Breaking Down the Big Week 17 Games

On this episode of Move the Sticks, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks break down the key takeaways from Week 17. They analyze standout performances, including the Vikings’ win over the Packers that keeps them in contention for the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye heading into their matchup with the Lions.

The duo also discuss the Commanders securing an NFC Wild Card berth, marking their first playoff appearance since 2020. Plus, DJ and Bucky react to Miami’s Cam Ward opting out of his bowl game at halftime and debate whether bowl games still hold value.

Finally, they preview the Monday Night Football showdown between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, highlighting what to watch in this NFC clash.

Move the Sticks is a part of the NFL Podcasts Network.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
What's up, everybody? Welcome to move the sticks.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
DJ, Buck with you.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
And by the looks of it, Buck, you are in
the friendly confines of NFL studios. There. How you doing.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I mean, I'm good.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
I've decided to get out of the home office one
to get back into the studio. Have a little different energy,
a little Bob. Because we're getting close to the playoffs. DJ,
it matters, so you got to take our game. We
gotta take the game up of notes.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, shoot, I'm gonna be in there. I'll be in
there a week from today. And I don't know are
you Are you scheduled? Are you going to be in
there Monday?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm gonna have to check the schedule.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Artists and the artist formally known as black Monday. I
don't know what we call it now. There's a new
fancy term for it, but not a negative connotation. Sure,
everybody's getting fired today, but let's not let's not make
this a negative show. But that's yeah, is what it is.
Le's out. Let's look at the playoffs and then, oh,
by the way, there's all these guys that got fired
let's talk about that as well. Anyways, well, Chance will

(00:56):
be together in studio next week. We've got a bunch
of games to get to as well as I have
a college topic I want to hit you on draft
related as we get towards the end of the show here.
But I want to start off first of all with
a game that sets the stage for what will be
I would imagine one of the biggest end of the
year contests that you can ever remember, and that is

(01:16):
the Minnesota Vikings holding off the Green Bay Packers. They
won twenty seven to twenty five, which now sets up
a one or five game right next week. We've got
Detroit welcoming in Minnesota. Winner. Congratulations the whole kitten Kabodle.
You're the number one seed loser. Yeah, no home game
for you. You're the five seed and you're going on the
road next week. So the stage is set for next week.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
But before we.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Get to that, Buck, what'd you think of this ballgame?

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Man, the Minnesota Vikings. I will say this because that's
to start with the quarterback. Like for so long we've
touted on this show to three p's and how it's
important to the success of the quarterback we talk about
the play caller, the playmakers, and then the past protectors,
and when I look at Sam Donald's success, it's just
confirmation that that formula, that recipe remains true. When it
comes up to quarterback play, Sam Donald looks like a

(02:02):
different player in Minnesota. Kevin O'Connell has done a really
good job of setting him up for success, and watching
the game with Tom Brady on the call, you see
the subtle areas in which Sam Donald has improved the
Minnesota Vikings, Like no one really talks about them being
a legit title contender because there's just I guess waiting
to exhale moment when it comes to Sam Donald. But

(02:24):
DJ He's put up so many solid games consistently that
I think you have to begin to think that this
team is legit. And we'll get a chance to see
how legit they are next weekend.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Here's this theory. Give me your thoughts on this one,
because I think the Packers have built one of the
deepest rosters literally across the board. There's depth everywhere. They
have so much depth on this team. But I just
think like as we look forward and going into the postseason,
I feel like depth can take a little bit of
a back seat. It's always similar to baseball, right where
it's about your front end.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Guys.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
You don't need your four and five starters in the postseason.
For baseball, it's whoever your top horses are. I'm watching
this ball and I was like you, I said, had
a chance to be home and actually on a Sunday
and sit and watch an entire ballgame and listen to Brady.
It was a fun watch. But I was just struck
by the fact that, yeah, these are both really good teams,
but one just has stars, Like there are stars in

(03:14):
Minnesota and Sam is quickly emerging into one. But I
mean you just look around the field and they've got impact,
impact dudes, especially on the offensive side.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, it's funny you talk about the star power because
that's the difference between what I would say good and great.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
I believe the Minnesota Vikings are a great team.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
The Green Bay Packers are a good team, and when
everyone is on the same page, yeah they can play
great at times. But Minnesota is great, and they're great
because of the star power on the outside, justin Jefferson
and Jordan Addison. I'm gonna save Jordan Adison is a star.
That route that he ran for the touchdown that Sam
dropped a dime on right there, that was star quality.
Then on defense, they have guys that play at a

(03:50):
high level, the stars, and ultimately, in big games, in
playoff games, your stars have to carry you over the threshold.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
And when you look at the Minnesota Vikings, you can.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
See a path to Super Bowl to the super Bowl
because they have enough stars that can carry them over
the threshold.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
One thing, you know, looking at some of these clips,
I'm reminded of what a incredible pivot by the entire organization.
QUESSI leading the charge there. But when you lose Darrisaw,
who's you know, one of the five best left tackles
in the NFL, and they go to your Jags and
they end up getting Cam Robinson buck I'd have to
look at his contract to see. I think he's a

(04:28):
free agent after this show. Is he's going to cash in?
He is going to cash in the way that he's
played coming down the home stretch here.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Well, let me tell you what I learned about watching
the Cam Robinson thing. And this is why we talk
about environment. Culture is the buzzword that people talk about.
People change in based on their environment. The environment in
Minnesota is one that has maybe a little more accountability,
Maybe the expectations are greater because this is a team
that is actually vying for a title. Cam Robinson has

(04:55):
kind of risen to the level of expectation and his
performance is certainly proved and he has given them a
really high quality player at left tackle as a replacement.
Now he's going to command major dollar. I think it's
been a boom for his free agency status. He is
going to make more money than he would have made
if he had just finished the season in Jacksonville. But

(05:16):
it's a lesson in terms of like high levels of accountability,
high standards that come with championship level teams. Man, they
can bring out the best in some people because they
demand more and they expect more from them.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah. Mackay Beckton with the philadelph Eagles another one, you know,
having kind of flamed out with the New York Jets,
an organization that was a mess. I think there's lots
of examples of that. It's a great point, you know,
example of the culture. The video and the footage from
the locker room in Minnesota after the ball believable. Like
I'm not. I mean, I'm not exaggering like some goosebump

