First Things First - Falcons beat Rams, Lamar Jackson’s future, Brou’s MVP Ballot, Mahomes Mountain

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

(0:00) Falcons Beat Rams, Did Stafford lose the MVP? (23:40) Ravens favored vs. Steelers, Will Lamar Jackson get traded if they lose? (41:15) Brou’s MVP Ballot (46:35) Mahomes Mountain (01:07:23) Who is getting into the Hall of Fame? (01:21:55) Should Rams fans be concerned?  (01:28:23) Top Ten Tuesday, View on Rams changed after loss? (01:52:38) Chargers to sit Justin Herbert, Good the Bears are so aggressive? (02:02:11) Superlatives  (02:10:27) Is Eli Manning a Hall of Fame? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I just happen to be right often. It doesn't move me one way or another. It's not my life below. KW, I was trying to have your back. Brew has been coming at you. Brew was tweeting about you yesterday. I sent it to you. You didn't see it?

I don't follow you. See, I just. It's a show that's wishing LeBron and Tiger Woods a happy birthday. What a day for sports. Happy 50, And I think Sandy Kofax. Oh, shout out to Sandy Kofx.

Yeah. Yes, he's 90, I think. Sandy Kovacs 90, Tiger 50, LeBron 41. It's pretty amazing. Yeah, December 30th. Amazing. You could argue the best ever. You could argue for all three sports.

Some people argue he's the best pitcher. They're all arguing. I believe Tiger is clearly the best golfer ever. Obviously, LeBron's in the argument. I believe, so. They're all arguing. They're all arguing. If you're all arguing.

If you're a football. All player born today, step your game up. What's Jim Brown's birthday, Josh? You got to find out. A first hour of first things first. Today, did Matthew Stafford lose the MVP last night? And if so, who won it? Probably Miles Garrett, right?

Got a big one. Funny, funny, funny. The show doesn't work when that side of the table's feuding. I have a good. He just come at me. Just come at me. Meanwhile, Lamar's availability up in the air for Sunday's game is his future with Baltimore also up in the air. Is there a non-zero chance?

Lamar has played his last game as already. Non-zero. I would say, non-zero. The fact that you're hesitating means, yes. We should make a segment called non-zero, non-zero. It's on the board. It's on the board. That will work.

Finally, did Drake May take the top spot on Mahomes Mountain? Wow. What a day. What a day. He was atop the mountain once before. When? Was he? Well, it was a gag, but in the dock, he was.

Oh, yeah. You were excited about that. I was excited. That might have been it, Nick. That's why he doesn't go overboard with his patron. He saw he doesn't want to have his heart broken against. I do feel strange about the sudden ascendance of the Patriots. Well, don't work.

What? It just takes one because it's the NFL. It just takes one bad day in the playoffs to break your heart. To anyone they play in the first round. They could lose to the Chargers. Have you ever heard it's a lot of? Absolutely. I've heard it's wide open.

I now reject. I've been working on something. He doesn't think it's wide open. He thinks the Patriots are a jugger. Because now everyone's saying, oh, it's wide open. Because it is. Because it is. No, because KW thinks the bats are a jugger on.

And they might be, but they also going to be. break your heart. I don't think so. We start with the Mighty Rams. Five losses, three interceptions for everybody's All-American. On the winning side, Bijan unstoppable, almost 230. Classic one yards. That's my guy. No one can deny it. That was so long ago. We forgot. What do you mean? I caught him offensive player of the years of rookie. If Ashton Ginty runs for a thousand yards in 10 years, we're not giving you credit for it. This is his third year. He's been great. Here's Sean McVeigh. We weren't good enough. I do like the fight of this group the way that we handled ourselves in the second half.

And we had our chances to be able to close that game out. And here we are again in a disappointing situation. But this is a humbling league, and we got humbled tonight. Josh got in his bag with this stat. He said, I might not win a million dollars, but I can break this out. Stafford has struggled against coaches and coordinators who are on the Rams, Ebro and Morris, both Rams assistants. Yeah.

So he really takes a drop there. Isn't that good for Josh? Nick, you literally had an affair with the Rams. Yeah. Are you worried? Well, it turned into more than an affair. Torrit affair? That's his official side chick.

And right now it's actually the main. I moved out. I moved out on the bucks and jacked up. And to keep that analogy going, I worry it's not them to me. Because I think I have, I'm not abandoning the Rams at all. worried they may they may abandon me because I've realized something. Because everybody knows my real love is in the AFC as the Chiefs. Of course.

And I think because of that, my NFC team every year is, is, is, befalls awful luck. Since we've been doing the show, I picked the Niners to go to the Super Bowl. their quarterback broke his leg in the second week of the season that year. That was with Jimmy G. No, it was Trey Lance. It was when they had moved on. It was the idea was they can make the Super Bowl with Jimmy G. They can make it with anybody.

The quarterback breaks his leg. And he wasn't that. Then backup quarterback Jimmy G gets hurt. They end up, and then they still make it all the way to the conference championship game. And Brock Purdy gets his elbow messed up. They lose. The next year I picked the Cowboys. They have a great season.

season. They win 12 games. And then I believe ran a quarterback draw or had Ezekiel Elliott at play center. One of the two ways they lost. The next year, I picked

the Bears. That was more. That team fired their coach, which allowed me then to switch to the Rams who lost in heartbreaking fashion again in the playoffs. This year I picked the Bucks.

They're 5 and 1 flying high. A meltdown that honestly, probably we should focus on a little bit more what has happened to the Bucks after the 6th and 2 start how they've played. They can still make it. They can still make it, but they can't make the Super Bowl. And I attach myself to the Rams, and the moment I do, they lose to the Seahawks involving a punt return, a reverse, and an incomplete pass two-point conversion that worked.

And then this game. So I'm worried about them, in part because of me. I'm also worried about them because of this, Brew, in all seriousness. I believe they are the most talented team in the NFC, and I believe they will have pretty clearly the best quarterback and the quarterback I trust the most in the NFC. But their path has now gotten so much more difficult than it looked like it was going to be and

Sean McVe-Rams teams against playoff teams in cold weather are like two and eight. Like the, and so Sean McVe since he's been with the ramp, those teams, against good teams in bad weather, or not

bad weather, but cold. And they are, you know, they still can get the five seed if they win and the Niners lose on Saturday night. That's possible. And And I honestly would like their chances in a game against Philadelphia in round one. But they are then, they're staring at potentially just nothing but road games and nothing but tough opponents.

So I still think they're the best team in the NFC. Seahawks are probably the best team, but the team that I would trust the most in the playoffs. But this path has gotten so difficult ever since that two point conversion that wasn't that ended up being was. It seemed to have flipped the season for them. Well, look, this is why I never. This show, for some reason, more than any show I've seen, is in love with the Rams. You, Danny Parkins.

This is why I've never. Kept on the Rams are all that bandwax. Why? Now, they're a good team. They're a good team in a conference full of good playoff teams. I wouldn't be shocked if they come out, but I mean, I think they're pretty good. like everybody else.

But the problem, Nick, and you touched on it, is the road. They're going to be on the road for the playoffs. And guess what? They are five and four on the road. That is tied for the worst record among teams that have won 11 or more games. The Bears are the other team. All right. So they, I mean, they're on the road.

They lost to the Niners with their backup quarterback. Who is that again? Mike Jones. Yeah. Go ahead. They lost to Carolina. which is decent, but they're not great. But that also might be who they play in round one, in Carolina.

In Carolina, right. And they're good at home and the Rams are bad. And then they lost to Atlanta. So I'm just, I know Atlanta is a very disappointing team this year. I think probably could have been the best team in that division. But the fact is on the road, they struggle. And Matthew Stafford, still good on the road, but not the same quarterback by any stretch. Completion percentage goes down.

Touchdown. I mean, he throws far. more interceptions on the road. He's still good, but he's not. I would take that. Oh, you would take it, but it's not, it's not what he is at home. That's right. And that's all I'm saying.

And so, look, I am not writing them off, but I think they're one of just the handful of teams out in the NFC that has a shot. Is it fair to say you think every team that makes the NFC playoffs other than the NFC South? Yeah, other than NFC South. Bears, Packers, Eagles, three NFC West teams. Yes. And I feel like San Francisco and Chicago are a little below the others.

But the Niners, if they beat Seattle, then I might become a full-time believer. Stafford had an aberration game with three interceptions. This bears. The Rams defense has just been bad in these last five games. First 11 games, remember they were like, hold on. They've got the best defense in the league. Last five games, 28 yards per play, 29th. Big place, 26.

They used to be a fifth. Pass rating. fourth to 25th. So, you know, defense wins championships. When they were number one and number one or, you know, top three in both, they were rolling. Now, they've fallen off a cliff here. And you can't point to one like, oh, Micah went out type of, you know what I mean? It's not one guy missing that's coming back.

So that is concerning. It also, that Seattle game, Stafford played as well as any player has played, I believe, in any game all year, given who the defense was. You know, throwing for 450 and three touchdowns against that defense. I thought he played, that was his version of going Superman mode, and they lost. Yep. And so that's, it also feels like last night, if ESPN had sent one fewer camera to the game, we would have gotten overtime because Puka made the catch of the year from seven different angles

until we saw the one, which is a bummer. I don't love it, but that's a discussion. But he won the catch. Wait for Greg. Jugglers. Are they in control of the balls? I mean, I... Like, am I in control of this?

Oops, that time was. No, you're not. But am I in control of this the whole time? So, like, I do hear you because I think the ball moving doesn't always mean. That's a thing. I agree. Like, he's still, I know he's not touching it, but he's in control of it. Well, I don't know about that one.

The problem there is... His feet by the point. Right. The problem is. if that were in the field of play, that ends up being a catch. Yes. Right. But it's just because since he's out of bounds and the feet, but I also, man, oh man, I mean,

this is a 10 out of 10 throw and honest to God. That's one of the greatest catches I've ever seen. Yes, that's a catch. It's his left hand, he kept his feet in, he got to the sticks. But that's, I mean, that's the margin. Call that and they kick a field goal, they went in overtime. We wouldn't be like, oh, they're issues. with the Rams?

What? No, that's what I'm saying. You still would have had some questions about the defense. I also happen to think, and maybe you guys will disagree with me, I think had they won the Seattle game, they win yesterday. And that's because I think there was, they knew going into yesterday's game because of the results of the weekend, they are locked into the five or the six. Yeah.

So I just think that they, that if they were playing in that game, because it felt like they came out sleeping and then turned it on and it was too late and Stafford made, you know, there was, Stafford made a mistake. They also had, you know, when a Stafford's best passes, 40-yard touchdown called off because of a question, we'll hold. Right after that play, they had the bomb that Troy was saying, not Troy, Joe Buck was saying, he thought it was pass interference that would have put him in a field goal range. If the margins are that thin.

And they had the fortunate bounce. I mean, it was a great block in field goal. But I mean, that's the margins between the one seed or. home field throughout. Yeah. And starting your playoffs in Philadelphia against the defending champs. Rams hosts the three-win Cardinals next and McVe says they're going to play, but we'll

find out. All right, we've had a vibes shift and an MVP shift. Stafford was favored to win the MVP before the three interceptions and granted it was against the Jets, but Drake May threw five touchdowns with a pass rating of 157 before resting for literally most of the second half. Here were the odds entering with Stafford and then May minus 400. No, no, minus plus 180 today. Wow.

Too much. Too much or is it just over? Well, no, I'm saying it's too much of a shift. MVP odds have become the betting version of win probability, which means they're mispriced. If you're having that type of week to weak jumps. So listen, I think it's pretty clear despite, you know, a friend. show rivalry you and I have at times KW. I think everyone would acknowledge they watch this show.

I believe in Drake May. Yeah. That I said that I said two months ago that I think is top five quarterback and going to be moving forward. And if Drake May wins MVP, I think he has had an MVP season that when you put it up against other MVP seasons, be like, oh, that's in line. It makes sense. I also think he is an MVP caliber player. My gripe is twofold.

The first one is, I simply think Matthew Stafford this year. has been the MVP of the league and has been better. And I think if you show their season numbers, I think Matthew Stafford's season numbers are better. The total yards, Drake May has him. The touch by, what is that, 160. The touchdowns are such a discrepancy. That's the one that's better, really?

Such a discrepancy. And so Stafford has him by passing yards by a lot, Drake May, but he has no rushing yards. So that's why I did total yards, tried to be fair. It's eight touchdowns. Like, is that like monstrous? Well, I mean, it's, it's, I guess eight total touchdowns. I mean, that is, it's 23% more than Drake.

Well, Stafford did. Here's the interesting thing about Drake. He doesn't throw it that much. He hasn't even thrown 500 passes. No, Stafford doesn't. Stafford has been way more. Stafford's thrown almost 100 more passes. And so this, and this is where when it comes to MVP, the most important and

prestigious individual honor, I do think nitpicking is fair. And this is where. I think the fact that Stafford has played the third hardest past defense in the league cumulatively, and Drake's played the 32nd. Past defense? Yeah. Well, schedule. No, no, no. 30.

Work out there. Right too? Combined past defense ranking of the teams, the Patriots have played the easiest cumulative pass defense. Oh, I didn't know that. The Rams have played the third most difficult. And then when we just do how they did against teams that have locked in playoff berths, again, it's just that Stapford's. half his season has come against teams that have locked in playoff first. And for Drake, it's the two bills game, and he ran for two touchdowns and didn't throw for any.

