December 10, 2025 • 19 mins
Kevin Harlan of Westwood One and CBS joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about the NFL parity right now, the Colts’ wild quarterback situation, the Seahawks hopes to win a title this season, and the 2025 AFC playoffs without top quarterbacks and Patrick Mahomes.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood letting you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com on sports
Radio ninety three point three Kjarff.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
He are NFL champions.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
The Seeattlesyhawks have one Super Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin harlantin.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
He's a pulldover. He's a piece brought.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
To you by Twin Peaks in tuck Willa open every
Sunday morning just in time for kickoff.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It was like a pinball hanging off putty. He's up
twenty three yard catch it.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Run catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (00:47):
Duck Willa hit the touchdown, Hit the touchdown. HiT's crab
bike curse.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Now with Kevin, here's soft and the shotgun formation hurts.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Let's over the events. Shotgun snap five man rush flips.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
His on pat. It's inter icted up the middle of
the twenty coming.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
To the near side twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Then the players hit the ball, Charge three hurts picking.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Up, he loses the ball.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
The ball's rolling.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Here's sideline recovered at the forty five. As they try
to untangle the bodies, the Chargers have gotten the ball.
I think everybody touched that ball on the play, bouncing
from one player to the next.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Good lord, what a call. Holy cow, what a call.
Speaker 6 (01:27):
Jalen Hurts not one, but two turnovers on one play
and the Eagles loss on Monday night.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
And nobody, and I mean.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
Nobody could have called that play better than my friend
from the NFL in Westwood. Won the NFL and CBS,
the NBA on Amazon, the NCAA on CBS, some video
game somewhere, and my friend got to see a twin
peaks Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
That's a hell of a call, man.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Hell of a call. That was fine. It was weird
because you don't see it happen off and these guys,
guys are so careful with that ball, and and you
know it was I mean, unless it was a confluence
of guys criss crossing and you know, blind side hits
and punching the ball out. I mean, there was there
was mayhem, it was chaos, but the the Chargers held
(02:17):
on and won in overtime interception which was deflected, And
it was kind of the day for for Hurts. He
struggled five turnovers, four interceptions. And there is no more
criticized team right now in the NFL side maybe from
the Chiefs than the Eagles. The two teams that were
(02:38):
in the Super Bowl a year ago, and they're both
getting ladle with all kinds of criticism.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Yeah, it's it's bananas, man, this this league. I mean,
you and I have talked about the parody, right Kevin,
that makes the NFL go. I don't know if I've
ever seen a year with more parody in the NFL
than what we're looking at right now.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But everybody loves it, you know, because everybody's team is
still in it. Everybody has a chance. New teams are emerging.
Teams that won four or five games last year now
leading divisions. Teams that have not been the playoffs for
four or five years are leading conferences. I mean, it
really is a remarkable system that they have come up with.
(03:20):
Another league are trying to emulate it very difficult to do.
The NFL just has the right recipe. They have constant competition,
they have only a few dates. Every game is an event.
Every week there's a new narrative, which is what they love.
They've patterned out their schedule in the offseason after the
(03:42):
Super Bowl with something like once a week they announced
a European destination foreign destination for a game. They talk
about the beginning of free agency. It's the scouting combine,
the pro workout days. It's the lead item on every
sportscast three hundred and sixty four days a year. And
(04:03):
it's remarkable how they marketed it, how they have kept
it evolving. The formula is almost perfect, and we're getting
a taste of it. As you point out, this year
with teams that probably at the beginning of the year
no one thought, I mean, who would have thought New England,
(04:23):
Who would have thought the Chicago Bears, like, who would
have thought? Who would have thought the Eagles of the
Chiefs would be where they are? And that those other
teams would be where they are. I mean, it's just
it's just it's a fascinating league. Hard to get a
grasp on, it, so fun to cover.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Well, it's bonkers.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
I'll tell you what else is bonkers, man, is the
idea that we could see the Seahawks go up against
a forty four year old grandpa at quarterback for the
Cults on Sunday. I know you're not calling the game
on Sunday for CBS. I think Andrew Catalan, I think
has the game. But the Coults signed Philip Rivers. He's
forty four, and I don't know. I mean, if I'm
(05:00):
Philip Rivers, I want to play. If I'm going to sign,
I want to play. I mean Riley Leonard will see
what happens with him. And they got Brett Rippin. But
I mean, what the hell is going on in Indianapolis, man, Well.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
They're desperate. I mean, I mean they've lost, They've lost
the guy that that had led them from you know,
just kind of an afterthought to one of the premier
teams for half the season in the AFC. Now, there
were some cracks that were developing here over the last month.
