron Rodgers doesn't get hurt.
But I think it's a good message to sense I'm
gonna say they won't re read it. But where else?
What are we playing for? We got a new coach

(40:11):
coming in. He's hurt. I want to make sure that
my guys are available in. Isn't that a good point
on the coach though? That this guy who's coaching him
in December is not the guy that's gonna be coaching.
They did lose their star running back, you know, for
the season. Their offensive line is banged up. Yeah, what
is she doing out there? That's actually really well? They
got the Jets this week, and maybe maybe that's a

(40:36):
I'm not worried about a pass rush. Maybe maybe Many
this week have tried to figure out what has happened
to the rams high powered offense, which used to average
over thirty points a game. Back to back losses now
scoring six against the Bears, great defense and then the
loss with the Eagles at home last week? Will the
Rams get their offense back on track against the Cardinals,

(40:56):
The update is that start running back Todd Gurley, with
his sore knee misspractice again. He thinks he'll play Sunday.
He'll likely be a game time decision. No, no tidd,
no rhythm. They don't have tied Gurley. I don't think.
I don't think they kind of get back on track.
Maybe maybe the only good thing Arizona does is play
some sort of defense. Yeah, they played decent defense at home,

(41:17):
they played they played the Rams pretty well earlier, but
tough game. Um. I think the bigger thing is will
Jerry Golf get back on track. I don't think the
entire offense will get back on track, but I do
believe Sean McVeigh would try and make it for number
sixteen gets back on track. And they weren't good offensively
at Detroit. I mean more these two losses. So really
it's three bad games in our three bad games in

(41:38):
a row. This is game time on the duck got
leap Show. The other thing is is that you've got
the Saints who could wrap up home field, and if
you're the Rams trying to get your quarterback to getting
some sort of rhythm, that's not a good sign entering
the postseason. No but this is that before because, to

(42:00):
be honest, the Saints aren't playing great on offense. Both
of these teams have slowed down because defensive are finally
catching up to what they do. He's Bucky Brooks, I'm
Dan Buyer. Josh Gordon, is he back in the NFL?
That next? Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart

(42:20):
Radio apps. Search f s R to listen live. Getting
a set for a Week sixteen of the National Football League.
Big news all around the NFL. Todd Gurley is still
a question mark for the Rams for their showdown coming
up on Sunday with the Arizona Cardinals. A bunch of
big games happening this week in the National Football League.
You've got Tomorrow night Chargers and Ravens. Sunday night, you've

(42:41):
got Seahawks and and Chiefs. You've got the Steelers and
Saints going at it. A very good week sixteen. Heck,
the Patriots take on the Buffalo Bills, which now may
not even seem like, uh that easy of a cakewalk
for New England. Buffalo and Josh Allen coming into their own. Granted,
they may not have any running backs in Buffalo because
everybody seems to be hurt. But the Patriots now a

(43:03):
bit shorthanded as Josh Gordon is no longer with him
after he was placed back on the reserve list after
being stepping away for his own mental health issues. Now
the Patriots don't have Josh Gordon anymore. Yeah, this is
a chance a change and a challenge for the New
England Patriots. The Patriots, you know, coming off the performance
that they had, I guess the Pittsburgh still is. Everyone

(43:26):
is really going to write them off without Josh Gordon,
But I actually see a pathway for them to make
another return visit to the super Bowl based on the
personnel that they currently have. Um. The thing that the
Patriots have always been able to do is they've always
been able to change styles on the run. And the
style that they can go back to is the style
that they play very very early in the year. Earlier

(43:46):
in the year, Sonny Michelle was the number one running back,
James White was kind of to do it all, playmaker
out of the backfield in the passing game, and he
also did uh some stuff in the run game. And
then Rex Burkhead was a guy that was kind of
the X factor. I believe you will see this offense
now revolve more around Sony Michelle and James White, the
ability to run the ball out of run heavy sets.

(44:08):
With Sonny Michelle, they'll spread it out and throw it
to James White all over the yard, and I think
you'll see them kind of look like the teams that
we've seen the last couple of years, where there's a
lot of dink and dunk throws, but they're controlling the
ball while throwing these short passes. And I think you'll
also see a better version of Tom Brady. But isn't
that the reason why they went to get Josh Gordon

(44:30):
is to add another facet to that offense, because that's
what they this team entering this the season, the New
England Patriots. We were surprised to trust me. I do
a fantasy football show every Sunday morning, and all of
a sudden, the next thing you know, you can actually
count on a Patriot running back. And that never seemed
to be the case because of all the different pieces
that would go in. But it seemed like they really

(44:50):
settled on Sony Michelle, then Bucky when they ended up
making the move for Josh Gordon, which had tons and
tons of red flags around. They ended up giving up
a fifth round pick for a guy who was gonna
be let loose anyway, so they still found value. To me,
that tells me that New England was looking at it saying,
you know what, it's worth the risk because we need
to add this piece, not that it's worth the risk

(45:12):
because we're playing with house money. Like to me, this
this goes back to down New England as a team
that had them worried at the early part of the season,
which made them make the Josh Gordon deal. That that's
where like, no, I think he does know his team
and I do believe like at the time of them
making the deal, they were trying to add a big

(45:33):
play component, a speed uh. I can't even call him
a speed receiver, but someone that can make plays down
the field because they don't have the vertical element to
their passing game. But now that's it and done, and
now he has two games to figure out, how can
I make this the best version of the pages based
on what we have? And when you look at what
they have, an aging Rob Gronkowski looks like a shell

(45:55):
of himself. Julian Leman looks like he's on the climb
because he's dropping passes more than the ever has. And
Chris Hogan is a guy that you really have to
scheme to really get opportunities. And so when I look
at this team as a team that plays matchup football,
I mean they try and exploit matchups. Their best matchups
are going to come out of the backfield. James White,

(46:17):
Sony Michelle, those guys working on linebackers and dbs in space.
So I would expect to see them on early downs,
maybe running and pounded with Sony Michelle, but look for
more empty and spread sets where they can move James
White around and kind of do what they've always done
with the paper cuts. One of the amazing things about
this and and I didn't realize it until after the
fact when this move was made, was that Josh Gordon

(46:41):
leads the Patriots and receiving yards like we like. There
was there was a concerted effort when he first came
into suiting up of getting him the football, and I
know that the efficiency ratings with Tom Brady to Josh
Gordon weren't up there. I think there was a growing
pain period of time. But what that tells me it's
not as much is that that they developed a report
just of what New England doesn't have in that spot.

(47:02):
That he was able to come in and play eleven
games and then all of a sudden be the team's
leading receiver. That says a lot to me. I mean
it should say a lot. I mean, look, the dude
is immensely talented, and the thing about him is heat
like he has seen the best part of his game
kind of waste away when he was suspending and wasn't

(47:23):
able to participate, so he lost a lot of his
prime years. However, he was talented enough that he could
come and give them something they didn't didn't have. They
needed someone that could work the middle of the field,
inside the numbers, at the vertical level. He was able
to run digs and posts and run some of the
things outside where he can win the ball. And he
was a big receiver because they they really don't have

(47:45):
a big receiver, and so Josh played a nice role
for them for something that they don't have. But now
that he is gone, they were trying to figure out
a way to just look at the pieces that we have.
What can we get away with in their deep at
running back. They have some other tight ends that they
can throw in the field. I think you may see
different personnel group. He's more of your bigger personnel, but

(48:08):
you'll see them spread the field and see if they
can win against a favorable matchup. Yeah, and I should
and I should clarify. I actually it's said a lot
to me, not for the level that Josh Gordon was playing.
Is it's said a lot to me that New England
didn't have as much that Josh Gordon could come in
and all of a sudden lead the team and receiving artists.
If that's with the Julian Edelman there. And I know

(48:29):
Gronk has been been hurt and as he said, isn't
even close to what we believe. And this is the
end for Gronk. This is it right? This is I
mean like he may still want to play, but in
terms of being the Gronk that that we know and love, yeah,
I think it's done. Deal. I think the thing that
was the telling sign for me is look at his
lack of athleticism on the Miami Miracle. Uh, the way

(48:51):
that he couldn't move what I don't necessarily expect him
to make the tackle, but in watching him move around,
be like, man, he's moving around like oh man, like
he does have it anymore. And so, um, it looked
like Frankenstein, like right, I mean, I mean yeah, yeah,
I mean that's that's how he looked and that's how
he performed. And so Patries are trying to do it

(49:12):
if they're able to get there this year. If Belichick
is able to get this version of the Patriots there,
I would say it is probably his best coaching job
that he's done since he entered um the Patriots organization
as a head coach. Patriots trying to find a diamond
in the rough and one Josh Gordon, speaking of which,
the holidays are closed, but there's still time for last

(49:33):
minute one stop shopping, get gifts that give gifts at
Hellsburg Diamonds. It's been one thousand one dollars to get
a free Nintendo Switch system games sold separately quickly on Gordon.
So much has been made about the c b A
in Mariljuana, and and we we've seen articles, whether it
be on different sites pro football talk dot com saying
NFL owners are they're ready to move on and have

(49:55):
the players, They don't They don't care if they smoke.
That that's the general consensus of the NFL owners. And
if you're an owner that has a player that is
suspended because of it, that is a value. You obviously
want that player on the field. But the whole issue
comes down to the owners won't negotiate marijuana in the

(50:18):
c b A unless they get something back, So even
though it's in their best interest to have the players
on the field, they still would want something back from
the players to allow them. What in the world is
there that, if you're the players Union, that you would
give up to allow your players to smoke marijuana, Because
I can't think of any and it seems like even

(50:39):
though it's legal in states and it's being accepted in
certain places around the country, it isn't everywhere. And I
just don't know a value, especially when it comes to money,
if it's worth the Players Union of giving up any
money to the owners just so their players could smoke weed. Yeah,
that's definitely doesn't mean another question, because that's ultimately what
they have to decide. Hip decide how much of their

(51:02):
membership based feel strongly or compelled to protests um when
it comes to like what is happening with the drug
policy and the drug testing and the like. But there's
another faction of people to like, I don't do anything.
I don't really care, UM, I don't want to give
back um maybe two preseason games in exchange of two
regular season games if he comes down to it, UM.

