First Things First - Ravens ‘can make a run’, BUD List, Drake Maye MVP favorite, Nick’s Tiers, Will Aaron Rodgers retire?

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

(0:00) Aaron Rodgers ‘should retire’, Can the Ravens make a run? (24:50) BUD List (39:12) What would an MVP in Drake Maye’s 2nd season mean? (47:16) Nick’s Tiers (01:12:18) Must-Win for Week 18 (01:24:26) Fair to blame Eagles’ offensive struggles on coaching? (01:30:32) Packed Stats, More pressure on Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers? (01:52:59) 49ers or Seahawks need the 1-seed more? (02:02:54) Eye Test: Who is the most vulnerable playoff team? (02:11:40) Has Caleb Williams earned a nickname? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's a show it's wishing you a very happy new year. And Nick has a special message. Well, I just would like to, if I may, for a moment, congratulate my father, Louis Wright, today after more than 53 years, either as an active duty firefighter or directly involved in the Kansas City Fire Department is his last day. He's retiring today. Started May 1st, 1972. Wow. And now today is his last day working. And I'm saying that publicly because he has promised today is his last day working,

but now there's a little extra pressure to actually retire. Congrats, Dad. That's a lifetime award. That is awesome. First hour of first things first. Today, if the Ravens win, are they the most dangerous team in the AFC playoff? I like his smile. I like the vibes, wow.

What? A couple years ago, Nicky, wasn't even there. Now he's there with a cheese grater. Meanwhile, we're off tomorrow, so it's a special. special Wednesday edition of the most motivational segment in all of sports, the Bud List. You liked Lamar, and now I'm looking at Aaron Rogers on the Bud List. But this is a special Bud List. This is a special Bud List.

This is for all of 2026. Wow. So this is not just this week. This is like projecting for next year. Well, if it's for the whole year, then certainly Wilde's allowed you to go back to five. Well, I got a surprise for you. Oh, good. Maybe that shouldn't be five.

And finally did a loss to the Falcons, drop the Rams from a top. Of course not. It doesn't matter what they do on that Sundays. Right? I mean, get smacked around. You know what? It was an aberration. Yeah,

lash out about the Reddy's top 10 in relation to the committee's tears. The committee's tears do not leave teams to top the tears post-loss. Oh, you love them too. I do really like the Rams. It's the benefit of having a committee versus. A full committee. One guy. Absolutely.

One guy who's, you know, he's staked to his takes, all that's of the committee, can really look at what's happening. We take that back. Thank you. Alongside Nick Wright, Chris Brousard, I'm Kevin Wilde. And part of my New Year's resolution is to introduce ourselves and say our names more often. Oh, yeah. And we're going to have it show up on the screen today.

Can we do that today? That's 2026. 2026. We start with Ravens in Pittsburgh. Yeah. Win and you're in or lose and go home. Class F empty. And maybe retire.

Maybe lose your coaching job. Here's Kyle Van Noy, a friend of the show, with Kay Adams. Our main focus is believing in each other and proving ourselves right. Like, this is what was meant to be. Yes, it's been a challenging season. Our record hasn't shown as good as we've been or are. It's one game, one opportunity to go into Pittsburgh against a really, really good football team. And just because their record's been what it is doesn't mean they're a bad football team too.

I mean, we just saw the Rams who's been, you know, touted as the best team in the league. You just got to get into the dance. Anything can happen. Okay. Brooke, can the Ravens convince you that they can make a run? Wilds. Oh, gee whiz. What?

Okay. What was I wearing on Monday? A full robe with little patches of sandwiches and soda pop. Yes. And Jordans. Purple Jordans. Yes. And sunglasses.

I don't know. I do not put on the robe frivolously. That's true. Or haphazardly. I don't get all willy-nilly with the robe. I know that's true. When you see me in the robe, and this was the first time since,

I think since they beat Cleveland in week two, that I donned the robe. When you see me in that, it means I believe. All right. And I don't just believe about them beating the Steelers. Nick, I do believe they have a run. in them. Oh, come on.

Oh, do they have a run in them? If I see Lamar Jackson out there, because I think they can win with Tyler Huntley against the Steelers, but can't make a run in the playoffs. If I see Lamar Jackson out there playing at 85%, then watch out. And Lamar, and look, maybe the back makes this irrelevant, but there were signs that he was,

coming around. He, look at the weeks 10 to 14 is the five games stretch where he was terrible. The last two weeks, though, I mean, look, he didn't throw it a lot. He got hurt against the Patriots. So that's just the first, right? But he was like 17 or something like that 15 for 22. Yeah. I mean, you see completion.

That's right. The passer ratings hot. TD interceptions, you know, 2-1. But those stats are kind of like. Those are great. Those are great numbers. So maybe he was breaking out of whatever. slumber he was in.

Okay. All right. Either way, Derek Henry is playing the best football he's played all year. I mean, he's been good. He was great in the first week against Buffalo. But the defense, too.

The defense? Look at these defensive number. And this is 11 weeks. The last 11 games, I mean, top six in everything. You called this. First or second best. You don't get enough credit for this.

That's their culture. That's their culture. That's what they do. I give John Harbaugh credit for that. So I got a strong defense. I got one of the best running backs in the league playing really well and potentially one of the best quarterbacks in the league coming back. And here's the thing, Nick.

They were beating the 13 or 14 win Patriots by 11 points with nine minutes left. And then what happened? And then they fell apart. But my point is, but well, they didn't even have their starting. quarterback. Despite Lamarley playing the first half and none of the second half, they were up 11 with nine minutes left. But it was, it's that defense that you're trying to tell me is great that fell apart.

Yeah, we got a short field. We got a fumble. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing. One full long field. And then after, because they, Raven scored, kicked off, longfield touchdown, Zay fumble touchdown. Right. But think about it. But pushing around the bills or the Patriots, pushed around the bills in week one,

for 55 minutes, when the defense was terrible for the Ravens, all right, beat the Packers and the Bears two legitimate playoff teams with their backup quarterback. And I mean, so I'm saying if they start to get back

to full strength, mainly with Lamar Jackson, I think they can make a run. That's all I'm saying. I think they got a shot to definitely make a run in the end. So I'm glad you mentioned the Packers and the Bears wins

because those are the only two good ones of the year. That's two good ones, though. It is too good. ones. And it goes right in line with excellent losses to all the good teams they have faced other than that. New England, Pittsburgh, the Rams, annihilated by Houston, blew it against Buffalo, and then lost two good two teams we thought were going to be good but weren't in Detroit and Kansas City, split with Cincinnati, a team that ended up, you know, both games, by the way, with Joe Burrow,

beat them once and lost to them once. Their wins other than the Chicago and Green Bay win with their backup quarterback. You don't see that Cincinnati win was a good one? Would Burroughs shut out? No, so that's a good win, but then they also lost one. I was the, so you're the, but there was a, I dropped that up to like Burrow having a crisis. It was weird. They made him.

I think he had one going into the game, but regardless, their other wins are twice against Cleveland. They beat the Jets. They beat Minnesota. The Jets win was good. And they are, if they, if they beat Pittsburgh. which I am not ready to say they will. But if they do, they are playing in round one, Buffalo or Houston.

Buffalo, who with healthy, excellent coming off in MVP caliber season, Lamar, they beat them. They beat the Ravens. And Houston, who annihilated them. Without Lamar. Without, well, right, but 44 points after the toys had been tossed. And it's weird. No, that was before the defense.

That was right, but it was after the, they had gotten rid of the toys, but the defense hadn't started playing well. But we can't, I mean, it's weird to me if we're going to say, we're going to throw out the Houston loss because Lamar wasn't there, but we're hanging our hat on the Green Bay and Chicago wins when Lamar was injured. Like that, that to me is, and the Green Bay game was, by the way,

that defense that we're talking about, let Malik Willis go 18 of 21 for 288 yards. and it was a game until he got hurt. And it was a one possession game in the fourth quarter. He got hurt. I forget Sean Clifford came in through and picked games over. And so I or Clayton Toon, I don't even know who their third string is. I think it's Clayton Toon.

It's too. You used to be Sean Clifford. My apologies. But I just don't think that a team, they have, right now, they have the same record as the Vikings, the Panthers, who we're all saying is the one NFC. The NFC South and the AFC North to me are the same. They are the two divisions that are going to get a team in the playoffs

that are in a win-in-your-in-game between a nine-win team and an eight-win team, and they're drawing dead to go on a big run. Here's the thing. I agree with you. Because you're talking about games this season. If we see the Ravens that we saw all year. early on. Okay.

Then, and Lamar that we saw for a good stress, five weeks, then, sure, they're not making a run. I am going, just like I would do with the Chiefs, I am banking on their history. I'm banking on their ability. They've had a horrible year. But now they have life, and that's, I'm saying, if they can. Just way better. Real quick, because if people are wondering, and you just alluded to it, would I feel this way if the Chiefs were in this position? and the Chiefs had had some terrible year

but might sneak in. And the answer is absolutely not. Like, no, no, no. I wouldn't. You would be feeling like I would be feeling like Brew is feeling. I am saying that. But when you say just like the Chiefs, the Chief's entire history has been,

they play better in the playoffs. We are asking a Ravens team who under, with Harbaugh and Lamar, every year, have gotten worse in the playoffs. They can't get worse this year. Well, I mean, seriously, they can't get worse. But we would need them.

And they've beaten that Houston team a few times. Yeah, last year. Last year. And the, I just, we have never seen the Ravens with Lamar and Harbaugh get better in the playoffs, ever. Can I pitch you on an idea to support one of Bruce's theories? The idea that it was Easy Street going into the playoffs and this adversity might be the switch that they need. So the last, this is all of Lamar's playoff appearances. their point differential going into the playoffs.

They were sixth. First three times tied for third. It has never resulted in a Super Bowl. This year, they're 16th. The idea being, the theory being, that this is, you know what, all year long, we didn't peak too early. We're peeking just at the right time. We've won two must-win games to get into the playoffs.

And now we're going to be a rocket shift as we face a Bill's team that can't stop the run. We're going to feed it to Derek Henry, a Texan's team that we have beaten in the playoffs before. And Lamar's getting healthier. And all of a sudden, get rid of the self-inflicted mistake. We're 10 days removed from them blowing a double-digit fourth quarter lead in what we thought was a must-win game. I agree. Against one of the best teams in the league. The only reason, this is where I think you guys are.

I love the optimism. And I think it's good for the show. It's way better for the show if the Ravens bring and the Steelers make it. But the Ravens played in a must-win game against a playoff caliber team, blew the game. And because of that, they no longer controlled anything. Their seasons, we thought, was over because we thought the Steelers were going to beat the Browns. The Steelers play their worst game in the year and lose to the Browns, and now we're trying to convince ourselves that the fact that the Ravens in the past have been regular season juggernauts,

and this year they are the definition of mid. You said 16th of the point differential, eight and eight for the season, and their quarterback is banged up. That is going to be a recipe for them to go on their best playoff. Peaking at the right time. It hardens you. I like that.

It has been. And look, I am not sitting here saying I'm guaranteeing they're going to win the AFC. I'm saying with this field, this field, why not? Why can't they? They arguably have the best. quarterback. When he's at his best, they arguably have the best quarterback in the conference. Well, that is, they got.

Well, two-time MVP, one-time MVP. Yeah, arguably have the best quarterback in a... But he says one-time MVP. He's not talking about Drake. No, I know. And Josh Allen throwing him, all of them. Arguably the best quarterback in the conference, arguably the best running back in the playoffs in the AFC. And the defense is playing really well. Arguably. Would you go ahead, KW? No, that's it. I was saying...

I mean, Houston's defense is... Would you agree with me? that they are more likely to lose Sunday than to win a playoff game. No, I wouldn't. I would agree with you. They're more likely to lose Sunday than to make the Super Bowl. Well, yeah, I mean, that's, I mean, that's, I mean, that. But although I'm saying they got a chance to make the Super Bowl, but no, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't agree with that.

I think there's, I think they're scary. I am taking a little bit of the Chiefs. They're the opposite of the Chiefs. The Chiefs has a great quarterback and a team that has. has just been excellent for a few years versus the Jags. Like as much as I think a fair criticism, like, I don't know what the Patriots going to look like. I want to be confident.

The Ravens are playoff proven. You know where we're a big on this side of the table? They haven't been able to beat the Chiefs. They've lost to the Chiefs. I mean, those are good teams that they lost to. They've beaten up on Houston. Last year they flattened Houston. Lamar has three career playoffs.

When two came against Houston, right? It's the last two years they beat Houston. Do I have that right? And the, I just, I. So now I'm supposed to believe they can't beat that Houston team? I am stunned that the analysis is that this team used to be awesome in the regular season and fall flat in the playoffs. Now they are having the worst and most injury riddle regular season they've had. And that is the recipe to them being excellent playoffs.

