First Things First - Ravens fire John Harbaugh, Oregon vs. Indiana, Must-Win for Wild Card Weekend, Nick’s Tiers

Episode Date: January 7, 2026

(0:00) Ravens fire John Harbaugh, What does this mean for Lamar Jackson? (24:28) Wild Card Must-Win (37:27) Any chance Ravens regret firing John Harbaugh? (45:31) Nick’s Tiers (01:06:27) Where is the best landing spot for John Harbaugh? (01:20:53) Oregon vs. Indiana, Should Cignetti move to the NFL? (01:28:28) Packed Stats, Could John Harbaugh replace a playoff head coach? (01:49:42) Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford for MVP? (02:01:07) Should the Bears already be mentioning the Super Bowl? (02:09:53) What is every playoff team’s fatal flaw? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

from New York. Wendy versus LeBron. Bruce got it circled on his calendar. I'm up tonight watching that. Oh, is LeBron definitely playing? It's a back to back. I would think so. Might be just like the versus Web.

That's a good question. I'm taking my- Luca versus Wimby is still good. I'm taking my nephew to Spurs Nix in March. Oh, that's birthday. Yeah, I just... Happy birthday. Nick?

Seems a little early. No, it's just that's what his birthday is not. Nix needs to go get Yonis. Because they're afraid of the Celtics, adjacent. No, they've lost four straight and they're starting to fade. And clearly the defense is kind of a problem. But they don't. No, yeah, I try.

That's why Leon Rose and those guys get paid the big bucks. That's exactly. Three, four, five team deal. They're just sitting here on the trade machine. I can go get. Excellent point. First hour of first things first. Today, Harbaugh still fired.

What's next for Lamar and who are the mystery teams that might fire their current head coach. There's a lot of mystery teams out there. Meanwhile, is the answer to the previous question about the mystery team. Sean McDermott, who is facing a literal must win. Is that out there? It's a mystery, man. You just throwing that out there.

It's just a mystery. It's like the Hardy Boys. That can't be true. It's a mystery. But you do think, Bru, if they lose, he could be fired. That guy not getting fired. Slight chance. Yeah.

I would not go after Harbaugh if I were there. And the Harbaugh's a good coach. Special edition of Wild Card Tears. First tiers of the new year. I think. Right? I would think so. Yeah, it's definitely true.

Not just social media. I mean, it's our first Wednesday of the New Year. First Wednesday of the New Year. And it's the first playoff tiers we've had. Unbelievable. First playoff tiers ever without the Chiefs. Did you see the story about Trevor Lawrence's grills? I saw that they tricked him in.

into getting fitted for him. Unbelievable. Yeah. It's like how I figured out your guy's shoe size before I bought you the goose shoes. His old Clemson teammate called his wife's wife called the doctor. The doctor's like, I'll send you over the scans. Oh, but they didn't trick him. No, it was not really good.

They did a long way around. Yeah, you put that. Maybe they should have just went to the team trainer. That's what I would have said. And said, you need to tell him you need a new mouth. But mouth. No, perfectly. It's the grill.

You guys have never had grill. You think he's going to be wearing the grill? If I bought you grills, you didn't wear them. It's like that pen I bought you. I'm still mad about it. I used it until it went out. It's an expensive band.

There's like four locations in America. Yeah, it's nice. One of them is. Is it in New York? Six blocks out of air. I looked for it. I didn't found it. We start with a new start in Baltimore.

We've had 24 hours to digest the firing. Through yesterday you talked about how change can be good for the organization and that Harbaugh's voice. grew stale. Now that you've sat with it overnight, are you more confident in the Ravens future right now than you were yesterday before the firing, aka did they make the right move?

I mean, I think they made the right move. Harbaugh is a good coach. So I was confident, you guys know, I was confident we're going to make the playoffs and then certainly had a puncher's chance of making a run. This is not about Harbaugh not being a good coach. Obviously, I've said it.

You know, guys know, I've been saying for a couple, of years, his seat should be high, right? And I said, as soon as he's fired, he'll get a job whenever he wants it. And obviously, he's in high demand. He's the number one guy on the market right now. But they absolutely made the right move. I mean, it had to be done. And let me say this first. People stop saying if Tyler Loop had made the field goal, he wouldn't have gotten fired. He would still be the coach. Yeah, maybe for another week, two weeks, maybe three, weeks maybe. I think they had to at least probably get to the

AFC championship game. Maybe it was S-Bob, maybe Super Bowl, but certainly go deep in the playoffs. I want 100% agree with you. Yeah, everybody's acting like, oh, now he missed the kicks or different. No, this is about Nick, the previous, at least three years.

I would say three years, because three things have defined this Ravens team over the last three years. One, underachievement. Okay, they get the first seat, they get Kansas City at home in the AFC championship game, and they can't deliver. This year, they are the preseason pick by many to get to the, I think they were the official pick.

They were the favorite, they were the biggest favorite to win the super. Win the super, they don't even make the playoffs. All right, I get you had injuries, but still, they had more than enough opportunities to make the playoffs with Lamar playing. So that's number one, underachieve it. Number two, blown leads. We know that the Ravens under Harbaugh have blown the most. fourth quarter leads, double-digit leads

in the last six seasons, all right, last six years. And then the third thing is beating themselves and slash finding a way to lose. Now, the first two, underachievement and blown leads are typically things you look at the coaching. In basketball, in football, if you keep blowing leads, you can't hold a lead, your team never plays up to its full potential. those are coaching things.

The third one is partially coaching, partially players. I'm not blaming Hardball for the drop pass last year by the tight end. I'm not Mark Andrews. I'm not blaming him for the missed kick by Tyler Loop. But the other things are largely on the coaching. And so I think it's just time for new. Because if they came back next year with Harbaugh, there would be a malaise, almost a dark cloud, I think.

over them. Now they would try and go hard, but the disappointment they've suffered over the last few years, they just need a culture change. So I agree with everything you said, yet I don't think anything you said is the biggest reason. The biggest reason it was the right move to fire John Harbaugh was because they, I think, correctly chose their 29-year-old quarterback over their 62-year-old head coach. And it was not going to be tenable to run it back with this coach quarterback combo, barring the type of, I don't want to say miraculous like it was impossible, but a playoff run that rebonded those two guys.

Because this disconnect, John Arball lost Lamar Jackson. I had been hinting at it for weeks via informed speculation, is what I will call it. And then he gets fired, and within six hours, all the insiders are like, you know, Lamar Jackson in that locker room, shirts seem to have tuned him out. Rappaport this morning says the next head coach's number one job is going to be to try to reach Lamar Jackson. He actually said, finding. Find, right. use that word finding whatever.

I have very good reason to believe from what I would call circumstantial evidence and real information that bringing back John Harbaugh was not going to land

well at all with Lamar Jackson and that is not just because he didn't give him the void of confidence at the end. And it was this relationship and whatever I don't know if I want to call it mistrust, but has been brewing all year right out in the open via publicly available injury reports, availability designations, and practice schedules. And Lamar's missing of Wednesday practices for different injuries and then for an illness and then for a rest day and then having a

full participant in practice and then missing a game, which again, we saw him get hurt. I know he was hurt. But there was not the level of communication between what the severity of the injury and its impact on the upcoming game between coach and quarterback that every franchise has to have to succeed. And there was no reason to believe. I mean, this is, and again, this isn't like conspiratorial stuff. What's the one team in the league this year? that got fined by the NFL because they had the wrong injury report designation for their star quarterback.

The Ravens, and that was 12 weeks ago and four injuries ago. So I am not saying, and I do not believe, Lamar Jackson went to Steve Bishotti and said, fire John Hart. That is not what I'm saying. What I am saying is the Ravens are about to enter what I think is going to be a very potentially difficult, understandably negotiation with their quarterback, and it would have been an impossible one had they not made this move.

So that's why, even if you think Harbaugh is a great coach, and even if you're not as high on Lamar as Brew is and you're closer where I am, which is, you know, not that I'm, you understand what I mean. Lamar Jackson in 2026 is a better quarterback than John Harbaugh is coach and brings more value.

You don't get rid of a star player. star player who's still in his prime, you hope. And even if he's on the backside of his prime at that position, there's just not enough of them. So to me, it was the only move they could make. And the thing is, quickly, Lamar clearly has the utmost respect in that locker room. Like, you can see that. And so I'm not saying because he kind of soured on a hardball, that everybody did it because of that. Maybe it was their own reasons.

But clearly, he's the leader in that locker room. And that's what you want, you know, from your quarterback. You talked about it being a risk. So I had Josh dig into the numbers. And this is the full screen we came up with. Long time coaches leaving. And again, it's a little bit up and down. Patriots have had two coaches in two years.

Seahawks have, you know, just Mike McDonald. Saints have gone through two coaches in four years. McCarthy to LaFour. Giants have gone through four coaches in 10 years. The Eagles have gone through three coaches. in 13 years, the Eagles are the only one to win a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl. And two of their three coaches won Super Bowls. Yeah.

It's really weird. But it's like, and Chip Kelly. But it's the Chip Kelly got him. But right now, you're in like the Chip Kelly zone. Well, here's where I would disagree. I don't think it's, look, you're getting rid of a good coach. And they made, they would have, I think if he was back, I think they'd have made the playoffs, you know. But I don't think they were going to win a Super Bowl.

And so that's a risk because maybe you get somebody in there that's terrible or whatever. But this has been a good organization. Like they have hired, Billick was a good coach, then the Harbaugh. Harbaugh was a special teams coach. So they found him, you know, it's under Bashati since Bashati's been the owner. And so I think they'll go out and find a good coach. But are you expecting it to work right away? Yeah, because they're like some of those teams that didn't.

The Patriots weren't ready. The Seahawks had good players in place. Put that back up, if you would. Packers had good players in place. So I think, yeah, they, you're not bringing somebody in for a year. The Giants have been a mess. Right. But the Giants weren't.

Here's the distinction that I would draw there. And this is not. The two teams with one, you see it. But it's also, bro, it's not coincidental that, you know what went hand in hand with a lot of those longtime coaches? Very successful quarterbacks. Yeah. So when Belichick left.

Brady was gone. When Pete Carroll left, Russell Wilson was gone. When Sean Payton left, Drew Breeze, was he gone or did he have one year left? I don't even remember, but it was the very, I think he was, but it was the very, no, Breeze eligible for the Hall of Fame now. So he was, Breeze was gone because Sean Payton coached the one year without. Yeah. Um, Hill year.