(51:24):
And that's why this conversation and dialogue will be interesting.
Prior to then kicking off the cb A, can they
kind of reach some soft agreements to kind of make
it be not as acrimonious when you when you think
of it, is this part of the problem with the
players union when they go up against the owners because

(51:45):
there's thirty two owners and there's hundreds of football players,
and to get thirty two owners on the same page
as something seems a heck of a lot easier than
it is to get you know, hundreds of NFL players
on it without I mean, without a without a doubt,
it's a lot a lot easier, a lot easier to
try and just get them on the same page. Like

(52:06):
football or bigger team sports, it's just different because you
have so many different dynamics and egos and uh, individual
agendas when it comes to what you're coaching and career
aspirations could be. And so as a head coach, you
gotta be able to nip that in the bud right
away and be able to tell everybody to put your
keys and all other stuff like away from it. So

(52:29):
I think the main thing that you're trying to do
is just can you reach a happy medium so you
can get the ball played that you want to? Kind
of see, I I just can't picture guys happy that
there's more practices so some of their teammates can go
home and smoke a blunt, right, I mean, well, so
now now I think now here's what I will say

(52:50):
about the marijuana conversation or whatever. Like. There's been a
lot of conversation in that country about the opioids, uh,
the opioid crisis and that stuff, and so you have
players and former players who have discovered that UM marijuana
and some of the positive effects for it is better
on their bodies when it comes to pain treatment and

(53:12):
upkeep and care. And so the science and the conversations
that will take place will be not necessarily for the
guys that are um as you say, smoking blunts or
whatever recreationally, but more so who are the guys that
are really trying to use this to manage their bodies
and to take care of them there health without falling

(53:33):
prey to being addicted to some of the stuff that
they can give you to kind of make you feel better.
So you can go up each and every Sunday. He's
Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. This is the Doug got
Leap Show on Fox Sports Radio. Coming up next are
the Kansas City Chiefs getting an Unfair rap Will ask
an NFL veteran here on Fox Sports Radio. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Doug got Leap Show
week days at noon Eastern three pm Pacific on Fox

(53:56):
Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. He's Buck Brooks.
I'm Dan Buyer. This is the Doug Gottlieb Show, sitting
in for Doug today here on Fox Sports Radio. Today
show comes to you thanks to True Car Online. Car
shopping can be confusing, not anymore. With True Price from
True Car Now, you can know the exact price you'll
pay for your next car. So it's a true Car
to enjoy a more confident car buying experience. Joining us

(54:18):
now twelve years in the National Football League and now
a teammate of Bucky's not only domestically here in the
United States, but also overseas. Will Blackman joining us here
on Fox Sports Radio. Hey, well, welcome to the show. Yeah,
not just not just domestic but global, Yeah, internationally known. Well. Listen,

(54:39):
Bucky was in the front head champagne and strawberries and everything.
I asked Bucky, help, Bucky helpe. You don't mind me
saying this, asked him off air. I go because and
for the list of that don't know. Bucky just spent
three weeks in London doing some stuff for Sky Sports
in the NFL, and we'll join him over there about
a week or so ago as well doing some NFL stuff.

(55:02):
So I asked Bucky, I said, so, what do they do?
Just put you up in a hotel and He's like,
they got a place for me, you know, they got
ready to go. That's he's quiet, but he's very high. Maten.
We we've been looking over these Week sixteen matchups drooling
and some of the great games that we're gonna see.

(55:23):
Sunday I had the Chiefs take on the Seattle Seahawks.
I'm concerned about about one thing, and it has nothing
to do with the Kansas City football team. I'm concerned
about how everybody is concerned about Kansas City coming off
of their loss to the Chargers a week ago. Are
you concerned about where the Chiefs are just a couple
of weeks outside the playoffs. The only thing I'm concerned

(55:44):
with what this team is that it's on prime time
and that's been the issues. You know, they played against
the pat lost in prime time. The Rams lost, Charges lost, Uh,
they all lost in prime time. Now pat Pat Mahomes
has played really, really well. I mean the first game,
you know it for over three fifty against the Patriots
four tds, but they lost. Rams hit them for almost

(56:04):
five six tds lost, same thing, Charges almost two fifty
two t ds and like loss. So I'm just concerned
that there are in prime time. And why this makes
me nervous is because you know, say they don't they don't,
they lose and they end up getting a lower seed
and then they have to go on the road. And
these are like similar to the the playoff games, you know
what I mean. So that's the only thing that's concerned

(56:26):
to me. You know, it's funny, so You're you're talking
about being worried about Kansas City going on the road.
My concern is right here in l A with the
Chargers taking on this old school, high school offense in
Baltimore led by Lamar Jackson talking about the Charges and
the challenge of taking on a run heavy attack in

(56:46):
the National Football League when you don't normally see these
kind of option attacks. Yeah, it's almost like they're playing
against Navy, right, it's basically the same thing. Yeah, because
especially within the last since a think week eleven, when
like him and gust Edwards took over Lamar Jackson, it's
been it's been crazy. It's funny, is too, Lamar Is

(57:07):
He's actually getting more carries a game than Melvin Gordon
is I think, uh, I think Lamars. Yeah, it's crazy, right,
Lamar's getting like seventeen melbourn is getting almost like fifteen
yards fifteen carries per game. But um, yeah, so in
the Charges and they're they're actually a top ten run defense,
but in two of their losses they actually have given
up over a hundred yards um to the two losses

(57:30):
they had to the Chiefs in the Ramps. So yeah,
because now you have to you really have to be
assignment disciplined with this and those are the teams I
hated playing against. Where like those like Army teams on
the Navy teams, like you really had to be assignment.
There was no kind of this is the game, this
is the game. I took off my shield, I didn't
dress pretty, dude, I put in my mouth piece eye black.

(57:55):
I was like, Okay, this is gonna be a game.
But we're banging, dude, you know what I mean. So, uh,
that's what it's gonna be this week. It's gonna be
an ugly game, one between the trenches. So that's that's
what that's the difference, the difficult parts for the Charges
this week, for sure. Little black Men of the NFL
Network joining us year on Fox Sports Radio. He's Bucky Brooks.
I'm Dan Buyer in for Doug will play twelve years
in the NFL. Did you ever have to play Saturday games?

(58:19):
I never played on a Saturday that I can think of,
but I did play in those awkward Thursday games. Actually,
I think the bag did I play Saturday? I think so?
I think you played the Bears on a Saturday. Well,
and I'm just gonna get I'm gonna you know, I'm
gonna guess then by your answer that Saturday has got
to be pretty much like a Sunday situation as opposed
to where a Monday game or a Thursday game would

(58:40):
be different. Is that correct in preparation wise? You know
what when I when I played, I was just a zombie.
I just looked at the schedule. However, however it was,
That's what it was. So if you know, if we
play on a Thursday night, then you know Sunday was
like a Monday and it was just crazy. So yeah, yeah,

(59:02):
well will black Men joining this year? Will the zombie
black Men joining this year? Jared Goss looked like a
zombie the last three days there are the last three
games or so, how concerned are you with him in
the way that the Rams have been going as of late? Um,
you know, I think it's just, um, well, what happened
with the Eagles. I feel like they they already had

(59:23):
uh Like I say, they were a step ahead of
everybody because they have played against Sean McVeigh, you know,
and the NFC even when he was there, so they
had all his notes already. Um. But yeah, the concertain
thing is, yeah, the health of Todd Gurley, because you know,
if you have an excellent run game, then you can
do whatever you want. You know, that's been their their benefits.
So my thing is, I don't I hope that golf

(59:47):
doesn't become this isn't like this is a negative but
a little kirk cousin ish where if things don't work
out in your favor, meaning if the play breaks down,
like what can you do after the fact? You know,
if Okay, Tard Gurley's not getting he's not doing well,
he's not running the ball. Well, okay, they're having really
sticky coverage. Okay, maybe your offensive line is getting beat up.

(01:00:10):
How do you regroup? How do you become the leader
where it's like, you know what, I'm just gonna take
over this game. I'm gonna figure it out, you know,
because there are a couple of throws where he was
like you know what, like here you could have it
like I don't don't even want the ball, And so
that's the that's the concerning thing for me is can
he rise to the level where because right, I mean
he's played him in games, he's a he's a playoff quarterback.

(01:00:31):
I mean he's been in a situation. So what happens
if the run game is not going well. You know,
what are they gonna do? What is he going to do?
Not so much? Oh is Sean McVeigh enough of Sean
lyve trying to bail everybody out? Yes, amazing coach, a
good friend of mine. But it's time for golf to
really rise above everything else and really get the done.
You see it across with Nick Foles. It's almost like that,

(01:00:53):
almost like Doug Peterson doesn't have to even call anything
because Nick Foles just knows exactly what to do. Just
like that little sound by were gonna Super Bowl, Hey,
let's run this. He's like, all right, we're gonna run
through the stuff. Um, that's crazy, all right, it is crazy.
But I kind of want to go back to the
Sean McVeigh theme because one thing that stood up to
me in the game. I felt like there was a
moment in the game with a camera panned over to

(01:01:14):
Sean McVeigh and it looked like he didn't have any answers.
And it's the first time that I ever can recall
him looking like I can't really figure out what's going
on based on what you know about him, based on
how much success did he has had. This is kind
of the biggest hurdle that he's ever had to deal with.
How do you expect him to handle this going forward? Well, Buck,

(01:01:34):
that's my point though, you know what I'm saying is like, Okay,
he has the game plan, and usually the game plan
is down to tea like this is what we're gonna do,
and Okay, now it's like, yo, golf, my game plan
is getting jacked up right now, like what's up? You
know what we're gonna do. And it's funny they panted
him actually after the Mustter fumbled punt and he's like

(01:01:56):
he's like, oh my gosh, you know that killed my
my drive to go and win this game. So usually, yeah,
when what the teams I've been on, if it's almost
like the best teams are above the excess and notes.
I was like, yes, we could have the game plan,
we had the game plan, but it's like, okay, if
they're if they're whooping us right now, if they're all

(01:02:18):
over us, it's time for our guys to really dig
deep and rise above the exits and notes. So that's
that's kind of like where I saw in that situation
right then, And that's what I meant by like Okay, Golf,
it's time for you to, like, for real, just take
over this team. When things aren't going well for anyone.
The run games not going well. Close mcvey's plan is
not going well. So it's time for him to take over.