We all saw him, but they had had had continued
to plow ahead. The kid had kind of resurrected his career,
(05:35):
and with the torn achilles, he's done. And the backup
is injured. With the pcl Riley Leonard and then Richardson,
who they drafted so high a couple of years ago.
He's got a fractured orbital socket. They've got ripping on
the on the practice squad, and they're desperate, and this
is no way to go through the through the end
(05:57):
of the season, the most important month of the year.
I really thought that they would make maybe a play
at Joe Flacco. I thought maybe they they'd reach out
and see if the Giants would cut Russell Wilson and
make him free, that he could sign there. Like I mean,
there was so much that was existing in the league.
To do what they've done is a pretty bold move.
(06:20):
I mean, just getting up to speed. Now he's a
high school coach. I guess done in Alabama or Mississippi, wherever, Louisiana.
Wherever he is. I think it's Alabama, and I think
he's working out. I think that somewhere. I mean, I
do believe this. Somehow someone went down there to see
(06:45):
how he looked physically, how he was operating with just
you know, the mental dexterity that you need at this
level in the NFL. How is his arm like all
these things. Then they brought him up. Then they worked
him out with all those knowledgeable eyes, more pairs of
eyes on them, and they said, yeah, you know, you
(07:07):
know he's he's probably as good as we're going to
find out there in the league right now. They're going
to give it a shot. He knows the system. He
has been a cult before. Uh so he's got an
association with the with the organization. I to me, the
difference is going to be not the vocabulary, not the language,
not not not that stuff. It's going to be the
(07:31):
speed of the game and going up against a defense
like the Seahawks, Yeah, which can throw a lot of
different things at you. I don't know how it's gonna work.
It's fascinating, but man oh man, what a what a
play in that building, as loud as it is, with
that team playing well and rolling and with big, big
(07:51):
aspirations ahead. That's a tough position to put a forty
four year old guys then out of the league two
three years.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Right, and then getting ready for a big Thursday night
game next week against the Rams, which is a gigantic
divisional game. I know we'll talk about that more next week,
but Kevin, you mentioned aspirations there. That's a good word.
All right, it's kind of above my vocabulary. I had
to look it up to make sure.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I was kind of afraid of that. I was worried
that maybe that word wouldn't you know, gheit you the
right way. I know your audience though, in the IQ
and the intellect of your audience, yes, so high. I
knew they got it. I was kind of worried about you.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Yeah, much smarter than me, there is no question about that.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
But I began the show today and I want to
ask you if you think I'm nuts that I think
Seahawk fans and all of us in Seattle we should
be talking about these guys winning the whole damn thing.
I mean, they're they're ten and three, They're likely going
to be eleven and three. Knock on wood before the
big game with the Rams next Thursday. This thing's wide open.
Their defense is unbelievable. When they click on offense, they
(08:55):
really click. I mean, why should we not be talking
about winning another Lombard right now in Seattle?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think you should. I think it's proven out the
quarterback is. You had that little trough there that the
team hit, and there's some talk about, you know, the
propensity for turnovers from Sam he has quick showing these
last couple of games, he's back on schedule, back on
the tracks and rolling right along. Team learns about itself.
I think maybe some of the frailties that that can
(09:25):
emerge during the season weren't inflecting you know, significant wounds
on the team. There were moments of pause and maybe
you know, some repair and it was keeping everybody together.
