January 9, 2026 • 21 mins
Kevin Harlan of CBS and Westwood One joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about the NFL coaching changes and opening across the league, the Seahawks landing the #1 seed in the NFC, various potential playoff games and matchups ahead, plus Sam Darnold here.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The NFL champions, the Seaattlesyhawks have won Super Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
He's a bulldozer.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
He's a beat.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Brought to you by Twin Peaks in tuck Willa open
every Sunday morning, just in time for kickoff.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
He was like a pinball banging off Buddy. He's a
twenty three yard catch it run.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
To catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks Tuck Willa.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Hit the touchdown, hit the touchdown hits gubb byke curse
Now with Kevin.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Here's Softy and the shotgun formation hurts. Let's over the events.
Shotgun snap five man rush flips his hand pass.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
It's intercepted up the middle of the twenty coming in
the near side twenty five. Then the players hit the
ball's shot three hurts kick it.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Up, he loses the ball.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
The ball's rowing here sideline recovered at the forty five.
As they try to uncangle the bodies, the Chargers have
gotten little oh. I think everybody touch that Paul on
that play, bouncing from one player to the next I want.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
To call what a call?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
What a guy joining us right now on a Friday night,
normally on Wednesday, by the way, courtesy of our friends
at Twin Peaks Tuck Willa, but we got him here
on a Friday before the NFL weekend begins. I was
down at Twin Peaks today talking to my friend Brad,
and all you could do is talk about how great
it is to have a nice relationship with the play
by play voice of Westwood One, the NFL, and CBS.
(01:28):
Everybody loves Kevin Harlan at Twin Peaks and he's with
us right now on the radio program.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Kevin, how are you, man?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm doing great. What a lead in there. You know, Brad,
and that we're talking about you the other day we
just said, what a kind, thoughtful, courteous chum you are
to both of us. We love your friendship and we
love being associated with this great station. In your show.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, first of all, we appreciate you being a little flexible.
I don't believe any of that, by the way, but
we appreciate you being a little flexible for us.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
We got a big weekend in the NFL coming up.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Seahawks had the number one seed, the bye, waiting to
see who they play next weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
But let me ask you this.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Before we talk about the playoff games and the bracket man.
Lots of movement with coaches in the NFL. Pete Carroll
gone after a year in Vegas, John Harbaugh gone after
eighteen years on the job in Baltimore. Lots of openings
I think seven Now what in the NFL did any
of the firings surprise you?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
By the way, from the last couple of.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Days those two did in Vegas and in Baltimore. I
think they probably caught a lot of people by surprise.
I thought they'd give a little bit more time to Pete.
They had struck out on some of their free agent acquisitions.
Of course, the team is in desperate need of a
total redo. Maybe they felt like, at his age, this
(02:52):
was not the kind of direction they wanted to go.
I don't know. I think he has such a great
influence on the culture of an organization. He's exactly what
they need, a positive for us, a guy who's won
leadership skills that are on question. I don't think what
he inherited is probably, you know, indicative of what kind
(03:17):
of coach he is, and I think he was just
a victim of circumstance, quite frankly. And then the same
maybe for John Harbaugh as well. He had been there
eighteen years. That kind of surprised me, not that I
hadn't said it and known it, but when you think
about eighteen years as a head coach with one team
(03:37):
in the league, like Tomlin and Belichick before them, it
was with the Patriots for what twenty twenty one years,
you just don't see that on a regular basis, But
with Harbaugh you did. There was a great relationship there
with the front off at the owner. I think a
lot of this probably is associated with Lamar and maybe
(04:02):
his receptiveness to coordinators. I'm like, I don't know, I
have really no feel for why this thing happened. Word
will come out here over the next couple of days,
but there have been rumblings that Jackson was maybe a
little bit aloof, maybe a little bit Raheem Morris down
(04:22):
in Atlanta. But at the same time, they've had eight
consecutive non playoff seasons and that's too much for any
ownership to really bear with that making some kind of change,
and they did so. I think I think hardball is
going to end up someplace faster than we can say
he's left. I would I'm assuming Pete Carroll still wants
(04:45):
some kind of role in football. What that would be,
I don't know. I think I think he still has
many good years ahead of him. But at the same time,
maybe just feel, you know what, I'm in my mid seventies.
I've given so much of my life to the game.