I just don't. I'm not saying that's the recipe. I'm saying that could, maybe that could work out. And I'm wrong. He doesn't have two playoff ones against Houston. It's the Chiefs to be Houston last year. He beat the last year, he beat the Steelers in the playoffs. He beat Houston two years ago in the playoffs and beat the Steelers.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rogers coming off one of the worst games of the season in a loss to the Browns. Now he's looking at what might be his final game in the NFL. Here's Tomlin on that idea. Take a listen. I'm just committed to making sure that it's not. He's certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts and not only from a talent perspective and an experienced perspective, but just his professionalism, his relationship with the game, his love for his teammates and his willingness to help them grow and get better and gain better understanding each and every day has been cool to be a part of. Okay. If Rogers loses this, do you think he should retire? Yes. It's just time. He won't go out as a champion. He won't.

even go out as a playoff quarterback, but he did not tarnish his legacy, right? He didn't, he didn't have the first losing season of Mike Tomlin's career. His numbers are fine. Okay, right, 95 pass a rating, I think 23 to 7 touchdown interception, something like that. And now this is for the moment. Historically, people won't remember this stuff. But for the moment, you can look at it and say D.K. Metcalf. He was the reason. You can look at it and say T.J. Watt got injured, you know,

in a wild accident. Right? You can look at it and say, you know, some of the other injuries and things like that. So I think though here's the deal and you know where would he go next year? He could stay in Pittsburgh. I guess Minnesota. I guess

Indianapolis would be possibilities. He's not leading those teams anywhere. Aaron Rogers fell short with two excellent Green Bay teams when he was the MVP. Back-to-back MVP, when he was at the height of his career and the team was really good, he still fell short in the playoffs. So I'm supposed to believe at 42 or 43, he's going to lead some other team to playoff glory. No, it's not.

He's had a great career. Fortunately, he got that Super Bowl years ago, so that monkey's off his back. It's just time for him to retire because now if he keeps playing mediocre football, he's just some people are only seeing this Aaron Rogers. And some people are, you know, forgetting, like Dwight Howard. Not that the white was the equivalent of Aaron Rogers. But remember, people forget how good Dwight Howard was because they saw so much more. Spot on the top 75 list if he had just retired after Orlando.

So listen, I agree with you, Brew. I also think this, and you'll love this, KW. the long tale of the three-game Philip Rivers comeback will be felt across shows like this for a decade. Oh, wow. And the beginning of that tale will be, if he retires next year, whichever contender-ish team suffers a quarterback injury, it will just be assumed. Well, obviously, Aaron Rogers can come off the couch and come play for you. and you know what I mean and step in there and those of us that tend to think that's insane are going to be like people are going to also recreate how good Philip Rivers O and 3 stretch was with the call to be like no Philip Rivers looked good guys and so I think Aaron Rogers will stay in the October, November, December American sports media football news cycle for the next few years.

Like it's not just next year. Before Philip Rivers, there was headlines before they signed filth. Did Andrew Luck get a call? Yeah. It's never going away. Lucks, I think, been gone since 2019 or 2018. He's still in his 30s. Right, yeah.

Could he be next? And so, but I also, if he plays, I'm scarred by what happened against Cleveland. Like, it just seemed like a quarterback that was done. If they win, then I think you, and they make the playoffs. and then you see they have a home playoff game, it reopens. But if they go back to back when in your end to the postseason games and you lose to Cleveland, then you lose to Baltimore, you know, dealing with their own injury at quarterback,

then I think it's time. And if it is, I think it's worth throwing this on the screen because he does have a claim that he is one of the three greatest regular season quarterbacks in the history of the sport. and his career numbers, listen, he's got the fourth most passing touchdowns, the fifth most yards, the highest passer rating. Mahomes had it briefly, but then he dropped. Lamar had it briefly, then he dropped.

Aaron, you know, so Aaron back atop that. And only Peyton Manning has more first team all pros. We did Super Bowl Europe because, say, and MVP's. But they were saying first team all pro, Sid Luckman. Otto Graham and Johnny Unitas had more. But it was of the Super Bowl era. It's him and Peyton, which is what makes Brew the playoffs stuff with him so weird. Started 4 and 1 in the playoffs with the Super Bowl, was 6 and 10 in the postseason after that,

with some grisly results, or 6 and 9, I should say, in the postseason after that. Right now he's 11 and 10 for his career in the playoffs. But as far as on a throw-to-throw game-to-game, regular season basis, you can put his career up against anybody ever. And the regular season. And so it's just, it's very odd for a player that great to play that long and only make one Super Bowl. But that's what it seems like his ultimate destiny is going to be.

Even if they win Sunday, nobody thinks they're going to go to the Super Bowl. Can I give you an alternate history if he wins on Sunday, an ultra like recent history? if he beats the Ravens, he will have gone four and one to have a drive towards the playoffs and offend off the Ravens and the Steelers. No one believed in the Steelers

and they've done it. He was weeks 14 through 16. He was playing his best ball. He was unbelievable. Three and O, it's pass-er-yards per game at 260s. Pass-rating was at 106. And that was after he had that terrible game

where he called out his teammates for being late to me And with a broken wrist. And a broken wrist. Yeah. So this week 17 game, you can say like, ah, he looks washed. Man, a lot of quarterbacks don't look good against Miles Garrett, especially if you're trying to avoid sacks with sort of the purposeful nature that he was. So I think he needs to win this game and it puts a whole different flavor on this year.

Oh, if they win it, absolutely. If they win it, brew, I think this was successful. I know that they, the only. wait for this to really be stamped as definitively successful is breaking the streak of not winning a playoff game. So he needs to win two more. And that obviously would be unbelievable if they beat Buffalo or they beat Houston in round one of the playoffs. And I know Houston scares you more than Buffalo because you're looking at it through Houston attacking him. I just don't think if Pittsburgh could keep up with Buffalo's offense. But regardless, the

That's the only thing that would make it definitively. This was a great final chapter. But to your point, this isn't an embarrassing final chapter. And what's tough for Rogers is Farve did get one awesome post-Green Bay season. Farv's first year with the Vikings, he came in second in league MVP voting. They made the conference championship game. And then he threw the ball away at the very end of the. that game and they lost.

The next year with the Vikings, he was done and it was over for him, but he got one more, you know, moment moment. I don't know if I've had a Rogers moment this year. The only Rogers moment. That little run that you highlighted. I'm not going to remember that forever.

No, no, but that was D.K. Metcalfe. And that's where the problem, if D.K. was playing this weekend, it might be a whole different story. The only Rogers moment post-Green Bay. is him running out with the flag about 20 minutes before he tore his Achilles. Yeah. I mean, that's just, that's the only, at least I. Robert Sala non-hug.

Yeah, I mean, yeah. The only, the only positive, like, oh, my goodness. No, yes, I mean, but as far as I can see it, I can't see, you can't immediately visualize any other positive Rogers moments, not in a Packers uniform, other than that moment his first game with the Jets. Most motivational segment in all of sports, a special. Wednesday edition and a special 2026 edition. Next on FS1, the Fox Sports Channel, on Sirius XM.

We are on the road to a billion views. We're 28 million away. We're going to get it. I know it seems like a lot. I think people put that up like, geez, that seems like, no, we're going to get it in short order. Yeah, in short order. Or we're going to get a new social meeting manager.

One or the other. Gianna has staked her reputation to it. Also, the podcast has been excellent. Right now, you're in for a real treat. It's a special Wednesday edition of the most motivational segment in all sports. I had to make a special trip to the post office to grab a letter today. They were still there. Yeah, of course.

I've picked a random one. Picked a random post office or letter? Oh, okay. Same post office. Dear Wilds, love the show. Thank you. We know that Greg is a Super Bowl champion and great teammate on and off the field. That's true.

Can you outline three or four things? four things you learned about building a winning team and culture that Greg shared last night as you all broke bread. Happy New Year, Ryan and Brian. Ryan and Brian, I hate to end 2025 like this, but I have terrible news. Last night, while we were all getting ready to go, we said, Greg, after overtime, are you going to meet us there? Do you want to walk together as a team? I asked him if you wanted to ride with me. Yeah. And Greg, do you mind sharing your response on why you you couldn't make dinner. I actually do not.

Brew? I'm going to share my response. Well, he had to get his rest. Said, I have to sleep. I'm choosing to go to sleep. Not, I have anything to do. I need to work out. Not even I'm tired.

I would just prefer to sleep. Unbelievable. Why don't you just say, I don't want to hang out with you guys. I'd rather be unconscious. That's literally what he said. He was like, I have nothing else to do.

I would rather take it happen. And you know what, Greg? I appreciate the honesty. Thank you. I appreciate the honesty. That was your team. That's the teamwork lesson. Honesty.

That's palsy. All right, time for the Budlis, special edition. Speaking of honesty, I'm going to keep it real. This is a special 2026 edition for the whole upcoming year. So I'm going to throw in a few regrets, a few guys that I wanted to put on the list, but since Wilde's cut it to only three. Yes. I can't.

I'm going multi. high sport. Aaron Judge. Now last year, Aaron Judge got rid of the notion that he can't deliver in the postseason.

He hit 500, right? But in New York, it's all about the ring. He has had a phenomenal career, three of the last four MVPs, but he's going to have to deliver a World Series. They haven't won since 2009.

And Aaron Judge is one of the, to me, one of the best Yankees. ever, but is he going to go down is that if he doesn't deliver a World Series? Are we on the buttonless from? Not yet. This is a bonus. This is a bonus. Since you, we cut you out of the butler. You don't, you don't

make it anymore. Also, Janice. Janus on the bonus. Yes. Because Janus, you're the 11th seed. In the East, in the JV conference. I get, if you want to stay there this

whole year, fine. But this summer, you should be about getting out of there. And Houston. Houston is not winning it unless they make a move. Do you guys agree with that? Yonis. It's Yonis. Yonis is on the, I think Houston should be the team to go for him.

Yeah. Do you agree with that? Maybe. I don't really have. They're behind. They're not as good as OKC, San Antonio, or Denver. Yeah. And Kevin Durant's 37.

It's win now. So go get Yonis. All right. And Janus, ask out. It's time to go. Nobody's going to look down at you for that. All right. Now, now you had your chance.

While you did your intro. All right. Now at number three on the official buzzer. Oh, okay. Joe Burrow. All right, thankfully. Now, Joe Burroughs out of the playoffs for the third straight year. He's played well individually, but Joe, you know as well as all of us.

It is all about winning, especially for quarterbacks. In Cincinnati? Yes. Like Aaron Jones? Cincinnati's been to the Super Bowl. All right? So you, Joe, and not just with Joe, before that. So Joe, I get it.

It's not, you haven't made the playoffs since 2022. It hasn't all been your fault. Obviously, there's been some problems with the defense. You have been injured. Freak accidents, some of these things. But what I would say to you is make this off season your hardest working ever. I know you work hard. But you have got to do everything in your power to come back healthy next year.

Give Cincinnati 17 healthy games. You're 29 years old. You're not getting any younger. And the young boys are coming. Drake May, C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert. That's just the AFC. They are coming for you. All right.

So you have got to deliver next season. I don't want to hear about the defense. Yes, the defense needs to get better, but you need to go out there and get back to your winning ways in Cincinnati. Joe, I do believe in you. At number two, Lamar Jackson. Now, unlike Joe, Lamar, you have a chance to make things right within the next two months. You are still alive. And boy, what an opportunity.

What an opportunity. We look at this AFC field. But nobody's scary? No one. All right. And if you can get yourself right physically, then this could become your best year. This is, despite this terrible season,

I think this is one of his best chance to get to the Super Bowl because of the field in the AFC. A lot of young, unproven quarterbacks. All right, a lot of young, unproven teams. And you have veterans, you have a great running back, You got a very good defense. And I'll say this, even though if you lose this weekend or early in the playoffs, probably or maybe John Harbaugh's last season.

And maybe I don't know if you want that or not. I have no idea what your relationship is. However, you don't know what a new coach brings. Even as I'm saying, Harbaugh should go if they go out early or go out this weekend. You still don't know what the next coach is going to be. There have been a lot of head coach. who were coordinators that we thought would be great and weren't. All right?

So you just don't know you have a new offensive system, a new way of doing things. It might take a while for you to adjust. So whether you want hardball out or not, I have no idea, but don't let, if you have ill feelings toward him or the organization or whatever, don't let that set you back. Certainly don't let a contract issue set you back. You're in the middle of a huge,

$260 million contract. So don't let that stop you from what, to me, looks like a great opportunity to make this a special season by getting to and even winning the Super Bowl. Lamar, you know, I believe in you. At number one, Josh Allen. I mean, it's similar to Lamar, very similar. This, not your best team, I don't believe,

but certainly your best opportunity to get to that Super Bowl and win it, Josh. Look, Patrick Mahones, the boogeyman is gone. He's 4-0 against you in the playoffs. He is gone. So now, like I said with Lamar, a lot of young, unproven quarterbacks and teams stand in your way of getting to the Super Bowl. There's no excuses.

Sure, you don't have a great wide receiver, but you do have a great offensive line. You do have a great running back. And your defense is pretty good. All right, so there are really no opportunities. It's not supposed to be easy. All right. And if you can win it this year, that monkey is off of your back forever. Everything you do after that, obviously you'll still want to win more Super Bowls,

but everything will be gravy. Aaron Rogers, who we were just talking about, won and went to the Super Bowl 15 years ago. And he still, even though he hasn't won big since then, you can't knock him at all because he has the Super Bowl victory. That is what awaits you, Josh, if you can deliver. Even though I don't think you guys, I'm pulling for the Ravens, I do believe in you, Josh. So we will see. What a Budlis.