I mean, I mean they've they've checked all the boxes
here to to whether that and still be in the
most difficult division I think in football and do what
(09:47):
they're doing. So, yeah, we're in December and look at
the record and look what they are. Everybody is relatively healthy,
quarterback is back on track. Ye, I mean, I mean
everything that you want a team to be in December
they are. And and why not? I mean, like, like,
(10:08):
who are you gonna pick over them? We just saw
what happened to the Rams and in North Carolina, right
and they struggled, and uh, we know San Francisco is
hanging on from one breath to the next. Don a
ventilator because of all the significant injuries they've had a
quarterback and otherwise, I mean, they've they've just been just
battered and yet they're still breathing, which is great. I
(10:31):
don't think anyone thinks that with the Rams and the
Seahawks in that division, that that it's gonna be it's
gonna be a very difficult hill to climb for the Niners.
But make no mistake, they've done an incredible job to
be where they are. I've got so much respect for
Shanahan and how they've maneuvered with these significant injuries at quarterback,
(10:52):
two pillars on defense. I mean, it's, uh, it's amazing
what they've done, and and and so. But but as
you look at everybody else, Green Bay looks good. Rams, clearly,
we just talked about them, and all the other teams
that you would think would be there are pretty much there.
But I don't think any significantly better than the Seahawks,
(11:12):
if any are better than the Seahawks. So I agree
with you. I agree with you.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Are we ready now to say that we are going
to have an AFC playoffs that will not include Lamar
Jackson or Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Well, we've got Mahomes this weekend in Kansas City, And
and you know, here's the thing about that. I know
I do that on purpose. Here's here's the thing about
is is you know it usually begins with, you know,
maybe a leveling off of play, but you still you
(11:48):
still get to where you want to go. Then you
start playing a lot of one score games and you
get by by the skinnier teeth, which is what happened
last year. And then the next year as an organization,
you know, you're you're you're battling a lot of cap
issues and aging roster, not a lot of flexibility, and
(12:09):
continued issues and multiple turnstile moves on your offensive line.
And and then you got a quarterback who's trying to
win all these games by himself and playing out of
what he does best. And and then this year you
start to play close games again, but you don't win them,
and you lose them, and you fail on third down,
(12:31):
and and this is this happened to the Patriots, It's
happening to the Chiefs. The league is not set up
for dynasties. But we're used to him the last twenty
years with New England and Kansas City. But the league
is not set up for dynasties. And eventually it's going
to get you. You have poor drafting position. You have cap issues,
(12:52):
you have aging rosters. You got guys that that that
may wear the same name played in the back of
their jersey, but are different from year to year for
a variety of reasons. They get married, they have kids,
they have business ventures, their body gets older, that they're
dealing with injuries. Life happens, so I mean, and that's
that's what's happened to the Chiefs. The sad thing for
(13:14):
me with the Chiefs is that Patrick Mahomes is thirty.
He's right in his prime. And do you ever see
the movie Seabiscuit.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
Oh yeah, I was watching it as a matter of fact.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
You've got it, you know you are. You have got
to be killed.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
I was watching No Way.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
I was doing some YouTube surfing and I came across
Sea Biscuit, which I love.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
I love that movie.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
The story is phenomenal about the down and outlook of
the four people involved in that thing.
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Great movie, phenomenal film.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But the horse, the horse. Remember the line by the
trainer he said, I don't think he remembers. The horse
has been put through so many weird circumstances of plow horse,
and he was not trained the proper way. And and
the trainer says, I think he has forgotten what he is, right,
(14:11):
I think he's forgotten what he was, and that is
my goal is to bring him back to what he was.