Again, I'm not trying to neg Drake May. I think Stafford's been better. But, Brew, here is my real issue that even if you think it's May, I think you might agree with. It feels to me, and I think this is a problem, that over the last few years, the NFL MVP discussion and then award has started working like this. Everything up until December is determining who is eligible. Who are the three or four guys that can win? Four years ago it was Dak, Purdy, Lamar. Last year, I think it was really Alan Lamar, and I might be forgetting one person.

This year it was Stafford, May, and Josh Allen, some people put in. That all the first three months of the year is determining who's eligible. And then the award is December player of the month of those players. That it's whoever of, and we disregard the first three months of the year, not in total, which is why Trevor has got no shot. He wasn't eligible yet. You know what I mean? Like it's who are the guys that are, right, who are the guys that are in the discussion

at the start of December, and then the award goes to whoever has the best December? And that is not how I think the award should be done. And so that's- How do you think it should be? Who has the best overall season? And I think Stafford's had the best overall season, and I think that if this weekend's games were week eight, Stafford's a huge favor.

You know, if Drake's game this week and Stafford's game this week were week eight, and whatever they both did in week eight were this year. This week, Stafford's a huge favorite. I think it's a recency bias thing that really has changed the award. I think it's how Lamar won it two years ago and why Lamar didn't win it last year. Like, you know, Josh had the six touchdown game at the end, even though they lost. And it was, and so that's my problem. Well, the thing, look, there's no official criteria.

I'm an NBA voter, and there's no criteria, which helps. It increases the argument and the discussion, which the leagues want. And then unless everybody just follows, you know, who they think is setting the stage or the tone, then each person has their own criteria and we'll see. but I'm going to save my pick for Bruce Ballard to see. But I'll piggyback on what you said, Nick. There's an argument for Stavre. You look at the odds and it would seem like it's over.

But the argument, you made some of it, obviously the 12 more passing touchdowns is huge against different competition. You mentioned a past defense, which is obviously legitimate. But that's the exact strength of schedule. Rams have faced the third hardest. Patriots have faced the least hardest or the easiest schedule. He eight interceptions still not bad, and that's what Drake actually has.

And the narrative. And that's interesting because Drake, I think some voters may feel like rightly, Drake's got obviously plenty of time to win MVP's. This isn't necessarily the right way to do it. But you look at Stafford, a guy that a lot of voters might feel like, man, he was, he wasted most of his career. in Detroit and is really a Hall of Famer, but if he doesn't get an MVP and they don't win the Super Bowl this year,

there's a good chance he's not a Hall of Fame. Correct. And so that I think is a factor. Look, I'm kind of with you in that. I don't really have a horse in the race like you do, but either guy has an argument. There's no question about it. You can't be mad at either guy, but right now it looks like Dr.

I also agree with that. But your guy is in it. That's the thing. But I'm just not going to, like, if you lead the league in touchdowns, you have a case, like point blank period. You lose games where you throw for, did he throw for 470 yards? He threw for 457. 57. So like, I'm like, and he lost. I'm like, he's three and five.

I think it's fair. That being said, common opponents was the fun graphic floating around yesterday. So for everybody you want to say, like, ah, we had an easy schedule. Like, okay. Well, we beat the Falcons. and you didn't. Well, we beat the Panthers and we smoked the Panthers, and you did not.

So this is just common opponents. That's fair. That's a notch in Drake's favor. It's good. I mean, again, if he got it, it wouldn't kill me. I do think right now, narrative-wise, it goes to the guy who took a four-win team and made this massive leap versus a Super Bowl champion that we know has always been excellent

and had another excellent year. His best year, though. And the one thing none of us have mentioned, and then I want to apologize to you. Oh, wow. The one thing none of us have mentioned is the weapons argument is a notch in Drake's favor. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Stafford's got. Devonte is a future All of Famer.

Puka is one of the best players in the league since he came into it. we all thought that the Patriots receivers were going to be a huge problem this year. So that is something that in MVP's have passed, you know, I have used that. Right, I have used that. So that to me is that that is part of the analysis in a fair way, just like who you have faced and how tough the road was is part of the analysis. Here's what I want to apologize for you. Because KW is right.

It's mostly been off the air. but I have partially joking and partially serious, bullied Kevin Wilds, for not going to the mattresses because his guy has a chance to win MVP. And Wilde's take has been, but I'd be fine with him not winning it. And I wasn't okay with the fact

that you weren't okay with your guy not winning it. And I was mean to you about it. But is there any analysis behind that? It's just, we're just different. He wants you to admit that his analysis of the issue was right. It makes you the reason you are who you are is because you're okay with it. It's called being the mayor of family. And the reason I wouldn't be is part of who I am.

So you were, I should have just let you be. So I apologize, KW. Feels like I got distressed. I didn't think it a little bit. It was like, I love sports and you don't care. No, no, that's not what I felt. No, no. I fight for my friends.

No, you don't. If Brew was getting beat up, you would be like, hey, maybe he deserves it, maybe he doesn't. And I would jump in. I don't know the whole story. I could see the other guy. Maybe we started it. I don't know. All right.

Coming up next, do the Ravens deserve to be favorites against the Steelers? That's next on FIS one in the box sports show on Sirius XM. I don't know. He's a real apology. I can move either way. Uh-oh, LinkedIn time. Gianna. Oh, we have a countdown on there.

28 million away. Gianna said her, what is it? Her nephews. Yeah. We still might get someone in Gianna's family taking her job while Gianna moves on. She's really trying to stay. Well, listen, the Super Bowl is,

what is it, February 8th? Yes. So we've got. 40 days. So you get 28 million. You should be good, but we'll see. Gianna, yeah. Keep that resume.

70,000 a day. Let's look ahead to Sunday night. Win and you're in. Ravens in Pittsburgh. Baltimore, more than field goal favorites. Here's John Harbaugh. It's to be determined, you know. I mean, still he's coming off,

he's coming off a very serious injury, and he's working at it. So I'm in here today working at it. So I think we'll know a lot. lot more on Wednesday. Okay, that was on Lamar's status. Welcome Greg Jennings' Super Bowl champion. Brewery, surprise your ratings

are favored in this game. Not one bit. They should be favored. They're going to win this game. All right. With or without Lamar. Wow. You said it yesterday, Nick. That's no shot at Lamar, but Tyler Huntley, two of their most impressive games

have been with him at quarterback. They've scored 71 points in the two games. And they both both have been against playoff teams, the Bears and the Packers, and they won. Now, obviously, he's not even close to as good as Lamar Jackson, but this year, he has run. He's run, I think he ran for 53 yards in the game against the Bears and 60 yards this past weekend. So that's an element that Lamar, because of injuries or whatever, hasn't really brought lately to them. So I think they can win because of, because Huntley will be fine.

And obviously, with Huntley, you're going, it's not even. going to be a question as to who is the bell cow. It's going to be Derek Henry. There will be no forgetting about Derek Henry if Tyler Huntley's the quarterback. And then on the flip side, I just think the Steelers injuries are huge. Like if D.K. Metcalf were playing, then probably, especially with Lamar's status up in the air, you probably favor Pittsburgh. He had 100, almost 150 yards against them last game.

And he was a big difference why they beat. the Ravens, but then Calvin Austin might be out too, the second best receiver. The big Darnell Washington, the huge tight end is out. And T.J. Watt, I'm thinking won't be back. So I just think the Steelers are so banged up. I think their morale is low after last week. So, yeah, I feel confident about the Ravens. Yeah, I'm not surprised at their favorite.

We witnessed the worst possible version offensively of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. And we witnessed the most dominating version of the Baltimore Ravens. in my opinion on Sunday. And so with that being said, being a prisoner of the moment, if I'm to make a wager, which you do often, I would put my money on the Ravens because of the style in which they will approach this game and the sustainability of that. Like you talked about D.K. Metcalf being gone.

It just changes the way you play call if you're Arthur Smith and how you methodically try to move the ball down the field. You already are not a big play offense. So naturally you're going to be. going to have to dink and dunk and work your way systematically down the field on the defense that's been playing really good football. And then if you are the Ravens, you don't push the ball down the field with Huntley if he is the starter come Sunday, but you can do everything else within your playbook because

you still have Derek Henry. So I like the Ravens in this situation. Aaron Rogers cannot lose this game. If Lamar's not playing, he can't. Certainly. What if Lamar is playing? Well, that's different. If you lose to, like, a great all-time quarterback,

and you're like, kind of, it's like a passing the baton moment, and you're like, I'm a four-time MVP, you're a two-time MVP. If they, if Lamar plays in the Steelers lose, there is no shame in this loss. The shame is in the Browns loss. You know what I mean? And, but I agree with KW entirely. That if Tyler Huntley is the starter,

Mike Tomlin has an obligation to make sure his defense can shut down a Tyler Huntley-led offense, which means slow down Derek Henry. It would be like, pencil them in for 128. You know what, Derek, we're going to spot you 128 and one touchdown, but you're not getting a yard past it. And then Aaron, can you get us to 20 points? Like, that's what you were brought here. He has to.

I mean, so that's, I certainly, at three and a half, you mentioned the gambling perspective, the Steelers in a home divisional game catching more than a field goal, I like the Steelers. The fact that I don't know how much the line would change. If Lamar was playing. Yeah, like, I feel like this is pricing. I feel like the market expects Huntley to play, but also this line, I don't think the Steelers or the Ravens were all of a sudden if they announced Lamar was playing would be five and a half point favorites. It's a weird spot because I also think the general public,

everyone knows Lamar Jackson is exponentially better than Tyler Huntley. But I think the general public, and you guys seem to be alluding to it, also feel like the Ravens might play a smarter brand of football with Tyler Huntley out there rather than a somewhat compromised Lamar because with a somewhat compromised Lamar, they seem to call a game as if they have a regular Lamar. And with Tyler Huntley, they call a game as if we're only allowed to throw 12 passes. So we're going to use them judiciously and we're going to give the ball to Derek Henry, which is what I think you want them to do and other people want them.

Before we go on to big picture, spot bonus alert. I was about to say, spot bonus alert. Who do I owe? Dude, where's Lamar? Who was that? Whoever did that is $50. Hubs. Hubs doesn't get it.

No, Hubs, you do not get it. Hubs is an executive. He doesn't get it. It goes on to the next spot. Next spot bonus is worth 100 now. Yeah, sorry, Hubs. Moving on. We don't know Lamar's status for the weekend.

Are we sure we know it for the future? Mike Sando writing in the athletic. Here's the headline. The Raven season is riding on week 18. Lamar Jackson's future could be too. Here's the quote from one of our favorites an anonymous agent. Lamar being traded could be similar

to the Mavs trading Luca. Okay. The Mavs were complaining about Luca's toughness, taking care of his body, work ethic. Luca gets moved. He loses all that weight. Debatable. He gets in great shape,

and he's got a new lease on life. Lamar might be the same. Congratulations, Anonymous Agent. One of the worst takes of the year. Well, look, of course I read the whole article. I think it was Malik Willis's agent. Oh, yeah. There was a lot of Malik Willis.

Leake Willis to Baltimore. Trading, trading Lamar for three big, signing Malik Willis. He's watching, like, what? Yeah, that's a great take room. How do you figure it out? Next year, Week 18, impact Lamar's future with the Raven. Absolutely. So, listen, and I am trying my damnedest to be as fair as possible on this.

So I even ran this by Wilds before the show because I wanted to make sure I did. didn't have a blind spot on it. But I think there are only two possible explanations, two ways to look at this season and what is happening right now with Lamar. Option one. Lamar Jackson has suffered five different distinct injuries this year that were all severe enough that he had to either miss practice time or miss game.

or multiple games. That is one option. The hamstring, the ankle, the knee, the toe, and now the back. And they're not even counting the illness. So the five injuries that have caused him to miss time, two of which are causing a miss game. That is one option. The other option is for the third time in Lamar's career as a Raven, in the midst of

a contract negotiation, he is leperable. to a degree, potentially, his end-of-season health status in aims of either proving his worth or getting what he wants from Baltimore. To me, there isn't a third option. Now, maybe you guys are 99% it's the first one, 1% the second one. Either one of those options, I would be very hesitant to give that player a brand new, extended top of the market fully guaranteed contract, which is what he wants. Either with two years left on your deal and playoffs on the line,

your slow playing recovery, which it seems like the team, and by the way, I defended him on it in 2022. I was on the show saying, I wouldn't play either. They've owed you money for years. You won an MVP. They haven't paid you. Don't put yourself out there. Or he's coming off his worst season of his career.

He's suffered five different injuries. and he's not available at the end of the year and he turns 29 in a week. And oh yeah, he doesn't really run anymore. Either way, I wouldn't want to pay that guy $63 million fully guaranteed into his mid-30s. So if we don't see Lamar back and see Lamar look really good, I'm not super interested in extending him a longer contract,

which he very clearly wants. See, I think you're premature, though. I mean, what if he doesn't play week 18? they win and then he plays in the playoffs and looks good and they get to the championship game or the Super Bowl. Then it's totally different. Sure. So to me the answer is no because I'm leaving open the option of him playing in the playoffs.