(05:49):
type stuff. You see just how how this team has
you know, welcomed in Sam Donald embraced him, and you
mentioned all the support on the field with the playmakers,
the protection, the play colors, all those things, but just
I mean, maybe the missing ingredient to there was just
some love. I mean, this entire organization has loved on him.
Kevin O'Connell uses that word love a lot. He used

(06:10):
it when he was talking about Acres cam akers after
the ballgame. I just think, I don't know, if I
don't know, if you can find You talked about Detroit
being a model. You know, it's why it's going to
be such a big game man coming up this next week.
Detroit's model and also Minnesota in terms of the leadership,
general manager, head coach, and the environment and the culture
that's just brought these guys all together. It's pretty awesome.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
It is pretty awesome.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
DJ and we talk about like want and a half
teams that operate at a championship level, and the thing
that you're seeing from the top teams is there is
an alignment from top to bottom, all the way down
from ownership, to the management team, to the coaching staff.
Everyone has the same set of values and that allows
everyone to kind of walk the same path together. And

(06:51):
when I look at Minnesota and I look at how
they're able to take these players in and how they
play and perform with together, and how I'll say this,
Kevin o connell doing a really good job of making
it a player's first environment while also embracing the team.
Sam Donald being hoisted on shoulders, all of that talks about.
It speaks to the love and the just a caring

(07:13):
and consideration that these guys have for one another. The
best teams are the most connected teams, and you can
see the connectivity in the chemistry amongst the vikings when
you see that little scene in the locker room.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
Well, I'll get us to the second game on that thought,
because what Washington has done and their transformation was on
full display in the Sunday night ball game against Atlanta Falcons.
A great game, and we'll get to Penix and a
lot of the exciting things we saw from him, including
just an absolute seed to extend this ball game. But
Jayden Daniels with his arm, with his legs outstanding this team.

(07:47):
I kind of look, I have to admit, hol you know,
raise my hand up and say I was wrong about this.
They brought in so many of these older veterans, zach
Ertz being one of them, and I was like, man,
I don't know if there's anything left with some of
these guys, you know, And turns out this is this
is Adam Peters understanding the value having kind of these
these culture guys and these kind of guys who just

(08:10):
kind of raised the level of focus and intensity. And
zach Ertz showed you in this ball game and a
you know game you gotta have, they're still a little
bit left in the tank as well.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, DJ, I think it comes down to relationships, and
that might be the theme of twenty twenty four, the
importance of relationships and team building. You think about zach
Ertz and having spent time working and playing on the
cliff Kingsburg so Kingsbury can vouch for him. You think
about Bobby Wagner and Dorence Armstrong and some of the
guys Dante Fowler coming over from the Dallas Cowboys because

(08:41):
dan Quinn has a relationship with them. All of these
relationships are important because when you're bringing older guys. In
sometimes it's about the talent. A lot of times it's
about the teaching in terms of them teaching the younger
guys how the culture is supposed to be, how you're
supposed to prepare and play as professionals. All of that
stuff goes. But let's be real, they knocked it out

(09:03):
the park with the quarterback Jade and Daniels. The maturity, uh,
the leadership, the poise, the playmaking. All of that combined
with the veteran leadership has had the Commanders reverse their
fortunes in a quick turnaround.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
On to Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
Yeah, I mean we've seen some you know, awesome rookie
performances at quarterback the last few years. I mean c J.
Stroud last year was incredible what he accomplished, I would
say with Jaden because of what he can bring with
his legs. He's brought that same level of poise and
like the low heartbeat in the passing game. But then
oh yeah, by the way, he can run for hundred
yards if you need him to.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
And on Keith third downs, you've got a playbook that's
five inches thick, uh that you can go to including
an under center quarterback Counter, which I hadn't know if
I've ever seen that Bacon Bacon and around and they
were in quarterback Counter. I was like, geez, but that's
what you know. Like that play like that expands the

(10:01):
playbook man.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
He does explain the playbook, and Cliff Kingsbury has done
a really good job of putting them in situations where
they're able to run it. But I feel like, very
similar to the way Lamar Jackson runs, I feel like
all of the runs that Jayden takes on are kind
of protected runs, meaning he always has a convoy with him,
he always has an escort, or he's near the sideline

(10:22):
and you don't really see him take a wicked shot.
Lamar Jackson has a sixth sense when it comes to
not taking a big hit. Jayden Daniels has some of that,
and I was worried about that watching him come out
of LSU. Kingsbury at offensive to have done a really
good job of really taking advantage of a I would
say an underrated skill that he brought to the table

(10:43):
is one of the reasons why the Commander's offense is
really a headache to the fen and it's only going
to get better as they continue to surround them with
a level players.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, he took some blow up shots in college, blowing
yard sale type shots, yes, yeah, taking those man. He
And the other thing is I brought this up in
the draft process was one of the things about that
and I said it with Bryce Young too, because people
were worried about his side and how we hold up.
I'm like, look, I put clips together and showed all
these huge shots that they took where they were no flags.

(11:11):
In the SEC. I'm like, look, SEC is, you know,
has proven itself. It's been the best conference of the
most players it is. It is a more physical brand
of football in the SEC than it is in the NFL. People,
that's that's crazy. They're bigger, faster, stronger than the NFL. Like, yeah,
the referees, the officials don't protect them in the SEC
like you get protected in the NFL. So a lot
of those blow up shots he was taken, which would
have been flags and in some cases maybe even injections

(11:34):
in the NFL. These NFL players are pros, they've been trained.
They don't you don't get as many of those type
of hits. So that's one thing. The other thing I
would say, is this is going to age. Well, a
lot of times you get quarterbacks that can run like Jayden.
You're like, okay, well, once the legs go, what are
you left with?

Speaker 2 (11:50):
No?

Speaker 1 (11:50):
No, no, no. He can win from the pocket, he
can read things out, he can get it through progressions.
This is just a nice bonus he has while he's young,
and when he gets older, he's going to be able
to beat you right in the cockpit. He's not gonna
need his legs. So he's an exciting player, man.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
The exciting player.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
And you can see the many you can already envision
the many iterations of the Commander's offense with him at quarterback.
You can see them transitioning from what they're doing in
the gun to being a more under center offense and
using the stretched bootleg combination stuff as he gets older.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
What we love, and.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
We've said this because I think Brian Billikett has said
that what I want is I want a quarterback who's athletic.
I don't want necessarily an athlete who's playing quarterback. And
there's a subtle difference in that because Jayden Daniels is
a quarterback who can do all the things that you
want to see from the pocket, but he gives you
the bonus athleticism that allows you to utilize him in
the run game. That's the way the game is trending,

(12:45):
and we're seeing more and more of those guys kind
of make their way into the league and have a
lot of success.