Maybe there's another chapter that he wants to write, and
it's going to do something outside of football together.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Yeah, remember before he took the Raider job, he was
actually teaching at USC, got a job down there as
like a professor, professor of what. I have no idea,
but he was involved with the kids in the classroom
at USC, and I would not be surprised Kevin if
he went back to doing that. But Kevin Harlin's with
us on the air courtesy at Twin Peaks, Tuck Willa
(05:24):
no need to do. Where will Kevin be for TV
Sunday because he's calling the Texan Steelers on radio on
Monday night after doing the Badgers and Wolverines for CBS
on the court on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
So busy weekend for you coming up.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But you're going to be on the radio the rest
of the way for the NFL playoffs and talk to
us about our Seahawks. Man fourteen and three, number one seed,
dominated the Niners on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Had the ball for thirty eight minutes.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
In that game went down there without a couple of
missfield goals and a first in gold drive that ended
at the one yard line and did not score, they
would have thumped him twenty six to three game. So
what's the narrative you think on the Seahawk football team
as the playoffs are about to begin.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I think that the national narrative is that everything is
in lockstep with a championship run. And the greatest thing
that probably has emerged is that they have rediscovered or
finally found the run game, which was so apparent in
the win over the forty nine ers. People continually diss
(06:32):
you know, the value of a running back. At the
end of the day, if you talked any coach, they'll say,
we've got to run the ball, we got to stop
the run. They begin every conversation, how are you going
to win? We got to run the ball and we
got to stop the run. And what did they do?
They took Karen McCaffrey wasn't a factory. They played the
aggressive defense we've been seeing. The defensive fields has gotten better,
(06:56):
more in sync as the season has gone on. I
could probably say the same with the offensive line. And
those two running backs were just sensational. And a quarterback's
best friend is a good running game. Darnold never blinked.
His game was on par with some of his best
of the year, but that running game was the key.
(07:18):
And if they can continue to run the ball just
like that, this team is going to go all the
way to Super Bowl sixty.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, which you'll be on the call for that game
for west Wood one. I just want an excuse to
come see you, by the way, so hoping the Hawks
will be there in San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Last time we were there was for the What.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
If I get up there for the playoffs? What if
I get up there next weekend? What if I get
up there for the weekend after that for the championship game?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Do you know which conference title home you're calling it?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Don't, Okay, I don't, I don't, But I'm just saying
we can dream. I can dream A night with you
at one of the great eateries preferably Twin Peaks and
see Brad, that would be like number one on my list.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
That would be tremendous.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
Hey, if you're in town and you want to go
to Twin Peaks, time will it hit me? And let's
let's talk about the weekend coming up, because we've been
kicking this around like, hey, who do you want?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Who do you not want?
Speaker 5 (08:09):
You know, most of us will say right now, we
want to avoid the Rams if we can. But if
there's an upset this weekend, and technically Green Bay is
actually favored over Chicago, right despite being a lower seed
San Francisco beating Philadelphia, Carolina beating the Rams. Uh, I
guess Green Bay over Chicago from a seating perspective, which
(08:30):
upset would surprise you the least.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I think the Eagles are coming to Seattle for the
championship game. I'm just gonna put you put it right there. Yep, really, okay,
I just saw I just saw the Eagles, but I
just saw their backups this past weekend. I think I
think it's it's hard to beat a defending champion and
that's what the Eagles are. And I think they're gonna
(08:54):
come out and play some magnificent football and they're gonna
have to go across country and beat the Seahawks to
get to the Super And I think that's my championship game.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Well, I'll tell you what, man, this uh this Seawk
football team against Philadelphia. I I don't know, Maybe I
just am getting cocky here, but I would I would
feel pretty good.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
About that matchup against Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I just feel like, what't you feel good about it?
Speaker 5 (09:15):
The Rams give me a little bit of you know,
stomach pains, you know whatever, So get I mean, what.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
About in the a f C.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Let's talk about the a f C, because I think
a lot of people are just waiting for Denver to fall.
They're waiting for the Patriots to fall. Uh and experienced
quarterback like an Aaron Rodgers or a Josh Allen? Uh
Is there is there really a possibility in the a
f C in your mind for maybe a six or
a seven seed to make a run through this thing?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yes? I could easily see that, if I'm not mistaken.
Wasn't Roethlisberger and the Steelers that year the FIEF played
Green Bay and Super.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
No, it was against US and set in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
What was that?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
They were a six seed when they be us in Detroit?