And I have a fear for Mahomes, for Mahomes that
that he has. He's had to scramble so much without
the benefit of a successful running game and a good
offensive line and a lot of changes at receiver and
(14:32):
the pressure of living up to what is you know
that organization is about. It creeps into my thought process
that he's forgotten what he is. Yea, he can't throw
the long ball as well. His decisions are skewed, like
like like there's stuff going on here that I don't see,
and I'm wondering, has he forgotten? Has he has? Has
(14:55):
he lost his way because he's had to pluge so
many holes in the dike with all the leaks and
all the things that he's had to cover up with
the mistakes around him. The drop passes last week were embarrassing,
and the team is frightened out, like it's like they
it's like they can't they can't operate because they see
their shadow and I and that's a tough that's a
(15:17):
tough way to live your life and a tough way
to play in the NFL. But but you saw it.
We all saw it with their own eyes last Sunday night.
That was a team that doesn't bear any resemblance to
what we've seen over the last ten years.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Yeah, so wild you mentioned that film. I love that film.
Speaker 6 (15:33):
You know what, have you ever seen the Secretariat movie
that they made about Secretariat?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I don't at the top of my head. I may
have seen parts of it.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Back Dan Lane, Diane Lane's in it.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
It's it's a Disney movie and ce Biscuits way better
than the Secretariat film, way better.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
I means.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It is a tremendous movie. It's one of the great
sports movies.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
And you you have you have eloquently talked about guys
down on their luck, you know, for people coming together,
finding a horse that was down on his luck, who
had lost his way, had forgotten what he was, and
and they all kind of at a crescendo, rose to
the moment and made history. And and and you know,
the Chiefs really did that too, with so many different things.
(16:20):
They're from their head coach right on through. They were
they were making good free agent acquisitions. But they were
drafting well, that was the thing and surrounding Mahomes. Now,
I think because you win so much, your draft position
isn't good. You lose a draft pick because you're trying
to keep the roster buoyant. You don't have a lot
of financial flexibility because you're paying so much money to
(16:41):
a defensive lineman and your quarterback and a couple others.
And they're going to be in the hole, I think
in the cap, like in that like thirty million over
or so. Like they've got there. They're in a pickle.
They've got some issues, and we got we got a
glimpse of kind of what they are and maybe where
they're headed last week. Now, I think is Rudy tom
Janovich once said, never doubt the heart of a champion,
(17:05):
the greatest word spoken in sports aside from Game seven.
Never doubt the heart. Never question the heart of a champion.
And they are a champion. They've played in seven consecutive
AFC Championship games. Now, think of that seven in a row.
They've they've been to They've been to what five of
(17:25):
the last six Super Bowls. I mean, this is a
dynastic run in this day and age in the NFL
is incredible. But they've done it, but it's it's showing
leakage right now. There's a lot of leakage.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
You have no idea how many times back in the
day when we had the Sonics on this radio station
and we'd walk around the office.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Never question the heart of a champion ever.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I love it. I love that line and we should
all you should, everybody should look at you. You should
look in the mirror every day and say, I'm going
to have a great day. I am going to kill
it today. And whatever ive got to do, whether cleaning
the house, raising the kids, selling insurance, or open heart surgery,
I'm gonna be phenomenal today.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Is that what you do I'm.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Gonna look at? Is that what you look at myself?
I say, never doubt to the heart of a champion.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
Would you go on the air, whether TV or radio,
do you go find like the men's room in the
press box and just you know, look in the mirror
and go, you're Kevin Harlan, You're gonna kill it today.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
You're the best I ever was that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Would screw it up. I never say about n to
go screw it up. But there is science that says,
if you say something out loud and and you say
it with conviction, that you can sometimes will yourself into
a performance.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
All right, well, I'll try it next time I'm on
the golf course. I'm gonna shoot a sixty five today,
and then i'll shoot a sixty five of the front nine,
and I'll give you a call, all right, Kevin. For
most things, And like, uh, you got Miami Pittsburgh on Monday,
you already gave it away. You got the Chiefs for
TV on Sunday for CBS, a little surprise, you got
(19:03):
Bill's Patriots in Green Bay, Denver, and they got you
on Kansas City coming up this weekend. Man, So enjoy
yourself and we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
All right, You got it, buddy, Take care.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
All right, Bud. Kevin Harlan with us. Never ever question
Kevin Harlan ever. He joins us every Wednesday right here
on ninety three to three KJRFM.
