First Things First - Giants fire Brian Daboll, Patriots beat Buccaneers, Dolphins beat Bills, Are the Ravens back?

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

(0:00) Patriots are ‘very legit’, Dolphins beat Bills, Ravens beat Vikings (28:27) Giants fire Brian Daboll, Chargers beat Steelers (40:39) Rams, Seahawks, and Lions all score 40+  (45:59) Maye MVP odds, Bills Super Bowl odds plummet, Are the Ravens all the way back? (01:08:49) Colts beat Falcons, Did Mac Jones take Brock Purdy’s job? (01:22:11) Is MVP Matthew Stafford’s to lose?  (01:27:46) What did Caleb Williams prove in comeback win over Giants? (01:50:41) How concerning is the Bills loss? (02:00:47) Patriots have the league on notice? (02:10:21) Eagles vs. Packers preview, What’s on the line? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's a show that has a new addition to the family, extended family, and in congratulating you on becoming officially a grandfather. Grandfather. Congratulations. To my son, De Manza and Madie and the newest addition to our family, baby Mila Jade. It is overwhelming, and I am now somehow brew older than you. Yeah, you're the grandfather. I'm no longer the eldest statesman.

I'm not a grandfather. I'm the youngest. That does make you the youngest on the show. I don't know how that works. It is a true blessing, and I can relate because I feel similar to the love in my heart that I feel for Drake Mason now. You should. It just magnifies, right? It's like your heart gets big.

You don't get to buy it up. And the Ravens DeVans. The Ravens won. hour of first things first. Power Pact show. We don't really have time for this. Breaking news. The Dolphins breakdanced after beating the bills who may have lost contender status. Their Super Bowl odds plummeted. Meanwhile, breaking news. That was supposed to be breaking, like the news about breaking news. It's good to know their fans of the show. Oh, they're leaning into it. I like it.

Dave, all out in New York, what's next for the Giants, besides an awkward segment with Coach Manjini coming up. And a stat that is so damning, I tried to tell our Giants fan Ramsey about it ahead of time. Because I was worried, I was like, he's going to hear this on the air. It's going to ruin his productivity. No. That's coming up. And finally more breaking news.

Look who's back. Joe Burrow cleared for practice. Could his return change the outlook of the AFC? Severe spoiler. No. It's not a spoiler? No. can't change anything.

Oh, he doesn't think he's any better than Joe Flack. I don't think they're going to average more than 33 points a game. I don't think. Force multiplier. Yeah, yeah. First of all, I don't think he's coming back by Thanksgiving.

Second of all, he doesn't fix their defense. Yeah, no. I think his first game he's come back is against the bill. It's 21 days at least. No, no, no. It's a, they have 20. In theory, they could, they could open, they could start him this week if they wanted to.

They have 21 days to put him on the roster. Oh, let's get him out there. But it's not, but yeah, it's fine. Right there, you're ready to go. You've seen Byron Lepwich? We're starting with the mighty. See Byron Leftwich? Yeah, dude.

I told Nick, I told Wiles there's a swagger about him. Oh, he wouldn't believe. I've not seen it in my four years on show. That's right. We're back. The holiday hairpiece. Seven wins in a row, five in O in the road. Man, yeah, a soft game.

We're weird. Bucks were in first. place we went into their building. Pirateship and everything. Here's Drake May. Our team's resilient. You know, it don't matter what happens. You have throw interception to put our defense in a bad spot. It don't matter.

They're going to come out, get a stop. Travee-Raeviel, I'll take one. Man, what about Trayviel, man? Just proud of our guys. People just keep stepping up. And that's this team. That's what we're trying to build here. And just try and just enjoy this one.

We've got to get back to a quick turnaround. I know you talked about the stretch ahead. Did you hear the Buffalo lost in Miami? today. We're not worried about Thursday night. We got a big one. So thank you guys. Inject it into my veins.

Patriots ranks, eighth best points, six best defense. Look at those rushing yards. Best in the NFL for defense. Nick, we're going to start off with you to hold court for a while here. Did the Patriots prove they're the best team in the AFC yesterday? I don't think they're the best team, but I do think they're going to be the one seat. And I do think you should be over the moon. over the moon.

Thank you, that was big from you. Appreciate that insights. Excellent job. It was interested in that. We're back. Oh, hello, gentlemen. Part of the trade. We have your impatriates garb now.

You didn't tell me that was part of the trade. They don't even look at you. It's just a frown. It's a fair trade. Look at him. Sorry, that was the doorstep of destiny. Yeah, go ahead. No, do you want me to go?

Yeah, I want you to. Are you sure? I'm possible. I have like a whole thing. I want to hear it. Okay. All right. In my hands, this is the Seahawks thing. You're like, well, what's this guy doing? There are six teams that are top 10 in offense and defense points. Yeah. These are them. Okay. Seahawks, can we play a game? Well, yeah, you can go through it. Seahawks, you got the Rams, you got the Colts, of course. Patriots and, hello. The Chiefs, and the Bills. I was going to say you're missing a team, but that's fine. Top ten in scoring, offense and defense. Correct. So these are your Super Bowl contenders. I didn't put the Ravens in there, Bill.

A few weeks. Because you're not quite there. Same with the Eagles. Eagles. I was going to say, the Eagles are missing. No, they're not missing. No, he's saying. Yeah, just.

This is statistically. Got it. Okay, sure. This is not like a big joke, dude. I got you. Sorry. This is a statistic. I told you.

Just because there is a door. It's a whole new guy. I like graphics and two. Those are graphics. Those are definitely graphics. Well, there's the Bills thing. You didn't have it. It's printed.

Okay. The doorstep of destiny is the Super Bowl. You're like too soon, right? Yeah. Let's just, how can we get there? Okay, first of all, these two teams, they're in the NFC. They no longer matter. We can play you in the Super Bowl.

That's fine, but not germane to this conversation. So you're out. Oh, the bills. Oh, my. my goodness the bills. We beat you in your building, and you just lost to the dolphins that got break danced on. So you're out. The Colts, excellent team, lead in scoring.

But who's the offense powered by, Daniel Jones and some superstar? No, it's just Jonathan Taylor is the bulk of that offense. And who has the best rushing defense in the entire league? As I mentioned, the New England Patriots. So Colts, unfortunately, you are out. Oh my gosh almighty Oh This is what we call

A win win My I'm beloved in New England And Kansas City So look this is not the strongest take in the world But it's just you and me buddy And it's a win win If you want to become a Patriots man No I don't come on because it works

But KW I want to tell you something I don't think you're necessarily wrong We're back gentlemen We are here. In this regard, Brew, I think it is... So the Chiefs play in the AFC championship game every year. It's why it's called the Air Out Invitational. They literally haven't had one without inviting Patrick Mahomes since he's been a starter.

So they're going to be half of it. If you had to ask me today, who is the team most likely to be in the other half of it? I would pick you guys. Look at this. I would. Just right now today, because, Brew, I think they're going to get the team. the one seed. And I just think that is such a, such a powerful tool. And so, yeah, I, I don't think they're the best in the AFC because of this team, but I do think they are very legitimate in a way

I don't think the Colts are in a way that I don't think maybe some other teams are. All right, well, you're done? Yeah. That's it. I only brought three separate things. I hate to burst your bubble. Okay. But the question was, did they prove yesterday that they're the best team in the AFC? And yesterday was a good win. But you don't prove you're the best anything by beating Tampa Bay. Wow.

Why? Tampa Bay is a good team. Who wants this topic in the show so bad? No, I'm just saying. You beat a nice, cute team. All right? They're six and two. Or it started six and two, they're going to be six and five in short order.

Okay? So it was a good win, but hold your horses. What I will give you is you guys have been the most impressive team in the AFC thus far. We'll take it. No question. You got the best win. Certainly you're tied with Denver and Indy as they're at eight and two. So let's just talk those three teams.

You got the best win, I would say, of those three in Buffalo. Maybe the two best wins. In Buffalo and in Tampa. I mean, you don't want to give Tampa any credit, but winning in there's winning in Tampa. Yeah, but it's a good win. It's a good win. It's a good win.

All right. And you've got, as you said, the best balance of those three. Indy, look, Daniel Jones is starting to fumble again. I mean, he's had seven turnovers in the last two games. And that's not even including the three fumbles he got back. Yes. All right. So they have their warts.

Obviously, Denver has no offense. All right. They got a great defense. You guys have both and you got the best quarterback of those three. But if I had to pick the best team right, like in the playoffs, who I would favor in the AFC is obviously Kansas City. Sure. I still, even after yesterday's horrific loss, I think I would take Buffalo over you guys.

And in a few weeks, my Ravens will be looking like a contender again. Ravens, I would, I would, the show would break if you were like, you know what, Patriots better than the Ravens. I buy that. The bills, and we'll get to the bills in a second, but I've been tooting the horn of the bills being overrated for a while now. I know, but it's a little tough for you because up until 24 hours ago, you were, it was also your signature win. I recognize. I recognize it is a confusing thing. Before we move on, because listen, your athletic playoff pretty.

predictor KW has you guys at 43% to be the one seed. Who's second? Second, I think Indy. But we have the best in the entire league now. You have the best in the AFC by a mile. And this is the one that I thought you were going to bring up and then I want to make one point. According to your beloved athletic playoff predictor, you have an 11% chance to win the Super Bowl, which is second in the entire NFL to the Rams. That, again...

Bring me my medicine. Bring me my heart medicine. And so I just want to make this point as we see Dave will get fired and other teams do multi-year, multi-decade rebuilds. All you need is the right coach and the right quarterback and you are in it. And if you are totally convinced you have one of those two correct and you're not in the mix, then you don't have the other one. That's good.

Like, so if you, if you think that, again, just to be, the, the Patriots were. Right. Right. That's what I'm saying. Because I was thinking defense. No, no, no, no. The right. If you have one of the guys at head coach and one of the guys at quarterback, you're in it in this league.

And if your team is consistently not in it, you either don't have either or don't have one. You certainly don't have both. That's interesting. And so, like, it is the multi-year. kind of nail everything perfect rebuilds is because you don't have one of those two guys. Good take. And the Patriots were a disaster

15 months ago. Well, it was a little roostler. No, they were. And by the way, I still don't love the roster. I think there's holes on it. There is. But Brable is so sharp. I thought the end of the first half was sharp. I thought the fact

that his rookie running back new to look to him to talk. And Drake May's awesome. The end of the first half was was risky, but it at least shows he's thinking. It at least shows he's thinking. Yeah, some teams just. We just love not. You know what I, don't give me wrong.

I'm a fan of not scoring. Yeah. Prefer scoring. Yeah, I, but it was the fact that he looked back shows that they're in. Yeah, I like that. But like, when Drake May is like taking glorified days. At the end of the first half, he took a knee to try to burn 40 seconds. It at least shows they're paying attention.

Yeah. Pat's host the Jets Thursday night. Gentlemen, would you like to play us out? Please. Thank you. This makes me a little. Yeah, this is amazing. Excellent as always.

We'll see you after we beat the Jets this time on Friday. Letdown game alert. We can bring them back for the Jets game. Oh, hold on. It's okay. It's just an old teleprompter from the 70s. Bills beat the Chiefs. Letdown game alert.

Bill's beat the Chiefs. Then they lost to the Dolphins by 17, the worst division loss of Josh Allen's career. Here he is post game. They came ready to play. They wanted it obviously a little more than us. I got to be better. I'd be better in the protection game and the past game and the run game, all of it. You know, it's anytime you turn it over three times, two in the red zone,

really you could count that last one, you know, driving, kind of going into the red zone. So that's a recipe for disaster. Yikes. Here's how the dolphins celebrated a brew. Did yesterday change how you viewed the bills? and right now we're in the laundry baskets, but I believe we hit the music here. Is that an assistant coach?

I don't know. I mean, he's not a player. No. We're going to continue. Five, six, seven, eight. This is, in the fact that, oh. Oh, he's nice. Oh, wow.

All right, all right. Excellent. Whoa. Wow. Man is nice. There it is again. Excellent as always. That's right.

Huge win for Miami. We're still going. I told you, man. Hey. All right. All right. All right. All right.

All right. Whoa. Just excellent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I told you. That's okay. No time. I told you. It's a rare win for the dog. I know. They got to do it. Well, they made right.

Great job, fellas. Always. We thought the breakdancers were done for the year. No. Now. Yeah. Absolutely. Always excellent.

Good to see the break dancers back. Yes. I love that the dolphins are leaning into it. You know, you're identity. That's who you are. That's cool. That's cool. A breakdancing show.

Ask through the question or else he's not going to. Yeah. Oh, sorry, bro. I got it Yesterday changed how you view the business group Yeah No Really? No

Look I know we're supposed to be over the moon For every victory by a team Yeah And we're supposed to be Up in arms For every loss But the fact is

The team that wins the Super Bowl Probably might lose five games this year. And they're going to lose some of those games to teams that are worse than them. Kansas City lost to Jacksonville. Philadelphia lost to the Giants that just fired their coach. Like in the grand... This was a letdown loss by the bills.

