First Things First - Ravens beat Packers, Eagles beat Bills, 49ers beat Bears, Can anyone stop the Patriots?

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

(0:00) Ravens beat Packers, Browns ‘embarrass’ Steelers, 49ers contenders with Brock Purdy? (28:30) Eagles beat Bills, Should they have gone for 2? (44:40) Patriots beat Jets, Can anyone in stop them? (53:57) Steelers lose, Ravens find their winning formula?  (01:14:36) Should people be worried about the Bills? (01:23:59) Time to write off the Packers? (01:30:34) 49ers beat Bears, Good loss for Chicago? (01:53:03) Should the Steelers be worried? (02:04:13) He Said, We Said (02:13:10) Does Matthew Stafford need a big game to keep the MVP lead? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York. It's a show that just had a marvelous weekend of football. Marvelous. Yeah. And by the show, we mean me! I also had a great weekend. Yeah, you did. It was the Jets, though.

Come on. Well, Trevor Lawrence does a great job. I was about to say, what about the Prince? What about the Prince? Another great win. Twelve wins. Was that televised or no? It was, I guarantee it was on as many networks as Pat Jets, buddy.

Major metropolitan area of the New York Jets. Oh, you're taking more shots at Jacksonville to start the show. No, I would love to play Jacksonville in the playoffs. I would love to play Jacksonville in the playoffs. I would love to play basketball. FTAF bowl six. Today, Baltimore wins, Pittsburgh loses. I like this cheese grater. Well, it's appropriate.

I love it. And you know what I like? The vibes. Wasn't that Lamar putting it on it? It's all love. Pittsburgh loses. A brew never left. D.

And now. Is he all the way back? The box! Meanwhile, five TDs for a purdy in a shootout with Caleb. Oh, my. This was a huge win for you. Is Brock poised for a Super Bowl run? Shanahan's already talking about it.

Talking about home Super Bowl. And finally, after a perfect five touchdown game, are the Patriots yet again on the doorstep of destiny. We look dangerous, fellas. It was the Jets. No, you guys looked great, though. You looked great. It was the Jets, but you look.

They looked great. They did look good. We looked real good. Drake is, yeah. Drake Mike, he might get the MVP. He might. He might. He might.

I've got a whole new take on this. No, what? Commit. I just want you to. He won't. We're post MVP. We start with the Ravens running a rough shot over the Packers. No Lamar, so Harbaugh is forced to remember that he had a generational running back.

Derek Henry had one of the greatest gains of his career, 36 carries, 216 yards, four touchdowns, all All season highs, career high and carries. Here's Harbaugh post game. It's one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. You know, I mean, it's just it's, it was hard downhill running, but also a lot of make miss. I mean, he's making guys miss. He's taking an inside, taking an outside.

You'd be remiss not to talk about the offensive line and the tight ends, but also the wide receivers. I'm going to tell you, when you watch that tape, you guys go back and watch the tape, you're going to see everybody blocking. Okay. Hey, 200 or more rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns multiple times in a career. Jim Brown and Derek Henry. Brew, you never really left.

You said you would stay until the Ravens were mathematically eliminated. But there's certainly been a little bit of hesitancy to go all in. I haven't seen your toes in months. Are you all the way back? It was no hesitancy. Okay. It was just caution. And realism.

All right? Sure. But you asked, am I back? Yeah. Here's how I'll answer that. The box. I love it. The box, baby.

All right. Am I back after my ravens led by King Henry went into Lambo Field of all places? I love it. And demanded Nick, Some Bratworth sandwiches with extra cheese. Oh, wow. Extra cheese.

Of course, some chips. Did we cook them? No, these are real. We're going to eat one free chip. It's after the show. And, of course, a soda pop. Fruit that around so it's on camera better. The box.

The box. After I ate for all of this. And I did eat in Land. I got the idis. Oh, yeah. I got theitis. I got tired. I got sleepy because I ate so much.

All right. And so I didn't feel comfortable relaxing in my suit and tie trying to sleep, take a nap. Yeah, you don't want to go. There's nothing better than sleeping and relaxing in than the robe. Now, wilds, I don't know that I've even worn this all year. all year. I'm not sure I've worn the robe all year. It's just been waiting. Just on the shoulders. There's something cool about that too. It's just been waiting all season. I was waiting for the, oh, it feels good. It's so comfortable. So anyway, I relaxed in my robe, in Lambo, and Nick,

I am incredibly confident. You can't be. I, whether it is Lamar, and if you're healthy Lambe, course, we want you. Or Tyler Huntley, whoever it is, it's all about Derek Henry. The Ravens just found out. Derek Henry is pretty good. Well, let's give him the football. And I think he is going to have his way in Pittsburgh. We're going to eat some parochies and all of that.

And the Ravens, I think, are playoff bound in an AFC that is wide open. So I'm feeling real good. It just means Patrick Mahomes isn't it? That's all at me. That's fine. That's all we need. That's all we need. We can beat Josh.

We can beat your boy, Drake. We can beat Trevor and all the rest of them. All right. So here is why I am, while I'm delighted Ravens Brew is all the way back. Yes. I'm somewhat shocked that Ravens Brew is all the way back. Wow. Because Derek Henry's a legendary player.

And by the way, I'm. think it has been a little overwrought analysis that the Ravens refused to give Derek Henry the ball. I know there was one drive last week that he did not get the football. People kept saying, and they even said on the broadcast, he wasn't on the field after 1250. Well, I mean, a big portion of that, the Ravens' offense wasn't on the field. They scored a touchdown at 1250. Then the Pat's got the ball. Derek Henry's numbers with league ranks since joining the Ravens is not one of a player who struggles to get the football.

He leads the NFL in rushing yards. He leads the NFL in yards per game. He leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns. And he is about 15 total rushes behind Sequin. So he's tied for second. So they have always known they can give Derek Henry the ball. The reason that I am surprised. that Brew is all the way back is, I think this is fair.

Brew, and not I think it's fair. I know it's fair. Because Brew's belief in the Ravens predates Derek and even being on the Ravens. And while it is not exclusively about Lamar Jackson, he has been the biggest reason for your belief in the team is that culture of defense, plus this transcendent quarterback. Yeah. I don't think he's playing again this year.

Do you guys? And here is the, here is the, you know, sour in what should have been in just a sweet weekend. In 2021, Lamar Jackson wanted a new contract. He hurt his ankle in week 14. John Harbaugh said he's going to work out before the game in week 15 and, you know, we'll see how it goes. He never played again. in 2022,

Lamar Jackson still and deserved, and they should have given it to him, wanted a new contract. He then hurt his knee December 3rd. John Harbaugh said, it's not a season-ending type of thing. He might be back this week, and if not, feel good about next week.

He never played again. And in 2025, according to the Baltimore son, Lamar Jackson is trying to get a new contract. He hurt his back in week 16. John Harbaugh called it a bruise and then did not play in week 17 and today Harbaugh left it open. So I just don't know. Didn't he not travel? He didn't travel years ago. Was that the playoff game? Remember there was a big. Oh yeah. That was 2020 was the playoff game, the one Huntley played. And he did. Lamar was not there.

Lamar wasn't there. Now he was in Lambo. He was in Lambo. He was in Lambo. Look, I have no idea what any of that is about. I would say, I hope that Lamar plays, obviously. I think they can really beat Pittsburgh without Huntley. Obviously. Without Lamar. Without Lamar. Yeah, obviously it would be tough to get to the Super Bowl without him. But I think they can definitely beat Pittsburgh. I don't, like I said, I'm hoping that that's certainly not the case that Lamar is sitting out because of a contract or anything. And I would just say that that would be. ridiculous if that were the case. I mean, not that you don't want to get another huge contract, but you've got, you've already, you're in the midst of a humongous contract right now. It is about winning.

And I do believe that Lamar Jackson, if he can play and be, you know, at, I don't know, 85, 90 percent, whatever it would be, then he will play. He should not, even if that were the, and I don't think that's the case, but he should look at this as an opportunity. Like, again, I know I keep saying wide open.

You're right. It is because the Chiefs and Mahomes are gone. They've been the ones that beat everybody in the AFC. And so Lamar Jackson should look at this as, look, we've had a tough year. It hasn't gone great. I've been banged up. I haven't played well at times. But it's brand new now.

They have new life. Like, they can beat Pittsburgh. They should beat Pittsburgh. With Pittsburgh's, with Pittsburgh's, without Darnell Washington, the big tight in, obviously D.K. Metcalf, T.J. Watt probably won't play.

Calvin Austin. Like, Pittsburgh is really a mess. And so he should look at this as we can win this, get into the tournament, and then we got as good a chance as anybody. To your point about them in the tournament, the chiefs are out, Joe Burrow and the Bengals

are out, and if they were to play the bills, it would be in Baltimore. Because the Ravens You would have won the division. No, either way, right. At any point they would play the bills, it would have to be in Baltimore because the Ravens would be a division champion,

the bills would not be. And they should know they can beat the championship. But I'm not, you know. But they played them very tight week one. But yeah, it was a good guy. But I just don't, I guess my, my level of confidence, I think it is far, far more likely,

and I don't know where you fall, that Lamar doesn't play again this year than it is that we get, like the Lamar Jackson show again this year. And so that to me just puts, as great as Derek Henry is, that puts a very hard ceiling on the Raven season to me. Despite the how great they are. I'm not as kind of,

I'm not as sure of you as you that he's not playing again. Like I, again, I think he should make every effort and will make every effort to get out there this weekend. and certainly for the playoffs. Just want to touch on it before we talk about the Steelers. It was first things first bowl five. It was your Ravens against your Packers. Did you feel at all a little bit torn about not at all?

Because Jaylo is out too. Now, you know, I like J-Lo, but he was out. And they just, you know, without Mikeer is tough. Both the Bruce teams are going to be in the puncher's chance category if Ravens get in. Which is, by the way, better than one of my teams. And so the one and done category. Really? both of your teams.

What do you mean? The Rams? The Rams are in great shape. He just acted like he didn't pick the Buccaneers. The Rams and Jacksonville guy. The, yeah, I mean, everybody knows it. I mean, with a little bit of flirtation with the bills. Just a lot of it.

All right, Ravens in Pittsburgh Sunday night and their favorite, bro. So the reason it's a win and you're in game is because these Steelers could only muster some field goals against Shador and the Brown's. Rogers throws for 168, no touchdowns. But look on the bright side. He didn't end up on the NFL Films reel. for the sack record like Brett Farv. Here's Miles Garrett and Tomlin.

Take a listen. To an extent, I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron than, you know, getting the win. And I think that's what came back to the bottom. Was there too much focus or emphasis on keeping Miles Garrett from that sack record? Did you feel that from your offense and all? We didn't do anything against Miles that we don't normally do against Miles. The sack records are relevant.

You buying that? Not really, but to me that's not really the story. The story is the entire reason you signed Aaron Rogers was to win that game and he was terrible. And the Steelers season, for all intent and purposes, the Steelers hopes of, in a wide open AFC, going on a run and doing the, Aaron Rogers is a champion in this league.

Mike Tomlin is a champion in this league. Mike Tomlin's a champion in this league. What they are, I understand they're trying to break personal droughts or whatever it is, but the goal is to go on a real playoff run. And the chances of that ended Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns because Aaron Rogers was awful, flatly. And I understand the Browns have some gaudy defensive numbers, and Miles Garrett's a legendary player.

The Browns have allowed 26, 31, 31, and 23 in their last four games. The Steelers scored six points. Shador Sanders was turning the ball over, setting up short fields early in the game. The Steelers could not take advantage. And Aaron Rogers insistence on, I don't even know what to call it. Now, if I sound like someone that had a large financial investment in this game, it's because I did. But I had a very close eye on it for a lot of reasons.

And Aaron Rogers on fourth and one early in the game going for a kill shot to Scottie Miller for no reason is assonine. Aaron Rogers on the final drive of the game locking on to old bestie Marquez-Valdes Scantling, Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, but it has not been on the Steelers for the entirety of the year. and he threw three consecutive passes at him when he's being covered on all three by Denzel Ward. And one for being like on the same wavelength, he'd like ran the wrong route. It's a couple of other guys that look open.

You think? Yeah, and so Rogers in this game, we can show you the yards per attempt, was about as inefficient on 35 plus throws as any player's been in any game all year. Got Cam Ward on there, old man flacco,

my guy, Gino, rookie Dylan Gabriel, the worst, the Caleb game was weird because that's the game. They were running all over the place. And then Rogers in that spot.

If they win that game, brew, they get a buy next week to prepare for a home playoff game and have a real chance. Now they have to win a playoff game to get to the playoffs

because you lost to the Browns because Aaron Rogers in that offense couldn't muster a touchdown the whole game. It's unacceptable. Well, first, let me address the Miles Garrett thing. I do agree with Tomlin. I don't think they did anything differently against him. Remember, when they played him in the first, early in the season, he had no sacks too. So he had two games against the Steelers, no sacks. He only has two other games all year where he has no sacks. They know him well. They play

them every year twice. So I thought it was just par for the course. I think Miles Garrett said that because he was upset that he didn't get the sack record. Now, I do think Rogers was getting rid of the ball quickly. He had said that he didn't want to do the Brett Farr thing with Strayhand and

be the one to get sacked. And Garrett had said it'd be great to get the record against Aaron Rogers. So I think Garrett was upset that he didn't get it. He finally felt like Rogers was getting rid of it quickly to avoid the sack. So I think that's where that came from. Rogers, obviously,

wasn't good. And you're right. Like, this is the type of game where you're like, we got a guy that's a champion that's experienced, more experienced than anybody else in the league. He will, this is Cleveland. And as I did go in thinking they had a shot. I don't know that

I would have picked them, but I thought they had a shot to win it. But that was surprised. That's a three-win team. You have to win that game. And they couldn't do it. And as far as him locking in on MVS, he has a history. of that.

