December 3, 2025 • 19 mins
Kevin Harlan of CBS and Westwood One joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about his time over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Falcons going into the Seahawks game, what’s going on with Sam Darnold right now, the Chiefs, the MVP race and the Bears as the #1 seed.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
They are NFL champions. The Seaattlesey Hawks have one Super
Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
As part of our non stuff coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
He's a pulldozer, 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 (00:20):
He was like a pinball hanging off buddies, a twenty
three yard catch it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Run catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Tug Willa, Hit.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
The touchdown, Hit the touchdown.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
It's crab by purse. Now with Kevin.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Here's Softy Cowboys at the Tannabraiders in the gun.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
There's the shotgun snap, it's a four man rushing winds
up and he throws a bottling pass, pat.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Peddling touch Tom reception.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It's me by the back pedaling ceed lamb in the
back of the m zone and the Cowboys have taking
a lead.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
They're first tonight.
Speaker 6 (00:54):
All right, boys and girls, we are back on a
busy Wednesday night right here on ninety three to three
KJARFN big thanks to our friends at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
Lodge in Tuquila.
Speaker 6 (01:03):
Get on down there, eats, drinks, scenic views, have your
company holiday party. Brad would love to have you a
Twin Peaks Tuquila. We're stepping up and meeting the gigantic
financial demands of our next guest and his representatives from
the NFL in Westwood One, the NFL and CBS, a
voice of football for millions around the globe and right
here in this country.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Our friend Kevin Harlan. How are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Brad and I were enjoying a nice drink the other
night and I was up over Twin Peaks and I said,
I said, Brad, you know, let me ask you something.
Why do you associate with a guy like Dave Softy Mall?
He was because he's iconic in the Pacific Northwest. He
is he rules the airwaves. You should feel, my friend,
(01:52):
this is him talking Brad. You should feel lucky to
be on with him once a week. And I said,
you know, I never looked at it that way. I
don't know that I will, but that's good. It's good
to hear you say that.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Well, so I think Brad.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I think Brad would say to you the reason why
he associates with me is because it's a reminder for
him that no matter how miserable your life is, it
can always be worse. I think that's why he likes
to have me in his life for that perspective.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
My friend, Oh, would you come on, hey, just.
Speaker 6 (02:20):
Listen it is It is great to have you back.
And people may be wondering, you know, God that that
that cowboy highlight that was from a couple of weeks ago,
which it was, But you got yourself a nice little
break man, giving yourself a little R and R with
a family.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
How was Thanksgiving?
Speaker 6 (02:35):
And can we expect a totally energized now refresh Kevin
Harlan come Monday night.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, energy has never been my problem, So I don't
know if that I don't think that's gonna be that
that that has been replenished. It's always been kind of
the same. They always give me two weeks off every year.
I've just never taken it wow for Monday Night and
decided this year that I was going to and I'm
glad I did. And we had we had we have
(03:02):
seven grandkids, but we had five that were up with
us for the holiday with their moms and dads, our daughters,
and our son and it was just phenomenal. So we
had a great Thanksgiving. I hope you had one as well,
and I hope your listeners that are safe and in wonderful.
Thanksgiving holiday my favorite holiday, but food and football and
being with family and friends and loved ones, and that's
(03:25):
that's the best part of the holiday season.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
No doubt.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
Well, we're going to see the Seahawks back in action
on Sunday against Atlanta. I don't know if you've seen
the Falcons up close in personal, you know, we're kind
of bummed out that. Okay, good, but Pennix is not playing.
He ripped up his knees out for the year. We
get Kirk Cousins on Sunday in Atlanta. You're flying out there.
Hawks are favorites, but I don't know, man, this doesn't
feel like a cakewalk to me.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
I think anytime you go on the road, especially for
these Western teams, you know, you go across country, it's
always a challenge on a variety of levels.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We all know what they are.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I think Cousins, the more he plays, the more
he feels, you know, comfortable with the offense. Now listen
with Pennis. It's a different style offense. They're just different
ways that they operate. He does things that that Kirk
Cousins can't do, and Cousins does things that Michael Pennix
can't do. He's been around for a long time. He's
(04:23):
completely healed from the injury, which he was not last
year when he began to fall apart middle of the season,
late in the season, and I think he comes out
with renewed vigor. They're still very much involved in that race,
but they they've got I mean, December football is just
so vital and and all these teams are thinking, you
(04:45):
know right now, you know, where do we fit, how
are we going to proceed? How healthy can we stay?