(01:02:38):
And that's the that's the next step. That's just going
to get him to the Promise Land. That's just gonna
help them win the Super Bowl's who's going to help
them keep my prediction? Let's go right, Little blackbo joining
us here on Fox Sports Radio. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm
Dan Buyer in for Doug Gottlieb. So where would you
put Ben Roethlisberger in terms of current era quarterbacks that

(01:02:59):
you faced in the National Football League? Yeah? What does
that mean by current error? Well, let's let's just say,
let's just say guys who have played within the last
fifteen years or so years. He's in that conversation, of course, Yeah,
you would have him top I don't want to go
Cam Jordan on you, but but is he a Hall
of Famer? Is he top five? Do you put him

(01:03:21):
up there in the same category as a Peyton Manning,
Drew Brees, Tom Brady, the sort of thing, where do
you put Ben Roethlisberger. I think he's been he's been
extremely consistent just to just to be a quarterback on
one team for that long and I had mother super bowls.
I feel like he gets if he gets in the
Hall of Fame, he like gets in the Hall of Fame.
If he like it's the Hall of Fame here, I

(01:03:47):
feel like he's he's here too. He's not. He's not.
He's not there with with tom or Um, Tom Brady
or Aaron Rodgers in terms of like that and that
in terms of playing a corps like that, He's gonna
get it. I'm not worried about it. Wow, man, we're
just giving out with just giving out passes to the

(01:04:07):
to the Hall of Fame club anybody and everybody. Everybody's dancing,
everybody's dancing. Can't he get in? I mean so like
based on the way Cam framed at in terms of
of his era. Look, I get that he's won two
Super Bowls, but if you go back and look at
that first Super Bowl, Pittsburgh had a top top one

(01:04:28):
or two defense in like five or six of the
first few years where he started the Super Bowl that
they won in Arizona, Look, he was beginning to take
over the team and do those kinds of things like
I get big Ben, but of all those other quarterbacks
and now they all won't retire at the same time.
But I think Kim made a nice case when we
talk about Brady Breezes, Rogers, Heathrew and Peyton Manning, Like

(01:04:52):
I mean, Philip Rivers, I mean he's okay, Like Ben
is okay, but I'm just not in love with him
as a lockhole of Famer. Well, I didn't say he
was first out. You want to know, you want to
what The problem with it was that he might he
might go to Hall of Fame on in a walker.

(01:05:13):
The problem with it was that all of a sudden,
you're bringing in Philip Rivers and Eli Manning, while Eli
Manning gets in because of the two Super Bowls. People
would in the conversation was like, you're putting Philip Rivers
in because of his numbers, and now with Ben as
you can't use you can't use one argument and then
use the other both against Ben, because I will say this,

(01:05:33):
Ben stunk in Super Bowl forty. He wasn't and then
and he never got in the end zone. By the
way I'm telling he didn't get the end zone. We
know about the awful calls. The point is, at least
in the latter part of his career, the numbers that
he has put up may have overshadowed or at least
have counteracted what he did. I I don't think that
there's any doubt that he's in the Hall of Fame.
And actually, when it gets to the question, I think

(01:05:55):
five's about right. Yeah, I'd put Brady out of him. Yeah,
I put Breese ahead of him. But when you look
at it as a whole, what they've done offensively over
the last five years is really been impressive. And I
know it's you lovell Is Bucky likes, but to to
doubt that and Kim Jordan's only sees him once every
four years, that's another thing where like like I get

(01:06:16):
if you're facing a guy twice a year, you get
more of a field. I just I and I'm not
a huge big Ben fan. I just think in this
case that he was being well, this is kind of
like this is kind of like my deal is everyone
is the conversation like, hey, is Frank, We're going to
get in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, based on what
he has done, he rightfully sold dos as being They're like,
well he hasn't had whatever they want to say, and

(01:06:38):
I put him in a conversation, Well, Curtis Martin Garden.
You know, if Martin Garden for all his numbers, that
he should get in. And I also look at now
obviously listen, it's a little different, but I look at
Kurt Warner, you know, but he does, he does. He
does have an m v P, he does have a
regular two MVP. But if Kurt Water is in there,
you know, for for what he's done and and his women,

(01:07:00):
amount of time he's won a Super Bowl m v P,
put up great numbers, and I put him in that
same conversation if he got in, and Ben should get into.
So that's kind of like my argument and that. But ahead,
I like your club, Like if it's a New Year's
E forty, I won't take us to your spot because
you let everybody in. Everybody's here, everybody's in, will Black
Bess holding the party tonight, that the Hall of Fame.

(01:07:21):
Everybody's in. Bring bring a status too, and you kid,
you too respect the game that's going on. He's Will
Black Ben twelve year NFL VET, now teaming up with
the NFL Network. Find him on Twitter at will black Men.
Will we appreciate it, have a great Christmas and enjoy
Week sixteen. Appreciate anytime. Oh interesting, a couple of you

(01:07:44):
guys going head to hand on the Big band. It
is no, I mean, I can't say anything because he
is like, we had this conversation on the plane and
we were talking about Eli, and he's like, Eli has
to go in there. He played with Eli, So I
believe some of that always clouds like guys because they
play with him. But I mean Eli has only been
to the playoffs, Like he's only won games two times

(01:08:07):
in the playoffs, in both times they ran the table.
But I don't know if any of those we were
saying is necessarily because of him. But no, you're right.
And then the inter sec, if Eli gets in, then
Ben has to get in. Oh yeah, absolutely, there's there's
there's no doubt about that. And then also like if
Eli get it gets in, I feel like Philip Rivers

(01:08:29):
has to get in because Eli will go and he
will show us two rings at the door, but he
doesn't have any stats. But then Philip has all the stats,
and so I'm like, you have to take them all.
I think with like a guy like that, I'm bringing
Tony Romo into this conversation. Tony Romo got to the
point of his career where if he want a super Bowl,
he was an automatic. He was an automatic. He would

(01:08:49):
have gone to the Hall of Fame if you want
a super Bowl. But but that's that's the point that
may actually tell you how maybe, how how not good
Eli has been that we are we are wondering if
he should be in when he's got two like like that,
that I think may set it all say it all
for us, Like we're debating the guy who has two

(01:09:10):
super Bowl rings and everything that he said is legit.
The interceptions are legit. It wasn't because the hammer wasn't
because of the defense and it was I mean, it
wasn't just a stray hand year. It was the JPP
you know in Super Bowl forty six, a lot black
came with it. Ah, the discussion continues. He's bucking Brooks.
I'm Dan Buyer. This is a Fox Sports Radio. NBA
g ms are up in arms over Lebron James. Yeah,

(01:09:34):
we'll tell you why. After Steve the Seger gives us
the latest from a noisy Boise. Yeah, the Blue Turf
has seen at Boise hosting b Y you. You know,
the attendance at these two Bowl games today. I think
those two crowds combined won't match what the Chargers are
gonna get tomorrow night in that sucker. Yes, that's true.
That's a must have ticket. Yeah, quite expensive for the

(01:09:56):
Ravens and that defense visiting the Chargers Saturday night. By
the way, keenan Allen Charger star wide receiver is expected
to play. Melvin Gordon running back, returns backup running back
Austin Ekeler is out. There's another NFL game tomorrow, Redskins
at Titans, Washington tight end Vernon Davis out with a concussion.
As for the Blue Turf at Boise, this Potato Bowl
b y U seven nothing over Western Michigan late in

(01:10:18):
the first quarter. Earlier in front of let's say ten
fifteen thousand fans at the Bahamas Bowl, Florida International wins
thirty thirty two over Toledo. Are the Dodgers about to
trade Yasiel Puig Well Jeff Passon, baseball columnists for Yahoo Sports,
as the Dodgers and Reds are finalizing quote a significant
trade multiple major league pieces expected to change side, and

(01:10:42):
now he's reporting that it is Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp
and picture Alex Wood that have been traded to the
Cincinnati Room Pitture Homer Bailey one of those going back
to the Dodgers. The Red's new hitting coach is Turner Ward,
who was, of course a Yasiel Puig favorite in l A. Again,
Yahoo reporting Uig Camp and pitcher Alex Wood in the

(01:11:05):
deal to the Cincinnati Reds. This is news unfolding. Longtime
baseball writer John Hayman of Fancred says that Manny Machado,
after his visits to the Phillies, Yankees, and White Sox,
has told those teams he's not picking his new club
before the end of this year. That's for college for
pro football. We mentioned the college football. There are other
NFL items. The Steelers are gonna be at New Orleans

(01:11:27):
this weekend and running back James Conner of Pittsburgh is
officially out with his bad ankle, and wide receiver Juju
Smith Schuster questionable with a groin injury. The Bills have
given quarterback Matt Barkley a two year extension. Rams running
back Todd Gurley with his sword name miss practice again. St.
Louis Cardinals, by the way, signed reliever Andrew Miller from
the Indians Days, acquired infielder Juriks and pro far from

(01:11:48):
Texas Guys. Thank you very much, Steve. This is the
Doug Gottlieb Show. He's Bucky Brooks, I'm Dan Buyer, and
some NBA g ms are really mad Bucky. They are
mad at Lebron James and they are going to take
it anymore. It all stems from Lebron telling ESPN reporter
Davi mcmoniman when asked on what it would be like
to have Anthony Davis as part of his team in