Obviously, they're high coming off the win over Kansas City. Next week they got Tampa Bay. So they're coming off a great win, probably looking forward to a tough game next week, and clearly took the Dolphins lightly. I don't want to take anything from the Dolphins. They played, you know, look, the fact that they're still playing hard for Mike McDaniel, a little credit to him. That's true.

So that was good. But here, look, and the bills are flawed. I mean, they can't stop the run. They're the third worst run defense in the league. Give up about 150 yards. Yeah, I mean, that's a problem. And look, I'm not saying they're the favorites. I don't have them coming out of the AFC.

But I'm saying I still do think they're a contender because every other contender in the AFC has flaws. Indy, we talk, Indy Daniel Jones is your quarterback until proven otherwise, we're going to doubt him. Kansas City has just been,

they've been a mediocre team by their standards this year. New England is young. The quarterback's young. I mean, that's not a bad flaw to have, but that's something we got to see him do it. Right. And the team is very young around him.

They don't have much experience. Obviously, Denver, no offense. The Chargers have their issues. Baltimore's trying to come out. of a slumber. So I just think with the way the AFC is, I can't say they're not a contender. No. Even though I don't think they're like a super duper team.

But what about the fact that up until a few weeks ago, the bills had been blown out once in like five years? And it was the famous game against your Ravens, 35 to 10. They had gone up until, again, a few weeks ago that we can show it to you, they had been beaten by more than, by double digits once in their previous 60 games. It's up. That's crazy.

And then it's happened twice. And it's by, it's one thing, because you're right, Root, teams have bad losses. It's pretty rare. A non-competitive team just annihilates. And that's what I considered last night.

From the jump. Like a dominant. nation from start to finish. And so, and I know that, listen, I do want to cut the bills slack as someone, I obviously have never played in the NFL, but I'm a big fan of the, a huge fan of a team. And I even feel like a bit of an emotional, like, let down after winning a Super Bowl. So I can't imagine how the bills feel after winning their Super Bowl last week. And, you know, it's like, man, we've got to play another game days later like that.

Well, that's so weird. Like, they didn't even drive weird into the parade. It's like, no, you've got to go to Miami. And I understand, like, clockwork, the way this is going to work is the bills are the scariest team, the bills are the best team. Josh Allen's playing the position to a higher level than anyone's ever played it, and they lose a game because he turns the ball over a few times, and it's Joe Brady's fault and he doesn't have enough weapons.

Like, that will be the narrative arc. Like, we know that. We know that Josh has earned the right to be above criticism in a way like Patrick and Lamar certainly haven't because Josh has won so much and has so much hardware. But one of the reasons that it is mildly

more than mildly concerning is he's kind of turning the ball over again without adding that explosive big play offense. Like in the we show you the turnover numbers last year they didn't have the super explosive

offense but they didn't turn the ball over. Right. This year, again, the offense moves the ball because James Cook has been so dynamic, but they don't have that quick strike offense they had a couple years ago. But the turnovers are back. And yesterday, it's 16-0, throws a pick in the end zone. And then when they're fighting to come back, they have the sneak where you get to the – like, so that stuff is, again, they are still the team I would least like to play in the AFC because every –

They play weird against them. you guys. Right. No, no, no, no. They play, right. Every playoff game we win, but they're all close. So I'm not, I'm not acting like, oh, they're a, they're a non-contender. But getting Buffalo doesn't get blown out. And now Atlanta's beat them soundly and Miami's beating them whistle to whistle. Well, look, we said other than the Chiefs win, they haven't been that impressive, even in a lot of their wins. The Saints gave them a little trouble. Yeah, the Miami game's weird. They were outplayed by the Ravens and, you know, Got the historic comeback.

Can I pitch something to you, brew? Dust, can we show this air yards per target? Something that Brinan Bean said, this is average. Air yards per target, lowest. So the bills have the lowest air yards. I mean, the charges still move the ball. And the dolphins, that might be a... It's a two-offence thing.

It's a quite no tire, yeah. So that's the lowest in the league, right? So I thought Brandon Bean said last week that, you know, He said, I went home as mad as any different. I wanted to do things. I always want to do things to make this team better. So you can say that. And at the same time, say, we've got enough.

Like, both of them can't be true. Right. So when it comes out that they were, like, dying to get Waddle. Yep. And the Dolphins just said no. To me, it's an admission that they don't have enough. It's exactly right. They clearly don't.

I have receiver. So if they don't believe, I don't know. Josh has to be, Josh has to be the guy that, that the media has sworn he is. That is their path this year. It might not have been their path in years past when they had a great defense or when they had better weapons,

but now the path is actually quite simple. They need Josh to be a superhero for January. I don't think he's got it. Okay, well, that's what I'm saying. That's the way to get there. And every year that goes on his running, as good as it is, it's going to get less and less. Bill's host the Bucks next week.

They could lose that one too. Who said the bucks are going to lose? Head to Minnesota. We're with Danes on that too. Where the Ravens yet again held their opponents to under 20 points. Lamar was okay. Defense force three turnovers. Here's Lamar.

You know, everyone's happened when they won, you know, but I feel like our move hasn't changed. You know, we still locked down. You know, we still feel like we won the fucking. We're still behind, you know, in our division. So we got to, like I said, can't get complacency. Stay locked down. Ravens' defense of the season.

Brew, you called this one perfectly. first five games, 35 points. He said, you know what? It'll turn around. The defense in their DNA. Trust me. The toys are in the garbage. I said, I don't know.

Last four games. The 14 and a half points, third in the NFL behind Rams and the Chiefs just for the last four. You were 100% right. Brew, did you like what you saw in the Ravens Vikings game? That seems like a yes. The box! Okay.

The box. Thank you. While Yes. There is no robe in the box. Oh! But that's progress. It has been taken out of the box

where it's no longer collecting dust. In the box. And it should be coming in soon. Oh. It has been sent to the dry cleaners. Okay. It has been pressed and starched. And it is just waiting

for the right time. for me to put it on. So when is that? It's going to probably be a few weeks. I have to feel it in my bones, in my soul, when it's time to put it on. But we are getting close, gentlemen. We are getting close. And you feel it just like I do.

Look, yesterday, there were two things I loved about yesterday. One, the defense continued to play well. And look, they gave up 19 points. Shame on them, right? But that last, and I would bet Nick agrees with me, though, I don't know. That last touchdown that Minnesota scored, I thought Roquine Smith intercepted that ball. Oh, yeah. I thought that was a clean interception and they overturned it, but that's the drive that Minnesota scored his last touchdown.

I agree with that. So, yeah, so they really probably gave up about 13 points, you know, like they have been for the last several games. And then the second, so the defense continued to play well for, forced three turnovers for the second straight game, you know, playing well.

They gave up a lot of yards, but Ben don't break is where they're at right now. I think they'll continue to improve. Second thing I liked

was Lamar after the game. Because they had, he was like, the offense didn't play. Well, you have to walk that fine line. Do you agree

that the offense wasn't great? I do agree. And, but I think you have to walk the fine line between, and Philly didn't do

this two years ago, between, We won, but we didn't play well and just killing yourself. And now you're down and you don't even feel like you got to win versus just accepting the win. We're stacking wins. That's important. It's hard to win in this league against any of the 32 teams and acknowledging, but we have to get better. Like, they still have a great mentality of it was a great win.

We got to stack these Ws, but the offense didn't play that well. They were two and five in the red zone. And that's Nick. that is one thing. I mean, you know the Raymonds are getting back to themselves when one thing is great and something else you know, kind of. But

the red zone with Derek Henry, Patrick Ricard and Lamar Jackson, you should not struggle in the red zone. They didn't last year. This year they have been. So that's something. But Goodwin, Lamar. That was the worst game. Lamar's play.

Outside of a game against the Chiefs, like the Chiefs, that's the worst game he's really played. Wow, yeah. So, but they were fine, and it was a good win against a decent team. So listen, they are in the, they win, Steelers lose. It's the greatest we can imagine. But, and people are going to say I'm hating, I don't care. I think Brew actually will agree with me.

The offense would be. Last year, the mark of the Ravens was they annihilated good teams. They beat Buffalo by a million. Lamar had five touchdowns and they were up four scores on Tampa going into the fourth quarter. They beat Denver by 100. They beat Pittsburgh by late in the year by 20. They beat Houston like 31 to 2. Those are five playoff teams they annihilated.

For me to feel like, okay, the Ravens not only, you know, can they catch Pittsburgh's in one box? You know, are they the team they were supposed to be coming into the year that's dominant, leading Super Bowl contenders in another. I need to see that Ravens team come back. And we haven't seen that yet. I'm not saying it's not in there. But that was the mark of them last year. They would play good teams and crush them.

And so this was, to me, an average team. And they beat them soundly, but it wasn't, it wasn't, didn't feel like the Ravens games. They left a lot of points. They left a lot on the board. Lamar's 100th game. He has the one, two, three, fourth best all time. record. Mahomes, Brady, Stalbock.

And it's the fewest interceptions ever for quarterback after 100 years. What's next for the Giants? Dayball's gone. I'm here. Next on FS1, the Fox Sports Channel, Sirius XM. I visited my mom this weekend and she said, congratulations. I heard your podcast is number one in the world. I just exaggerate that to try to get people to subscribe. It's not number one?

Oh, shoot. Please subscribe so we can get to number one because my mom is very disappointed that we're not number one. News breaking this afternoon. Brian Dayball's tenure in New York is over. Giants lost to the Bears. They're now two and eight. Dayball loses his job. He went nine, seven and one.

Won a playoff game coach of the year 2022 since then 11 and 33. Nick, your reaction. Yeah, multi-layer. First of all, I feel a little badly. I mean, it's the first official. scalp of the tackle that turn the tide. Oh, my goodness. I mean, had the, you know, Mahomes not make that strip sack and the Giants win that game,

Brian Dable still. A butterfly flanks a thing. And so there is that. I also think this is not complicated. He got four years. They were consistently awful. And you said it, but it's a little more jarring than that. He started his head coaching career seven and two.

After that, his team went 13 and 38. So you win seven out of your first nine, you then win 13 of your next 50. You're in trouble. And I thought that maybe it could have, the Jackson Dart-Dabell connection could have saved him. But I think he at times was his own worst enemy, and he seemed to want it so bad. and be so tightly wound that whether it was running into the tent when Jackson got hurt or not being able to resist the, you know, Angel on his shoulder as far as maybe cut back on the quarterback-driven runs with our lunatic rookie quarterback who leads with his head.

Those things worked against him, and he had bad injury luck. So, you know, with neighbors and scatibu and now dart as well. So all those things come together. you started the last three years two and eight, two and thirteen, two and eight. You're just going to get fired from anywhere. That's not a New York thing. That's just a your record is what your record

is thing. So that's my reaction, coach. Yeah, I mean, I watched TV last year and I saw the GM talk about Sequin Barclay and they don't need him. I mean, he's okay, but the Eagles, they're probably not going to take him. So that happened, and then

Sequin goes and has an MVP season. and they keep Daniel Jones, which makes a lot of sense because, you know, you want to keep the quarterback, but then they don't really have the offensive line in position to protect him. I mean, Daniel Jones could have filed charges against the Giants last year for how he got beat up, game in and game out with that protection. So then they get rid of him, so now they're eating the dead money on Daniel Jones, who they signed because they didn't want to sign, say, Juan Barclay, or they couldn't do both, and then they let him go, and now he's tearing it up in,

in Indianapolis. So you wonder, you know, are these coaching, all coaching errors, are they personal errors? Because then you've got to go replace the running back. You've got to replace the quarterback. You've got to replace all those different elements. And, you know, I spent some time at camp this offseason. And Brian's a very good coach. He was coach of the year. And he can, he can obviously do that at a very high level. It didn't work out. The injuries didn't work out. And we all know going into it that at some point we're going to get fired. Everybody gets fired from these jobs. Very few guys get a chance to leave on their own term. So I'm sure he's disappointed. I'm happy that he has a year and a half left on his contract.

You can go spend some nice quality time with their family, relax, decompress, and then, you know, do whatever else he wants to do. Yeah, I mean, like Nick, you said, it's just a case of the record. I mean, when your record is what it is, 20, 40, and one overall with the Giants, you're going to get fired. And then I think, Coach, the nature of the losses recently. Well, that's the blowing those huge leads. The four double-digit leads in losses on the road that they had. And then two, they became only the second team since the merger to lose two games where you led by 10 or more points with four minutes left. And that was all within these first 10 games.

So I just think that that might be why it happened now because it was looking so bad. And then I do think seeing DART get the concussion yesterday, whether it was right or wrong, I think some of that ownership probably put on Brian just because he's not sliding. You're putting him in these runs and he's, you know, clearly just getting beat up and stuff. Yeah, you know, I don't totally buy it. We watch Lamar Jackson run all the time. We watch Drake May, we watch quarterback after quarterback, Josh Allen put themselves at risk, and the guy got a concussion, which happens.