When Coughlin left, Eli was in route to, you know what I mean? Was not Eli anymore. Eagles were different because Andy never had the one long time quarterback. He had McNabb and then Vic. And the Packers had Rogers. Right. But he was still there. That's what I mean.

So that's right. So Rogers was the one that was still there. And it's the one where you're like, oh, they went from longtime coach to long time coach. Because that guy had, even though they've since moved on from Rogers, he wasn't starting from ground zero at the quarterback spot. In fact, Rogers had some of his best years under him. The hope for the Ravens is exactly the Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rogers piece. You were coming off the worst year of Rogers' career up to that point. His last year of McCarthy, now he had won a Super Bowl.

I understand Lamar hasn't. But he had won MVP's. He was coming off a bad year. It felt like it had gotten stale with a Super Bowl winning coach. You bring in Matt LaFleur. And all of a sudden. And it, right. And this is the, this is, I think, pretty universally accepted as the best opening of a job since that one.

That is the last time you had a firing with a at or near their prime first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Because normally, if you have a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, you don't lose your job. Right. Yep. All right, let's look at this from the Lamar side specifically. We're going to give you one piece of data, one social media post. to decode. I know you love those, bro. Four elite QBs that you mentioned, Nick, in the AFC, which is usually

a recipe for coaching stability. Lamar is the first to break up with his coach, winning percentage. Second to just Mahomond and Annie Reid wanted a higher clip than Alan McDermott and Burrow and Taylor. So that's the piece of data. Now time for some social media

Easter eggs. Lamar posting this on his Instagram. This is just that was, wasn't that going into the game? I thought that was him walking into the game. It's less the photo more of the audio brew. Song choice coming out strong by future featuring the weekend. Now I'm not going to sing it, not because I can't, but we'll run into all sort of copyright issues. The weekend is very litigious.

But here's the snippet. So he said, put this out today again. He posted this today on Instagram. Must be out of your mind. Do you know who I am? Man, you're killing my vibe. Do you know who I am? Oh yeah. They take my kindness for weakness. Still coming out strong. Yeah. It says that a few times. Wow.

So you've got to decode. So I want to just, just not clear. You don't have to be in spec to gadget. Just to be clear because I didn't even see this. So I want to make sure I'm understanding it. That was not a caption he wrote on this. That's just the song that went along. That's the part of the song that's playing.

Oh, I like that. You have to. Yeah. No, I understand. No, my wife's big on this. My wife posts up all the time. I'm like, is that. You really, yeah, yeah.

It is about you. I'm like, wait a minute. Hold on. I was like, why is this part? I don't like that one bit. You're killing my vibe. Wow. I mean, that's strong.

Like I said, you're pretty. I have trouble deciphering some of LeBron's, you know, stuff like this, but this. LeBron's are easier now. He loves playing golf. That's pretty easy. I would think. I mean, now there was a report that came out today that Todd Monkin and Lamar had the problem and Harbaugh was kind of the buffer, whatever the case.

Lamar clearly wasn't feeling good about the situation. So as far as what changes for Lamar, I think he's in line. He's going to get a big fat contract extension. Like, you don't get, you chose him to a large degree over the coaching staff. you don't do that with a 29-year-old in his birthday is today actually happy birthday Lamar he you don't do he's 29 years old still in his prime and I we disagree here Nick because he may not be I mean he's obviously not the runner he used to be he still when healthy I think will be more than adequate you know maybe now he's down to where all the other good

runners outside of Josh Allen are you know what I mean he'll still be yes be a good runner but his passing, I think his passing has improved incredibly throughout his career. And these are his career ranks in the Super Bowl era. He's fifth all time and win percentage. You showed that earlier while. He's second. He's really tied for first with Aaron Rogers. Both of them at 102.2.2.

Touchdown percentage, because he doesn't throw as much as others, but a lot of touchdowns, he's first. And then yards per attempt, he's fourth. So I get what you're saying. And you're right that if he's not the runner he used to. it will definitely change. But he's still, he's the best passing quarterback of all the running quarterbacks that I would think, unless you include like a Steve Young or something.

Yeah, I was going to say Steve Young. Yeah, but take him, but I mean, Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNag, Mike, Michael Vic, you know, guys. Do you include Josh Allen? I think Lamar's a better pass. So I thought you were going to say. Yeah. So I don't think he certainly has better. Listen, the numbers are, the numbers are not close as far as.

He's never had a Stefan Dix. His efficiency numbers are far better than Allen's. Alan's, you know, prolificness, the yardage numbers, the, and total. Yeah, he throws more. He throws it more and throws it for more yards. But Alan, too, Nick, has the threat that Lamar has. Like, defense is guarded. He can cover him the same way because he could run.

He's just as much of a running threat as Lamar. So what's this mean for Lamar? since he's been awesome they have had multiple defensive coordinator changes to switch things up obviously you don't put that on him at all like he literally doesn't play defense but the team has changed defensive coordinators

they've changed offensive coordinators since he's been awesome great one and won one an MVP with Greg Roman one an MVP with Todd Monkin now he's going to have a new offensive coordinator they've now also changed head coaches they went out and got Derek Henry who since he's been there

leads all running backs in everything. Yards, yards per game, touchdowns. I think now rushes as well because he passed Sequin was the one guy with Moore, and Seekwon sat out this past week. Since he's been there, the Baltimore Ravens have used three first-round picks on wide receivers. Now, I haven't loved any of the players.

Zay Flowers is coming off his best year, but there hasn't been a team that has dedicated more first-round picks in this time to wide receivers. and every year when they announced the Pro Bowl for whatever it's worth, it's replete with Ravens. You know what I mean? He always has a ton of Pro Bowls. I think they had six this year.

That's what I mean. Like last year, I think two years ago, they set the record for it the year. So the last house on the left is Lamar's. Everything's been addressed. Everything's been changed. And he has to deliver and be available. So I think this number will surprise you guys.

In the last five years since we've really had this quarterback big four, Alan and Mahomes have played the exact same number of games. 93. Alan, 84 regular season 9 playoff. Patrick, 80 regular season 13 playoff. 93 games for those two guys in last five years. You know who also have played the exact same number of games? I'd be surprised.

Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, 74. More than a season less. 19 games less for both of them. For Lamar, it's 70 regular season and four playoff in this stretch. And for Burrow, it's 67 regular season. Well, so regular season for it's 70 to 67 Lamar versus Joe. Playoffs, it's four to seven. But it's the, for those guys, Lamar and Joe have played 74 games in last five years.

Patrick and Josh have played 93. Joe misses so much time. He's thinking about retiring. Well, so that's... But here, let me add, because I got some numbers for you too quickly. Lamar has missed 17 games in the last seven years. His first year was a rookie year.

So last seven years, he's missed 17 regular season games. Burrow, in his six years, because that's all he's played, has missed 26. So I... And then Dak, Dak, his last six years has missed 24. So I... Those guys are missing far more games than Lamar. So, but in the last five years... years, in the last five years, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson played the same amount of football.

They both played 74 games. And that just, now, if we want to, if we say just regular season, then it's 70 to 67. But we talk correctly about Joe, about being an injury risk. Yeah. And about availability being a problem. Lamar Jackson is now going to this offseason, get a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, and I'm very very. interested in because I go back to that Baltimore Sun article about Lamar's off-season participation. I don't know how quickly this contract is getting done. I do know that what would be very important for the new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new system, is Lamar Jackson to be there the whole time. And I do

know that the Ravens have to have a healthy and available Lamar Jackson. And that's before we even get to, and we need you to play your best in the postseason. So like, There's no other doors to push on as far as why is Baltimore not breaking through is the point I'm making. The pressure, to me, he's under a lot of pressure because a lot of people rightly or wrongly are putting this on Lamar. Like, Harbaugh's not there because of Lamar Jackson, right? So that people are going to look at him like, you got to deliver a Super Bowl. But that was the case anyway. If they were bringing Harbaugh back, it would be you got to win.

in a Super Bowl at some point. So the pressure on him is immense whether Harbaugh was the coach or whoever's the coach. But he, I think of him, and I think I would imagine you do too, different from Burrow in that Lamar's injuries, he's missed what, hamstring, some for illness. No, the only one game. That was the COVID-COVID year. I think he missed one game. Yeah, his injuries haven't, like Burroughs injuries have been like, you can't play the rest

of the year and stuff like that. Lamar's, I think, have been more nagging, slight type stuff. I don't know if what's better or worse. And it's just, it is, the availability has been a, he has not been, in the last five years,

he's played in the playoffs twice. Just as same as Joe Burroughs. I mean, it's just, it's weird. It is one year, you know, but it's just the reality of where he's at. Dusty, let me check in one, Dusty to see if we're going to do must-winner. We're going to talk more Harbaugh. Dust?

I don't know. I can't hear Dusty, so we're going to go to break. Brock versus Jalen in a must-win next on FS1 on the Fox Sports Channel on Sirius XM. That was a lot of power you just made best. Podcast is number one in the entire world. I can't believe it. Congratulations to Gianna.

Your job is not safe, however. We have to. You're getting close, though. We need 23 more million views on YouTube, which sounds astronomical. But thanks to you, we get about a million views a day, many of them negative from yesterday's Patriots segment. Time now the most literal. Did you check that out? Oh, did you check that out?

Little rough. I tried to tell you. It's a problem with the question, actually. I tried to tell you. Time to have the most literal version of must win yet. Wildcard must win. Coach Manjini, winless in his last several tries, but he said he was on a self-scout.

Oh, yeah. The intro makes me better. Hey, lock in. First up, 49ers back in Philadelphia, Sunday at 4, this one's on Fox. Last matchup, 49ers tore the Eagles apart. Time before that, Brock tore his UCL. The conference championship.

That's a bump. I'm just giving the facts, man. I understand, but you were like, tore them apart, then you're like, suffered catastrophic. Catastrophic. Well, Terrier C.L. Since the start of November, the San Francisco offense and Philly defense,

and hot as a pistol. Brew, you're the reigning two-time champion. You go for three feet. Oh, my God. Nick tried. I did three feet. Did you do? Yes, I did three feet.