Power packed. Like the Budlis. I'm going to add a quarterback that has a Super Bowl ring. Jalen Hertz to the Budlis. And what's interesting about Jaylen Hertz is, like I mentioned, he has a Super Bowl ring already. Yet we kind of question, not kind of. We question what is. looks like when they win because of him.

If he's not throwing the ball, having great success, we question, is this sustainable? Can they do this again? And moving into the 2026 season, even the postseason, Jaylen Hertz in last year's playoffs, great, excellent. Turned it up a notch. You have to do that again. You have to quiet all the talk, all the inner chatter. and outer chatter surrounding who you are as a quarterback,

passing quarterback. We don't question your leadership. We don't question how you speak publicly in your press conferences. You do those things at an elite level. We do, however, scratch our heads question, is it Jalen? Is it the offensive coordinator? Is it the play call? Is Nick Siriani?

the constant has been your name continuously popping up. Vives, when they're great, it's because you did something and you won a game, but you did something. When they're not, and you can have great output offensively outside of throwing the football, and we still will look at Jalen Hertz saying,

I don't know if they have enough. I don't know if they can get it done this year because can he throw them? the ball when they need them to. Jalen Hertz, I believe in you. You've done it before. The first time you went to the Super Bowl, you lost it, but you played great. Dueled Patrick Mahomes. The next year, page you. Let's go, Jalen Hertz. Let's make it about you. Through the ball, you threw too many interceptions. Now we're questioning, will they ever have faith in you like they once did? I believe in you. Does your team truly believe in you and your play caller believe in you?

We'll see. Are we still doing sports media on Budzman for the whole year? You bet you. Wow. Fantastic. What a real treat you're in for. You don't have to do this anymore. I'm doing it out of my own volition.

Wow. It's time for the Sports Media on Budzman. Fantastic edition of Sports Media on Buzzman. I'm thrilled. So I have, this is, I have made this point in the past, but I really hope that folks in the sports media in the reporting industry, take it to heart for 2026. which is, if your job is to serve the fans,

allow me on behalf of fans to say. Fans would like more stories and less transactions reported in 2026. I'm going to give you two, I think, shiny examples that it can be done. One works with us, one does not, so I'm not playing any favorites. Jay Glazer in the NFL knows everybody, talks to a lot of people, gets a lot of information, keeps a lot of it, does it not play the,

this free agent is signing here game, this team is looking at this player in the draft game, and then every Sunday morning on the best football pregame show that's existed for more than a quarter century, he does about five minutes of real news. It's like, man, I didn't know that.

That actually is real information, not something that was going to be released on the transaction wire in 90 minutes anyway. Real information. He is serving the fan. Brian Windhorst in the NBA, I think does something very similar in a different methodology via his podcast. Wendy talks to everyone. Wendy almost never tweets. Wendy never is like, hey, this free agent is signing here.

But Wendy calls those relationships, those sources, and then gives you real. inside an information via his podcast. It serves the fan. You feel like you know more because of that. So much of sports media reporting has been beating what is going to be public knowledge anyway, a trade, a signing, an injury. All of those things have to be disclosed to the public. Right. No matter what via 30 minutes on social media. And in order to get that information, it feels to me a lot of folks have given up the ability to report real news. If I break a real story that they don't want to get out, they're not going to give me the thing that they were going to have to give out anyway.

The sports fan wants the real news. We'll get the transactions no matter what. There's never been a trade maiden pro sports that no one found out about. That guy's on a new team. It's on the transaction wire. This guy drafted him. So it can be done. Glazer and Wendy, and I could have picked others. But those two guys, I think, prove it on our two biggest sports. I hope we get more of that in 2026. No, there's sports media on Budsman.

The final sports media on Budsman of 2025. Thank goodness. Preview of the MVP. Odds are still moving around, but Drake May is the favorite. We talked about how an MVP for Stafford might put him in the Hall of Fame. If Drake were to win, he would be one of the youngest MVP's ever joining Lamar. Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Dan Marino, who by the way, one guy is in the Hall of Fame,

two guys are headed to the Hall of Fame. So what would an MVP mean for Drake May? So can I, can, what do you think it would mean? Well, I have a, I have a game within a game, segment within a segment. Okay. It's a segment I call Too Far. Great.

Number one, you tell me when I'm going too far. You have to go like this, too far. If he wins the MVP, he's the most valuable player in the league. That's too far. You know what I'm saying? That's too far. That's literally what he would be. But when I say it like that, like, ah, no, no, no, but that's, but that's, so it's, hold on.

No, because I think I'll say yes to other things on your list. Okay. So, because that's, like, I wouldn't trade. Who is the most value? I don't know. I wouldn't trade. Where the award? They won the award as different than would you?

That's, again, I don't want to be. It doesn't mean most value. Like, like, like, so last year, so last year, Josh Allen won MVP. Yes. The last year, the chiefs would not going into this year, trade Patrick Mahomes for any player in the league. I'm not talking about trade. You know what I'm not.

He's not. I'm saying is he the most valuable. He was in 2025. Yes. He would be that. Yeah, that year. Sure. Excellent.

Okay. Question number. too. Remember, just for the rules, you've got to go too far. Yeah, got you. He's the best quarterback in the AFC playoff field. Too far. What do you do to do air quotes?

You said, you got to be too far. No, you don't have to do air quotes. You used to put too far like that. Too far. Because of Lamar. No, because of Josh. Because of Josh. And then he has an MVP, and Drake May has an MVP. And Josh has a great long

playoff for us. Yeah. And Drake may does be a great long player. What's his record? He's been, but he has a little He has reduced. I think he has one game over 500. I think KW, I think he's in top 15 all-time playoff wins. Like, certainly. He's 8 and 7.

KW, every quarterback other than Brady and Mahomes, their playoff win loss record is close to 500 because you lose every year you don't win the Super Bowl. Everybody thinks that's too far. I mean, Aaron Rogers, 11 and 10. Peyton Manning is one game over 500. You named two guys who don't thrive in the playoffs. I'm named.

Pick KW. I'll show you the career record. We're all unanimous. He's officially a top five quarterback. 100% agree. Yeah. He's too far. Too far.

He was top five. Again, you have to do the thing. I don't want to be. Too far. Thank you. He was top five this year. And it would be a phenomenal achievement. And I do think he's going to go in and have a fantastic career.

But I've seen too many guys have a great year early. And this would be the greatest. But I thought C.J. Shrod was heading down. He wasn't doing MVP stuff, though. I agree, but they still were very good and have fallen off Jaden Daniels. Not MVP. Not MVP, but still very good seasons. And every MVP is not some Super Sun.

Matt Ryan, Rich Gannon. I mean, there are a lot of decades. We're in this century. I'm just saying I think I am not ready to submit him as a top five. back after one great season. I don't think you should be MVP and I'm ready to be in the top five quarter. Yes. Who would you put in front of them?

Well, I still got the four. Josh Lamar, Burrow. So why Burroughs the one that's? I knew this was going to be wild. Burroughs numbers last year still were better than Drake's this year. 30 touchdowns. And I said yesterday Drake's my number one guy for MVP. 30 touchdowns isn't like phenomenal?

Can I ask you a question? Yeah. Then I have one final question for two-far. Because to me, when I look at the Marino Mahomes-Lamar, the three guys you showed, it's very instructive. What we felt about those guys after their MVP season was greatly impacted by what they did in those playoffs.

So Marino that year made the Super Bowl. And a lot of people, again, that was the year I was born, but I believe it was really Marino, Montana, Montana. Like that was a debate. Marino was like a video game. Right. And so but I, so he made the Super Bowl 1 MVP. A lot of people thought I know Montana's got rings already. Marino's

the best quarterback in the league. And we thought he's going to get to more Super Bowl. Mahomes makes the AFC championship game. Plays unbelievable against Brady. They lose an overtime. I looked it up this morning. The next year, he wasn't on the NFL 100, the top quarterback. Brady wasn't either. Actually, it was Drew Brees,

then Mahomes, then Brady. He was in the discussion for best quarterback. But it wasn't unanimous until the next year when they broke through. Lamar, after the bad playoff game, his rookie season, and then the unanimous MVP year and the awful playoff game,

he was not considered unimpeachable, untouchable after that MVP season, because of how he did in the playoffs. So the question I had, for some of these to me, are going to be playoff dependent. He wins MVP, plays well in the

playoffs, and they make the AFC champion. championship game and lose. To me, he's clearly a top five. I think it's top five anyway. Oh, yeah. If we're in the ASA. So who's not in the top five? Stafford?

Lamar. Burrow? I think Lamar is, to me, a question mark, and I think Burroughs is a question mark. My non-question marks would be Mahomes, Allen, and Drake Mac. Mahomes almost have an asterisk going into next year. Well, yeah, I mean, you have to see because of the need.

As much as I love Burrow, I think we're getting too far removed from the Super Bowl. From the Super Bowl. It's five years. Last year he was a top five quarterbacks. And what they won a playoff game? Did they make it? No, but it was the defense.

It wasn't him. But that's a part of it. It all, it's a part of it. I have a hard time blaming him for last year at all. But what about this year? This year he's been hurt. If he wasn't hurt, I think they'd have made the playoffs. But doesn't when you do the top five quarterback thing,

don't you work in like availability and things like that? I mean, that's a big part. But he lost, they lost games where he was not. not excellent. No, obviously Buffalo. At all. At all. At all.

I get lost. But because do you agree, though, KW. I know you think it's an impossibility. Yeah. That say he wins MVP. And again, I'm not certain he's going to, but for the sake of that, say he wins MVP, if they get clipped in round one, that changes and he plays poorly when he hasn't played poorly all year.

Hard to imagine. I know it's hard for you to imagine. But if we, I could see it's lose, you know. But okay, but just say they just losing round one. He's not super. And he's fine. It's not that he melts down, but he's pedestrian. Does that at all change this for you?

Yes, it has to. I'm just not ready to crown him after one season. We got to go to break for us. So our final too far. We saw MVP under the age of 24, each guy is headed to the Hall of Fame. He's on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Well, he would be. He literally would be on a lot of Fame trajectory.

MVP in the second year. He's going to the Hall of Fame. No, he would be on that trajectory. That's too far. That's too far. But trajectory, I think is correct. Right? Joe Burrow was on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Yep. Still, maybe. It's a great question. Right now, Joe Burroughs not a whole, is no longer on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Live from New York, it's a show that's wishing you a very happy new year. Happy 2026. I feel great.

Absolutely. It was a great 2025 with you guys. Yes. It was. Shout up to Josh. Great year. It might have been the best year ever for the show. Wow.

I think it was. And I don't even think might have. I think it was the best year ever for the show. That's great. Well, thank you. You have a lot of viewing options, so we appreciate you spending some of your time. Yeah.

With us. Second hour, first things first. Today, week 18, why are we still talking about the Eagles offensive issues? Is it because our producer is a die-hard Eagles fan that uses this show as his personal mouthpiece? For gripes? Maybe. Or is it because they concluded zero passes in the second half?

And now, Somers say they're benching Jalen Hertz. Maybe. Meanwhile, I'm just kidding. The most literal game of must win the entire year. An unbelievable points are doubled. The passing game opens up a little bit. But right now, oh, let me get you up to speed. That would be bad though.

Last night in a leather clad booth without a seafood tower, An elite committee of experts, analysts, and someone who didn't realize that a Siegefu tower needs to be a tower. You can't just order a non-tower. Oh, it's basically the same. Well, then Corn Hall and basketball are the same, too. The verticality is not a component. It is the component. Fought and toiled and burned the midnight oil to deliver the best segment in all sports.

It's an honor and a privilege. I didn't get a tower last night, and I talked about it. Always. It's time for next tiers. Before we get to tears, since Kevin Wilde used his intro to talk about our show dinner last night and used Greg's intro to Montegg for, listen, I don't know if you guys, if you're watching in 4K or in HD, Greg doesn't just, you know, wake up like this off four hours sleep. It takes work, time, effort, self-care to look the way Greg John does it.

So I don't blame you, buddy. it should be noted that Kevin Wilde's after dinner, but before dessert, took a call from his family, who's out of town, and then came back to the table

and says, so, um, can I go guys? And I said, and I said, and I said, I said, why. I'm watching Marty Supreme. I said, I said why.

And his, His response was because my kids are at the Jazz Celtics game. Yeah, oh, which didn't make any sense. They're in use. No, they had decent seats. But what did that mean you need to leave? Doesn't matter. You ordered something called the plateau.

I wanted tower the whole time. It was like, I'll have the plateau and I bit my tongue. Did you know, did you really question that that was going to be a tower? It was called a plateau and Greg, a curling stone came out. Oh, you gotta be kidding me. Time for the tiers. No new eliminations because everyone staved it off last week, so it's still those same 16 teams eliminated.