This is Duke of Duke Seafood letting you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com on sports
Radio ninety three point three Kjarff.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
He are NFL champions.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
The Seeattlesyhawks have one Super Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin harlantin.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
He's a pulldover. He's a piece brought.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
To you by Twin Peaks in tuck Willa open every
Sunday morning just in time for kickoff.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It was like a pinball hanging off putty. He's up
twenty three yard catch it.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Run catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (00:47):
Duck Willa hit the touchdown, Hit the touchdown. HiT's crab
bike curse.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Now with Kevin, here's soft and the shotgun formation hurts.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Let's over the events. Shotgun snap five man rush flips.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
His on pat. It's inter icted up the middle of
the twenty coming.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
To the near side twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Then the players hit the ball, Charge three hurts picking.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Up, he loses the ball.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
The ball's rolling.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Here's sideline recovered at the forty five. As they try
to untangle the bodies, the Chargers have gotten the ball.
I think everybody touched that ball on the play, bouncing
from one player to the next.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Good lord, what a call. Holy cow, what a call.
Speaker 6 (01:27):
Jalen Hurts not one, but two turnovers on one play
and the Eagles loss on Monday night.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
And nobody, and I mean.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
Nobody could have called that play better than my friend
from the NFL in Westwood. Won the NFL and CBS,
the NBA on Amazon, the NCAA on CBS, some video
game somewhere, and my friend got to see a twin
peaks Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
That's a hell of a call, man.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Hell of a call. That was fine. It was weird
because you don't see it happen off and these guys,
guys are so careful with that ball, and and you
know it was I mean, unless it was a confluence
of guys criss crossing and you know, blind side hits
and punching the ball out. I mean, there was there
was mayhem, it was chaos, but the the Chargers held
(02:17):
on and won in overtime interception which was deflected, And
it was kind of the day for for Hurts. He
struggled five turnovers, four interceptions. And there is no more
criticized team right now in the NFL side maybe from
the Chiefs than the Eagles. The two teams that were
(02:38):
in the Super Bowl a year ago, and they're both
getting ladle with all kinds of criticism.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Yeah, it's it's bananas, man, this this league. I mean,
you and I have talked about the parody, right Kevin,
that makes the NFL go. I don't know if I've
ever seen a year with more parody in the NFL
than what we're looking at right now.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But everybody loves it, you know, because everybody's team is
still in it. Everybody has a chance. New teams are emerging.
Teams that won four or five games last year now
leading divisions. Teams that have not been the playoffs for
four or five years are leading conferences. I mean, it
really is a remarkable system that they have come up with.
(03:20):
Another league are trying to emulate it very difficult to do.
The NFL just has the right recipe. They have constant competition,
they have only a few dates. Every game is an event.
Every week there's a new narrative, which is what they love.
They've patterned out their schedule in the offseason after the
(03:42):
Super Bowl with something like once a week they announced
a European destination foreign destination for a game. They talk
about the beginning of free agency. It's the scouting combine,
the pro workout days. It's the lead item on every
sportscast three hundred and sixty four days a year. And
(04:03):
it's remarkable how they marketed it, how they have kept
it evolving. The formula is almost perfect, and we're getting
a taste of it. As you point out, this year
with teams that probably at the beginning of the year
no one thought, I mean, who would have thought New England,
(04:23):
Who would have thought the Chicago Bears, like, who would
have thought? Who would have thought the Eagles of the
Chiefs would be where they are? And that those other
teams would be where they are. I mean, it's just
it's just it's a fascinating league. Hard to get a
grasp on, it, so fun to cover.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Well, it's bonkers.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
I'll tell you what else is bonkers, man, is the
idea that we could see the Seahawks go up against
a forty four year old grandpa at quarterback for the
Cults on Sunday. I know you're not calling the game
on Sunday for CBS. I think Andrew Catalan, I think
has the game. But the Coults signed Philip Rivers. He's
forty four, and I don't know. I mean, if I'm
(05:00):
Philip Rivers, I want to play. If I'm going to sign,
I want to play. I mean Riley Leonard will see
what happens with him. And they got Brett Rippin. But
I mean, what the hell is going on in Indianapolis, man, Well.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
They're desperate. I mean, I mean they've lost, They've lost
the guy that that had led them from you know,
just kind of an afterthought to one of the premier
teams for half the season in the AFC. Now, there
were some cracks that were developing here over the last month.