As far I lean toward your first option of he's been hurt, the second option to me is untenable. It'd be one thing if you said like he was still in his rookie deal and had never made any money or, you know, real money, relatively speaking. Now, and I'm not saying he shouldn't want this next big contract, but you've got two years left

on your deal, okay? And you've already gotten a 200, what, 20-something million dollar contract. And I know he's competitive. You should be, any years, you should be like, if I can get out there and play, I'm going for the Super Bowl. But this year in particular,

because the field is so even and wide open in the AFC. So I can't, I, like I said, I believe it's the first option with the injuries. If it's the second option, that is ridiculous, that you're sitting out legitimate games where you have a chance to get to the Super Bowl because of a contract when you've already made over $200 million. Can I just ask you a very quick question? If it is the first option, would that not give you some pause? Because let's say he doesn't play week 18 and they lose.

So he doesn't have the chance to do the playoffs piece of it. You wouldn't worry that Lamar, like, that his body is deteriorate? If he suffered five distinct injuries this year? Yeah, and that's interesting because they were all minor. I mean, he played. He didn't play well, but he played. We didn't see he doesn't look like he could move. And two of them he's missed games.

Yeah, the one the hamstring was obviously, but that can happen. Yeah, that's interesting. but I would probably look past it. Was he 29? He turns 29 next week. So he's still relatively young. So for me, I'm not moving on from Lamar. I'm just simply not moving on from Lamar.

I don't think the second option that you threw out there is even, I'm with Brew on that one. I don't even think that's on the board. However, I do believe there has been a loss of respect in the current regime that's present. For Lamar. That he's lost respect for them? Really both ways, to be honest. But if I'm Lamar and I'm just watching him what he's willing to do versus what he's not willing to do, if there's a different coach, play caller alike, and you have a guy like Lamar and he's hurt, I just believe that there is a competitive advantage that he would feel like he provides for that new regime because of them really depending on him, not to say.

that John Harbaugh and this regime isn't that he would be more willing to play for because there's a different voice to the writer who wrote this and once you start comparing it to Luca the reason why

it's such a big deal is because of what we felt about Luca right and then he goes to the Lakers and he decides to what let me get in shape let me lock in well that's not it's I'm not taking accountability away from Luca Donchie on that, neither would I be

taking it away from Lamar, but if it took a difference in management and who you were walking into the building to get you to change what you're doing and how you're approaching who you are and what we need you to be, then that's a problem for your culture. That's a problem

in-house. And I think that's what they're dealing with. Lamar has gotten to the point where he is the face, he is everything, and he just doesn't take the same. And I don't I know I'm speaking for Lamar, but there's a sense of entitlement there.

I just believe that there's a sense of entitlement there. Listen, someone in the organization clearly thinks there is, or else that article doesn't get written. You know, what you're saying, and I know people, I know Lamar fans out there think that I'm being unfair. I truly do not mean to be.

But what I will tell you is this. If I am, it is John Harbaugh's fault. because the reason that I am drawing these conclusions is in 2021 amidst the contract negotiation, Lamar heard his ankle. John Harbaugh sat at that podium and said it is not that he's going to test it out for week 15.

If not, we'll have him back the following week. He did not play again that year. In 2022 amidst a contract negotiation, Lamar heard his knee. John Harbaal sat in front of the media and said it's not a season ending type of thing. someone with the Ravens told Schaefter, if we make the playoffs, Lamar's playing, and then he was not there.

This season, Lamar hurts his hamstring. And by the way, in 2022, Lamar then had to tweet out, no, I have a grade two PCL, almost grade three, remember? He then went and corrected it. This year, Lamar hurts his hamstring. John Harbaugh says, we'll have our quarterback back after the buy. Then it turns out he is not back after the buy. And then a week ago, he's asked about Lamar's back, and on Monday he said,

avoided serious injury, it's a bad bruise, don't get me wrong, it's bad bruise, then he misses a game. So I am not creating this out of thin air. It is every time this has happened, the head coach has messaged a level of optimism that has simply not come to fruition. So there is something amiss here. And if I'm, if I'm Lamar and I'm hearing guys like, Nick Wright on TV, I'm not trying to question someone's toughness, but put out in the ether,

is this negotiation? And I know how legitimate these injuries are, assuming they are. I'm furious. I don't want to play for John Harbaugh. I'm furious that this article was written. You're saying, and so that to me is the, if they lose Sunday and he doesn't play, the one thing I am fully confident on is we have seen the last game that John Harbaugh coaches I believe that. Now, whether that's, whether, I don't know who wins if it's a power strong. It shouldn't even be a question. See, I would always keep the player.

Yes. I would always keep the play. Especially at this position. Yes. No question. And here's the thing, too, Nick, quickly. If what you said is true, you said I would not want to play for John Harbaugh. That shouldn't be top of mind for Lamar Jackson.

It should be playing for himself and the teammates. Go win a Super Bowl. I mean, like, even if you do. don't like the coach, and I'm not saying I don't have no idea what he feels about Harbaugh. But even if you don't like the coach, your top of mind should not be I'm not doing it for him.

Do it for yourself and do it for your teammates. So, I think he'll be back in a Ravens uniform for the long haul. We'll see if they get a contract. I wouldn't be, I would just, I got him for two more years. Coming up next. Bruce Ballet. Drake May through five touchdowns. Matthew Stafford

through three interceptions. Josh Allen played mediocre Miles Garrett did not get a sack. Let's see how it all shakes out on Bruce Ballot. Well, there is movement. There is movement, y'all. All right. At number five, Wiles' favorite player, Miles Garrett. Oh, what a game.

And I got to say this. If Miles does not break the record, he's going to be off. Yeah. He's not going to be in the top five. I'm sorry. I mean, that's fair. It's his respect. The only reason he's on here is because he's about to break a 20-year record.

You better do it. He only needs one. So he's just one. He ties it. One sack. Half, if he ties it, he's off the ballot. Yeah. T.J.

Watt. Nobody cares. Probably. Probably got to break against Joe Burrow. So not quite Aaron Rogers. You're a teammate. You see you're getting there at the same time. Let him get it.

Right, right. Exactly. That's interesting. Yes. All right. At number four, Nick, you will be pleased. Thank you. Finally.

He is, look, this is eye test. We know it's a two, two-man race for him. So the final three are kind of just eye test. He's having a great year. He has been the one consistent for them the whole year. I mean, obviously Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Purdy was out. The receivers have been in and out. He's been the one star player that's there.

And you got to give him some credit. He, I don't think he needs 110 yards for the 1,000 Russian,000 receiving. I don't think he'll get that. But it is notable to go over 2,000 yards. all purpose from scrimmage again, which is he's going to do for the third time. One of only a handful of guys to do it three times. Yeah, so he's having a great year. They might be the one seed.

They got to be represented. Yeah, that's the thing too. If they were a wild car, well, there'll be a wild car, but if they didn't make the playoffs or something, he probably wouldn't be in there. Like Bijin. Bejan, have another good year. All right, at number three, Josh, look, I mean, he still is second in the league in touchdowns. touchdowns, 39, and that's well ahead of, I think Jared Gough is third or something. But he, I know he wasn't impressed.

This week he was up and down. He ran for the two touchdowns, but had some boneheaded plays. Obviously missed the potential game winner or game time. Fumbled that led to the Eagles touchdowns. Yeah, yeah, no, he struggled, but who would you have it? What would you have it? Trevor, Trevor was on. I knew, I knew it.

Trevor was on the ballot. He ran for two touchdowns and they won. Yeah, beat a 40-year-old. Be a grandfather. And through an interception. And Josh had a turnover. Through an interception. I was so excited that I realized Chris McApher took Trevor's place.

But here's your point. This is to what you said earlier. Trevor was up to three. This is to what you, first of all, Trevor might be in the top of the top of it. But this is what you said. This is what you said. Trevor's been maybe player of the month. But the whole year.

The whole year. But he was all on there. He was all in there last week. And your boy McCaffrey replaced. Problem is how you have, remember you're like, oh, he is not. He is not. He has not had a better year or is not more valuable.

You just have to hear about it. You know what? This is what it's all about. Sorry, Bruges. Real quick, I just have to tell America. I'm now rooting against Miles Garrett. So Trevor, you're going to spot on Bruce Ballet. This is like.

This is what is all about, Wiles and Nick. At number two for the first time, everybody's All-American. He got this. And you see number one, Drake May. Here's why. This is what it came down for me, Nick. and I didn't say this in the age. You kind of said it.

Supporting cast. Oh. I mean, Stafford, Pooka, there's an argument. That dude is ridiculous. There's an argument for him to be the best receiver in the league. And then Devonze Adams is great when he's there. And Kairn Williams is in a thousand-yard rusher. I know that's not.

It's 17 games now, but he's seventh in the league in rushing. Stafford or Drake May does not have a 1,000-yard rusher. I know Trayvion has been great, but still, no one-th century. thousand yard rusher. He's got, he had no other offensive teammate. Make the Pro Bowl.

Forget all pro. Make the Pro Bowl. And so I just felt like, and taking him from four wins to 13 or 14. That is what kind of did it. And he's been, he's been great. Both of them have been great.

But that, the supporting cast was huge for me. That feels great. So it had nothing to do with last night's game? Yeah, yeah. I mean, that was huge. If Stafford didn't throw those three picks, he would still be number one. Is Stafford still your MVP?

Unfortunately, Wilde. No, he's not. He is. Me too. For what? The three and the three and stuff? No, for the whole season. You can't say you're okay with it.

And then don't. I'm okay with it. You can't do the tongue. I didn't do the. I didn't do that. You did do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it.

If he wants to win, it's fine. But I don't actually imagine anyone voting for him. I just told you I won. It's obviously Drake. It's obviously Drake. I still think it's close, but I think it's Drake. It feels pretty obvious at this point. Well, with the odds, but I don't know.

Live from New York, it's a show it's feeling great about bringing home another MVP to the New England area. I just feel two hours ago he didn't care about. It's been. It's been growing on me. It's been growing on me. We did this topic in the A block. You said next to nothing. Then we're like, I'm fine with either one.

Nick's mad at me for being fine with either one. I then apologize to you for a private slight publicly. And then 45 minutes later, you're like, it's obviously Drake me. You can't vote for anybody else. It's been a roller coaster. I'm not used to this. Granted, I've been calling this for months. months.

Got a door and everything. Hey, doorstep of destiny. I was like, oh my gosh, what are we doing? I said, guys, this is a destiny. You didn't think MVP. I have gone. I got a door. I called the door step of destiny.

We're on the door. I was doing it in week four. That was the team. It was great. Regardless, I'm telling you right now. You don't think I was talking about the court? What was they talking about? Brendan's school there?

Who knows? But the chiefs are out. And I am just going to become apologies. A professional Hater. I am just going, I'm just going to target, Target.

People are shocked by that. That's a new league. That's unfair. It's like Bruce saying, I'm going to have a Bruce like, I'm going to ride a motorcycle and get a mohawk.

What? You are? No one is shocked, dude. It's unfair. No, you think people are like, what, being spitting out their coffee at home? Yeah. Nick's going to start hating.

What? I'm positive. I root for Trevor. I root for Josh Allen last couple of years. Root for Caleb. You guys mock me. Root for Bejohn Robinson. They're really shocked in Baltimore.

They're really shocked in. You guys about him? Unbelievable. With the Rams exposed by the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons actually might be a good team that's terrible. No, they, that's exactly what they are. They've got great talent. Love it.

Meanwhile, who's getting into the NFL Hall of Fame? 15 finalists we try to get down to five in a 10 minute segment that could be a full two hour podcast but right now oh it's the final Malmes mountain of 2025 take a listen let all the mountains be for god as Drake may has climbed let all the mountains I've got to work out because this This thing malfunctioned. Welcome to the Mallon, 2020. Really a one-shot deal there. Giannis actually said you have a nice voice.

No one said that. Giannis said that. She's trying to keep her job. I scoffed at her. I was like, what? But she said. You know what? It's lonely at the top of the mallon.

Did I just invent that? Maybe. Not saying, I don't, who knows who's going to be at the top? But it's, I kind of like to being down at the bottom with everybody, you know? You're a figure. You're guys. Why are you doing a little wig? quarterbacks.

I'm just up there all by my lonesome. Shoulder, shimmy, wig. It's up there all by my lonesome. Best quarterback in the league. Best player in the league? Wow. Maybe. I'm going to find myself rooting for Justin Herbert in a playoff game in round one,

just to spite you. To the mountain. Listen, part of the story is who's not climbing because of injury. That's six, seven starting quarterbacks. Mahomes, Lamar, Jaden. He was one of the guys. W from your trivia earlier, all those guys. Off the mountain.

Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones, you're right. I forgot. Kyler, you're a guy, Pinnix McCarthy. Okay, now they're listed. Kyler's not even her. They're just... Whoa.

Oh, when you say it, it's no problem. I have to give a 12-minute preamble. Make sure nobody thinks I'm saying that about Lamar. You say it on Kyler, it just seems to get to smile at the audience, right, and a CGI amusement, whatever that was. Then get Josh Johnson, Max Brosmer. I don't know what to tell you. There's a lot of injured quarterbacks, a lot of bad quarterback play.