And to me, health is everything. So they'll take on
a motivated quarterback. And anytime you're in a dome, I
just think that begins, you know, a different process of
thinking for a team that plays outdoors. Let the Hawks do.
But the one thing about Seattle is that they travel well.
(05:08):
Their defense travels. The season speaks for itself, you know,
Darnald aside from that hiccup with the turnovers, you know,
a couple of games ago against the Rams, I still
feel he is one of the elite quarterbacks in the league.
Came in with a huge win this past weekend and
they look good. And you know when you shut out
(05:28):
a team that used to play for it always right,
it always speaks volumes. And he was energized and ready
to go as he will be this weekend in Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well, I think the question about Sam.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
We brought this up yesterday Kevin on the radio show
Kevin Harlan again with us courtesy at Twin Peaks Tuckwilla
every Wednesday, unless he's got the week off like you
had last week. Is are we still as high on
Sam now as we were a month ago? I mean,
you know, weeks one through eight pass a rating of
one sixteen, he had seven total turnovers and eight games,
(05:59):
and now in the last four his passer rating has
dropped to seventy seven and he's got eight turnovers in
the last four games with a sixty four percent completion
rate versus seventies. So, I mean, I don't have any
problem saying the guy's had a bad month. How much
should that kind of maybe freak out Seahawks fans a
little bit?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, should the Rams fans be you know, worrying about
what Stafford showed this past weekend, right, I mean, quarterbacks
are gonna have bad games. Everybody has a bad day,
and and there's been a couple here for Sam. But
I still think the belief in him is strong. I
think that the infrastructure around him is sound, and I
(06:41):
think he still feels like, you know, there's there's a
lot of good football to play. Listen, They're nine to
three and and that is an incredible record in a
difficult conference. They're in the best division in football. We
just saw the Niners this past weekend in Cleveland, and
they are somehow survived. I don't know how much longer
(07:03):
that can last because they've lost so many important parts
on their defense, but they they You know, Shanahan is
a heck of a coach. That team is good, your
division is great. Perty did not have a good game
the game before. I just think that you get into
these these these big games, the weather turns a little
crumby now. This week it will be indoors in Atlanta.
(07:24):
But I just I just think that, you know, the
stakes are higher every week that you proceed on this
journey to you know, to get to the end of
the season. Every game means more. It's like Atlanta, they're
for what are they four and eight?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Like? Like if they lose, like they're they're sunk.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And so they're gonna come out desperate, Right, They're gonna
come out desperate in this game against the Hawks, and
they're gonna give their best shot at Sam and they
know it. Every game now means so much. So I'd
like to grade him in the month of December. Maybe
November wasn't great, but let's let's see where this month
takes them. I still have I have supreme confidence in
(07:59):
what he can do. And he's the quarterback that we've
seen the majority of last year in this.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Year, Yeah, who's the best team in the NFC?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, boy, I was going to say the Rams, and
now I don't know. I can't say the Bears.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I just can't. But the record says they are.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So I still think that we've got a team coming
up that is going to And again, I think it
was a blip on the screen for the Rams. Carolina
was ticked off about how they played and Santa Clara
the weekend before, the Monday night before against the Niners,
and you know, they played well and they knew how
(08:40):
important that game was going to be, and they beat him,
and that was a big statement for that Carolina team
that was up to this point the most important game
of the season, and the Rams just didn't answer.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So I have a hard time saying the Bears. I
would likely stick more with the Rams.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And I don't know how you can say know about
the Philadelphia Eagles. We're gonna see Tampa Bayer Group is
this week, but they play in New Orleans. But it's
a division game. And when you play division games, Dave,
as you know, you know all bets are off. They
know you better that they know you're inner workings. You
play them twice a year. Division games are the most
difficult games to play on your schedule, and that is
(09:21):
something that we're gonna have to watch as we go
down the road. There are a couple of big division
games looming for the Hawks as we wind up the
month of December, ending the regular season in early January,
and those will be tests.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
This will be a great This will be an interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Game this week with the Falcons because they're desperate indoors
cross country coming off for resounding win, a shoutout victory.