Yes. But this is wild card weekend. This is that's, this is majestic as much. You're passing or playing. I'm playing. I'm playing. This is an absolute must win for the Eagles. The whole team?

The Eagles. All right. The Niners are playing with House Money with all their injuries. There is a great that they even got here. So they're playing with House Money. The Eagles somehow, coach, Nick Siriani, the seat seems to be a little bit hot. I wouldn't say he's on the hot seat, but that seat feels warm. And if he loses this game, who knows what in the world could happen.

I mean, John Harbaugh is available. So I'm just saying. Jaylen hurts. All of a sudden, people have forgotten that he's been to two Super Bowls and one-one as the MVP. So he's, you know, if he loses this game, who knows what. A.J. Brown is just one loss away from starting something. Oh. What do you mean?

He might be starting something. He might say something and start something. And they're at home. Absolute must-win for you. I like the AJ Brown part. The rest of it felt like appetizers to me. Yeah, I like where you're heading, but I'm going to narrow it down to just Nick Sariani. And here's the reason why.

So he made the decision not to play the starters last week, which was controversial in consideration of what happened, and them losing the two seed, where they could have potentially had the two seed, and they'd been five and O when they played at home, and both the NFC championship games were at home. So there's that. But the flip side of that, I thought he actually made a good decision, even though it was controversial, from a health standpoint because both of those, his Super Bowl runs, have come with extremely healthy teams. In 2022, is 22 out of 23 starters healthy.

In 2024, is 21 out of 22 starters healthy. And now this year, he only has one of 22 starters on IR. And again, we should be 21 out of 22 guys healthy. So it was a controversial decision, and Harbaugh is looming, and people don't love him always. But when you look at it in comparison from a health perspective, Coach, you know if Lane Johnson is back at practice? I didn't get the most recent update.

He is. I just got in my ears. Another great decision. Was that you, what are you trying to give yourself a right? I think you, what are you doing? He was tested. It was a pop quiz, coach.

That was a pop quiz. I thought you brought your A game. It is Wednesday. He just told me. It literally just broke since you've been. It just broke. Excellent. So I thought coach's answer was so great.

I don't have much more to add except for I'm just going to piggyback off the Siriani piece, which is this. John Harbaugh, where was he before he was in Baltimore? Oh, Philadelphia. Yeah. And so I, when there was the reporting yesterday that, you know, more teams than there are current job openings called about John Harbaugh or about his availability.

A lot of people, I think probably smartly connected that team to Miami. Yeah. I am curious. And I would not put it past Howie Roseman and, most notably, Jeffrey Lurie, if this thing goes sideways at home in that building to truly take Harbaal's temperature. But coach is right. It's a must win for Nick Sierra Leone for those reasons. Coach was on text complaining about the scoring system.

He said he did a self-scout, and he came back in a major way. The very rare two-point victory. The two-point. A lot of that was what I said. No. No, Siriani. You were just doing proper. Who was the first to bring up John Harbaugh?

John Harbaugh. You got a hot take. Bill's favorite in Jacksonville, Josh versus Trevor and his grills. Look at this. Teams that took an eight game win streak into the wild card like the Jags, 4 and O in the last 15 years. Hmm. Who is this a must win for, coach? To me, this is a must win for Jacksonville, but it's really a must win for Nick Wright.

Ooh. And here's why. His love for the prince is well documented, but then we went through this phase where he stopped loving the man. I did not. Hold on a second. You don't have to respond. This is my turn.

I walked on a TikTok or an Instagram or something behind the scenes where you traded the dude away, the trumpeteers away for virtually nothing. You literally, you literally sold low. So now they get hot again and everything's excited and you've got no homes and you've got no Kansas City and you're hitting the blonde wig. So now if they win, Josh, get him to his corner. If they win, fire. That gets to, you know, bow up again and drop some banners.

Coach, I supported you a moment ago. You're totally missed. That was a mistake. You're totally. First of all, first of all, I never abandoned Trevor. However, I never abandoned Trevor. However, however. during, you know, the dog days of the Doug Peterson era,

we did have two separate bosses fly into town and give us a presentation. That the point of it was, here are all the shows on sports TV that don't talk about the Jags, and it was every show that existed, and here's you guys, you have to stop. So that, and I'm the bad guy. And I was trying to do KW a favor with the Trump Tears. However, to respond to Coach Fully, not only is this not a must win for me.

It's a can't lose for me. Because while, yes, obviously, I'm the Jags and Trevor Lawrence guy, I'm also the only person on this show for two years that has said that Buffalo Bills team is championship caliber, that the only team in the AFC I believe in more than the Bills is the Chiefs, and they're in a bit of a down year. I don't know if people have noticed. With that said, this is obviously a must win for Josh Allen. It is one thing to spend the 2020s not reaching the Super Bowl because Patrick Mahoney.

with a little cameo from Joe Cool Joe Burrow, prevent you from going there. It's another thing if the folks in Duval and Trevor Lawrence's glorious locks that nobody respects but me beat you. It's a whole different spin on why hasn't Josh Allen gotten through if they lose this game to a Jags team that very few people actually respect.

So it is a must win for Josh Allen. That's undeniable despite coaches, you know, just basically going negative. Great answer. A lot of revisionist history in that second. What? A lot of. Coach is absolutely right.

Nick, this is what he did to Trevor Morris. A bad habit. Like a bad habit. Must win for the bills. All right. You just do the whole. The coach is on the line. Sean McDermott's job might be on the line.

You're just fired everybody, bro. It might be on the line. I'm just saying, you know what's obvious. What if the Eagles lose and the bills lose? Luckily, there's two. No, I mean, coaches could be. I don't, I'm not as strong. McDermott getting fired or being on the hot seat now as I was say two years ago.

But something might have to change if they lose this game. And Josh, his kryptonite is gone. His kryptonite was Patrick Mahomes. He is not in the playoffs this year. We've given him a pass. Oh, you lost to Mahomes. Everybody loses to Mahomes. And now, what is it?

Yeah, it's good. Who gets the point? Coach, obviously. Coach has locked up. This has to be worth five points. Unfortunately, since its playoffs, this is worth five points. I thought it might. This is five.

Right now it's three to nothing. I said it locked up a tie. If we were playing by regular season rules. I think coach we've got a trainer last week. Bonus round, this is worth five. Chargers in New England. Herbert O. and two in the playoffs, four interceptions, completion,

percentage at 52%. Drake May has never lost in the playoffs. This guy. No interceptions has never had a singular bad play. This season, Herbert and Drake May was in the running for MVP. Nick, this is worth five points. Who is this a must win for? You and everybody knows it, especially people that watched our A block yesterday,

which I don't know. I don't know if it was worse than the A block the day after the Patriots beat the New York Giants and you announced them as the new dynasty of the NFL. But it was, you have somehow turned what should be a house money can't lose situation into covered in shame and embarrassment situation because you've decided this is the one team and the one quarterback in NFL history that is simply immune. to some first playoff game jitters that is simply immune

to playing, I think what you said is, I don't think Josh McDaniels will allow Drake May to play poorly. As if other offensive coordinators like, you know what, this is the week, I'm just going to let Tom Brady, who had plenty of bad playoff games play poorly.

Some under Josh McDaniels. Strategically, KW, I don't know why you did it, but you've done it. It's a must win for you and you alone. That was a nice preliminary take because I'm going to take Nick's take and raise it one. It is not only a must win for Kevin Wiles. It is a must win for first things first.

Because all of our other top teams, the Ravens, out. The Chiefs, out. You pick the Ravens to win the Super Bowl, too, coach. Out. Your team is the last one standing. I've got to carry it. So this is, yes, you have to carry it. this is for first things first a must win.

We got a little pre-do yesterday of what Wilde Kerrins. When you ask me if I'm worried and I say I'm not worried, you guys like you should be wary because Tony Romo didn't win the MVP. Look, I think both your answers were cute. So he started with Kevin and then you moved to the show. But this is really about truly opening the doorstep of destiny. And here's what I mean. We had the terrible years at the end of the Belichick era.

And then you have the terrible year when they transitioned. And now this year has been incredible. You've got the 10-game turnaround, all the things that go into it. And now we have a chance to win a playoff game. When's the last time they won a playoff game without anybody named Bill Belichick? 1998. And Bill Belichick is on the Let's Go podcast. I think that's Tom Brady's podcast, giving game plans on how the Patriots can win.

So if you're really going to transition out of the past and truly become a new dynasty. This win is the must win. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the first ever. Shutout victory. Eight to nothing for coach. Wow. Congratulations.

An eight-nothing victory. Unbelievable. The Super Bowl champion brings it home. Congratulations. Coach wanted to get your take on Harbaugh. Mixed bag when you fire a long time coach. Sometimes you bounce right back. Sometimes you don't.

What do you think of the chances are that the Ravens regret this? I think there's a really good chance the Ravens regret this. And it's going to be extremely challenging. It's been 18 years since they've gone through a quarterback or a head coaching search. And that's challenging. Now, they did do a very unique search at that time, but that's a long time. And then I've said this over and over again. When you have consistency, you have efficiency because the scouts know what the head coach is looking for,

free agency all the way down the line. The roster turnover isn't as great, but you bring in someone new with new ideas. All that has to be gotten used to. So there's that component. And then how is the dynamic of the new head coach with the GM? Because the power structure before was John reported to the owner, the GM reported to the owner. does this new head coach come in and now he reports the GM, does that change? And then what's the dynamic between a new head coach and Lamar?

Lamar suddenly he won the power struggle, so he's suddenly become empowered. So what does that look like? There's a lot of things if you go get a new head coach that they're going to have to learn and get used to as well as dealing with the dynamics of the organization, the dynamics of an elite quarterback like Lamar Jackson. I don't think they'll regret it. I think the chance are very slim. Because, one, I don't think they were going to win the Super Bowl with Harbaugh. They would have been good, but wouldn't have won the Super Bowl.

So for them to regret this, they have to really fall off. I mean, be like next year, not make the playoffs either, and just kind of not be a contender anymore. And I don't see that happening with Lamar Jackson in his prime. And you still got Derek Henry coming off a very good season. and we'll see how good he is next year. But a lot of other good players, too. And I think, coach, this is a very good organization.

Bashadi last time did a good job of identifying Harbaugh when he got rid of Billet. And Harbaugh was just a special teams coach. So he went and found him. I think they'll go find this guy, a good guy. I actually got some names. I can throw out. These are names you've heard.