But to then say, oh, well, maybe he should tone down the runs a little bit. Yesterday, Caleb Williams ran it in for a time. It's happening every single week, way more than I think it should happen. Like, I don't think you should put quarterbacks at risk like they do, but it's very common across the league. To me, it's the organization hasn't been very successful in a long time. and you know some of that may be coaching some of it may be a little bit more a little bit deeper ingrained in the way that they're set up yeah i think they i think they also probably hold the daniel jones thing against him too and that's not necessarily right or wrong i think they're looking at it like we had this guy for all these years and now he goes to indian he's cooking can i say just real quick and the i'm very interested i know you're saying take the year and a half or at least sometime with his family and god bless him if he does. I'm really

interested how this news landed on the Buffalo Bills doorstep this morning. And whether it's an informal consultancy, maybe you can't do that, maybe that undermines Joe Brady too much, but if the way you feel about the bills is correct, that this team

has a hard ceiling this year, I wonder what that offseason conversation. Yeah, if Brian would do it, it'd be a great fit, and Brian's from Buffalo, that's where his family is. And Josh Allen's became the player he is in Buffalo. Yeah, and I think Brian has a type of personality where he wouldn't go in and try to disrupt the things they're doing. He'd try to go in and win as many games as he possibly could.

I could also just come back to New England maybe. Let's just be a consultant. Yeah, he could. Josh and he have been great friends. He coached with Braves. He'd be a great. Well, at this point, the Chiefs just pay him not to work. What are we doing?

What are we doing? Hire. Pons, can you call Brian Dayball so we can book his schedule. We're going to head to Chargers, Pittsburgh. Never good to have a pass-rary rating slightly older than your QB. Aaron Rogers 41, pass-er rating 51. Scored 10 points for the Steelers, two for the Chargers. Steelers lose.

Here's Rogers and Tomlin. A lot of stuff wasn't working. You know, we were bad on third down. I was just a little bit off. We didn't run the ball as well as we usually do, and then we didn't get open, and I didn't play as well as I usually do. as well as I should do. How would you assess Aris performance tonight? How would you? Next. Okay, here's the numbers. Completion percentage 51 passer rating 50 yards per path. This the whole thing

was bad. You get it. Nick, how would you assess Rogers performance? Old and whiny. Oof, tough combo. Which again, he hasn't, he's been good this year for the majority of the year. As good as a 40-year-old not-named Tom Brady has ever played, honestly. Like, they, just So credit words do. But I thought when it was 3-2 Pittsburgh, the body language was a disaster. And this isn't like LeBron James, is he or is he not clapping on the sideline game one body language stuff? This is scowling, pouting, you know, yelling at teammates. And, I mean, we can show you the rip of it.

Like, you saw it all game long from the very beginning. I thought you saw Rogers yelling it clearly was out of sorts to. would agree. And then you also saw, so that's the whiny part, and the old part is this play when he does the pure away. Yeah. Which, listen, I wouldn't want to get hit either. But I'm not playing quarterback. And you just, that, you can't, you're not going to win that way. And I, I feel, I'm not doubting Aaron Rogers' toughness. I'm not doing any of that. I'm a guy, wearing makeup on TV. But by, but from what we expect from starting quarterbacks, you got to stand in there

and take the hit. And so, and we've seen, you know, Peyton kind of patented, the self-sack. The, before, once he realized play was dead, he'd go down late in his career. Tom was the best quarterback I've ever seen it, just not getting hit. The best I've ever seen. Aaron didn't have to really develop those trades because he was so escapable compared to those guys. Now he's not,

and it just looked like an old player that didn't want to get hit yesterday. It was one of the worst performances of his 21-year career, I would say. Wow. I mean, he missed some open guys. I mean, he said guys weren't getting open. There were several guys that were wide open,

and he just missed them. And I think all of it is stemming from it. had the two interceptions that were bad. Like, it's all stemming from his fear of, fears, but he doesn't want to get hit, like you said. Like, I think, coach, he's trying to get rid of that thing so quickly so he doesn't get hit. The spin move is obviously I don't want to get hit. And I think that's messing with his mechanics and his footwork and everything. So that's where his accuracy isn't what it used to be.

Look, he's been good this year. And I'm not saying he can't be, he won't be good going forward. But yesterday, I thought his not wanting to get hit controlled that game. And he really didn't even give him a chance in that game because of the way he played. Well, I've talked about this a lot. When you have an old team and the Stoos have the oldest defense and now the oldest quarterback, when you get to the midseason, the young teams, they're taking off because those guys obviously are better equipped to do that. And the older teams, they're getting injured more often.

There's a much more wear and tear on the body from years and years of playing. All that stuff adds up. And this is a classic example of an older guy in the middle of the season. And this time period before Thanksgiving, it's a real drain. You've been playing football for a long time. You still have half of the season to go. It's pretty easy to be looking forward and be like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. And you're going to get some games like this.

And I'd say you don't play until you're 40 unless you're willing to avoid hits, unless you're willing to not play hero ball. That's why he's still in a uniform when so many other guys aren't. So Rogers after the game says there's ebbs and flows and we can't ride the wave. He's been kind of consistent on that. But this game against the Bengals coming up, I'm very interested to see. Simmons mentioned this. Are we about to get a stretch of washed Rogers?

was just a blip like every quarterback like Lamara had, oh, a bad game. Or he's like, uh-oh, this guy all of us got old. Is that their next game? Next game is the Bengals. So you should light up the Bengals. I mean, he should be able to play well against the Bengals. I think you're going to probably get kind of tepid Rogers until we get close to the end of the season. Then you maybe get a little bit of a lip.

That's very interesting. Turning our attention to the Sunday afternoon blowouts. Three games. First up, Rams crushed the 49ers. Stafford had another game with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Also, Dan Campbell took over play calling and the Lions racked up 546 yards and a win. At the same time, Seattle was up 35 to nothing with eight minutes to go in the first half. So which of these performances was the most impressive to you, Brew?

Why don't you start us off? Well, look, all three faced backup quarterbacks. And only one team did not let the backup cook. I don't know if the Rams were facing a backup quarterback. Well, they smack Jones, a backup quarterback for the Niners, had a 115 passer rating. The backup quarterback Marcus Marietta for Washington against Detroit had a 133 passer rating,

and Jacoby Brissette against Seattle had only an 83 passer. And the desert. And they were up 35-0. Like that was, I mean, they could have beat them 70 to 10 if they wanted to. so I'm going with Seattle. That was very impressive. So I agree at Seattle. I also think as much as I like the Rams historically in this year,

Seattle is the biggest story on the West Coast of the league this year. Like Seattle, all the respect that folks were demanding I give to the cults, not only do I still refuse to do it, but I'm reserving it to give extra respect to Seattle. I think Seattle is very legit. But I know you, KW, want to talk Dan Campbell. Yeah, I really have a question because Dan Campbell took over play calling, put on his glasses, coach, which is like a nice move if you're like in a play.

They scored 44 points with their season high in yards, 546, 226 yards on the ground. Was this like a huge deal or just like a little blip in their play calling? We always, early in the season, we were like, oh my goodness, Dan Campbell's losing both coordinators. like it's okay, promote from within it will all work. This feels like the first time that narrative actually had some teeth to it, that he had to rest control of the offense. Yeah, it's interesting because I was on a staff in San Francisco where the play calling, even though there was an offensive coordinator,

different guys on the staff had different responsibilities. So one guy would call the two-minute. Another guy would call third down. Another guy would call Red Zone. Another guy would call the running game. Now, ultimately, the offensive coordinator made the final call, but he would say, what do you like here? What do you want here? So maybe this is a similar situation where ultimately Dan said, I'm going to make the final call, whether we run or pass. And I think Johnny probably leans heavier towards the pass and the run.

And maybe there's certain things that Dan definitely wanted and wanted to be definitive on. So that's why he took control over it. But I have been part of staff where they do. you chop things up much differently than when you would anticipate where one guy's making every call. So is this nothing to be? Is this, does he have to keep it from now on? Well, it goes back and forth? It went pretty, it went pretty well. So I would imagine he'll keep it until it doesn't go well. And I don't think it's a great situation for Johnny. Like, look, whenever someone takes control of the thing that you have control of, it doesn't look good, it doesn't feel good.

But he's a team player. He'll fall in line like he did. And if it helps him win, then you suck it up and go. Didn't love it. You like that? I don't want to be rude. I don't know that I believe it. What do you mean by that?

He had glasses on. Yeah, I mean, yeah. Like, I don't think Dan Campbell is during the game all of a sudden doing what Sean Peyton does. I don't think that. I think he is overseeing more than picking the place. even when he has it. Like, do you, the...

What do you mean? Like, I think that what you're describing is likely what's happening here, rather than what it was portrayed as, which is he is now one of the coaches that is calling all the plays. Yeah, I don't think he's in every single offensive meeting, completely hammering out at the game plan. That's what I... I think he's overseeing it.

He's probably not installing the game plan or any of those things that the offense coordinator traditionally does, but I would imagine there were certain things he was frustrated with. He probably said, I want these things to happen.

They weren't happening. So he said, okay, I'm going to make sure they happen by having last say. I'm putting it in my, hmm. Well, look, I mean,

they've had some bad losses this year, you know, and they were just coming off one and the offense hasn't been as good. So you, I mean, now's the time to try to make a change, I think,

versus after. you lose in the playoffs again. Coming up next, the Ravens are back. Is Bruf finally confident in his team? The road. That's next.

I can't wait to get that bad. I can't wait to get that bad. Live from New York, it's the show that loved the Trevor Lawrence Davis Mills back and forth. The next? No, from high school.

Oh, yeah. Not the next. Oh, sorry. That's my algorithm. Sorry, I'm telling you. I'm telling you. He's talking about Georgia High School. Yeah.

Oh, no. He was outplayed by Davis. That is. He was. He was. Hey, can I ask a question? He was. Hold on.

May I ask him, man? I'm not even saying it as a request. I'm just saying. Sure. He was. Since I have traded away the Royal Trumpeteers to you and the Patriots. Of course. And therefore, the Jaguars have no more relevance on the show.

Can you guys stop bullying Trevor Lawrence? because he's a rough, okay? I like Trevor. No, you don't. I really do. So he's not the prince anymore? He's always the prince. He's trying to strip them of his lands and titles.

That's not happening. He had a nice commercial this on. If the playoffs started today, they'd be in. Just a deed is like, why do we spend much about Trevor Lawrence? Who's decision was in? It was on Travis' honor for the record. What's Trevor?

We're sending checks out to Trevor Lawrence. Come on. Horrible. This is mean, guys. Sorry. Today, wait to you see how far the Bill's Super Bowl odds drop. Maybe Vegas sharing my opinion. Meanwhile, is Drake May now elite.

He does have the number one MVP odds. What are there? The best. The best odds. You're right. The best number one. Yeah. The best.

Run all that stuff by Josh, buddy. We can't have another athletic playoff predictor debacle like we did last one. Number one odds for MVP. Yeah, there you go. But right now, ooh, the Ravens are rolling. Another W for Brew. This time the defense carried Lamar via three turnovers. Here's Marlon Humphrey.

You'll like this for it. Take a listen. You know, obviously we have Lamar Jackson, but on defense, we're trying to get it to where we can win games on defense. We don't even need the offense to put up any points. we can turn the ball up, but we can get them the ball in the red zone. So that's been a big key. I think the mindset shift of even though we have Lamar Jackson,

let's give him a smoke break. Let's give him off day. Like, you know, he's belted out so many times. How about we do it? And so I think that's been a big difference as far as the mindset. And Brew loved the defense intensity. Nick loved the talk about a smoke break. AFC North Standings, Steelers, Bengals, Browns.

but the Ravens are now the favorites, are they all the way back? And that's huge favorites. Huge favorites. I'm going to be dead honest. I think you guys believe me. This was not just for the show or any or the bit or anything. I always felt they would win the division.

And they haven't. They still have to go out and do it. But just because the Steelers are okay. And I felt like with Lamar coming back and again, their defense would improve at least to some degree, I really at one in five even felt confident they'll win this division. The only time you honestly ever wavered was when Lamar was ruled out for the game we thought he was going to play. Yeah, Chicago.

But you have been very consistent the whole time. I do remember I had a dream about him in a hospital. Yeah, but no, but that, no, but it brew as far as like he would have passed a polygraph of who do I think is going to win the division. He would have said Ravens every time and being. And again, that's like, look, if the Ravens were in the AFC West, I wouldn't feel that way because the way the division is stacking up. But this year, the North is vulnerable. But they're not back by any, they're not even close, I don't think. But I think they're getting there.

The defense obviously has improved dramatically. And that's one of the great things about what's going on right now. And this is since T7 became official. Yes. So because it was before the Titans game, but it wasn't official. What is going on? Where the toys, whatever? And then after that, it became official.

And so the last four games, I mean, Coach, they're giving up 14 points a game. That is third in the league behind him with the Chiefs and the Rams. So the defense is coming on. Right now, the offense, at least with Lamar, like before he got hurt, it was 32 points a game. Now it's 27. So that's still good, 27 and a half. But since he's been back, it hasn't clicked yet. He was pretty good last week.

he was so, so yesterday by his standards. But I have no worries about him. The thing that bothers me, coach, is in the red zone. They haven't really been great all year, but yesterday they were two for five in the red zone. And I just think with Ricard, Derek Henry, and Lamar Jackson, you should not be bad like that in the red zone. Yesterday they left a lot of points on the board.