Speaker 1 (12:49):
I'm gonna need the I'm gonna need our guys to
go through the archive and find the exo of Pennix
when he was coming out that I did when he
was going to the draft, because the throw that he
made against Texas in that semi final game, you remember,
it was an end cut and it was like that
ball I mean it had it was three feet off
the ground. It was just an absolute seed. It was

(13:09):
the same exact throw. It's a little different route, but
the same exact throw in this one to tie the
ballgame late to Kyle Pitts. Where there's I mean that
stuff to get excited about, because that is that is elite, leady,
leady lead arm strength there from Pennix.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
DJ And now I can say this is because I
had a little preview.

Speaker 3 (13:27):
The Jaguars played the Falcons in the preseason, and though
Michael Pennick didn't play, you had a chance to see
him work out and to just say, the ball spins differently,
it jumps off his hand differently than Kirk Cousins. You
could feel that and what I'll say like it was
a late move to give him the starting job at
this stage of the season, but you could see why

(13:49):
they felt like it would give their offense more juice.
Welcome back to the party, Kyle Pits. Appreciate you showing
up because Michael Pennix can get you the ball lick
at Drake London, make him plays Oh, Donnielle Mooney gonna
push it down the field to you.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
And even though the.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
Completion percentage wasn't exactly what you wanted, there are enough
flashes for you to get excited about. If you're Atlanta
Falcons fan and you feel an Atlanta Falcons coaching staff,
there are some things that you can do to really
take this offense to the next level.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
With Michael PENNOCKX on the center.

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, the exciting thing to me, and we talked about
it previously, was you know they got a solid offensive line.
Continue to invest in that because if you can, if
you can give him protection and allow him to get
the ball vertical down the field, and I'm talking about
like I want you can run old school like nineteen
nineties era come back. Yeah, fuck, you know back from
well you remember that. I mean DJ he threw it

(14:39):
like that last drive when they needed one. It was
a third and something. He threw like a fifteen yard
comeback right on the boundary and I'm like, man, that's
a smoking throw and having b Jon Robinson, like what
it does is there's a comfort of always being able
to run the football.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
But it's also b Jon Robinson. He missed him on
a slant and go.

Speaker 3 (14:58):
And we talked about Bjon rob and being one of
these seven h seven running backs that is a running back,
but really he's a wide out on the perimeter. Like
you can just see the imagination and the creativity that
Zach Robinson wants to put on this playbook with the
pieces that he has at his disposal, with this kind
of quarterback available.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
All Right, We've tracked down the XO book because I
gotta I gotta show you this. Do you remember this,
because I know you've seen this before, but I'm just
watching this. These are these throws against Texas. So the
first one is just that you know, deep post where
he kind of puts a bunch of air underneath it.
There's some examples of him moving around in the pocket. Again,
this Texas game showed you kind of everything you needed.
Then another absolute missile to Roma Donsday can drop the

(15:41):
ball in the bucket over the top. Yeah, just a
beautiful ball. But this, this is the drive throw that
we saw for the game winner. This is the exact
same looking throw. Look at this throw, boom buck it's
between it beats the it beats the help defender like
it's just an absolute seed. It was the same exact thing.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
So, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
I always find when you're watching these guys play an
NFL field, then you're like, well, how does things translate? Well,
I saw that exact same throw work in college, and
I guess what it works in the NFL too.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Man, you talk about an exciting time to see some
of these young quarterbacks, Jade and Daniels and those guys
go at it, Jay and Daniels, Michael Pennix, seeing them
play in a primetime game and really play up to expectation.
Even though Michael Penix didn't have a lot of experience,
I'm saying, man, the Atlanta fal.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
Because you have to be excited about it.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
You got to figure out a way to get into
the postseason tournament because I want to see more of
Michael Pennox in this offense.

Speaker 1 (16:30):
This chance. We might have to wait, might have to
wait for next year on that one, but it makes
the off season a lot more fun.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
No one.

Speaker 1 (16:36):
You can build around him and then they'll move on
from Kirk Cousins and see where he lands next. That win,
by the way it gave, it helped clinch. I shouldn't
say gave because that implies that the Rams didn't earn it.
The Rams have played great football and now they can
say that they are the champions of the NFC West.
They won kind of an ugly street fight game against
Arizona Cardinals, but that win combined with what we saw

(16:59):
in that game and wash and winning, now the Rams
have won the NFC West nine and two since the
bye week.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
Book, you know, DJ, I want to stand up and
give Sean McVay a standing ovation for the coaching job
that he's done. The last two years, his teams have
stumbled out the gate, but somehow he has been able
to keep it together. This team started out one in four,
had a losing record at the bye week, but he
found a way to get them back on track. And
I'm gonna say this, man, what They've won nine up
their last eleven games, and they're doing it playing complimentary ball.

(17:28):
When we think about the Rams, it's quick to think
about Matthew Stafford and Puka Naku and Cooper Cup, but
it's really all of the pieces of the puzzle that
are really working together. It's the running game being allowing
them to control the game and manage the clock. Is
Pookah and Cooper being able to make big plays when
they need it on third downs. It's Matthew Stafford being
the playmaking quarterback that can win in the clutch, and

(17:51):
then defensively, they're so opportunistic when it comes to making
the clutch plays. This is a very difficult team to face,
and I would say they may not have the highest
selling of the playoff participants, but man, that floor, that
is a high floor. And if you don't play a
solid game against the Rams, the Rams can knock you
off because they've won so many of these one score

(18:13):
games down the stretch.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, it's a dangerous It's a dangerous group for sure,
and I'm excited to see Matthew Stafford in the postseason
where he can just cut it loose. This was a
game where defensively that took care of it. Did see
some good things. By the way, I want to give
Marvin Harrison some love. He did have it one of
his better games. And what do you know, Bucket was
on crossers and on the move, not asking him to
gear down something he's not.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
What a novel concept, big play, big big body guy.
Let's speak cut him, Let's not stop and startom because
that's not what they're ailing to do.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
No, that's not him. But anyways, a nice, nice win
for the Rams, and they are in the tournament, a
team that will be a dangerous team to go up
against for sure. All Right, that's a few ball games
right there. We've got plenty more to get to. We'll
get to that right after this, all right, buck not

(19:05):
the most exciting division in the NFL with the NFC South,
but Carolina Tampa Bay. I think there's reasons to be
excited for both ball clubs. Obviously more excited about Tampa
when you look to score this thing forty eight to fourteen.
But we still saw some good things from Bryce Young
as he continues to play good football coming down the
home stretch here. But let's stick with Tampa right back

(19:26):
in the mix now due to Atlanta losing, they kind
of control their fate. Now they just need to win
against the Saints. I would say that shouldn't be difficult,
but you never know what can happen here when there
puts them in And that's a team with Baker Mayfield
playing lights out right now.