You know, can they make it too in a row,
and that could be incredibly empowering for the Seahawks moving forward.
If they show well this weekend against a desperate team
that really is on life support, needing to win to
(09:57):
stay involved, that could be the ramifications of a Seahawk
win this weekend against an unfamiliar folk could be really important.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
Well, Kevin Harlan again is with us speaking of ramifications
of a win, how about ramifications of a loss?
Speaker 5 (10:13):
If the Chiefs.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
Dropped this one on Sunday night to the Texans. I mean,
you and I a couple of weeks ago, right, we
both thought they're on the way back, and then they
took a little bit of a detour.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
They lose this.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Game on Sunday, Man, there's going to be a lot
of people looking to criticize this football team and thinking
they might just be finished for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Well, they could be.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
It's exhausting to be on the path they've been on
five to the last six Super Bowls.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
You know, they were in three straight.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
There's no one on this earth that would tell you
otherwise that has played in that kind of scenario. When
you play to the middle of February with the pressure
that's on your back and a big game every week
you play, and that's what the Chiefs have faced, that's
what the Eagles are facing right now. I think the Eagles'
best football's ahead of them, quite frankly, and I think
(11:05):
December and early January for Philly will be great. I
don't know that I can say that about the Chiefs.
They're struggling in some important categories. They're not running the
ball well. Their offensive line is not giving the protection
early on the season that they gave Mahomes. The third
down offense is really brutal, and for whatever reason, they're
(11:25):
just not converting and they're not stopping anybody on third down.
So the Chiefs have got a lot of concerns. I
think they realize they're not going to win the division.
They're just not. It'll be the first time in ten
years they've not won the AFC West. So now they
got to figure out another way to get in and
that's only going to be through the wildcard. And the
competition in those last couple of spots for the wildcard
(11:48):
is intense because you've got Houston, who they're playing this weekend, Pittsburgh.
Miami now has suddenly caught fire. They're going to be tough. No,
the Chiefs are in trouble. I think everyone would say that.
But this month we'll tell us all we need to
know about these teams. If they folded early on, we
know they're not ready, and if they can survive this
(12:08):
month move forward, as I think a lot of these
teams will. I'm speaking frankly about the Eagles, and I
think the Rams will not disappoint. I think they're going
to stay at the course. They had the one bad game.
They've not had many bad games all year, and Stafford
has not had a bad game all season until this
past week. And there was a little bit of rain
in Carolina, so we all saw what they.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Were going through.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
But this is going to be a fascinating month for
b All these teams, all the teams that we know about,
read about followed. This month is going to tell it all.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Well, Kevin, I'm looking at the current MVP odds in
the NFL, and I don't know if I've ever remembered
a year where the MVP, the Coach of the Year,
number one seeds, playoff spots.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Everything was so up in the air.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
The week after Thanksgiving, the parody that's spread through the
NFL is bananas. But if you look like, for example,
just to quote the MGM and their current odds, they
say it's a two man race between Matt Stafford and
Drake May and it's not even close.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Do you do you believe that?
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Well, yes, May has played phenomenal football, and the record
would say it, and they've they've won, you know, a
string of games that no other team has won this year.
They've been incredible. We saw him a couple of weeks
ago in Cleveland or in Cincinnati rather and and they
didn't play their best football, but they won. And I
guess it's kind of hard for people to figure out
(13:35):
in that quarterback class of last year, which had all
these big names Caleb Williams and uh, you know Daniels
and and you know Bo Nix and and Drake May
and you're right on down the line, Michael Penny, like
all these guys, this quarterback class had great projections. But
I don't know that May's even though it was a
(13:56):
very high pick, I don't know that May's that that
May was thought of in terms of what these other
quarterbacks could do. And we know what Jayden Daniels did
last year, you know, he led the team to the
NFC Championship game. He was the offensive rookie of the year.