Go to the bottom of the mountain, as evidenced by this. Listen, I really don't know how many people watch Seahawks Panthers. I am here to tell you, I know the Panthers can sneak into the playoffs, and they don't even have to win this weekend. They would have to lose and have the Falcons lose for them not to make it. Bryce threw the ball 24 times for 50 yards. Not great. It was not good.

That was unbelievable. Bake show. What are you doing, bro? Yeah. This is just a two-month travesty what's happened. Yeah. Philip Rivers came back, played three games through two-game losing picks, didn't get hurt, brought his family to the games.

It's awesome. And now has been benched for Riley Leonard. I don't know. It seems like I'm glad he got the health insurance extension and reset the Hall of Fame Club. I thought it was a good. But this didn't work. I think it was a good.

They lost all the games and two of them. You don't think it was a good step for him, a good showy for him. No, I do think oddly for him coming in and not being hurt and doing his little shot put passes and then getting benched when they needed a Hail Mary. Riley Leonard should consider a class action suit, man. He got benched for the 44-year-old. They then put him in the game. But they won't let him play.

And then they're like, this guy is not strong enough anymore, throw a Hail Mary. So Riley Litter, only staty has is one attempt, one pick, you lose. And then they're like, week 18 against the Texans defense. Good luck, young fella. The hell is this? This doesn't seem right. Back to the mountain.

Sorry, that's Riley Lillard coverage. When yours. Whatever. He might be all right. He might be all right. You know what, and Nick, I know you probably know this. I'm sure I do. He was like a serious blue chip recruit.

Well, he kept Arch Banning on the bitch. Not just high school. No, high school, yes, but no, at Texas last year, they played him over Arch. But Kirk maybe. Kirk stays where he is. Jackson Dart managed to play without, like, leading with his helmet all the time. And I'm here to tell you. I had a major financial investment in that Browns Steelers game.

I watched every snap. Shador was not good. However, he led him to a huge victory. I mean, I don't know that he led them to a victory, but they did win and whatever. The mountain, I'm not going to put it vacant. Shador, you're on the mountain. I'm happy for you, buddy. There you go, bro.

Row six, Jared golf. I don't, I, I, you had five turnovers. Six turnovers, five turnovers. I don't know, it was too many. He drops. Tyler Huntley. Could be fine. I don't know.

For a hundred yards. Again, we need the quarterbacks to get healthy. Cam Ward steady himself. He's starting to play well. Absolutely post the firing steady himself. Bow Nix was not good at all on Christmas, but I'm not going to drop him. He can't be row seven is the quarterback of the one seed right now. Jacoby Rossette has been fine.

I wanted to, I wanted to put Rogers off the mountain in the gulch between the mountains, but he is where he is. Is that the right word? Yeah, I haven't heard it. No. Thanks. Row five. CJ, CJ was two touchdowns, two picks.

It wasn't the best quarterbacking in that game. Those defensive struggle, but again, that team's dangerous. It stays where he is. Darnold, again, I don't know how many of you were watching Seahawks Panthers. It was not good quarterbacking. So Sam Darnold, after what I thought, was not a good game against the Rams within a great finish. Didn't, like, build on that momentum, but whatever, they're playing for the one seat. Malik Willis, is he 18 of 21, like 280.

Oh, now did seem to dislocate his shoulder just throwing the ball. So I'd want to get that tightened up. I'd maybe play Clayton Tune this weekend, you know, and let him try to be healthy because you might need him for the playoffs. Jordan Love is back on the mountain. He's only red because of where he was before, but because it's a concussion, he's going to be back and we're running out of the spots. Right.

And so I think they're going to rest Jordan. Love. I don't know what to do with Jalen hurts at KW. I mean, zero. completion, second half seems bad. Winning in Buffalo seems awesome. All he does is win. Just stays where I know what.

Roe. Yeah. It involves the most shocking development of the season. Tyler Shuck, welcome to the top 10. I don't know what's happening. What are you doing? What do you mean? Since the last month, the Saints have been good.

If they would put him in a little longer, a little earlier, he might have made the playoffs. They have been the best team in that division for the last month. There's no denying it. He's got some tape on YouTube that makes him look stunningly good. He got some tape these last few weeks that hasn't looked YouTube tape from the Saints? No, it's just like the class, it's just all 22.

Listen, do I think Tyler Shuck is a top team quarterback? Obviously not. But the mountain famously is a rich tapestry. And we have some real recency bias to it. And for last month, he's been excellent. Other guys have been injured, been out, and thrown for zero yards and a half. I don't know what to do. Josh Allen did not play well in that game.

He had a couple good moments. Did not play well. He drops. Justin Herbert, for the fourth time in the last five games, did not play well. This time, the defense was not enough to bail him out. He drops. Dak was good against Washington. He stays where he is.

Roe three. Caleb stays where he is. Burrow moves up because, I don't know, they scored a bunch of points. He's happy. He's throwing touchdowns. The last time on the mountain this year, because next week it's all playoff teams anyway. Purdy, 10 touchdowns in two weeks.

Pretty good. I got to tell you. The Brock Purdy I've seen the last two weeks. He's won you over, Nick. Admit it. Listen, I am very sick and confident in saying Brock Party the last two weeks has been better than Matt Jones. There's no doubt about it.

There's no denying it. And now the reveal, because I do have Matt Stafford as the League MVP through 17 weeks. that does not mean I have Matt Stafford atop the mountain because the mountain has more recency bias than I think MVP should. So row two, after Stafford coming off one of his worst games of the year, he drops.

The Prince, a couple rushing touchdowns, overcame his first mistake in a month. They're alive for the one CD stays there. And for the first time, all year. What a day. A top of a day for you, what? Drake May. And I'm going to,

I do this off the top of my head. Excellent. But since the existence of the mountain, I believe the only people to be atop the mountain are. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Yes. Lamar Jackson, Matt Stafford, Jalen Hertz, winning the Super Bowl, and Drake May. Wow.

I do not believe Joe Burroughs ever been atop the mountain. I probably tried to put Trevor up there once, but I don't think I ever quite got there, even the top MVP year. So I think he's just the sixth person ever to be at the mountain. Congratulations. Dak never made it. I feel like we should send him something. You know what?

Make sure it comes from you. Gianna, let's send like some mountain climbing gear. Okay. Maybe I'll send him my goggles. He'll love that. Okay. Let's not give Gianna homework. Why don't you- Sorry, Gianna. No, but it's a social media.

Your family's out of town. You got plenty of time on your hands. I'm going to go to the post office. Christina. We've got to go to the post office. I'm going to jump into this mountain conversation. I'm going to go to Justin Herbert. You want him to drop further? No, I don't.

I actually, and I love Burrow. I love what he's done the last couple weeks, but it hasn't been for anything. That's not his fault. I don't hate this. It's definitely not his fault, but if Brew was saying, it would be because of his fault

because he hasn't been available when it mattered and his team could have been playing for something, but they're not. And I love Joe Burrell. However, Justin Herbert, he deserves to be higher. You said he had a, he played bad. He did not play bad. He played against the number one defense in all the football.

He had an opportunity to win that game, and his team let him down. You were picking the end zone. Yeah, he did throw the pick in the end zone. He did everything else to win the game. He scored 16 points. Did he? Yeah, that's standard.

operating procedure when you're playing the Texans defense. Well, he's got to score more. But when you, so because Danny isn't here and he'll be here in a few, I figured let's just throw up some numbers. Are these, oh, are we going to show how awesome Justin Herbert's been or it's going to be about how well, no, this is this is. Why do all the Justin Herbert full screen just be about his teammate stinking? Because, because we were talking about a guy earlier, Lamar that's just not playing and

he's injured and all the things. This guy plays through all the injuries that he's going through this season. And he's playing through this. He's got just a broken wrist, not a back bruise. I mean, it doesn't matter he's playing. Sacks taking his third most hits. He's taking the most hits. He's still available.

I still want to play guys. Let me go out there. Fractured hand, it doesn't matter. I still want to play guys. Finger. It doesn't matter, guys. I still play through it. We're not going to make the playoffs because I don't have my tackles, guys.

I didn't believe in him. He still overcomes it. He still plays well. Yes, sir. Greg. How much of his pressures, maybe not his pressures? He got sacks and hits are his responsibility. Is it zero?

Because the way, like, Danny talks about, it's zero. I don't think it's 100, but where is it? I'm not saying that it's zero. But it's more, it's, I would get. give Justin Herbert 20% of that. Okay, that's what I would give him 20% of it. But if you were playing against an offensive line, I wouldn't do well.

I'll tell you that right now. Well, I'm a professional. If a professional was playing against the charges and they saw backup tackles every single week and it's Justin Herbert, you know what I'm feeling like I'm going to do? Get after the quarterback. So but here's, I agree with that. And yet, despite being hit the most,

pressured the most, still being available, he's still putting up numbers good enough to where his team, which we all thought it's over for the Chargers. So listen, here's where I'll disagree. I agree with you. His toughness has been great. He has been clutch in spots this year, so I give him credit for that. But they are winning, the games they have won as of late, save one. the defense has been the dominating story.

Defense has been great. And he is not dealing, it shows a toughness that he's dealing with these types of hits, but it's not like he has, his personal play has thrived in the midst of it. Because his numbers over the last third of the season are not great. Yeah. It's an 88 rating. It's eight touchdowns to six turnovers. So, and again, Nick, would you last?

I tend to agree with Greg. What about comparing him to what Christian McCaffrey's doing? Because I think it's similar. Like, I agree. I think the eye test for Herbert. I know his numbers aren't great, but neither of McCaffey's as far as yards. But I think McCaffrey at least has three or four major stats that he's top three in the NFL. McAfrey in yards from scrimmage, in yards per game, which are kind of the same stat, to be fair.

And touchdowns, I believe, top three in all of them, or at least he was a week ago. So I'm not knocking Herbert for any of this. But to Wild's point, and this is my question, and then I'll let you finish. It feels like a lot of Justin Herbert's biggest fans in film Twitter. Also, one of their big opinions is sacks are a quarterback stat. When it comes to evaluating Caleb Williams last year, sacks are a quarterback stat. When it comes to evaluating some of the greatest quarterbacks ever, like Tom Brady not being sacked, it wasn't just that he had this amazing offensive lines that sacks are a quarterback stat.

Obviously, Herbert is under very adverse conditions with the offensive line. But to Wild's his point, some of those sacks are a quarterback stat and what he is stylistically choosing to do. And so, like, there's a push and a pull with it. There is a push and a pull. But if you can put those numbers up really, really quick. that Nick just put up, all his numbers. And when you look at their offensive line, what they don't have, and he's still able to get you-

League average. Call it League average. League average. Does he have a league average offensive line right now? No. Does he have a league average wide receiver unit right now? Like, so even the running, even the backfield. O'Marian Hampton.

He's literally dealing with below league average skillset all around him. That's why he's, you know, top 10. That's above league average. I just didn't want to put him in top six. You got him better than Joe Burrow. I disagree. All right. I agree with you, Greg.

And I, but I wouldn't, I'm moving someone up as well. I am switching Josh Allen and Caleb. Wow. Oh, okay. Caleb's, yeah, moving Alan up and Caleb down. We're dropping Caleb this week and leaving Alan where he is. No, I'm moving Alan up. No, I'm saying.

Oh, leaving him. Why are you moving Josh Allen up after a disastrous man? Well, I want to focus. on Caleb for now. Caleb was very good against San Francisco. Yeah. Okay. Made some, as he does seemingly every week,

made some fantastic throws. But his inaccuracy, even in that game, he still didn't complete 60% of his past. She was 38 points. But there were some misses he had that they might have won that game if he had

missed some wide open easy throws. And so, So the spectacular stuff is great. It's like he's making these great contested layups, but then missing gimmies. And that can come back to haunt them. If he needs to start making the easy throws so that maybe they might have won that game had he just made some basic easy throws.

I mean, 60% completion is not asking a ton. And so I think, and Josh, I get it. He's a roller coaster, as you famously said, Nick. He made some boneheaded plays in that game, not just missing the throw at the end of the game that could have won it for him at the end of regulation. But he's still, and I am not just going off last week. No, I know.

I'm going off the season. He's still way more valuable. I agree with that. But I just, Caleb, Caleb's team lost in the final moments in a game where, They scored 38 points. He had 300 yards. He had three touchdowns,

sitting from the ball over. Josh's team lost in the final moments in the game. They scored 12 points. Well, they're playing a much better defense. Yeah, I ain't right. But one guy scored 12, the other scored 38. I guess 31 on offense because pick six. And that, look, a free pass is a free pass.

And it counts. But I also think, I don't know, do some defenders let up when they, it was a free toss, but it was a great throw. Oh, you're talking about the free play? Touchdown. free play hat. Oh, I count that though. No, it counts. It does count. It was a great pass, but it takes a little bit. We started away. We're not, we're not, we're not. Drake May is at the top. I'm going to send him some goggles, but we got to go to break. That's it? No, we had to spend too much time on just remember who the Drake May is going to send home out of the playoffs.