But Jesse Mentor, who has a relationship with the Ravens, but he's, you know, the defense of course. with the with the with the Charter with his brother I like Flores as a head coach and then if if I got Flores I would look at I don't know if these guys want to be OCs I'd look at not saying he'd hire him for sure but like a Cliff Kingsbury or a Mike LaFleur and I'd consider Michael Flore for head coach not so much Kingsbury but Mike LaFleur as a head coach OCE and with the Rams I'd like to see what he could do with Lamar just to add to Brew's recommendations these are reports that they're

looking at Anthony Weaver with the Dolphins, D.C. And Clint Kubiak, Seahawks, O.C. So, both of them have connections, don't they? I mean, the Giants have done a good job replacing Tom Coughlin, so that's a nice model.

But they don't have to play. They didn't have a two-time MVP quarterback in his prime. That's the difference. I don't necessarily agree with the fact that they couldn't win a Super Bowl with John Hart. I don't know that you agreed with that yourself. I mean, look, if they brought you back, I'm not saying I definitely wouldn't have picked them.

But, because the last three years have ended in utter disappointment. And that's, I just think there's would be like a malaise over them. You're right. They still be telling it. And maybe I would have picked them next year. And I'm not trying to be too flipping. But if they kick the field goal, we're not having this conversation. Not for a week.

But I still, so that's right. Listen, here's, I'll split the baby on this. If they kick the field goal, then if they had made the field goal, I'm not being rude. Brew would have believed they could win a Super Bowl under Harbaugh, because you would have thought they could do it this year. Well, I thought you would have held out a hope that they had a puncher's chance. The other side of that is, even if they had made the field goal,

I believe John Harbaugh was going to be fired because I think he and Lamar really. Right, that's the thing, too. But the year before, it's a drop pass for a two-point conversion by one of their most reliable play. But that was just the tie. They would have had the opportunity to go over time. If they won an overtime, they would have had the opportunity to have their teeth kicked in by the But, I mean, the Chiefs had beaten them. A better Ravens seemed involved in more the year before.

But my point is, those two plays weren't poor coaching decisions. No, but there are other things. Yes, I think it's the totality of it. And I really do believe they don't regret it because they were going to have a massive issue on their hands in the form of Lamar's future there. Had this move not happened? I vehemently and for good reason believe that. With that said, it is risky.

So this is a, to me, a shocking, it's very basic graphic, but it's a shocking stat. More than half of the league, 17 teams have changed coaches in the last two years. So more, like, to get some context, Mike McDaniel is the 10th longest-tenured head coach in the NFL

D'emico Ryan's is in the top half of longest tenure feels like Domingo Rions is a young new head coach he's been with his team longer than 17 well seven obviously seven of them

don't have coaches yet but they just fired their guys and so you you run a big risk that now you're just on the carousel. Now, hopefully, having a Lamar Jackson prevents you from being on that carousel, here would be my concern pushback, if you will, brew.

Much like we said about the cowboys had they, when they changed, I don't know if it was the last year with McCarthy or not, but it was, we felt like, man, win 12 games, lose in the second race. round would be a failure, but because they had the bad year, the final year of McCarthy, if they brought him back, then win 12 games would be a great success, even if they didn't have playoff success.

I do wonder if you bring, after this bad season, if you bring in a rookie head coach, Jesse Mentor, for instance, because I think hiring a rookie head coach with a future All of Fame quarterback is a risk. Now the Packers did it with the floor and it's worked out, but would. 11 and 6 and winning the division and losing in round 2, be like, man, we're on the right track. When that would have, if we would have told you going into this year, that was going to happen under hardball, we'd have said, that's a disaster. You're the Super Bowl favorite. You win 12, 13, 14 games.

So that is the concern here. As long as Lamar's in his prime, anything but reaching the Super Bowl or winning it is going to be a disappointment. Yep. So that, but if they, let's say that happens, they go 11 and 6 next year. losing the first or second round called second round. Give him a playoff win. People are disappointed. I guess it depends on how the season looks. Like if

Lamar looks good, if the defense looks good, I think people would be optimistic. But I will say this, you would it be where you were with Harbaugh. Like I don't think people would have been like, oh, if we kept Harbaugh, we don't won the Super Bowl. I think you'd at very least you got a new coach that

Lamar likes, presumably, and you're still a contender. Okay. Coming up next. The committee's tears. Sorry. You're okay about it? I'm upset about Harbaugh. Good coach.

I think it was a bad move, huh? No, I think it was the right move, but I don't think they have a bad. From New York. It's a show that has not lost the locker room. Sometimes I feel like I've lost Josh, our researcher. You're the coach now? Of me and Josh? He's always giving you stuff.

I know. But sometimes, sometimes we're through gritted. T. No, I mean, you should. Here's your eagle. Can I tell you something? You never, one perspective, one P-O-V you've never had is the look on Josh's face when he leaves your office and clears the doorway. Just a beating.

Just like, this guy. That's why I'm always like, Josh, how's your hands straight? He's like, I just want, I can't explain to this guy how completion percentage is calculated again. It's intense. I will tell him, Josh, I can't use any of these Drake. May EPA staffs. I can't explain them on the air. But they're number one. Far corner of the graph. By the way, unbelievable. Way up there.

Not because I was ready for you to pull out in the MVP conversation, EPA stuff. And I was so ready to just fire at you as a bad teammate. What's it mean? It was a great job by you. That what? What is he like? Oh, EPA. I'm unfamiliar explaining to me. So it was a great job. I don't know how it works. I was ready for that, bro. I was like, I'm this guy. You know what's number one?

iPhones. Do I know how they work? How they manufactured? I don't know. Today, what mystery teams? Everyone's talking about these mystery teams. Have you heard this? Yeah.

Meanwhile, Joel Klatte. What? Excuse me. Man, Joel Klaat breaks down the playoffs. And should Kurt Signetti bail on the Hoosiers join the NFL? Why? to coach Mendoza again. Or just, I mean, that's an interesting, he's obviously rocking the house in college, but

NFL is the NFL. Yeah, you're making $12 million bucks. The NFL is the NFL. Interesting. We'll see what Joe Clyde has to say. Right now, let me get you caught up to speed and what's been going on. Last night, while not smoking a full pack of cigarettes, an elite committee of experts, analysts and people who have roses in the Rams colorway in their browser history. Faw and

toiled and burn the midnight oil to deliver the best segment in all of sports television. It's an honor and a privilege. It's time for wild card tiers. Wow. Thank you, KW. Can't wait for this. Why would I have Googled roses in the Rams colorway when those flowers are sent to me? It doesn't narrative. I just, IT told me it was in your browser history.

House are history. Fair point. Fresh new eliminations. Tough one. Bucks and Ravens. Man, I gotta tell you, seeing the Chiefs there, seeing the Bucks there, thank God the Ravens are there too.

I mean, if that you'd have been in for it. I'd have just been all alone. All right, Bob. I still got the Packers, though. You do sell the Packers. That is true. True. Both my Super Bowl teams eliminated before the playoffs. Massive embarrassment. There's no way around it.

Bottom of the tears. Sorry. A loss is a win. And here's what I mean. If somehow the Panthers win this game, they're going to convince themselves. Bryce is the guy. And I understand this seems mean, and congrats on winning the division.

Tying your future long term with real money to Bryce Young is not the right to stop. right decision. So you think if they win that game, you're going to pay? If they win a playoff game and he's the number one overall pick and they've improved each year, they certainly are going to pick up the fifth year option, which is a lot of money for a number one overall pick. Like it's, I, I'm just telling you, a loss is not a bad thing for the Panthers this weekend. I'm sorry. Just win a round. Now, I'm not just saying this because the Packers, beating Danny's Bears and the Chargers beating Wilde's Patriots would just be amazing for the show,

but also on the Packers side of things. I really do like Matt LaFleur as a coach. I just don't know him as a guy. Could be a jerk. I doubt it. Seems like a nice guy. Seems like a nice guy. He should not be on the house.

I don't know. He's a better coach than he is person. No, I'm just kidding. I have no idea. But fact, the matter is, they, last year, with Rogers, they're 8 and 8 trying to win in a win in your end game to be the seventh seed. First year with love, they win nine games. They're the seventh seed.

Last year they win 11 games. They're the seventh seed. This year they win nine games. They're the seventh seed. They have only one one playoff game in this stretch. It was a great playoff game. And the playoff performance last year against Philly was very uninspiring. Just went around and be like, hey, win all in this offseason, dealt with injuries,

but at least we're feeling good. And the Chargers, the Herbert having not won a playoff game noise, even though they're the seventh seed, even though they're on the road, even though they're an underdog, it's just going to get louder. You win one game. Nobody cares you get popped in round two. It's a wildly successful season. Trendy winner. And here's what I mean. Someone is going to win this game.

And whoever wins this game, the Tuesday after this game, you know what's going to be on. every show from at least one person, you do not want to play. Aaron Rogers, have you back to back? One final push, a game away from a conference championship game or the Texans haven't lost since Halloween.

Domingo Ryan's defense, it's inevitable. Somebody has to win that game, and that team immediately will be considered far more dangerous than they probably are. So whoever wins that game will be the trendy team to be scared of for the Denver Broncos or whomever. Nothing would surprise me.

I would not be surprised if Christian McCaffrey runs wild, if Brock Purdy has an awesome game, and the Niners offense against an Eagles team that we think avoided any type of supernatural funk, but might have just played the Raiders and the commanders and eked out of 1312 win against Buffalo. The Eagles team goes quietly into the night like it did two years. to the night like it did two years ago.

It also wouldn't surprise me if the Eagles say, all we have to do is stop Christian McCaffrey, our defense is awesome, and that Eagles offense gets rolling against a very beat up, and Niners defense that can't get to the quarterback. So Niners showing up in the conference championship game would not surprise me. Niners losing by 17 in Philadelphia would not surprise me.

Obviously flawed but frightening. Bears Eagles, obviously flawed. The Bears defense is. is bad and the offense doesn't ever, you know, hum at a cool Chris 71 degrees. It's always either 99 and scorching or 35 degrees. In that hotel room. Right, exactly right.

And the Eagles often's been bad all year. Not in, not hit and miss. Not the last time the Eagles scored more than 20 points against the playoff team, against the playoff team was week three against the Rams. More than 20 points and they played a bunch. They played, I think, seven games. They played a tough schedule.