And that's what they, that's one thing area right now. I think they've got to improve on to beat the Kansas cities and Buffaloes in the playoffs. Yeah, throughout the course of the season, they've been putting out so many fires that are probably going to get to the red zone. Right, right. I mean, this house has been on fire in a lot of places, so they've had to do a lot of different things. And when you look at the division, it was pretty obvious once Burrow went down, no matter. The Ravens were going to be in this until the end of the season because they by far have the best quarterback situation of anybody in that division. and now the sailors have lost three out of four,

the Ravens have won three in a row, saw the defensive progress. The interesting thing about that game yesterday is the first time the Ravens have been held without a touchdown that Lamar started in 21 games. So Lamar actually, that was a very uncharacteristic game for a Lamar-led offense,

but then they come out in the second half and they really lean into the running game and things change. So are they all the way back? Well, obviously not, because Lamar does something he hasn't done in 21 games or fails to do something he hasn't done in 21 games

but the progress defensively the fact that he exists the the guys getting healthy and the volume of guys that are getting healthy and then where Pittsburgh is it's pretty easy to see why the odds are the way they are listen I'm going to echo what Bruce saying

I think they're clearly all the way back is a team that just annihilates good teams in the regular season and then playoffs are a different story. But the Ravens in the regular season are a juggernaut. And looks arguably like the best team in the league. Yeah. I mean, last year, they beat Buffalo, Tampa, Denver, Pittsburgh, Houston, all

playoff teams by an average of like 20 points. And all of them by double digits. So like that's what all the way back means. As far as when we're talking about the odds, again, there's a lot of football left. But right now, if the. If the most likely, according to Vegas, the most likely seedings hold, if the athletic playoff predictor, all that, we are going to have an AFC playoff picture of four-seed Baltimore, five-seed Buffalo, six-seed chiefs, which would be just a bizarre, again, I think it's... I don't get that one seed. Again, like right now, right now what the Vegas odds say is one through seven is New England one,

Indy 2, Denver 3, Baltimore 4, Buffalo 5, Can City 6, Chargers 7. It's like the early 2000. Yeah, I mean, but it is like it would create a really interesting playoff dynamic of the three teams with established MVP quarterbacks being either Wildcard or the bottom division team. You know, two of the three being on the road throughout the other one. And obviously you got Buffalo, you'd have Buffalo and Baltimore in the first round. The correct and Buffalo and Baltimore would be a round one playoff match. Coach, can I show you a video that just narratively as the Ravens are storming back, this is something out of a movie where like, uh-oh, guess who? Oh, guess who's in the building?

We should have added stone cold music to that, Dust. So Joe Burrow cleared for practice. We don't know when he's going to come back. Dust, do we have the Bengals schedule by any chance that we do. The next five are I can tell it to me. The next five are absolutely brutal. in that we were just saying who they played next week. Well, they play Steelers.

So they have the Steelers, they have the Ravens twice, they have the Patriots, and they have one other team that I'm forgetting. And then the final three are solved. But the next five, there we go. So they have Steelers, Patriots. Oh, the Pills is the one I'm forgetting. Steelers, Patriots, Ravens, Bills, Ravens.

So if he could come back, week 14, gets the Bills, and then the Ravens, all of a sudden, what you've penciled in is, you know, oh, it's high scoring, but it gets a lot tougher with Joe where I think. But they better bring, but they need to be cautious. Look, their attitude might be like he gets hurt all the time. We're just going to play him when he's able. But I think coach, they should be cautious because remember when he came back two years ago,

kind of prematurely, it seemed, and he didn't play that well. Like Jake Browning played as well as him. It's a little less dramatic because of how well Joe Flacko's played. I think I think everybody would be, that much more excited if we're still watching the disaster that was post Joe Burrow. Or if the defense had a pulse. Yeah, either or, but Flacco's gone in and lit it up. So it kind of takes a little bit of the enthusiasm.

We think, okay, if they just score 30, they're going to win. Well, that's not true. They play on Thanksgiving. And then they have obviously some time off before the game you're talking about, the Bill's game. because they play the Ravens on Thanksgiving night. They would be fortunate to go one and two in the next three without Joe, and then you're four and eight. If you're four and eight and you bring back and injured Joe Burrow,

you're out of your mind. Right. I mean, I know he'd be cleared or whatever. That would be with a bad offensive line, the worst defensive football, and a team that has eight losses to be like, hey, Joe, come back out. I think he's dying to play.

Okay. And that organization hates to eat money. Hates to pay people not to work. Well, the weight when he sees flacco cooking like he is. Exactly. He and Brock Purdy are both like to get better. Back of quarterback. Rocks chill.

I think Brock's chill. Hills dropped the division game in Miami. And in the process, watch their Super Bowl odds drop two. So going into the game, they were number one. Now, well, battlefield promotion. The Chiefs are number one, followed by Rams, Lions, Seahawks and Eagles tied with the Colts, and then at seven is the Bills.

Do you think Buffalo deserved to plummet this far down? And this is so wildly unfair, typically teams get a little bit of credit or benefit of the doubt for winning the Super Bowl. And we all know, Buffalo won the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl. I mean, they did it a week ago. And now, again, that's their Super Bowl.

Vegas isn't respecting that. And so because of that, you know, then once again, the favorites to win the actual Super Bowl. The Bills won their Super Bowl. They then, you know, they were trying to schedule a parade. And they were like, hey, where's the confetti? Where is everything? And they're like, actually, we have a trip to Miami.

People thought it was to go to live. Everyone's confused. And then A.C. and runs all over them, and now the Chiefs' favorites to win the actual Super Bowl. I think two things are noteworthy. The noteworthy thing from the odds, and Colts fans don't get mad at me,

this is just me following the odds. At the lowest of the Chief's low this year, they never dropped beneath Indy and the odds. Because Vegas doesn't really buy into the Colts fully. You know, and you see, like, for the same reasons, we don't. It's just like we, you, you, close your eyes and envision Daniel Jones holding the Lombardi trophy. It's like, then you drop

it. And so and so the Giants can see that. So then, even though it's only by 50 cents, dropping to worse odds than the cults is really noteworthy to me. It's like, wow.

So Vegas is not out but inching out. And the other thing that's noteworthy is the reporting coach that they were willing to give up a first and a third for Jalen Waddle. And I am stunned that the hang up there was

that the bills wanted the first rounder to be in 2027 and the dolphins wanted it be in 2026 and that's why they didn't do it. Personally, if I'm Buffalo, I'd much rather it be I'd rather give up next year's pick because I have

certainty. You have jail alone. Well, not only that, no, I have certainty that, okay, I'm not a terrible team. Like you give up the 20, you give up a future your first. It's like, well, Josh Allen misses 12 weeks and we go four and third. Right. And you're only making that trade if you

think you're going deep into the playoffs. And so that to me was odd, but it's also telling that would have been a huge premium to pay for a receiver. It's telling to me that internally they feel like

they don't have enough juice. Even though I think they, I still think they can win the Super Bowl, but that was, that was like if we found out the chiefs were offering a first and a third for a D tackle, it would have meant, oh, Kansas City really believes their run defense is, you know, going to prevent them from going on a real run. And so that was noteworthy. Or you make a trade like that because you, you, it's sort of like an arms race. You want to make sure that you're as loaded as you possibly can be. And it's your last window

to do something like that. I don't think these odds are unfair with the loss that they had. And granted, they beat Carolina, which is a 500 team. And then they beat the Chiefs, which I know the Chiefs are the greatest team in the history of football right now. But they hadn't beaten anybody, really, and then they beat the Chiefs. And then suddenly they're back to this elite team because they beat another team that's barely over 500. So that's kind of how it's all played out. Then they go and get beat by Miami.

but is it really that outrageous that had happened? They've got a ton of injuries. Josh Allen again, we're trending back towards the turnover issue. Say, coach. Turning back. The roller coaster. Yeah, we're trending back towards the roller coaster. He's got one less turnover at this point than he had all of last season.

Oh, good. And so there's a lot of issues in Buffalo. There's not a strong track record of who they've beaten except for the one win against the Chiefs. And so to have a letdown like this after an emotional game against Kansas City, I get why they dropped where they dropped. Yeah, I think they dropped too far. There's no way I'd have Indy over them.

Like, I just don't think Indianapolis is better than Buffalo. And mainly it goes to Daniel Jones versus Josh Allen. But I, and I understand though why. Like, I think they're a contender. I think they're a good team. I don't think they're a great team. But when I look at the AFC, I don't see a ton of great team. teams at this point.

But I understand why they wanted Waddle so bad. Like they clearly, when I said a year ago, when they let Diggs go and didn't really get like an elite receiver, it feels like they're not giving Josh Allen what he needs. And it was working, you know, that's when they took the ball out of his hands and went on that win streak last year, lost in the playoffs. And then this year, it was, it's kind of worked, but they haven't been that impressive. even in some wins. And they have got to get him a better received.

I mean, they spent the second pick of the, they had a first round pick. They traded it to Kansas City. They moved down. The chiefs drafted Xavier Worthy. You know, we'll see how he looks the rest of this year. The bills drafted Keon Coleman. And the Keon Coleman pick has not worked.

And he had, you know, that was their premium resource. And one pick after him was Ladd McConkey. and like that just that's been which your point makes sense for them to give up next year's number one draft pick to get a proven commodity over the front of me not to be not to say they went to the Patriots had a monster game last like they're letting guys walk out the door yeah but he had a few moments last year but he is what he is he would be good on the bills right now but to be fair k w like the Gabe davis

had you know was great with the bills left them and went to nothing. Right. So the... We got Stefan Diggs on the team, too. Yeah. Just quickly, brew. Not to be...

You know what? I'm going to save it for the post game. Save it. We're going to stay in Florida where Drake May walked out of Tampa Bay with a victory and now the best odds to win MVP. Drake, Stafford, Mahomes,

Jonathan Taylor's crushing, and then Josh Allen, because it's... Go ahead. mandatory he has to be he has to be on everybody so we're going to save the MVP conversation for later in the show about Stafford but is Drake May officially

one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks you might ask how many elite quarterbacks are there I don't know if there's a top five right now he's in it there's to me four locks and it might not be the four you think because Joe Burroughs not in it right now I'm sorry

Joe Burrell's not in it. You mean, period. I know, I just mean, I mean, he's out. Next year, beginning of next year. I don't know. If he doesn't come back and play again this year, then I think, Joe, I just need to see him play a healthy couple months. I think that's like music, like hot artists right now.

Hey, like, well, BB King. I know in the grand scheme of things, yes. So, listen, it's the three guys in their prime with MVP's, and the guy who I think is about to get one in Stafford. That's your four. And right now I think Drake May is your five. I think it's Patrick, Josh, Lamar, everybody's All-American, Brew, who you're coming around on, and Drake May.

And I don't think it's too early. I don't think he's too young. And again, Coach, here's what I would say to prevent you from lecturing yourself about doing this with CJ Strzegg. I do not necessarily believe this means next year he will have this type of success. But this moment right now, if you were to ask me, list the quarterbacks you would want in order. He's the fifth name out of my mouth. For like a game.

Yeah, for the rest of this season. For the rest of this season, I would take Patrick, I would take Josh, I would take Stafford, I would take Lamar, then I'd take Drake. He probably should get a package deal with Josh McDaniels. Well, but that's fine. I agree with that. Coach, that's totally fine. But he gets, yes. That's what you get.

Malm's gets Andy Reed. Yeah, you get the guys you're with. Like. Yeah. And look, it's the random collection of guys that they go out of six months. I think he's playing at an elite level. I'm not convinced that he's an elite quarterback.

And to your point about C.J. Stroud or Jaden Daniels. Yeah. He's this year's Jaden Daniels and Jaden Daniels was last year's C.J. Stroud. And the question will be, you know, moving forward. do we continue to see this progression. But in this moment, at this moment right now,

you can't say he's not playing at elite level. And he's done some really good things in terms of when you watch him drop back to pass, look at the coverage, the coverage isn't there, having the patience to move up in the pocket, and then uses athleticism to make a play. Those things are really good. What I don't love, and I think he's going to come back to be real problems.

Yeah, there's second in the league in sacks. He's been sacked 35 times. times only Tennessee has more at 38. So that part has to, there's got to be a point where you just live to fight another day. You throw the ball away. Every play doesn't have to be sort of heroics. And it's hard because as a young player, you want to do that. And it's, it's ingrained, but he's got to protect himself.

Like in that regard, oddly KW. And sorry, Bruges, the Broncos would be a playoff matchup that if I would be a little anxious about. The Broncos. Yeah, like his Drake, Megan, and he's a sack. nine times. I think that would be the concern. Pretty bad. Look, I like him a lot.

I think he's, you see he can play on schedule and on time and then still make the big spectacular play. That's what Caleb is trying to get to. But, and I think maybe you were saying the same thing as coach Nick. Like right now, yeah, right now. But again, Jaden Daniels, at least I had it as a top five guy a year ago.