Should Rams fans be worried? He can a shot at Greg. No shot at no. No, it's a shot at Danny Parkins. Yeah. Yeah. It's not. More great football coming your way. This is next year, however, but it is on Friday. Number 17 Arizona taking on SMU. Showdown in San Diego. Friday, 7.30 Eastern, 430 Pacific, only on Fox. Welcome back to First things first. We're saving all of our time to talk about the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

15 finalists. Here's the full class if you're on the podcast. I do care about you. Thanks for subscribe. Not the full class. All the full finalists. I'm going to do the full class. I'm going to do everybody that's eligible.

Willie Anderson, Drew Brees, Johari Evans, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Torrey Holt, Keakley, Eli, Troll Suggs, Vinuterry, Reggie Wayne, Kevin Wilson, Whitten, Woodson, and Yonda. Those are the 15, Nick. You tried to get this down to five. Kevin Williams is the D-T there. And so I think this is an odd Hall of Fame class because there are two first ballot no-brainers. and there's a maximum of five guys eligible. So to me, two guys who will definitively get in are Drew Breeze and Larry Fitzgerald. Drew Breeze, I think we can just show you that, you know, we can show you his resume.

I think it speaks for itself. But second most yards, second most touchdowns, 13 Pro Bowls, won a Walter Bade Man of the Year. He's going to make the Hall of Fame. No doubt. Larry Fitzgerald, Second most yards, six most touchdowns, 11 Pro Bowls, also won a Walter Payton man of the year.

He's a no-douder. Do you guys want me to stop there and discuss that or go to the full class? How do you want me to do this? No, you keep going. Do it? Okay, so we all are the obvious ones. Those are the obvious ones. Right.

And again, this is the five, they're 25 semifinalists. It went down to 24 because Philip Rivers was one of them, but then he wasn't eligible. These are all obviously great players. I think that they wanted that Torell Suggs and Luke Keeckley are both eventually getting it. I think it is going to be,

the hard part is going to be they are such different careers. Suggs was very good for a very long time. Kekley was exceptional for a short period of time. So I think they split the baby on that by putting them both in at the same time. But this year? This year.

They both get in this year. Suggs, one of defensive player of the year was only a two-time all-pro, seven-time pro bowler, but was eighth all-time in sacks. Keekly, on the other hand, one of a defensive player of the year, was seven-time pro-bowler, seven-time all-pro, and a thousand tackles, but does not have the longevity of Suggs. So I think that Keeckley and Suggs will both go in. That leaves one spot left.

And this is, and for whatever it's worth last year, I was, I, I did this kind of project and went five for five and kind of projecting what the Hall of Fame would value. I think that if that, if I'm right about those four, they're going to want to get an offensive lineman in. There are three offensive linemen eligible. They have very, very similar resumes. Jari Evans, Marshall, Yonda. and Willie Anderson.

You know, they have combined 5, 7, 4 all pros, Pro Bowls, 6-8-4, Evans and Yonder on the all-decade team. So it looks like Willie Anderson has the least impressive resume of those guys. He also has been the one waiting the longest, and I think he's the one who gets him. And the all-decade thing is he's one of the guys

who kind of gets hurt on all-decade because his prime spanned decade. 96 to 04. So he didn't, you know, to make an all decade team, it helps you if your prime is within one decade. So that is, with respect to Tori Halton, Frank Gore and Jason Witten, Eli, I believe, Greg, that is going to be the 2026 Hall of Fame class. So look, this is a really good list.

Obviously, you mentioned Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald. Those are no-brainers. The Luke Kekley one is very. intriguing to me because he's very reminiscent and I'm forgetting it's Patrick Willis. The career of Patrick Willis. When you look at Luke Heath and we all felt we all know how we feel about Patrick Willis, he's wearing a yellow jacket. Yeah.

Gold jacket. Terrell Suggs is another one that we feel like, man, the career, the longevity, the sustainability, all those things. No disrespect to any of these. line, man. You should kind of see. But when you have

guys like, and I hate to make this about the receiver, you got to do something with these receivers. You got to do something. And I understand you got one that Larry Fitzgerald going in

as a first ballot. You got to find a way to start getting some of these guys in because they are deserving. Tori Hoda has been waiting for a long time. When you look at his numbers in comparison to then

Reggie Wayne, who has also been waiting, not as long. but he's been waiting quite a while now. Like, they are deserving and both have Super Bowls, all pros, like the Pro Bowls, six and seven, I believe, somewhere around there. Is that the actual number?

No, I wasn't even trying to be funny. It was funny, though. But do you agree that if they only put one in, it's gonna be him? Yeah, if they only, that's the issue. Yeah. Like, they don't, they've done multiple receivers before, but it's just,

It's not something that you see. We just don't see two receivers getting inducted the same year too often. And so if that's the case, your list. It's got five different positions, a quarterback, a receiver, a middlebacker, a pass rusher, and an offensive. Jason Whitten may get the, a cowboy. Jason Witten, can I say something about Jason Witten real quick? Jason Witten, he had amazing, amazing PR in that, for the last four years. of his career while he was playing.

He was referred to as Future All of Fame or Jason Witt. And his counting stats are crazy, but he is to me clearly not a first ballot guy. And I value peak over longevity

in some regards. And I just don't think there was ever a year where people were like, he's clearly the best tied in in football. I don't think there was one year of his career. And so I don't think that's a first ballot player. Well, that's probably, and Tori Holt, we're not talking about first ballot. But I'm with Greg in that he's been waiting so long.

And, I mean, the greatest show on turf, all that, you know, he was a part of that iconic team. You got Falk in. You got Warner in. You obviously got Isaac Bruce in. Orlando Pace is in. Does that help or hurt? See, I feel like. It might hurt.

When you look at that team, no disrespect. Isaac Bruce was huge. You thought Holt was better. And when they were the greatest show on turf, absolutely. Now, Isaac Bruce, prior to that, he was amazing. Obviously, he's a Hall of Famer. No disrespect. Tori Holt, when you turned on tape, when you are a receiver coming into the league,

and Tori Holt was already there, you were watching that guy. How many Super Bowls? Tori Holt. He has the one. One. Why not two? Oh. Oh, who are you trying to put in?

I'm putting a Venetarian. Oh. Obviously, Venetarian. is a kicker. Exactly. So if you're going to put any kicker in, I'm not going to put 10 in. I'm not going to put five in. I'm not even going to put three in, maybe.

I didn't research. Tom Neary. Some people thought Justin Tucker was going to take that spot. Vinnetary has the most points scored in NFL history. He should be. So it's kind of a one line resume. I've got the most points. I deserve to go in.

Well, have you made big kicks? Well, I won the Super Bowl twice. I won the tuck game to get to overtime. and to win that game. Without me, and I don't want to, you know, dim Tom Brady's light, but if I wasn't good, we might be talking about Tom Brady being an excellent all-time player, not an iconic all-time player. So can I say something on that?

That's why I think he'll go in with Tom. I don't think it's going to be a rush. This is going to be a great Patriots day. I don't know. I just, because Tom's eligible in two years. years in two classes. If he goes in. Bronx eligible next year,

Vin and Terry's eligible following year. Will Fork and Rodney were both semi-finalists that didn't make finalists. So that's the other thing. And I don't know if we can throw up the graphic of the finalists, the all the 15 guys that we started with because the other thing we have not discussed here at all is whether or not you guys agree with me that Eli is going to have to wait. Yes.

That I mean, keep waiting. Do you think Eli is a definite Hall of Famer? So I think eventually he will end up getting in. So can I ask you a question? Every year as the league gets, you know, NFL's more popular than ever, especially as offenses have gotten more dynamic. We're just going to get better counting numbers and more quarterbacks coming.

So it feels like he's going to have to. But because quarterbacks are playing so much longer. That's interesting. They're not as backed up. No, the quarterbacks who are like that are that are whole of thing. So obviously Rogers is going to be eligible in five years. Who are the other? There's another obvious one that just retired that.

I mean, Rivers is now going to be eligible in five years. There's one I'm forgetting that it's Stafford might be eligible in six. Raffles. So, so that when you. Oh, yeah, Rothlessberger is going to be eligible. But when you look at Rathlisberger to Eli Manny, It's Rutherzburg. It's Rathesburg.

That's not, I'm saying. I don't know when he's going to, if we're not, are you going to put multiple quarterbacks? He's not going in Tom Brady's here. That would be a diss. I mean, well, I don't do that. So I don't know that Eli will ever get in. I think that I,

I think it's very arguable, whether he should. Very arguable. It is. If he did that, if it wasn't in New York, he wouldn't, it wouldn't be much of a consideration for Eli.

Super Bowl is pretty good. Jim Plunkett had two Super Bowls. I'm just saying, Eli was 500 for his career, made what, have four winning seasons, I think, in his whole career. Well, the only year he ever won playoff games, he won the Super Bowl. Right. High highs, though. The highest, the highest.

And he did beat the undefeated Patriots. So I get all that, but everything is magnified in New York. I think if he does that in San Diego. The other quarterback that's going to be eligible in probably five years is Russell Will. And I, listen, some of this is, I think player X is better than player Y, and I don't think player X is a Hall of Famer. That to me, I think Russell Wilson was better than Eli Mason. Yes.

Yeah. And I don't think Russell Wilson is a Hall of Famer. Yeah, tricky. And so that, you know, that to me is, you know, going to work against him. The people, Frank Gore, to me, is in a very similar category as Witten. where Frank Gore and Witten, their counting stats and where they rank historically

in yardage and catches, I should have built the graphic, I apologize, are look like their Hall of Fame. But when you... You never put the year to year. He is the best winning back in. We were watching football year after year.

Like did... Andre Johnson got in last year, right? So Andre Johnson's counting stats are not elite. But those of us that watched football, there was a four-year stretch. It was all Andre Johnson. Right, where if you asked 100 football fans, who's the best receiver in football, 20 of them would have said Andre Johnson.

And so I value, like, did you ever have a period where people thought you were the best at your position? For Eli, the answer to that is no. And again, these are great players. So I'm not trying to neg any of them. Yeah. For, for, I feel like for Gordon Whitten, the answer to that is no, and that's where it gets tough. That helps Vinoteri. The only thing that works against Vinatari is the position.

But, but, but yeah, there's outside of that, there's no argument for it. No, he'll, I scored the most points. I won Super Bowl's plural. I feel confident Venetary's going to get in. I just don't. Every year, there's another batch of guys. We're like, well. Yeah.

And then we're. Yeah, but there's not, here's the thing. There is not all. always two no doubt first ballot guys. So that's what makes this year so tough is Breeze and Fitzgerald. Yeah. Our must first ballot. So all the guys who've been waiting, usually of the guys who've been waiting,

you can put in four or maybe five of them because some of year there's no first ballot guys. You know, next year, Gronk is obviously a first ballot guy. I should have looked at the full thing. This year there's two clear cut, no doubt first ballot guys. And so it's hard. We could do this for a full podcast. Excellent.

Vin Perry. We'll get you. Kikli got in. He has to be in. And the Patrick Willis standard made it where Keeley is going to get in. And that's why I think Suggs will get in with him. Because Suggs, it's, you know, won Super Bowls. Kikley didn't.

They both have a defensive player of the year. Yeah. And the eighth all time in Sacks is pretty, pretty more. How many defensive players the year aren't in? I think probably more than you think. Really? Yeah. I'll look it up.

All right. Coming up next. Did Greg change his mind on the Rams? Next on first things first. Prime time hoops on Fox, a big 10 showdown. Number five, Purdue. Up against the Badgers. All tips off 8 p.m. Eastern.

Saturday on Fox. I'm going over to Dusty's house to watch this. Saturday. He really might, guys. His family's out of town. He's lonely. I got nothing going on. I'm bringing the dogs.

Rams lose their second game in a room. two and three in their last five games. Stafford threw three interceptions, and the Rams had no answers for V. Losses MVP. Greg, was this a bad night or a sign of larger issues for the Los Angeles Rams?

It was both. It was actually both. It was a bad night, obviously, for the reasons that are obvious. They lose the game. Matthew Stafford obviously allows everyone in the world to say, oh, Drake May definitely can get this MVP.

because of the turnovers. But defensively, when you look at what happened the week prior against the Seahawks, you give up 170 plus yards. They average as a team almost six, I think it was almost seven yards of carry. And you give up the big plays, a 55-yard run by Kenneth Walker. And then last night on national television, Atlanta Falcons, B. John Robinson goes crazy. They rush for over 200 yards on you.

You give up a 93 yarder. He averages almost nine yards of carry, and their team averages six and a half. These are the last two games we've seen this team play. And if this is the trend where you're going to give up these backbreaking runs like this, it's going to hurt you in the postseason. Now, do I believe that they can fix the issue in the problem? I do because in the second half, they tightened everything up. They got back on the hump, so did Matthew Stafford.

But these are issues that we hadn't seen up until the last couple weeks. And they're showing up now. And it is concerning if you are Sean McVeigh, you have time to fix it. But it's definitely something that you're not going to gloss over. It's very concerning. The last three weeks, they've given up 34, 38, and 27. And so 33 points a game they've allowed the last three weeks. Two of those are against non-playoff teams.

Detroit and Atlanta. Excuse me. So their defense has become, I did not think even now their top 10 defense in terms of scoring, but that's based on the early part of the season. But even early in the season when it wasn't this bad, I just didn't think of them like Denver or Houston or even, you know, even Philly defensively. I haven't thought of them as a great defense, a good one, solid, fine. But lately the defense has been struggling.