(01:12:10):
l A with the Lakers, he said it would be
amazing and incredible. Because of those comments, several NBA General managers,
according to ESPN, have reached out to Dell Demps, the
GM of the New Orleans Pelicans, saying they are outraged
for the NBA refusing to take any action on what
they consider player tampering as Lebron James did there with

(01:12:34):
Anthony Davis. Do you have an issue or to the
general managers that are angry have a point about Lebron
James making comments about Anthony Davis. Look, I I understand
the general managers certainly have a point because they have
felt Lebron James is power when it comes to building
a squad. However, I would like to think that players

(01:12:58):
can comment on other players when they're to talk about players.
Lebron James is a player. We've solicited other players opinions
on other players and it hasn't been an issue. I
think the difference is because we have seen on multiple
occasions Lebron James has built super teams. For lack of
a better word, they are viewing him as an executive

(01:13:20):
rather than a player. But I don't believe it's necessarily tampering.
I think he's saying, like, man, if you would love
would you love the opportunity to play with Anthony Davis? Like? Yeah,
Like who wouldn't love that opportunity to play? I think
the issue would be if he was a front office
executive light Um Magic or Rock Olinka, then it's an issue.
But for a player, I don't. I don't think that's

(01:13:41):
tampera I also think that there are a couple of
things that play here. Is this isn't small market versus
large market as you would think, because if you look
most recently at what Oklahoma City was able to do
in keeping Russell Westbrook there. This even after the Kevin
Durant thing, And this is where this kind of all
stems from. Is worried about the superstar leaving town with

(01:14:02):
Oklahoma City right now looking back to that time, Sure
you don't want to lose Kevin Durant, but things haven't
worked out so bad they are. Also, this is a
league that maybe outside of the NFL, whereas so much
parody it doesn't matter what market you're in, really has
had a strong smaller market presence than you would maybe
tend to believe. I know, baseball is scene and uprising

(01:14:24):
of a team like Milwaukee making it to the NLCS,
of the Royals winning the World Series a couple of
years ago, But when you consider the markets of San
Antonio having the strength that they've had, we just mentioned
Oklahoma City, you talk about Portland and what they've got
with Dame Lillard and c. J. McCullum. There are smaller
markets in the NBA that can thrive. There are also
smaller markets that have realized a way to work around things.

(01:14:45):
The Indiana Pacers deal Paul George and they put together
a team that could challenge for the East. You look
at what the Milwaukee Bucks have done. Sure they got
Janis in a draft, but guess what they drafted Jannison
tea goopo themselves. They found a guy who actually may
want to stay in Milwaukee long term. It's kudos to them.
It's more about a front office and whether they're doing

(01:15:06):
their job. And I would say, if you were to
reveal the sources of this, it's front offices that haven't
been able to create a culture or an atmosphere that
allows them to compete. And I don't want to name
teams because I don't name don't know the teams. But
the point being is I don't think that you would
see successful smaller market teams call New Orleans and say
this is a joke. I think it's teams who are

(01:15:27):
maybe not as as strong and belief of what they
are doing and don't have the front office culture that
would allow free agents to either stay or want to
come to their teams. Look, I understand it like small
market teams feel like they get poached all the time
that they developed their players, and then the big market
teams come and kind of swipe them away because the
players want to play on a big stage. However, with

(01:15:50):
the way technology has changed, with the way that uh
you can brand yourself and promote yourself, it's not necessarily
it's not necessary to go and have to play at
a big market to be a star off the court.
We have seen Russell Westbrook and we've seen other guys
become prominent stars, have big time commercials and the like.

(01:16:12):
I think the bigger thing that you have to do
if you're a small market team, you have to really
sell the family atmosphere, the environment. You have to create
a culture where why would you want to go anywhere else?
Everything that you want is right here um. And so
I think that is the thing that the small market
team you need to focus on instead of worrying about

(01:16:33):
are the Lakers trying to kind of jump over the
fence and hop into our backyard? And I was so
against I was so against Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City
because I just I felt it was big and small.
And then then after you take a look back and
you see what's played out throughout the NBA, it's not
that black and white there. There there are small market
organizations that are complete one eighty from other small market organizations.

(01:16:55):
You look at the Utah Jazz, you lost Gordon Hayward.
Look at them. I know right now, they're not in
the play picture. They played the toughest schedule in the
NBA this season. But the point being is that even
a team like Utah who lost a free agent and
didn't replace them immediately. Sure, Donovan Mitchell was a draft pick,
but kudos to them for picking him and making him
a pick that is worth keeping. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm

(01:17:16):
Dan Buyer. This is the Doug Gottlieb Show here on
Fox Sports Radio. You would not believe what was said
this morning on Fox Sports One. It is something that
you don't want to miss. It's coming up next here
on Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Doug dot Leap Show weekdays at noon Eastern
three pm Pacific. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan buy are

(01:17:37):
glad to have you with us on the Doug Gottlieb
Show as we are sitting in for Doug today. Today's
show is brought to you by True Car Online. Car
shopping can be confusing, not anymore of a true price
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hot stove is finally cooking with the Dodgers, and Red's
making the deal that would have Yashill, Puig and Matt

(01:18:00):
Kemp along with Alex would going to Cincinnati. There's talk
that Mannie Machado, according to John Haman, Steve de Seger
had it in the Latest a little while ago, said
that Machado is not going to make his decision until
after the new year. Well, now maybe he'll want to
consider the Dodgers, who apparently have some money freed up
for possibly one Bryce Harper. That's where Twitter is going
right now. Twitter is Twitter is going crazy over the

(01:18:23):
hot stove in Major League Baseball. Yeah, Bryce Harper possibly?
How do you? How do you feel about that? How
do you feel about Bryce Harper? Finn in l a Dodger?
You know? And I got to clarify, it was Mannie
Machado telling the three teams that he wasn't gonna make
a decision until after twenty nineteen. But it's Bryce Harper.
I just I don't think it's one. If one person

(01:18:45):
is going to put you over that hump, he's going
to be a starting pitcher that is going to start
games one five and come in for game seven and
and so so. Any hitter that is, whether it be Stanton,
whether it be someone like Harper, whether it be someone
like Machado, any hitter to me, isn't the piece that
puts you over the top. Just isn't so your your

(01:19:08):
your defense over offense. Yeah, it's like a hot goalie
in in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like if if you
have a hot goalie and you can't get anything past him.
It's the same way with pitching. It's where the It's
where the ball starts and and gonna end if things
are going right. So that's that's how I look at
free agency. He's Bucky Brooks, I'm Dan Buyer. And just

(01:19:29):
because Doug isn't here doesn't mean we aren't going to
hear something amazingly insightful from one of the shows on
Fox Sports Radio or Fox Sports One. It is time
for now, Oh. Hall of Famer Chris Carter on First
Things First, wants to weigh in on the Ben Roethlisberger
Hall of Fame debates. The players playing the game today,

(01:19:52):
they don't know that much about the league and other players,
all right. I prove it to Nick all the time.
So when players start evaluating, they're not watching enough film
on these quarterbacks to be able to give an accurate depiction. Also,
I'm in the Hall of Fame. Stay out of predictings.
Who's in the Hall of Fame. Ben isn't going to
be in the Hall of Fame. It's automatic. It's automatic,

(01:20:15):
like Eli is the questionable one from one Chris Carter.
That's where you stand alone, those party lines, right, I mean,
I'm not I'm not a bit of advocate for Eli
being in the Hall of Fame because I don't know
if he has ever been considered one of the all
time greats at the position. I don't know if at
any time we have said, man, Eli is playing like

(01:20:38):
a top five quarterback in the National Football League. And
so I think the Hall of Fame um should be
reserved for guys who you absolutely felt like at some
point in their career they were transcendent players, they were
the best at their position, those things, and I don't
think we ever have a moment where Eli has done
it like, yes, he's had some moments in Super Bowl,

(01:21:00):
but he hasn't had a season, He hasn't had a
series of seasons where you feel like Eli Manning deserved
to be in the conversation with Brady Brees Rogers Ben Roethlisberger.
I will give him this. There have been moments, there
have been times where you have said, look, Ben Roethlisberger
is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in football.
So if we're gonna use Dad as the barometer, Ben

(01:21:23):
Roethlisberger should absolutely get in before Eli Manning. I thought
we were wrapping up this segment. There I caught, I caught,
I caught John Ramos there. I just want to point
out one thing about these numbers, because I'm gonna take
the conversation off on a tangent. Whether Cam Jordan's thinks
Ben Roethlisberger is or isn't a Hall of Famer, He's

(01:21:45):
got to at least be in the conversation. And so
Cam Jordan's to make it so dismissive of like, are
you sure you and I may rank the top five
quarterbacks and your number five could be my number six,
and that there's so that it's not like out of
the realm of of like, oh my goodness, Howard gregious.
But the Caim Jordan's conversation made it seem like that

(01:22:09):
he was a little dismissing, But I think he need
more dismissive before, because the reporter just kind of flippingly said, oh,
you know, the guys all the fame thing. You just
kind of gave him the past, like, hey, here's your ticket,
go to Canton. Ben Roethlisberger sixth in career passing yards
in the NFL, Eli Manning is seventh, and Philip Rivers

(01:22:30):
is eight and so. And I know that's not the
only tell all staff, but what that does tell us
one thing is that they're a lot closer together than
people may want to give you credit for. And so
as you trying, all three are going, all three are
going to go in. I had a guy in fantasy
football who was mad we put just harassed us because
we didn't put Kareem Hunt the top four of preseason

(01:22:51):
running backs. It wasn't like I had him twenty ninth,
you know, like at the time he was six, you know,
like like, so, hey, you know he's up people, He's
bucking Brooks. I'm Dan buyer. You need to ease up
on one of the best teams in the National Football League.
Give him a break. We talked about it next year
on Fox. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at