Which of these four will be the two teams to join them? We will show you the facing elimination tier. It's two divisions that will only get a team in the playoffs because every division champion must be in the playoffs. Two divisions where one team is nine and seven trying to hold on, the other teams eight and eight, trying to sneak in. Yet one of the divisions the NFC South

where everyone agrees, well, that team can't go on a run. The other division, the AFC North were like, but look out for the Ravens, I don't buy it. That's true. This is for our young audience who maybe wasn't familiar with the greatest, in my opinion, sketch comedy show of all time, the Chappelle show. One of the greatest episodes ever of the Chappelle show was the play a haters ball.

This tier is the first thing's first play a haters ball, and here's what I mean. We are staring at a likely round one of the Chargers going to New England and the Packers going to Chicago to play the Bears. And as my Chiefs will not be playing this weekend, I am telling you, I will, for virtue, of really just trying to see Wilde and Danny in pain. be rooting for the Chargers and the Packers, as if I have my mortgage on those games and as if I am lifelong fans. As it happens, to me, those are also two teams in the exact same bucket.

Had they stayed healthy all year, maybe they would have been real legitimate Super Bowl contenders. I think in the state they currently are in going into the playoffs, they are not real legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Yes, KW. Danny is a huge Justin Herbert guy.

So it feels like he, gets one win, one loss. It feels like you should abstain from Chargers Patriots. It's interesting you say that. That's why I would need the Packers to beat the Bears because then Danny said no matter what. And the Chargers to be the Patriots because your level of it's impossible. My team with a quarterback in his first ever playoff game plays poorly. I haven't seen it.

You also haven't seen him play well in the playoffs. You haven't seen him fly. I'm pretty sure. Is there a chance to Drake Mae flies? out of the stadium. Sprout's wings. See, that's what I'm saying. Never seen it.

This is what I'm saying. We know how it ends. Texans, Broncos. We don't know when their seasons will end, but we know why. The Texans and Broncos who have had exceptional defenses, Broncos has been a little shaky as of late,

but exceptional defenses and intermittent bouts of good quarterbacking with a lot of lacking quarterbacking and offense as a whole. Whenever their season ends for these two teams, we know what the script will be. And the defense that's been so great all year, just, you know, allowed 20 instead of 13 and the offense wasn't quite good enough that day to overcome it. Don't know when it'll end, but we know what the script will be when it does.

We have must win coming up in about 20 minutes. There's only one true must win these NFL playoffs, and it is the Buffalo Bills. they must, of course, win their first playoff game or else we haven't talked about it at all. If they were to go one and done after not winning the division, I think Sean McDermott's job is seriously in jeopardy. But then after that, it is this team, which is playing its likely final game ever in its stadium this weekend, because they're not going to have a home playoff game it would look like, must find a way through the road postseason to get to its first super. because they have squandered their moment as the only contending team in their division. They can't also squander their moment of likely the only playoffs Josh Allen will ever play in

that Patrick Mahomes is not in. Polar opposites, bears Eagles. One team's defense has been the best in the league maybe for two months. The other team's defense can't get a stop. One team's head coach has 100% approval rating amongst its fan. The other team's head coach, Zasgar producer Dusty or Eagles fan Kevin Wilde is on thin ice, even though they're defending Super Bowl champions. One team's quarterback, we know can make the layups, but we question why he doesn't have more explosive plays

or consistency to his passing game. The other team's quarterback, we know can do all the explosive plays. We question why he can't make. make the layups. They have, despite all that, they have the same record. They're the two, three, or the three, two, depending on this week and goes, and they have very similar Super Bowl odds. How they got here, very different, where they are actually as far as chance to win the

Super Bowl, very similar. I didn't think Marshall was nice when he named this tier this and I told him it's not about me, but he said it didn't matter. Insufferability on 1,000. Can you imagine if the year there's no home, Trevor goes on a run? Can you imagine? Can you imagine what it'll be like?

If next year's football season, I'm instead of, you know, because I, you know, I've said Patrick's made five the last six Super Bowls and won the AFC three years in a row. If all of a sudden I'm like Patrick and Trevor have made six of last seven Super Bowls, won the AFC four years in a row. Oh my goodness. Five wins away, Kevin Wilde, because that's what it is. Because this weekend matters.

and I thought you're not you guys aren't if you were arresting your players it wouldn't but assuming I mean you're double digit favorites you can't losing this weekend would be a canary in the coal mine if you guys play your guys in a game that Brable I think clearly thinks matters because being the two seed has value versus being the three

seed and you have the small chance if Trey Lance can cook something up of maybe even being the one seat you are five wins away from immortality and five wins away and you never took it here with the Drake May conversation five wins away from Drake may being considered the best player in the league yeah I yeah why didn't have a chance you're the the the but I'm just you are you're five wins away too hard do you want you don't want that it's

just it's just he believes it's going to happen honestly all of our attentions right now is on Miami stopping Quinn Yours. Just grinding Texas take tape. The hardest path possible. That's what the Rams have gotten themselves. First of all, it's what they've had all year already. One of the hardest schedules, any team with this many wins has had in recent history.

Toughest schedule in the league. Toughest schedule in the league. But then also if we go back years as far as what their strength of schedule is for what they have, what they have achieved. Okay. And now they are adding to that path potentially on the run. road for against the defending Super Bowl champs in round one, then on the road against maybe the one of the one seed in round two. And on the road in round three, it didn't have to be this hard. It now is going to be this hard. It also would make it to where if this team ends up

winning the Super Bowl, one of the most impressive start to finish as far as who you beat list of wins and where they took place seasons of the last decade in the NFL, but the path is not going to be easy. No one saw this coming. Nobody. Before the year, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were talking about how this could be a, you know, on the fly, not rebuild, but retooling season. After we talked about the Niners, a ton all off season, we didn't talk about that much

on the show because it didn't feel like with all the injuries. with the quarterback being hurt, with Bosa, with Warner, with Brandon Ayup, just, did he quit football? What's going on? Rob. And yet there are a win away from being the one seat in the toughest division in football. Nobody saw this coming. And in what I think should be a bigger story, deja vu all over again for Sam Darnold. Last year, Sam Darnold walked into week 18 with the best record in the conference to face a team that he had lost to earlier in the season.

This time he had to face them on the road. If they won, he was going to be the one seed and have the buy. If they lost, he was going to be the five seed despite having 14 wins. the exact same thing is happening to Sam Darnold this year. You win the game. You're the one seat. The best record in football.

Playoffs come through you. You lose. You're on the road starting in round one and it's all almost for naught. Last year he responded in that game by going 18 to 41 for a buck 66 and a 55 rating. And that wasn't even the worst game he played in a 10-gave stretch because the playoff game was next.

But right now the Seattle Seahawks are the best team in the NFL. And can Sam Darnold learn from what happened last year, deliver on Saturday night, and deliver the Seahawks the one seat? Those are the committee's tears, Greg. All right, excellent. Yeah, really good tears. Look, it's interesting. If we can put the tears back up,

I'm going to talk about a team that is very fitting to move up and the line actually fits. Insufferability on 1,000. the Chicago Bears. Oh, about Danny. Oh, my gosh. It's very fitting. But this team, it's tough for me to even talk about it because it is the Bears.

But the reality is, outside of Josh Allen, entering the playoffs, they have the scariest quarterback in football that will be in the playoffs. I'm not talking about the, I'm not saying the best, the scariest. If he has the ball last, you are on the edge of your seat like we were, like we all were when we were watching them against the 49ers. And he almost did it again. This is what we have to look forward to. This team will go as Caleb goes.

I don't care how bad their run defense. is, how bad their past defense is, they find ways to take away the ball, which is what you want as a defense. Obviously, you got to get some stops. But if he gets the ball with that play caller and head coach and Ben Johnson, with the mentality that they all share, his progression, his maturity, his just belief in, don't give me the ball last or I'm going to deliver. This team has a chance to do something very special. So for that reason, again, polar opposites of the Eagles, it's very fitting. Also, if they move up, insufferability on 1,000, then he would be unsufferable.

I saw him throw an interception against the Packers to lose the game, and he had last pass. But didn't, hold on. I'm not saying he's done. But doesn't they have the most wins in the final two minutes? Didn't you show that status? Well, Nix is similar. I don't think that's a good stat. I'm saying the player himself being one of the scariest quarterbacks.

Who would you say? Outside of. Stafford, I would say. No, you would not say Stafford is scarier. Really? Why not? I'm not saying better. Stafford is not scarier than here.

Here's the difference to me. Stafford might carve you up for four quarters. Yeah. Caleb might carve you up in the last four minutes. But that's, I think, what. And it's got to be close enough. With that defense, they have to be within a touchdown. And it has been.

Can I just address what you were saying? Yes. KW, I agree with you that having to have all these final two-minute comeback wins is a potential, you know, more than a warning flag about the quality of the team. But it's my opinion, it's not fair to point out the two times that Caleb had those opportunities. and didn't come through as bad. And then the six times when he had those opportunities and did come through as also bad. So like you're right, against the Packers

and against the Niners, it had an opportunity to be eight and O in those situations. But being six and two in those spots. And also I think the Packers throw was overrated. The Packers throw was overrated. The throw to beat the Packers in overtime. The difficulty. Why?

Because I felt like they were just, because I felt like they were just going to walk down and kick a field goal. They decided to go for a big guilt. I mean, you can't. You got to. I'm just telling. Yeah, that's a little hate. I'm just telling it's like hitting a game winning shot when, when you're, it's a tie game. Like, you guys were going to probably win anyways.

They were driving the field. They were at midfield. They weren't driving the field. They were at midfield. They were moving the ball. They got the ball at midfield. Right. So they weren't going to drive down.

The first play of the drive, wasn't it? They were going to drive. I was, I'm just saying it was over. rate of play in my in my opinion I don't view it as an iconic play I view it as like oh you decide to go for a touchdown rather than a field goal I don't view it as I mean iconic there's a difference between iconic and like you're just like that was outdoors in the winter Cairo Santos was just going to he just guarant it's a very nice play it was on the money it was a nice play they could

have kicked a field goal maybe maybe one minute later may I mean they weren't that take away range and they have to make the I don't even understand the take. It's, I thought it was over a mistake about it. I thought it was overrated. It's pure hating. All right. Go ahead. It was a nice little pass. It was a second year quarterback. Yeah. It's unbelievable. It's nobody but Drake May in the Patriot right. He's the only good quarterback. It was good. It was an amazing play in a game. I think the Bears were going to win once they got the ball. So it was an amazing player was a nice little play both. It was amazing.

It was amazing, but you could also done nice little stuff. All right. Can we stop. Dusty's going to love this. Can we stop the hating. Can we stop the hating the Eagles. He's not going to love it. He does not believe in this year. Move the Eagles up. Now, I will say this. It is difficult to pick the best team in the NFL right now because it's all a mismash, right?

So I'm not going to hate on, I don't think Seattle's the best, but if you want to have them up number one, you know, that's fine. But what I am saying is that the Eagles should be up. Above Chicago, who housed them? Yeah, above the Rams, who they housed them. They didn't house the Rams. There was a block. They put 33 points on them. It was a fight.

The Rams are kicking a field goal to beat them. A W is a double. I understand, but they didn't house them. And the Eagles, and here's the thing, too, they are not paying the head coach to be polite. All right? What are they getting in the deal? I get it that he's uncouth.

I get it that he might have a big mouth and say stuff that, you know, after games in the tunnel, who's talking now, whatever he's saying. Yeah. Maybe he rubbed some of the players. wrong way. The dude wins football games. That's all I'm paying him for. I mean, as long as he now out there breaking the law and all that, he wins football games. That is undeniable. So I'm not here for the Siriani hate. I'm not saying he's Bill Belichick. I'm just saying he wins. And they weren't

winning before he got there. They were a four-win team. Jalen Hertz was who knew, who knows what Jalen Hertz was. Post people thought he wasn't even a starter in this league. He has helped make Jalen Hertz put him on a future Hall of Fame trajectory. All right. And so and they have beaten, they're about to be 12 and 5 or maybe since they're

resting guys, they'll be 11 and 6th. Against the fourth best schedule in the league. The fourth best schedule. They have beaten those Rams that are above them. All right. They have beaten the Packers when they have Micah and Jordan Love.

All right. They are a team to be reckoned with. They have gone into Buffalo. And yeah, it wasn't pretty. It wasn't handsome, but they beat the bills in Buffalo. That has to give them something. The defense is legit. I know why it's just starting to come over.

The defense is legit. And they have a quarterback that we know is not afraid of, not only not afraid of the big moment, but we'll deliver in the big. He has stared Patrick Mahomes in the face. where other quarterbacks have shriveled and beating. So they should move up. So can I make.

So I think they're plenty high. I am on the same tier as a team that beat them that has the same record. Every team above them does happen to have a better record. They got this. Don't they have the same record as the Rams? No. Yes. Oh, yeah.

You're right. Yeah, yeah. And they beat the Rams. The here's, I do have though, a request. If Steve Kerr had. retired after the 20, the year after the 20 season, which is the year Steph had the broken hand and they won like 19 games and a coach took over. I think it'd be kind of crazy, but I'm like, that coach took over a 19 win Warriors team and look what he built.