And the year before, C.J. Stroud. So he does, I want to see more of it. I just, he's so young, and we've seen guys have a great year and then not have a great year the next year. I would bet that he's going to emerge over the next couple years as one of those top elite guys, but I can't put him there right now. A handful of guys are locked in, right? Yeah, like the one, the Lamar, Josh, Patrick.

I put Burroughs still in there. If he's healthy and I get what you're saying. But then there's there like another group of guys that can go in another? He's playing pretty well this season. Dak struggled at times against some of the better teams. He was trying to get you know Tier 2 fluid. Tier 2. Yeah, it's fluid.

I know there's some fluidness. It's fluid. I think Drake is going to be a perennial top three row of the mountain, which is top six. I think Drake May is going to be perennially around the third row. We were feeling this way about J-Lo. That's you. You got a mess in your pocket. A couple of years.

College football under the lights on Friday. Minnesota going to Oregon, Friday night at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific only on Fox. We're headed to Berlin. Where Jonathan Taylor ran wild, 244 rushing yards, three touchdowns grew, including the game winner in overtime. Indy moves to 8 and 2. What did the Colts prove to you? That Jonathan Taylor is the win beneath the game.

their wings. So good. I mean, it was, it was him. And nothing against Daniel Jones, who's been good this year. But lately Jones has struggled. Obviously, last week he had, what, five, five turnovers? This week, he had the interception. He had a fumble.

And he had two more fumbles that, you know, they didn't lose. He has six fumbles the last two games. They didn't lose all of them. Right. They lost, what, three of them. Three of, yeah, three of them. So Taylor, if his, it wasn't for his heroics, and that's particularly that 83-yard run, they lose that game. And so that's number one.

Daniel Jones is kind of maybe coming back to Earth. We'll see. But clearly it's about Taylor at this point. And then also, I just think that they, you know, it was a good win. But I don't, I don't see them. I think I don't see them as a. great team. I clearly. Go ahead, Coach. Yeah, so Jonathan Taylor, this was his third career, 200-yard rushing game. And the greatest thing about Jonathan Taylor is when you hear him talk after

the game and everybody's trying to get him to talk about his accomplishments, he keeps coming back to the best part of that run was when all my teammates came down and congratulated me and we celebrated together. And he talks about the blocking, all the things that you would love your superstar to talk about. And the disappointing thing about Daniel, Jones is everybody's trying to stop Jonathan Taylor. So they're building eight-man boxes. So the reeds outside should be a lot cleaner. You're not facing a bunch of split safety defense.

The throwing lanes should be cleaner. Play action should be more effective. Everything becomes easier for a quarterback when you've got a running back like this. So it's all about Jonathan Taylor. I'd say the last thing is Atlanta is just. They find ways to lose. Yeah, they, yeah.

A coach, you would have hard to use them as a measure. Coach, you would have loved watching this game with me. Aside of the fact, it was very early in the morning. I'm just begging them to run the ball. I'm like, just run the ball. Just run the ball every time. Just run Bijan, and when he gets tired, put in Alger. And when he gets tired, go back to Bijan.

And it felt like they, too often when I watch Atlanta, I feel like they are trying to justify Michael Panics, as opposed to trying to win the game. And they were never off schedule in this game as far as like, oh, we're down 17. And in fact, the only drive all game they really committed to the run was the last drive when they were trailing. But they were trailing with enough time that they could still run the ball. This is just going to be a Jonathan Taylor Love Fest. And the KW, this was your guy.

You said shortly, not right after we met, because right after we met was when you kicked him out of your office 10 years ago. First time I met you, I was like, you should draft Jonathan Taylor. No, but it was once we worked together, you wanted the chiefs draft Jonathan Taylor. Yes. And they drafted Clyde Edwards-Ail, and I don't second-guess any of the chief stuff. Nice good. Have you? That's a pretty often. No, it was a tough analysis that it considered, you had like three college-rushing records. Well, so that's the-Lair was great.

No, and again, like I, as you said earlier, butterfly flaps, its wings. who they draft Jonathan Taylor, who knows if they, you know, go to three straight Super Wolves, win two of them, I don't know. What I do know is this. Jonathan Taylor has played 118 games in the Big Ten or in the NFL. In those 118 games, he has 15,000 yards and 128 touchdowns. And if we want to say take out the college stuff, which again, it's not like he was at a small school killing people.

not that I'm saying that's not good, Ashton Jenty, I'm simply saying it was three years at the Big Ten. In the pros, Wilds, 77 games, 8,500 yards, and 73 touchdowns. That's pretty good. So he averages for his career 110 yards from scrimmage. Oh, it's almost a tough. Well, yeah, I mean, it's, yeah, I mean, it is, it's, for whatever it's worth, brew, it's 60, it's 7,100 rushing yards in 77 games.

He averages 92 rushing and 18 receiving yards a game. 92 is great. Yeah, so 110 rushing yard or 110 yards from the image and almost exactly one touchdown a game for a long career. He has more yards rushing this year than Sequin did at this point last year. And it's also more impressive because there's been no quarterback to take the pressure off. Right, right. That makes it that much harder. Greg is, Greg is fuming right.

Also, oh, the other thing. Nope. Hold on you. We don't know we have no time. We saw that Berlin fogs and made the ball slippers. No. This is wild. We got no time.

Dream top. Rams cooked to the 49ers, but Mac Jones did his thing. 33 for 39. He only missed six passes. Three touchdowns, 3 hundred and 19 yards. Now, I think he earned this job. But in the call, you were like, you and what army, Wilde? Good point.

Take a listen. Oh, this. Yeah, listen, you got to go with the hot hand. Yes, yes, you stay with them. I got to believe that's why I'm still sitting here today because they went with the hot hand about 25 years ago. All right, so Tom Brady is featured in a lot of commercials where, like, there's a guy in an office

that knows just as much football as Tom Brady. Brew? Did Matt Jones take Purdy's job? Tom Brady was 11 and 3 that year that he took over for Bledsoe, and your boy is 5 and 3. and it's about to get progressively. But, no, he played really well yesterday.

I am not going to take anything away from Mac Jones. Are you calling him the baby goat again? Maybe. I don't know. He has played well. I do think the difference is, like, and I'm going to be honest, if I'm the Niners right now,

I am totally like Brockman, just to take your time. Not so much because I think Mac is going to lead them to the playoffs, but as I've said with the contracts and I get it look, Bletsso had the contract but you guys won the Super Bowl with Brady. It wasn't like you just,

he played up some numbers, you know. But because three offensive touchdowns in that playoff. Yeah. And Drew Blitzer did throw one of them. Yeah, yeah. No, I get it. It was a tough decision. But I feel like the contract

Purdy has just makes the spot his. I also think Purdy is better. I think Mac is obviously very accurate, very smart on time, all that. I think Purdy's mobility is big for them. He extends plays. A lot of the plays he makes...

But not quite like Purdy. And I think the other thing, I think Purdy throws the ball downfield better. Like Mac, I think, is more of the short, quick passes. I think Purdy does a better job of throwing the ball down field. Can I? But I would want to see Mac

in part because like I said, I think Purdy's contract makes it where you got to keep him as your guy. And so you play Mac and see does that raise his trade value? I don't think if you're... Or it gives you a longer time to evaluate. If Brock Perdiser's starting quarterback,

I think you need a really good backup because the guy's been banged up a bunch. The fair point. And so I... Well, yeah, I mean, honestly, yeah. And so, but here are the last two years. Here's the Niners quarterback numbers. And the guy on the right's just been better.

And the sample size is getting bigger by the day. So the, the, well, let me give, when you're done, I have the graphic. So I just, I just have a question, but I can't say there's no agenda behind the question there is. Of course there is. But it is a fair question before you go. With an agenda. To you, bro. Has how Mac Jones has played at all, any percentage points made you reconsider.

consider how good you believe Purdy actually to be. Well, I never have Purdy as elite. Well, you said he could be. I had him in the, in the, you said he could be. Yeah, I had him could be. It was fluid. I understand.

But no, because there were plenty of guys that know. No, don't you. Don't you. Don't. C.J. Beth. There were plenty of guys that played for Shandah hand and didn't put up there.

But here, look at this, Gravitt. This is a little more fair. This is them, both of them, over their careers with Christian McCaffrey. Oh, so now it's McCaffrey. No, but he makes a difference. And just like Xavier Worthy and Rushie Rice make a difference for Mahomes. But look at who's been better when McCaffrey's played. It's not close.

The passer rating Purdy's is far better. The TD, because this is offense. TD to Interceptions, basically three to one for Purdy, two to one. If we're being, for Mac, okay, go ahead. Can I just say that it doesn't matter. None of it matters. Because you're telling me you're going to go to the owner and say, we traded three number ones for Trey Lance.

And then we didn't play him, but we played the guy who he drafted last. And we moved on from him. And now we've given this other guy, $265 million. And we're going to play this dude who's making 3% of his contract at $8 million. You're going to walk into the ownership and say, that's okay? Yeah, call the jets. No chance. Nick brings up a good point, though.

Do you keep Jones as a backup? Yeah, it's like quiet. It's like, what was your term? They're soft benching, quiet benching? Oh, yeah. Hey, you quiet benching. You like, you just say, oh, he's still. Well, for the rest of this year.

But next year is interesting. I would, listen, I personally, I think I'd be interested in both of their trade value over the summer. I think that. I'd be interested in both of them. I think $265 million contract. Right. Did you think Purdy's is going to be great? Well, see, this is, hold on.

But I'm saying with the injury history that he, like before this season, I didn't think the injury history was that bad. It was a little bit. But now you're out essentially a whole year. Okay. If nobody will trade for the player, then it's a bad contract. That's a pretty good. It's a terrible contract.

Okay. I agree. I agree. No, I'm saying if they won't trade for them, It's a terrible. We'll see. Eagles at Packers tonight. There's lots of storylines, including this one, a little off-season action.

Headline from the athletic Packers, Brace for Eagles Tush Push after trying to ban it. I hate that play. Remember the Packers led the charge to ban the play. There was some talk about the Eagles running it. There wasn't some talk. Dusty said it. Dusty counts. There's not.

There is not talk. Now it's on television. We're all talking about it. There's some talk about. Our wonderful lifelong first thing's first producer, Dusty, who's a diehard Eagles fan. I thought you were giving it life. No, I didn't want to give it

life now. I mentioned it to you as a way to loudly mock Dusty and in the office, and now it's on TV. I have the Eagles tonight, coach. Not me. This is Green Bay. Wow.

Green Bay has been so good for me an upset alert. So good. But this is the perfect spot for Green Bay. They play well in big games. Micah Parsons. He's going to go this Monday night football, Micah Parsons, big game. This

is going to be a perfect Green Bay victory because it's big enough for them to actually try to play well. I like it, Coach. I feel good about it. My pick, which is the Packers as well because they're my Super Bowl pick. Eagles and it's not close. Do you

Not close? It's not close. Not close. Siriani undefeated off a body. KW, if it's not close, then the conversation, then A1 tomorrow is, are the Packers going to miss the playoffs? Oh, I wasn't ready for that. If they get blown out.

If they, yeah, if they, if it's not close. No, if it's not close, if you get blown out at home, second straight loss at home. That cannot happen. Yeah, they, they, the Packers. Zequant's back. Jellon's had perfect pass. Like the Parsons. Have you heard of them?

Exactly. Go ahead. There you go. Are we true? Are we true? Is back? Michael Parsay. Start your Saturday strong.

Michigan, Northwestern at Wrigley Field. That's cool. All starts with Big Noon kickoff at 10 a.m. Eastern, live from the hardest. Danny should try to go out there. I was about to say, and they should have Colin do something. Collins in Chicago. Huh. Remember, I'm the Caleb guy.

Maybe I should go out. That's Michigan Northwestern. Big noon Saturday. Only on Fox. That's cool. Rams are rolling. Stafford had yet another four touchdown game with no interceptions.

Is this, he is now second in MVP. Is this Stafford's award to lose? Absolutely yes. Also, I try not to do this too open on the show, pat myself on the back, but classic one by me. Oh, man, Stafford's back. What's going on? Was he a preseason pin?

No, but no, that's what I'm saying. He accused the organization of lying. I know. I just said Matt Stafford, they were in a protracted negotiation about, does he want to trade? Does he want a new contract? They get him to come back, and then all of a sudden he's going to be at practice. And it's like, oh, my back. And then he's hanging out in a tractor trailer called the Amortal Chamber.

And now all of a sudden is playing best football of his life. He was just chilling. That's a good tractor travel. Yeah, he was chilling. You were right. And so, yeah, I mean, I think he checks every box brew. because you talk we talk about this more with the NBA than the NFL, which is you're voter, I'm not, but you have, it's like, what's your, do you have it off top of your head, the pie you care about, like historical relevance. Historical relevance wins, your record, wins, losses, individual statistics, and then your supporting cash.