Speaker 1 (10:01):
No, who was what was what was Pittsburgh though against
Green Bay and that Super Bowl and in was it
Super Bowl forty six?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Just I just know when they beat us, they were
what they were the sixth seed in the a f C.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And I think and I think they were a low
seed and they beat Green Bay or they they got
to the Super Bowl and played Green Bay. So listen,
Pittsburgh is a division winner. So there number there where
they are and they're not the deep seed. Something tells
me with Metcalf coming back, and I know he'll be
incredibly effective after being suspended for the two games with
(10:42):
Rogers know how his ability to manipulate defenses and control
a game at the line of scrimmage. They're running back
tandem of Gainwell, Uh and Warren. We're about as effective
as your running back pair up there with Walker and Sear.
I could I could easily see a stealer run here.
(11:06):
They've got a game against Houston and that's gonna be
difficult because their defense is so good. But I kind
of like Pittsburgh in that game. And then I like
the Bills. I just I just I know they're playing
Jacksonville and Perepoint talking about Jacksonville win there. I'm gonna
go with Josh Allen in that one, and uh, you know,
I don't know. I mean, the AFC is wide open,
(11:29):
the NFC is wide open, although I do favorite Seattle overall,
and I would say in the a f C, Uh,
it has a lot more unknown than known and it's
gonna take. And that's that's why I talk about Pittsburgh.
You've got a quarterback who truly is in a sweet
spot right now with where he is in his first
(11:50):
year with the Steelers and all that. Know how, that's
gonna be hard to beat. I really believe I. I
think they're gonna be very hard to beat. So we'll
see what happens. Sentimentally, it'd be great to see Josh
Allen get to a super Bowl. You know he's been,
He's you know, Burrow is gone. We know Mahomes has
gone multiple times. And the other guy they talked about her,
(12:10):
the other two guys that talk about jackson was not
gonna go. Uh and Josh Allen. I would like to
see Allen get a chance on the big stage.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
All right, So I've I've done something here. Kevin.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Kevin Harlan courtesy at Twin Peaks, by the way, normally
with us on Wednesday, but he's here on a Thursday night.
I've done something here I never do. I've done some
actual research for this.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Sesment that is that this is a stunner done done
un so.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
According to Google, AI, Pittsburgh was the number two seed,
green Bay was the sixth seed.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
That may have been I.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Got him mixed up, did right? Okay? Then the year
I'm thinking then is against you guys? Was that with
that there were there were the seven seed? Then they
were year correct, there was the seed that that that's
where Okay, Yeah, that I was, I was wrong.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
I'd like to I'd like to thank you for bringing
that game up because I thought that scar had healed,
and twenty years later, clearly it is not healed. Relying
that up, well, Kevin, there's been some talk.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Well, the point was is that the AFC is wide open. Yeah,
and I think any of the any of the seven
seeds can go. We could see a low seed, and
it's happened before and I think I think it could
easily happen again. Because there doesn't seem to be a
great deal difference in the AFC from one to seven.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
Every year a team with a sub five hundred record
makes the playoffs. We have this conversation, right, Remember the
Seahawks did it in twenty ten with a beast quake run.
The Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton did it right, and
now Carolina has done it again, that they should recede
that in no world does Carolina have a right to
host a playoff game against the LA Rams that you
(13:49):
want to give division titles out, fine, but if you're
under five hundred, you're on the road. That they should
reseed this by record come playoff time. Do you agree
with that?
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Well, does it minimize the importance of winning your division?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
And that does it minimize, you know, having to gear
up and play the same team in your division twice
and three of them, and play three different teams twice
And and I and I think the cry has always
been from these coaches, you know, win your division and
then we'll see where we are. And some divisions are
(14:26):
ridiculously good, like the NFC West, the division you're in,
And then some are appear to be traditionally weak, like
the NFC South, but they play those teams and they
play each other all those times you you you play
half of your schedule basically against teams in your division,
and and I think there has to be some value
(14:48):
to that. Otherwise you're just throwing those those sixteen teams
from each conference and and you're you're shaking them up
and divisions don't matter. But uh, and of course we
see interconference play, we see all different kind of formations
with the schedule. But the one thing that kind of
keeps things going and hope alive is going back to
(15:11):
what Seattle did in that game where they held a
division championship and they beat New Orleans, and New Orleans
was a heavily favored team, if I'm not mistaked. I
don't know what the Saints were favored for in that game,
but I think it was significant in playoff terms. So
I don't know. I think they'll continue to look at
(15:34):
at the Competition Committee, I think visits this question every
single year, and and they're very smart minds that that
know all the different ramifications, equations and recipes that are
involved with you know, having divisions, not having divisions. But
there there is a value there, and I think we
(15:55):
can probably find some historical value that would point to
keeping it the way it is, and and yeah, you're
gonna have a down year and you're gonna have incredible years,
like your three teams from your division all making the playoffs. Yeah,
and the South was weak, yet they're gonna get a
chance because they won their division and played all those
teams twice. That that earned something. So I yeah, no,
(16:19):
I there there arguments both ways. I don't know if
I give you which way I lean, but but I
would I would agree either way. Yeah, sure, let's let's
reced and put the Rams should be hosting a game.