Who was hurt, you hold on. You always say this Eagles team was this train wreck that he took over. They were a perennial Super Bowl contender who had won the sports. who had won the Super Bowl. Yes, they had won down year, but this idea, this was not like a remaking. They had made the playoffs

and won playoff games multiple years in a row. They had won a Super Bowl. They then had a year from hell. Why did they win four games at you? Because Doug Peterson did a terrible job. They had quarterback injuries. The Super Bowl winning Doug Peterson?

Yes. The same reason that I think Carson went to got them to that Super Bowl was there? I just think you acting like Siriani took over this terrible franchise. We didn't know what Jalen Hertz was. I agree with that. And they were literally a four-win team.

A perennial playoff team prior to their one down here. That's the only- I think they won nine games. And a playoff game. But nine games. They won the Super Bowl. You can't. Look, the fact is they won four games.

Okay. And it wasn't like everybody was hurt. Okay. And they fired the coach. Yes. I mean, they were literally rebuilding, if you will. Go ahead, kid. I'm moving the Broncos.

The Seahawks and the 49ers are battling for the one seed. The Broncos almost have the number one seat wrapped up, yet they're far down the tiers. I don't know where I want to move them up. Probably, I'll be honest with you. Maybe I'll move them ahead of the Patriots just because I'm a fan of the standings. I have to give Bo Nix his credit, similar to Siriani. Like you might be like, ah, when I watch it, it doesn't look good. The guy is about to have the most, if they beat the charges, he's about to have the most,

wins of any quarterback ever in their first two seasons. It's something. And they were a mess before you got there. Yeah, yeah. I mean, literally. I don't necessarily want to go back in the tie machine. All right, here's the other thing. And I don't know this is a little personal story.

That's a good list. The Broncos lost to the Jags and it's like, that's like a terrible loss. They got blown out by the Jags. I totally get it. I totally get it. The Rams lost to the Falcons and it felt like, you know, stuff happens. What are you gonna do?

It's almost like because the Falcons are bad, we just totally don't even talk. Like, it was just, you know, they weren't ready for the game. You can't Jean Rand for 200 something yards or almost 200. But so we just don't count that as much as the Jags exposing the Broncos.

It's not viewed as an aberration game. It's huge as an exposure. I don't think that's what it is. I think it's that the week before the Rams lost, and I did drop the Rams, but the week before the Rams lost to the Falcons, they played an unbelievable epic. We called it game of the year, 38, 37 against a great team.

The week after the Broncos got housed by the Jags, they played whatever is left of the Chiefs on national TV, and we all saw it be tied 13, 13 with minutes left, and you came in the next day and said, The Broncos are not good. I barely beat. But the Chiefs were playing, the Chiefs defense was playing crazy.

They were playing with the heart of the champion. I mean, I don't know where we want the Broncos. I'm not putting them ahead of the Jacks. They're the number one seeds. It's not the Synges. Nobody can beat them. You know who can? The Jacks.

Well, you know who can beat the Rams? Then say the Rams. Drop the Rams down. Then drop the Rams down if that's the argument. We just don't care about that game. Trust and Will Holiday Bowl, Arizona. SMU, January 2nd, 2026, 730 Eastern on Fox. Welcome back to first things first.

Two literal must wins as we head into the final week. These are all double the points, okay gentlemen. So be on top of your game. First up, Ravens at Steelers Sunday night. Literal must win. Week 14 Rogers wins by- Hunter Huntley behind Lamar. Five, yes.

Yes, Lamar is at practice, but we don't know his status for the game. Steelers only ran for 34. yards, but Rogers did get the W. It's a literal must win, brew. But who is it a must win for you won last week so you can pass or play? Well, look, this is simple. Obviously, Aaron Rogers needs it.

Obviously, Lamar Jackson needs it. But the one man whose job is on the line, John Harbaugh. It is the biggest must win for him. Lamar is Lamar. He's headed to the Hall of Fame. He's got his MVP's. He's not going anywhere. If he does, it'll be great for him.

Aaron, fantastic career can walk away, has not, as we said earlier, Tarnage his legacy with this season, even if they don't make the playoffs. John Harbaugh, good chance he would get fired, or a chance, I just say. He would get fired and they would be starting a new next season. And he'd have to live with, man, I had one of the greatest quarterbacks ever and couldn't win a Super Bowl. So must win for general. No energy start.

Just facts, baby. I mean, I know I usually bring stylistic things. This is a double must win. It's clear and obvious a double must win. When you look at the Steelers, it's a must win in a sense of Aaron Rogers asked for this. He said, you know what? I wanted to come to a team and organization that was going to be playing for things at the end of the season. Well, you're playing for everything, literally, even how you leave your legacy.

Your legacy is pretty much cemented, but you can add to that if you do it the right way by getting a win against the Baltimore Ravens and winning that division. On the flip side, Lamar Jackson has been in question. John Harbaugh has been in question all season. Who are we going to get? Even when you look at Monkin and his play calling, are you going to lean into Derek Henry? This is a must win. And so if you do win, we know what you're going to look like moving into the postseason. If you don't, you might as well start packing your bag.

John Harbock, I don't believe he will be back in a loss. He's all over the place. He's not all over the place, but unfortunately, neither of you guys were all encompassing enough. It is the actually unprecedented KW. Double, triple must win. On the Steelers side of things, it is. I don't know if you guys saw the. Mike Tomlin's job could be in question if they lose or to where he would like to maybe step aside dude TV.

Those little rumblings are getting louder. For the Steelers, it is Tomlin. It is Rogers for all obvious reasons. He came there to make the playoffs and a name you guys haven't mentioned, D.K. Metcalfe. Because if they win, then he gets a bit of a reprieve. He can make up for it in the playoffs. That's on the Steelers side, on the Raven side. You guys talked about Harbaugh and Lamar.

That part's obvious. The one person you guys haven't mentioned who has been Charlie Brown with the football and this team has been Lucy all year. That man right there, Chris Broussard, who all year long has been like, I'm not pulling out the robe. I'm not going to have my heart broken again.

And then all week has bought all the way back in. It is the first ever double triple must win. Exactly right. The unprecedented double triple must win is what we were looking for. Thank you. Double points again. You actually got two points there. Next up, the battle for the number one seat.

Seahawks' favorite in San Francisco. Brock versus Purdy was doing the Dougie. I didn't know that was, that should be our permanent Brock photo. Ranks this season, 49ers offense, excellent. Look at their third down percentage. It gets it done. Seahawks defense also excellent. Greg, who is this a must win for?

It's a must win for Sam Donald. Solid answer. exercising demons has seemed to be the theme for Sam Darnold all season long. And this, as Nick mentioned in the tears, he gets another opportunity to exercise demons. But even more importantly, this team obviously is going to the postseason. How they enter the postseason matters. If Sam Darnold, who they believe in as a team, I'm not so sure if they believe in him and he has the confidence even in himself, if he doesn't exercise those demons.

against this team and win this game the same way he should have won against Detroit last year, but he didn't. If he doesn't exercise these demons, I don't know if we believe in this team. I don't know if he believes truly in himself going into the postseason. I would just maybe add, if we're going to talk about exercising demons, you could add it in. And this is the guy who saw ghosts, ghost demons, it fits in. But yes, obviously I agree with Greg, which is why I said all of that during years. That would have been a lot of supernatural.

Like I, you could have called Dusty like, hey, can we have a sound go, ooh. Obviously, it's a must win for Sam Darnold for the reasons Greg said, which are the reasons I said? Only because you're going to copy everything. Yeah, you knew the Seahawks are going to be out there somewhere. I am going to add, though, someone else this is a must win for. KW. This is what is like you're like a one-trick pony. Greg is next.

And maybe Greg was going to be. You have batted your eyelashes at being the show's Sam Darnold died. But you just think 14 wins and 4,000 yards is nothing to throw a stick at. Yeah, I know. We've heard you say it for a year. He has a chance for another 14 wins now, 4,000 yards.

And actually the number one seed. And I feel like your NFC, allegiances are potentially available as your faith in the Eagles is wavering. And Brew is trying to potentially have an Eagles Niners combo pack in the NFC. So for you as well. Okay. It's a must win for my man, Brock Purdy. Oh, you're in the duggy.

All right. I thought you're doing it. He is winning people over. He's one Nick right over. one of his biggest detractors. If Brock Brady, they're 7 and 1 with Brock. If they get the number 1

seed, and I credit to your boy Mack for playing well and holding down the fort. But if he goes out there and play, he's going to have to play well for them to beat Seattle. He goes out there and cooks again against them. Remember he threw the game when he passed against them in week one.

Then what are we going to say about Brock? He's been to a Super Bowl. He's, he's He's had turned this into a very strong season for himself and would end it up with the number one seed by beating Seattle, a team that people think is the best in the league. Oh, Nick would give him plenty of love. You had me at the doggie. Two points for Nick, two points for Brew, but Greg, you are in luck. This is the bonus round.

Everything worth double. Week 18. This is worth six points. Panthers bucks. Is Nick Sir or nothing? Bake show trying to salvage his season, which has gone off. their week 16 matchup was decided by three points in 21 total yards Baker Interception on that final drive that's the one that hurt your feelings

cost me yeah a lot of money who is this a must win for? Obviously Todd Bowles's job could be on the line because of this collapse Baker Mayfield who we thought was going to be in line for the real quarterback contract to months ago. Now he's probably going to have to keep playing at that, you know, three year, a hundred million dollar one, play that one out if that, because this would be an all-time collects. But you guys are correct. The first one was a must win for Brew. Second one was a must win for you. This one must win for your old buddy Nick Wright. Because we have had some Super Bowl predictions gone awry. Most famously, Kevin

Wilds' Cardinals Dolphins Super Bowl pick from a few years ago, which was historically embarrassing because neither team made the playoffs. We thought that would never happen again. I have Chiefs Bucks in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are long eliminated. If the Bucks missed the playoffs, I then all of a sudden am alongside your Cardinals Dolphins pick, I don't think you what? Cardinals, dolphins.

How did I pick the dolphins? Because you loved, because you thought we were crazy for saying two is an injury risk and noodle armed. And you were like, no, he led the league in passing. And you wanted to be popular in Arizona because the Super Bowl was there. We had had a, you liked Kyler. There is debate over that. It was such a bad prediction.

We didn't think he was serious. No, but he was serious. That's the thing. We're limited time. Sorry. Okay. Thank you. I'm just going to cut to the chase.

Yeah. Bryce Young. Okay. Bryce has not had a glowing three years. We all know that. But what is the thing we measure quarterbacks by? Not height. Can you win?

If he leads this team to the playoffs, after cooking against the Rams, everybody's juggernaut, led by everybody's All-American. My goodness. I get it. I wouldn't give him a launch. term contract yet, but he gains some time.

Now I'm like, okay, maybe. He might be our guy. We're stuck in okay maybe mode with Bryce. Yes, we are. But if he loses this game and it's just another bad below 500 season for this team, we might not even be stuck in maybe mode. We might be showing the door. So Bryce Young, got to deliver.

All right, Greg. This is a must win. for the Bucks. Look, let's be honest. The Bucks, we would at least give them a chance to possibly win a playoff game. If the Panthers get in, nobody's believing in the Panthers to win a playoff game with Bryce Young at quarterback.

Sorry, Brew. They beat the Rams. Even if he wins. They beat the ramp. It's not going to end well for the Panthers and Bryce Young. So this is a must win for every person outside of Kevin Wiles that doesn't like to be seen

as a villain that wants to watch really good football. The Bucks versus anybody, we still feel like it would be a decent game. They beat the Rams and the Bucks beat the Seahawks, bro. They both have a win over a great team. That's when the Bucks were a good team. They're not a good team anymore.

Believe or not, this was worth six points. Six points. Yeah. Double. Brew takes it home calling the Rams, everybody's juggernaut. Yes, baby. He didn't even try.

Yeah. He didn't even do it. You know how long it took me to come up with everybody's juggernaut? Led by everybody's All-American. I got to start having a little bit more enthusiasm for when I win. I got bars. You need bars. No, you actually.

He hit the doggie. Prime time hoops on Fox. Big Ten showdown. Number five, Purdue taking on the Wisconsin Badgers. All tips off at 8 p.m. Eastern. That is Saturday on Fox. Welcome back to first things first. Eagle's offense, 174 yards in the first half.

16 in the second. in half. Now, maybe Buffalo's defense stepped up. Maybe the Eagles offense fell apart. Maybe both. Here's the Eagles offensive coordinator on running the ball into unfavorable looks, Greg. Take a listen. There was a couple of plays where we were just running, running to run it, right? And so we got to do a good job of making sure we put everybody in the best position to do what they need to do. And then we have to execute that play once we get those called. So, you know, some runs are, hey, we're running it no matter what. Some other things have some options off. It just depends on how the play goes in. Greg, your reaction to that?