Right. And so to me, he checks like every box in that. He does have a tremendous support. Right. But if it's a tie, probably go to the old guy who's never won it. That piece of it. The numbers are unbelievable. He's in a premier market. So all of those things, he checks every box you would want from an MVP,

and the team's awesome. And it feels like it goes through him. It's interesting. I'll have Bruce ballot tomorrow, but I'm surprised he's not number one. in the odds. Like, Drake May is remember. Yeah,

I think that's purely because they project the Pats might go 14 and 3. And they think the Rams could not win. Yeah. They think it's on the board the Rams don't win the division.

Yeah. And Drake, the one thing Drake has, because obviously Stafford's stats are better, the thing Drake has over him is he doesn't have the supporting cast that Stafford.

Like he doesn't have Puka and Devonte Adams and you know all that. Even the running man, Kyron Williams. So that It'll be interesting to see how voters look at that But right now Stafford's numbers are so prolific

He's at what 20 touchdowns No picks in his last six games I think I felt I heard that was one of Maybe the first time that's ever been done But I don't know I think it's too early to say it's his to lose I do think he should be in first place right now Yeah the other thing that's the first

He has three straight games with four touchdowns And no interceptions first time in NFL history that's been done so that's pretty incredible the touchdown interception ratio is incredible and I get Drake May because there's no expectations he was coming

off not just a season of change and a new court all those things that make you kind of great on a curve where Stafford's been successful for a long time so him having this level of success even though it's incredible

you're still used to him being a really good player, so you might grade him down a little bit on a curve, but to me it is his to lose at this point. And he faces tougher competition than New England does. Ram Seahawks next week. I feel like that's a real challenge for if that Seahawks

offense, excuse me, Seahawks defense is as good as we think, or if the Rams offense, it'll be a real bad. No, that should be. No. So he also, we don't talk, he now for the first time ever is at 500 for his career. Yes. He's been below 500

for every day of his career base. Congratulations to him. No, well, but so here's... 500 quarterback. Well, but so here's the... I know you're joking or you're being tongue to cheat. It's more of a Jalen Hertz thing. Oh, but the, okay, well, he plays tonight.

We'll talk about him plenty tomorrow. But I, do you agree with me, coach? That if, now that he's not going to finish his career below 500, he has a Super Bowl championship. He's not going to, KW, finish below 500 for his career. I mean, I would, I would think it's unlikely. that he loses more games than he wins the rest of his career. You know.

Well, it's Eli Manning, for the record. He's in the same boat. If he wins MVP, he'll be a Hall of Famer. Yeah. He's got to be in serious discussion for it. It's so hard to get your head around the fact that he wasn't able to change and transform Detroit. With Calvin Johnson. They had some other good play.

They had a lot of good play. Because typically, Hall of Fame quarterbacks change the organization. they're with, they don't suddenly transform a new organization after how many years, was it, 16 years or whatever it was in Detroit? Aaron Rogers. Is he fed up? The Steelers fed up with him. Oh, wow, that's interesting.

Danny, are you willing to guarantee a bear's victory over the New York Giants? No, no. Guarantee! I right now. Oh. Can I go to this camera, please. am willing to guarantee you that Caleb Williams

and Ben Johnson will beat the Giants and I become the Bears guy on the show. It's guaranteed. Live from New York is Joe. That's following through on there, guarantee. I'm like Joe Namath out here.

You nailed it. Wow. What a weekend for you. I just, I couldn't believe. I walked into that one. I know. Couldn't believe it. And Danny lost his guy. And by the way, no, I did not.

By the way, Danny's been in moderate shambles since. Thus, should I have guaranteed it once? Of course you should have. No. For 56 minutes of that game, I was looking fresh. And then Caleb becomes the hero. So it wasn't a guarantee. It was kind of perfect.

It was perfect. Logically, you should get all the credit. That's all of your. concerns were proven out and your guy came through. Yeah. Emotionally, great job. But I guarantee you. I'm going to guarantee.

I'm a beloved to the copy. He believed and you didn't. Yeah, that's right. It's just is what it is. Logically, I'm okay. Logically, you're good. Emotionally, no chance. Coming up on the show, Dayball gets fired.

What's next for the Giants? Also, Joe Burrow, back at practice. How does that shake out and affect the entire AFC? But we are starting with a pun. Where there's a Williams, there's a way. Caleb, magical in New York. Giants moved to six and, no, giants, no, the Bears. What the heck, I'm a Bears fan?

Bears moved to six and three. Caleb adds 60 yards on the ground to 220 through the air. Here's Ben Johnson post game. I feel like I'm on repeat each and every week right now. I got nothing new to say to you guys. Did you even waiver for a second? You knew exactly we had them right where we wanted him. This next guy, man.

He's got ice in his veins, down. And if you don't believe it now, you just wait, man. The best is yet to come, 18. Here we go, man. Okay, I'm a bear's guy. But I do have an announcement. A what? For the good of the show, because you grew up in Chicago,

you did radio, longtime radio star in Chicago. It doesn't make a lot of sense for me to be the Bears guy. I am seating Bears guy back to you. How generous. It's like, I'm just giving you, like, I'm winning the Academy Award. I'm like, who did that? MacLamore. It's yours.

I don't deserve that. Thank you so much later on the show. Yeah, I never abandoned Caleb. What did he prove? Is that the question? Yeah. That he is the one. He is the one.

He is the answer to all I've wanted my entire. life as a Bears? Yeah, what do you mean? This is a huge change from 72 hours ago. No, it isn't. As Nick said, logically, this is entirely consistent. The Bears, plenty of reason to doubt them. Caleb Williams, no. You needed to watch that game to fully understand that he was the best player on the team and the best player on the field. He was excellent yesterday. And once again, Caleb Williams was clutch. That is his fourth, fourth quarter comeback this year. And so there is something to a belief that your quarterback is going to actually come through when it matters most that I have literally never experienced.

And all of Chicago has an experience. So the fourth quarter of that game, we can show you the numbers. They were great. Just, okay, and you say, it's the Giants. Yeah. Fine. That's totally reasonable. And the Bears record is against bad teams this year.

But their team in the fourth quarter consistently across the entire NFL is excellent. So you can laugh at what Ben Johnson is saying and the changing of the culture and all those buzzwords. But this is different and is something that we're not recognizing in Chicago. And there were seven drops yesterday. Just watch, like, he was 20 of 36. But if you watch some of these throws and some of these Houdiniacs running away from Brian Burns, putting it on guys' hands, and threading the needle. He was simply spectacular.

And I don't know what else to say other than, that's a franchise quarterback. That's a star quarterback. And the Bears won that game because of Caleb Williams. Not like because the defense was bad, not just because Jackson Dart got hurt. They won that game because of Caleb Williams. And I've been waiting basically my entire life

to say that about a Bears quarterback. Look. Oh, come on, Brew. I mean, because of recent happenings, I mean, it's strange, but I think we have some video just to set up what I'm about to say. I believe we have some. What's happened? Maybe, maybe not.

It is, I'm being told that it is on this way. Oh, here we go. Oh, okay. Danny's the Caleb guy. Yeah. I'm the Caleb. So because Nick official, that word officially is on. This is.

Because he officially dropped. He's trying to take a shot with me. No, no, I'm not. It's not a shot. But we all saw you officially discarded Caleb. From three to five, I'm the Caleb guy. Okay. From three to five.

Three to five. Now, you're the Caleb guy. I was the Caleb guy. You were trying to get it, but you don't want it. You got Drake. Yeah, yeah. From three to five, I'm the Caleb guy now. Okay.

And I'm saying. that, I have the captain. I mean, rarely have we used the banner to, like, you, you discarded, bro. You didn't just say, you know what, I'm a little down on him. You dropped a banner on this. I mean, that's, the banners, you know, that's

for something special. I got a question for you. Yeah. Because you have a great watch collection. Yes. Any of those given to you from someone you love? Yeah, my father's not. Was it because they hated them? Or was it because they loved you so much?

They were like, you know what, you should have it? Exactly. I'm following. That's the exact. That banner said, right. I was. You're giving me Caleb. I gave him to Danny.

I'm from Chicago. It's not wild. Yeah, your guy. And I didn't know we were going to do. But just three to five. Okay. But my point is this. As much as, and I'm not going to act like I love Caleb, you know, but I think he can be a very good quarterback.

I think you went a bit too far, though. Oh. And I do. There were a lot of drops. seven of them. Yes. So his 55% completion percentage

yesterday was because of a lot of drops. And Nick is like, what's completion percentage really matter? But I think you would agree. It matters when it's that low. And it wasn't just that low yesterday. It's 60% for the season. It's been 50% in more than half their games, I think.

He had one touchdown, and it was the Giants, one passing touchdown. And it was the Giants. So I believe he's getting there. He certainly can make the spectacular plays. But the fact that why was that game even in the balance? It shouldn't have been in the balance against the Giants like that.

And maybe if Jackson Dart doesn't get hurt, they don't even have a chance for him to be heroic. So a couple things. One is, I just want to big picture clarify one thing about my opinion on the conclusion percentage. Because you almost had it right, Drew. I just want to, I do care if a completion percentage is low. Right. So when I say I don't care about it, I don't think, I don't think there's a tangible difference between a quarterback can complete 65% of their passes

and 74% of their passes necessarily. I think, you know, I think the devil's in the details there. So I don't care about super high completion percentages like, oh, that guy must be awesome. But super low is a problem. So I agree with you there. I agree with Danny that I think yesterday it's a little misleading because of the drops. And as far as why was it? why was it that close?

The reality for the Giants is, in my opinion, they are actually a good team for the first three-ish quarters of football games. There's a lot of teams they have had in this situation. And then so it's not... I mean, you look at Denver, and I know Knicks has been great in the fourth quarters, but that's a prime example.

Bo Nix we don't think is a very good quarter. I agree, but they were also up 26 on Denver. But regardless, I think Caleb, Is checking the boxes we would have wanted him to check? And I think that there is, can you beat up on the Wobagon teams? We saw that. Yeah, we saw that. Can you, when things aren't, one of the biggest questions I had was,

was he going to continue to be what I thought was a bit of an emotional roller coaster within the game, which is when things are rolling, they're rolling, and then when soon as seeing something bad happens, he submarines himself. These comebacks the last couple weeks, that Cincinnati game, that was as stomach punch, like, we're losing. We're up 14 with the ball with two minutes left. We're losing, and he drove him down the field. Yesterday, you know, being down 10 with four minutes left and then those back-to-back drives, those are real moments. And so I mean, I tend to agree with Danny that he is a franchise quarterback.

The Bears aren't, like we can, we're not far removed from, I think, mostly off the air, not on the air, of being like, how much do they love that Baygent guy? Like, those were the conversations a month ago, for real. And so I think that is. Well, he's definitely a franchise quarterback. The question is, is he going to be a superstar franchise? I think you lowered the bar a little bit too much. Like now, now your big compliment coming off of his first, his fourth comeback in the, and the. Bears are six and three is the number one quarterback that you selected in the draft two years ago

is the franchise quarterback like that's it no no no it's just like oh yeah right okay actually he is that good but that's the point so i want so i'm the caleb guy can we all agree but i'm generous i'm happy to share him you guys can be Caleb guys but today's the day you're either in or you're out here's my prerequisites three steps process for being a Caleb guy. Admit they found their franchise quarterback. That's easy. Believe Caleb eventually can win a Super Bowl.

Agree that he can be a consensus top 10 quarterback in the NFL. That is how we here at FTFOT are defining being a Caleb guy. I am obviously. Yeah, I think all I agree with all of them. I'm in on top 10. You've done your top 10 and you think Caleb is going to be? Can't. But here's the thing.

Yeah, I would expect him to be a top. You're going even further than Danny. You say you expect. That question, the standard, to your point, can be? Yeah, that's right. Will be. It doesn't say will be. The official graphic says can't, sure.

He can be. Cross it out. Right. Eventually can win a Super Bowl? Sure. He can. I mean, yeah. You understand the spirit of the prerequisite.

So Nick is in. I don't. I mean, yeah, he can be a top 10 quarterback someday. When? Like, is we, the guys playing for like 20 years? It's a very simple. I have a very simple. I would.

I would, hold on. You're trying to write down. I bet you get a hard time getting to 10, buddy. By the end of next year. By the end of next year. Nick is throwing. Patrick Josh. No, Patrick Josh Lamar.

Josh Lamar is four. Wow. Pick a lane. No, I got to go. Jaylon. Hold on. Patrick. Baker. Baker.

Stafford's going to. Stafford's got to be in. Could retire. But he's in. I'm putting J-Lo in. I have more faith in Caleb than I do J-Lan. Like I do. Drake, I should have mentioned.

Drake is in. Yeah, who else did you mention right now? We talk about Jalen Hurts? Yeah, we said to him. He's in, you know. Dirk? I think he's going to, I think by the end of next year, he'll be better than Dack.

I think that. I'm not ready to make a choice on that. I like what? The top 10 thing. Who will make a choice? The top 10 thing is. That was a simple. That was,

I'm not true. The top 10 thing is not, I'm not ready to say top 10. Okay. I'm not either, but it was candy. Candy? Yes, he can.