Like some of his favorite receivers he'll lock in on especially late in games and like I said on the film some other guys were open and he just zeroed in on MVS. So it's a terrible loss I think they have no momentum

going into next week. Now it's not going to be a cake walk for the Ravens but if Lamar plays even without Lamar like I said the Ravens should win this. I thought there was no chance Pittsburgh loses that game after the Ravens won.

I thought the only chance was if Shador was awesome. Like, okay, I was baking in. But Shador made a couple rookie mistakes. That's fine. He's a rookie. They scored 13 points. Right.

And I can't believe. Now, he didn't have to, again, no excuse, because MVS is a capable of receiver. But he didn't have, D.K. Metcalfe to me is a big part of this story. Yes. Like he has cost them probably make, certainly. Do you think they win the game with?

I think they win with D.K. MacK. Go ahead. Yeah, I think they win with. No, I think they win with DK. And I think that as shocked as you were that Pittsburgh wasn't, that couldn't pull out the win, Aaron Rogers was not going to be Brett Farve. I totally agree with Miles Garrett.

I'm surprised I didn't hit your radar that that was a reason to get rid of the ball early. And that's probably that contributed to some of his poor play. But that, I mean, so, and we can on, that's unacceptable. Well, I know. But that is a guy who's like so locked in and on his legacy, he's like, not going to be me. The reason people think of Farr's like that, because he went down, like, nobody would care. Like, if you just get sacked, like, if you just get sacked naturally, nobody's going to care. And also, the other thing is this, like, I just think it's ridiculous in a million ways if that was a piece of it.

Because the odds are had Miles Garrett sacked Aaron Rogers, that that actually wouldn't be the record sack because it would break the record. I thought about that. It's always like breaking the record that. But that's, I don't know how. We think that because that was also those guys last sack of the year. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like if he had another one a week later and who T.J. Watts.

Nobody knows because he tied it. Right. But also because Farv went down. Farv gave straight hand that sack. But I'm the difference. I feel like I'm going to lose my, not against you guys, you guys lose my mind on this. That cannot play 1%.

Right. I'll take the overall 1%. What I'm saying is it can't in a game like this. It shouldn't. Had the Ravens lost Saturday and the Steelers were locked, right? Because if the Ravens had lost, the Steelers would have been into the playoffs. Then I would have been fine with it. If Rogers were like, man, I'm not getting hit.

I'm not doing this. But if that, if the reason. he was dinking and dunking the whole game and playing even by his styles of very hesitant quarterbacking, I don't know, hesitant's right word, but just quick trigger quarterbacking was because he didn't want

the sack record. That's that a level and I don't, a level of unacceptable I didn't even put my mind to. Your entire job for the Steelers this year was get him into the playoffs. You, you, because of the benefit of the AFC North, you were going to earn a

buy, get a buy you didn't earn. and instead you're now playing in a playoff game next week. And if they don't make the playoffs, they made it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Yeah. That's a good take. T.J. Watt, Hubbs just told me, Saxon-Puntley. So it's one A-Block. Yeah, there you go.

All right, game of the weekend, if you don't count, Drake May dismantling the Jets. Brock Purdy throws for over 300 yards, three touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, two duggies at least. I may have missed one. One touchdown for the Bears. 49ers are perfect, brew. since he took over for Mack Jones. Really kind of like when you see like an Olympic 4 by 400. Like here's the baton.

Is that what it is? Okay. Here's Kyle Shanahan. I thought Brock had a hell of a game. Again, Brock's been playing his off, made some huge plays in this game. Kept some drives alive with his legs, made some off-scheduled plays, and was an assassin out there throughout the whole day. What was your biggest takeaway from Purdy's performance, bro?

Okay. We can't have two of these in what segment. Wild, say it with me. Mac, who? That was my biggest report. Oh, because last week, Mac would have done the same thing. Could Mac have done this? Could Mac have done this?

This was a good play. The guy played great. Mac hasn't done this since junior high. All right? Could he have done this, Wilde? This was a great play. This one? That's, well, that was fun.

Oh, of course. I thought you meant the other one. Well, of course he could have done this one right here. I mean, this is, this is got, this is vintage Mac Jones right here. I mean, avoiding the two defenders. Oh, my, look at the juke moves. And then, oh, see, I told you. It's not wilds.

They're on the same team, literally. Rock even dances. He even dances better than Max. Matt can't do to Dougie. like that. Look at it. He can't do it like, Rob. You should have him on a side by side of him doing the duggy. See, Mac don't have that type

of rhythm. All right. Now, again, good job, Mac, for your games you were in, but Brock Purdy, here's my takeaways. Yeah. He has a short memory, which you need to be a top player, right? Because that pick six touchdowns.

Yeah, to pick six to start the game like that against a team that you know gets takeaways. That was like, oh man, this could be interesting. He has a short memory to go on and have a great game after that is incredible. He also

Nick, he's a gunslinger. I mean, he, and yesterday he has been for a while now, splitting these tight windows, but he's going to have a few picks because he really throws it in there and most of the time he splits it, but sometimes

he's going to have some interceptions because of that. But look, he's playing phenomenal. He's playing probably his best football and he doesn't have obviously the Avengers as we talk. about Kittle wasn't there yesterday. McCaffrey's there playing great, but the receivers, I mean,

Pierce all, in and out, Joanne, Jennings. So he's playing well, Nick. He's the sixth player since the merger

to have back-to-back five touchdown games. And since he's been back, his six games since he's been back here, his numbers, there's six and O, averaging 36 points a game,

number one in the league. I mean, he's playing well. And Wilde wanted him to sit the bench for Mac Jones. It's just a line of the story. Well, you will admit Matt. And Mac has extended his career. See, he may go somewhere and get the chance to start next year.

But he wouldn't. He wasn't going to stay in San Francisco. You wanted to stay? Didn't you see their Christmas shirts? No, I know they're cool. They're on Glock Purdy and Mac 10. They're good. I'm just, you wanted to split them up and take a match.

Ro, bro. Let me tell you what's happened here. Let me tell you what's happened here. because Wilds, America Wilds, is not just a pretty face. He sees things coming down the tracks. And he saw coming down the tracks that you were going to correctly attack him over Mac Jones stuff. So Wilde spent the morning searching up mean tweets about Nick Wright. It's been served to me.

The algorithm is like, hey, want to see this diss of Nick Wright? And wanted to turn this on me about Purdy and the Avengers, correct? I just wrote, did your Avengers narrative die? Listen, so here is, I am going to, I don't want to be frustrated, so I am going to do this calmly and kindly. I think the fact that we saw the eight games from Mac Jones that we saw are evidence that people can take however they want about what the floor for San Francisco Niners' offense is with Kyle Shanahan calling the plays as long as you are a starting caliber quarterback in this league.

That does not take away from the fact that the ceiling that Purdy has exhibited the last couple weeks in particular, and back in 2023, or a couple years ago, is a higher ceiling than they got to with Mac, with Jimmy Garoppolo, with Trey Lance, or with any of the guys who we bring up on this show, no one else I thought. With that said,

I have always said that I am not trying to steal credit from one person at the expense of, you know, and not give it to anyone else. It's that I thought we would give credit to the Niners quarterback instead of rightfully giving credit other places. And in this case, what I will say is, and Purdy was sensational, last night was another example of how unreal Christian McCaffrey has been this year. And if you look at Christian McCaffrey's numbers for the season,

I don't know where he is going to fall in the 3,4, 5 of people's MVP ballots. But I feel like he deserves. Right. I feel like he, listen, we know it's going to be Stafford May or May Stafford won, too. But then 3, 4, 5 is wide open. And Josh Allen might have played himself off ballots. He's done. He's certainly done as far as winning it.

But there is. And Garrett hasn't like run. Remember he was supposed to demolish the track. Garrett's not going to break the record. Garrett might not break the record, I should say. J.S.N. Slow. Jonathan Taylor's off. Like they're Christian McCaffrey's just ability to move the chains and he had one of the long runs that I know you wanted.

So Purdy was sensational, but Caleb was great too. We'll talk more about him later. McCaffrey has been the only consistent piece of that Niners team all year. And they're a game, aside from Shannon. I don't think he's going to get the thousand to two, you know, he would need like a hundred. Yeah, 150 yards receiving or over a hundred. No, he would need, I think 110. 110.

That's going to be tough to do. All right. Was that a Super Bowl performance from the Super Bowl champion Eagles? You said not? Inc. I'm just asking a question. I'll also give you the answer. No.

That's next on FS1 on the Fox Sports Channel on Sirius XM. It really felt good. It's super. Oh, it's comfortable. We are on a road to a billion views on YouTube again. Gianna is on LinkedIn and updating her resume as we speak. She was passing them out on the streets of High Island this weekend. Oh, Gianna, you are great of your job.

I'm sure you'll land somewhere great. Or stay here. Or stay here. On the quest of two billion. We've got to get the quest for two billion. Also the podcast, number eight in some. Good news. Top five.

Eagles win in Buffalo, only the second time in 18 games. A team has done that. They've won three in a row and held the high powered Bill's offense to only 12 points. That's good news. Wow, what a game. They also had 16 yards in the second half total. Jailen didn't complete. one pass.

Here's, you get a load of this, Greg. Here's a thrilled Siriani in the tunnel. That's your guy. That's John Madden. Who's going to, Nick Cage is playing

John Madden in the movie. Who's going to play Siriani? It's just, you know who he's mad at there? Because I thought Greg, he was talking about like Bill's talking trap. He's mad at the fans of Buffalo

cheering for the bills. That's the same thing he was mad at. It's the exact thing he was mad at with the Chiefs fans. And he celebrated. after 16 years. Yeah. Did you see the first touchdown?

They had a 45. Josh has fumbled the ball. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They scored a touchdown. Teams do it every 10 minutes, the team scores a touchdown. Dusty, do you have that video? Please play.

Look at it. Greg, it's 6-0. It's not soccer? It's not like, yeah, 1-0 wins it. Look at him. What are we doing? I'm the Eagles guy. This is absurd.

Poor Maya. else was in the other office. I'm just going in interrupting his day. Team is not good. The team is not good. But I believe in them. Gosh, darn it. 16 yards, and thanks for the AFC East, but still, my gosh. I hear you what. I got me. Go ahead. You said you were going to surprise me. I'm sorry.

No, I mean, what are we doing? You mentioned the 16 yards in the second half. The bills had almost twice as many first downs as Philly. Yeah. They had almost twice as many yards as Philly. Phillies up by two touchdowns with less than six minutes to go, and they are fighting for dear life to win that game and hold on. And the two-point conversion,

he do was wide open. Josh just didn't make the throw. So the question, feel good about this. If I'm the Eagles, I don't like it. Unless you were talking, it's a W. Oh, my God. They went into Buffalo where you just. said it. Nobody, your

Patriots did it earlier. No one else has gone in there in the last two years there's no way you love this. There's no way you can love this. I'm not about style points. I don't care if they win three to two. You win you play, I'm not trying to channel Herm Evers, you play to win the game, man. They won.

Oh my God. All right? They have beaten the Packers. They have beaten the Rams. They beat up on Nick's Buccaneers. I know everybody wants to act like it's not a big win. They They beat the Chiefs, they beat the Lions. There are several teams not in the playoffs. They're still good teams. All right.

The Eagles, if you want, what's the difference in winning 41 to 38 versus winning 13 to 12? Well, that part, that part I actually. But if they had won 40 to 38, you would have been like, oh, this is great. Yes. Yes. A win is a win against Josh Allen and the bill? Oh, my goodness, Josh Allen and the big bad bill. They just beat y'all a couple weeks ago in your building.

We're up 21-0-0. Did you win? No, but that Josh went crazy. If Josh goes crazy, Josh on one ankle. They kept him from going crazy. No. I'm, I'm, you play. 16 yards.

You can't defend 16 yards in second half. I get it. You got stuff to work on, but don't know. I feel good about it. Next week we get 25. They just did that to the bills. They can't do that to anybody else. They did it to Jordan Love and the Packers, too.

Held him to what, seven? Yeah. Come on, man. Look, two things can be true. You can feel good that you won the game and you can also not feel good about how you won the game. You rather learn in a win than a loss. That's me.

When I watch this team, like, obviously there's some great takeaways. You look at Vig Fangio and what he's doing with that defense. Great. They're playing Super Bowl caliber defense. Then you look at that offense and it's like, do you have the same mindset of the guys on the defense and the guys just play calling on the defense? because I just don't believe that they do.