And here's the other thing, Greg. They're going to be on the road for the playoffs. They're five and four on the road. Chicago's the only other team with 11 or more wins that has a record that bad on the road. And so Stafford's numbers I showed them earlier, they're still good, but there is a noticeable decline on the road. Yeah, yeah. And that's the thing.

I think if they were at home, I think you'd have to feel. a lot better about the Rams chances than you do now. Now, I'm not writing them off. I think they're a good team in a field of good teams in the NFC playoffs and they have a shot. But doing it all on the road, three straight road games probably, that's going to be

tough. I think that might be beyond them. So I so I'm not worried at all about last night, but I am worried about the Rams. So I think last night was simply they knew going into last night Thursday cost us.

Because of the way Sunday went, they were eliminated from one seed and the division going into last night's game. So I thought there was a very real possibility going into last night. They came out flat. They did. They then turned it on, but they had dug too big of a hole. It's the NFL, and the other team's got Bijan Robinson, who some people thought could be the best running back in football coming out of college. And it was too big of a hole. But I think so even if they'd won last night, they're going to be on the road.

whole playoffs. Now, they would have controlled their own destiny, so to speak, to be the five seed, which is certainly better than being the six seed. Now they need the Niners to lose Saturday and to then win to be the five seed. But this is, this, what has happened to the Rams in the last two weeks is one of the reasons I love the NFL and it's also a real like cruelty of it. It, I do not think it is an exaggeration that it's at least possible. The Rams inability to tackle Rashid Shaheed on a punt return might have cost them a Super Bowl, Matt Stafford and MVP, and potentially made Matt Stafford a questionable instead of Locke Hall of Famer.

That one thing, because they're up 16 points. to put a stranglehold on the division to win that. And I believe, again, I can't prove it, that had they won that Seattle game, they don't come out flat knowing, beat Atlanta, we're going to be the one seed. We have all that in front of us. And they didn't.

And then some things went against them, you know, and all of a sudden they're on the road for the playoffs the rest of the way, Drake may stealing the MVP, all of it. You know what it sounds like when you say? Yes, for real. Eli Manning's like, yeah, not so easy, is it? You know what it sounds like?

What Nick is making an argument for and he gets mad at me? What? Jaquosky tar. No, stop. I mean, no, one thing. That's, one thing happened that changed everything. Yes, I agree with that. That's all I'm saying.

Yeah, but. That's what you said. If they tackle Rashid Shaheed, everything is different. Yes, I agree with that. Yeah. I don't know. You mocked me when I say, yes, I must like saying,

Giswasky tart. I brought up something that happened 10 days. You bring up something that happened four years ago. But the validity of my point has now been sealed. Go on to the first thing's first website to career, Jaquoski. Here. I'm from New York to show up wishing LeBron and Tiger Woods

a happy birthday again. And Sandy Kofx. And Sandy Kofax. Incredible. Yeah. There's a video going around of the 50 greatest golf shots of Tiger's career for his 50th birthday. It's a fun 22 minutes.

Oh, and by the way. Send that to LeBron for his birthday. Seriously, one of us. He's a golfer. And I think that not, yeah, he's not a golfer. It's just one of, no, no. Me and LeBron, one of us. Me, LeBron, Tiger, which one doesn't belong?

That Tiger video? Yeah. It's the 50 best non-major shots. So it's like, I think the P, because the PGA released it, I think they're gonna release the 50 best major championship shots and the non-major, but it was a good 20 minutes. Also, sorry, I should have led with this. Dinner on Brew tonight.

Yes. That is. I'm hungry. Yeah. And we met the better looking brother. That's true. I mean, it's unbelievable. Better dress.

That's something he has never heard. Oh, I'm sure he's always. Got sick glasses? Better haircut? Very stylish. Today, how far do the Rams fall down Danny's top 10? It's top 10 Tuesday, everyone. Meanwhile, Ben Johnson not resting his starters, should he?

We discuss. But right now, Well, it was all good just two weeks ago. We're talking about the Rams being the number one seed, Stafford being the MVP. That's a loss to the Seahawks and overtime, a trio of Stafford interceptions last night. Falcons win and the Rams are all of a sudden

the sixth seed. Here's Matthew Stafford. Just because you play good one week doesn't mean you're gonna play good the next and vice versa, you know, so just gotta go out there and continue to trust what we've done all year. And then we gotta just show up and make the plays on game day.

I mean, I thought we had a great week of practice, to be honest with you. And sometimes you go out there and it doesn't happen. Obviously, you know, if I can not hurt us and the way I did tonight, it'll help our team out a lot. Danny, did this game change your view of Stafford and the Rams? Not at all. Not even a little bit. The Rams piece of it, I agreed with your point. I thought they were sleepwalking at the beginning of the game and the fact that they were kind of locked into their seating.

Impacted how they played. It seemed like they were messing around with their food a little bit. bit and like turn it on late and then just couldn't get it done. I thought they ran into probably the best game of running back has had this year. Like, Bejohn was unbelievable last night. He was great. I mean, he was great. I know some guys have had better statistics, but like those run, they were comparing him to Barry Sanders all broadcast. He was just making guys look like it was JV varsity out there. And so, listen, the Rams are still the number one offense. Their number eight on defense, their top five and takeaways, top ten.

in Sacks. They've got an MVP candidate at quarterback. They've got a coach who we know is good enough to win a Super Bowl. They're going to get healthier between now and the playoffs with McCreary coming back on defense and with Devante coming back on offense. I think they're still one of the three or four best teams in the league. So here's the thing. I agree they are one of the very best teams in the league and I think they are the best team in the NFC. But I don't know that that will matter given the position they're not. have put themselves in now, where in round one, they might be going to Chicago or Philadelphia, where I think that Brew has made the point. They have not been, and you probably make it, again,

great on the road this year. And also, Stafford and McVeigh together have not been great in cold weather spots. The, I think the two and eight for either them together or just McVeigh against, you know, in. Could have beat Philly in that playoff game last year. They could, you're right, they could have, that was a game where they were down huge, came back, they could have won, I thought they were going to win. Well, I mean, whatever it is, it's, they are, I felt like if they were going, it was going through Los Angeles,

even if they didn't get the buy, if they somehow ended up as the two seed, but they were mostly going to be going through Los Angeles, that they were going to be the prohibitive NFC favorite. Now I feel like if this were the NCAA tournament, and it's like, hey, you're going to have a tough draws, but it's going to be neutral sites the rest of the way. How are you going to do?

I would pick the Rams. But that's not what's going to happen now. And I think that it just got so much harder for them. And I'm a big fan of being able to give yourself a week off. They are potentially not going to be able to do this now. McVeigh is saying he's going to play guys in week 18. We'll see if he actually is. But if he doesn't, then he's just opting into the sixth seed,

which means going to Philly or going to Chicago. So it doesn't change my view. view on that Stafford, I believe, is a league MVP and that Rams, I think, do have the most talent. But it certainly makes there a chance to actually go to the Super Bowl much more difficult. And that really started last Thursday and then with the results this week. It doesn't change my view of them. They are what I thought they were, which is a good team and a field of good playoff teams. Like, I don't think they're special. Now, I'm giving them a shot to come out. Like, I'm giving just about everybody in NFC outside of NFC South a shot to come

out of the NFC, but their defense, Dan, you said their eighth, and I'm stealing this from Wilds, it was such a good graphic. Wow, thanks. The first 11 games, sure, they were beyond an eighth best team, defensive team. Look at the last five. A bad,

a terrible defense. And the last three games, they've given up 33 points a game. Two of them, two of those games were the non-playoff teams. Lions and Falcons. And you got, and you said it too, Nick, like, okay, it's possible. that the Rams had a letdown?

What are we playing for? What's Atlanta playing for? What in the world are they playing for? I mean, they're one, two, three, Cancun. So I'm just saying, I don't, the Rams, I don't see how you don't drop, if you had them on a pedestal, I don't see how you don't drop them a little bit

over these last few weeks. And I even look at, and I get it, you can say they outplayed Seattle last week or two weeks ago, but they had trouble beating Seattle when Seattle made, what, five turnovers? Yeah. And so I think they're going to have a tough road, especially because they haven't been that great on the road.

Them and your bears are the worst teams with 11 or more wins on the road. They're five and four. And they've lost to some, you know, mediocre teams on the road. So I think it got a lot tougher for the Rams to get to the Super Bowl this year. Well, so I guess combining both, like, I agree it's tougher to get to the Super Bowl when you're going to have to go on the road, right? Of course. We would say that for any team in the league.

But I'm with you that there's no prohibitive favorite, and you don't think that you think everyone's got a shot except the NFC South. I feel like we could just play this game with every single team. Like there's a flaw here, there's a flaw. There is no perfect team. Yes, but you guys kind of put the Rams above. So that someone has to be number one. Someone has to be number two.

We'll get to top 10 in a little bit. No, but it wasn't for me. I got the fewest questions about this team basically among anybody. So it wasn't for me the someone has to be number one like by default. I really felt like the Rams. were head and shoulders the best team in football. And I felt that way late into the fourth, midway through the fourth quarter 10 days ago.

And it turned on them. Like they did not finish that Seattle game. And that then led to yesterday where, again, I can't prove it. But I think that had they handled business against Seattle and felt like now we just have to beat bad teams and it's home, you know, home playoffs for us, they wouldn't have come out flat. They would have been extra rest, ready to go against Atlanta.

And so I, and that is the, when you don't have and no, Seattle being as good as they've been, and the Niners being as good as they have been all year, meant that the Rams having this really special season where Stafford was running away with MVP, they were dealing, they had dealt with a lot of defensive injuries early in the year and overcome them. it wasn't going to matter.

And then for, in my opinion, a half quarter, they lost focus when they thought they had Seattle dead. And now, like, what will they be? If it is Rams at Philly in round one, they're going to be an underdog in round one of the playoffs. Like, that's, I mean, I will be. Don't you think they will hammer the Rams if they are? But I mean, I think I'd bet them too. But what do you think that line will open? Philly minus one and a half?

Yeah, one. Like, it'll be like basically a coin flip game for. a team that six, five quarters ago looked like it had a stranglehold on the number one seat, was about to sweep the Seahawks and have Falcons Cardinals to end the year, smooth sailing, and now it's just not the case. You have any other takes there? Because it's Stafford and the Rams, too. I think that I love Brew's Ballot as a segment, and I talk about and think about MVP every week of the season two.

Yeah. But I think we do a disservice to the award. Because I think, honestly, not talking about it every week. Yeah, and acting like it's the AP ballot. I think that does make a difference. I agree with you that it's such, it didn't used to be as a focal point 17 weeks out of the year. Hold on.

And now it is. What are we talking about? He's talking about, well, what do you go? What are we talking about? We're doing a disservice to stressing it? Like, the ability, should last night's game carry more weight than a week five? Wait through three interceptions lost in the end. Not more, but it should carry it.

Wait. No, but so. It should carry some way. They were neck and neck, right? They weren't neck and neck. That's that, that's where I will, because you, I think you understand what it's saying, but maybe not. Well, did their game have an effect on the MVP? You don't think last night should have any of that?

Of course it should. It should be one data point out of 17. So the, I think comparing it to an AP ballot, I hadn't heard it put that way. I think that's exactly what I was trying to get too early. I just didn't phrase it properly. When it is like the college football top 25, if the number one team loses and the number two team wins, obviously number two becomes number one and number one drops.

I think what you're saying, and I hadn't thought about it this way, is when we do it where Stafford's one and Drake's two, Drake had a great game, Stafford had an awful game, so obviously Drake should move ahead of him. It assumes that they were neck and neck. I did not feel... But they were one and two. They were one and two,

but I didn't feel like going into this week that they were neck and neck. I felt like the gap was this. Okay. And now after this week, the gap is this. If one guy had five touchdowns in two and a half quarters and the other guy had three interceptions and lost the game. That's why this guy moved up and this guy moved down.

But you, I don't... But the idea that's one data point in 17, like you'd have a conversation like, well, Drake May versus the Raiders in September, when we were wearing shorts and T-shirts, that should count, just like week 17. I think I finally fired him up about the MVP. No, but is that what you think?

Week one is just in the same? For the league MVP, I absolutely believe. No way. No possible way that you're going to be looking at to say, well, week one against the Raiders, Drake wasn't dominant? Well, no, so hold on. No, I think that you can, I think that for the Patriots, I mean, I don't totally understand the,

I don't think you're arguing it's not. It is a full season. If it's one data point that all games in 17 weeks season should be looked at independently, and there's no recency bias. And week 17 against the Jets should be treated just like week one against the Raiders. And Matthew Stafford's recent game with three interceptions should be weighed the same as a game earlier in the year when he had four touchdowns. That's what you're saying.

I disagree with that. I am pro-recentcy bias, and I don't think weighing the, Raiders game week one. So when we talked about it, when we talked about it earlier, and I said that it feels, what feels unfair about it is, if you took the schedule and shook it up and reordered it, that Stafford would win the award eight out of ten times, but because of the way these games fell,

he's now going to lose, that feels unfair to me. And you said that makes sense. That did make sense. But the way that Danny put it where it's like it's one data point out of 17, perhaps that didn't. Yeah, they way differently. It's just like a big game versus. Right, but I agree a big game, but I don't look at,

I don't think either of these guys, Drake, I don't think I would agree with you if either of these guys were playing what we thought were huge games. Drake was playing a game where he's a 14-point favorite against the worst team in the league, played great. Stafford was playing a game that no matter, whether they want or lost, they're going to be in the exact position they're in. For both of these guys, these were not super high-leverage games.