It's fluid. That was basically it's fluid. Is he better than Jared Gough? I'm supposed to say, yeah. Not right now. Not right now. He's not a top 10 guy right now. No,

he will be. The guy that we saw yesterday, that is what he will become. That is his destiny. The Giants team that Caleb beat, that all of a sudden is a referendum, fired their coach this afternoon, which is what we're getting into now. Awesome. Moving on to Brian Dayball.

Okay. They fired their coach. Because you shouldn't fight. You lose to a top 10 quarterback. No big deal. Team is six and three. Future support. You are right.

Yes. So, one 2020, 22, coach of the year. It did get a playoff win, but the Giants just have two wins now. and are looking at a mini rebuild, your reaction to Dayball getting fired, and a bonus question I thought of. Okay. Is this job even a good job?

Yes. Moving forward. Yeah, I think it's a good job because you're not saddled with, you haven't traded away your picks. You're not saddled with bad contracts. I like some talent. Yeah, I mean, I like Carter.

I like Burns. I like neighbors. I know he's coming off a knee. And I'm intrigued by Jackson Dart. But I don't think you're, if he's not the guy, you're not tied to him. You know what I mean? You have flexibility there. And so, and you have the ability once again next year, like you did this past year,

you go into a draft, not taking a quarterback with your top five pick. You can get another blue chip player. And I don't think the Maras are terrible. Like, it's not the Jets. And so, yes, I think it's a good job. And yes, I think Dave will deserve to be fired. and I think the fact that he started 7 and 2, Danny, and then they went 13 and 38 the rest of the way,

is just remarkable. And so I thought his temperament was a problem. Yeah. Yeah, and I think that he was his own worst enemy in some of that regard, and I wonder really how Buffalo is going to react to this and whether or not they try to bring him back into the fold at some point. Firing Brian Daibel is completely reasonable. They were one and two this year when leading by 10 points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter.

The rest of the NFL is 239 and 1 in those scenarios over the last two years. So that's terrible. But I feel bad for Jackson Dart because you got to fire Joe Shane too. Because you want... It doesn't seem like they're going to, Danny. I know, and we've seen this. I mean, Cam Ward had his coach fired. Bryce Young had his head coach fired.

Caleb Williams had his head coach fired. Baker Mayfield had his head coach. Like, Trevor Lawrence. Warren said his head coach fired. Now those are just number one picks that I'm picking. But like when you draft a guy and then fire the coach in their rookie year, but then keep the general manager and then only to eventually fire the general manager. And then you bring in another general manager who wants to hire his own coach, who then hires his own quarterback. No one's ever in line. You know, you want your coach, your GM and your quarterback to be aligned as a big three. And if they keep Shane and they force the next head coach to have to be a Jackson Dart guy, but then they eventually fire Joe Shane because that's just how it works. works, Jackson Dart's going to trouble. You don't think the coach signs up for Jackson Dart, like, okay. I know he's not Kayla, but they sign up for it to get the job because there's only 32 of these, but it limits your talent rule.

I think what he's saying is more importantly that the GM ends up getting fired and then the new GM's like, wait, I don't get to pick my coach or my quarterback. Right. Like the previous guy picked both these guys. I'm going to be evaluated by this. If I didn't make that clear, like that, you're setting yourself up now for your coach, GM and quarterback to never all be aligned. Yeah.

No, for that reason, I actually thought there was a really good chance that Dart saved Daible's job, like because he clearly was a dark guy, wanted to draft him, and Dart play, was playing really well under him, but maybe with him getting hurt, you know, and they seeing the way he was kind of putting him in harm's way consistently, maybe that cost him. But I really thought there was a chance he stayed because of Dart, because you don't, to your point, you don't want to keep giving him a new offensive coordinator, a new head coach

because that can stifle even big time talent. Want a little fire bomb tape real quick? You'd love it. I'd be interested in Bill Belichick back to the Giants. Wow.

Wow, that is. It's not working in North Carolina. They've won two in a row. Just put it out there. Just fire bomb tape, just put it out there first to market with it. Might not be perfect. what people like hit the interesting radar I ran it through now the Danny's

guys are you Steelers guy not necessarily I picked him to make the playoffs okay there you go Steelers lost to Justin Herbert Nick challenged Herbert to do more with less yeah and have the defense step up they got it done bang here's some post-game sound take a listen whatever it is I got to play better I will you know we got to bounce back. We've got a division opponent next week. We're five and four. We're head by a game in the division and we got to play better on offense for sure. But, you know, this is part of the season. There's ebbs and flows. There's ups and downs. And we can't ride the wave. You know, I felt like our energy and it starts with me. Danny, what was your headline from this game? No player in the

NFL does more with less than Justin Herbert. I mean, I know you guys don't. I know you guys don't I don't love the PFF grades, and I'm with you, it's in exact science. But when they do the intros on Sunday Night Football and they show their PFF ranks, Justin Herbert's left tackle ranked 38th out of 38, his center 36 out of 36, his right guard 36 out of 37, and his right tackle ranked 35th out of 36th. And that has resulted in Justin Herbert being the most pressured quarterback by far in the NFL, including in the game yesterday, where his time to throw was snap and throw. And he was excellent. So if you are playing with the worst most injured offensive line in football and still producing at an elite level, and you have the fourth most wins in the league, those numbers on the bottom are not like his yards under pressure. Those are his overall rankings despite being the most pressured player in football. He is just an excellent football player.

Well, there's, okay. So here's my, my biggest takeaway is that by a month from now, we're going to be hearing about how it's not Justin Herbert's fault. Because this is, so here is, here is the shot at me. Yeah, no, well, Danny will be making excuses for Herbert by Christmas. That's a shot. So here is, like, I totally agree that last night he was excellent. And last night, offensive lines banged,

up that that and we've got to be fair about what he does and doesn't have because I can we do the blind reveal real quick love it we haven't done this I know long time we agree those two defenses are basically equivalent one allows 25 fewer yards but allows one more point the takeaways are almost identical third down percentage right sure okay I'll walk right into your trap is Seattle's defense good enough I think it is I think people talk about it like it's one of the best in the league well that's the defense Justin Herbert has. So he had, we can reveal it now, by the way, that's Seattle in the charges.

So this is what he's going to war with. The offensive line is banged up. You know what? It's pro football. No team's going to be perfect come November. And the expectation for a guy who is compared to Peyton Manning for a guy who has talked about like by all the film nerds and. My pal here, that he is a top five quarterback in the league.

Yes. So go do it. So go make the playoffs, win a playoff game, play well. That's all, because it no longer can be there's nothing he could do. We saw what he did last night. We saw it. So like that is now when you are elevated to Peyton Manning 2.0, that's the expectation. The expectation is that maybe they chase down.

the Broncos for the AFC West and up the Chiefs, that they are a dangerous playoff team and not when they inevitably go 10 and 7 and get clocked in round one of the playoffs that we say next year will be different when Joe Alt's here. Brew, you heard it. Did I bring up Peyton Manning? Nick said it twice. Well, not today. Well, no, Nick said it twice.

Every other time. To the graphic. To the graphic, updated through 10 games, sixth season, Peyton Manning, Justin Herbert. You know that is so unfair. I don't understand. It seems to be. It was so much harder to play quarterback back then. You could get hit hard clocked all over.

Your receivers could get hit hard like that. I mean, it was tough. Because it, I mean, yeah, it's disrespectful to the guys back then, I think. Honestly. It was just much harder to play quarterback back then. Okay. Coming up after the break, Joe Burrow back at practice. Should Bill's fans be worried?

That might be his first game. Used to be an easy game and now it's not. Josh Allen. in the Bills went to Miami and were handed a ugly 30 to 13 loss to the Dolphins. Josh Allen had 306 yards and two touchdowns, but the turnovers came back. He had an interception, lost the fumble. A 17-point loss is the worst divisional loss of Josh Allen's career. Here's the Bill's MVP after the game.

They came ready to play. They wanted it obviously a little more than us. I got to be better. I'd be better in the protection game. in the past game, in the run game, all of it. You know, it's anytime you turn it over three times, two in the red zone, really, you could count that last one, you know, driving, kind of going into the red zone.

So that's a recipe for disaster. So the Bills were my Super Bowl pick. We got Willie Cologne and Coach Manjini out here. Willie, how concerning is that loss for the Bills? Well, I was, first of all, I thought this game was, there's no reason to watch this game. I thought the Buffalo Bills was going to simply just dog walk the Dolphins. That wasn't the case.

the bills were more talented, tougher team. I thought even with their B and C game, they can beat the Dolphins. That's how I assume. Now I'm looking at this team, and I'm starting to have questions because dolphins up until now were a team who turned over the ball, Harlebone defense, and Coach McDaniels seemed like a coach who may have lost his team. So I'm like Buffalo is just ahead of the class. And then when you suffer a loss like this, there's two things that pop up.

One, I realize the Bill flow of Bill's aren't as mentally tough as I thought they were. And two, they're deficient in areas I thought they were strong on. Meaning, I thought they, even though James Cook had a great game, you take him out the game in the fourth quarter because of past protection issues, which was weird. I understand he did have that formal, but he was cooking. He was averaging 4.2 yards of tote. He's been great. He's been great. Like, he's been one of their lead dogs.

And on top of that, offensively, from an office line standpoint, I thought they were better. I just thought they were going to uphold. They were going to be stronger. And I have a graphic to show you right here. This is the Buffalo Bills, the first four. games. This is in the last five games. 13 sacks. This, this officer line is supposed to be the spearhead of this team

alongside Josh Allen. And so now I'm looking at this Buffalo Bills team. I'm saying, hmm, I'm worried about it. Like, this is a concern because I expect from a talent standpoint, a toughness standpoint, even a mental standpoint, this team is going to beat the Miami Dolphins on their worst day. And that didn't happen. So if you're a Buffalo Bills fan, this is an ugly loss and I'm concerned about.

I think the point that you made right off the top where you said, I didn't watch the game. because I thought they were going to get dog walked. Yes. That's what the Buffalo Bills thought, too, when they showed up. And that was the problem. So they had the emotional game coming off an emotional game. They think they can treat this as a buy.

And then they show up. And unfortunately, I've been part of some teams that weren't very good. And nothing feels better than beating a team that, you know, comes in and underestimates you. And you could see the celebration in Miami's locker room how passionate they were. Yeah, they treated it like a Super Bowl. Yeah. And I get that. And for them, that's kind of the high water marks of the rest of the season,

is them being able to do that. The turnovers are real concern. So he's at now one turnover at this point, Josh Allen, less than he had all of last season. So that's a real issue. And when you look at who they beat, they beat Carolina, who's a 500 team, and they beat in Kansas City. And I know everybody says how great Kansas City is, but Kansas City is only a game above 500.

So it's not like they've been. It's true. They've beaten the elites of the elites, and they're just not good enough with the amount of injuries they have to treat someone like it's a buy. And they learned a really difficult lesson that hopefully they can recover from. So I'm not concerned at all. And you guys tell me if this is being protective of my preseason pick. And I really don't think it is, but I'm willing to admit a bias there if you guys think there is one. Okay.

The NFL is so weak to week. and the teams at the top this year seem to have, they all seem to have questions. Right? Like, we are one week removed to your point coach of this Bill's team thoroughly beating the Chiefs. I know it was a one-score game, but it did not feel that close, right?

And then they lose to my, they get blown out by Miami. The same Miami team who the week before got blown out by Baltimore, and then the week before that, they blew out Atlanta, but then the week before that, they got blown out by Cleveland,

the same, the same Cleveland team who beat Green Bay, who tonight could beat Philly. But Green Bay also lost the Carolina. Sure. Like, it's the NFL. It's just the NFL. And so is it a bad loss

because it probably costs them the division and now they don't have home field advantage and all of those things? Like, yes, the loss means something. But I am still convinced that Buffalo's best is as good as any teams in the NFL and I'm also convinced that they're going to be playing in January. Yeah, but.

but flip that around D.P., we all thought their worst can beat the Miami Dolphics. That's my point. No question. So when you have, like you said, you didn't put them as your favorite to go to the playoffs and make a deep playoff run solely because they were a mid-tier roster. We thought you have an MVP, James, because an office line of the defense I can hunt, you can go far. But if Philly can lose to the Giants and if Casey can lose to Jacksonville,

like I can play the transit of property game, you know, basically with every team in the NFL. You're right. You can lose to anybody on a given week, especially after an emotional win. like you had, and we see it time and time again. It's some of the problems that are showing up consistently, and the fact that they haven't really beaten a lot of good teams throughout the course of the season in their victories. Those two things combined are concerned,

and there is a volume of injuries now that they're struggling to overcome. Well, I was going to say that, and they also look like they lack explosive play. Like, there was a brand of football at one point where we were used to seeing Stefan Diggs and Cole Beasley stretched the field. They seem like the playbook as of right now has strong. And Josh Allen is struggling with the finances to the defense. That's what I think a little concerning when you turn on the tape. Well, the Rams have had no problem with the big plays and really scoring from anywhere on the field.