But because of how prolific the Bears' offense is and how good they are at turning you over, and because the Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions, they're obviously frightened. Wildly impressive, wholly untested. Both the teams, KW. That's true. It's the 32nd ranked strength of schedule

against the 31st ranked strength of schedule. But the resumes, just as far as, for the Broncos who they've beaten and the comebacks. For the Patriots, how they're clobbering teams. The overall records for these teams sitting at 14 wins apiece. And I feel similarly, to be honest, more about Drake May than Bo Nix about this as far as wildly impressive but wholly untested. Joe Nix has been partially impressive but untested. Drake May has been wildly impressive but untested.

but that's same with their teams. Fork in the road for both of these quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence, two years in the league, it was all going according to plan. Top seven MVP, as everyone remembers, one of the greatest playoff comebacks in the history of the league, lost to Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, kind of a right of passage for AFC quarterbacks.

It was all going the way it was written back when you're the Gay-Rade High School Player of the Year. It's gone a bit of ride. You win this football game. Yeah. All of a sudden, you're going to finish top seven MVP again. He is. You beat Josh Allen.

Yeah. You finally seem like you have your right coach. Got that sick grill. Yeah. You are going to be discussed the way he deserved to be discussed as a true elite quarterback in this league. You lose this game and it's three steps forward, two steps back. Josh Allen, this whole postseason run is your fork in the road. The path is clear, but the path is rocky as far as your path, but who's in front of you is clear.

You win this game and the next game and the next game. You get the monkey off your back. You lose any of them, but particularly this one. And people are like, okay, if this year you can't get over the hump, when are you? Yes. The best team, I just think they're the best team. understand that they lost they were the first team in NFL history to score a touchdown in overtime and lose the game and because of that instead of being

the one seed with the best record in the conference they're the five seed with a tough path they're getting Devante Adams back I think their quarterbacks had the best year I think of all the playoff teams they have the best coach I think they're the best team however it has been a weird year and similarly to 2000 when the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Patriots get clipped in round one by Jay Cutler, and the path is open and the Seahawks show up in the Super Bowl with Matt Hasselbeck and Sean Alexander.

Or 2008, when Tom Brady blows out his knee and we look at the Super Bowl, we're like, wait, the Super Bowl is the 9-and-7 Arizona Cardinals? It's a weird year. And the Seattle Seahawks with Sam Darnold being maybe start-time, to finish the best team in the league continuing in the playoffs would be weird, but it's been a weird year. They do have the best resume. They are atop the Wild Guard weekend teams coach. It's a good group of tears. And as always, I love the write-ups that you have next to it.

And I hate to do this because I don't want to be a Jacksonville hater, especially we had that nice visit with Eric Ombstead yesterday. Very good to see him. But I think it, you He got him too high. I showed you the stats yesterday. We've seen this movie before with The Prince where he got hot after getting a new head coach, won five games down the stretch. His numbers were impressive.

And then he implodes in the first half of that game. And the defense for the other team implodes in the second half of the game. And he somehow figures out a way to get out of that. But in terms of the next layer down being untested, yeah, they haven't had the hardest schedules. But they've got a lot of guys there. they can help guide this playoff journey.

Josh McDaniels alone, he's been the OC in three Super Bowls. He's coached in 20, was it, 26 playoff games. And then he got Brable, he brought a team to an AFC championship game. So you've got that experience bringing that team in. And then the flip side of that is Sean Payton. He's won a Super Bowl. He's at 18 playoff games. And then he's gone to two other NFC championship games.

So granted, there is an untested element, but I think that experience is going to help him, as opposed to Jacksonville with a new head coach, where all this is so new, and as much as he's trying to guide the ship, and it's an awesome story, there's a learning curve here, too. I like that take. I mean, I think Mike Grable has one more playoff victory

than Trevor Lawrence, just for the record. And it doesn't say wholly impressive, wildly impressive, wholly inexperienced. It says wholly untested. They do it. The coaching staffs do have quite a bit of experience. Are you counting Brable's playing days, too? No, talking about Grable to coach.

No, he said Brable's been to an AMC championship. He has. And it was just correct. It's not funny math. I'm not talking about Brable to linebacker. I'm talking about Brable, the coach. I know, but a guy but it's like a player versus a coach, but the coach is also the player. Okay, no, that's benefit. I'm not. I'm not. The,

I am not saying Trevor is as experienced as Mike Brable. I am saying Trevor, the quarterback has been just about as successful in the playoffs as Brable to coach. That is what I'm saying. And Mike Vrable, I, I, really like Mike Brable on my list we didn't do it before my list of excellent I had coaches he's on there he also in back-to-back years his lost home playoff games lost home playoff game as the number

one overall seed with a buy he did win two playoff games one year with jack with the titans can I just mention Liam Cohen went to the playoffs as the assistant wide receiver coach the assistant QB coach yeah one time as I and you notice I didn't bring Liam Cohen into this fight because I'm not bringing Liam Cohen to a Mike Grable fight I'm bringing the prince unfortunately that that is part of guiding up right you guide the whole team team into the playoffs. You have, they have the experiential edge. I don't think they have the iron sharpens iron trademarked in the wild edge.

The Jags have had a brutal schedule and played great through it. The Broncos and Patriots have had the two easiest schedules in football. And I think the Jags 13 wins. And by the way, the last eight weeks beating teams by an average of 20 points per game counts for something. Going to Denver and dog walking counts for something. Okay. Houston, Nick has a problem. Also mine.

Almost $10. On his tears. All right. The Texans should be up. I'm going to put them with the Patriots and the Broncos. All right. Obviously, they're one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They've won nine straight games, 10 of their last 11.

Four of those wins against playoff teams. The Niners, who you like a lot. The Jags and the Bill. Jags also beat them. Both of those. But once Houston got rolling, they beat the Jags and the bills, both of those teams on your third tier. And then the other team is the Chargers.

They obviously, I think they have the best defense in the league. It's ranked number one total defense, rank number two scoring defense, great pass rush that I think is going to give Aaron Rogers and whoever they play problems. And then they have a talented young quarterback who hasn't played to his potential. the last few years, but we know the talent is there. And Nick tried to poo-poo this graphic yesterday, coach. But the facts are the facts. C.J. Stroud has been better.

I mean, the numbers don't lie, I've heard. Do you trademark that while? No, I don't. Numbers don't lie. And his playoff numbers go up in every category. TD the interception percentage is basically about the same. Interceptions get better. TDs get a little worse.

So I think with CJ Stroud. Maybe stepping up and that defense, I think they should be higher on your tier. Yeah, I didn't mean to poo-poo the graphic. I just meant I think C.J. Stroud, I think that overstates how good C.J. Stroud's been in the playoff games, but we don't have to. He's been better in playoffs than regular season. Even recently, like when he's falling in the playoffs. No, that's fair.

That might also be a statement on he hasn't been that good in the regular season for two straight years. He hasn't. I, listen. I think that's fair, but he's gotten better. That's fair. And I think the Texans are dangerous. I, oddly, after not really believing in Rogers, dating back to his last year in Green Bay,

when I wanted them to sit him for Jordan Love, the last month I'm a bit of a believer on what they're selling in Pittsburgh. And I think that game's point flip, so it felt to me like they should be on one team, one 10 games the other. Oh, the Texans, they ended up winning 12. They won the final week of the year.

I am on the same tier. Go ahead. I was flirting with putting the Eagles as number one. But then you were like, wait, I don't believe in the Eagles. Well, here's the thing. Using heavyweight championship rules, the Eagles have the belt. Yeah. And someone needs to come take it from them.

Coach mentioned that they're going into this playoffs well-rested, and it was controversial. Until you remember last year, Siriani did the same exact thing. We're going to rest. And Sequin, you're not going to get an all-time record because we want to go into the playoffs. Rested in healthy.

And then next thing you know, boom, they're crushing teams. Last year, there was nothing to gain, though. Last year, they couldn't be the one seat. They sat in week eight. They were locked into the two and sat in week 18. This year, they could have gotten the three, the two. and sat and we, so that's the only. But to his point, he couldn't control that.

You were still at the mercy. Yes. Yeah, yeah. They could, you know, if they saw, if it was a one o'clock, four o'clock, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. But I like the fact that they're healthy. Lane Johnson's back at practice, coach that nobody's on the IR.

One person's on the IR. One person's on the IR. So the team is going in super rested. They are 5 and 0 off of a buy if we count this as a buy. They're 5 and 0 at home playoff games. So I feel very good about the Eagles. I wonder, this might be a little bit radioactive, can we give, I'm not saying we should give Jalen Hertz the full Mahomes treatment yet. But a piece of the Mahomes treatment where it's like, you want to play me in the playoffs?

I'm a different player and I'm very hard to beat. Also, I'm the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He also gets better. I'm not saying it's the full Mahomes sort of like, you know, impossible. to beat, but Jenner had said beating it. But I think there's got to be a point where, like, I don't lose in the playoffs. And finally, this defense, maybe we have some questions about the Eagles offense. The defense post-by has been the best in the league.

Beat up on some cupcakes, sure. Also shut down Josh Allen and the bills. So this was sort of the recipe last year, too. Defense really comes on strong. So no. Alan Carter's back. Sequin, you know, the offense starts to click a little. little bit more. Next thing you know, so show that, listen, I, I, I, I buy all that.

I think I reflected the Jalen Hertz thing a bit in Malm's Mountain, where he jumped up considerably from where he was in the regular season because he's earned that. But so like, you think they deserve to be ahead of a team like just picking into a random team ahead of them, like the Patriots. Yeah, I mean, I still have to be a peltz on the wall guy. We're the team of the century, but the guys are raining Super Bowl MVP. So I, listen, I feel like I did give them some Super Bowl reigning Super Bowl champion juice by putting them where they are. The only team above them on the tiers that I think you would argue they had a better regular season than is Buffalo. Like that's the only one.

And we just saw them play and it was a coin flip game. They want it to be fair. No, but I wonder like the Seahawks. I know I don't want to reopen a can of worms. But we have proof of concept that Sam Darnel will melt down. Stafford and Jalen Hurts played in the playoffs. Jalen out played him. You just saw Bill's Eagles now.