There's there's no doubt about it. But then you look
in your division, uh, the NFC West for instance, and
you see all these teams with double digit wins. You know,
I don't know. I think right now the league has
(16:43):
got a pretty good setup, and I don't I don't
foresee it changing, right.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, Hawks were ten and a half point dogs in
that game, by the way, against the Saints.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I have that number burned into my brain. And this
is what happened?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And how how good was New Orleans? There were division
champ right, and and a double did a winning team
and Drew Brees is the quarterback, right.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Right, correct, coming off coming off the title the year.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Before, Thank you, thank you so so? How how great
was that win? And we're talking about it all these
years later, about the run, about the win, and about
what that meant for your franchise. Yeah, I like it.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Beastquake doesn't resonate nearly as much if it happened on
the road. One of the reasons why that's a memorable, great,
legendary run is because of what it did to that stadium.
You know, the earthquake that was caused by it, all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Man.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
But Kevin, before you go, Kevin Harlan's with us, I
want to just get your thoughts on Sam Darnold. You
mentioned the Hawks. You think the Hawks will play the
Eagles in the NFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I would take that. I would take that and run
right now.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
But there still are a lot of people in Seattle
and across the country that are waiting for Sam Darnold
to fall flat on his face.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Do they have reason to expect that that might happen?
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I don't. I don't think so. I think his moment
of uh of pause was during that little stretch when
they when they staggered there for a couple of weeks,
the turnovers were piling up and and the team had
a little bit of a hiccup, and they survived the
speed bump. They moved on. They finished strong and and
(18:17):
Darnold has looked like what we have seen the majority
of the time these last two seasons. I mean, look
at all the wins he's piled up in these last
two years. Two different teams, two different kind of styles,
yet the quarterback has been the same. No one's perfect,
and no one expected the season for the Hawks to
be perfect, but they weathered what was a bit of
(18:39):
a pause in the success of their season individually and
team wise, and they came out I think stronger because
of it. Now. I think a lot of that has
to do with the head coach. I think he is
brilliant in so many ways and what he's done and
his command over that team. But a lot of it, too,
(19:00):
was on the shoulders of Darnald. How he did not
get stuck in any kind of narrative about well in
the wild card game last year, and the way he
finished with Minnesota and Detroit and that horrific loss against
the Lions last year, and if he was ever going
to have a moment where he had to face those
demons again. He did it in the regular season, and
he conquered it. I think they've got incredible momentum headed toward,
(19:23):
headed toward this bye week and then find out who
they're going to play the next week. I'm not a
big fan of the buy. I get it for the rest.
I think these guys are routine guys, and I think
there's a big benefit in that. But at the same time,
at this time of the year, you need to rest,
You need to kind of reassess where you are, appreciate
what you've accomplished, and certainly sharpen your tools for what's ahead.
(19:47):
I think they're gonna check all those boxes and do
everything in that regard. I think they'll come out ready
to play very very well. So I don't see any
slippage with Darnald from this point on. And I think
if there was ever going to be anything, maybe the
eyebrows were raised a little bit when he was struggling
there whatever part of the season that was last third
of the year, there was that what two three four games,
(20:08):
right Dave at the two two.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Really yeah Cardinals rams. He had seven turnovers in two.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Games, Thank you, But he came out I think stronger.
So that personal opinion, I think he came out stronger.
I think whatever would have been haunting him from what
happened maybe at the end of last year was vanquished
by the way he finished this year and what we're
going to see in the upcoming postseason.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Kevin, you're the man.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I don't say this very often, but I love you
and I can't wait to see you, hopefully in person
here in Seattle for a game and maybe the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Whatever.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Pal So, oh my god, love it. We'll do it
again next week. All right, man, good stuff, enjoy Monday night.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
You're a good man. Regardless of what anybody says about you,
You're a good man.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I love it. Good stuff from Kevin.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Harlan will get a break if you missed Jed Fish
today with us.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Don't make that same mistakes.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Six pm tonight, what exactly went down with Demon Williams.