We all saw him, but they had had had continued
to plow ahead. The kid had kind of resurrected his career,
(05:35):
and with the torn achilles, he's done. And the backup
is injured. With the pcl Riley Leonard and then Richardson,
who they drafted so high a couple of years ago.
He's got a fractured orbital socket. They've got ripping on
the on the practice squad, and they're desperate, and this
is no way to go through the through the end
(05:57):
of the season, the most important month of the year.
I really thought that they would make maybe a play
at Joe Flacco. I thought maybe they they'd reach out
and see if the Giants would cut Russell Wilson and
make him free, that he could sign there. Like I mean,
there was so much that was existing in the league.
To do what they've done is a pretty bold move.
(06:20):
I mean, just getting up to speed. Now he's a
high school coach. I guess done in Alabama or Mississippi, wherever, Louisiana.
Wherever he is. I think it's Alabama, and I think
he's working out. I think that somewhere. I mean, I
do believe this. Somehow someone went down there to see
(06:45):
how he looked physically, how he was operating with just
you know, the mental dexterity that you need at this
level in the NFL. How is his arm like all
these things. Then they brought him up. Then they worked
him out with all those knowledgeable eyes, more pairs of
eyes on them, and they said, yeah, you know, you
(07:07):
know he's he's probably as good as we're going to
find out there in the league right now. They're going
to give it a shot. He knows the system. He
has been a cult before. Uh so he's got an
association with the with the organization. I to me, the
difference is going to be not the vocabulary, not the language,
not not not that stuff. It's going to be the
(07:31):
speed of the game and going up against a defense
like the Seahawks, Yeah, which can throw a lot of
different things at you. I don't know how it's gonna work.
It's fascinating, but man oh man, what a what a
play in that building, as loud as it is, with
that team playing well and rolling and with big, big
(07:51):
aspirations ahead. That's a tough position to put a forty
four year old guys then out of the league two
three years.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Right, and then getting ready for a big Thursday night
game next week against the Rams, which is a gigantic
divisional game. I know we'll talk about that more next week,
but Kevin, you mentioned aspirations there. That's a good word.
All right, it's kind of above my vocabulary. I had
to look it up to make sure.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I was kind of afraid of that. I was worried
that maybe that word wouldn't you know, gheit you the
right way. I know your audience though, in the IQ
and the intellect of your audience, yes, so high. I
knew they got it. I was kind of worried about you.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Yeah, much smarter than me, there is no question about that.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
But I began the show today and I want to
ask you if you think I'm nuts that I think
Seahawk fans and all of us in Seattle we should
be talking about these guys winning the whole damn thing.
I mean, they're they're ten and three, They're likely going
to be eleven and three. Knock on wood before the
big game with the Rams next Thursday. This thing's wide open.
Their defense is unbelievable. When they click on offense, they
(08:55):
really click. I mean, why should we not be talking
about winning another Lombard right now in Seattle?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think you should. I think it's proven out the
quarterback is. You had that little trough there that the
team hit, and there's some talk about, you know, the
propensity for turnovers from Sam he has quick showing these
last couple of games, he's back on schedule, back on
the tracks and rolling right along. Team learns about itself.
I think maybe some of the frailties that that can
(09:25):
emerge during the season weren't inflecting you know, significant wounds
on the team. There were moments of pause and maybe
you know, some repair and it was keeping everybody together.