All these weapons and you can't produce anything offensively in the second half. It's frustrating. And if you're a fan, it's frustrating. If you are a player, I see why A.J. Brown has always spoken up. Because you cannot go into the playoffs regardless of what you're saying, when is a win is a win, feeling good about that. You just don't. It wasn't the same thing last year?

No, no, no, no. No, no. No, because they could run the ball. What do they do excellent right now offensively? So, Brew, I thought the point you made at the end was a correct one, which is we don't, we don't kill teams for game. Oh, perfect example. Bears, Niners last night. Yes.

A offense, F defense. It's like game of the year. Right. When you get a defense, F offense, what's wrong with the team? Which is like so, and in that regard, I agree with you. Like, close wins that are offensive powered with bad defense, we don't bang you for. But that's also because we feel like to win a Super Bowl, you are going to have to have a certain level of offensive output

unless you have the 2000 Ravens defense, which is good. Listen, that Philly defense is sensational. They are. And they have improved over the course of the year, and they're getting people back. And I give them credit for that. But Kevin Wilde, I want to give you a hug, buddy. Why? Because welcome.

You don't usually like this. You're like, oh, I'm Mr. Consistency. No, no, no. Because here's the thing. I truly believe, what is it, the fourth wall? Yeah, the fourth wall is looking at the camera and talking to the people. I want to break the fourth wall. Okay, we'll talk right down barrel.

Okay, thanks. I don't think Kevin Wilde has ever believed in Nick Sirion. How dare you? I think deep down Kevin Wilde has always thought what I thought, but he has painted himself into this corner of all I care about his wins, and therefore this guy's John Madden, and he's better than Andy Reed, and the fact that every time we watch him,

once a month he makes a fool of himself and does something that if Wilde's 10-year-old son who bought him a fish hat for Christmas had done at school, you'd be like, grow up. It's fine from Siriani. And now you can't hide it anymore because... It's been bubbling inside of you. Because here's the other thing. Deep down, you do believe in Jalen Hertz.

These are a good take right now. And you do... He is thwarting Jalen Hertz's success. That's what's happening. Because you do believe in Jalen Hertz and you do believe he's unfairly maligned. Yes. And now you have found the villain.

And by the way, welcome. Not a villain. Welcome. But I do believe that Jalen Hertz has consistent 225-yard games in him. He's got great weapons. He's got Sequin Barkley. I don't understand either the mindset.

You don't understand this graphic. It's that part for me. The mindset. The mindset. And the approach. This is jarring. Three times this year, they have had,

they would have had more productive passing halves if they had Jalen spike the ball every play. Look at the teams. I mean, that's, that's, right. And it's guys with all of, of them have gone through multiple quarterbacks. And so that, so here is where

I land on Philly Brew right now. Because if Chicago beats Detroit, and I don't know if they're going to even try, I don't know, then Philly's going to be the three seed. We know that. Philly would be locked in a three seat if Chicago beats Detroit. We also know that

the sixth seed is going to be one of the three NFC West teams. Has to be. Seattle, San Francisco, or the Rams. I will pick any of those three teams are going to Philly and win. Any of them right now. Because I think all, I think that Seattle and the Rams defense can give Philly hell.

And I think the Niners offense as it is right now can win a shootout. Niners are tough. I mean, the night, look, I didn't pick Philly to get to the Super Bowl. So I'm not like, I'm not picking them now. I think that is off though, Nick. And I'm not saying that one of those teams won't beat Philly, but you're not even giving Philly a chance. I'm not saying I don't give them a chance.

I'm just saying the way. I'm not saying I don't give them a chance. The thing you know is that Hurt steps up in the big moments. This is not new. I get it. It is. The offense has been wildly inconsistent. But they weren't playing good offense when they beat the Rams 33, 26.

They put 33 on the race. I mean, they have shown that they can put points on the board at times. And I think in the biggest moments, I think they have a good chance. I think they have a decent chance of getting out of the NFC. Okay. I wish I shared that belief. Go ahead, KW. You can.

I believe in Jalen Hertz. I do not believe he's in a bad situation. Just because you don't like Siriani. I like Siriani. I'm the Siriani guy. I'm not like a Patula guy. I'm a Sirianni guy. Petula is a.

I think they got conservative in the second half. You think? Right. And I don't think they should do that. And I do think the offense has improved yesterday notwithstanding. I think they played with the conservative mentality from start to finish. Like to start the game. Like until that turnover that Josh had, the fumble and then they got the ball, then it was like, okay, we're on the plus 45.

Let's do something. Well, if you don't have that mentality going into the game with your first 50s. 15, something's wrong. And that's what I don't see. I don't see a level of aggressiveness from this offensive play calling scheme to where, to your point, Jalen Hertz feels like, you know what, I like what I'm going into this huddle with. Like, nobody seems.

The offense has been bad all year. Yeah. And this has been there anymore. I think it's going to take the off season to figure out how we do blame by. But that's my concern for Philly. This has been bad all year. And I don't think you can. win three consecutive playoff games with a bad offense.

All right. On the other side of the ball, the second half, Bill's do what they always do. Come alive late, but this time not enough. Bill's had an extra point blocked earlier, so Buffalo goes for two and Josh misses. Here he was after the game. Yeah, I just missed. Rolling left, got to get him better ball. Okay, do you have an issue with going for two, Nick?

I understand the argument against it, which is Philly had, negative passing yards, so why are you and you're at home, why are you afraid of overtime? I don't have an issue with them doing it for three quick reasons. One is, I do think we have to acknowledge that kicking the extra point would not have guaranteed overtime. That kicker's been shaky all year and got one

blocked. You don't get to just say, I'm taking the point. You know what I mean? So there's that piece of it. The second piece of it is, I also think that Sean McDermott understood like we'd like to win this game. We don't have to win this game because the division's probably out of reach as is. Our seating is not, it's the difference between, you know, 5, 6, 7. There is a difference. I'd rather be the 5 than any of the others. So I do

think that matters to a degree. But I think he was, I don't think he really wanted Josh Allen, you know, however compromised he was, playing another 10. minutes. So I just don't think they liked the idea of going to overtime. But my biggest answer to this is, fair is fair. Josh needs to hit that throw and Josh needed to play better in this. Josh, Josh had, in my opinion, three really, really bad mistakes, all of which swung points in a game that came down to one. The first one, I'll be fair.

I didn't think it was a fumble. I thought that was a pass. However. I thought it was a fumble. What I know is this. Just watch Josh after. He didn't even react. And then watch, hold on.

No, he reacts. He's yelling at the rep. He's pointing at the rep. And his 400-pound offensive lineman is running in the ball still loose. I think that's bad. I think that he's got to go after the ball. I think the play, and this is kind of a Josh special of not our Josh, but Josh Allen. You're at the 23.

Okay, no, I'm sorry. You're at the 27-yard line here? takes a minute. And you take a 20-yard sack. They would have liked to have three points in that spot at the end, and then the miss pass at the end. So I just think the reason I believe in the bills this year is I think they're going to have, on their side of the bracket,

the best quarterback. Yesterday, he was not that. He had some moments, but he was not that. But I don't have the problem with him going for two, bro. No, I'm fine with it because, yes, I get it. Philadelphia wasn't moving the ball. To your point, they were being conservative. Maybe they let that go in overtime and open it up a little bit.

But also, the bills weren't moving the ball. I mean, they got short fields. That's why they were able to tie or come close to time the game. And so if I'm the bills, I'm feeling like we have momentum right now. We probably have a better chance of getting this two-point conversion than maybe scoring a touchdown in overtime. And again, the play worked. Josh just made a bad throw.

I agree. Some of those sacks, like if Caleb, or Shadour, somebody makes those Cam Ward, any of the young players, we're killing them. Like, you can't do that in the NFL. And Josh does it once every few games. Yeah, I'm with you.

I thought that the psychology of going forward is we're here. We got the game in our grasp. We got the best player on the field. We got a play call that we like. And we got the best player, like I said, on the field that can execute. They weren't having success

moving the ball against that defense. game. They had three drives where they had pretty good success. The four the turnover on downs where they didn't get any points and obviously the one he fumbled, they moved the ball down that one and a couple of their other ones. The two touchdowns. Yeah. One involved

a hook and lateral. Correct. Outside of that, they were not successful moving the ball in his defense. So I thought the mentality was more of well, we're here. Let's seize this moment. Let's end this game right now. We got the best player on the field. offense, we trust them more than we trust our defense probably, even with the, despite how that offense was playing on Philly side. A little 10 man alert, though, 10 man adjacent.

Why? No heart. Who had no heart? The bills. Oh, I don't play of football. Oh, the Patriots already won. Let's quit. We're done playing.

We don't want to. They were done. They were like, let's try. They were scared to go to overtime. Check in on Drake May. Four touchdowns in the first half, five total as the Patriots, who are wrestling a good portion of the team ran up the score on the hapless Jeff, 42-0, had the audacity to start someone named Brady against us. With the bills lost, the Patriots clinched the

AFC East. How confident, Greg, should New England be? Yeah, look, they should be very confident. You will be there right there in the second thing. Sorry. You guys got to stop falling for it. You gotta stop answering. and T-shirt game. Oh, shoot! That's all right.

Not used to winning the AFC East. It's been a few years. I got a lot of stuff going on. Gentlemen, thank you for your professionalism. Here we go. Dwarf destiny hats for everybody. Wow. Thank you.

I'm going to pass. No, it's just for your family. I like it. Let's go. You're welcome. You're welcome. Greg, you were talking about how confident New England would be.

I was. This is your size, small. I was. go ahead Greg look when you look at what this young quarterback is doing man and again this is why you go out you get a guy that you feel like

can change the landscape of what you've been outside of Tom Brady and Drake May and this is he's been everything that they are hoping that he could have been and playing against the judge yesterday and this is it matters more for him than a lot of other quarterbacks

because we haven't seen him, obviously, in the postseason. But what we have also not seen is him just play absolutely poor. Right. We just haven't seen it. And so for me, there is nothing that makes me would make me believe

that even having not seen him in the postseason, he's going to play poor against regardless of who the opponent is. And I say that because every time he goes out there, he looks prepared. They look ready to play. Offensively, he has everything under control. He's calm.

He plays the same way every single time. And he just delivers, man. So look, this team should be confident because of that guy. No offense to you guys, but that was music to my ears. Brew, your time for the hater minute. No, I'm not going to hate it. I think they should feel great about their chances. And I really feel like they have as good a chance as anybody in the AFC.

The bills don't look great. The bills, I'm not saying they aren't. They're not as good as they have been the past few years. I still think it's probably their best shot since the Chiefs are gone. But if you're the Patriots, you have to feel like you can beat anybody. And I know, I think now they've beaten one team with a winning record this year. But the one thing about them, and I'll give you your guys credit, they blow out the bad team. They don't, they're not close, for the most part.

They're not close games. They go out there and play well and just end the game quickly. So Drake May is playing awesome. And I don't fully buying great. Like you're saying he won't have a bad game. I don't see it happen. He hasn't had like a terrible game this year. But it's still possible in the place.

But they got a good shot. I said that and you guys lambasted me. What? I shouldn't say those takes when I'm out here by myself. I just. What? Vicer. No, well, I.

That I don't think he can have a bad thing. Yeah, I think that's true. Yeah, I think what Greg said is correct. What you said is ridiculous. And I think both are true. Like you said, you got eviscerated because you said he can't. Yeah, I don't think. Greg says he doesn't anticipate it.

That's like, I think he has earned the benefit of the doubt that, like, hey, he's not going to be a playoff drop or he's not going to choke in the playoffs, all of it. Your take, and I'm going to be very pro-pats, but just since you felt like you were getting picked on. your take felt to me like it was saying Josh McDaniels has made given him a bad game proof offense and I don't think that exists so that's why I disagreed with when you said it last week and now

but here's what I'll say about the Pat's this moment this weekend could not have gone better for them not just in their performance and so it's giving you like 30 seconds here on this if you guys beat the dolphins here's what that means You have Chargers Broncos.

If the Chargers win, you're the one seed. That's ideal. If the Broncos win, if the Broncos win, what that does seeding-wise is, that puts the Chargers as the seventh seed, which is the team you want to play because you'll be the two, and it locks Buffalo to the six, which means you can't play Buffalo in round two.

I know you keep saying, we'll take Buffalo, we want them. you would like to avoid them as much as possible. I think that's fair. And so, all the teams I want to play. I want to play that way. You guys are, if you win, you are set up for a charger round one and then likely a Jags round two. Or the, if the bills upset the Jags in that scenario, the bills have to go because they recede to the one scene. And so you guys are, you guys have the best seating setup you could have.

It all falls apart if you lose to Miami. But if you beat Miami, then you're in really great shape. And Drake's playing his best bowl. So you should feel great about that. I've got two wonderful full screens. And thank you guys for all the support, especially you, Brew. I was prepared to. No, there's nothing not to like.

MVP caliber quarterbacks. And again, I'm a little, Nick got mad at me because I'm not going to the woodshed to try to give Drake May as MVP. And I mentioned the Pro Bowl announcement that the Patriots had with Christian Gonzalez and Drake May were nominated to. or made the Pro Bowl and Brable gave them one clap and they just looked Stoneface and were past it. So I think Drake's a little beyond the MVP maybe. It's my own personal theory. Finally, I'd like to address the easy schedule truthers.