And so it does not weigh a lot more to me. To be fair, it wasn't a high-leverage game for Staffrey because they have already given away the NFC West. And we were basically almost on the verge of taking the AFC East. So we earned our way into not having it a big game. They've earned their way in the Seahawks game of losing their division. Yeah, and that's where to me, and that's where the strength of schedule stuff comes in and all of it. But I don't, I guess, listen. I was trying to argue with Dan.

Here's the other thing, though, not since 2008 has a, a quarterback one MVP without a one or two seat. And I know Drake might be the three seed. Why have you been sitting on that for the whole show? I was waiting for Danny to come in here like Stafford's the MVP. I'm sorry, we started talking Rams. We got going. Now we're talking to MVP.

Well, it's time now for top 10 Tuesday. The Prince got the best of Old Man Rivers as predicted. Accurate. Was that your prediction, bro? What? The Prince gets the best of Old Man Rivers. No, I said... No, the opposite.

I said the opposite. Sorry, I was trying to. Indy was going to win. So was the Prince's performance enough to crack top 10 Tuesday? Weird week for top 10 Tuesday. Teams 2, 3, 5, and 6 from last week all lost. So how much of a shakeups they're going to be? Chargers moved down.

This is the lowest that I can possibly have Justin Herbert. It's in my contract. It's in the fine print. With how well he is playing right now, it is the lowest I can have him. And yeah, the eye test absolutely bad. How well is he playing? Nick, what he is overcoming and where he is putting the ball on the these guys hands consistently with the most five sack games of any

quarterback in football the most games with double-digit pressure and multiple drops somewhat of a quarterback stat you know this yes I know but I also watch every snap of every Chargers game and these sacks the vast majority of them are on the offensive line they are they who did you think was going to win Chargers Texans the Chargers and they lost and so I dropped and stay tuned for where the Texans come in at number nine the one seed denver Broncos. This is as shaky as a one seed gets. I'm sorry. I like their defense. They have 13 wins. 11 of them are by one score that is tied for the most in NFL history in the Super Bowl era

with the Chiefs from last year and the Vikings from 2022. They are now undefeated in games where Bo Nix has a pass rating under 80. It's pretty remarkable. Coming into number eight, what do you make of the Philadelphia Eagles? They're back in the graphic for the first time in about a month. Two graphics here. One, sometimes they just don't score. Shut out in a half four or more times this season on a list with the Browns, the Titans, and the Raiders. What do I do with that? I'm like, well, how are they the eighth best team in football? Because since they're by in week nine, they have actually surpassed the Broncos and the Texans and anyone else you would consider. They've been the best defense in football. And they've played good team, really good quarterbacks and

really good teams. Best scoring defense, second best pass or rating against. I don't know. I don't know. So I'm putting them in at number eight. Number seven, we've got a grouping of teams here that are really good on one side of the ball and really bad on the other. Man, the Bears defense is bad, but man, their offense is really good. Drop them four spots. I did not think the Niners were going to win that game. Very impressed with them. We'll get to them in a second. But Caleb is playing the, he's got six touchdowns, no picks, passer rating over 100 in his last three games. They're still running the ball at will. Their offense is dangerous. They're defense when they're not getting takeaways is a big problem, even though they did get

takeaways and it was still a problem. Coming in at number six, speaking of a team that's good on offense but bad on defense, the Niners, very similar profile, frankly, to the Bears. Great offense, horrible defense, but the Niners just beat the Bears. So for this week, they get to be one spot ahead of them. Coming in at number five, and yes, head-to-head matters sometimes. Coming in at number five, the Houston Texans. I want to put this up and you guys just soak it in with me because this is the team

that nobody wants to play. Every team would say we don't want to play Houston because they've played a ton of playoff teams, a ton of times. That middle column is what the playoff team averages. Their average points per game. Column on the right is how many they scored against the Texans. Shout out to your Jaguars. One of the times they actually.

The Jags put in on the Texans and the Broncos is something. Yeah, it is. That's why they're going to be a top four team. We'll get to why their place. But seriously, the number of playoff teams that they have done that too is wildly impressive. Coming in at number four, it is not. The New England Patriots. A three team.

Drake May, if he wins the MVP, unbelievable season, can he have the best year two season in NFL history? This is the grouping of year two quarterbacks who have won MVP. Okay, Mahomes' statistical season obviously is way better. But he didn't win a Super Bowl. Kurt Warner is the only year two NFL quarterback. I'm going to go ahead and say Kurt Warner's going to have had a better year. Well, we'll see if Drake May can go win the Super Bowl.

That is still in play because Drake May's numbers are better. I love to see the numbers. Drake May's numbers are better than Kurt Warner's in 99. Some of them are. Yeah, and some of them are very in line. But also weird year two quarterback. He was 28 years old. He had played professional football.

He had played professional football before. Not a real year two quarter. Not exactly a comparison. And here's the Jacks. And this year is the Jacks. Coming in at number three, the Buffalo Bills. I'm moving them up off the loss. That's wild.

Up off the loss? Off the loss. I mean, this is. They just played the eighth team. They held. And got beat at home. And they held the Eagles to 3.1 yards per carry, less than 85 yards rushing. And I'm not, this how I see the league, Josh Allen makes that throw nine times out of 10.

And you'd have no problem with this final score. 13, 12. Who? Eagles. Okay. Just one. Yeah. But it had to head mattered when I was like, wow, I'm really impressive.

with the Niners. In this spot, congrats to the Eagles for getting in the graphic. I'm not bumping you up too much when your last wins were against the Raiders and the commanders. Three other teams held the Eagles to zero points in the second half. What about holding Sequin to three yards of carry? He hadn't had a great year. That's Kevin Batula. Awkward meetings.

He had been running great the last couple of weeks. I was impressed. And I think if the bills won that game and Josh makes a pass, he makes nine, nine times out of ten, they'd be just fine. Coming in a number two, like I said, I'm not moved. by the Rams from last night. Weird game, weird spot. I still love everything that there is on this team.

And I think they're going to only get better with their health come playoff time. And at number one, it remains the Seattle Seahawks. They don't only win. They bludgeon people. Best point differential in the NFL this year by a considerable margin. Gotta be looking.

Outscoring them. By now. I know exactly what he's doing. Because I'm all right. Go ahead. Go ahead. No. Yeah, Drew, perfect top 10.

It's got it. It's got it. vibes here. I mean, I thought it was good. And then I realized that much like, listen, once upon a time I put up a graphic and I think, I forget who the quarterback was, but it was an old white quarterback. And the picture we used was Jacoby Brissette. And so, like, it was an embarrassing graphical error that I had to own.

It was my mistake. I've never forgotten a team exists. And it feels like you did when you made your top 10. So I'll let Brew go. But my, my gripe is obvious. I'm going to be quick. The Rams at number two, I just showed they've been one of the worst defenses in the league the last five weeks. Yeah.

They just lost to a non-playoff team that maybe like the Rams had absolutely nothing to play for. And they're a fifth seed at best. Like I don't see how in the world they're the number two team, but it's not the standings. And go ahead, Nick. Go ahead. I mean, go ahead. Show the top 10. I wonder if there's a team that has beaten half the top 10, including bludgeoning most of them,

a team that has a better record than everyone on this list except for a couple teams. And a team that won last week, and you said five of your top 10 lost, so it was hard. So certainly a team that was in the top 10 and won wouldn't fall off. but the Jags did. Oh, it was a close game against the cult. Same with the Seahawks when they played the cult. That was a two-point win. The Jack's losses this year are to your number one team,

your number two team, your number five team, who they also beat. Now, they've beaten your number five team, your number six team. They have annihilated your number nine team, and dog walked your number 10 team. They're 12 and four. They are in a live lane.

The one seat. There is no argument to not have them in the top. It's not a problem. It's not a problem. Nick, you once said that if we're talking about the show or the football, that it's on the record, even if it's not, you know, we watched that Jaguars game together. And you said, whew, Trevor's not playing well.

Yeah, he wasn't. And they won anyway. Against a terrible team. He will either have to play Justin Herbert or Josh Allen. He's not one of the playoffs. He's beat. Justin Herbert in the playoffs and out played him. He's played at Justin Herbert in the playoffs and outplayed him.

That's first of all. I don't trust him. I don't trust him. He might have to play C.J. Stroud, who they played this year and beat. They're the one team on your stupid list from before that nobody could read the Texans 1,000 numbers on it, where they had more points than they averaged. They're the only one. What are we talking about?

It's hard to justify. The Jack, Trevor was in the pass. The Jack, Trevor was in the pastoral. We didn't watch the Chargers game together. You know what I would have said if I watched Justin Herbert throw it late and high over the middle for an intercepting in the red zone? I would have said he's not playing what.

I mean, what are you talking about? Okay. We'll see you. Your whole argument is that while I was drinking one of the awful beers you brought to my house and said Harvard wire said Trevor Lawrence wasn't playing well. I told him I didn't have beer. He brought four loose blue moons because it's what was in.

He didn't stop and get anything. Whatever. He's like, he's like I had it in an old set of grocery sack. Just four clanging around blue moments. That's a good friend. Pull over and buy beer. Yeah. No, I mean, loose beers.

Loose. Loose. Blue is four loose blue moons. I got orange. Brew brought a full six pack. Now it was Mike's hard lemonade that's still there. But at least he stopped. I wonder you brought those.

Those were coming up next. How dangerous are the bears that's with Greg Jennings and Willie Cologne. I imagine they'd be way more dangerous if they lost. If they lost more. There were several teams that lost. Like, I don't care. I don't.

Welcome back. We got Greg Jennings and Willie Colon out here. In Chicago, the Bears host the Lions Sunday, 4 o'clock Easter, right here on Fox. Ben Johnson made it very clear yesterday. He will not be resting any starters, saying, quote, we're playing to win. He also talked about the mindset of his play calling.

Here's Ben Johnson. I've got immense amounts of trust for everybody, for everybody on the offense right now. I think, like I said, it's just every week you just see them go about their business. And, you know, I'm not going to call play that I don't fully believe in, that we're not going to execute at the highest level. And so we'll always, if we go down, we're going to go down swinging like that. So the question is, do we like this from Ben Johnson? And I, you guys have any doubt on where I see?

stand on that. If Bruce is here, he'd say, I don't like it, I love it. He is so aggressive and such a culture center and he's changed everything around so quickly. That was in response to the question about the hook and ladder play, the second to last one at the end.

I love that they got a first down on the play. Yeah, listen, and tackled in bounds, and so they have to rush up there and all that. So that's why there was some questioning about it. It's what you get with Ben Johnson. Sometimes it goes poorly. The fourth down a couple of weeks ago where they snap it through Colquemette's leg and it goes over my down guy's head.

He admits, hey, I should not have been that cute in that spot. You know, they had been pushing the Packers around. Sometimes you're not going to bat a thousand, but he has changed everything so soon. And the idea that they would be one of the teams that would sit starters because they'd lost out on the shot at the one seed is completely insane. They lose to Detroit. They're probably the three seed. They beat Detroit. They're the two seed.

That's the difference between hosting two playoff games or one playoff game, assuming the bracket holds the form. And if the one seed loses, you can host the NFC championship game. So I don't think I had no problem with the hook and ladder, and I have less than no problem with the idea that you're playing your starters against Detroit. Yeah, I agree with you. And I also think you don't want to kill your momentum, right? You watch this offense slap a 30 burg on the 49ers on the road, and Caleb lights out, right? And so when you talk about everything you need going forward, you need all the likes to click. We need them to be better on defense.

That's well documented. Nevertheless, you have a quarterback who's playing confident, playing in clutching big situations, and an office line who's really coming downhill and opposing their will. So if you're Ben Johnson, you've been in this position before because you've been a part of playoffs and you know what you need to look like.

So for him, he goes, I'm not going to regress and kind of wait for the big game. Full statement ahead. Let's keep moving on. So I support it. Yeah, he sets the tone. He's a culture center. You just said that.

And I love it. When you have a head coach and you brought him there because of something that you saw from the other sideline that you found appealing, you don't want them to not play with that level of aggression. Like the hook and ladder play, if he watches it, his takeaway probably would be, you know what, I shouldn't have had two tight ends over there. I should have moved one, motion the other, and that way it just when he, he being D'Andre Swift gets the ball, he only has one different.

defender to beat. Those are things that you learn from. Like, it was a play call that he honestly felt and so did that the guys on that field. This is going to win us the game right here. This is the game winner. They didn't, they didn't expect anything other but other than to score. And so when you have that mentality, it's what sets you apart. It's what makes you so threatening and scary when you are an opponent defensively. You don't know what to expect. I also say one thing. I think it's also smart to put the starting unit on a pitch camp. Like if they roll, if they jump out 14, nothing on Detroit lines, because we don't know who

Detroit's playing. I'm pulling the boys off the field. I'm not going to continue all four quarters with my starters out there, especially if we come out for a hot start. So if you have a handle on it yet, but it matters. And how you go into the postseason matters, especially with a team that doesn't have the experience of postseason play. Quarterback is getting better every single week.