You'll hear from the coach at six right here on
Softia Adiko Jackson ninety three three KJRFL
The NFL champions, the Seaattlesyhawks have won Super Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
He's a bulldozer.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
He's a beat.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Brought to you by Twin Peaks in tuck Willa open
every Sunday morning, just in time for kickoff.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
He was like a pinball banging off Buddy. He's a
twenty three yard catch it run.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
To catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks Tuck Willa.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Hit the touchdown, hit the touchdown hits gubb byke curse
Now with Kevin.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Here's Softy and the shotgun formation hurts. Let's over the events.
Shotgun snap five man rush flips his hand pass.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
It's intercepted up the middle of the twenty coming in
the near side twenty five. Then the players hit the
ball's shot three hurts kick it.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Up, he loses the ball.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
The ball's rowing here sideline recovered at the forty five.
As they try to uncangle the bodies, the Chargers have
gotten little oh. I think everybody touch that Paul on
that play, bouncing from one player to the next I want.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
To call what a call?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
What a guy joining us right now on a Friday night,
normally on Wednesday, by the way, courtesy of our friends
at Twin Peaks Tuck Willa, but we got him here
on a Friday before the NFL weekend begins. I was
down at Twin Peaks today talking to my friend Brad,
and all you could do is talk about how great
it is to have a nice relationship with the play
by play voice of Westwood One, the NFL, and CBS.
(01:28):
Everybody loves Kevin Harlan at Twin Peaks and he's with
us right now on the radio program.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Kevin, how are you, man?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm doing great. What a lead in there. You know, Brad,
and that we're talking about you the other day we
just said, what a kind, thoughtful, courteous chum you are
to both of us. We love your friendship and we
love being associated with this great station. In your show.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, first of all, we appreciate you being a little flexible.
I don't believe any of that, by the way, but
we appreciate you being a little flexible for us.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
We got a big weekend in the NFL coming up.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Seahawks had the number one seed, the bye, waiting to
see who they play next weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
But let me ask you this.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Before we talk about the playoff games and the bracket man.
Lots of movement with coaches in the NFL. Pete Carroll
gone after a year in Vegas, John Harbaugh gone after
eighteen years on the job in Baltimore. Lots of openings
I think seven Now what in the NFL did any
of the firings surprise you?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
By the way, from the last couple of.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Days those two did in Vegas and in Baltimore. I
think they probably caught a lot of people by surprise.
I thought they'd give a little bit more time to Pete.
They had struck out on some of their free agent acquisitions.
Of course, the team is in desperate need of a
total redo. Maybe they felt like, at his age, this
(02:52):
was not the kind of direction they wanted to go.
I don't know. I think he has such a great
influence on the culture of an organization. He's exactly what
they need, a positive for us, a guy who's won
leadership skills that are on question. I don't think what
he inherited is probably, you know, indicative of what kind
(03:17):
of coach he is, and I think he was just
a victim of circumstance, quite frankly. And then the same
maybe for John Harbaugh as well. He had been there
eighteen years. That kind of surprised me, not that I
hadn't said it and known it, but when you think
about eighteen years as a head coach with one team
(03:37):
in the league, like Tomlin and Belichick before them, it
was with the Patriots for what twenty twenty one years,
you just don't see that on a regular basis, But
with Harbaugh you did. There was a great relationship there
with the front off at the owner. I think a
lot of this probably is associated with Lamar and maybe
(04:02):
his receptiveness to coordinators. I'm like, I don't know, I
have really no feel for why this thing happened. Word
will come out here over the next couple of days,
but there have been rumblings that Jackson was maybe a
little bit aloof, maybe a little bit Raheem Morris down
(04:22):
in Atlanta. But at the same time, they've had eight
consecutive non playoff seasons and that's too much for any
ownership to really bear with that making some kind of change,
and they did so. I think I think hardball is
going to end up someplace faster than we can say
he's left. I would I'm assuming Pete Carroll still wants
(04:45):
some kind of role in football. What that would be,
I don't know. I think I think he still has
many good years ahead of him. But at the same time,
maybe just feel, you know what, I'm in my mid seventies.
I've given so much of my life to the game.