Speaker 3 (19:40):
Playing lights out, and Bak is another case study in
terms of quarterbacks and what quarterbacks need to be successful.
When you think about Liam Cohen and what they've been
able to build in Tampa Bay, you think about what
they have around them. You have Mike Evans, you look
a nice combo in the backfield with White and Irvin.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
They have a lot of play around him. But let's
also give him.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
Credit for the way that he has really been able
to flourish within this system. Less is more when it
comes to Baker Mayfield. But when you throw for three
hundred and fifty plus yards five touchdowns and you have
the rhythm going like he hasn't. We have seen a
Buccaneers team and an offense that look, it's kind of
left for dead when Chris Godwin got hurt. They have
continued to light it up, and a lot of it

(20:23):
is due to the former number one overall pick playing
like a Pro Bowl player.

Speaker 1 (20:27):
Yeah, Buck Irving had some nice runs as well. I
think he had four explosive runs in this game. So
he continues to do his thing playing at a high level.
I was curious and look this up just while you
were talking there. So if you looked at the five
quarterbacks leading the NFL in yards right now, Joe Burrow
is number one. Let me pull it up again here,
so you've got Joe Burrow is number one, obviously on
his original team. Baker Mayfield not his original team. Sam

(20:50):
Darnold not his original team, Geno Smith not his original team,
Jared Goff not his original team. So only one of
the top five quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of
yards is on his original team. So when we get
ready for the draft coming up here in the spring,
and we're looking at all these teams with quarterback needs
and we're gonna lament the fact that this draft is
not that deep, there is plenty to look at from

(21:12):
an example standpoint of being able to hit on guys
that sort of speak recycled through the program here.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, it's about finding the right fit, and you have
to understand exactly what you're looking for, and you have
to have an adaptable system that can work with various
quarterbacks in terms of various playing styles and those things.
Sam Donald and Baker Mayfield having success, to me goes
all the way back to an old thing that used
to be talked about in Green Bay when Rob Wolf
was general manager and he learned it from Al Davis.

(21:40):
Anytime someone is drafted as high as Donald and Baker
Mayfield were drafted, respectively, you always want to kick the
tires on them because the draft status speaks to their pedigree,
and the pedigree is about their talent and their potential.
And you always give those guys multiple bykes at the
apple because you're trying to find the right environment for
that talent.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
To fully flourish.

Speaker 3 (22:01):
And for Baker Mayfield, he has found that in Tampa.
Sam Donald has found that in Minnesota. But man, just
because it doesn't work the first spot, the second or
third spot could be the place where the talent finally
matches with the scheme and allows him to kind of
be the player that many of us Envision when we
were doing the pre draft process.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yeah, there's times you miss on guys and it's a
talent thing, right, There's just times where you go, oh, man,
you know what I didn't This guy just physically cannot
make the throws. He physically can't stay healthy. You know,
those are things where you're like, yeah, okay, I missed it.
And the other times like, look, this guy's got ability,
but it's not working out. Those are the guys you
want to try and you know, go find who guys
who have had moments like Baker Mayfield in Cleveland had moments,

(22:44):
Sam Donald had moments with the Jets. Like now, you
go through that whole process early on you never had
a moment, then you know, maybe you just missed on
the talent and maybe that's somebody like Josh Rosen just
kind of the league, just kind of flushed right out
of the league. So but these guys that I all mentioned,
Gino had his moment. You look at golf. Obviously going
to a Super Bowl showed you what he was capable of.

(23:05):
But I think there is a formula there, talent and
moments putting those together.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
Absolutely, And I had an old scout used to talk
about grade to flashes. Man, When guys flash and they
pop on tape and they do it multiple times, like
you got a grade in there, because that shows you
that it can be done. Now, his job as the
player is to do it over and over and over again.
Your job as the executive, as the coach or whatever
is to put them in a situation where they can

(23:29):
repeat those flashes. We're seeing that with Baker Mayfield. It
has really worked for him in Tampa. And the thing
about it, the mature version of Baker Mayfield gives you
all of the stuff that you liked about him when
he was coming out of Oklahoma, the confidence, the brashness,
the boldness. But now he is doing it with emotional control,
and he's also doing it while displaying the leadership that

(23:51):
you love to see from your franchise quarterback.

Speaker 1 (23:54):
No doubt, Buck. This would have been five six years ago,
somewhere around there. I was living in Marietta, California, and
there was a big high school playoff game that was
right across the street from my house. I knew they
had a quarterback that was kind of interesting that you
know that was playing in the games. Like I'm gonna
go watch this kid, just see what he is. So
I go out there, I'm watching the game. I text
David Shaw, who's the head coach at Stanford at the time.

(24:16):
I say, hey, are you on this this quarterback from Centennial.
He's big, he's athletic, like he's impressive, and he's like, no,
I think I think we have a shot at getting him.
I think we have a shot at getting him. So,
long story short, he does end up going to Stanford.
Kind of lost tracking over the years, and then I'm
just you know, I think I was watching the red
zone at this time, and then all of a sudden,
the Eagles popped on. I'm like, hey, it's Tanner McKee.

(24:37):
That's the kid that I that I watched in high school.
I didn't even have totally forgot he was playing the Eagles,
to be totally honest with you. Over the years got
out there after Kenny Pickett got hurt and played quite
well on a day where Saquon Barkley, you know, racks
up two thousand yards. I thought it was it was
kind of cool to see the success of the run game,
while also, you know, organizationally, it's a it's a little

(24:57):
bit of a you know, it's a little bit of
a proud moment when you're down to your third quarterback
and you're not skipping a beat.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yeah, that is that is great to see Tanner McKey.