Here are the easiest schedule for 13 win teams since the merger. The 99 Rams had a very easy schedule, the easiest in fact. They won the Super Bowl. The 72 Dolphins had the second easiest schedule. One 13 games. They won the Super Bowl. Patriots, you win.

We've got an easy schedule. We don't know what we're going to do. The Broncos are down there with an easy schedule. We don't know what they're going to do. 91 bills lost Super Bowl. So you've got three teams on there that won the Super Bowl. This is dependent on getting a buy, though. This is very like, well, they got the buy graphic.

So I've got something for you on that. So I would like to get the buy. And it's harder to get the buy now, obviously. So I did something a little differently than we move on. Here were teams that won 13 or more games that that year had the easiest schedule in the NFL, which are Patriots to check. It's happened 18 times. Only two of the 18 lost their first playoff games.

So that's a – I see a lot like one and done. So only two of 18 lost their first playoff game. 15 of the 18 made the conference championship game. 10 of the 18 made the Super Bowl. I love this. Six of the 18 won the Super. You should have showed me this upstairs. Well, no, because I'm not, I believe to varying degrees in your paths throughout the year.

I think you are ripe for a fall when you are saying it's impossible that a quarterback play a bad game. And mocking everyone who has pointed out the accuracy, which is you have played an easy schedule. that doesn't mean you're not a really good team. Yeah. Yeah, I just, you know, I told you a story about the Empire State Building. You only have like six stories. Yeah, Empire State Building, you know, it's right there. Thousands of people go to it, maybe every day.

But I haven't gone ever. Am I going today? Nope. How about next Sunday? No. People go, I get it, but not me. You'll never go? No, he's just, why not wild...

Because today's not the day. There you go. Because when Drake May and Josh McDaniels get that first playoff game, is today the day? Today's not the day to go to the Empire State Building. Empire State Building, just not going to go there. Today's not the day.

Coming up next, Bruce Ravens. The Box! Makes another appearance next on first place. Go ahead, fellas. Play us off. Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, I got it. Live from New York.

I'm just saying. Don't do it. Don't say the show thinks. Say I, Kevin Wilde, Stefan Diggs is better than Amon Ross St. Brown. Because that's the take. You said it. I'll see one guy in the playoffs.

Well, so he's better than Justin Jefferson, too. And Jamar Chase. And Jamar Chase. Can we decide? I don't need to dim anyone else's candle. You see the Cardi B's Instagram. She wants all the Patriots smoke. So if you want to get her crosshairs, go for it.

It won't be old Kevin Wilde's and Stefan Diggs. I'll tell you that much. Top five receiver in the NFL. He's playing like a top five. He's not. Once upon a time. He's been ex. This is where you.

Passer rating when Tarantle, Drake May's pass a rating when targeting Stefan Diggs. It's great. It's historic. His completion percentage when targeting Stefan. Really good. He's historic. He has some games with like three catches.

Leadership. You know what else I look for? He has good. Stuff off the field. Goes out. He sells everybody. Keep their chin up. K.W.

He's been great. He's not better than Amon Ross St. Brown. Amon Ross. I'm not going to say anything bad. I like a Monterhouse, St. Brock. I'm not going to dim. I'm on a St. Brown's candle to make Stefan Diggs brighter. I love these cheese grateres, Greg.

I'm going to get you one for New Year's. Oh, wow. First thing's first bowl five. Brews Ravens win. Unfortunately, Bruce Packers lost, although he didn't seem to care. Meanwhile, are we sure the bills are an AFC threat, we discussed. But right now, well, defense and running the ball has been in the Ravens DNA. And John Harbaugh just did a 23-inds-end.

me. Oh yeah, we've got Derek Henry. I just discovered it. Right. Season high, 213 yards, four touchdowns. Here's Derek Henry himself. Tonight was just really fun. It's like coach said, I did the prayer before the game and I just talked about guys he's playing free and trust and believing in each other. Now, we've been through a lot this season. I mean, that's no, there's no shine away from that. Hats off the guys just blocking all over. line like Coach Harper said, tight-ins, receivers, fullbacks, it's the unselfishness of them, you know, sacrificing, you know, their bodies, you know, for us to have success in the run game and dominate the line of scrimmage and dictate the game the way we want to.

Do the Ravens find their winning formula, bro? Look, we've been saying all year give the ball to Derek Henry Moore. And I do think, and I get it because Lamar Jackson is. an all-time great dynamic quarterback. And Henry was phenomenal last year, as was Lamar. But I often watch them, Greg, and I feel like they're not fully, not the players, but the coaches staffs not fully sure of what it wants to do.

Because it almost like you have so many options, you know, that they haven't. This was the first game, even when Henry's had other huge games, This was the first game where it was just like old school. We got the best running back or one of them in the league and we're just going to ride him. They never do that with Lamar, which I get because he's Lamar Jackson and he can do some other stuff. But there are times particularly lately when Lamar has been banged up and hasn't played it as best that you could feature Henry a lot more. So, look, Henry, the thing too, when you hear, you know, you always hear former players talk about this, he's getting better. as the season goes on.

His last three games, he's averaging a hundred, or his last four games, he's averaging 135 yards a game. The last three games, he's been over at 100 yards or more, and he's averaging like almost seven yards of carry. So, and then later in the season and later in games, defenses are a little bit worn down. So this is the time, I would try to ride,

look, Steelers held him to 94 yards, I think less than four yards of carry, when they beat him a few weeks ago. So I'm not saying it's going to be easy. And if Lamar does play, obviously I want him throwing more than Tyler Huntley. And, you know, but don't shy away from being more Henry-centric, even if Lamar plays, particularly if he's diminished because of injury.

So, yeah, I'm going to try to ride Henry the victory if I'm the Ravens. Look, I think for this season, based on what we've seen out of Lamar, when he has been healthy, whatever version we've seen of him, this is shown to be a proven deal. You give a volume back, volume touches, he's going to end up having success. That's been Derek Henry throughout the course of his career. The issue with the Ravens is you have one of the most dynamic, scariest players under center in Lamar Jackson. And so as a play caller, you become torn because it's like, do I continue to lean into Lamar or Derek Henry if it's not working early?

And I think that's what they've run into. If it doesn't work early, it's like, okay, Lamar, go. And then they don't go back to it. So for this week, going up against the Packers, a banged up front, not great showing against the run even last week. it looked great. I don't know if this is the key to winning in the postseason.

It's a part of it, but no, yeah, I think, I mean, I think you have to have Lamar if he can play. You know, you want him throwing the ball and run it in if he can, but I think it's a formula for beating Pittsburgh.

Listen, I think it's been a bit, some Ravens fans act as if the, that Derek Henry is just a forgotten man because he was, wasn't used in a drive last week when he should have been. And that to me is just not the case. I think John Harbaugh has had some game management problems.

That's well established. They have more blown double-digit leads. Anybody, and I think Todd Monkin at times has called plays as if he is trying to prove something rather than trying to win the specific game. I think that, I think those, I've levied those critiques. I think those critiques are fair. But over a large sample of Derek Henry's career with Baltimore, which is the last two years, what you have is the single most productive and the second most used back in the league.

He leads the league in yards per game. He leads the league in rushing touchdowns. And he's a handful of rushes off being leading the league in that, but he's tied for second. So he is not, you know, a forgotten man. He is maybe just not used in fourth quarters the way people would like. What I am, KW, here is my concern for the Ravens and a really really. concerned for Lamar. I don't, I think there are 10 ways the rest of this Raven season goes that's disastrous

for Lamar slash Harbaugh and only one way it isn't. So here's what I mean. Do we think Lamar is playing on Sunday? My guess is no, but it seems like it's up in the air, right? if he does not play, so let's take that, he doesn't play and they lose. I think Harbaugh probably ends up getting fired. You know what I mean?

And we'll figure out why Lamar, for the third time in five years, all three years where there was some type of contract negotiation going on, he wasn't available for the end of season playoff push. That will just be what the history is and we'll see what it was. That's not good for him. He doesn't play and they win. now they're in the playoffs.

Man, Lamar comes back and this team, how are they going to beat the Steelers by riding Derek Henry, right? Comes back for the first playoff game. He's a lesser version of himself. He already has had, you know, not great playoff history. There's only one way Lamar comes out of this in better position than he was. This is the year when he's dealing with six different injuries, he finally goes on that run,

or they won two games in a row, one of their best wins of the year. Their two best wins of the entire season have come in games Lamar didn't play. Everybody knows he's demonstrably, exponential better player than Tyler Huntley, but oddly, the Ravens' two best offensive games all year have come in games Lamar didn't play.

That feels like that's bad for the Lamar Harbaugh relationship. You understand what I'm saying? like he is either going to miss the rest of the year or come back from an injury that was enough to keep him out of a must-win game when we have seen him come back from injuries, not play his best. I just don't. If he comes back for,

let's say they win with Tyler Hunt against Pittsburgh, he plays in the playoff game, for sake of argument, let's say they lose to Buffalo or whatever. Sure. You think it's just another playoff law. It's another one and done in the playoffs. If he plays well, then that's not bad for it.

No, if he plays well and they lose, then maybe not, but it's hard for me to see like them. I don't think the Ravens, you know, we're yet to see that playoff game happen, the one where Lamar is excellent and they lose to, you know, because the defense is playing better. A clean game. A clean game.

It just feels, it, my, what I feel like is, the high watermark of the Ravens season when it's over will be seven. will be Saturday. No matter like no matter what happens the rest of the way that we're going to when it's over we're going to say it was Saturday.

I think Greg Lamar has to be looking at this as an opportunity. I mean like again no Patrick Mahomes no chiefs this AFC field fully young quarterbacks unproven quarterbacks even though it's been a terrible season

for them if they can get in the playoffs I don't know what is injury, how serious it is or whatever, but I would think you're looking at this like, man, we can turn this whole thing around. This can be the year. We can win it. And the thing, Nick, I think you will agree with this.

If he is in the playoffs, and let's say they use the same game plan they just use and they ride Henry. That's great. Lamar doesn't put up huge numbers, but they get to the Super Bowl. I mean, Peyton May. It doesn't matter. Lamar's got to understand.

It don't matter what his number. are, he just has to win. Go ahead. And that kind of talks to my point of him being on the field as a threat. When you have a guy like that, you don't, because there's some

people saying, you know, Lamar, just sit him on the sideline, play without Lamar. I completely disagree with that. I completely disagree with that because as long as you can have a guy like that to even have a thought for the defense of,

man, he might do something special. You give yourself an advantage. That's what the postseason is all about. Having a distinct advantage, if you can rely on Derek Henry to unlock the run game and then know that Lamar can push the ball down the field because that's what Tyler Huntley doesn't do. He runs the offense efficiently underneath, but pushing the ball down the field, that's not where he thrives. So here's the only thing you said, Brew, that I disagree with, and I know we have to move on. You said, I don't know how, you know, how bad Lamar's injury is or something like that. I feel like we do.

It must be devastating. He was ruled out essentially called Doubtful two days prior and did not, like, warm up pregame in an elimination game on Saturday. So that if he had an injury, or something far weirders going on, right? Either this injury, despite Harbaugh calling it, just a. a bruise on Monday. And then on Wednesday, clarified it further that the injury was so significant that it wasn't even like he's

going to test it out pregame Saturday. We now are saying he might miss, and we're not just saying Harbaugh is saying we don't know. He might miss a playoff game against their divisional rival this coming Sunday night, a win and in. If that's the type of injury he has, I don't think then, but if we get in,

Then the next Saturday, when our playoffs start, he's going to be at peak condition. The only other explanation is that it is another, I shouldn't say another, that it is oddly contract-related, and that is a different type of devastating. Right? Right. That would not be good. And so that's why I'm saying, I feel like we're in a rough spot where if he was not healthy enough to even attempt to play. Saturday. We're going to see the best

of Lamar in the next 12 days. I wonder how much of your analysis of this has been colored by Harbaugh's awkwardness at the podium. And his lack of maybe nuance in describing Lamar's injuries.

It's not just Harbaugh. Todd Monkin's done it too. And it is... I don't think it's just that. And I think that the I know I've been

banging this drum it feels like all season but I also took that the timing of that article last week that we all kind of agreed that came from the Ravens as you know because the it was all it was a hit it was all nasty about

Lamar who couldn't have come from Lamar not say it wasn't accurate that it was a Ravens team displaying a level of frustration with their superstar player that does not line up with, man, the guy's just gotten unlucky this year with injuries. And so that, I mean, the PR battle of we've yet to read, and I don't know, maybe this is just

Lamar's PR, and maybe it doesn't matter, but a PR team would come out and say, Lamar is in the hyperbaric chamber. Lamar is on the, you know, underwater treadmill. He's doing everything and anything he can. We're flying in special doctors. They're going to have to drag him off that. field. We haven't heard a peep of that. Now maybe that doesn't matter. Maybe that's just all for show, but it will be interesting. Meanwhile in Cleveland, Miles Garrett did not get the sack record. The

Steelers did not win the NFC North. Rogers did not get a touchdown. Here's Tomlin and Denzel Ward on the final three plays of the game. He had eligibles on the play and certainly he was one of him and he's a capable guy. I got no qualms about us playing to win the game in the way that we did. I don't know who's a bright idea was the trot me for the game for three plays in a row, but we was able to come through and get the win. What was the number one reason the Steelers lost, Greg? Well, offensively, they couldn't do anything offensively. Obviously, defensively going up against the Cleveland Brown's offense, they were going to be okay, even without T.J. Watt,

but without having D.K. Metcalf, we're seeing what this offense is. They have no ability to be explosive. They already are one of those offenses that just dink and dunk you. Darnel Williams is out, or I'm sorry, Washington, big tight end. You put the ball in his hands and he just rumbles and tumbles. And you didn't bring Aaron Rogers in to be the savior and to cover up what you don't have. You brought him in for that reason, that last possession. That's what you brought him in for to be a closer.