Look, I don't mind that. That happens. You call plays that are places you're going to run it. And he's spot on with that. But if you listen to that entire presser, he just doesn't exude confidence in his ability, and their ability as an offensive unit to just simply execute what he's going in the huddle with

or he's sending in the huddle. that's an issue if you are a player because I don't believe or I don't have confidence with the play caller or the play that you're sending in because you don't believe in it you really you don't get a sense that he believes in this play he believes in the players trying to make it work I believe that but if I don't believe in this product this the system then I'm always trying to make it work he talks about about first and second down. And yes, everyone knows you want to be ahead of the sticks. Everyone knows that. But that doesn't mean you give up on third down. And that's what it feels like when you listen to him talk. First down, we got behind.

We didn't have a great first down play. And then second down, this didn't work out. And we thought we had it, but we didn't. Now it limits what you can do on third down. Does it? You have weapons everywhere you look up. Every single down is an opportunity for you to do. to have an excellent play.

When you look at that offense, there is no excuse. And so when we've seen this offense thrive, when we knew those run it plays last year that we saw or we hear him talk about, they ran those plays and they just absolutely worked. Why? Because of the guys in that huddle believed in Sequin and they believed in each other and they made it work. This year, it's like, wait, we're doing the same thing that we did last year.

Obviously teams are going to know that. they're going to play for that. You have to come up with a different creative way of formation variation, even if it is the same play. The formation variation matters. We don't see any of that. And so I just, I'm not putting it exclusively on Petulo because I think that's unfair. But he definitely holds a great deal of this blame.

Yeah, I agree. He's a huge problem. There's no question about it. I don't think he's done a good job. but I can't put it all on him because, one, we've seen them struggle offensively under different coordinators. Kellyn Moore last year. I mean, these same questions were there. I think they averaged a point more last season, at least at one point that was the case.

Maybe it's now two points, whatever. But so I put some of it on the players as well. Jalen Hertz is a bit inconsistent. I think he's very clutch. I think he's a very good leader and he's a winner. but he's obviously, that's without saying, been inconsistent. Sequin has not been the same. The offensive line, Lane Johnson's been out, which is huge for them.

Their record is bad when he doesn't play. So I think some of it's on the players as well. But I would put, if I had to name one person and only one, I would say the O.C. Petulow. Can I add an element that I think's been under discussed? They don't believe in the tush push anymore and it changes how they run third down. That's a great take because it's gone away. One of the most frustrating things about playing the Eagles, the three years prior to this,

was their third and eights and third and sixes were different than every other team. Because third and eight, if the team drops back to pass, you defend the sticks. You know, assuming you're on the minus side of the field where in a punt situation. But you couldn't do that against Philly because Philly would get six and a half yards on third and eight and be like, Awesome. Tush push it. Doesn't matter. Right.

They also, third and eights, you show soft fronts because you're not going to run it. Not going to get eight yards. Philly would run it. Sometimes it would pop it. But if not, again, get six, seven yards. We're fine with it. They don't, the tush push has not been as successful this year.

They finally, a couple weeks ago, I got flagged for the full start. Oddly, it was one of the times where I actually think they did it legally, but they got flagged for it. You know, because the officials can't do it. And I think it has really impacted their competence and what we can do in regular third and mediums. And I think that that has it. I don't think that's the biggest. Right.

I don't think that's been the biggest factor. But I think that's been an underrated part of why they have so many three and outs. I think that's a great take because not only does it impact what you do third down, it impacts your first and second down approach as well. And so if you're going into games, believing the tush push is automatic. You really don't feel like you're going to be behind the sticks. Ever.

Ever. Because you have an extra down. And you're preparing to go into these games with that mentality. That's just natural. And I get that. But knowing it's been failing all season, you got to prepare for that. Live from New York, it's a show it's welcoming Danny Parkins onto the set. Danny, it's great to see you.

Longtime Radio. star in Chicago. Kevin Wilde. It's good to see you. Wow, great to see you. Danny, we had dinner last night. Danny was like, you have to do a better job introducing me. That's right. That is not the sequence of that point, but that's okay. I'll do a better job. What did you think of when we were about 10 minutes away from all leaving together and Wilde just announces to the table?

Can I leave now, guys, to go to an empty house by myself? I was ready to go. It was an old man who was tired. We were there for two and a half hours. You guys were drinking Grappa or something. They're having an after-dinner cocktail. They brought dessert. Was he there for the dessert?

No, I was waiting for the dessert. They brought free dessert. I was waiting for the cheesecake to show up. Thanks to Caleb and thanks to brew for that. Today, is Danny not supporting Caleb? I really don't. Is that possible? Really?

No, stay tuned. We got a little, we got a monologue here on what Caleb's nickname is versus what it should be. Oh, wow. Oh, at the end of the show. I thought you're talking about here with us. No, no. That doesn't accept something.

Wow. Just sit here. Watch. Participate in the hateful. Meanwhile, one of the coolest stats about Matthew Stafford you've ever seen in your whole life. That's right. Making stats cool. Capital S on the stats.

But right now. That's the first step to the video. Footage from today of Lamar Jackson at practice. This guy. We are so bad. We are so bad. Ravens. in Pittsburgh when and you're in.

Daniel, we'll start with you. Is this game more about Lamar or Aaron Rogers? So to me, it's more about Lamar because there is some question about his future. With the immediate future of how good is he, how healthy is he, how happy is he with the Ravens? Is he okay with his coach? And then what are they going to do? Lamar will be a huge talking point for us this off season, pretty much regardless of regardless of how the next couple of weeks goes.

Aaron Rogers' story, I think we should have universal agreement on. One of the most talented players in the history of the sport, a four-time MVP, who now no longer goes out with like an embarrassing final chapter. Like the Jets final chapter would have been embarrassing. This, he hasn't been a distraction. He hasn't said ridiculous things. He had a winning record. and it was a normal season for Pittsburgh.

So, like, I just don't think the last technical game for Aaron Rogers' career is that big of a story. His career is a huge story. But we have a lot more questions about Lamar Jackson than we do Aaron Rogers at this point. I agree with you, B, but slightly different reason. Rogers, it's over. Even if they win, nobody's going to think they can do anything in the playoffs. And I get some people feel that way about the Ravens.

But because of Lamar Jackson, and he's in his prime because of what he's done in the past. Like, I think there will be a lot of people that feel like, oh, man, the Ravens, they're coming in with some momentum. Lamar, assuming he plays well against the Steelers and they win, is playing well. Derek Henry's had some great games. Like, I think for the league, if the Ravens win this game

and Lamar plays well, it really starts some antennas raised. The league is rooting for Pittsburgh. Yes. I disagree with you guys on that. But go ahead. Yeah, I just think for Pittsburgh, I mean, if they make the playoffs, they're what they were last year. I know Rogers is better than Fields and Russell Wilson. But nobody's scared of them, I don't think.

Even in that weak, AFC playoff field. This is where I think, wild you and I might be aligned, but maybe your affinity, and I don't say that in a negative way for Lamar makes us eat and not. aligned on this. Why are the Ravens for the 2025 season some scary potential juggernaut in waiting

and the Steelers who played the Ravens this month and beat them? Yeah. Who have a better record who have played the same schedule essential. You know what I mean? For the most part who have been the at least slightly more consistent team and certainly healthier at the most important position. Why is one team, well, if they get in, the whole league's, the league is worried about the Ravens getting in.

The quarterback. But again, so I don't think the league looks at Lamar Jackson in the playoffs as, God, we cannot, we've got to keep him out. Like, we're wish casting. You think Houston feels like they got the answer to Lamar Jackson? I mean, Houston, I think would look at. whether they are going to Pittsburgh or to Baltimore very similarly. We are a road team that should go win that game.

We're better than that team. Whose best has been best this year? Because you've got to be at your best for four games. I would say that the Ravens has been. What is the Ravens best? I'd love to hear it. Tell me the Ravens best game. And let's talk about it.

They haven't put it together. They haven't put it together. But you talk a lot about the Chief's Pedyg of the past. The Ravens pedigree is playoff failure. The Ravens pedigree is getting worse than the postseason. What's the Steelers pedigree? The mediocrity. Mediocrity.

Like not winning. That's correct. Losing the playoff game. Yes. That's not, the Ravens pedigree recently is certainly better than the Steelers. The Ravens postseason pedigree recently, yes, I agree. I don't think either one is. I think the Chief's example is a red herring because the Chiefs were coming off unprecedented,

even by Patriot standards, postseason success over a, you know, half-decade stretch. But I am, you just said whose best is best. Like we are, it is New Year's Eve. The, the, the, 25 season is wrapping up. What is the moment from this season where, like, that's when the Ravens put it all together? I don't know. It hasn't happened with Lamar quarterback. I know that.

I know that. So do you think Lamar Jackson is no longer a great quarterback? I think in 20, I think Lamar Jack, this season, Lamar Jackson is not a great quarterback. He was great early on. He had a five-game stretch of horrible play. Yes. He's been all right.

He's been all right. And I'm just saying, but unless you feel like he's done. No. Not done, but he's 29 years old. He's still in his prime. Yes. I agree with you that we haven't seen the true Lamar for a while. But because of his age, I feel like the potential is there.

Like, it could pop any moment. Rogers is not about to pop any moment. Rogers is, Rogers Wilde showed it, like, was coming off three, his best three games of the year. The Steelers are coming off their best three games of the year. The Steelers were, and again, I don't believe in either one of these teams, to be clear. I'm not all of a sudden arguing that I think the Steelers are some dangerous team. I just think that it is, when we say the Ravens best, the Ravens, Best this year have been losses.

Right. And I make the argument. Pound in Cincinnati. I said before why I was scared of the Ravens when the Patriots play the Ravens. The Ravens are a guy, a poorly dressed guy. That being like, because nothing ever matches. But I feel like come playoff time, like, hey, here's what you do. You take these pants your best playoff game, your best defense,

and then match it with your best Lamar game. and take off that silly hat, which is the turnovers, and then you have a full outfit. They haven't been able to put it together. Lamar was bad. The defense is great. Lamar is great. The defense is bad.

If they can just put it together and eliminate the turnovers, that is a very scary team. Nick, that's not to mention Derek Henry either. Like, he by himself is scary. I think Derek Henry is a great player. I think that a lot of people believe Lamar is just he wasn't playing poorly, he was just hurt. Well, he just suffered a new injury that was big enough.

He missed their biggest game of the year and that we were all, you know, curious to see whether or not he was going to practice today. I like this feels to me like I, because I'm not, this isn't just about Lamar to me. I think the Ravens defense, I know the numbers have been good. I just watched them in a must win game that we thought they had to have or they weren't going to be able to make the playoffs, blow a double digit lead to a playoff caliber team in New England in the fourth quarter. We know they have that in them.

Like we just saw them do that. I just watched Malik Willis play himself into maybe a $25 million contract by completing 90 or 85% of his passes for three quarters until he got hurt against them in a different must-win game. And you just watched them shut out Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

I don't put that. I mean, I don't. I'm just saying that that's a fact too. Yes, they absolutely did. But if I, it would be just like crazy to me. if I said, guys, the reason, and again, right now it doesn't work because he's past his prime. But if four years ago I was like, Danny, the reason I think this is going to be the year that James Harden's scary is because he had a bad regular season.

All those years he's falling off in the playoffs, he was having an MVP caliber regular season. But now that he had a below his standards injury riddled regular season. That's totally different. Why? Because football is about contact and collision. and basketball is totally different. And Lamar's postseason record is not as long as James Hardens. James Hardin, it was a decade plus before we finally were like, you know what, he's just not going to get it done in the playoffs.

Lamar, give him five more years like this and it will be like he just don't do it in the playoffs. Do you think like, obviously any team can play the best version of themselves in any given week, right? So if I was just going to tell you, on Sunday night, the Steelers are going to going to play an A game and the Ravens are going to play an A game. Who wins? The Steelers. Really? How?

Can I say that? They just played. Without D.K. And they barely won. I mean, there's a controversial drop pass away from losing that game. Say it again? Without D.K. Meckaff, the Steelers A game is off the board. Okay.

He had 140. It was his most targets, most catches, most yards all year against the Ravens. So that's gone. So it's like Adam Thielen take us home. To be clear, I don't think. either of these teams are contenders either, but if I got their A game, I think the Ravens series because if I thought Lamar

were fully healthy, full go, we were getting the week one pre-hamstring Lamar that we saw leading into the Chiefs game briefly. Then, obviously, the Ravens A game is scarier. We have not, we are hanging our, he was coming off his worst five-game stretch since ever.

Yeah. Then he was eight for 12 in the sense. game, right? He played well that game. He was 12 passes and, no, he definitely played well. And then seven for 10 in a game that he got hurt again, missed a game from. And to me, it's wishcasting that the Ravens best game involves Lamar Jackson being Lamar Jackson. Since that Chiefs game, that player has not been here. All that's happened is more injuries to him. And we are more recently removed to the best Aaron Rogers we've seen as. as a Steeler, which was leading into the Browns game.

That's what, to be clear. I just don't think they need Lamar at his best to beat Pittsburgh. Because if you got Derek Henry at his best, I think that's enough to beat the Steelers. I don't know. All right, right now, well, buckle up. I know you're thinking, man, stats aren't cool. I've seen guys who talk about stats, accountants. They're just not cool.