I mean, I mean they've they've checked all the boxes
here to to whether that and still be in the
most difficult division I think in football and do what
(09:47):
they're doing. So, yeah, we're in December and look at
the record and look what they are. Everybody is relatively healthy,
quarterback is back on track. Ye, I mean, I mean
everything that you want a team to be in December
they are. And and why not? I mean, like, like,
(10:08):
who are you gonna pick over them? We just saw
what happened to the Rams and in North Carolina, right
and they struggled, and uh, we know San Francisco is
hanging on from one breath to the next. Don a
ventilator because of all the significant injuries they've had a
quarterback and otherwise, I mean, they've they've just been just
battered and yet they're still breathing, which is great. I
(10:31):
don't think anyone thinks that with the Rams and the
Seahawks in that division, that that it's gonna be it's
gonna be a very difficult hill to climb for the Niners.
But make no mistake, they've done an incredible job to
be where they are. I've got so much respect for
Shanahan and how they've maneuvered with these significant injuries at quarterback,
(10:52):
two pillars on defense. I mean, it's, uh, it's amazing
what they've done, and and and so. But but as
you look at everybody else, Green Bay looks good. Rams, clearly,
we just talked about them, and all the other teams
that you would think would be there are pretty much there.
But I don't think any significantly better than the Seahawks,
(11:12):
if any are better than the Seahawks. So I agree
with you. I agree with you.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Are we ready now to say that we are going
to have an AFC playoffs that will not include Lamar
Jackson or Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Well, we've got Mahomes this weekend in Kansas City, And
and you know, here's the thing about that. I know
I do that on purpose. Here's here's the thing about
is is you know it usually begins with, you know,
maybe a leveling off of play, but you still you
(11:48):
still get to where you want to go. Then you
start playing a lot of one score games and you
get by by the skinnier teeth, which is what happened
last year. And then the next year as an organization,
you know, you're you're you're battling a lot of cap
issues and aging roster, not a lot of flexibility, and
(12:09):
continued issues and multiple turnstile moves on your offensive line.
And and then you got a quarterback who's trying to
win all these games by himself and playing out of
what he does best. And and then this year you
start to play close games again, but you don't win them,
and you lose them, and you fail on third down,
(12:31):
and and this is this happened to the Patriots, It's
happening to the Chiefs. The league is not set up
for dynasties. But we're used to him the last twenty
years with New England and Kansas City. But the league
is not set up for dynasties. And eventually it's going
to get you. You have poor drafting position. You have cap issues,
(12:52):
you have aging rosters. You got guys that that that
may wear the same name played in the back of
their jersey, but are different from year to year for
a variety of reasons. They get married, they have kids,
they have business ventures, their body gets older, that they're
dealing with injuries. Life happens, so I mean, and that's
that's what's happened to the Chiefs. The sad thing for
(13:14):
me with the Chiefs is that Patrick Mahomes is thirty.
He's right in his prime. And do you ever see
the movie Seabiscuit.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
Oh yeah, I was watching it as a matter of fact.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
You've got it, you know you are. You have got
to be killed.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
I was watching No Way.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
I was doing some YouTube surfing and I came across
Sea Biscuit, which I love.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
I love that movie.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
The story is phenomenal about the down and outlook of
the four people involved in that thing.
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Great movie, phenomenal film.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But the horse, the horse. Remember the line by the
trainer he said, I don't think he remembers. The horse
has been put through so many weird circumstances of plow horse,
and he was not trained the proper way. And and
the trainer says, I think he has forgotten what he is, right,
(14:11):
I think he's forgotten what he was, and that is
my goal is to bring him back to what he was.
And I have a fear for Mahomes, for Mahomes that
that he has. He's had to scramble so much without
the benefit of a successful running game and a good
offensive line and a lot of changes at receiver and
(14:32):
the pressure of living up to what is you know
that organization is about. It creeps into my thought process
that he's forgotten what he is. Yea, he can't throw
the long ball as well. His decisions are skewed, like
like like there's stuff going on here that I don't see,
and I'm wondering, has he forgotten? Has he has? Has
(14:55):
he lost his way because he's had to pluge so
many holes in the dike with all the leaks and
all the things that he's had to cover up with
the mistakes around him. The drop passes last week were embarrassing,
and the team is frightened out, like it's like they
it's like they can't they can't operate because they see
their shadow and I and that's a tough that's a
(15:17):
tough way to live your life and a tough way
to play in the NFL. But but you saw it.