Maybe there's another chapter that he wants to write, and
it's going to do something outside of football together.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Yeah, remember before he took the Raider job, he was
actually teaching at USC, got a job down there as
like a professor, professor of what. I have no idea,
but he was involved with the kids in the classroom
at USC, and I would not be surprised Kevin if
he went back to doing that. But Kevin Harlin's with
us on the air courtesy at Twin Peaks, Tuck Willa
(05:24):
no need to do. Where will Kevin be for TV
Sunday because he's calling the Texan Steelers on radio on
Monday night after doing the Badgers and Wolverines for CBS
on the court on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
So busy weekend for you coming up.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But you're going to be on the radio the rest
of the way for the NFL playoffs and talk to
us about our Seahawks. Man fourteen and three, number one seed,
dominated the Niners on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Had the ball for thirty eight minutes.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
In that game went down there without a couple of
missfield goals and a first in gold drive that ended
at the one yard line and did not score, they
would have thumped him twenty six to three game. So
what's the narrative you think on the Seahawk football team
as the playoffs are about to begin.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I think that the national narrative is that everything is
in lockstep with a championship run. And the greatest thing
that probably has emerged is that they have rediscovered or
finally found the run game, which was so apparent in
the win over the forty nine ers. People continually diss
(06:32):
you know, the value of a running back. At the
end of the day, if you talked any coach, they'll say,
we've got to run the ball, we got to stop
the run. They begin every conversation, how are you going
to win? We got to run the ball and we
got to stop the run. And what did they do?
They took Karen McCaffrey wasn't a factory. They played the
aggressive defense we've been seeing. The defensive fields has gotten better,
(06:56):
more in sync as the season has gone on. I
could probably say the same with the offensive line. And
those two running backs were just sensational. And a quarterback's
best friend is a good running game. Darnold never blinked.
His game was on par with some of his best
of the year, but that running game was the key.
(07:18):
And if they can continue to run the ball just
like that, this team is going to go all the
way to Super Bowl sixty.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, which you'll be on the call for that game
for west Wood one. I just want an excuse to
come see you, by the way, so hoping the Hawks
will be there in San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Last time we were there was for the What.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
If I get up there for the playoffs? What if
I get up there next weekend? What if I get
up there for the weekend after that for the championship game?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Do you know which conference title home you're calling it?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Don't, Okay, I don't, I don't, But I'm just saying
we can dream. I can dream A night with you
at one of the great eateries preferably Twin Peaks and
see Brad, that would be like number one on my list.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
That would be tremendous.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
Hey, if you're in town and you want to go
to Twin Peaks, time will it hit me? And let's
let's talk about the weekend coming up, because we've been
kicking this around like, hey, who do you want?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Who do you not want?
Speaker 5 (08:09):
You know, most of us will say right now, we
want to avoid the Rams if we can. But if
there's an upset this weekend, and technically Green Bay is
actually favored over Chicago, right despite being a lower seed
San Francisco beating Philadelphia, Carolina beating the Rams. Uh, I
guess Green Bay over Chicago from a seating perspective, which
(08:30):
upset would surprise you the least.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I think the Eagles are coming to Seattle for the
championship game. I'm just gonna put you put it right there. Yep, really, okay,
I just saw I just saw the Eagles, but I
just saw their backups this past weekend. I think I
think it's it's hard to beat a defending champion and
that's what the Eagles are. And I think they're gonna
(08:54):
come out and play some magnificent football and they're gonna
have to go across country and beat the Seahawks to
get to the Super And I think that's my championship game.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Well, I'll tell you what, man, this uh this Seawk
football team against Philadelphia. I I don't know, Maybe I
just am getting cocky here, but I would I would
feel pretty good.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
About that matchup against Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I just feel like, what't you feel good about it?
Speaker 5 (09:15):
The Rams give me a little bit of you know,
stomach pains, you know whatever, So get I mean, what.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
About in the a f C.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Let's talk about the a f C, because I think
a lot of people are just waiting for Denver to fall.
They're waiting for the Patriots to fall. Uh and experienced
quarterback like an Aaron Rodgers or a Josh Allen? Uh
Is there is there really a possibility in the a
f C in your mind for maybe a six or
a seven seed to make a run through this thing?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yes? I could easily see that, if I'm not mistaken.
Wasn't Roethlisberger and the Steelers that year the FIEF played
Green Bay and Super.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
No, it was against US and set in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
What was that?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
They were a six seed when they be us in Detroit?