Well, I'm here to tell you that you're dead wrong. And here to prove it is Danny in the coolest segment in all the sports called packed stats. This thing gets cooler and cooler, dude, and I'm so happy that you're here. I'm happy to be here, hanging out with friends. It's cool. Thanks. Week 18, brought my stats. You guys know what else is cool?

No. Dependability. That's true. I just like knowing what I can depend on. That's cool. And Brew was like, Danny. Why do you still like the Rams so much? Because they're dependable.

They have only been outscored by 17 points in their five losses this season. So I can depend on the Rams being in every game. That's the second smallest margin of defeat for a five-loss team in NFL history. They're either going to win the game or barely lose. Those five losses to the Eagles, Niners, Panthers, Seahawks, and Falcons. They're going to be in every game, Brew. That's why I believe in them. They're dependable.

Here's the problem, though. You know what you can't depend on? Their defense. Matt Stafford can keep them in games, but the defense might give it up. Here's their stats. Yeah, they started out hot. That's why they were everybody's juggernaut. But now, look at that, 28th, 29th, top of 26th, 25th.

That's a cool girl. That's dependable. How you like that? Can I, you know, Brew, you know what's uncool? calling out your friends in public. And I might just briefly, tepidly, do it to you right here, because we have let Brew get away with something.

Brew, we have let Brew neg everyone's best team without ever saying who he thinks the best team is. Because I don't think Brew thinks there's a best team. No. Twi.

That's why we have. That's why we have. Super Bowl. There has to be a team that right now has the best. It's wide open. We just say it's wide open. He won't say it. So he's just saying.

13 wins. No matter who, because he won't say the Pats. Nope. The Wiles doesn't have the best team either. Who's the best team? The Patriots are the best team. He thinks it's the Patriots.

We could have gone undefeated. He really does think it's the Wiles will say the Patriots. Brew does want to believe in Darnold. He's not there. Like, so he's not. on the Broncos. You're right. It's not there.

That's why I'm excited about the Super Bowl. Yeah. It's going to tell us. We're going to find out. We're going to find out who the best team is. That's cool. That was cool. What else do you have any other cool stuff?

I'm glad you asked. Oh, great. You guys know what else is cool? Well, I need my lights first. Yeah, we need our lights. You know, we need our lights. There we go. Darkness is cool.

Yeah. Darkness. You know what else is cool? What? History. I agree with that. If the standings hold as they are today. We will make history for these NFL playoffs with the one and two seeds in each conference having quarterbacks who have never won a playoff game.

It's never happened before. The fewest playoff wins for the four quarterbacks of the one and two seeds is two. So this is obviously you can't have less than zero, but it is shattering a record. You've got to go all the way back to the 80s for it. This, of course, would be if the standings hold with Sam Darnold and Caleb Williams and Bo Nix and Drake May. I don't know how everyone here values experience in this sort of thing. I know you do, but we have never seen before. I told you guys last week we had never seen so many 11-win teams at this point in the season.

If the bracket holds, we've never seen this much inexperience at the top of the playoff. I like that. So that to me is another one of the reasons that we're saying this is wide open. It's not just that Mahomes and Burrow are. Let's say Mahomes and Burrow and even Lamar. Say the Raven. They all, Lamar loses. and Mahomes out.

But if the number one seed in the AFC were Buffalo and the top two seeds in the NFC were Philly and the Rams, we wouldn't be saying it's wide open. You know what I mean? We'd be saying like those teams with those. If they play, you know, great this year. Yeah, well, that's what I'm saying. Like if Buffalo had his typical season, the past few, you know,

to be the one seed they would have to, it was my point. You know what I mean? Like if those teams had, the season, it looked like the Rams were going to have. The season, Philly had last year. Buffalo has actually never been the one seed, but they've been close a few times. And those quarterbacks were at the top.

It's also, I think, KW, one of the reasons you are so confident. Because in your mind, Drake May has 12, 13 playoff wins. Like, you're, like, you are. In his personal. In your, like, you're in your mind's eye, Drake May is a grizzled veteran that has dealt with the playoff pitfalls. Like, that's how you talk about. them. Like I view, I really view Josh McDaniels and Rabel having a ton of experience.

And when I say I can't see Drake May having a bad game, it's really because I think that Josh McDaniels has bad game proofed his game. This isn't working, we'll go here. If that's not working, we'll go here. If Drake's inaccurate, we'll switch it up. He's like the opposite of what Kevin Patul is doing. Ben Johnson has, I guess I'll give Ben Johnson some, you know, didn't win a Super Bowl. No, he did not. He's got some playoff experience. All right.

Well, Sean Payton wanted to. It's wide open. All right, you guys got time for one more? Yeah. Yeah, of course. You know what else is cool? Yeah, let's hear it. Puzzles.

I agree with that also. And I'm going to ask my friends. Puzzles are cool. Puzzles are cool. They're the coolest. Yeah, they're the coolest. A lot of pieces, small pieces. Well, this is a two-piece puzzle.

I need you guys to help me solve the puzzle. That is the Philadelphia Eagles. They're the champs. they could be the two seed. But what do you do with the team that is the 19th ranked offense in the NFL, which would be among the lowest ranked

offenses in the history of the Super Bowl era to win a Super Bowl? It's happened before the 2008 Steelers, the 2015 Broncos, the 02 bucks were right there. The 2015 Broncos almost don't count because Peyton Manning was the quarterback. So it felt like they had a better offense than they did.

But in terms of low-ranked offenses to win a Super Bowl since the merger, that suggests they're not going to win it. But if I give you their defense, their offense is bad, you score below 17 points. They have a winning record in games where they score below 17. And every other team since 2000 that has had a winning record with that amount of games played has actually won the Super Bowl.

Every other team? Yeah, those teams. Just those four. Those are the four that have had that winning percentage when they score less than 17 points. They all won the Super Bowl. Drew, why are you brushing off your show? loves the 2012 ribbons.

I've just been telling y'all, the Eagles are live. Oh, they're not, you, not only are they not your pick. They're not even your backup pick. No, but they're live. They're like. Y'all don't even think they're live. They're wildest pick. He doesn't.

They're officially my pick, but man, very definitely. Well, so, Brew, is that how you would solve this puzzle by just saying, yeah, of course, the Eagles are live? Even with a spout of an offense? Yes. Okay. Because I know their quarterback can dial it up a little bit. I have to. I am really interested.

in what this week looks like. Oh, the Tanner McKee Show? Yeah, I am. Because I-J. Brown demanded the person. So what if he cooks? I mean, it has no impact on who's, like, Jalen Hertz, their starting quarterback this year next year. Like, it's not what I mean.

You think fans, though, in Philly. That's, that's, I, if I were Kevin Petulow, I would just run the ball this week. There is nothing to be gained from Tanner McKee and the passing offense looking good. Like there's just nothing to be gained from it. He leaks a story to the media being like I needed a quarterback to unleashed by Burns on the office. And so I just like the, so I want to make it very clear. Like I think Philly fans have overrated Tanner McKee in their mind's eye.

And I understand he's had a couple nice moments. It's nice in the preseason. It's a cool project for long term. But I think it's really, I think it's interesting that Philly, is saying we don't value the two seed, because they can still be the two seed if they win and Chicago loses, that they value,

but I also understand giving yourself a buy. Like I'm a big proponent of that, and they're simply saying, we think if we have to go to Chicago, we can go to Chicago and beat you guys. Also, Marriota's not playing for Washington. They're still a four and a half point favor. They think their backups can beat the backups for Washington.

Which maybe they can, but I'm just really, I think that the Eagles are, trying to thread a sports radio WIP needle this weekend as far as winning the game, not getting guys hurt, and not having the offense all of a sudden look like, wow, where's that? I think that's like obviously it's no real quarterback controversy, but for fans, yes.

If McKee Cooks, they're going to, it's going to be crazy. I think it's more of a petulah issue, not. I agree, but I'm just saying. With fans in Philadelphia. as well. Oh. I think fans in Philadelphia, it's also a Sirianni issue. Yeah. Understandable. It's cool, man. I feel cooler being here. Thank you. I'm going to go home and do a puzzle. Sick, dude. Should have brought puzzles to dinner last night. That would have been. Who needs the number one scene more, the Seahawks or the 49ers? That's next on

first things first overtime. Then an overtime horn. Welcome back to the HOT hanging out with Greg Jennings and Willie Colon. Talking one seed, which is on the line in the NFC, it all comes down to Saturday night. Niners hosting the Seahawks home field advantage on the line. Niners could host all the way through the Super Bowl. Question, gentlemen, is a simple one. Seattle for San Francisco.

Greg, who needs the one seed more? Seattle. In Seattle for an obvious reason, their quarterback, we've seen him in this very spot. just a year ago with this very same things on the line, number one overall seed, going into a division opponent's home, trying to win not only that division, but obviously the number one overall seed.

And the numbers that, or his record, Donald through week 17, last two seasons, you see the numbers very similar, obviously a little bit better last season, this season playing with the team that has really supported him, even with some of his woes, if you will, throughout some of the games.

But primarily the reason why they needed is, if he can exercise those demons and they can play at home, that's something that they didn't have last season. They had to go on the road against an opponent that got after them pretty good. You feel like if you play at home, you exercise some of these demons against the team, a division opponent, you believe that this team

is going to be challenging, challenging as it pertains to teams coming into Lumen Stadium and trying to get a win there. So I just feel like for Sam Donald, his personal confidence in that team's overall success, defensively, I know they can, that travels. Sam Donald, he wants to be at home. Yeah, I agree with you. I think Seattle wants it, but I really think the 49ers need it because with the buy, they're able to rest their, their star is able to get healthy.

You talk about Kittle, dealing with the ankle, Trent Williams. And the thing about this, if they win that division game, there's a potential Fred Warner could be back for that NFC championship game. And all roads lead to Levi. And I think right now if you're the Niners, you have an opportunity to, one, get healthy, two, you have Brock Purdue who's four and two in the playoffs, been there, done that, plays really well. And you have a nine of a team with momentum,

especially after the way they played against Chicago Bears. And I expect them to beat the Seahawks. All in all, it seems like the Niners are prime. They need it. I can see them showing up in big moments. Yeah, I'm with your. you, Willie. So the Darnold narrative piece is fascinating. And last year, he played horrible in that game against the Lions. And then it stuck and it carried over to the playoffs. But

then he still got paid and then he bounced back. And I think he's quieted a lot of doubters. He certainly has quieted me. Like, I've been impressed by him this year, though the last six or seven games he has not been nearly as good. I just think Seattle's a much better team. Like I agree with a, I think Seattle is a defense. Right. I think they're like a more complete team. So, so San Francisco, man, if your defense. is last in sacks and, you know, 25th in yards, 26th in touchdowns loud, 26th, the Niners defense is just bad. Whereas Seattle's good at pretty much everything.

They've got the best point differential in football this year. They're a top 10 offense. They're a top 10 defense. Seattle is just a more complete team, so it feels like they could travel as the five seed and win these games. Whereas I'd be very surprised if the Niners can take a bottom five, bottom seven defense, depending on your metric, on the road throughout the playoffs.

I think right now if the game happens to get in a shootout, you have to believe Brock Purdy is going to be the one to carry. Different question. But I'm saying, we've seen Sam Darnal not look good in the big moments. And so with the turnovers, and they had to lead on their running game the last game against the Panthers. So for me, if the game comes down a shootout, I'm taking Brock Purdy to carry the team over the threshold. I think we all would, right? Which quarterback do we trust more? I think we probably go three for three on Purdy.

Absolutely. But the one seed question is, like, I just will try. trust the more complete team to be able to go on the road. So when I understand that, I think for me, I, Seattle definitely is the more complete team. But in the postseason, if you don't trust the guy under center,

if you can trust him on the road and or at home, cool. And I believe that's Brock Purdy. You're going to get what you get on the road or at or at home. With Sam Dernold, you really don't know what you're going to get. get. Whether it's on the road. He's playing his best ball right now.

Arnold is not playing close to his best. And to your point, we've seen him in these spots where he just looks like a shell of himself. It literally looks like the moment gets too big for him at times. And so that's why I say I feel like he needs it. Fascinating game Saturday night. But we go to

Pittsburgh now in a winner take all game Sunday night. Steelers, of course, hosting the Ravens. They win. They win the AFC North with a loss. Could be Aaron Rogers's final game. Mike Tomlin is very motivated to avoid the latter. Take a listen. I'm just committed to making sure that it's not.

He's certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts, and not only from a talent perspective and an experienced perspective, but just his professionalism, his relationship with the game, his love for his teammates and his willingness to help them grow and get better and gain better understanding each and every day has been cool to be a part of. Willie, do you look at this like it could be Aaron Rogers' last game? So I think it's interesting.

A couple of things. I think win or loss, one, I think there would have to be an internal conversation, including Aaron Rogers, that Mike Tomlin will be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That his job would not be in question. And also that from a Steelers standpoint, from a Steelers standpoint, they feel like Aaron Rogers can still get it done. I have a graphic right here to kind of show you his numbers as a jet compared to what he looks like this season. The issue for me right now is that bottom highlighted right now, that's that 5.9.