So I'm not willing to put on. Donald's your guy. You got very mad for us not giving Darnold enough credit for not melting down on Saturday night. There is if I said pull tape of Sam Darnold melting down, you'll be like, hold on one second. Focus up.

Last two games last year. Wild card weekend Saturday, Matthew Stafford and the Rams against coach man Jeannie, Bryce Young, and the Panthers. Then on Sunday, the 49ers, Brock Purdy, taking on the Super Bowl champs. That's at 4 o'clock. I thought you were saying everyone in the picture. Well, CMC's there.

I think Nick hasn't put CMC. Only on Fox. Welcome back to First Things First. A lot of mysteries. Everybody's talking about it, okay? Currently seven head coach openings, including Baltimore, which would be shocking if you. He nailed that one.

Chef reporting that Harbaugh already took seven calls, which means there's at least one mystery team. Then Rossini said, stop the presses. There's more than one mystery team. Oh, my gosh. She's throw out more. She said there's more than one mystery. Well, there has been a report the dolphins are not.

And the dolphins aren't the mystery team. And a lot of people thought they were. Yeah, I would think what's going on here. Who reported that? Who reported? Barry Jackson. Yeah, one of the local. Down in Miami.

All right. So what's the best head coach head coaching spot, those are open. But again, there's mystery. You can go off the board. Yeah. I don't know the answer to that, but here's what I do know is that whatever opportunity comes up. He can go listen to all of them, but it's about the relationship with the owner.

Like more so than anything else for someone like for any head coach. So Packers are out. They don't have it. That's me with 10,000 guys. Perfect. Oh, that's good. When you have, you know, you don't have that. But for him, he's going to go into any organization with a significant amount of power.

And he's going to only want to report to the owner just like he has reported the owner. And then he's going to want to make sure that that owner has the same vision and values that he has. And I can tell you, you go through those interviews, like, you know, there's going to be some turbulence. There's going to be this. Oh, yeah, yeah, we're good, we're good. And then the second the plane shakes, you know, they throw you out. So you've got to be able to make sure that that relationship, is something that he can not only deal with,

but that it's actually going to help him be successful. And he's got so much time and so much clout that maybe a year off isn't the worst thing in the world, too, so that he gets the ideal situation as opposed to jumping into another one. We've, it's out there that maybe Tomlin, if they lose, if the Steelers lose, or McDermott, if the bills lose.

I don't like Harbaugh for those jobs. Not that he'd be terrible. Harbaal replacing Tomlin would be wild. Would be utterly, would be absolutely wild. But what I'm saying, I'm saying that because I feel like the best job for Harbaugh to meet,

like the best type of job, is to go to an organization that needs stability, needs a culture change, and is building, all right? If he didn't get Baltimore, over the hump recently. I know he won the Super Bowl years ago.

But if he didn't get this Baltimore team with a two-time MVP, one of the best running backs in the league, and a good defense over the hump, why should I think he's going to get the bills over the hump or the Steelers over the hump? So I think just looking at this field right now, coach, I think the best job for him would be Atlanta.

He would bring stability there. They don't have, didn't they fired, they fired the gym. Yes. No. So they, I don't know how. that's going to work, but he obviously would have some power there. They probably look at him like this is a guy that would bring us stability

and take us to another level. And we know they have talent. What they don't have is a quarterback. And that's what the Giants might have over them. And maybe they think Pennix could still be the other. I like Pennix is okay. I just don't think he can stay healthy. He couldn't stay healthy in college.

Now, Cousins though played well at the end of the year. Maybe he's got another year in him or two, you know. So maybe your cousins is there. They got talent around them. We know that. And he could stabilize them. And then in the meantime, they get, if it's not Pinnix, they get their future quarterback.

Because cousins play pretty well down the stretch when they won the four games. So I don't think, I think the only good job that's open is the one that he just left. I don't think the giant shirt. Atlanta is a good job. I don't. I guess they're bad every year. I mean, I mean, I don't.

You think they're talented. Obviously, you got the running back that you love to receive. Every year I look at Atlanta and think, wow, they're going to be really good this year because they're loaded. And I didn't think they... That's a culture. No, I know, but I didn't. I guess my problem is I didn't think Raheem Morris was bad coach. I thought it was fine.

And it's like, and by the way, all that young talent is just about to become expensive talent. And so I don't think Atlanta is a great job. I don't even know if it's a good job. The Giants once upon a time were like a prestige job. you keep just firing coaches though and so like now maybe Harbaugh going there would give it stability but to me it's

one place that we've already discussed in one place we haven't discussed I think that if Philly loses in bad fashion I think that that is the exact type of perfect fit for hardball

where Howie Roseman Harbaugh's you know not he's not a schematic I don't He's not a schematic. He's not an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. He's culture, you know, CEO head coach. Harry Rosen wants to pick the coordinators anyway. Like, you know what I mean?

And so he, he's not going to be in the offensive game plans the way some of these, you know, young, brilliant head coaches would want to be as it is. We have seen them be very bold with championship caliber or championship winning coaches. And this to me would be if Philly. again, they would have to lose in bad facts as a whole playoff game. Do you really think, I mean, you're right. If they get 45 to 7, that's one thing.

But realistically, like, you think Siriani could get fired? I guess I think, I don't think, I, if John Harbaugh had not come available, I would say no. But I do think Jeffrey Lorry and Howie Roseman are the type of people where they will say, is he better? Should, if we can get the guy who's better, shouldn't we do that? I just think they're fearless in that. With that said, the team who right now announced their coaches coming back,

but with this news, I would, and this maybe goes against, I don't know if Harbaugh would be interested because of ownership, but that should find out if John Harbaal would take the job, and if so, they should fire their head coaches, Cincinnati. And John Harbaal gets an opportunity to stay in the division he knows, gets an opportunity, like that is built. And if I am the Bengals, I am saying it feels like we have stuck with Zas, Taylor out of, ah, like, we know there's a floor, the players like him, but the, and we didn't

want to get back on that carousel. And that, to me, as a, let me put it like this, as a Chiefs fan, I would be really bummed out if Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase got John Harbaugh. I kind of like the Raiders, because at least you have the number one overall draft pick and you can go get your, if you believe in this quarterback draft, then that answers the quarterback question and you need to play against your brother. See, I don't think he wants to play Because didn't it feel like

that when Jim was coming back that he didn't want to be that he didn't want to play against his brother Like that they were hoping not to have that Yeah, just be kind of cool from And you get the number one overall pick Which could solve problems. James and Hensley reporting that Harbaugh

believed the break was best for everyone, including Lamar. And it was no coincidence that this happened when Lamar was up for an extension. Interesting reporting from James How much pressure, Nick, does this put on Lamar Jackson? Bruce said it earlier. He's under pressure no matter what.

But if there was anything that would ratchet it up, it would be this exact scenario. Bad year, disappointing, odd injury stuff, in line for a new deal, fired the Super Bowl champion head coach. And the pressure is, you know, to paraphrase Mike Tomlin, the pressure is the pressure. And it is, we all, so I did this before we show the graphic. I want to explain it. Super Bowl era, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, plus the six guys who are not yet eligible that we know are in. Lamar, Mahomes, Brady, Breeze, Big Ben, Josh Allen.

So it's, and here is for Lamar, playoffs where he is. amongst the gold jacket quarterbacks, the pressure is to not be the worst postseason performer. That's not being unfair, that's not being picking on him. It is, again, it's a high standard because it's the 29 greatest quarterbacks of the last 60 years, but he's not the 27th best quarterback.

of the last 60 years. He's closer to 10th. You know what I mean? And so the pressure is to break through, coach. Well, Coach, quickly, I would say he, Harbaugh has been like the target for like these last few years, even though people like you have said rightly that Lamar has struggled at times in the playoffs and he's made some mistakes.

Harbaugh's been like the one that's going to get the blame. Certainly amongst. I think now, unless this new guy. coach is horrific, which they wouldn't even be in the playoffs, if that's the case. But assuming it's a good coach, they're back to being a contender. Lamar now becomes the number one target. He's caught some bullets already, but he becomes like the number. If they don't get it done, you're not looking at the coach anymore.

They're going to be looking at Lamar. I can tell you exactly what the expectation should be. So the expectation, this is the same as Aaron Rogers and Green Bay, right? Power struggle gets Mike McCarthy out. wants a new contract, what did he do? 13 and 3 lost the NFC championship. 13 and 4 lost the division around back-to-back MVP's. Got rid of your head coach, won a new contract.

That's the bar. That's it. That's what it is because we've seen it before, and that's what Aaron Rogers did. So, you're not saying he's got to get that. He has to get to the Super Bowl. He should probably be back-to-back MVP, 13 and 13 and 4, exactly like Aaron

But that wasn't even made that wasn't good enough for Rogers like he ended up moving on but I'm just saying it was a power struggle with a Hall of Fame head not a Hall of Fame but a Super Bowl winning head coach we'll see you know how that all plays out but Super Bowl winning head coach

he won the power struggle and then the next two years that's what Aaron Rogers did and Rogers was a two-time MVP coming off a down year where they missed the playoffs coming off a down year but those ended disappointedly if Lamar does that

that's not good it's not good and so that's what I was. Well, he got to the NFC championship game, which Lamar's never done, got in one AFC. No, but so oddly, Lamar's in a spot where the, if it's like, hey, next two years, you win two more MVPs and don't make a Super Bowl, or next two years, you go 10 and seven both years, but win a Super Bowl. It's a door number, door two is so much better. Like, the only thing he has left is one great playoff run. That's, and, and, He honestly, I mean, maybe you say they don't make the Super Bowl if he doesn't have a great platform.

I don't even know if he has to have a great individual playoff run. He just needs to win the Super Bowl. Like John Elway's numbers in the Super Bowl aren't great, but he won. No, but that also what helped Elway was he had been to three prior. Yes. And so that's a different. But I agree with you, Bruce. But Peyton's second Super Bowl obviously wasn't great.

Peyton's first Super Bowl run. Nobody cares or remembers this but me. but the 06 cults, he had three touchdowns, seven picks in the playoffs. And to Brue's point, no one remembers it because it was prime Peyton Manning and they won the Super Bowl. So people were like, oh, Peyton must finally. Even the second one, we just said he won two Super Bowl. Right. And the second one he was an old guy.