Speaker 1 (10:01):
No, who was what was what was Pittsburgh though against
Green Bay and that Super Bowl and in was it
Super Bowl forty six?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Just I just know when they beat us, they were
what they were the sixth seed in the a f C.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And I think and I think they were a low
seed and they beat Green Bay or they they got
to the Super Bowl and played Green Bay. So listen,
Pittsburgh is a division winner. So there number there where
they are and they're not the deep seed. Something tells
me with Metcalf coming back, and I know he'll be
incredibly effective after being suspended for the two games with
(10:42):
Rogers know how his ability to manipulate defenses and control
a game at the line of scrimmage. They're running back
tandem of Gainwell, Uh and Warren. We're about as effective
as your running back pair up there with Walker and Sear.
I could I could easily see a stealer run here.
(11:06):
They've got a game against Houston and that's gonna be
difficult because their defense is so good. But I kind
of like Pittsburgh in that game. And then I like
the Bills. I just I just I know they're playing
Jacksonville and Perepoint talking about Jacksonville win there. I'm gonna
go with Josh Allen in that one, and uh, you know,
I don't know. I mean, the AFC is wide open,
(11:29):
the NFC is wide open, although I do favorite Seattle overall,
and I would say in the a f C, Uh,
it has a lot more unknown than known and it's
gonna take. And that's that's why I talk about Pittsburgh.
You've got a quarterback who truly is in a sweet
spot right now with where he is in his first
(11:50):
year with the Steelers and all that. Know how, that's
gonna be hard to beat. I really believe I. I
think they're gonna be very hard to beat. So we'll
see what happens. Sentimentally, it'd be great to see Josh
Allen get to a super Bowl. You know he's been,
He's you know, Burrow is gone. We know Mahomes has
gone multiple times. And the other guy they talked about her,
(12:10):
the other two guys that talk about jackson was not
gonna go. Uh and Josh Allen. I would like to
see Allen get a chance on the big stage.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
All right, So I've I've done something here. Kevin.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Kevin Harlan courtesy at Twin Peaks, by the way, normally
with us on Wednesday, but he's here on a Thursday night.
I've done something here I never do. I've done some
actual research for this.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Sesment that is that this is a stunner done done
un so.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
According to Google, AI, Pittsburgh was the number two seed,
green Bay was the sixth seed.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
That may have been I.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Got him mixed up, did right? Okay? Then the year
I'm thinking then is against you guys? Was that with
that there were there were the seven seed? Then they
were year correct, there was the seed that that that's
where Okay, Yeah, that I was, I was wrong.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
I'd like to I'd like to thank you for bringing
that game up because I thought that scar had healed,
and twenty years later, clearly it is not healed. Relying
that up, well, Kevin, there's been some talk.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Well, the point was is that the AFC is wide open. Yeah,
and I think any of the any of the seven
seeds can go. We could see a low seed, and
it's happened before and I think I think it could
easily happen again. Because there doesn't seem to be a
great deal difference in the AFC from one to seven.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
Every year a team with a sub five hundred record
makes the playoffs. We have this conversation, right, Remember the
Seahawks did it in twenty ten with a beast quake run.
The Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton did it right, and
now Carolina has done it again, that they should recede
that in no world does Carolina have a right to
host a playoff game against the LA Rams that you
(13:49):
want to give division titles out, fine, but if you're
under five hundred, you're on the road. That they should
reseed this by record come playoff time. Do you agree
with that?
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Well, does it minimize the importance of winning your division?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
And that does it minimize, you know, having to gear
up and play the same team in your division twice
and three of them, and play three different teams twice
And and I and I think the cry has always
been from these coaches, you know, win your division and
then we'll see where we are. And some divisions are
(14:26):
ridiculously good, like the NFC West, the division you're in,
And then some are appear to be traditionally weak, like
the NFC South, but they play those teams and they
play each other all those times you you you play
half of your schedule basically against teams in your division,
and and I think there has to be some value
(14:48):
to that. Otherwise you're just throwing those those sixteen teams
from each conference and and you're you're shaking them up
and divisions don't matter. But uh, and of course we
see interconference play, we see all different kind of formations
with the schedule. But the one thing that kind of
keeps things going and hope alive is going back to
(15:11):
what Seattle did in that game where they held a
division championship and they beat New Orleans, and New Orleans
was a heavily favored team, if I'm not mistaked. I
don't know what the Saints were favored for in that game,
but I think it was significant in playoff terms. So
I don't know. I think they'll continue to look at
(15:34):
at the Competition Committee, I think visits this question every
single year, and and they're very smart minds that that
know all the different ramifications, equations and recipes that are
involved with you know, having divisions, not having divisions. But
there there is a value there, and I think we
(15:55):
can probably find some historical value that would point to
keeping it the way it is, and and yeah, you're
gonna have a down year and you're gonna have incredible years,
like your three teams from your division all making the playoffs. Yeah,
and the South was weak, yet they're gonna get a
chance because they won their division and played all those
teams twice. That that earned something. So I yeah, no,
(16:19):
I there there arguments both ways. I don't know if
I give you which way I lean, but but I
would I would agree either way. Yeah, sure, let's let's
reced and put the Rams should be hosting a game.