At the very least, I think May and Stafford have
(14:17):
to be one two, as everybody is basically saying, I
don't know if anybody's individual performance in this month is
going to rise high enough that it's going to supersede
those two unless they both fall flat on their face
and a guy like Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes comes
out of no place as a dark corse and does
something really special.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
Kevin Harlan, speaking a special back with us on the
radio show. You mentioned the Bears for a second there
two where their last four games are against the Green
Bay Packers.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
One of them is this Sunday.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
How much credit should we be given Ben Johnson for
what's happening in Chicago. He was a guy that when
the Hawks hired McDonald, he was kind of on the list, right,
It was Bobby Slowick, it was Ben Johnson, Mike McDonald.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Those were the three.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
Hot shot young guys in the NFL. And here we
are two years later and he's got them right now.
Is the current number one seed the NFL.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
But how about that your guy has done won ten
games last year, right, and then he follows it up
with the kind of season this year that has been
incredibly impressive. So you know, I can't. I can't, you know,
I mean nine and three, ten and seven, nine and three.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Who's better than him?
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I mean, listen, there was a lot of talent on Chicago,
but they made some incredibly smart moves this past offseason,
at the least of which was Johnson, who's coming there
and changed the culture as much as he can in
three quarters of a season. But they made some great
additions to their offensive line. And let me tell you,
(15:51):
if you give a quarterback in this league, if they're
good enough to get drafted, if they're good enough to
play in this league, if they've got time, more times
than not, even the no name guys are going to
find that receiver. They're going to be able to excel
to some degree in that offense. And Caleb Williams now
has got a quarterback minded head coach and they're joined
(16:13):
at the hip, and he's brought him along in a
very patterned, deliberate, and effective way, and they bolstered their
offensive line. They've always had some nice players at the
skill positions. They're probably playing without their best defensive player,
but the team has just they've cashed in when they
(16:33):
need to cash in. They haven't had the most difficult schedule,
but they've had a schedule that they've met and conquered
like New England. So you know they are where they are.
They're a top the NFC. The quarterback is playing with
great confidence. Caleb Williams feels like a different quarterback. He's
always had a high percentage, low interception rate following again
like that, but he's got more of a run game.
(16:54):
He's got a better offensive line, as I mentioned, and
he's got a coach that is.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Making them believe they can win.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
We have seen time and time again in this league
four or five win seasons the year before turning to
double digit wins the next year.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And and that's where we are with the Chicago Bears.
They're they're they're nine wins. Is that right? Or there?
Nine wins?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
They are nine wins, yep, nine and three.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Rams are nine and three. They're one win away from
a double digit win season. But you're right, you you
point out the big thing. Green Bay had a nice
win this past Thanksgiving. They are coming in with a
ton of confidence, a ton, and they've mastered the Bears.
They know how to beat the Bears, and they got
and the Bears have got to get the Packers out
(17:41):
of their psyche, out of their mind.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
And that's gonna be a tough thing to do. But
if they can, if they can erase that wash that away,
I think it speaks volumes, even more so than what
they've accomplished, speaks volumes of the journey they've been on.
Getting a tenth win, beating a divisional foe and a
team that has beaten them like a you know, like
a drum over these last two decades. They've had their
(18:04):
way with that team. But if they can beat them
in Lambeau, that's that's gonna be a huge, huge victory
and a gigantic, gigantic impact on that franchise.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Now, I'll be big, all right, Kevin, great stuff.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
Uh, you're a smart guy, because you already told us
you're doing the Saints and Buccaneers for TV.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Do that every week?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Point said, can you sneak it in and and foil
his attempt to make this non story a story, I'll
be happy to So I did today and and I'll
do it next week too, and the week after and
the week after.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
That, well whatever.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Saints for TV on Sunday, and then Eagles Chargers at
the home of u C l A Football SOFI Stadium
on Monday night in l A. All right, man, great stuff,
Glad to have you back, Glad you had a great
break and look forward to seeing you Sunday and hearing
your Monday pot.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
Appreciate this, Bud.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Thank you, Dave, take care of my best of you
and we'll talk to you in a week.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
All right, man.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
Kevin Harlan with us on the radio show. Jed Fish
is going to join. How about that big signing day
press conference? Recruits, his reaction to the Oregon game, the
transfer portal coming up?
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Is he back next year? For sure?