When you talk about this offense, outside of D.K. Metcalf, they don't have another body that can stretch the field or expose the middle of the field. You had the graphic yesterday. Kenneth Gainwell is their top dog right now. And so outside of DK, they struggle in a past game. So I think, one, Aaron still has to believe Aaron can still get the job done. And two, from a free agent standpoint, who's out there that can help elevate this offense? And when you have this list right here, you would have to sit down with Aaron Rogers and say, hey, man, we want you back one because we feel like you can get it done.

Don't worry about Mike T. He's going to be the head coach. And number three, we're going to get you help on offense. And when you look at this list, if you got an opportunity to go get an Alec Pierce or Marquis Brown, Hollywood Brown, or Juan Jennings, if you're Aaron Rogers, you're going to say, this is why I'm coming back because we have help. I got my head coach. And personally, I feel like I got the backing of the organization. I can still be QB1 for you.

If you have that on the table, yeah, I can say. see them really Aaron Rogers coming back and being the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. So I'm believing that this is it. And the reason being is because when you watch him over the course of the season, do we feel like he can still get it done in critical moments? I do. They would have to improve from a skill set. Skill position, more than even just some of those names on that screen, but also up front. because in order for you to have the success that you are looking for at times deep in the season,

you got to be able to hold the ball a little bit longer to push the ball down the field. To get the, to maximize who D.K. Metcalf is, you can't just be dinking and dunking and expecting him to just break, break tackles and get yards after contact all the time. He is better suited when he has a quarterback that can drop back, be okay with being pressured a bit, get outside the pocket and let them let that ball fly and he go run underneath it and make big plays. So again, it's going to come down to does he want to go through the process again? Because the off season, the longevity of the season, all the wear and tear.

I don't know if he's willing to do that. You make a good point about Tomlin being solidified as a hair coach. I don't think he's going to play for anybody else, but two key things. One, he's been sacked less as a stealer than he was as a jet. Note that. And number two, another name. on that list that wasn't up there is Brandon Iyuk. If Brandon Iyuk wants to play football and he has a full year to recover and rehab, I can see the Steelers taking another shot at him because they wanted

him in the office. They wanted him a couple of years. It didn't work out. I just, Aaron Rogers, for the last couple of years, was not a reliable narrator. He would say one thing, do another. He was a distraction. He was showing up. He's doing interviews, doing podcast. He said, this is probably my last year, and it's just going to be about football. He's carried it like it's just been about football. Like I think he's done. But we, I think he will win or lose. He will say, I got to play for Mike Tomlin.

I got to play for the Steelers. I didn't go out as a jet. Yep. I didn't go out and embarrassed. He was pushed out. No, I know. It didn't go out as a jet. Like, just like, it wasn't a part of anything embarrassing.

Because he has acquitted himself well this year. Yeah. Right? He's played better than we thought. He's lasted the whole year. He gave him a winning record. And it's not embarrassing. I think he's done whenever this season has.

We've also seen him walk the plank and then walk backwards back onto the field. So that's why I don't buy it. And on top of that, if they beat the Baltimore Ravens and they go into the playoffs and they make a legit run, how can that not warrant you the one of the good a game? I think if that happens, he's definitely done. Oh, really? Yeah, I think he's definitely done. I don't think either one of these teams is ready to make a run, but that would certainly be.

I mean, that changes the conversation in terms of like, oh, my God, what is this guy's ceiling? We're applying the eye test to the vulnerable contenders coming up on the OT. Back here on the OT ringing in the new year, make sure gentlemen, update your health benefits. Okay. You know, maybe a trip to the eye doctor is in order. So today we will be applying the eye test to the contenders. But only who is the most vulnerable among the contenders. Keyword, though, contenders.

That means no NFC South teams are included. No AFC North teams are included because we don't know who's going to be in the playoffs yet. rude out of the aFC north and of course the green bay packers are not included so to the bottom of the eye chart as i see the league clearly these are vulnerable contenders but this is how you know that i'm a man of integrity because i will admit that my chicago bears are a vulnerable contender you're finally being because that defense is a big yikes of a situation i mean they're 20 second in points we can throw up all the numbers for them it is ugly 28th in yards, 28th and past touchdowns.

They're bad against the run. They're bad against the pass. They're bad on the scoreboard and they're bad with big plays. The only thing they're good at is turnovers. They are opportunistic. They are very opportunistic. But even when they got to pick six against the Niners, they still lost at a shootout. So if we go back to the I chart, who's the team right next to them?

The aforementioned Niners, obviously a contender, they could be the one seat with a win. But I want to do the exact same test. Looking at the Niners defense, it's also a big yikes. Wow. Like the Niners defense is terrible. The Bears defense is terrible. Either one of those teams could just give up 35. Offense has a few fizzle out moments.

So it's the other night. Right. And they lose with a great game. So those are vulnerable teams for the exact same reason. And then the last team on the bottom line is the New England Patriots. Crazy unbelievable season. But I think the strength of schedule thing matters here. And it's not like, oh,

That's unfair. Why? It's the easiest schedule any team has played since the Rams in 1999. Now, in fairness, the 1999 Rams won the Super Bowl. But still, they were filthy. We've never seen a team playoff or otherwise have this easy of a schedule as the Patriots. That makes them vulnerable when you have to play good teams three weeks in a row. To the second row, as we look at the vulnerable contenders.

The Jacksonville Jaguars. I know I'm not very popular. Duval Nation right now. Duval. Some of the things that I've been saying. Trevor Lawrence just had the worst pass-a-rating game against the Colts since Gino Smith in week five. He was not good. I've seen him go on hot stretches before.

I believe he went on a hot stretch the previous six weeks before that game against the Colts. I know the winning streak is there, but I just do not trust Trevor Lawrence. We'll see if I'm right. Come playoff time. While I trust Justin Herbert, the offensive line situation for the Chargers is well documented. If Justin Herbert would play in weeks 18, which he's clearly not, he would have set the record for most pressures and potentially for most hits. Or he would have set it for hits, had a shot at most pressures. It's a historically bad, historically injured offensive line.

Obviously, Justin Herbert could just get sacked seven times in a game and get eliminated. They're a vulnerable contender. But who is the most vulnerable contender? As I look into my crystal ball and see the league very clearly, it is the Denver Broncos. They are likely the one seat in the AFC. I don't have a good comp for a team with this type of profile. The Broncos have won 11 games by one score this season. Bow Nix in those 11 games has completed 63% of his passes for a passer rating of 83.9.

Meaning he has 11 wins with a passer rating in the low 80s. This year, Bo Nix against the Titans, Jets, Giants, and Raiders. The teams picking one through four in the draft, the four worst teams in the NFL. He has five passing touchdowns and four picks with a pass rating of 77 in those games, and they won those five games by a combines 21 points. They just, they play down to their competition, and they have a remarkable ability to escape when their quarterback plays poorly. Some great fourth quarter comebacks, some great moments, great pass rush,

but they are a very vulnerable one seed. So that is how I see the league for vulnerable contenders. Greg, do you see it the same way? I don't see it the exact same way, but I want to focus on the Chargers because I look at the Chargers as being one of the most vulnerable contenders. Because obviously we know how excellent they are defensively.

But because of all those issues, you talk about offensively up front. And even what we don't talk about is the drops in the passing game. Way too many drops. We do not talk about that. If it were the Chiefs, we would talk about it. We don't talk about that.

But it forces your quarterback, Justin Herbert, to hold on to the ball, try to get guys to uncover. And then he leads your team. He's led this team seven times in rushing. And I think we have a graphic to show some of the numbers to support it. Obviously, we've seen the sacks. We've seen the hits taken. But the running back issues, they can't rely on their running game,

which they had a really solid running game to start. And then the injuries got him. But him leading them in rushing seven times is insane. for a hardball team. It's crazy. To go into the postseason and this be what you're hanging your hat on, it just doesn't feel good. Obviously, we all know who Justin Herbert is.

We know he's tough. We know he's gritty. We know he has the talent. But if the, if he's the only thing that's high tide and everything else is low tide around them, something's got to give. And I just think that because of that, they probably don't make it out of the first round.

It adds to the hits total on him, too. But he's taking hits dropping back to pass and he's taking hits when he has to run the football. I do think the Patriots are a pretty good matchup for them, though, in round one if it breaks that way. Willie, how do you see the vulnerable teams? Yeah, the most vulnerable playoff team to me is the Patriots. Obviously, we know Drake May is having a hell of a year, possibly MVP for this season. But defensively, they're the worst red zone defense in the league. They rank 31st.

They lack to get turnovers. They're not able to get after the quarterback. And now with the off-the-field issues with Stefan Diggs and their star defensive of tackle Barmore, they're in trouble. I mean, this team could be seriously one and done. And you talked about their strength of schedule. What scares me about the patch right now is they haven't been tested. They haven't been taking the deep water.

Every team that's on this list right now, no matter how you feel about them, they've been had a worthy opposition where they can feel if they got the goods or not. Pats never necessarily don't have that. So yeah, I think the Pats would be in and out. And unfortunately, it may be a quick exit. What do you guys make of this thing I've done? did it in packed stats with the guys in the last segment. This would be the first time in NFL history that the top two seeds in each conference,

none of the quarterbacks would have a single playoff. I saw that. Like in turn like, Darnold, Caleb, and here it would be Drake May, you know, Bo Nix. It's like, so it's a weird year in that I can point to flaws in every team. Experience your defense, your strength of schedule. It's, it makes it fun. It makes it wide open, but on that part, like, how much would you say, inexperience is a contributing factor, say, to your paycheck?

Well, inexperience is huge. Like, one of the things that it goes back to the Niners situation with them getting the buy, like when we were able to get the buy, one, we were able to get rested. But two, the guys who had been there done that, they were able to talk to the rest of the guys what it means to make a run, how you should prepare yourself, your mindset going into those games. Even the guys who had lost playoff games, what it meant to go back and how important that game was in consideration to saying,

hey man, you never know where you're going to be back. So that kind of heighten our sense of urgency and really dial in. When you have that experience, it means a lot. Because some guys don't know what they don't know. But the guys who have been there say, hey, man, this week, this is what you should be focused on. This is how you prepare. And when you talk about guys not knowing what they don't know, this is where I feel like sometimes the lack of experience, you don't know any better.

So you think that you. Ignorance is bliss situation. Ignorance is bliss. You believe that I, look. I don't care how young we are, how much experience we do or don't have. We feel like we deserve to be here. We've earned a right to be here. So for me, looking at the Patriots, their schedule is what their schedule is.

They have one of the best quarterbacks playing in the game and in the playoffs. They will have a chance. If they can be consistent, you got to get to the red zone to score. They don't let you get to the red zone that often. Gentlemen, a very important news to give Caleb Williams a nickname coming up. Time now for first things last. For my final words of 2025, I wanted to address something that matters. Caleb Williams is on the verge of getting a nickname, and it seems like Iceman is catching on,

a nod to his cool demeanor in the clutch and league leading six fourth quarter comebacks. His teammates on hot mics have been caught referring to him as Iceman, but most notably, their iconic radio voice Jeff Joniak adopted the term during his call of the walk-off touchdown against the Packers. Take a listen. Snap. Caleb play fake, looking to throw, going deep, searching for, DJ Moore over the shoulder. Catch made. Touchdown Bears!

It's over at Soldier Field. The ice man cometh. The ice man take it. Caleb also does the Cole Palmer or Cold Palmer celebration after big plays, which I got to be honest, plays nicely into the theme. And I also want to be clear, because this stuff matters. It's a good nickname. and Caleb clearly seems cool with it. But back in week 10, when Caleb had some particularly ridiculous escape artist moves in the pocket against the Giants,

he reminded me of Neo from the Matrix dodging bullets. It was like the game had slowed down. Like Morpheus watching his protege figure it out, I said, he is the one. And I thought I had stumbled on the perfect nickname. For one thing, Caleb was the number one pick in the draft. But more importantly, like Morpheus had been looking all his life for the one to help in his rebellion against the machines, I and all Bears fans had been searching for the one to change the narrative in Chicago. The one to be the first 4,000-yard passer, the one to be the best quarterback in franchise history,

the one to change the fact that the great city of Chicago had never seen sustained offensive excellence from the quarterback position. And then Caleb started doing his thing, and it was clear, in short order, we'd have all of those things and more. And yes, that makes Ben Johnson, the man who trained Caleb and got him to harness his abilities, Morpheus. But then, amidst all the winning and highlights and Iceman hype, an amazing thing happened. In that iconic game against the Packers, I noticed that the One was painted on Caleb's Nails. And then again last week, in that national TV shootout against the Niners, the One again seemed to appear on Caleb's Nails. Now, the first rule of nicknames is you don't get to pick your own. So if it's Ice Man, cool.

But remember Bears fans, some of the greatest ever do it have more than one. 1, Air Jordan, his heiarness, MJ. And it seems like Caleb is quietly buying into the one. Or put another way, he's beginning to believe. Thank you so much for hanging out with us on First things first. We'll be back on Friday to get into week 18.