(01:23:13):
Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart
Radio apps. Search f s R to listen live. Week
six seen is almost here. There was no Thursday Night football,
but we get a double dose on Saturday, a full
dose on Sunday, and then on Christmas Eve you can
do whatever you want and take in Broncos Raiders, which
could be could be the last game the Raiders play

(01:23:36):
in Oakland. There are some reports coming out of the
Bay Area that maybe the team could play games in
San Francisco at a T and T Park, the home
of the Giants, but there's some ongoing discussions. I think
NBC Sports Bay Area with that report. But it could
be the last game in Oakland for the Raiders coming
up on Christmas Eve. And I'm sure they probably felt

(01:23:57):
that way, you know, thirty five years ago, but then
they ended up going back. But now it could really
be the last game for the Raiders in Oakland. This
this Monday, that against Denver. That sad day. Sad day
when you think of all the history that goes along
with the Oakland Raiders, having been a long time Raider,
having played in Oakland, having known how special that place

(01:24:19):
could be, particularly when you're winning it is it is
hard to imagine that there won't be any more football
in the Bay Area for the Raiders uh in Oakland,
but look, Mark Davis made a decision to move to Vegas.
It'll just be interesting to see how it plays out
this weekend with this being the last game. It's one
of the few games that doesn't have some sort of
playoff implication in it because right now in the NFC,

(01:24:42):
nine teams vying for six spots, some spots already locked up,
but essentially for the wild card. In the a f C,
you've got ten teams that are available to possibly maneuver. Here.
They are everywhere. Chiefs have already locked up their playoffs spot,
as have the Chargers. But the Chiefs and Chargers already
category Bucky that I like to call your monthly super

(01:25:02):
Bowl champions. And this is something that actually we talked
about as a team earlier this week on Fox Sports
Radio Off the Air, and we were talking about how
we are so quick to put a nail in the
Kansas City Chiefs after they lose a one point game
at home against the team that ended up coming back

(01:25:24):
from a deficit but ended up going for two points
to end the game. And this is the Kansas City
Chiefs team that we crowned the Super Bowl champion in September,
and now we want to go back yeah, tell you
well in October and then was given to the Rams,
and the Rams lost to the Saints. And then in
the month of November it was the Yeah and then

(01:25:47):
they lost to the Cowboys. So right now you're December
super Bowl champion in the NFL are the Los Angeles Chargers.
Now I don't care about the Super Bowl champion in February.
But with this Bucky, with this praise that we put
on the teams month after month, and it always switches
the angst and the the negativity and the bad energy
that we throw towards other teams, I just don't I

(01:26:10):
don't believe that it's it's fair. And I think the
Kansas City Chiefs are one of those teams that listen,
they lost to the Chargers at home by one point.
They lost, they lost in New England by three points
in a game that was a shootout. They lost to
the Rams by what three points? So by my estimation
and my quick math, they've lost three games by a
total of seven points this season. Yeah, because the Chargers

(01:26:33):
converted on a two point conversion on a defensive mix up.
We want to just put a nail in the Kansas
City Chiefs, even though they control their own destiny of
getting home field. And it's just I I don't like it,
like I think I look at the playffs. I don't
look at playoffs we're like, okay, now this is the
team and that team is out. I look at the
playoffs as a whole, as a way to navigate a matchup.

(01:26:54):
You talked about the Patriots maybe how they would try
to navigate a playoff picture and its matchups and its
teams that are where you play. Then you can take
a educated guests and who's gonna be a super Bowl winner?
Not for like well they lost Week fifteen at home
to the Chargers. There runners over. I just think, get us.
We are so quick to pull the trigger on a
team and just call them dead. That just think it's

(01:27:15):
unfair to a lot of the NFL's best. Yeah, it
is unfair. Um, but I think with Kansas City, here's
why we worry about Kansas City being able to make
it all the way. We love their offense. We love
what Pat Mahomes has been able to do. Early in
the year he was lightening to school board. They've continued
to be one of the more exciting teams offensively to watch.
The biggest issue that we have with the Chiefs they

(01:27:36):
give up way too many points on defense. Um. I
mean you talk about a team has given up a
ton of points, twenty seven or so point. It's just
hard to imagine a team that doesn't play great defense,
it doesn't even play average defense, being able to win
it all. And so I think some of the hesitation
to fully endorsed the Chiefs as a Super Bowl team

(01:28:00):
is due to the fact that their defense doesn't play
well enough. The reason people have jumped on board with
the Saints they feel like the defense is playing better.
Eli Upple has come over and kind of solidified the secondary. Um,
they're getting sacks. Cam Jordan is a star along the
front line, so you feel good about them. The charges
you know about Melvin Ingram, Joey Bosa during James has
emerged as an instant star. You know, Offensively, Philip Rivers

(01:28:23):
can get it done, and so it's easier to buy
into those teams because they kind of feel like they're
going to be there at the end of the Rams
are kind of the outlied because they also haven't played
great defense. They have nice names and Aaron Donald and
Dominkan su and Marcus Peters the key to leap and
then offensively they were lightening up the scoreboard. But they

(01:28:45):
are also a team that when you really dig deep,
can you really buy into the fact that this team
is going to the Super Bowl when their defense doesn't
play like the championship defenses that we're used to seeing
in those games. Your NFL teammate and twelve you'r NFL
veteran Old black Men joined this earlier on the Doug
Gottlieb Show, and I asked him specifically about Kansas City
and what worries him not only entering Week six team

(01:29:07):
but also the postseason. The only thing I'm concerned with
what this team is that it's on prime time and
that's been the issues. You know, they played against the
pat lost in prime time. The Rams lost Charges lost. Now,
Pat Mahomes has played really really well. I mean the
first game, you know, through for three fifty against the
Patriots four tds, but they lost. Rams hit him for

(01:29:27):
almost six d lost same thing, Charges almost two fifty
two t ds and lost. And that's Will Blackman earlier.
I think that the issues with Kansas City, though, and
you pointed out about the Rams are are different. I
would expect and let's just say it's worst case scenario

(01:29:47):
for the Chiefs. They don't end up beating Seattle this week,
Chargers end up beating the Ravens and end up winning
out and win the division. I still would be afraid
if I was any team that had Kansas City coming
to to my stadium to play in the playoffs, and
I don't look at I wouldn't look at them as
a wounded bird, if you will, even though they may
not be as good as they were in Week one

(01:30:08):
compared to Week one of the playoffs. Sure, Kareem Hunt's
not there, and maybe there's some stuff with Pat Mahomes
that he wasn't as as electrifying as he was, but
still that's not a team that I want to play.
And it just seems like we're just immediately dismissing them.
Where I look at a team like the Rams that
you said, listen, they haven't been that good. Do we
talk about Aaron Donald as an m VP candidate? Maybe

(01:30:28):
everywhere else on that defense hasn't been up to par.
And now you're curious about Jared Goff, and now you're
curious about Todd Gurley, and now the Cooper Cup absence
is one that's a lot bigger than people expected. They
are way more questions around the National Football League in
l A. Than there would be in Kansas City. Yet
we want to say, oh, like this is this is
the Chiefs problem. That's the issue that I have is

(01:30:51):
Kansas City is no different than New Orleans or l A.
But we just view these teams differently. All these teams
have fatal flaws. There is not an overwhelming favor to
win the Super Bowl. Uh. You can look at the
New Orleans Saints and we can talk about the last
couple of games. They haven't been able to score enough
points that we're used to seeing. They're not lightening it
up when you really look at their personnel. Their team

(01:31:12):
is more system driven than star driven. Uh, Mike Michael
Thomas is the only guy that really scares you in
the passing game. Alvicamar has not been the same player
now that he has been given a bigger workload, and
so they are a team that is also concerning um.
I believe really this is going to be a playoff
tournament that is decided by the matchups and depending upon

(01:31:36):
who is matchup with whom it could really it really
can can upset the Apple Court when it goes to
how we think the playoffs are going to play out.
That's where a team like Dallas because I don't think
teams want to face them. I don't think that a
team would want to face Seattle. No, I don't think
a team would want to face Baltimore. Yeah, you know, so,
the common denominated with the teams that you mentioned, I'm

(01:31:57):
gonna throw Indiannapolis in there too. The common denomen neator
for most of those teams teams that can run the ball,
Teams that have young athletic defenses that can run around
from sideline the sideline they're challenging. The reason the running
game really really matters now is because it allows you
to control the game. You can dictate the terms, you

(01:32:18):
can shrink the clock. You can make the game going
to the fourth quarter just by kind of squatting on
the ball. Now, to win, you have to be able
to manufacture points in the passing game. You have to
be able to throw touchdowns. You gotta be able to
generate explosive plays in the passing game. But running the
ball allows you to dictate the terms. And so those
teams that are hanging at the bottom of the playoff

(01:32:39):
picture are teams that can physically run it. They can
impose their will, and in a one and done scenario,
you just don't want to have to face those kind
of teams. They have to get past them. I I
know that Lamar Jackson is criticized for the for a
couple of reasons, and I'm not on board with this.
I actually love the move to Lamar Jackson. I love

(01:32:59):
when he brings to the team, but he gets criticized
for for passing the ball and whether he's going to
be able to hold up to the rigors of the NFL.
But in a one game situation, that is one quarterback
in a close game that I don't want there because
I know that he's the one that can take a
scramble and turn it into a sixt yard touchdown run
like it's It's those sort of things when when the

(01:33:20):
defense is now on the teals because it's a playoff
game and there's pressure, and you're at home and you're
the team that's expected to win against this other offense
in Baltimore, there's only one dimensional it gives you. I
don't want to see that. I don't want anything to
do with that. And instead of saying like, wow, that's
actually a strength of Baltimore of having that home run
threat maybe running the ball, we look at it and say, well,

(01:33:40):
you can't pass, so they're no good. Yeah, it's different.
It's an unorthodox style, and I think at some point
we should move away from worrying about these quarterbacks playing
into the thirty five and forty. I think we've been very,
very spoiled by the quarterbacks Drew Brees, Tom Brady that
have played to like that's not the norm. We shouldn't
really expect those guys to be there. And so when

(01:34:02):
we're judging quarterbacks that run around and scramble, we're always
waiting for them to get hurt. But I mean, last
time I checked, I mean Andrew Luck has been hurt.
Um I mean, Ben Roethlisberger has dealt with injuries throughout
his career, He's continued to be able to play. Um.
It's just the nature of the position. If you sit
there like a sitting duck, you're going to get pummeled.