Speaker 6 (19:15):
We'll get to all that at six ninety three to
three KJRFM.
They are NFL champions. The Seaattlesey Hawks have one Super
Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
As part of our non stuff coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
He's a pulldozer, 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 (00:20):
He was like a pinball hanging off buddies, a twenty
three yard catch it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Run catch every game, every bite and every sip only
at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Tug Willa, Hit.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
The touchdown, Hit the touchdown.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
It's crab by purse. Now with Kevin.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Here's Softy Cowboys at the Tannabraiders in the gun.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
There's the shotgun snap, it's a four man rushing winds
up and he throws a bottling pass, pat.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Peddling touch Tom reception.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It's me by the back pedaling ceed lamb in the
back of the m zone and the Cowboys have taking
a lead.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
They're first tonight.
Speaker 6 (00:54):
All right, boys and girls, we are back on a
busy Wednesday night right here on ninety three to three
KJARFN big thanks to our friends at Twin Peaks.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
Lodge in Tuquila.
Speaker 6 (01:03):
Get on down there, eats, drinks, scenic views, have your
company holiday party. Brad would love to have you a
Twin Peaks Tuquila. We're stepping up and meeting the gigantic
financial demands of our next guest and his representatives from
the NFL in Westwood One, the NFL and CBS, a
voice of football for millions around the globe and right
here in this country.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Our friend Kevin Harlan. How are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Brad and I were enjoying a nice drink the other
night and I was up over Twin Peaks and I said,
I said, Brad, you know, let me ask you something.
Why do you associate with a guy like Dave Softy Mall?
He was because he's iconic in the Pacific Northwest. He
is he rules the airwaves. You should feel, my friend,
(01:52):
this is him talking Brad. You should feel lucky to
be on with him once a week. And I said,
you know, I never looked at it that way. I
don't know that I will, but that's good. It's good
to hear you say that.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Well, so I think Brad.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I think Brad would say to you the reason why
he associates with me is because it's a reminder for
him that no matter how miserable your life is, it
can always be worse. I think that's why he likes
to have me in his life for that perspective.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
My friend, Oh, would you come on, hey, just.
Speaker 6 (02:20):
Listen it is It is great to have you back.
And people may be wondering, you know, God that that
that cowboy highlight that was from a couple of weeks ago,
which it was, But you got yourself a nice little
break man, giving yourself a little R and R with
a family.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
How was Thanksgiving?
Speaker 6 (02:35):
And can we expect a totally energized now refresh Kevin
Harlan come Monday night.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, energy has never been my problem, So I don't
know if that I don't think that's gonna be that
that that has been replenished. It's always been kind of
the same. They always give me two weeks off every year.
I've just never taken it wow for Monday Night and
decided this year that I was going to and I'm
glad I did. And we had we had we have
(03:02):
seven grandkids, but we had five that were up with
us for the holiday with their moms and dads, our daughters,
and our son and it was just phenomenal. So we
had a great Thanksgiving. I hope you had one as well,
and I hope your listeners that are safe and in wonderful.
Thanksgiving holiday my favorite holiday, but food and football and
being with family and friends and loved ones, and that's
(03:25):
that's the best part of the holiday season.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
No doubt.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
Well, we're going to see the Seahawks back in action
on Sunday against Atlanta. I don't know if you've seen
the Falcons up close in personal, you know, we're kind
of bummed out that. Okay, good, but Pennix is not playing.
He ripped up his knees out for the year. We
get Kirk Cousins on Sunday in Atlanta. You're flying out there.
Hawks are favorites, but I don't know, man, this doesn't
feel like a cakewalk to me.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
I think anytime you go on the road, especially for
these Western teams, you know, you go across country, it's
always a challenge on a variety of levels.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We all know what they are.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I think Cousins, the more he plays, the more
he feels, you know, comfortable with the offense. Now listen
with Pennis. It's a different style offense. They're just different
ways that they operate. He does things that that Kirk
Cousins can't do, and Cousins does things that Michael Pennix
can't do. He's been around for a long time. He's
(04:23):
completely healed from the injury, which he was not last
year when he began to fall apart middle of the season,
late in the season, and I think he comes out
with renewed vigor. They're still very much involved in that race,
but they they've got I mean, December football is just
so vital and and all these teams are thinking, you
(04:45):
know right now, you know, where do we fit, how
are we going to proceed? How healthy can we stay?