And he got you all the way down there. You just didn't have those other pieces that he now needs at the stage and the place where he is in his career to help him deliver the goods. Because he did it. You got him down there and it's like, okay, I need a player that I can depend on and count on. Some will say, well, you missed your guy on the left. You missed a running back out of the back field on one.

You missed that little. stick route, the out and up on the one before that, like this one right here. You saw him. But you brought Aaron Rogers to be that, to put you in position to when the game is on the line, we got a guy that we believe in that can give us a chance. Without D.K. Metcalf, what other options do they have offensive? Well, I'm a piggyback on what you said. No, D.K. Metcalf, that's why they lost.

They went. I'm not saying they go out there and score 35 points with D.K., but they score more than 13. They would have won that game. And D.K. McCaff cost them, I think, by not being there this game, and he might cost them the playoffs. Because remember, his best game of the year was against the Ravens. Seven catches, almost 150 yards. Like, he was killing the Ravens,

and that was a close game that Pittsburgh easily could have lost. So, yeah, I mean, and I, look, I'm not absolving Rogers. He didn't play well. You know, I think he was, what I do agree with Miles Garrett on, He was getting rid of the ball really quick, as quicker than even usual, because he didn't want to get sacked by Garrett. But he had Calvin Austin was out.

You mentioned Darnell, Washington, and of course, D.K. Metcalf. So his best weapons were gone. And I think, Greg, you know better than us, he zeroes in on a guy, like he zeroed in on MVS, because that's his guy. He's familiar with him. And that was to their peril at the end of the game.

This passing chart, I agree with you about the D.K. Metcalfe. But this passing chart is why they lost. You're not going to be functional unless you have superstar skill guys for yards after the catch. And those two, those two green dots, the only two green dots, more than five yards past line scrimmage, was on that final drive when they had no choice but to push the ball down the field. Everything else he threw was to the sidelines and misses. And everything else was, I mean, his, as far as in reference to the line of,

scrimmage, one of his longest completions away from the line of scrimmage was behind it. Like the, and you, it was a disastrous game from Rogers in the biggest spot. Greg, do you buy that Miles Garrett had an effect on that passing chart? That it's like, I'm going to stand in here, air one out, and potentially get the sack record. Yeah, look, Aaron is a historian. Brett Farr and Michael Strayhan will ever, forever be linked. for Brett Farf. But don't you think, yeah, because Farv gave him the sack.

That's the difference. That's the difference. That's giving them the sack record. Aaron is not about to be on that side of history where Miles Garrett, I like you. I love what you do. But I'm not going to be the quarterback that provides you that. So he already gets the ball out of his hands quicker. We saw the one time where he kind of looked at Miles like, yeah, it's not happening

the day. Like that's just who he is. It's a game within the game. He was playing to not get sack by Mike. Miles Garrett. Also, while trying to win the game, I don't think he was only exclusively not trying to get sacked by Miles Garrett and not trying to win the game. I definitely believe he was trying to win the game. You don't?

Right. We're trying to win the game. No, he couldn't lose too much emphasis on the sacks. Miles Garrett, sack, Drake made five times. We easily won the game. Because I'm willing to take it, and that's the risk I run. If you want to bring your risk of being sacked down to zero, I think that's a little. You also are dealing with the 40-plus-year-old quarterback who you're really hanging your future on. There's no, this was the future. You win the game, you get a week off, you're in the playoffs.

That was a dozen. That was one of the worst losses of the, you scored six points against the Browns in a game that if you win, you can take next week off. You have a home playoff game. I mean, offensively, they've already struggled. Tonight on FS1, college hoops triple header, men's hoop, Michigan State Cornell. And then number six, Michigan takes on Katie. and Fiso in Oregon and Women's Hoops. And it's Utah versus Washington all tips off at 7 p.m. Eastern, only on FS1.

Welcome back to the show. We're headed to Buffalo. Josh Allen went Clark Kent to Superman, back to Clark Kent for the two-point conversion. Fumble led to an early touchdown for the Eagles. Bills dropped to 11 and 5. We're looking at the road on the playoffs if they try to get to their first Super Bowl in a long time. Here's Josh Allen. They got a good defense.

That's the defending Super Bowl champs for a reason. they had a good plan. They get paid on that side of the football too. So again, it just comes down to us executing, making one more play than they did. And obviously we saw that we didn't make that last play. How didn't make that last play? What's this loss mean for the bills?

Well, that in all likelihood, it's road games the whole way to the Super Bowl if they were to get there. And we can show you Josh on the road in the playoffs. The record is obviously O and 4. One of those is the 13 seconds game where he was brilliant. Overall, those stats are not awful, but it's not as good as his home playoff games, even if you take the win-loss record out of it. It's more yards, but it's less efficient.

It's obviously far less touchdowns and the passer rating drops. I don't look at this loss. I don't look at the bill's quality as a team drastically different because Josh, miss the two-point conversion rather than he hit it. If they had won, but their path gets harder. Had he hit the two-point conversion, yes, they're still probably on the road the whole playoffs, but it's likely as the five-seed.

We're round one to get the AFC North, and so there are different pieces of it. I still feel like they have Super Bowl upside. I have a question for you, my friend, because I don't think you thought they could lose this way. Maybe I'm wrong, but where their defense does awesome. What I've heard from you most of the years, the big flashing red light concern is the bills have a terrible run defense. So in a weird way, did this game make them scarier for you?

Hard to judge anything about any defense when you're playing Kevin Petulow's offense. They gave up a total of over 400. hundred yards on the ground coming into this game against the Browns and the Patriots. And then you play the Eagles and it's kind of just stalls out. So did it all of a sudden get magically solved or did you just run into one of the most conservative offenses in the entire league? I'm still worried about the bill. I'm not worried about them because I think they're overrated.

Josh is now hurt. I don't think the rushing defense has been solved. And we were just talking about how Aaron Rogers misses D.K. Mecca, who I'm watching I'm like, oh, Brandon Cooks is back. Shout to Brandon Cooks. I like Brandon Cooks a lot. But it's like, are you the number one guy? Yeah, all of a sudden?

It's this like Josh Allen versus the world Superman thing. Well, I mean, they have a good. James Cook is the excellent player. I'm saying who's Josh Allen have to throw the ball to? This is tight ends and Khalil Shakir. And then they get shut out for a while. It's like, hey, fourth quarter. Time to start playing football.

And it worked against the Ravens and it worked against the Bengals and it worked against the Patriots. But it is not a recipe for long. Can I just follow up real quick? Sure. I think pretty clearly, and maybe with good reason, you right now is where a week out, have the Patriots to top your AFC Super Bowl power rankings. Yes.

You would have, there are teams you would have before the bills for second place? Because I just wonder how much of your skepticism of the bills is that we talk about them so much more than we talk about, because the Broncos have major concerns. They're different. The Jags, as much as I like them. have a half season worth of mediocre but winning football before they got on this hot streak. We've talked about the Texans offense.

We've talked ad nauseum about the Chargers deficiencies. And then it's just the AFC North, whoever wins. It might be unfair for the bills, Greg, and I'll throw it to you, that I not only view the bills against the other teams in the AFC, I view the bills against the former bills. Yeah. And the former bills never had enough. and I think they've dropped, even without Patrick Malm's,

I think that they don't look as scary as the old bills that didn't get to the Super Bowl. Now maybe that's just because it was always Patrick Malmns sitting there, but now I just don't, I'm not impressed with this version of the bills and when they get knocked out, I think it's going to be,

hey, we need to rebuild this team. Yeah, I'm with you on that, but for me, this loss means exactly what you said. They're probably going to be on the road, but they don't, who cares? Like you have the best player going into this year's playoffs. Period. That's how they feel.

Like get in the dance. Obviously, everyone wants to have those home games and have that home field advantage and have your crowd rooting for you and have that behind you. But when you have the best, what you feel is to be however injured he is, the difference maker, line it up. Because that what we saw last night or yesterday is exactly how they feel. We're always in it. And he's going to always put us in a position to where we have a chance to win the game.

So I think they'll be just fine. Look, I don't think the bill stink, all right? I, but I am, and I give them a shot in this, I give him a shot in the AFC. But I'm starting to come along your side. What a day. They're not impressive. They're not impressive. They got Josh Allen who's great and wild.

And we saw it yesterday. And we've seen it recently. They have not looked good in a long time. They have trouble putting together two full halves of good football. Yes. All right. They didn't look good yesterday. They came on strong at the end and had a chance to win it.

But overall didn't look good. Last week they struggled against Cleveland. All right. And I know Cleveland just beat the Steelers, but we know Cleveland's not good. all right they they played a terrible half against you guys and then a great half all right the week before they were who was it Cincinnati they were fortunate against Cincinnati because Joe Burrow had some brain freezes right I mean they beat Pittsburgh handily that was a good win but they haven't played well overall for a long time and they don't play well for two halves if they were the Eagles we would have criticisms I mean I feel like we knit the Eagles, and I get it.

There's nits to pick with the Eagles. But the same thing with them. It's Josh Allen, and I'm not, they do have a great offensive line. They got James Cook. But those of us who are saying they should win the AFC, it's all because of Josh Allen.

But if the Ravens get in, you're going to say the same thing. If the Ravens get in, I can say the same. Especially if Lamar plays Sunday and looks good, I can say the same thing. They got this dynamic. quarterback and they got Derek Henry, why can't they come out of the F.C? So I, so that's where I disagree with you. I think the

because the bills over the course of this season, 16 games have been better than Baltimore. Josh is that Josh has been healthier and better than Lamar James Cook this year has been as good if not better than Derek Henry. The and to me, I don't think he's better than no, I don't think he is. I mean even this year like he, he, James Cook is I don't want to take anything away from him, but he doesn't punish defenders like Henry. He's not

his eluded. He's not a Sequin, Barclay-Level running back. I know he's got the stats this year. He's not McCaffrey, Sequine, Derek Henry. I mean, he's going to win the rushing team. I know. I know, but he's, he don't make guy, like, he's not the same. He's got

a great offensive line. He's really good. Don't give me wrong. He's a all-pro. Those dudes are historic level. He is not back. You're going career now. Yeah, I mean, I think this season, he has been as good as Derek Henry. Look at the runs where he either ran some people over or made.

I know he's not that type of back, but just made something out of nothing. He got holes to run through. That's the difference. Again, I don't want to disrespect James Cook because he is a really good running, but it's fine. He's a really good running back. He's just pro. It's pro Derek. No, he is not like.

I'm not saying he's Derek Hunter's one of the greatest players ever, but it's almost irrelevant to the point because he's an excellent player. I think that the Bill's defense stepping up yesterday for their Super Bowl chances was important. I think Josh has to play back.

But did they step up or did the Eagles just step back? Hey, is more great football coming your way in the Trust and Will Holiday Bowl? Until next year. It's next year, though. Okay? So you might be thinking, I'll do it later.

No, it's only in a few days though. Friday, 7.30 Eastern only on Fox. Welcome back to first things first. Super Bowl champion Greg Jennings is here to talk about the Packers. Packers lost Micah Parsons, haven't won since. Malik Willis got the start in place of Jordan Love as he recovered from a concussion.

And the Packers defense couldn't stop the Ravens who ran for over 300 yards as a team. Packers are now locked into the seven seed. Here were the first 13 games with Micah. They were going well. Last three games. games, 32 points of 400 total yards. That's not good.

And went from two and a half-saxe. They're probably got better, right? Nope. No, they didn't have. All right, so we can go, Brew, you kind of already gave up on the Packers earlier in the show when you were celebrating with a Ravens robe. Greg, we haven't heard from you. Are the Packers done? I don't give it up, but.

Not writing the Packers off. They're not done. However, I don't feel great about them. But I'm not writing them off. Look, this is, Matt LaFleur is going to be coaching, in my opinion, to show how great of a coach he is. To save his job?

No, not to save his job, but we don't, we never, we don't mention Matt LaFleur in terms of, in the same category as we mentioned, Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVeigh or all these guys. But Matt LaFleur has an opportunity. to do something with the team that is

limping into the postseason not feeling really great about themselves and what they put on film but still have personnel to where they feel like we can still get some things done and you don't give up on that you feel like Jordan Love comes back

and he's healthy you still got a shot you have offensive guys you have enough offensive weapons are you missing some yes Nobody's going to care. Nobody's going to give you a pass. Nobody's going to give you that excuse. Michael Parsons not there.