There's there's no doubt about it. But then you look
in your division, uh, the NFC West for instance, and
you see all these teams with double digit wins. You know,
I don't know. I think right now the league has
(16:43):
got a pretty good setup, and I don't I don't
foresee it changing, right.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, Hawks were ten and a half point dogs in
that game, by the way, against the Saints.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I have that number burned into my brain. And this
is what happened?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And how how good was New Orleans? There were division
champ right, and and a double did a winning team
and Drew Brees is the quarterback, right.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Right, correct, coming off coming off the title the year.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Before, Thank you, thank you so so? How how great
was that win? And we're talking about it all these
years later, about the run, about the win, and about
what that meant for your franchise. Yeah, I like it.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Beastquake doesn't resonate nearly as much if it happened on
the road. One of the reasons why that's a memorable, great,
legendary run is because of what it did to that stadium.
You know, the earthquake that was caused by it, all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Man.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
But Kevin, before you go, Kevin Harlan's with us, I
want to just get your thoughts on Sam Darnold. You
mentioned the Hawks. You think the Hawks will play the
Eagles in the NFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I would take that. I would take that and run
right now.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
But there still are a lot of people in Seattle
and across the country that are waiting for Sam Darnold
to fall flat on his face.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Do they have reason to expect that that might happen?
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I don't. I don't think so. I think his moment
of uh of pause was during that little stretch when
they when they staggered there for a couple of weeks,
the turnovers were piling up and and the team had
a little bit of a hiccup, and they survived the
speed bump. They moved on. They finished strong and and
(18:17):
Darnold has looked like what we have seen the majority
of the time these last two seasons. I mean, look
at all the wins he's piled up in these last
two years. Two different teams, two different kind of styles,
yet the quarterback has been the same. No one's perfect,
and no one expected the season for the Hawks to
be perfect, but they weathered what was a bit of
(18:39):
a pause in the success of their season individually and
team wise, and they came out I think stronger because
of it. Now. I think a lot of that has
to do with the head coach. I think he is
brilliant in so many ways and what he's done and
his command over that team. But a lot of it, too,
(19:00):
was on the shoulders of Darnald. How he did not
get stuck in any kind of narrative about well in
the wild card game last year, and the way he
finished with Minnesota and Detroit and that horrific loss against
the Lions last year, and if he was ever going
to have a moment where he had to face those
demons again. He did it in the regular season, and
he conquered it. I think they've got incredible momentum headed toward,
(19:23):
headed toward this bye week and then find out who
they're going to play the next week. I'm not a
big fan of the buy. I get it for the rest.
I think these guys are routine guys, and I think
there's a big benefit in that. But at the same time,
at this time of the year, you need to rest,
You need to kind of reassess where you are, appreciate
what you've accomplished, and certainly sharpen your tools for what's ahead.
(19:47):
I think they're gonna check all those boxes and do
everything in that regard. I think they'll come out ready
to play very very well. So I don't see any
slippage with Darnald from this point on. And I think
if there was ever going to be anything, maybe the
eyebrows were raised a little bit when he was struggling
there whatever part of the season that was last third
of the year, there was that what two three four games,
(20:08):
right Dave at the two two.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Really yeah Cardinals rams. He had seven turnovers in two.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Games, Thank you, But he came out I think stronger.
So that personal opinion, I think he came out stronger.
I think whatever would have been haunting him from what
happened maybe at the end of last year was vanquished
by the way he finished this year and what we're
going to see in the upcoming postseason.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Kevin, you're the man.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I don't say this very often, but I love you
and I can't wait to see you, hopefully in person
here in Seattle for a game and maybe the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Whatever.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Pal So, oh my god, love it. We'll do it
again next week. All right, man, good stuff, enjoy Monday night.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
You're a good man. Regardless of what anybody says about you,
You're a good man.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I love it. Good stuff from Kevin.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Harlan will get a break if you missed Jed Fish
today with us.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Don't make that same mistakes.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Six pm tonight, what exactly went down with Demon Williams.
You'll hear from the coach at six right here on
Softia Adiko Jackson ninety three three KJRFL
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