And to me, health is everything. So they'll take on
a motivated quarterback. And anytime you're in a dome, I
just think that begins, you know, a different process of
thinking for a team that plays outdoors. Let the Hawks do.
But the one thing about Seattle is that they travel well.
(05:08):
Their defense travels. The season speaks for itself, you know,
Darnald aside from that hiccup with the turnovers, you know,
a couple of games ago against the Rams, I still
feel he is one of the elite quarterbacks in the league.
Came in with a huge win this past weekend and
they look good. And you know when you shut out
(05:28):
a team that used to play for it always right,
it always speaks volumes. And he was energized and ready
to go as he will be this weekend in Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well, I think the question about Sam.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
We brought this up yesterday Kevin on the radio show
Kevin Harlan again with us courtesy at Twin Peaks Tuckwilla
every Wednesday, unless he's got the week off like you
had last week. Is are we still as high on
Sam now as we were a month ago? I mean,
you know, weeks one through eight pass a rating of
one sixteen, he had seven total turnovers and eight games,
(05:59):
and now in the last four his passer rating has
dropped to seventy seven and he's got eight turnovers in
the last four games with a sixty four percent completion
rate versus seventies. So, I mean, I don't have any
problem saying the guy's had a bad month. How much
should that kind of maybe freak out Seahawks fans a
little bit?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, should the Rams fans be you know, worrying about
what Stafford showed this past weekend, right, I mean, quarterbacks
are gonna have bad games. Everybody has a bad day,
and and there's been a couple here for Sam. But
I still think the belief in him is strong. I
think that the infrastructure around him is sound, and I
(06:41):
think he still feels like, you know, there's there's a
lot of good football to play. Listen, They're nine to
three and and that is an incredible record in a
difficult conference. They're in the best division in football. We
just saw the Niners this past weekend in Cleveland, and
they are somehow survived. I don't know how much longer
(07:03):
that can last because they've lost so many important parts
on their defense, but they they You know, Shanahan is
a heck of a coach. That team is good, your
division is great. Perty did not have a good game
the game before. I just think that you get into
these these these big games, the weather turns a little
crumby now. This week it will be indoors in Atlanta.
(07:24):
But I just I just think that, you know, the
stakes are higher every week that you proceed on this
journey to you know, to get to the end of
the season. Every game means more. It's like Atlanta, they're
for what are they four and eight?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Like? Like if they lose, like they're they're sunk.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And so they're gonna come out desperate, Right, They're gonna
come out desperate in this game against the Hawks, and
they're gonna give their best shot at Sam and they
know it. Every game now means so much. So I'd
like to grade him in the month of December. Maybe
November wasn't great, but let's let's see where this month
takes them. I still have I have supreme confidence in
(07:59):
what he can do. And he's the quarterback that we've
seen the majority of last year in this.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Year, Yeah, who's the best team in the NFC?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, boy, I was going to say the Rams, and
now I don't know. I can't say the Bears.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I just can't. But the record says they are.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So I still think that we've got a team coming
up that is going to And again, I think it
was a blip on the screen for the Rams. Carolina
was ticked off about how they played and Santa Clara
the weekend before, the Monday night before against the Niners,
and you know, they played well and they knew how
(08:40):
important that game was going to be, and they beat him,
and that was a big statement for that Carolina team
that was up to this point the most important game
of the season, and the Rams just didn't answer.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So I have a hard time saying the Bears. I
would likely stick more with the Rams.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And I don't know how you can say know about
the Philadelphia Eagles. We're gonna see Tampa Bayer Group is
this week, but they play in New Orleans. But it's
a division game. And when you play division games, Dave,
as you know, you know all bets are off. They
know you better that they know you're inner workings. You
play them twice a year. Division games are the most
difficult games to play on your schedule, and that is
(09:21):
something that we're gonna have to watch as we go
down the road. There are a couple of big division
games looming for the Hawks as we wind up the
month of December, ending the regular season in early January,
and those will be tests.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
This will be a great This will be an interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Game this week with the Falcons because they're desperate indoors
cross country coming off for resounding win, a shoutout victory.