Before Michael Parsons even got there, you felt like you had a really good team. So nobody's going to feel bad about them. But if Matt LaFleur is able to coach this team up and put them in a position to where we saw what he's been doing with Malik Willis, we see a completely different individual at quarterback. He was awesome. Great. And so if Matt LaFleflore can get this team. to win one or two games, get this team,

past the first round, I think we'll start to give him a little bit more credit. Look, I think LaFleure is a really good coach. If they forget being fully healthy. If they just have Micah, Jordan Love, I expect him to play, but he's healthy. And Josh Jacobs, I would think they would be my favorite in the NFC.

I still would feel really good about my pick with them. I'm not writing them off. I'm with Greg because I just think the conference is why it's still open just like the AFC. So I'm not writing them off, but they're no longer a favorite. Like it would be a little bit of a surprise to me, a good amount of a surprise if they get out of the NFC. But I am giving them a chance because I just think there's no world beater in there. And if you guys want to throw this in there, Malik Willis, and you mentioned him, I'm thinking, And does he go somewhere with a chance to start next year?

Yes. Like Pittsburgh or something. Like, I mean, seriously. Oh, listen, I mean, he's going to be a free agent. There's no question he's awesome. Yeah, he's definitely going to go. I don't know that he'll be installed as a starter. But, yeah, I mean, he's, he was awesome in this game.

And it just really. How about Indy? Indy waiting for Daniel Jones come back maybe. Minnesota? I mean, there's somewhere. I mean, 18 of 21 for 290 is something. Remember how high people were on. him in a draft.

So this is why I was a little surprised at how over the moon brew was with this Ravens Packers game. And here's why. Yeah. You agree with me. Well, I mean, but everybody,

the Ravens are your team. I understand. The Ravens are your main team. I totally but I view the Ravens as dead already and go, I didn't view the Packers as as far as winning the championship fully dead prior to this game.

And now I'm like, okay, yeah, the injuries have become too much. But you don't think J-Lo? So you think they're done? The Packers? Yeah. Yes, 100%. Like, and done in terms of

They can't make the Super Bowl. They can't make the Super Bowl. They can't make the Super Bowl. They make noise. They are going. I mean, remember, they were a week ago, they were,

it should have beat the Bears. And by the way, they are probably going to if the play the Bears in round one. In round one, we can tell you. They are either playing, they either going to Philly or to Chicago. I would, if Jordan Loves back, I assume they're going to rest everyone this week in Green Bay because there's no reason not to.

And so I will give them, depending on the matchup, a puncher, honestly either matchup, a shot there. But do I think that this Packers team, as presently constituted, can go on the road to Philly or Chicago, either one, win that game, then go on the road to the rested NFC West champ, either Seattle or San Francisco. And win that game, no. So I think their ceiling is the divisional round of the playoffs. So again, there's no real shame to that, in my opinion for them because of the injuries. I think that they lost their best offensive weapon, one of the best defensive players in the league

to injuries. I don't think you're overcoming that. but I am even in a wide open NFC, it's not open for them. It's not open for them. And sadly, it might not be open for the NFC. South champ. The other five-tons are you thinking? You think it's open for the Niners?

Yes, absolutely. Have you seen what Christian McAfee's been? Purdy getting compared to him. Holmes. Collinsworth, he's the best. Everybody's doing the Drew Brees now. Rex Ryan, Chris Collinsworth. Live from New York.

I don't like it, but I understand news that Herbert is resting. And it will be on Trey Lance's shoulders to see if he can beat the Broncos from being the number one seed. Well, I love it because it means the chargers are gunning for the Patriots. That's the other thing. They want the seventh seed. So they can play you guys. It's an insult. It's not just about resting.

It's about taking the seven seed. You should be worried. Wow. The chargers? Yes. I could not be less worried about any. You're not worried about anybody. I mean, there's maybe Houston people don't want to play. No, I would not want to play Houston, but I wouldn't mind.

How? What's it? Justin Herbert does what? Blaine. He's going to play great, but it's not. I would tell you what's going to happen on Monday after the charges lose. Great game, but J. Omari and Hampton. I'll just tell you this.

Chargers Patriots, the Chargers have the better quarterback. I'll tell you that right now. They do? Yeah. They have a word for them. That is an award. That is every year. They give it out.

You know that's up in year. It's called Most Valuable Player. Is he going to be ahead of Drake May? He will not be ahead of Drake May this year. That is up in here. I thought you just said. You got to be honest about him. I don't.

But it's certainly, if you want to make an argument that Matthew Stafford is better than Drake May, sure. Or Patrick Mahomes. But Justin. You don't agree with Danny statement. Do you? That Justin Herbert is- Like you can't definitively say Herbert is better than I do not agree with Danny's statement.

And it's patch chargers. It's a camp. win for me. Just one of you two idiots. So happy. All right. I would actually kind of root for the Chargers. Such like a... Against the Patriots? Not like a sad franchise. I don't understand your fandom.

Bill's will be on the road in the playoffs. Are we sure they're Super Bowl contenders that Danny will find out if he still got him going through the wheel. Meanwhile, was yesterday the beginning of the end for Rogers and the Steelers? It's a chance of his last game on Sunday. It's kind of sad. But right now, well, it's time to figure out if this was a good loss. Caleb was great. Brock Purdy was better.

330 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears QB, but came up short on the final play. Very similar to the Packers game, which you liked, Danny. Here's Ben Johnson. We didn't quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It's on me. I didn't give him the call fast enough. And so he's trying to piecemeal it together. I got to do a better job on that.

He knew he needed to come out and make some. plays for us here tonight. When you're going against a dynamic offense like that, we talked about the possibility is an offense, us going tit for tap with them. And, you know, we, at times, we were able to answer that call. You know, they just ended up making more plays than us. Danny, how should Bears fans feel about the loss? With the regular caveat of if you bring up the 1991 terrible loss, wow, just going to throw something at you. He's going to hate my graphics and I'm going to get to a And this is me not caring. He asked me a question.

I'm going to answer it. Bears fans, if they feel like I do today, should feel as good about that loss as one can possibly feel about a loss. In fact, I will go a step further and say, it is probably my favorite loss in the history of watching the bears. Yeah. Because a few weeks ago, the other Caleb interception, you love that one. That was a fine loss. too. It was just to the Packers, so that one still hurt. You're just over the moon in general

because they're making the playoffs. It's not, because a former Mr. Irrelevant cooked y'all. You feel good about that? Brew, we'll get to that. I'm just saying. I got problems with the Bears defense. We'll get to that. The Bears do

not win and are not competitive in shootouts. My entire life. They've never had a good offense. They won a game earlier this 47-42. This is the most points they've scored in a loss since 2013. And before that, you got to be born in the 1940s to remember a time. They have a coach and a quarterback. So you guys can ask me how I feel about a loss. I would ask you all, how should the rest of

the league feel? Because the Bears have Ben Johnson incapable? What if your defense was great? We talked about this early. Oh, well, then they would be the favorites to win the Super Bowl. was great. No, the defense was great, but the offense was struggling. I've seen that movie 25 times in my life. That's my point, is that the bears always have a good defense. And it's like, hey, if the offense could just score 24, they'd make the playoffs. Now it's an offensive league. You need to have a quarterback. You need to have a play caller in order to win consistently in the NFL. You need a defense. All right. Right. So that's, hold on. How did that work now for the big? And the Cowboys.

So this is where I, this is where I disagree. with you because I think I think the jury's in on is Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams partnership going to work I think we knew that before yesterday so this is why I disagree with you about this season's bears because I think Caleb obviously is has superstar traits and Ben Johnson has raised his floor to where he is going to be the best Bears quarterback of any of our life. He is going to win an MVP. Okay, well, I mean, maybe.

I mean, but I'm just saying, and I would bet that he will, but I'm saying what I think we all would agree on. Sure. I think everyone would agree that even if, you know, you think Ben Johnson can get a touch too cute at times, he has proven himself in his first year's head coach. The job's not too big for him. He is a floor raiser.

The bear's offense is here as a legitimate, factor in the NFC. But I felt that way before last night. So the reason I don't think you should be quite as happy as you appear to be is I think what Bruce's point is, which is if you're talking about the Bears this season, playing up to their seed, which they're going to be the two seed, it means making the conference championship game, not losing a home playoff game, much less making a Super Bowl.

man, that defense has to be better. And that to me is what last night shined a bright light on, that even in a game that they start with a pick six, holy, moly, that defense got gashed by a Niners team that I know has been rolling, but only it has Christian McCaffrey and Purdy's playing the best ball of his, you know, playing great. And it's Kyle Shanahan and it's on.

No number one receiver, really. No doubt. Listen, missing their tight in. The Bears defense is bad. It has been opportunistic, and they've had a ton of takeaways. And, like, Tremaine Edmonds was out there. Montes Sweat was out there. Jalen Johnson was out there.

Like, their best players, their highest paid players, were out there. So I can't even use injuries as an excuse, which has been a thing on the Bears' defense at times this year. Bears' defense is bad. I'm not running from it. I just have a hard time when Caleb Williams, since November, is playing like an absolute top-10 quarterback. I just, I can't get that upset about it. I really can't. He's sixth in yards, third in wins with the second best touchdown

the interception ratio. He's got four games with the pass rating over 100 and four fourth quarter comebacks. It's an offensive league. Like maybe the defense this year prevents them from winning a Super Bowl. We're talking about this year. Maybe. Okay, but they're ahead of schedule.

They weren't supposed to be here. Almost no one here even picked them to be in the playoffs. So they're going to be the two or the three seat in the NFC with their coach and the schedule. their quarterback and a defense that is going to get takeaways. So is it a perfect team? Obviously, but we've spent all day. I've been watching the whole show. This team is flawed. This team is flawed. The bear's defense isn't good. Point conceded. But Caleb Williams is so good and playing so well, they can still do damage. You said something else Friday. What I say? You were asked if you

guarantee that Caleb Williams would outplay. Number one seed versus I think again. The first round. I did say that. Generational first round pick and Mr. Freaking Irrelevant. Yeah. What do you have to say now? Well, he had more passing yards. He didn't have any turnovers. He didn't have any turnovers.

Did he outplay Brock Purdy? No, he did not. He did it. Thank you for your honesty. He did not. He didn't outplay him. But Nick robes me that my guarantees were not. I don't I'm going to say.

I don't know. Rock out played him. By a little. Caleb was really good Caleb was great But Brock outplayed him That's all Listen I think I think Brock played as well as one can play in a game

That starts with the pick six Like the And that's not even supposed to be backhanded What I'm saying is like Whatever your ceiling grade can be for a game That the first play you throw a pick six Brock gets it Like he threw for 300 yards

The two and the two rushing touchdowns Were real rushing touchdowns Yeah not giving me touchdowns Right. And I care about that. I know I'm not supposed to. But KW, there does have to be some. I don't know what Daniel is talking about. This whole Nick told me this, that, or he, you know, on TV, he made a big deal. He guaranteed something.

And it didn't have it. Did we? I mean, I don't know. Well, we're going to dinner for the Shedorba. We do have, here is, listen, I'm just going to throw the, there it is. That's what I was going to say. You and I always have the same ideas. You have to call.

He has to pay? He has to pay. No, just the seafood tower. Just for the seafood tower. He's been talking about that seafood tower since leaving. This is an outrage. You guys were assigning stakes to a bet? No, I didn't say this.

No, but it wasn't a bet. I mean, you guaranteed it. I did get it. You didn't have to guarantee it. I mean, you said I guarantee you had all of this right now. I'm going to pout. I don't mind. You know what?

I lost the bet. I'll pay for it. Brew, since he guaranteed it and won't pay the seafood tower, I will pay for the seafood tower. No. No, no. Same draft. Can I, before we move on, KW, can I ask one other question about this game? Yeah.

Or no, do we have to move on? We can do whatever you want. It's overtime. There's no rules here. We're not like the bills. We don't want to go to over there. Do you guys think it's fair that to say this, every single concern we just levied about the Bears for this season applies to the team that won that game? Yes.

I don't think their defense is quite as bad as the Bears. If the Bears didn't get take away. Like that game, look, who knows how it would have gone. But theoretically, it's not as close if they don't get that pick six. No, of course. And so I think the Bears' defense, because they get the takeaways, that saves them a little bit. But the Niners' defense never sacks the quarterback. Yeah.

They average one sack a game. And so, and solid, I still think solid deserves credit for, you know, making lemonade-ad-ad-ad-ad-ad-jac-stuff. from lemons, but I think what we've seen is against good offenses and good schemes and good quarterbacks, they don't have the horses. So I just, this speaks to your

wide open NFC component of it. I don't think it's fair to be like the bears fall down massively because of the defense when the Niners to me have the exact same issue. Yeah, I said it multiple times last week. I thought it was going to be a race to 30 and the game was

going to be a shootout and it was a race to 40. Like every team, the Seahawks, can Sam Donald win a big game? Philly, can they complete a pass? The Bears, can they stop anyone? The Niners, can they stop anyone? The Packers are the only team that feels like, and they're going to be on the road the whole time. And they're going to be on the road the whole way. Like the NFC, we talk about the AFC is wide open. The NFC is wide open. They're both wild. There's 11 teams right now with 11 or more

wins, which I showed you guys last week, the most ever at this point of a season. Like, it's wide open. You feel like you're in a little bit of house money territory. with your fandom for the Bears. Not your analyst, but like, your fandom for the Bears. That's all good. Get some experience. Hold on.