The second one was right. But we don't, we don't, we say, hey, he won two Super Bowl. And so, but that is, this is, I agree, by the way, was this Jameson Hensley that reported this? Yes, I, correct. It is not a coincidence. Because whatever pressure we're saying is there right now, however much it can be racked, the only way off the injury-riddled year,

off the missing the playoffs, off-firing the coach. The only way to make the pressure more in an off-season is to get a brand-new giant contract. And that's what he, by the way, justifiably wants. I am not begrudging him that. He is a great player who, great quarterbacks with, Two years left on their deal is when they get a new deal. So I don't even look at that as paying them early necessarily.

Even if I were running the Ravens, I'd be a little squeamish about it. I don't begrudge him that one bit. But that train is coming down the tracks. So it will be maximum pressure. And it should be. I mean, that's the cost of greatness. And he is a great player. And I think he wanted this.

I'm not saying he forced it, but I believe he wanted this. I mean, look, we saw the Instagram post. Like I said, you don't have to be Inspector Gadget to figure it out. Inspector Gadget. Nice reference. Matt Lock. Go with Matt Lock. I got the Inspector Gallup.

Columbo. What about Columbo? I don't know. It just feels like. Inspector Gadget. Sherlock Holmes. Manix? Sherlock Holmes.

I like Sherlock Holmes. Coming up next, playoff preview. Scooby-Doo? No, Scooby-Doo is not. They were investigating. Shaggy. Shaggy. was good.

Valma. No, he was a singer. Welcome back to first things first. Number five, Oregon taking on the number one-seated Indiana Hoosiers. That's Friday at 730. There's coach Kurt Signetti who said, Google me. All I do is win. And we're all like, yeah, right, dude.

You're playing for coaching the Hoosiers. Turns out, best team in the country. He was right. So the question is, should he consider making a jump to the NFL? I think if I was running a team, I would check to see if he would consider making a jump to the NFL because you can't deny the amazing success he's had everywhere he's been. So when you're able to turn programs around, and Indiana has got to be as surprising as any program or, you know, regardless of sport, the fact that he's done what he's done in such a short amount of time, it's amazing.

Now, pro football is radically different than college football. in terms of the salary cap. And I get it. We're introducing NIL, but that's not structured yet. There's still an element of wild west to that. So there's ways that you can improve your team, I think, in college football that aren't the same in pro football. It's a very specific structure. Now, all that being said, seeing his success, seeing his success at so many different places,

seeing his success at a place that hasn't been able to win. If you can have a call, and he's not going to want to have a call. And he's not going to want to have a call that's public. But if you can have an off-the, you know, offline discussion, definitely worth it. So I don't know if it's you that told this story or, or I think it was you, but maybe not. Regardless. It was about Sabin talking about, I can get, you know, in the NFL, I get one number one draft pick a year. And at Alabama, I get 20 number one draft picks a year.

And that has, that is, I think, one of the reasons some of the, basketball or football, college to pro coaches have struggled. I find the Signetti thing interesting for a similar reason that I found Brad Stevens interesting, where I'm like, Brad Stevens of Butler, he didn't have the best team, and they were awesome. I'm not trying to disrespect it all the players at Indiana, but he doesn't have even, you know, the roster of the recruiting wise. Alabama, right, of the teams he's been beating the last two years.

So that to me does make him more intriguing than the typical college coach would be because it feels like he hasn't had this, because you never have this huge structural roster edge in pro football. You can have a little bit, but everybody's really good. What I wanted to ask you was, I don't understand how this can happen, what Signetti's done. I don't understand, because I don't think, I've understood when I've seen in college sports, particularly college football. It's like, oh, this guy is essentially invented a new offensive style

and teams can't figure it out. I'm not thinking of the right example. Like the air raid is. Yeah, those different things, it's like, oh, teams just can't figure this out. They will eventually catch up. For Signetti, is it just he's that much of a better motivator than everybody else? Like, they're not, their offensive system. It's not like the fanciest plays.

It's not, and I understand the quarterbacks are going to be the number one pick. But it's the, the ex. So how would you explain why he's had this transformative success? Well, I wonder if because of the NIL where the traditional powers now are getting diluted because there's a lot of other teams who have money. And so instead of it just being Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, who are the only teams with money, those teams are starting to get diluted to some degree. and Indiana making an investment and bring in Signetti can not only their improvement,

but also the fact that these other teams aren't as dominant as they historically were. All that being said, to win as many games as he had over the first two years at a place that hasn't won. Yeah, I can't point to one thing, and I don't have as good an insight into player acquisition and college football in the NIL world right now. now as I do in pro football. But however you cut it, it's unique and it's worth figuring out, you know, whether or not he'd want to bring that to pro football.

Yeah, and from his standpoint, nowadays, there's more certainty in the NFL. I'm not talking about job security. I'm talking about with your roster. Oh, yeah. Contracts are enforceable.

It used to be the reverse to some degree because college, you had them on scholarship. Now, year to year, you don't know who's going to leave and all that stuff. So from that standpoint, would that be attractive to him? Maybe I'm baffled too, Nick. I mean, what I said last week, what he's done is one of the most remarkable things in sports. And when he went there, didn't he bring a bunch of his guys?

Yes, James Madison. Yeah, but it was from James Madison. Right. But I think that's a unique component of it, too. The fact that you can bring that many players that know your system and infuse them into a new place that quickly, as well as with the transfer portal, the volume of guys that you can.

get now is against not only are the powers diluted but you can go grab guys maybe he's a great talent evaluator too and the guys he's putting into the into the program are are better than than other people evaluate him than quickly nick the story of the day is a divorce between harbaugh and lamar and the fissure of that relationship raiders have a head coach opening and the number one pick they could theoretically have a package deal for mendoza and signetti Do you think that is something that's looking to. Honestly, that's, I, I, I would think the only job that would make sense for him is the job where you know you're going to have a quarterback that you know you can win with. None of these.

But you did not work with K.R. Why don't you think Baltimore? I just, I don't think, no. So to be clear, I don't think Baltimore is going. That would be such a, like. I agree. Risky move for Baltimore. Like not only a first time an NFL head coach, a guy, you know, straight from college that two years ago was on literally no.

I just don't think the Ravens. So, yes, if I'm Signetti and the Ravens are interested in me, I'm interested. But I don't think that is realistic. I do think the Raiders are interesting in that regard. And there is a significant difference between the types of players you have in college and pro football. And pro football, you know, guys aren't elite. They're not graduating. They've got families.

You've got this range of ages. We're in college football you're dealing with all young guys. So there is an adjustment sometimes for college coaches. Yeah. With so many true adults and that can be. That's kind of what I was getting at a little bit. I realized as I was asking the question was, what I was trying to get out is,

is the juice you can squeeze out of the motivational well? Does that run drier in pro football than college football? You know what I mean? Like, is it easier to, get a B-minus player to play like an A-minus in college football, motivationally, then in pro football. LeBron, vintage performance, 30 points we'll discuss. Next.

First thing's first overtime starts right now today. The coolest stat you've seen about the Bill's Jags matchup in your entire life, okay? The stat is so cool. It went to the club with Paris Hilton. Timely reference. Yeah. Meanwhile, Willie Cologne, Coach, Ben Jeannie on the MVP race, Stafford versus Drake May, and maybe a little Trevor Lawrence.

We know that? No. He's lurking. And finally, do we like that the Bears are already talking about the Super Bowl? Wow. Drew, can I borrow it? I don't like it. Oh, that's good.

You actually got me. I got you. I feel bad that you got them. It looks like Christmas cards. I don't like it twice. Any Parkings. I'm Kevin Williams. Do you think we're the only.

show today that in the span of a half hour referenced Inspector Gadget and Paris Hilton? I hope so. Yes. I would say it's just no evidence. Absolutely. No evidence. This guy can't YouTube commenters. You're wrecking this guy.

This guy knew that yesterday's A block was a little shaky for him. So he went on a YouTube comment adventure. I was like, I was like, I didn't think that was that good. And like, oh, first of all, there you. I will save that one. Now I'm trying to get my mean street going. Wow. Fire back just on their bang.

Researching you. What about that? In any event. Top 10 Tuesday is next Tuesday. Sorry to their life. Mystery teams, Danny. Do you hear about this? Oh, I did.

Holy cow. Look, there's a report from Adam Schefter. Okay? There's one, maybe more than one. More than one team that currently has a coach that reached out to Harbaugh. Horibah. Which coach, maybe a coach in the playoffs, should be nervous about this mystery report.

I think a lot of coaches should be. Coaches in the playoffs? Well, just period. Because we'll see if Tampa keeps their coach, for example. Let's see if Todd Bulls survives. Like, that's another one who could be added to the list. But to answer it directly in the playoffs, there's a lot of weird smoke around Matt LaFleur. And I personally, you know I like Matt LaFleafloor.

I personally would rather Matt LaFleur than John Harbaugh coach my football team. Danny loves the offensive genius who's never won anything. That's exactly right. He loves that. There's nothing he loves more. Grizzle defensive coach with Super Bowl rings? Get him out. Get him out.

The guy who can design fancy plays. He loves him. Go ahead. That's exactly correct. But the agent there is Brian Harlan, top coaching agent, son of Kevin Harlan, famous broadcaster, son of Bob Harlan, longtime Packers president. very tied in with the Packers franchise.

Matt LaFleur's been the seven-seed twice. There's one playoff wins. Seven-seed three times. Seven-seat? Every year with Jordan Love, they've been the seven-seat. Oh, yeah, you're right. I thought they were six. Yeah, you're right.

Seven-Ced last year. So, like, just he's a very good coach, but could I see a world where there's just a, you know what, it's time for Matt LaFleur to move on. Harlan gets him another gig. Harbaugh slides in, goes to the NFC, goes to Green Bay, still has. a quarterback there. I could see that game of musical chairs playing. But the tricky part of this conversation, guys, is that it makes sense in a ton of places. We can throw out, throw out Buffalo. Yeah, I could see it. Throw out Philly. Yeah, I could see it. Like,

John Harbaugh is an excellent coach. So I think there's probably 20-something teams that are going to at least have the conversation. Here's my thing. And look, if I'm Baltimore, I love Matt LaFleur. Was it coach swap? You want to trade? I mean, really. Too late. But you know what I'm saying? Like, if I'm green, but I'm not moving on from Matt on the floor. I'd at least give him another year. But this year it was injuries. I just think he's a really good coach.