Speaker 3 (25:05):
I would say having been around Tanner McKey at the
Nike opening he was on our team and watching him grow,
and then watching him because you wouldn't see someone six '
six play in a system like Corona Centennial where sometimes
they would run the quarterback, but he could do all
of those things. And following his career at Stanford and
watching him make his way to the league, you're very
excited about the fact that he was QB three, but

(25:26):
he could come in and have the success that he had.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
For Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 3 (25:30):
Man, this is everything that the Philadelphia Eagles could have
hoped for when they look made the move to swipe
their division rivals best player. Saquon Barkley comes in, puts
up two thousand rushing yards and they still have a
game to go. He does it while kind of taking
over and becoming the centerpiece of this offense. We all
wondered what he would look like behind a dominant offensive line.

(25:52):
We have to wonder no more because he is in
all timer when he's been able to play behind the
Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have to be excited about what
Barkley is done. And you rest him up, you get
him ready for the playoffs. Eagles offense looks good and
their defense is also coming along.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
All right, This is just a free piece of advice.
Sit him next week. That chasing a record league, not
a sixteen game league. That changes the value of some
of these awards. And at the end of the records,
at the end of the day, who cares two thousand yards?
You got check that box. Get rested up. You have
the number two seed. You're not gonna get a buy
You're gonna have to turn and play. So no, put

(26:29):
those dudes on ice. That would be mead Well.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
I think they've already let us know that they're gonnaut
him on ice because as soon as he got over
to two thousand yard mark, here we go, come on
ball cap. And I think it's smart because for the Eagles,
Saquon Barkley is the one that really creates all the
headache and heartbreak for defensive coordinators because you have to
account for him because he can beat you on the ground.

(26:53):
But now if you put too much attention on him.
That's when Aj Brown and DeVante Smith can get off.
He is essential for an essential piece to the championship puzzle.
That's why he has to be available in the postseason.
No sa Kwan, no work in week eighteen will condition
We'll do some other stuff. Get you on the staremaster,
get you ready, but we won't see you again to
the tournament starts.

Speaker 1 (27:14):
I also want to mention one other connection in this game.
We saw it in one of those clips. Kellen Moore
on the sideline. Kellen Moore member with the Dallas Cowboys.
Coach McCarthy wanted to take things over, so Kellen Moore goes.
He goes to the Chargers, you know, up and down there,
then comes to the Eagles. Now they are thirteen and three.
He's got a two thousand yard rusher. He's shown that
he can work with three different quarterbacks to find a

(27:36):
way to get the job done. He's you know, he's
he's done a really, really good job. It was just
interesting seeing him on the same column with the sideline
playing against the Cowboys. That had to be a little
bit of a sweet moment for him. As they clinched
the number two seed.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
Well give him credit also because DJ like the running game.
Everyone always would talk about Kellen Moore in the passing
game and the creative shifts and those things, and how
he really helped Dak Prescott play well and that stuff.
But the running game and his ability to adapt and
to bring some things in that weren't really within his
comfort zone. He has been able to find a way
to unlock Jalen Hurst the last part of the season.

(28:09):
Getting back to the running game, what he was able
to do with Sakwan bark and not only as a
runner but as a receiver. The growth that he has shown,
I think he puts some more shine back on his name.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
As we began to.

Speaker 3 (28:20):
Think about who could be available in the coaching carousel
as a potential head coach.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
Yeah, hey, Chicago Bears would be an interesting one there
with Caleb. We'll see what happens. Some of these other
jobs that could pop that have some young talented quarterbacks.
Hopefully Kellen Moore, we'll get some looks there. Denver Cincinnati,
what a game. I'll give you the scene. I'm on
the Chargers plane. We're flying back that long flight from
New England, and that game is on the headrest, so

(28:46):
we had we had live TV on this flight, so
everybody in the whole plane is watching it, and you
it's in a fun experience to be with a team
who is somewhat impacted by this game, right because the
Denver Broncos lose, that that is uh, you know, one
to keep an eye on. But more importantly, it's Cincinnati winning.
Because Cincinnati now has everything to play for next week

(29:07):
against Pittsburgh, they have a chance to still get into
the postseason. So if somehow Cincinnati were to beat the
Steelers next week and the Chargers beat the Raiders, the
Chargers would go to the five seed instead of the six,
which would mean going to Houston instead of potentially going
to Baltimore. So anyway, I know you've been on those
planes too, Buck. It's always fun when you're on there
and people are reacting in real time to something that

(29:28):
could impact them.

Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, real time, and Joe Burrow certainly gave them a
lot to react to. And DJ, I'm gonna say this
and my little piece of advice to Mike run and
Cincinnati Bengals, keep them both. You got to find a
way to keep t Higgins and Jamar Chase and I
know we don't like to commit so much money to
one position, but man, when I just look at the
combo and how good they are on.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
Offense, no, not how good they are, how great.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
They are on offensel O Burrow, T Higgins and Jamar
Chase DJ We've talked about this sometimes. Man, you just
want to be great on once out of the ball
and you figure out the other side of the ball.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
I know this.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
I know if the Bengals can figure out how to
start the season a little faster, their offense is good
enough to get them into tournament and make them a
pain in the neck to play, find a way to
pay the money. T Higgins, Jamar Chase, both of those
guys can go bokers at any point. And with Joe
Burrow playing point guard, this team has a puncher's chance
against anybody because the offense is that good.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
Yeah, the challenge is going to be can you get in?
And now you've got a Denver team that they lost
this game, but they played well. Bo Nicks I thought
was one of more impressive games. He made some unbelievable
throws in this game. Excited to see, you know where
he continues to go in his development. But next week
they're going to play a Chiefs team that's gonna be
sitting guys, So it's gonna be Bo Nicks up against

(30:44):
Carson Wentz and whoever else. Kansas City wants to roll
out there for the Broncos to get into the postseason,
which would be a heck of an accomplishment. Man, with
these rookie quarterbacks finding their way into the postseason, Washington,
if Knicks can get it done, put them in there
as wells and Pennix is still there hanging around there
as he's gotten that starting job. There a potential team.
So I always think that's cool when you have young quarterbacks,

(31:05):
really young quarterbacks, and you're having some success. And I
thought he played his butt off in that game.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
He did, And I think the blueprint has been laid
down about the kind of quarterbacks that you're looking for
when it comes to early starters, guys who have played
significant snaps as collegiance. We're seeing that they're able to
transition fairly quickly into the NFL. It may not happen
week one, but about week eight we're seeing them take
on more. That's what we saw from Bownicks. We saw
it happened a little sooner for Jay and Daniels. It

(31:32):
is exciting to see these young quarterbacks have success because DJ,
a lot of times we beat people up in terms
of ottest quarterback class isn't so good. I don't know,
and this and that, But time and time again, some
of these young quarterbacks are showing Hey, in the right environment,
with the right coaching, they can have a lot of success.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
I think experience is critical.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
Though, Yeah, I think that's a great point.