This season has been an A plus. Can I tell you, though? Hold on. Don't do it. No, it's 100% true. I know what you're going to do. It's been an A plus. He's in-house money.

Ben Johnson, we let him get away with this. In the walk-in video, the league should be scared. Ben Jackson-Kalibb for the next decade. That's right. I believe it. That's true. But here is the only way this season could ever go to just disaster and pain. If the best Bears season in a quarter century with the best offense and the best coach and the best quarterback and the best seed.

Don't even say it. Ends by the Green Bay Packers going into Soldier Field in the two versus seven matchup. That would be bad. Are you saying that's not possible? No, no, no, no. That's not what I'm saying. He's saying it would ruin everything. It would run all over.

Really? It would ruin everything. It would be an emotional disaster. I guess that it would be emotional and all that because it's a rival for your guy's side. That's all you need to know. But you still would feel great about this team. Of course, but I would think about that loss forever. If the nine win packers come to town, it's the cheese grater hat.

I know. It's a little bit too much. It's the whole day. You like them. I like them, but they're a little much. But the flip side of it is beat the Packers and Ben Johnson, who said I enjoy beating Matt LaFleur twice a year, he gets to beat him twice. That's a good point. Bring on the Packers.

It feels like he's playing. Bring them on. It feels like Danny's playing with more house money than you. Yes. I used to be like that in like week six. I'm like, oh, man, we're really good. Right. And then, but at this point, I have graduated back to...

No, you've gone past from confident and now you're just teeming with arrogance. To the point I do not think... Anybody's good about the Patriots. Well, I've watched the games. A lot of teams don't look like the Patriots. Listen, I have a new take I've been holding in my back pocket. We should have gone undefeated this year. We should have.

We should have gone undefeated. You lost to the Raiders. Exactly. We lost to the Raiders. We had five turnovers against the Steelers. And we blew a 21-0-0. They're not to make sandwiches. Josh Allen went Superman mode too late as the bill scored 12 points in the fourth quarter but needed two more.

Josh misses the two-point conversion and delivers the AFC East to its rightful home in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Here's Josh Post game. That sucks, not giving ourselves a chance. We're still in the playoffs and that's the main thing. We can learn a lot from this experience. I would rather won and learn from that too, but again, I got to make a play. All right. The Bills were your Super Bowl team, Danny. Did last night's game waver your confidence at all?

No. I mean, if Brew can believe in the Ravens when Tyler Huntley beats Malik Willis, I think I can still believe in the bills with Josh Allen who lost to a team that's been the best defense in football for the last six or seven weeks, which is what happened. I mean, Philly's defense has been spectacular. So I don't know if we'll talk Eagles now or if we'll get to it later, but, yeah, the Eagles defense, I think, should be as much of a story about that game as the Eagles offense. But listen, Josh Allen needs to make that throw. It really is that, like, because I don't even mind the sack. It's a bad sack. You don't mind the sack?

He lost 25 yards in field goal range. I know, but if. Right. It may not even get to this point. But if all of our analysis on Josh Allen is he needs to be Superman and he is trying to. to make a play as Superman and it back and it backfires. It's like that's like what you get. You know, you're going to get some of the bad in exchange for the good.

That play was there. The two point conversion play, I think that they would take that exact scenario. I think so. I didn't like how like, I don't know. No, it was there. He's fading. It was definitely there. He's open.

He's rolling, like rolling left with throwing with your right hand. And it's a tough play. Like guys like Caleb Williams do it all the time. But like I, so, but I think Josh Allen makes that throw nine times out of 10. Yeah. I mean, Collinsworth thought so in Kill, I mean, I'm sorry, it wasn't Collinsworth. It seemed like Brady thought so as well. Yeah. So I just think, I think that you take it.

And I will bet that Josh Allen connects in that spot nine times out of ten. And if it was a playoff game or a Super Bowl, which this matchup could be, then he would connect and they'd win it. Do you see a path forward to the bills for the bills that happens without using the term Josh Allen, Superman? I think that was it yesterday. So that's where I, that's why I find your, putting up 13. 12 points. Yeah, exactly. I mean, if, if Josh Allen, again, he didn't, and I agree with you entirely.

Like, he has to make that pass. He missed that pass. I don't think it's, any of us feel like there are any fundamental differences about the quality of the team if Josh throws a better pass there. We all know he can make that pass. I don't think we think he choked in that moment. He made a bad play. Mm-hmm. If he does make that pass, then they just won a game with Josh Allen being Clark Kent the whole time.

Two touchdowns in the last five minutes. I mean, if we parse it that way, fine. They would have won 1413 against the Philadelphia Eagles because the defense shut the Eagles down for an entire half of football in a game that I think when, you know, I thought the bills were going to win. when we talked about it last week, the worry was the Bill's defense was going to get run all over. So I think the bills, the quality of the team rose in my mind yesterday, but their path to a Super Bowl got so much harder because they have no shot at the division now. And they don't have a shot realistically at the five seed. And I think that if you're going to be the wild card this year, getting the five seed and going to Baltimore going to Pittsburgh,

is so different than the spot they're going to be in playing as the six or the seven, either Denver, Jacksonville, or New England, one of those three in round one and then being on the road the whole way. So I think the path got much harder. But I thought if you're a Bills fan and all year long, I think what you've been worried about is, man, are we going to have a game where Josh does go Superman and we lose anyway because the defense can't get him the ball back

because the defense can't get stops, something they saw happen to them in the 13 seconds game. I think yesterday gave you a little bit of confidence that that is less likely to happen. The defense does have it in them to bow up and get stop after stop after stop. So that's why I thought you might have the surprising take today that like the bills are scarier because of what they put on tape defensively yesterday. They got less scarier to me too.

I mean, because we can't talk about how bad the Eagles offense is and then give the Bears or the bills a ton of credit for stopping them. I mean, like, the Bears haven't played a full game. The Bills haven't played a full game in a month, Danny. Who has? The Pats. No, we played a bad half against the bills. Yeah.

Yeah, but they, yeah, the bills. They didn't look good against Cincinnati. They were fortunate with that win. They played a half against the Patriots. Yesterday they played a half or 10 minutes, whatever you want to call it. And they struggled against the Brown. Is it nothing to you guys that one half was enough to beat New England? That one half was this close to being enough to beat Philly.

Two teams that I think. But that's when he goes nuclear. There's no stopping him. When he puts his cape on and starts doing that stuff, there's no stopping it. But you thought this is now the second time that like what I think is a regular Josh Allen game, you've called him going nuclear. What was the previous game? I thought the second half against the Patriots. The Patriots game, obviously.

No, no, no. The Patriots game obviously was. There was a different game we argued about where I didn't think Josh like have this monster. He had like 190 yards. You guys told me it might have been the Bengals game. that so I just, I don't look at this game as Josh going nuclear.

No, he doesn't. I thought that, I mean, but it felt like there's a momentum in the building where it's like Josh scores, they get the ball back, he scores again, here comes the two point conversion. The only thing that would have me concerned about the bills and Josh Allen is if he was lying about his foot after the game.

Like they said he got his x-ray and it was clean and his foot was zero percent of an impact there. He's limping around. He was limping around, exactly. Like the, he's, you read the, quote and he's like, it was 0%. And then you read the story, it's x-rays negative. But watching the game, it's like, I don't know.

Because if he's 90%, that matters. I 100% agree with you. I also think the story that we haven't talked about all year, but now with them, because I haven't even thought about that it was possible that the bills go one and done in the playoffs. And I still don't, like, that's because I thought they're either going to catch New England or they're going to be the five seed and just close. clip whoever the AFC North winner is.

If they get my Ravens. Well, they can't get your raven. I shouldn't say they can't. I just don't think they can't be four or five. I don't know. I think they're basically now locked into the six, seven. And I think one and done is, if that happens, I think it's a problem for McDermis.

Yeah. And I think it's a problem for me. What's wrong with the Steelers next with Danny and Willie Colon and Greg Jennings? That's right. Welcome back. We have Greg Jennings and Willie Colon doing the show during the commercial brain talking trash out each other's teams.

Good thing. We're going to talk Steelers and Packers in this segment. But first, Willie Steelers. Big yikes, fall to the Brown's 13, 6, just 168 yards from Aaron Rogers. That's not enough. Zero touchdowns also not enough. Miles Garrett, though, he's got a theory on what happened to that Steelers offense. Take a listen.

To an extent, I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron than getting the win. And I think that's what came back to the bottom. So, you know, they'll have to, you know, fight it out with Baltimore next week. But I'm just proud of the guys for fighting and getting this one. That's the main thing. And I'm always going to keep it thought. First of all, I could pull off that jacket. Different size.

My shoulders are slightly smaller. Definitely a different size. Yeah, probably a different size. That would have been a throw pull-up. Yeah, it's really keeping warm in the winter. Willie, are you worried about your Steelers? Yes. I'm not worried because worrying does.

nothing. At the end of the day, the Steelers are who we thought they were. A flawed team with an expensive roster. That's the bottom line. I'm more upset that the fact that I expected this offense to score more points. That didn't happen. I expected our special teams to show up. That didn't happen. I expected that defense to play big in situational moments. That didn't happen. I expected an ugly AMC game, which did happen. But that's the only thing that happened. When you talk about what this team doesn't have right now going against a very horny Ravens team, we don't have momentum. We don't have momentum

and it looks dark. And so for all Staler Nation, this is our nightmare. We didn't want to be here. We didn't want to be here in this position when once again, we lay down against a lesser opposition. So yeah, I'm frustrated. And now it is what it is. We got to

bang it out with the Ravens. And the Ravens feel like this is where they exactly want them to be. Because Lamar Jackson has an option to be back. Derek Henry is back in full form. And his team has their swag. So yeah, I'm salty. Yeah, no, I can tell. Listen, I thought that that was pretty awful showing all around.

Brue. You can make the argument that if D.K. Metcalf isn't suspended, they win. Because the passing game was so anemic, and Aaron kept targeting MVS, and it was like he didn't nowhere else to look. It was wild, how locked in he was. You'd expect like, hey, you're in your 40s, you've played a long time, you'll maybe throw in different guys. Pepper around a little bit.

Pepper around. But also, and we've talked about it all year, like, yeah, final score 13-6, you're like, oh, it was a defensive battle. Other than when Shador looked awful, he kind of looked great. You know what I mean? His interceptions were bad. Like, Shador's bad is really bad, but he only had six incompletions. Like, the Steelers did not make life miserable for Shador Sanders, so we'll have plenty of time to talk Steelers Ravens. I just thought the Steelers were unimpressive on both sides of the ball.

Yeah, look, the most unimpressive part of them was offensively. Sure. Because no DK, that's a problem. And that's going to be kind of the song and dance that they're going to have to try to figure out for the duration of the season, obviously, against the Ravens. But what you saw was a team that just no one was able to step up. And there's Aaron Rogers was brought there not to mask and not to cover up for what you don't have. He was brought there to do exactly what he did. That last drive, give you an opportunity to win the game, put you in position.

He did that and it just, there was no one else to help elevate him to actually delivering the goods. But this is why when you look at these numbers and Willie, this is more for you. Don't call my name. I know exactly what you. I want you to look at this graphic because like these are the Steelers reception leaders. And I like, I love it. I like game well running back. That D.K. guy, what stands out?

He is the only wide receiver on the screen. So without D.K. Metcalfe, Aaron Rogers has nothing outside the perimeter unless he's looking for a tight end or a running back. So when you talk about getting the ball out quick, this is why he has to get the ball out quick because there's no threat to take the top off. which D.K. provides.

They have 38 past plays of 20 plus yards. DK has 15 of those. If he's not on the field, you have no deep play threat. You have no reason for safeties to back up. Everybody plays close to the line in scrimmage. They make they muddy, they murky the picture for Aaron Rogers and just make things challenging for those receivers. And I agree.

I think the most disappointing thing about that graphic is that John O. Smith was brought here to be an X factor. You can't find them on tape. And now at Mount Washington with a broken arm, we look limitless. I mean, truly limitless. And listen, I'm not worried about MVS and Adam Thielen just got here. So they're kind of new to the game, not new to the game, but new to the Steelers. I'm frustrated because Aaron Rogers, you said he was brought here to give him a shot.

He was also brought here to master deficiencies. I mean, you don't get a 41-year-old quarterback unless you feel like he's capable of putting on the cape. And we watched up into that last drive, he looks frustrated. He's yelling at the sideline. He's yelling at guys. It looks like everybody else's Wi-Fi is humming, and his is just, you know, he's just not in tune with everybody else. I disagree with you on that because I don't believe he was brought there to cover up what they don't have or to mask the deficiencies. Yes, it was.

Why would you bring him here then? Because when we have an opportunity, but when we, when we're having an opportunity to be put into got to have it moments, we need a guy that we believe in. We trust that can get us, get things done. That's not going to turn the ball over. That's going to put us in those positions. put us in the right play and allow us the opportunity to make those moments special. He did that. We were like, oh, is he going to pull it off?