(01:34:24):
And a lot of times the running quarterbacks and those
guys get hurt in the pocket. The pocket is the
place where the danger begins when you're outside, especially if
you're known runner who understands how to get down and
protect themselves. It's a little safer for you when you
leave the pocket as supposed to staying in the pocket.
It's the same arguiner have made with Cam Newton for
so long as Carolina Panthers don't need Cam Newton as

(01:34:44):
a quarterback for sixteen years because yeah, because if he's
not gonna run for the last five then what good
is he? Well, I mean, there there is something too,
And I think what we have to do is when
we're looking at quarterbacks, you have to understand they are
what they are. They really don't change. So everyone who
hoping for Josh Allen to be this guy that's gonna
be a super accurate pastor, it's not going to happen.

(01:35:05):
Because history suggests that this is what he is. He
has always been a passer from high school, junior college,
uh college, and now in the pros. This is that's
his DNA, that is who he is. So how can
you win with that kind of quarterback? In I give
Buffalo credit for what they've been able to do with
Josh Allen. Look, man, let him play the way that

(01:35:27):
he has to play, and then you build your offense
around those things. And you know that he is going
to be very Cam Newton like in terms of he's
gonna short hops and passes, he's gonna throw it over
people's heads. But the plays that he makes are gonna
be spectacular plays. And Lamar Jackson can have the same
kind of impact for an offenses. And I look at
Lamar Jackson is different than the other four just for
the simple fact not that he's a black quarterback, is

(01:35:48):
that he was the thirty second pick. These other guys
are top ten picks, and I think that there's a
big difference. It should be a big difference in the
way that you viewed him. Absolutely for you, for your
investment and what you your whole wished to not pick
in the top ten for the next ten years, So
you need to hit that. If Baltimore and Lamar Jackson
don't work out, it was the last pick in the
first round, last pick in the first round, and what
you were able to do, You're able to retain his

(01:36:10):
rights on a team friendly deal that has a fifth
year option, which is what you absolutely want. And uh
in Baltimore in the way they have built their team. Uh.
I know Jail Flacco right now is the number two,
but I think they have it the right way and
more teams to have running quarterbacks. You think about this,
Lamar Jackson is the starter. R G three is the backup.

(01:36:31):
So all the things that we've heard about, well, I
don't want to have to change my offense if he
gets hurt. Well how about you do this, go and
get a similar skilled quarterback and you never have to
change it. And I think that is the thing that
you want to do. Even in looking at Seattle, Seattle
has Russell Wilson, Brent Huntley is the backup, so now
you don't have to change what you do. I think
that is the key. If you're going to invest in

(01:36:52):
a mobile quarterback, make sure that the backup is a
mobile quarterback. So things don't have to change for you.
He's Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer, talking about the road
to the NFL Playoffs. Speaking of roads, it's never okay
to drive stone. You put yourself and others in danger.
If you've been using marijuana in any form, do not
get behind the wheel. If you feel different, you drive different,
Drive high. Get a d u y. He's Bucky Brooks.

(01:37:14):
I'm Dan Buyer. This is the Doug gott Leap Show
coming up next. Who is the real threat in the
NFL playoff picture? We ask a former NFL scout here
on Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions
of the Doug dot Leap Show week days at noon
Eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
I Heart Radio app. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer,

(01:37:35):
sitting in for Doug today. I hope you're getting all
your Christmas shopping done. Still got a couple of more days.
But roads also, just because of the way that the
calendar sets up, maybe many people starting to travel now.
Be careful, allow yourself a lot of time. Be safe
out there. In sports of trade can make or break
your team. It's no different when it comes to selling
or treading in your car. You need to make good
choices in with True Car, You've got a star on

(01:37:57):
your roster. So when you're ready to sell or trade
in your are check out True Car. True Cash offer
not available in all states. So who's the real threat
in these NFL playoffs that will beginning two weeks. Let's
ask a former NFL scouter good friend John Middlcoff joining
us here on Fox Sports Radio, Mary Christmas, Happy Holidays,
Happy New Year. John thinks, so much for coming on,
Mary Christmas. What's Upella? It's it's great to have you.

(01:38:19):
Bucky and I were just in this discussion on I
just think it's unfair how the Chiefs have been getting
a bad rapidately for a team that's lost three games
by a combined seven points this season, and that was
so quick to turn on a team. I'm curious on
your other on the other side of this coin of
what's the dangerous team? Is it Dallas? Is it a
Baltimore with Lamar Jackson? What team is the team that

(01:38:42):
no one wants to face when the playoffs start in
a couple of weeks. I think it hap to be Chicago. Uh,
just because of that defense. If assuming Eddie Jackson, I
doubt he's gonna play this week or even next week,
but you can come back for the playoffs. They're still
alive for that number two seed. Either way, they're they
get a home game. But if they were the two

(01:39:02):
seed and you know, somehow New Orleans were to you know,
get upset in that second round, Let's say Dallas were
to go and you know, beat him for a second time.
Though would be unlikely, it's not. I mean, Dallas's defense
pretty good too. I would not want to go to
Chicago and and play a game. We all know how
hard it is to go to New Orleans, but as

(01:39:23):
we saw the Rams attempt to do a couple of
weeks back, I mean, when that place gets cold with
that defense, I'm not the biggest Mr. Whisky guy, but
he doesn't have to do that much. Just because I
heard Kyle Shanahan talking about it this week, that they're
scoring offense is actually you just assumed they're, you know, terrible,
but they're They're actually like in the top eight. I
think they're six because their defense, not just they turn

(01:39:46):
the ball over so much. They get the ball in
plus field position without even having to do anything. You know,
it's funny that you talk about Mitchell Dubisky because obviously, uh,
their defenses lights out and they can hold a score
to out and they can make plays and score on defense.
But you know, in the playoffs it really comes down
to quarterback play. And you kind of sounded luke warmont

(01:40:07):
for Bisky. What do you think his ceiling is this
year in the postseason? Yeah, I mean my problem Bucky
is just as inaccuracy on you know, as your guy
Daniel Jeremiah would say, just a layup throws. You know,
any young player, you know, difficult longer deep passes are
gonna be hit or miss. You know, he clearly has

(01:40:28):
a good arm. You just you know, in the short
game and intermediate game, you just have no clue when
he's off where the ball is gonna go. And in
certain games is cost him because he throws the other team.
But I think they'd have to develop a game plan
that would just only run routes that you know that
he felt comfortable with throwing and that he completed whatever
that week in practice, they thought they'd get it against

(01:40:49):
the defense. The one thing he has going for him
is that he can really run the ball. So if
I think because the way they're built, could they win
a game, they could win a playoff game, unlike many
teams with him probably attempting I don't know, fifteen to
eighteen passes. You know, most of these teams like they
were just they wouldn't be able to get buy on

(01:41:09):
that because you have to score points. Well, their defense
might be able to score them a touchdown. Hell why
not to? You know that they get pick six and
it feels like every other game their defensive line can
cause bumble sixes. Uh, So I think they have that
unique aspect. Now, could they win multiple playoff games with
him playing that way? Probably not? So that that's where

(01:41:31):
if he was, you know, playing at a high level,
I I think they would be you know, uh, just
a kind of common pick for a lot of people
to get to the super Bowl. But he's probably the
reason that people like me don't feel confident picking them.
John Middlecoff hosted the Three and Out podcast on the
Herd Radio Network and former NFL scout, joining us here
as he always does on the Doug got Leap Show

(01:41:51):
on Fox Sports Radio. He's bucking Brooks. I'm dan buyer
in for Duc today we just started talking Ravens and
Lamar Jackson. Is this recipe, uh, the recipe that can
the hottest team in the NFL, the team that we
crowned Super Bowl champions in December, the Los Angeles Chargers.
Is this is this the matchup that's gonna knock the
Bolts off from their lofty perch that we put them

(01:42:11):
on for the last eight or nine days or so.
I mean a little bit like we just talked about
with Mitch. You control the clock and let your defense
shut down the offense and try to win a game,
you know, seventeen to fourteen where you have possession of
the ball, you know, se of the game that that
would be the formula because you're not gonna get into
a shootout with them. They're they're not The Ravens aren't

(01:42:33):
built to do that. In Lamar, the offense as of
right now, the way they're operating is not built to
throw the ball. But they can if they can control
the clock and just get you know, have several drives
where you just get three or four first downs and
even if you punt, you lean it on your defense,
which I think the Ravens are the number one scoring
defense right now. I know Rivers is hot, Keenan Allen's

(01:42:55):
banged up, Melvin Gordon hasn't played in a couple of weeks.
They're the Ravens are a tough, weird matchup, even though
I don't see them going very far even if they
make the playoffs. But you gotta give him. I mean,
they're playing well and they just know how to win
by the way they're playing. I mean, they it's hard
to implement the style in the middle of the year,
but clearly they must. They practiced during O t A.