You know, can they make it too in a row,
and that could be incredibly empowering for the Seahawks moving forward.
If they show well this weekend against a desperate team
that really is on life support, needing to win to
(09:57):
stay involved, that could be the ramifications of a Seahawk
win this weekend against an unfamiliar folk could be really important.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
Well, Kevin Harlan again is with us speaking of ramifications
of a win, how about ramifications of a loss?
Speaker 5 (10:13):
If the Chiefs.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
Dropped this one on Sunday night to the Texans. I mean,
you and I a couple of weeks ago, right, we
both thought they're on the way back, and then they
took a little bit of a detour.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
They lose this.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Game on Sunday, Man, there's going to be a lot
of people looking to criticize this football team and thinking
they might just be finished for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Well, they could be.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
It's exhausting to be on the path they've been on
five to the last six Super Bowls.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
You know, they were in three straight.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
There's no one on this earth that would tell you
otherwise that has played in that kind of scenario. When
you play to the middle of February with the pressure
that's on your back and a big game every week
you play, and that's what the Chiefs have faced, that's
what the Eagles are facing right now. I think the Eagles'
best football's ahead of them, quite frankly, and I think
(11:05):
December and early January for Philly will be great. I
don't know that I can say that about the Chiefs.
They're struggling in some important categories. They're not running the
ball well. Their offensive line is not giving the protection
early on the season that they gave Mahomes. The third
down offense is really brutal, and for whatever reason, they're
(11:25):
just not converting and they're not stopping anybody on third down.
So the Chiefs have got a lot of concerns. I
think they realize they're not going to win the division.
They're just not. It'll be the first time in ten
years they've not won the AFC West. So now they
got to figure out another way to get in and
that's only going to be through the wildcard. And the
competition in those last couple of spots for the wildcard
(11:48):
is intense because you've got Houston, who they're playing this weekend, Pittsburgh.
Miami now has suddenly caught fire. They're going to be tough. No,
the Chiefs are in trouble. I think everyone would say that.
But this month we'll tell us all we need to
know about these teams. If they folded early on, we
know they're not ready, and if they can survive this
(12:08):
month move forward, as I think a lot of these
teams will. I'm speaking frankly about the Eagles, and I
think the Rams will not disappoint. I think they're going
to stay at the course. They had the one bad game.
They've not had many bad games all year, and Stafford
has not had a bad game all season until this
past week. And there was a little bit of rain
in Carolina, so we all saw what they.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Were going through.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
But this is going to be a fascinating month for
b All these teams, all the teams that we know about,
read about followed. This month is going to tell it all.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Well, Kevin, I'm looking at the current MVP odds in
the NFL, and I don't know if I've ever remembered
a year where the MVP, the Coach of the Year,
number one seeds, playoff spots.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Everything was so up in the air.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
The week after Thanksgiving, the parody that's spread through the
NFL is bananas. But if you look like, for example,
just to quote the MGM and their current odds, they
say it's a two man race between Matt Stafford and
Drake May and it's not even close.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Do you do you believe that?
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Well, yes, May has played phenomenal football, and the record
would say it, and they've they've won, you know, a
string of games that no other team has won this year.
They've been incredible. We saw him a couple of weeks
ago in Cleveland or in Cincinnati rather and and they
didn't play their best football, but they won. And I
guess it's kind of hard for people to figure out
(13:35):
in that quarterback class of last year, which had all
these big names Caleb Williams and uh, you know Daniels
and and you know Bo Nix and and Drake May
and you're right on down the line, Michael Penny, like
all these guys, this quarterback class had great projections. But
I don't know that May's even though it was a
(13:56):
very high pick, I don't know that May's that that
May was thought of in terms of what these other
quarterbacks could do. And we know what Jayden Daniels did
last year, you know, he led the team to the
NFC Championship game. He was the offensive rookie of the year.