He didn't do that yesterday. He threw the MVS three times. I understand he didn't deliver all the way. But that's why I'm saying at this stage in his career, he needs help. He can't do it with just nobody. Well, that's why that decay suspension. It's on a lone large. Yeah, especially if the season ends against Baltimore.

and they will be facing the Ravens for the AFC North Crown. And they just got a win without Lamar Jackson. And yes, this probably should be over, but it's not. Ravens routed the Packers, 4124, 216 yards, four touchdowns from Derek Henry. Here is John Harbaugh after the win. Just a heart-defining win is what that was. The type of win that makes you proud to be a Raven, makes you proud to be with these guys every single day,

starting with Derek Henry and Tyler Huntley and everybody else that led the way to this. victory. So very proud of these guys, very grateful for this game, very grateful for this win. Greg, what was your biggest takeaway of the Ravens blowout? Obviously the running game in Derek Henry. What they were able to do. Look, they clearly had an identity. They clearly knew what they were going to do going into that football game and they executed. Like, period. This was, this is a team that we see when Lamar Jackson is on the field struggles to kind of find and solidify what lane they're going to operate in. Are we going to be a Lamarled team

where we're going to throw the ball, or we're going to allow Derek Henry to just really get those volume touches. And they've had success doing both to where I feel like Todd Monkin at times, sometimes it's torn, and they don't lean into one the way that they should. This was no question.

You got Derek Henry. Huntley was great. He provided you extra yardage with his legs, but he doesn't push the ball. down the field. He's very efficient in terms of when he's asked to throw the ball less than 15 plus yards down the field.

And so you can lean into Derek Henry because you don't believe that that guy is the future of your franchise. Yeah, this is exactly who the Baltimore was going to be all year. They wanted to be the bullies on the block and they were against the Packers and you talk about, you know, not having Lamar Jackson.

When you watch Derek Henry run, they punish the Packers on the edges. I mean, they flat out did anything to everything they want it. And now you're looking at this Ravens' offense. You're saying to myself, if they play like this for the rest of the year, let's say they beat the Steelers, I don't know if any team wants to get in a phone booth fight with them. Honestly God. Because they control the clock,

they come at you downhill, and now you're talking about a quarterback. Hunkley, who's just going to simply do his job. He's not going to try to wear the cape, but he doesn't have to when you have Derek Kimmer be playing the way he played. And I'm looking at this Ravens team, I'm like, man, you have a real question to ask yourself. Do you start Lamar Jackson, or you allow Huntley to go?

Cut it out. Listen, what do you, how do you say cut it out? If he's healthy, you play, I'll let you go down. No, it's a fair question. No, it is not. If Lamar is healthy, they're going to play him. He got a nearly $300 million contract. Okay.

He's got multiple MVP. So Willie's drinking the cuckoo juice. You just sat here and talked about how the King Henry and his offense looks reborn and ain't playing to their true identity. Yeah. And you're going to stop that. You're going to go with the lesser handling. Lamar Jackson's hurt.

So you're going to throw a gimpy Lamar. Jackson, who's going to have regress offers. No, if Lamar isn't healthy, I think it's legit. But if Lamar is healthy, he's going to play. If he's healthy enough to play, and I just don't, listen, we last week were saying that we were shocked Lamar wasn't playing in the game. I just up in a center suit. I said the Ravens are cooked.

They made me eat my words. Yeah, I forgot. You did say that too. Where I agree with you is this. The Ravens, still you can squint and see a scary team. 100%. There is not a scary team. Out of Lamar Jackson, by the way.

Just, yeah, the Ravens. Their defense, their running game, and then to me it is the potential of Lamar Jackson that gives them that ceiling. Like, there's no way I squint and see the Steelers as being scary. Like, the rest of the AFC next week is rooting for Pittsburgh. Because no one is afraid of Pittsburgh. Yeah, we'll take that path. I do think some teams would be afraid of the potential of what the Baltimore Ravens could be.

Can I make one Packers point real quick? And I'll just make it very quick. Is this a Packers time? I'm going to just make it real. Well, they play the Ravens. So I'm just going to just going to squeeze it in it. I don't know when the Malik Willis talk is going to come. This is Malik Willis as a starter.

So just very quickly, this dude is going to get paid this offseason. I'm not saying a team is going to hand him the starting job, but he has delivered every time he's been asked to in Green Bay. And he passes the eye test. Andy's young. And he's a free agent. He should go to a team and compete with a young quarterback next year, like a rookie quarterback and say,

we're going to start Malik Willis, and we're going to sit this draft pick. That kid is good. Yeah. He is good. When you listen to him, even at the podium, post game, he just, he says the right things. He carries himself like a true professional now. To me, he's one of the 32 best quarterbacks on the right.

It's been impressive to watch it. It's been too long since we talked to Caleb Williams. We write that wrong next. Time now for a little edition of He Said We Said. We listen to the best sound of the week, and we give you what we hope is the best analysis. First up, my guy, Caleb Williams, on the loss. We'll go back, we'll figure it out. We'll be truth tellers to ourselves because we got a great shot at the end of the season to put ourselves in, you know, in a good spot, but also, you know, to get back on a roll and get back on a run here through the playoffs.

And that's, you know, that's what you're focused on. You know, you want to go back and figure out why, you know, why what happened today is what happened. The last play of the game that you're seeing right here was a problem. They just, they got the play call in late. The Niners only rushed two. and there still was a free rusher. That can never happen, right? Like, the end of game execution was sloppy.

Well, man, the Bears have a quarterback, and they have a coach, and they can score points. And an NFC that's going to have Sam Darnold potentially as the one seed who's never won a big game, and the Eagles is the three seed, who just went a whole half of football for the second time this year completing zero passes, and a Packers team with no defense and big time injuries,

and on and on down the line, the Niners with no defense. It's wide open. The bears can win it. The bears are dangerous, and it's because of their offense. And it's basically never in my life I could say that. I'm just waiting for you to kind of expose the white elephant in the room. Which is?

That defense is horrible. Yeah, the defense is not good. It's not good. But we've been kind of promoting them and they're like they're, you know, this is who they are defensively. Like this is, you can't roll into January with that on your resume. And so as much as I love Caleb Williams, I love the fact that they're clutch. I love the fact that Luther Berther had to be.

game, they was able to rush for 110 yards, Caleb threw for 300 yards, co-commit, Lovelin, yada, yada, yada, yada, love them. But if you can't stop the run and you can't communicate on the back end, you're in trouble. And what kills me, Danny, I've set next to you. And I've been touching this magic sauce that you've been stirring up into Bears and calling him a team of destiny. Last night, all that went out the window. Oh, stop.

Because I swore at least one point in this game, this Bears defense was going to stand up. I was praying for it. Caleb couldn't play any better. No, listen, granted there was not magic at the end last night. I'm not going to defend their defense. They are number one in takeaways. But, hey, man, they scored 38 points. It's a dangerous offense.

Look, I'm will-willy on this one. Like, the Bears have, they face six top 10 offenses, and they've allowed almost 30 points on average against those offense. Defense is not good. And so defensive, we were talking about this off-air, like, with the names and with the players, the personnel that they have, you just wouldn't think that this defense would be that bad. Because Caleb, he's doing this part, this offense is coming alive,

with guys sideline, with their number one receiver sideline. And Caleb is starting to mature in this passing game, his reedy progression. I mean, all the things that we were talking about with Ben, We sat down with Ben a couple times this season. All the things that we talked about about Caleb actually being able to do and him talking about it is going to be a process, you see that process actually unfolding and revealing itself at the right time. And so this team is definitely a threat.

However, I do want to remind everybody they did lose. They did lose last night. What? So the team that they actually lost to is a threat. We were able to confirm that is true. Here's Justin Herbert on facing that Texan's defense. We've got nothing but respect for them. Just the way they compete, fly around and play for each other.

They're very well coached, and they've got very talented guys on that side of the ball. Experience is the best teacher, and we've got nothing but respect for them, and there's a lot of good film to watch, and you're going to have to be critical with ourselves, watch it tomorrow, and keep getting better. Do you guys think Justin Herbert and Philip? Do you think him and Philip Rivers have like a text thread where they can just like console each other about terrible chargers losses? That had everything.

It had a brutal call at the end on the illegal contact on their defense, which denied Herbert a shot to win it. Cameron Dicker, who's been awesome all year. He has been perfect. Missed two easy kicks, an extra point and a field goal. It had multiple drops. I mean, my God, that's old school chargering. I will give you this. I watched this game and I felt like, you know,

Danny, I'm hard on Justin Herbert. Yeah. A lot of times. And I feel like he's one of those quarterbacks that can cover up a lot of what you don't have. Obviously, why they're headed to the postseason. Yesterday, I kind of felt bad for Justin. You felt bad for him. Yeah, me too.

Because he did everything in his possible power. Welcome to the league. To even put them in position to win that game. Yeah, the problem for me is, you know, the charges first 15 got wiped off the table because, you know, the Texans jumped up, so 14 zip on them. And they couldn't recover. They couldn't do nothing. The run game was non-existent.

They had one explosive play down the field. Yeah, you're talking about Herbert having this Herkling effort. But at some point, they've kind of been this way throughout the year. They haven't quite right in the ship. So when you talk about who they are, this is who they are. You shut down and run, get after Herbert, good night charges. So I don't know how they recover from this, but the Texans look dittly, and the charges look like they're team walking.

That is Justin Herbert's 10th game this year. where he has been sacked multiple times and his receivers have multiple drops. The most the most in the league. It's just, they're just in a situation where offensively around him, he doesn't have enough help. And yes, it is largely due to injuries on their offensive line, but the guy is awesome. And I do think the Texans are the worst matchup in football for them because of

DeNeil Hunter and Will Anderson, right? Like they have the best edge rush duo going up against the worst tackle duo. So I do. 13 sacks, then they're 13 sacks apiece, right? Right. So I do think it is the actual literal worst matchup, and they're going to sit everybody this week, and I think they're going to get the Patriots in the 7-2 matchup, which I think

is actually a pretty decent matchup given that the Patriots don't have a great pass rush. But now let's get to Nick Siriani and his message to Bill's fans after a win. Take a listen. Love this . Okay, you're laughing, Willie. What do we make of Nick Siriani taunting Buffford? fans for cheering for Buffalo. Well, I love it because, yeah, they didn't win pretty,

but they won't playoff tough in the rain in Buffalo. They put the clamps on Josh Allen to offense for three quarters, and then they found the way to win, even though the offense didn't do anything in the second half. And when you take away Siriana, he goes, listen, we gave you a shot. We gave you a shot at the champs. You lost.

So it is what it is. I support that he has that type of swagger. He gave you a shot. I knew you would. He lost. The champ is here. Yeah. I respect this guy loves taunting fans.

I love it. Are we able to run that again so we can see A.J. Brown? Because this is how I felt. I mean, rolling his eyes at the same judge. I don't think he's running his eyes. I think he's backing him up. You see him shake his head like this guy. That's my coach.

No, he's going to walk by and just shake his head. Because I get the excitement. I understand feeling good that you won the game. But how you won the game, You can't feel too great about that, especially offensively. Well, so especially offensively, can I, can I just repurpose this a little bit? Everyone is crushing the Eagles all day for going a half of football without completing a pass. Frankly, it's a reasonable point.

Look at what the Eagles defense has been since they're by. This is another thing. Shut down. Super Bowl. Seriously. Right. If I say the Texans are dangerous because of their defense, and I just say the Texans are the best defense in football, Philly's like, we have something to say about that.

They are going to make life miserable for any team they play on the defensive side of the ball. And so if Jalen Hertz can wake up and score 24 points, they should be able to beat anybody. Well, listen, if the defense plays like that, he may not have to even score that much. Sure, but I guess my point is, is like, we are going to spend all week talking about what happened to the Eagles' offense. Of course. We should probably acknowledge that the Eagles defense just shut down Josh Allen at home. But it feels like a relevant point. Well, the question is, Josh Allen hurt or is the injury?

Fair enough, but the Eagles defense has been doing this now for a couple of months. Like, we should talk about it at least as much as we do the dysfunction on offense. Tonight, Matt Stafford and the Rams are seven-point favorites on the road against the Falcons. Matt Stafford's still a pretty heavy favorite to be MVP, but it is a two-horse race with him and Drake May. Love to see Caleb in the others receiving votes category. Next year. ballot next year. Spoiler, I'm picking. What does Stafford need to do to keep up with Drake May?

Because I would say that's maybe the biggest part of the game tonight, given the seating implications here. Drake May just had a game where he had five touchdowns against two incompletions. If Stafford doesn't have an A game, those odds are going to shrink. Let me help you with that. It was against the Jets. I feel. I, I know.

It was against Jets. It all matters now. Yeah, but Stafford. just needs to be Stafford. He doesn't need an amazing game. He doesn't need a five touchdown game. He just needs to be Matthew Stafford. And be efficient and clean like he's been all year.

Okay. It's over. Over. Okay. I think it's his already. Listen, he's the favorite. The odds would seem to agree with you. I'm just saying if Stafford comes out and it's like 240 yards, two touchdowns,

just like a normal good game? I think that's fine as long as they win. Because they're in Atlanta, prime time. Atlanta plays different prime time. Listen, Atlanta's the toughest team in the league to figure out. I'm saying that, that Drake May game is going to age very. very well. They're tough to figure out too. Just bad. That's all it is. Bad.