We all saw it with their own eyes last Sunday night.
That was a team that doesn't bear any resemblance to
what we've seen over the last ten years.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Yeah, so wild you mentioned that film. I love that film.
Speaker 6 (15:33):
You know what, have you ever seen the Secretariat movie
that they made about Secretariat?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I don't at the top of my head. I may
have seen parts of it.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Back Dan Lane, Diane Lane's in it.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
It's it's a Disney movie and ce Biscuits way better
than the Secretariat film, way better.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
I means.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It is a tremendous movie. It's one of the great
sports movies.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
And you you have you have eloquently talked about guys
down on their luck, you know, for people coming together,
finding a horse that was down on his luck, who
had lost his way, had forgotten what he was, and
and they all kind of at a crescendo, rose to
the moment and made history. And and and you know,
the Chiefs really did that too, with so many different things.
(16:20):
They're from their head coach right on through. They were
they were making good free agent acquisitions. But they were
drafting well, that was the thing and surrounding Mahomes. Now,
I think because you win so much, your draft position
isn't good. You lose a draft pick because you're trying
to keep the roster buoyant. You don't have a lot
of financial flexibility because you're paying so much money to
(16:41):
a defensive lineman and your quarterback and a couple others.
And they're going to be in the hole, I think
in the cap, like in that like thirty million over
or so. Like they've got there. They're in a pickle.
They've got some issues, and we got we got a
glimpse of kind of what they are and maybe where
they're headed last week. Now, I think is Rudy tom
Janovich once said, never doubt the heart of a champion,
(17:05):
the greatest word spoken in sports aside from Game seven.
Never doubt the heart. Never question the heart of a champion.
And they are a champion. They've played in seven consecutive
AFC Championship games. Now, think of that seven in a row.
They've they've been to They've been to what five of
(17:25):
the last six Super Bowls. I mean, this is a
dynastic run in this day and age in the NFL
is incredible. But they've done it, but it's it's showing
leakage right now. There's a lot of leakage.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
You have no idea how many times back in the
day when we had the Sonics on this radio station
and we'd walk around the office.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Never question the heart of a champion ever.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I love it. I love that line and we should
all you should, everybody should look at you. You should
look in the mirror every day and say, I'm going
to have a great day. I am going to kill
it today. And whatever ive got to do, whether cleaning
the house, raising the kids, selling insurance, or open heart surgery,
I'm gonna be phenomenal today.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Is that what you do I'm.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Gonna look at? Is that what you look at myself?
I say, never doubt to the heart of a champion.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
Would you go on the air, whether TV or radio,
do you go find like the men's room in the
press box and just you know, look in the mirror
and go, you're Kevin Harlan, You're gonna kill it today.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
You're the best I ever was that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Would screw it up. I never say about n to
go screw it up. But there is science that says,
if you say something out loud and and you say
it with conviction, that you can sometimes will yourself into
a performance.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
All right, well, I'll try it next time I'm on
the golf course. I'm gonna shoot a sixty five today,
and then i'll shoot a sixty five of the front nine,
and I'll give you a call, all right, Kevin. For
most things, And like, uh, you got Miami Pittsburgh on Monday,
you already gave it away. You got the Chiefs for
TV on Sunday for CBS, a little surprise, you got
(19:03):
Bill's Patriots in Green Bay, Denver, and they got you
on Kansas City coming up this weekend. Man, So enjoy
yourself and we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
All right, You got it, buddy, Take care.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
All right, Bud. Kevin Harlan with us. Never ever question
Kevin Harlan ever. He joins us every Wednesday right here
on ninety three to three KJRFM.
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