At the very least, I think May and Stafford have
(14:17):
to be one two, as everybody is basically saying, I
don't know if anybody's individual performance in this month is
going to rise high enough that it's going to supersede
those two unless they both fall flat on their face
and a guy like Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes comes
out of no place as a dark corse and does
something really special.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
Kevin Harlan, speaking a special back with us on the
radio show. You mentioned the Bears for a second there
two where their last four games are against the Green
Bay Packers.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
One of them is this Sunday.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
How much credit should we be given Ben Johnson for
what's happening in Chicago. He was a guy that when
the Hawks hired McDonald, he was kind of on the list, right,
It was Bobby Slowick, it was Ben Johnson, Mike McDonald.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Those were the three.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
Hot shot young guys in the NFL. And here we
are two years later and he's got them right now.
Is the current number one seed the NFL.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
But how about that your guy has done won ten
games last year, right, and then he follows it up
with the kind of season this year that has been
incredibly impressive. So you know, I can't. I can't, you know,
I mean nine and three, ten and seven, nine and three.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Who's better than him?
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I mean, listen, there was a lot of talent on Chicago,
but they made some incredibly smart moves this past offseason,
at the least of which was Johnson, who's coming there
and changed the culture as much as he can in
three quarters of a season. But they made some great
additions to their offensive line. And let me tell you,
(15:51):
if you give a quarterback in this league, if they're
good enough to get drafted, if they're good enough to
play in this league, if they've got time, more times
than not, even the no name guys are going to
find that receiver. They're going to be able to excel
to some degree in that offense. And Caleb Williams now
has got a quarterback minded head coach and they're joined
(16:13):
at the hip, and he's brought him along in a
very patterned, deliberate, and effective way, and they bolstered their
offensive line. They've always had some nice players at the
skill positions. They're probably playing without their best defensive player,
but the team has just they've cashed in when they
(16:33):
need to cash in. They haven't had the most difficult schedule,
but they've had a schedule that they've met and conquered
like New England. So you know they are where they are.
They're a top the NFC. The quarterback is playing with
great confidence. Caleb Williams feels like a different quarterback. He's
always had a high percentage, low interception rate following again
like that, but he's got more of a run game.
(16:54):
He's got a better offensive line, as I mentioned, and
he's got a coach that is.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Making them believe they can win.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
We have seen time and time again in this league
four or five win seasons the year before turning to
double digit wins the next year.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And and that's where we are with the Chicago Bears.
They're they're they're nine wins. Is that right? Or there?
Nine wins?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
They are nine wins, yep, nine and three.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Rams are nine and three. They're one win away from
a double digit win season. But you're right, you you
point out the big thing. Green Bay had a nice
win this past Thanksgiving. They are coming in with a
ton of confidence, a ton, and they've mastered the Bears.
They know how to beat the Bears, and they got
and the Bears have got to get the Packers out
(17:41):
of their psyche, out of their mind.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
And that's gonna be a tough thing to do. But
if they can, if they can erase that wash that away,
I think it speaks volumes, even more so than what
they've accomplished, speaks volumes of the journey they've been on.
Getting a tenth win, beating a divisional foe and a
team that has beaten them like a you know, like
a drum over these last two decades. They've had their
(18:04):
way with that team. But if they can beat them
in Lambeau, that's that's gonna be a huge, huge victory
and a gigantic, gigantic impact on that franchise.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Now, I'll be big, all right, Kevin, great stuff.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
Uh, you're a smart guy, because you already told us
you're doing the Saints and Buccaneers for TV.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Do that every week?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Point said, can you sneak it in and and foil
his attempt to make this non story a story, I'll
be happy to So I did today and and I'll
do it next week too, and the week after and
the week after.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
That, well whatever.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Saints for TV on Sunday, and then Eagles Chargers at
the home of u C l A Football SOFI Stadium
on Monday night in l A. All right, man, great stuff,
Glad to have you back, Glad you had a great
break and look forward to seeing you Sunday and hearing
your Monday pot.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
Appreciate this, Bud.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Thank you, Dave, take care of my best of you
and we'll talk to you in a week.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
All right, man.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
Kevin Harlan with us on the radio show. Jed Fish
is going to join. How about that big signing day
press conference? Recruits, his reaction to the Oregon game, the
transfer portal coming up?
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Is he back next year? For sure?
Speaker 6 (19:15):
We'll get to all that at six ninety three to
three KJRFM.
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