(01:43:18):
They had, you know, these packages ready for him, and
then when they went all in on them, they've just
been able to just I mean, he's clearly comfortable doing it,
and I think eventually in one of these games, and
maybe even Saturday Night, you're gonna have to expand it
a little bit. You know, on third and seven, you
can't run the ball, you gotta throw. Let him throw

(01:43:38):
the ball, and you gotta live or die with his arm,
not his legs. You know. It's funny, John, Like obviously
you in the Bay Area when Capp was there and
when Greg Roman was running this offense, this style offense
and went to the Super Bowl The thing about Lamar
Jackson that I kind of grow frustrated in watching Baltimore
do it is I feel like they didn't really look
at him in college because they have him doing boot

(01:44:00):
eggs and stuff and the things that he was best
at a Louisville we're working in the pocket. If you
can go back and dig deep into the file, when
when Roman had Kaepernick, when you talk about expanding it,
how could you envision them expanding this offense as they
go into the postseason. It'd be a good question because
the Niners had so much success with just running with

(01:44:21):
Kaepernick in those couple of years, you know, in the playoffs,
and he was the one thing I see Kaepernick that
I never thought he got enough credit for as a runner.
First off, his speed at the time was just in
his functional play speed was incredible. Uh his forty times
was good, but he ran so fast with the ball
in his hands, he was faster than every defender. He

(01:44:43):
never took hits. He'd either slide or get out of bounds.
He was really good at it. He did not take
unneeded hits unlike Lamar. Because I have no problem with
you running it, especially with Lamar because his speed is
so great, but he's just I don't care how big
the defender is. You can only take so many hits.
And I'm with you, you just you have to let
him throw the ball or at least attempt to. You

(01:45:04):
do have some weapons, you know. The one thing with
some of these, like the one thing Kaepernick always had
is they had an Juan Bolden and they had Crabtree
to like the back shoulder throw. You don't even guys
like that. You don't even need to be that accurate
on because he's a contested catch type guy. You know,
just just throw it up. And Derek Carr made a
living with crab Tree forever. You just kind of throw
it up and let him make some plays. I just

(01:45:26):
think that, you know how coaches get that they found
something that works their winning games, So why change that.
The problem is, I mean, there, you gotta win this game.
So if you get into a point when you're down.
You see it sometimes like with Army Navy or Georgia Tech,
if you can't throw the ball and you're down late
in the game, which sometimes against good teams, you might

(01:45:46):
be down ten points in the second half against the Chargers, like,
you just can't rely you have to throw the ball
and will they be open to do I've worked with
Marty morning Wig. He has no problem throwing the ball.
I just think for whatever reason, he doesn't think that
Lamar can make the throws. John Middlcoff joining us here
on Fox Sports Radio, taking a look. I had a
week sixteen in the NFL. I know this sounds crazy

(01:46:09):
for a team that leads to the division, is a
top two in their conference, and had a nine game
winning streak. But do you believe in the Texans. They're
kind of built like an NBA team. Uh. You know,
they got like three or four the equivalents because they
have like four or five blue chip guys J J. Clowney,
Hopkins and their quarterback and Honey Badger has been really
good too. And then they got a bunch of guys

(01:46:30):
that I don't think the casual fan would really know about.
They just, you know, functional starters. But the elite guys
are so impactful that when they win. You know, Clowney
and j J combined for three sacks and six tackle
for losses and Hopkins has eight catches for a d
ninety yards and two touchdowns. You know, just yeah, they

(01:46:51):
just they jump, Like my mom could tell the guys
were just like, jeez, who's You're like, Yeah, they're the
best players in the league, and that's why they can
get by. That's why I think that a lot of
people are hesitant to say, can you rattle off two
playoff wins or three playoff wins depending on where they're seated.
I do like them though. I've always liked Bill O'Brien.

(01:47:12):
When I lived in Philly. I went to a practice
that Penn State. When I was with the Eagles, we
played them when he was the offensive coordinator. I've always
thought highly of him, and now you're seeing last year
when he got Deshaun Watson before he towards a c L,
their offense was incredible. Now this year with him healthy,
I mean, like you said, nine game winning streak. How
many teams on a given year have a nine game

(01:47:32):
winning streak in the NFL. That to me, that's really impressive.
Uh And and just because of their blue chip talent,
I don't think they can be written off. I mean,
I I like him more than the Patriots this year,
which sounds blasphemous because of you know, Brady and Belichick.
But I just think they're playing better, they're more confident.
They've just had consistent wins. And I know their schedule
and some of the teams they beat aren't that impressive,

(01:47:53):
but you know, it's the NFL. Man, Like I I
thought last week was a good it was a good win.
I know it's the Jets, but it's on the roads
and nationally televised games. Teams don't lay over. I mean,
I saw it last week with the Niners. It was Seattle.
I mean, teams keep playing hard and you have to
take them seriously despite what their record is. And I
think at the end of the day, Houston's gonna end

(01:48:14):
up with twelve wins. So we can talk smack about
them all we want, but they have several I mean,
they got maybe a couple Hall of famers that are
in the peak of their powers and a couple other
Pro Bowlers and had a really good quarterback and a
coach that is gonna be a third time in the playoffs. Uh.
I know he's taking a lot of heat over the
years for his game management, so he's probably gonna be
in some tight games in the playoffs. The magnifying glasses

(01:48:36):
to me is gonna be on Bill O'Brien more than
their players, because I've seen Clowning in a playoff game
against the Raiders. He was the best player on the field.
You know, I've seen Hopkins. This guy can dominate. To me,
it's like the coaching staff, can they bring an A
plus game plan? Because if they do, why couldn't they
make a run? You know? And speaking of making a run,
you briefly mentioned the New England Patriots. Now that Josh

(01:48:57):
Gordon has been suspended and he's losing, they've they've lost
basically a huge playmaker for them in the passing game.
How do you expect them to kind of handle losing
another weapon when it doesn't seem like they have many
weapons on the perimeter anyway in the passing end. Yeah,
it just feels kind of like this year is the
perfect storm, and you know, it's just it was bound

(01:49:18):
to happen, right, I mean, he can't make tense straight
an FC championship games or whatever they they recorded, you know,
they're down to have you know, that's the year that
they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Do
you know how many teams would die to just have
that set about him? You know, just to me, you know,
Belichick wanted to get rid of Gronk this offseason. It
was just that time, right you could tell like he
was kind of right on the fence. Soas you have

(01:49:39):
another really good year left, he thought about I think
he tried to trade him, and then Gronks like I'll retire.
So it kind of took the Patriots leverage away so
they couldn't do it. Belichick knew this was coming, you know,
with that specific player, and then I I give them
somewhat not a pass, but he tried this off You know,
they had two first round picks. He drafted their left
tackle to as Achilles. They drafted Sony, which I don't

(01:50:02):
know about you, Bucky. I loved him at and it's
just been you know, it's a tough rookie season. He's
been banged up. I think he played a little better
last week. He's gonna be fine, but he's not a
tough rookie year. Like Belichick knew he needed weapons and
needed to help on the offense. He tried just just
backfired and he got stuck with Gronk. And Gronk's would
have been tough to trade just to begin with. But

(01:50:24):
if anyone had the cloud to do it. It was
Belichick and they've trade him to the Lions, and it
kind of that to me, is kind of backfired. Not
as much as their wide receivers, because they've always won
with kind of average wide receivers, you know, the last
five six years. Beside Edelman. To me, it's him, he's
he's there, just absolute game changer when he's on, and
he's he's on now, but he's just not as good.

(01:50:46):
He's just he looks slow to me, lumbers, he's just
not the same guy. It's just that's the nature of football, right,
I mean, just guys as they get older at physical positions,
offensive lineman, defensive lineman, tight ends, they can just running
backs just all of a sudden on a given year,
it looks like the guy fell off a cliff and
that's what happened. Get him on Twitter at John Middlecoff

(01:51:08):
and listened to him on the Three and Out podcast
on the Herd Podcast Network. John Middlecoff, We appreciate it.
Happy Holidays, John will do it again next week. Merry Christmas.
Enjoyed the weekend, and uh have a good one. Great stuff.
Entering a week sixteen of the National Football League season,
the rights and the wrong and who to pick next
after Steve The Seger gives us the latest, including a

(01:51:31):
big trade in Major League Baseball, Steve Hello and Yes,
the Dodgers traded outfielders Yasio Puig and Matt Kemp to
the Reds, along with Picture, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer, and
seven million dollars under the radar as part of the trade.
According to Dodger beat writer Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register
is that Kemp and Twig and would a Picture were
some of the more unhappy Dodgers regarding all the platoon

(01:51:53):
ng or the rotation being overstocked and then not being
there at every turn on the field, and the Dodgers
wanted to lessen that element in the clubhouse atmosphere. But
a great point by our John Morrossy that luxury tax
implications are key in this swap. Today the Dodgers receive Picture,
Homer Bailey and two prospects. Bailey is expected to be released.
The Dodgers have move have a room for another move

(01:52:15):
in this offseason. The Cardinals signed reliever Andrew Miller from
the Indians College Football. Florida International takes the Bahamas Bowl
thirty two over Toledo halftime in Boise, Western, Michigan at
ten seven leader against b y U. The Buffalo Bills
gave quarterback Matt Barkley a two year extension. Steelers wide
receiver Juju Smith Schuster, with a groin injury, is questionable

(01:52:36):
for this weekend's game at New Orleans. Veteran running back
Frank Gore does not need foot surgery. NFL Network reporting
he intends to come back for a fifteen season. Rams
running back Todd Gurley with his swordie miss practice again.
He thinks he'll play Sunday at Arizona. Gurley will likely
be a game day decision. The Australian Open will now
have tiebreakers in deciding sets to avoid those marathon tennis

(01:52:58):
matches as the US Open and Wimbledon now do. There
is NHL tonight three games, including Buffalo at Washington seven
pm Eastern. That's tonight's Discover Card Key matchup. Become a
new Card member and Discover Card will match all the
cash back you've earned dollar for dollar at the end
of your first year. Learn more at Discover dot COM's
last match limitations apply ten NBA games tonight. The late

(01:53:20):
contest has the Lakers hosting New Orleans. Anthony Davis listed
as questionable due to illness. Lebron James a game time
decision due to illness. Guys, thank you very much, Steve.
He's Fucky Brooks. I'm Dan Buyer. This is the Doug
gott Leave Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Let's pick
some games. I want winners. Well, we got him five