They're healthy. If they were dealing with health issues, specifically at primary positions. But Luther Bernda got hurt. That was a big. Yeah, that was huge. But if Caleb was banged up, then, okay, that's a different type of scenario. But with him progressing every single week and we're seeing it in real time. I'm just saying if he cooks, get him out of it.

If the game's in hand, I'm sure he'll pull him. But they're going for that two seed. Speaking of resting starters, Jim Harbaugh announced yesterday, Herbert will sit out this weekend. match up against the Broncos. Seems the two coaches, though, are on different pages, as Sean Payton is focused on any seating ramifications for the Broncos. Take a listen. The immediate focus shifts towards Monday meeting,

which we just had relative to our approach this week. This game is very much like a playoff game. Obviously, you know, if you win a division playing a game, there's at least some celebration. How much recognition do you give it on the fly here as you go? We just didn't really talk about it. The focus was on this week's game and the Chargers and the seeding ramifications. So at the Broncos side, they want to lock up the one seed.

It's pretty obvious, right? They want home field. Any issue? Anybody with the Chargers sitting Justin Herbert here? Well, will you go ahead. No, go ahead. No, I was going to say this. You don't chase momentum with your quarterback's ribs.

I like that. Let's keep it a buck. He took a beating last week, and he's the most side. week. Oh, yeah. But he's the most sat quarterback in league right now. He's your only hope. Broncos are telling you what they want to do.

You got to protect Justin Herbert, especially if you want to shot at the big dance. Listen, he's 0 and two in the playoffs. He's matured and he's evolved as a ball player. He's your best option. You've got to protect them. And listen, you're also John Hallball. It gives you a chance to see what Trey Lance can do.

Bottom line, that's like if you talk about things you're getting out of it, for me that's it. Protect your stud. See what the young guy behind him can do. Yeah, there is. no chargers in the postseason if this man, Justin Herbert, doesn't do what he's been able

to do over the course of the season. With the lack of skill position guys around him and offensive line help. So you have to protect your asset. Defense is playing really good. You want to go in there at least as healthy as you possibly can

be. Last time you played this outfit in Denver, against the Denver Broncos, they sacked your quarterback five times. It seems to be a trend, you play the Chargers, you're going to set that quarterback at least three, five times. So why would you put your quarterback at risk? It just doesn't make sense. Seating in this position, does it matter? Maybe depending on who's the pass rush against you. Which is where I'm going to take this. So I'll first put some numbers to the point that you guys

are making and that I've made all year that everyone knows. The Chargers offensive line is really banged up. Justin Herbert is getting crushed, right? Every single game. And now you're playing a Denver Broncos team that has 64 sacks this season, second most by any team in the last 25 years. But this is what Herbert has dealt with this year already in terms of hits and pressures. Right? Sixth most all time for pressures, second most all time. Is that a hundred and twenty-nine? That's a hundred and twenty-nine hits. That's a lot of hits for a franchise quarterback. Literally second most since we've been tracking it. That goes back to 2006. Broncos pass rush. is excellent. But also, if they lose, they're the seven seed. That means...

Jacksonville? New England, probably. New England does not have a great pass rush. New England's pass rush is worse than Jacksonville, obviously worse than Denver, obviously worse than Houston. I think that the Patriots are the best matchup for the Chargers biggest weakness. I honestly think that if the Chargers could pick, because they can't play the AFC North Leonard. Sure. Right?

Like they can't play. So, well, they could if they got up to the five, but that would require Houston losing to Indianapolis, which is not going to happen. So assuming that's not going to happen, the Chargers are saying the next team we would want to play is New England. So I think they're fine sliding down to the seven. So it's about protecting Justin Herbert this week against Denver,

but also giving him the best shot to win a playoff game in the wild card round against the road? I mean, they're going to be on the road no matter what. Yeah, they're going to be on the road. Yeah. They're going to be, like, the Jaguars are 18th in quarterback hits. The Patriots are 23rd. The Jaguars are 7th in pressures.

The Patriots are 18th. Like, the Jaguars defense is a worse matchup than New England. So I really think the Patriots defense is the best matchup for the Chargers offense to keep Justin Herbert up. I mean, they do get takeaways, too, at times. I mean, I mean... Listen, you got to play somebody. Yeah, I mean... You're picking your evils here.

You just want to see Herbert play a clean brand of football. I mean, he has four interceptions in his playoff career. So you want him to be better in that regard. Going against New England, it's going to, I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think. Well, listen, I think it's just the one they want. We're handing out superlatives for Week 17. There were some doozies. Gentlemen, and it's time now to hand out our Week 17 superlatives, the good, the bad, and the ugly from a crazy weekend in the NFL.

What do we got first? Most dominating Week 17 performance. I'm going Bejean Robinson. What? Call it prisoner of the moment, and I know there have been players that have had more rushing yards this year, but I pride myself on knowing the numbers

and also watching every game. Who had better runs than this guy? The broadcast kept comparing him to Barry Sanders, and I thought it was fair. He was just making professional athletes who run four, five, 40s, grasp air all night. I think he is the best running back in football, and I know what that is saying, considering the competition.

So to me, Fijon Robinson gets the nod, Greg. Yeah, look, I love what he was able to do last night. However, you talk about dominating performances, it has to go to Derek Henry. Have you seen it before? No, have you seen it before? Because, I mean, when you talk about Derek Henry, records are broken because of what he does.

And this is who he is and who he's been. Look at these numbers. Rush attempts, 36. I mean, the offense ran through Derek Henry. And he didn't have a 93-yard run. So it was like every single time he got the ball, he's hitting you for 10, 12. Like, he's breaking records. There's not been seventh career 200-yard game, most in NFL history.

Like, every time he touches the ball and starts to put up. numbers like this, special things happen, and he was the workhorse. They win the game because of him. We're questioning whether or not they need Lamar Jackson moving forward, at least not we. Some of us at this

table, like Derek Henry obviously had the more dominating. Well, I'll say this, on the night we were all watching to see Matthew Stafford lock up the MVP. He was the best player on the field. Bottom line. And what's interesting, and I hope the rest of the league is paying attention.

the Falcons put out the blueprint on how to beat the Rams defense. That's wide zone, attack the edges, and go downhill. If you have a prolific back like that, a lot can happen. You just got to kind of happen. Bejohn, by the way, accounts for 40%. You don't think Seekwon could do that? They're going to try. That's what I'm saying.

They're going to try. That's what I'm saying. All right, what's the next superlative? Most shocking Week 17 performance. Baker and the Bucks, what? what are you doing? I know. Who are you?

I know that they got bailed out because Seattle ended up beating Carolina. So this game this week still matters. But Carolina was tied into the third quarter with Seattle. That could have gone the other way. So you needed to take care of business against Miami. And I called the Bucks losing to that stretch. If we could throw up the schedule when they had the bills and the Rams. Like I said they were going to lose to the Patriots, Bills, and Rams when they were in their by week.

They're going to go from six and two to six and five. But they're one in seven in their last eight games. Willie, what happened to Baker Mayfield? I don't know, honestly. It was crazy. I'm not, so the record is one thing. I think it's just how fast they slid. They never quite got right.

I know the injuries played a factor. This is Baker during the slick. Can we throw that up there? We have the graphic that's up there. Like, this is Baker 1 through 9, and this is 10 through 17. Like, there's a, there's a cliff dive on his performance. And the fact that at one point we're talking about this man to being an MVP candidate to not being able to do anything in the last couple weeks. Defense is underperforming.

It was, I guess, heartbreaking because I played for the man. Todd Bowles hasn't been able to write the ship with this defense. It's almost like they're a shell of themselves, and I can't figure out. Sure, they're not going to have Trishon Wars. That's going to be a big issue on Saturday. Nevertheless, man, Baker has to come back to life for this team to have a chance. Two interceptions, one for a former for loss. That's not the Baker made for that I fell in love with this season.

Yeah, look, Baker. His performance was shocking, but to your point, the bucks have been shocking. But for me, last night I was just shocked to see Matthew Stafford. What was that stake knowing that everybody was excited about what Drake May did, the five touchdowns, the almost perfect game in terms of completion percentage and to go out there and throw with three interceptions. Obviously, he bounced back in the second half a little bit. But I was just shocked at that.

that let down not only from their defense, but even from Matthew Stafford. Now, I get it. He was missing some offensive tackle and offensive guard. However, I'm not going to excuse that because there's a guy we just finished talking about that's been going through that and dealing with that all season long. So I was shocked at Matthew Stafford.

We got one more Week 17 superlative to hand out. What's next? Most disappointing Week 17 performance. Aaron Rogers. My goodness. Like, you have to win that game. You'd give yourself an opportunity to rest in week 18. Now the Ravens are favored against you.

Listen, you can say it's D.K. Metcalf related. You can say it's that he's targeting MVS too much. You can give credit to the Brown's defense. Whatever recipe you have to divide up the blame, that's fine. But he was a big yikes in a game they really needed. I'll cede my time to you, sir. Yeah, I mean, I do give him respect because he held himself accountable for being absolute horrible on third down.

You turn on the tape. I mean, there's guys running Scott Free. He's just not seeing it, almost like he was predetermining where he wanted to go with the football and not really going through his progression. You know, me and Greg have been going back and forth why Aaron Rogers is here. I say he's here to cover the deficiencies

and elevate the offense. That didn't happen. And in a game where, listen, you win this game, you lock up the north, you can now get healthy this week and really take an honest push of what you can do in a push-off in the playoffs, excuse me. Now you're in a got to have it. put everything in the middle table, bang it out, fest with the Ravens.

And right now, the Ravens, and the way they play. And I state this again, they are scary now. And now the Steelers are like, man, I don't know if we have enough. And that's a problem because D.K. and Mount Washington are both out of this game. Yeah, this was disappointing. There's no way to, there's no other way to put it. It was just flat out disappointing. I don't care who was available, who wasn't available.

The fact that, you know, you brought some guys in that you wanted to ensure that things were getting done, and done correctly with Adam Thielen and NVS and then you don't deliver. Now I'm not putting it all on Aaron Rogers because I believe that he did put, he did put together a drive and get them down there just didn't finish and complete the goods. We saw that with Josh Allen as well, who could easily be one of those that's on this disappointing list because he didn't deliver. But what they weren't able to do solely falls on the shoulder of Aaron Rogers because he was talking about being on a team that has something to play for.

And now you have everything on the line in week 18. And we're going to see what you have to do. After that game that I saw from Aaron Rogers, and they're playing the Ravens this week. And what you saw from the Ravens. I mean, which team has the better quarterback? Snoop Huntley and Aaron. I'm sorry. Snoop Huntley put up 30 on the Bears.

We got to put up 30 on the Bears. What's a hell of a performance? Aaron Rogers is one of the most talented players in the history of the sport. Okay, he's a four-time MVP. Until Patrick Mahomes came along, I said he was the most talented player I'd ever seen play the position. I am not knocking Aaron Rogers' career. I'm saying on Sunday. I feel you.

On Sunday, we positive Aaron Rogers is better than Snoop Huntley because that guy that I saw against Cleveland without D.K. Metcalfe was not. In terms of impact on the game, Snoop Humphrey, Huntley, excuse me. will probably definitely have greater impact because of his ability to get outside the pocket. It's a fair question, really. It's all I'm saying. I hate it. Coming up next, apparently it's also a fair question

on whether or not a 500 lifetime quarterback will make it into Canton. We discuss. Last name helps. It sure does. All right, welcome back. The 2026 Hall of Fame finalists have been announced. Five of those players will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

And we are going to ask about one. Two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP, four-time pro-bowler with a career record of 18 and 118 and 118, Eli Manning. Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer? Gentlemen, can I go first? Yeah. No. Give him a statue in the Meadowlands. Name the stadium after him for all I care.

Obviously put him in the ring of honor. He's a 500 quarterback who won two Super Bowls and he got lucky in one of them for David Tyrese. David Tyrese catches luck. You can say what you say. Don't say lucky. You fought his way out of that sack and delivered a dime where David Tyree was able to bring it in. It's an objectively lucky play. Guys got a career playoff pass rating of 87.

He has 18 playoff touchdowns against nine playoff interceptions. He has a playoff completion percentage of 60. Get out of here. Eli Manning a Hall of Famer. Get out of here. Yeah, for me, he is a Hall of Famer. 210 consecutive starts. You talk about beating a dominant 2007 Patriots.

his team having historic runs within the playoffs. He's been the standard for the New York Giants and in New York. So for me, Eli, is a Hall of Famer. I don't think it's a question. If he was a Panther, would he be in? So I think eventually at some point he's going to find himself in the Hall of Fame, but it's going to be further down the road. Look, his numbers, his accolades, they're just not there.

Like the Super Bowl MVP, the two Super Bowl wins, that's great. Oh, we just golf at those things. No, all those things. What are Super Bowl MVP? I'm not scoffing at it. I'm just saying when you look at other guys, you've got to have some of these other athletes. First ballot, he's in.

That's already not happens. If his name was Eli Jones and he played for the Panthers, we wouldn't even be discussing it.