Speaker 2 (31:50):
Man.

Speaker 1 (31:51):
Just how much have these guys seen and experienced. It's
going to give you a definitely give you a leg
up at the next level. All right, buck, it is
time for cruising to victory, presented by Royal Caribbean. And
this was a game I was at. The Chargers just
absolutely mauled and hammered the New England Patriots. And that's
another sign of a well coached team. And we said

(32:11):
it about Jim Harball all year long. Beat the teams
you're supposed to beat, and in this case, don't make
it particularly close.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
Yeah, don't mess around, go right to him. And it
is very reminiscent of highest teams would take care of
business at Michigan. The Chargers step into a team they're
clearly better than, and they didn't mess around.

Speaker 2 (32:26):
They were focused, they were locked in, and you saw
it in.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
The way they efficiently carved up the Patriots offensively. I
can't say enough about Lab McConkie and Lab mccackiy having
a thousand yards Lab McConkie just working people over. But
it's also the other people in the past game that
are able to get down. It's funny because you've seen
it up close and personal. You've seen more talented Chargers
teams not have the love of success that this team

(32:52):
is at. And a lot of it is Jim Harbaugh,
the standards and expectations and the way that they're executing
the game plan. Just a really good team, a really
smart team that is playing well but playing within themselves
when it comes to understanding who they are and how
they need to play to win games.

Speaker 1 (33:08):
And also JK. Dobbins being an X factor. I mean,
he showed you kind of had his value getting him
back in this ball game. I thought they might really
ease him in, but they gave him a good load.
He was physical, he ran well, he's excellent in pass protection.
He catched the ball if you need him too out
of the backfield getting him backs. Big Stone Smart is
a name to keep an eye on, who they've used
more and more as a tight end, you know, over

(33:29):
the last month or so. He's helped provide some more
weaponry for Justin Herbert in this office offense. Darius Davis
catches a touchdown second week in a row, who's got
some real, real speed, you know, has found a role here.
So I think with a first year coach with a
new team, you know, and Jim Harball getting a chance
to learn this roster, Greg Roman learning this roster, I

(33:49):
think they're now getting to the point now where you're
starting to see him Okay, they've figured out how to
use these guys and maximize what they do. And Justin
Herbert this is a crazy thing, but he won't show it.
I think he's playing as well as he ever has
in terms of elevating the guys around him, not having
those familiar faces that he's had for his entire career

(34:10):
with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Eckler. But I've seen
him lift all these guys up. The guy's not going
to make the Pro Bowl, and I'm thinking about it
I was thinking about the day. I don't even know
if Patrick Mahomes is going to make the Pro Bowl
this year, because you're gonna have three quarterbacks. You've got
Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen I would think
are going to be the three, which is crazy to
say because I think we would all agree Patrick Mahomes

(34:30):
the best player in the NFL, and Justin Herbert's playing
as well as he ever has. Long story short, the
AFC quarterback situation is loaded.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
It is loaded, and it is unfortunate that Justin Herbert
won't make the Pro Bowl. But here's what I am
sure he's willing to trade. The w's matter a lot
more than the Pro Bowl nominations and burse and the
fact that this team is winning and they're winning with
him doing list and he had to do previously. It
works for him, and I believe we talked about coaches
and quarterbacks being married and how important that they compliment

(35:01):
one another. Justin Herbert is the perfect quarterback for Jim
Harbaugh and the system.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
He gets it.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
Man, He's selfless, He's willing to put the team over
his own individual agenda, and they are winning more because
the quarterback. Doesn't matter how they get to the winner circle.
He's just gonna do whatever he needs to get done
to help this team get there.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
Well buck the Buffalo Bills. I think that an inner
squad game. I don't think never mind, Actually that was
a real game. I thought they were just practicing against
the Jets, but it turns out it was a real
ball game. If you want to call it that a shellacking.
Josh Allen didn't have to do much, just get in
and get out of there. Are forty to fourteen over
the Jets.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Man business as usual up in Buffalo, and Sean McDermott
does a really good job of getting this team to
embrace the blue collar approach that they have to follow.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
To win games.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
And even though you have an MVP candidate, MVP front
runner and Josh Allen, this team is really one that
has to play a certain way to be able to
get it done. So it's impressive to watch them not
only make six straight playoff appearances, win the division five
straight times, but the way they're able to dismantle the Jets,
and I would say a very workmanlike fashion. Josh Allen

(36:16):
didn't have it crazy day, had three total touchdowns, but
continues to just kind of drive the ship the way
that he needs to do it. This team is solid, man,
This solid all around. And it's gonna be so fun
to watch the playoffs because in the AFC, man the
quarterback play is about as good as it gets and
Josh Allen is one of those guys that deserves credit
for it.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
Yeah, and the fact that they're locked into the two chill,
you have no buy, so just chill, rest everybody up,
and get ready for the following week. I would think
that has to be the plan.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
That has to be planning.