(01:53:40):
NFL five college. It's five for five with Doug Gottli.
Let's go five. Okay, voice guy lied, we're not gonna
do college Bowl games are going on, but we're gonna
do is. We're gonna do five NFL games. Fucky, okay,
I that's just the way we're gonna go. We didn't
get the Boise, the Idaho Potato, the famous I'd a
hope potato bull pick in, although I did like Western

(01:54:03):
Michigan plus twelve and a half. I will just say
that are up by three at a half. Let's give
five games. You go first, we'll alternate, so you get three.
I get to I need you to pick a winner,
and we're gonna start Saturday night at the stub ub Center. Chargers,
the home team, come in as a four point favorite
over the Baltimore Ravens. Who do you like in Saturday

(01:54:23):
nights till I'm gonna go with to Baltimore Ravens straight up.
I think to Baltimore Ravens win it. Um, this style
of play is really really difficult. Um. The one X
factor will be will they match up Derwin James o
Lamar Jackson and have him shadow the more Jackson to
run game. But look, when you've run for two d
and fifty plus yards on average and five straight games,

(01:54:46):
I don't know if anyone can slow that down. The
Buffalo Bills go to New England to take on the
Patriots in a game that as New England as a
thirteen and a half point favorite. And I know you
think New England is probably fuming after their law us
to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tell you what, not only do
the Buffalo Bills cover this game, but this game gets done? Yeah,

(01:55:08):
but this game gets done in under three hours. That's
what it's gonna be. So yeah, no, don't, I'm not
gonna go that far. This is Yeah, this is going
to be a quick game. You're gonna look at your
clock and you're gonna say, oh wow, it's only quarter
to four Eastern Time, and this game is done with
That's what's gonna happen. Bills keep it close. New England wins,
but there's no way that New England covers that huge

(01:55:29):
point spread. I like the Bills plus thirteen and a half. Alright, Bucky,
here we go, the Philadelphia Eagles taking on those Houston Texans,
and we just talked about the game in the City
of brotherly love. Philadelphia comes in as a point and
a half favorite. Oh, I'm going with Philadelphia in this one.
I think I think the controversy coming out of this
one is will be are the Philadelphia Eagles better off

(01:55:52):
with Nick Boles at quarterback than Carson Wins. I what
I asked John Middlecoff about the Texans in Away when
I said, are you a believer in the Texans? The
other way of saying it is I'm not a believer
in the Texans and that nine game winning streak. While
it is, it is something and other teams, even if
it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Yeah, it

(01:56:13):
wasn't a murderers row of of squads that you saw.
It started off with that game with the Colts that
they could have tied. I just wonder what it gets
down to it if Houston's gonna have enough. So when
I was saying that the John Middle Coffen says that
I'm not a believer. You like the Eagles, Steelers Saints,
one of the late games that you'll see on Fox
New Orleans comes in as a six point favorite. I

(01:56:35):
just don't like Pittsburgh on the road. I don't care
if it's indoors or outdoors. I am not a fan.
I am going with the Saints to cover this game,
even on a short week for them at home in
the Dome to wrap up home field. Pittsburgh's not gonna
have James Conner. Juju Smith Schuster is the question mark
with his groin injury. Too many questions there. I like
the Saints to cover at home and finally Bucky Chiefs

(01:56:58):
in Seattle to take the Seahawks Kansas City favored by
two and a half. This is a guy to have
a game for the new Seattle Seahawks. They gave one
away to the forty nine. Is they have to have
this one. Doesn't make sure that everything is safe and
secure for them and they don't necessarily have to fall
to the bottom of the playoff Pitcher. I'm gonna say

(01:57:19):
at home, all right, Seahawks plus two and a half.
There they are five there it is five NFL five
zero five for five zero college listen the ball games
or whatever? Right, if you're picking Bowl game, No, I
shouldn't say that I picked myself. He's Bucky Brooks. I'm

(01:57:40):
Dan Buyer. Oh levy On Bell may have found his
new team. We talked about it next year on Fox
Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Doug Dot Leaps Show week days at noon eastern three
pm Pacific. He's Bucky Brooks, I'm Dan buy Are glad
to have you with us. Be safe on the roads
if you're going anywhere. Christmas just around the corner. Of course,

(01:58:03):
Week sixteen almost here as well, Bowl games and big
trades in Major League Baseball. We dive into that and
a whole lot more with our good friend Steve de
Seger the Press. Steve is here to keep us up
today the well everything that's been going on in the
world of sports. Hello Steve, Hello, and we'll start with

(01:58:23):
this item from s n Y NFL. The Jets may
not be Levian Bell's number one choice this offseason. Quote
he has his eyes on the Colts. He's expected to
become a free agent in mid March. We're talking about
the ex Dealer running back Levan Bell, who said the
source said the free agent hasn't ruled out signing with

(01:58:44):
the Jets or any team that pursues him, but the
Colts with Andrew Locke and perhaps a lot of cap
Rooms seemed to be quote at the top of his list.
And I would argue, Bucky one of the up and
coming offensive lines that we're going to see in the
NFL for years to come. Yeah, I mean one I
think is a great fit. Understanding this, Frank Wright was
at Buffalo when he had Thurmon Thomas. He's a big

(01:59:05):
believer in having a big time running back. He knows
the importance of having a dual threat back there. I
had always said Raiders because I just thought that that
was the splash, that they'd want to have a bona
fied superstar on their team when they moved to Las Vegas.
I'm still gonna stick to it that somehow or another,
the Raiders get put into this mix. But the Jets
were put in I thought because of money, because they

(01:59:28):
may be one of the only teams that would be
willing to pay him as price, and because it's a
New York market sort of thing where you're trying to,
you know, compete with the Giants, you got a young
quarterback in there. I just I just never saw the
Jets as a possibility. Well, I think it's a real
possibility only because if you're thinking about trying to jump
stop jump start at the quarterback play, the best thing

(01:59:49):
you can do is get him a big time running
back behind him. They have okay guys, but you're talking
about getting the star, someone that can impact the game
as a receiver as well as a runner. Fare enough
item too from the pay treat's. Obviously, the Josh Gordon
news is a topic at the Tom Brady press conference,
he didn't say much on that directly, although he appreciates

(02:00:10):
Gordon's efforts and hard work. Otherwise didn't have much of
reaction to the news. He says, as far as quick
adjustments for the team, the reality is it could happen
like the first play of the game too, someone my
sprained ankle next to you know, you're adjusting. That's part
of the nature playing a long time, you realize things
happen very quickly. Things change very quickly. The things aren't

(02:00:32):
changing for the I I think it's gonna be an issue.
And again, it was surprising to me to see that
Josh Gordon lad that team in receiving yards. And it's
not surprising because I think he was that much of
an off part of the offense. It's surprising that nobody
else could do any better. And that's where I see
the Patriots are at this point. Yeah, they're they're pretty
pedestrian at the wide receiver corps outside of you know,

(02:00:53):
when Josh Gordon was there, and he wasn't vintage Josh Gordon.
It just goes to show you that they never necessary
are the upgraded to wide receiver corps. And when they did,
they traded Brandon cooks Await after half thousand year season.
How about this item from r Ken Rosenthal this afternoon
about Yankee lefty pitchers C. C. Sabathia. Earlier this month,
he was scheduled to go on a trip to London

(02:01:16):
to help promote the Yankees Red Sox series that's going
to be played overseas this next summer. However, shortly before
his planned departure, he started experiencing symptoms of heartburn asid reflux.
He had also noticed that he started to sweat more
quickly than usual when writing the exercise bike, so C. C.
Sabbathi Aget decided to get it checked out, had a

(02:01:37):
stress test, struggled through that. Turns out he had a
blockage in one of the arteries leading to his heart
and within days required a procedure angio plasti, where they
insert the stent to open the artery. So he met
with his doctors today he reports Rosenthal does in the
athletic and Sabathia learned his prognosis is excellent short and
long term. Expects to report the spring training on time

(02:01:59):
mid February, but quote, the outcome might have been different.
If he had ignored his symptoms, he would have been
at risk for a heart attack. Lesson for us, all, Yeah, listen, Yeah,
nobody likes to go to the doctor. But follow CC's
path if you get the chance, because yeah, that's that's
scary stuff. Another medical update from New York from the
Knicks on big Man Christops porzingis today he had the

(02:02:20):
left knee a c L reconstruction last February. He underwent
recent evaluation by the team which confirmed the knee is
healing well. He's made good progress on rehab. But once
he remained it's a remaining rehab benchmarks, which who knows
when that will be. Then he'll advance to on court
team drills and activity. So for Porzingis, he won't even

(02:02:41):
be reevaluated until mid February. Absolutely no reason for him
to play this season. There's no there's no reason to
put him on in April. If he comes back, if
they say he's fine, just keep him out and start
fresh next season. That's the best way to go. And
then there was the quote from the Duke game at
Madison Square Garden last night to the freshman, Sorry, Si
and Williamson had the great game, and he said, hey,

(02:03:04):
playing forty one games at the garden, that would be
probably incredible. Of course, Duke could have three of the
top five picks in the draft come this summer. You
didn't say more than forty one because they haven't had
that a while. With the next yeah, the playoffs, look
forward to that. And final notes, the average Major League
baseball salary actually dropped just a smidge for the first
time since two thousand four. Still, the Union says the

(02:03:26):
final average is over four million dollars per player. Yeah,
and still kids play baseball. Uh. Quick medical update. I've
got to get glasses, but only but only for nighttime. Yes,
got got in that forty year old age range, Bucky,
and they said, you know at night, your eyes may
not be as strong, so you may need these classes.

(02:03:48):
So that's that started. That's how started me. So then
I was only having to use them to read read
stuff on a computer, but now all the time. It
helps because I wouldn't want to watch some of the
NFL action like the Raiders. Who needs classes for that

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