Matt Stafford got revenge against the Niners. Avenged that week five overtime loss. 42 points, 280 yards, four touchdowns from Matt Stafford. His coach, his teammates with high praise for the MVP favorite. Take a listen. He's just been in total command. You know, it's a continuation of a guy that really works, you know, his tail off throughout the course of the week.

He uses the accumulation of knowledge and experience. And then he's just playing really confident. I mean, it's looked like MVP played to me all year, to be honest. To rally a team and continue to lead at a high level after not, when things don't go your way, I think that's what really shows what an MVP is about. I think about those awards. I see those people say stuff like that. And all I can think about is like, I'm just lucky to have unbelievable teammates.

I really am. So we're nine games into this season, and I don't have a vote, but I should. I should. I should have a vote. But Matt Stafford would get my MVP vote right now. And I think the case is pretty overwhelming. Like when you factor in, I can give you any stat and I'll give you one here in a second. But like, Drake May is the surprise story of the year, and they've got a path to the one seed.

Jonathan Taylor is like a bit of a throwback and he's going to outpace Adrian Peterson's MVP year, and he'll make a great case as a running back. But when you're doing things, like Matt's average, he's got 20 plus passing touchdowns and no interceptions over his last six games. And no quarterback whose name we've ever said on the show has done that. You got to go back to Dandy Don Meredith. And he did over two seasons. Look at the one bar faces. I know.

They weren't even like one. He was also probably the punter. Like it's just so ridiculous what he's doing that it feels like he is playing close to perfect football. I do think that he's the MVP right now, Coach. Yeah, you mentioned that set, but the other set is you got three straight games with four touchdowns and no interceptments. Crazy. There's a million of them. Which has never been done before either. And it's, I get why people are excited about Drake May.

There are very little expectations, not just for him, but for the whole team. Then he's well outperformed that. New England's well outperformed that. So he's getting graded on somewhat of a curve. And then the flip side is true, too. where we've seen Matthew Stafford play at a high level for a long time, and he's kind of getting graded down. It's just we haven't seen someone play at this level for quite some time.

So it's hard to argue against him not being the favorite at this point. Yeah, I think we're all saying the same thing. I think the MVP Ward is in Matthew Stafford's glove department. He's taken it home. It's solely for how great he's been playing thus far. I do think it's interesting. When I think about the Rams, I put them right along how I see the chief.

They control their own destiny. I think they're that strong of a team. They're playing big-time high-octane football and offense. Defense is playing fast and physical, and they corrected their special team issue with Harrison Mivas being the new kicker that they acquired. So when you talk about this team primed to make a deep playoff run, like I could see this team.

And listen, you know I love the Eagles. I can see them beating the Eagles right now. I mean, the Eagles did last year in the playoffs. Yeah, and I could see them knuckling up and defeating the lines. Like, I see them, that's how high I see this team, solely because their identity is wrapped around Matthew Stafford and the way he's playing. So yeah, MVP, he goes to staffer right now.

And I know the Niners have a ton of injuries on defense. And so I feel like we always are grading things. He's not like, well, Caleb did this, but it was against this defense. Or this player did this. I understand that, but he's done it all year, and it really felt like watching that game like he could have named his number. If he wanted to score 55, they could have scored 55. If you wanted to get it on the ground, through the air,

horizontal passing game, vertical passing game. It really looked like he could have done anything he wanted. It almost felt like we was watched at, like, NBA, Jam, like, he's on fire. He had that type of aspect to him. And we get to see him against the Seahawks this week, NFC West, and maybe more on the line. Speaking of Drake May and the Patriots, has a big win over Tampa. How feared should they be we discuss next?

Let's go to Tampa Bay, where Parkins picks correctly predicted that the Patriots would beat the bucks. I didn't have the score, but it doesn't matter. 28, 23, that's a cover. They led by Drake May's 270-yard-two-touchdown performance. Patriots now 8-2. atop the division and the AFC. Here's Drake May after the game. May is gritty.

I'm so proud of this team. Just every week we're fighting. Some things aren't going our way. We're handling adversity, battle adversity. Defense is stepping up. You know, what a complete game. That's what we said all week to throw up for 60 minutes. It was a good football team.

We knew if we got up, they were going to come back and they came marching back. And just proud of the guys for standing up, especially our defense with a big stop. Man, just proud of this team. So I don't know how much stock you guys put in like the quality of that victory, but if the league wasn't paying attention to the Patriots, I do feel like they are now because it's tough to project out half of a season of games.

But if they win the games they're supposed to, and we're just talking about any given Sunday, anyone can beat anyone, they really should be the one seed. It's kind of crazy. Like if you look at the strength of schedule the rest of the way for the Patriots, it's the easiest in football. So they play one team right now with a winning record. And Christine, if we could piggyback it with like actually the teams,

because it's one thing to be like, all right, 34%. You know, like what exactly does that mean? Like when you do see it, it's like, all right, the Patriots are going to just, they're going to be 13 and 4? Let's say they lose to Buffalo and Baltimore. Right. It feels like they should be 13 and 4. So, yeah, coach, Patriots put the league on notice.

And to beat Tampa Bay, and you heard Drake May talk about it being a gritty win, we always talk about Tampa Bay being the gritty team. Yes, sir. Baker Mayfield pulling out the gritty win. So I think that has some significance as well. And my only real concern with this team is, is the sacks. And I've talked about this.

He takes a lot of sex. With you before. So Tennessee right now, they've given up the most sacks at 38, but New England's right there at 35. So I'm just concerned that at some point either that's going to lead to real problems with turnovers or even worse, injuries, something like that. So that's my biggest concern. But all the other areas, you're seeing a group that's responding really well to each other,

responding well to the coaching. They seem to be enjoying each other. and that chemistry is really powerful, especially down the stretch. Yeah, like after yesterday's win, I have the Patriots being the second best team in the AFC. Behind? The Chiefs. Just to add clarity to that.

Just to add clarity to that. And I think it's because, one, Mike Vrabel has this team playing ahead of schedule. Like this version of the past, I expected next year, right? Because another year on Drake May, teams more built around who Mike Vrabel is. Like, Mike Vrable has this team playing how he does. played football. Gritty, tough, no nonsense, in your face, went at all cause. And they have matched, they play like that. And so, and Drake May, you know, we talked about, yes, he's kind of the surprise star of the year, but when you watch this kid on tape, man, for him to be this young,

the ability to self-correct, to be able to be decisive with the football. Yeah, I know you had that one interception in the red zone. But the way he commands his office and the way they rally behind him, especially when you think about who's in a locker with DP, like, he has Stefan Diggs. Like, Stefan dex sounds mute right now. Throughout his old career, he's always been that one leap on the map. We don't hear anything out of Stefan on Dix solely because of how he's built, he's brought into Mike Vrable, how he's brought into who Drake May is, and how he's brought into the culture in which the Patriots represent and what they represent.

So I'm a believer, man, like, if you're the Colts right now, if you're the Ravens, if they showed up on your schedule, you've got to be nervous because this team can get after you. Yeah, I'd be surprised if they won the AFC. I'd be surprised if that would feel really ahead of schedule to me. Like, just lack of playoff experience and all that. But also yesterday, Trevionn Henderson showed up. They were able to run the ball.

And he hadn't been having that good of a season. Like, it feels to me like they are putting pieces together and getting more dangerous as it goes along. There were a couple moments during the game where the offensive players were breaking away, and it looked like they were at one tempo. And Tampa Bay was at a totally different tempo. And that's Tampa at home.

That's Pam off a buy. There were some impressive moments like, ooh, they're playing fast. And listen, I mean, that feeling of, that's what Texans fans had a couple years ago, C.J. Stroud. It's what Commander's fans had with J. and Daniels last year. Like, having the guy that you knows the guy on the rookie deal.

It can go away fast. But that's what I was going to go right there. That's what I'm saying. So, like, this is your moment. Cash it in. But this is what can't happen. You play the Jets Thursday. The Jets coming off back-to-back wins. Can't have the letdown. You can't have it. Because this win means nothing at that point, right?

Like, we just talk about Buffalo going down there, being a stronger, better team from a roster standpoint, losing to the Dolphins. Like, I expect the past the way they've been playing. Like the Jets, you shouldn't be in a dog fight with the Jets. You got to continue who you are. So let's go to Baltimore. Just racking up wins.

Ho-hum, three straight. They're four and five. Right on Pittsburgh's heels in the AFC North. It was not a great game from Lamar, honestly. Less than 200 yards, a touchdown. Three takeaways, though, by that Ravens defense that continue. to be improving. They're not ready to celebrate. Here's Kyle Hamilton and Lamar after the win. I think we're starting to hit our strud. You know, we, it's not a surprise to us.

I think we're playing to our potential now. And that's got to be sustained. Everyone's happening when they won, you know, but I feel like our move hasn't changed. You know, we still locked down. You know, we still feel like we won in the fockel. We still behind, you know, in our division. So we got to, like I said, can't get complacent. stay lot now. To me, the Ravens are back. They're exactly where they were before the year. You're right.

Which is nothing that they do during the year matters. Everything about Baltimore before the year was, okay, you're the most talented team. You've won the MVP's. We've seen you have the records. We've seen you beat all the teams in the regular season. Can you do it in January? I now know, based on how their defense is playing, the health of their team, how Lamar looks with the eye test. I now know that the Ravens will be playing in January.

All apologies to your Pittsburgh Steelers. I think they're going to win the AFC North. And then the questions that we had in August are going to be the questions we have again in January. Well, it feels like that's the trajectory. I think right now, one, I believe they are back. Two, I think yesterday was a clear example of their bat because that defense led the game, right? You're talking about the three takeaways. Lamar didn't play great, but he played a clean game of football.

And I think between the run game to defense and how they're starting to get after guys, they seem like they're starting to stack. There's building blocks, right? He's back, defense is back, special teams playing great. And now they're like, all right, we are where we need to be, right? We're playing physical. We're finishing games. And Lamar is obviously the most dangerous guy.

I think if you're the Ravens right now, you have to continue to win. Obviously, there's no, you can't lose any games. But also you have to start putting signature wins together. I thought this was a building block. This was a signature win on the road in Minnesota. So you got to give them credit for that. Here's where I don't think they're back, but it's actually probably good news. So yesterday was the first time in 21 days.

games where a Lamar Jackson led offense didn't score a touchdown in the first half. So for 21 games, he's done that. And then they didn't do it yesterday. And they go into the second half and they really lean into the running game and that's able to carry him. So the positive is, yeah, the defense has improved so much and against some good teams too. And then you look at the flip side, the running game, that's starting to get a lot more consistent. They're getting healthier. and the fact that Lamar isn't the only or the leading reason that they're winning these games,

that to me is a real plus for them because he's going to get back in form coming off the injury. He will get back there. And when all those pieces pulled together, they're going to see a lot of those signature-type wins. Is there something to say that we're right? And that they get to 10 wins and make the playoffs. Like starting 1 in 5 and getting to 10 and 7 and feeling like, all right, this wasn't smooth sailing. There was turbulence on this flight, but we got there, like overcoming the adversity. Yeah, to me, it's all how you finish the season and go into the playoffs.

That momentum is the most important. We see it all the time where there's some teams that are great, and then they limp into the playoffs, and they get eliminated quickly. Yeah, our first Super Bowl year, we were five and five through ten games, and then we got on a winning streak, and we didn't lose again, and that momentum really carried us into the playoffs. So it feels like that's what's happening to Baltimore. Yeah, but I think right now when you start putting it all together, which they're starting to do, now you start looking at it, like, if we do play the cults, if we do play the charges or the bills,

what do we look like? I mean, obviously, they beat the bills already, but, I mean, the bills beat them in week one, but they're just a different team this time of year. So for me, you don't want to look ahead, but you want to show it, like, you know, I love to use expression. This is what we just want to start forming Voltron, where everything starts clicking and you're putting a full body of work together. Massive game tonight, one seed, divisions, and more on the line. Just over two hours to kick off what could be a massive game with NFC playoff previews and implications and seating on the line. The Eagles are coming off their by.

The Packers trying to bounce back after their loss to Carolina. What do you see as being on the line tonight? Well, I don't know what's on the line, but I would like to see the Eagles put it all together. I think there's been so much to talk about how they can run the ball, how they can throw the ball. I want to see Sequin have a day, but I also want to see A.J. Brown be the closing in the red zone. I want to see this team look like, you know, look like a complete outfit on offense. And, you know, listen, the Eagles are solid because they're coming off back-to-back ones. But this is where you start to separate yourselves, right?

When you start, there's no more question about who you are and what you do. You deliver on both sides of the ball. Hopefully they get it done. Green Bay has been my upset alert hero when they lost to the Browns, lost Carolina. But here's where they're good. They're good against good teams. I think they're going to play really well tonight. I think Micah Parsons going to have a great game and they're going to win.

It means a lot more for Green Bay. Because Green Bay loses, they wake up tomorrow. They're in second place. They're behind Detroit. Philly has a three-game cushion on the division. So for Philly, I feel like it's for the one seed. For Green Bay, it's, let's beat another good team and try to actually validate this whole thing. Should be a good one.

We're back tomorrow talking about it. I'm first things first.