Speaker 3 (36:45):
I will say this though, they do not want the
Cincinnati Bengals to get in there, just because like having
to vanquished the Demons.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
Cincinnati's got so in that if they're coming, that's up
to the Chiefs to decide that. The Chiefs have to
decide whether they'd rather have the Bills in or where
they have, you know, potentially a team that could beat
the Bills. The Bengals could go in there and beat
the Bills. Maybe they could you know, eliminate the Bills.
Or they could be saying, well, well then what's our

(37:14):
where we gotta face Joe Burrow I don't know that
I want that. So the Chiefs got a lot of
say so, and who say is going to be absolutely
all right? Colts, Giants. Giants said first overall pick, not interested,
We'll go ahead and take this one. Malik Neighbors went off.
I think you get five explosives and some of them
will quick hitters, run after catch. He's dynamic, He's going

(37:36):
to be a fun It's going to be a fun
toy for whoever's playing quarterback for this team next year.
But whoever's playing quarterback for this team next year might
not be, you know, one of those top quarterbacks depending
on how the draft shakes out. But they fall I believe,
from one to four now in terms of draft pick.
And then on the other side of it, the Indianapolis Colts,
they're done. They are out. No postseason for them. A

(37:57):
team that's stuck in the middle. Buck, I don't know
what else to say. I mean, they're just kind of
mired and myriad mediocrity right now.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah, they're stuck in the middle of First, I want
touch on the Giants thing, and I think everyone has
to understand coaches and players, man, they don't worry about
those draft picks. Man, you're Brian dave Ball and you've
gone with ten eleven weeks without winning a game.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
You just want to get a win.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
And I think what his postgame comment said and revealed
it is telling. He talked about, man, when you get
good quarterback play, you always have a chance to win.
And so Drew Locke played well. It gave the Giants
a chance to win. You can say the same thing
and reverse. In terms of the Indianapolis Coast, they put
a lot of their hopes and dreams into the Anthony

(38:38):
Richardson basket and they haven't been rewarded for going all
in on a talented prospect who's not quite a polished player.
And they have to make a decision on how can
they go forward with Anthony Richardson at quarterback?

Speaker 2 (38:51):
How can they get them going?

Speaker 3 (38:53):
Because when I look at the roster, I look at
the team, the team is solid enough to be a
perennial playoff team, but they not good enough at quarterback yet. Uh,
that's gonna be the mission in the offseason. Can they
get Anthony Richardson ready to play if he's going to
continue to be QB one, or are they gonna have
to find someone else? That can give him a little
competition for the QB one job.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
I also think Drew Locke, he kind of enters into
that conversation. We talked about right tools and flashes. He's
got tools, He's shown us flashes. He's the maybe maybe
he's a bridge quarterback for next year as you bring
in a young guy and and who knows, maybe he
catches lightning in a bottle like Sam Donald did. But that, uh,
that to me is someone that if you're going to
have a bridge QB, I kind of like the idea

(39:36):
of somebody who's being young but has done something in
this league, has some accomplishments and some ability, which gives
you credibility inside the locker room, and when you're meeting
with your offense there they take you seriously.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (39:48):
Look, he's always one of my favorites. Says meet him
as a as a teenager, put the backpack. He got
a little swagger, he was able to put it together.
But I think he got the memo, Hey, the offense
is a lot better when number one touches the ball early.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
At offense.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
Let's make sure the ball goes to number one and
I look like a much better player. And the team
looks much better when Malie Napers is doing his thing
on the perimeter.

Speaker 1 (40:12):
No doubt. Happy for Drew Locke, He's a nice kid.
Miami Cleveland not a pretty game here, twenty to three Dolphins.
I mean everybody I was laughing because everybody's clamoring for Jamis.
They're like, look, and that's why. And that's my phrase
that I've always had buck, which is, hey can't be
bad and boring, no fun. You can be good and boring,

(40:34):
but you can't be bad and boring. And without Jos
out there, extremely boring as well as bad.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
I mean, he gave you look, he'll throw you in it,
he'll throw you out of it. But the one thing
he's going to do, he's gonna keep throwing it. And
this offense has more juice when Jameis Winston is there.
I think the bigger news that came out is the
contract restructure that they're going to do for the Shawn
Watson that guarantees that he's going to be there in
twenty twenty five. The Cleveland Browns at a crossroads because

(41:02):
how do they figure out how to build the team
and get this team back up and running with the
quarterback who hasn't played great for them while he's in
there off injured, inconsistent, But they're really still trying to
hitch their wagon to them. How do they do it?
How do they pull it on? And how do they
have a backup plan? What is playing B? If Deshaun
Watson doesn't play well next year? What is playing B?

(41:24):
Can you get a young quarterback to challenge him? A
lot of questions, a lot of things that have to
be resolved in the off season for the Cleveland Browns.

Speaker 1 (41:31):
As of right now, the Cleveland Browns hold the third pick,
so they could stick and pick and potentially maybe get
a quarterback, or you want to get Froggy. Thew England
Patriots up there with the first overall pick, who already
have a quarterback, so they're in strike one distance. They
if they love, if they love somebody, you know, I
don't know this class has one of those guys. For me,

(41:51):
it's cam ord As we sit right now as the
top guy. But the hard thing would be, gosh, you
want to pair up Deshaun Watson with a cheap started,
but you also, just because of how much money you
have in that position, you don't want to forfeit draft
picks because you need more cheap starters to go along
with that, which is going to lead us to having
the inevitable offseason discussion about what do they do with

(42:13):
Miles Garrett. But that's another topic for another day. We
save that one file that one away, Buck, We'll have
that conversation a little on down the road. It's time
for Monday Night Football preview, Buck. In this one, we
have really a tail of two seasons here. The forty
nine Ers, anything that's gone wrong has gone wrong, and
the Detroit Lions everything has gone quite well. Everything in

(42:35):
front of them right now holding the number one seed.
If they can win this ballgame beat a very very
tough opponent next week in the Minnesota Vikings, they would
be the number one seed in the NFC.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
No a lot of in front, a lot of stake
in this game, I mean not really a lot of state,
because next week we'll determine whether you win and secure
the number one seed or not. But this still has
to have like a little personal thing for the Detroit Lions.
I felt like they gave away a game last YEARNFC
Championship game where they were dominating the forty nine Ers,
early and didn't finish it. I think it's very easy

(43:05):
for Danny Campbell to get his team motivated to kick
a team while they're down, and they have an opportunity
to kick the Niners while they're down and sharpen their
tubs to get ready for a tough postseason gauntlet. Look
for the Lions to play well, but also look for
them to see how they can expand what they're doing
without having all their weapons available, maybe early in the postseason,

(43:26):
particularly David Montgomery.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Let's see how they get Jamiir Gibbs involved.

Speaker 3 (43:29):
Let's see how they continue to lighten the load maybe
on him, We'll get some others involved in a running game.
We know where they can do in the passing attack.
But the Detroit Lions are really special because they've been
able to run the ball effectively with two backs. How
do they make up for what is lost when David
Montgomery's on the sideline?

Speaker 1 (43:44):
Yeah, I would say for another team, another coach, maybe
you almost kind of use this as a mini bye
week to get ready for next week, considering, no matter
what happens in this one, you still control everything going
into that matchup against Minnesota. But and it's a short week,
you lose a day. I just don't think Dan Campbell's
wired that way, So I do not see that happen.
I see them putting their best foot forward, see if
they can jump on the forty nine ers early in

(44:05):
this ballgame, and maybe you can get some rest on
the back end of it. But a game that, to me,
everything does point towards the Detroit Lions keeping that momentum alive.
One other topic I wanted to hit you on before
we get out of here, because I was, you know, traveling,
you know, doing the charging game and traveling long flight home,
and I'm on the flight and I'm like seeing cam
Ward trending and I'm looking at people losing their minds. Yeah,

(44:29):
because he did not play in the second half of
a ball game. He tore it up in the first
half in their bowl game, doesn't play in the second half,
they go on to lose. It doesn't sound like Mario
Cristobal did him any favors by not really giving an
answer after the game on whether this was the plan
or not. I don't know all the particulars in terms
of it was this communicated ahead of time. I'm imagining
it was that there was you know, there was a

(44:49):
decision made there collectively. But my point was, teams do
not care. I'm constantly talking and texting with general managers
about this kind of stuff, had these conversations at bazillion times.
I said, play a quarter, play a half, don't play that.
It's not gonna move you up or down the draft
board one time and then everybody loses their minds and
I said, you know, well, okay, well then insert Christian

(45:11):
McCaffrey's name. Were the one hundred plus guys that have
skipped Bowl games, including I don't know, I'm guessing there's
there's fifty of them in this year's of Bowl games
that aren't playing. So the fact that he played a half, like, oh,
it just looks bad. He played half of a game
and then left. And I'm like, teams don't care.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
They don't care, you know, DJ Like, to me, the
outrage is so crazy, like he gave you a half.
Most guys that are not playing in the playoffs, he
gave you a half. He put it out there for half.
And if he plays in the second half and he
gets hurt, then everyone's will say, oh, Marie Chris the
balsh and that play him should have pulled him.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
He should have kept his shit.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
You can't be right when it comes to these conversations
that you're having on X. When it relates to cam Ward,
cam Ward did the masalid he to me, it is
like a preseason game. In a preseason game, you get
a chance to see a half the look. Put it
on your hat, pop off your pads, let the young
guys play. There's nothing that was going to change Miami's

(46:04):
trajectory if cam Ward plays this. They went to pop
Tar Bowl and what nothing. You don't get anything out
of it. There's no crystal ball that you're getting at
the end for winning the title. So cam Ward didn't
more than enough for me. In fact, I would say
that he took advantage of an opportunity because on a
day when he played and Shador Sanders played, you had
an opportunity to do a comparative analysis. And the impressive

(46:29):
flashes that cam Ward put on in the first half
certainly resonates because that's the lasting impression that evaluators will
have until we get to the combat.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
You know what, Hey, I tore my achilles. I can't
do anything in the spring. I might miss the beginning
of next year, but I got a toaster trophy, so
it was worth it. Stop it doesn't stop, I think,
I don't what are we're doing outrage?

Speaker 2 (46:54):
I really it doesn't. It doesn't really.

Speaker 1 (46:57):
Make a spring game. People have divorced them, and you
know who it is. It's the people that are our
age in a little bit older, who grew up where
these bowl games mattered and they mean something and it
was a big deal. It's not. It's not the same.
Stop looking at the world through the lens of the nineties.
This is not what that is anymore. This is a
glorified spring game. In fact, somebody brought up a great

(47:18):
point which I would sign on right now. Is that
your reward, like for how you finished this year for
if you're not in the playoff, those bowl games were
not playing them. Now those are going to be the
kickoff games for next year. So we still have the
bowl money, everybody still gets all their money, but that
will be your opening game which will count next year,
and it would be a huge like neutral site game

(47:40):
every like what a way to like like launch the
college football season. Then it would be a meaningful game.
These games at the end of the year outside the playoff,
they mean nothing, and I'm gonna hear, oh you just you.
It doesn't it doesn't matter. It's a spring game. It's
a spring game. That's all it is.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
It is what it is.

Speaker 3 (47:56):
You have to be adapt will. If anything, it's a
launching point for spring ball because you have the young
guys their early enrollies, get a chance to practice with
the team they babe and get a chance to play
in the game and do all the other stuff. You
get to play the young guys and then the way
you depending on how you set up your calendar for
spring ball, DJ, you're able to get four weeks of work,
take maybe another six to eight weeks off, get back

(48:16):
to spring ball February March, continue on. I mean like
this is part of the development plan for elite programs.
Don't make too much of it, like a scals. No
one cares. We don't care. It's fine. He played, he
played a half. I got a chance to see him again.
But if I like cam Ward, there's nothing that he
did and walking off the field that made me not

(48:38):
like him. If I like the talent, I like what
he's shown throughout his career in his time at Miami,
I'm good with cam.

Speaker 1 (48:43):
Ward and that beings said, I respect Dion's approach that
he took, which was our guys are gonna play and
he set that tone from the top and they had,
you know, a culture change there, and that was the
message he wanted to send, including with his son and
Travis Hunter. Now they got their breaks beat off him
by Kloni Sataki and by you whoa man. That was
not fun. But that being said, I don't think Schudor

(49:07):
drops a spot for having not played well in a
bowl game that didn't carry a lot of significance as
much as I don't think cam Wore drops the spot
for bowing out. That's just my two cents buck.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
No, man, I looked the outrage.

Speaker 3 (49:19):
I was like, I can't believe, but I feel like
this where we're at right now, DJ like people mad
about the college football playoff oh.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
In the nas munition they got here, Like, hey, man.

Speaker 3 (49:27):
Can we just enjoy the fact that we got ball
At this time of the year, we will see some
of these top games. It is what it is like,
just enjoyed. I don't know why we can't enjoy the
good things. We always have to pick it apart. I'm
fine with all of it.

Speaker 1 (49:40):
No, now the college football playoff. You don't see guys
bowing out. Those are meaningful games and games that we
will recap right here on move the sticks. Appreciate you
guys hanging with us. Tons more coming your way as
we get to the good time of the year, College
football playoffs, NFL playoffs, it's the good stuff. We'll take
care of you right here under the sticks.