I'm kind of with you on that. Harbaugh, see, I like Harbaugh better in a franchise that needs stability. It needs a veteran coach with a Super Bowl ring to come in and set the culture and give us something we haven't really had

in a long time, a la Atlanta. a la'a the New York Giants or somebody like that. If I'm Buffalo or one of these teams that's close but hasn't been able to get over the hump, why am I picking John Harbaugh when I don't have as much talent as Baltimore? And Buffalo can say they got the same level of quarterback,

but most teams can't even say that. Now, I do like him in Cincinnati. What Nick put, I thought that was a great idea. I hadn't really thought about that. But Cincinnati's not really there, right now, you know. So I just don't see, if I'm

Buffalo, I feel like McDermott to Harbaugh might be a lateral move. Pittsburgh, he's, to me, he's a lot like Tomlin. I just, you know, so I would rather see him, if I'm

one of these teams, that needs to build my thing up. That's where I'm interested in Harbaugh. So not, not one of those contenders. So to answer, before I go through the teams, I your point on

if you're Buffalo or one of these teams be like he couldn't get over the hump in Baltimore, why would he hear? The answer to that could be for some organizations because they feel like John Harbault is not the reason they can get over the hump. The reason is because they have an MVP quarterback

except for in the playoffs. Again, and I'm not trying to rehash that. A lot of people feel like he's gotten over the hump. He got over the hump with Joe Flacco who is more popular now than he was when he was in the prime of his career. And that... And they lose games on drops and missed kicks.

Right. And the best team that they ever had, that 2023 team, the defense didn't, like, they held that chief's team to 17 points. The offense died in that game. And that was three turnovers. But they stopped running the ball. No, they said, no, of course. And so I'm not, I'm not arguing, this is really just like a devil's advocate.

Like, if I, if I'm the Pagolas who own Buffalo and it's like, hey, why would he get us over the top when he couldn't get it over the top, they might feel like, because our quarterback's awesome in the playoffs and his hasn't been, so he would be better than McDermott. He wouldn't get as tight because he's champion. But there's 14 teams in the playoffs. Denver, New England, Jacksonville, Houston, the Chargers, Seattle, Chicago, the Rams, San Francisco, and I'm going to include Carolina, are unequivocally not moving on from their coach. Yeah.

So there's four that are even just possibilities. Pittsburgh, I do not think is doing it. I think that 10 wins, the way they won. Now, maybe if they get annihilated in this playoff game, that would change things. But I also don't think Pittsburgh, if they moved on from Tomlin, would be like, John Harbaugh. It just feels like it would be too similar. So it leaves three teams, and you alluded to all of them. The one that if I were the coach, I would be the most nervous,

is the one who's won the Super Bowl in Nick Siriani, because he is the one whose owner and GM have proven, I don't care. I drafted Carson Wins number two overall, gave him a huge contract. I don't care. We think we can be better. We hired Chip Kelly, gave him a ton of money. He had some, we moved on for Andy Reed to hire him.

He had some success, 10 wins. Two years straight. I don't care. Doug Peterson, you won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles and then won a playoff game with Nick Foles. I don't care. And Nick Siriani has made even his biggest supporters this year a little squeamish. And there is one way to look at Nick Siriani's tenure is in the last four years, he's

been to two Super Bowls, one, one lost one. Another way to look at it is in the last, if they were to lose this week, weekend badly. In the last four years, two times they have collapsed at the end of the year and had embarrassing playoff exits with as talented a team as they have in the league. Again, of course, but I thought they kind of look at it is what you're saying. Right. And so I, if I were Siriani Danny, that's the one. Because I also think Buffalo, if they move on, I think they would be moving on to go with what if we got Josh Allen an offensive minded head coach. You know what I mean?

Like that that's the idea. They wouldn't be moving on. So Green Bay is a good one, but I think Philly would be the one I'd be nervous. Can I put something? Take Chip on the board to get your reaction before we do some cool stats? Sure. I got some cool. If I'm horrible, I'm looking around and tell me if I'm missing anybody.

Tomlin was an assistant came over from Minnesota, I think, to get the Steelers job. Everybody in the AFC was an assistant that immediately got a job from basically a promotion. into a different head job. Vrable got fired, sat, waited for a nice job to open up.

Payton left, sat, waited for a very lucrative job to open up and took it. I think sitting, it's not sexy to talk about, like, I bet he hangs out for a year and then has his choice of jobs. So Jim Harbaugh apparently said that he thinks he'll coach next year, which is relevant because he's his brother. And the question was about playoff-bounds coach, so I didn't make it my answer. John Harbaugh's first NFL job in Philadelphia under Andy Reed. Under Andy Reed. Any shot?

What do you mean? Any shot what? Sit out a year and replace Andy Reid in a year? Oh. Oh. I think so I mean he's only four and a half years younger. Yeah, the thing, and I don't think Andy's only coaching one more. Isn't that shocking? Yeah. I think he's 63. Yeah, I don't, John Harbaugh and Colin Coward are in a competition for the youngest looking 62. I know. Wow. I'm just. He's been 62 yesterday. Harbaugh's 63. It's unbelievable. He wakes up early and goes to the gym. I saw. So can I just respond to your thing real quick? So I'm not trying to dismiss yours. I just don't think Andy's retiring in a year.

Probably not. I don't think like it's going to be like, I'm just going to sit here and wait. But the other reason I liked Philly was because Harbaugh had been there. I would give Harbaugh that advice if these are the only jobs that come open. I, you know, if I'm John Harbaugh, I don't necessarily want. the number one pick with the Raiders, maybe the prestige franchise with the Giants, maybe Brew likes the Falcons more than me. But if I have the opportunity to go to Philadelphia,

I am there immediately. Green Bay with no owner, and I just have that job of the rest of my life. And I said, I know that on the playoffs, if I were Cincinnati, I would fire Zach Taylor to hire John Harville. Yeah, they won't, though. No, I mean, they don't like to.

Well, it's time now for one of the coolest segments you've ever seen in your entire life. Okay? We're gonna start this off with a stat about Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. That is just, I've been told is really cool. It's time for another edition of the coolest segment about statistics on television. It's called Packed Stats with a briefcase. You don't need to do the gloves.

It slows. I like them. While else, they're cool. That's true. It's all part of it. I bring the coolest stats team. You know what else is cool other than these gloves? What?

Standards. That's true. In Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin likes to say the standard is the standard. Yeah. Has it been? Mike, you're on a six-game playoff losing streak. You're a defensive coach, and in those playoff losses, your defense has allowed. 38 points per game, and quarterbacks are throwing to an 18-1 touchdown interception ratio against them.

Maybe if that kick goes in, John Harbaugh gets an extra week, and Mike Tomlin is the coach in the AFC North without a job right now. If C.J. Stroud and the Texans light up. Mike Tomlin's defense. That would be shocking. Well, Blake Bordles lit him up. I mean, the Blake Bordels one is the really tough one. Baker, when he was on the Browns.

Baker was great player. In Cleveland? I'm just saying. Yeah, it could happen. Look, I don't see him getting fired, but I feel like I could see a mutual parting of the ways. I don't. I don't think so.

Again, maybe if they get blown out, so I shouldn't say, I'm not trying to dismiss it. I guess part of this is because I do not think, I think having this, this Texans offense putting up those types of points might be worse than the Jags with Blake Bordell's doing it. I agree. Like this Texan's offense has been more abundant throughout. You got a better quarterback, obviously.

Oh, definitely have a better quarterback, but that Jags. It's been a bad thought. Should we just talk a lot about the 2017 Jags? Honey, come in here. They're talking Bortles. Miles Jack. Quickly. Gather around.

Miles Jack, following. Recovery. Hey. Turn on first thing's first overtime. This isn't predictive that Stroud will do it. I think it's instructive, though. Like Mike Tomlin, known for his defense. They have the highest paid defense in the NFL.

They're not designed to get into shootouts. If the defense does falter again in the postseason to a bad offense, to a question, to a questionable quarterback, it's going to be something that will be at. Okay, so you haven't won a playoff game since 2016 and your defense gets worse in the playoffs? Like, Lamar gets worse in the playoffs. We talk about it all the time. If Mike Tomlin defenses keep getting worse in the playoffs. How much chatter do you think, I know you guys are buddies with Philiponi, does Pittsburgh radio.

I mean, locally, I think it's going to get loud, obviously, but we kind of get swept up in the fervor of the playoffs that going over and over seven in your last. Oh, I don't think though, here's... It kind of just goes by the wayside. Except here's the reason, again, if you're talking about, like, the chatter outside of local. I mean, oddly, sorry to, this isn't about Mike Tomlin being 12 and O at home on Mondays, but this is about it being on Monday.

I think more chatter because it's the only playoff game. And on two, like, if this game were one of the five games Saturday, Sunday, then like the spotlight on Monday TV being, wouldn't so much be on Tomlin. But Tuesday, This game is the winner is the story and the loser is the story. So in that regard. But I think you, I think the fact that the Steelers, it's not just a six-game losing streak,

it's that they have been annihilated. It's not, they're not close. They're not the Ravens playoff losses over the last decade. They have, every game it has looked like they didn't deserve to, almost every game that they didn't deserve to be there. That was cool, man. Thanks. You know what else is cool? Standing up to Bullies.

You got it. That's true. You got to stand up to bullies. That's what you always say, bro. And frankly, I like that. Wilds' has been bullies. So Justin Herbert's going to stand up to him. The Patriots have been picking on bad quarterbacks. When they play a quarterback who has merely made a Pro Bowl at any time in his career. Yeah, Josh Allen, but I'm also talking about Gino, Tua, Lamar. Yeah, that's right. Wilds, Gino. Week one, Gino looked great. Against a quarterback who has ever made a Pro Bowl this year.

They're four and three with a pass rating of 108.1. 10 and 0 with a pass rating of 82.1 against all others. Those others, Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler, Michael Pennex, Joe Flacco, never made a Pro Bowl. Joe Flacco, Dylan Gabriel, and others. KW, look like your fact check. That's pretty bad. No, I'm just shocked.

I'm going, who are the four? Tua. Which one do you want? You want the Pro Bowlers? Yeah. Josh Allen twice. Yeah. Gino, Tua, Baker, Rogers, Lamar.

are. Huh. Four and three, ten and oh. Oh, the guy, the guy, I don't know. Justin Herbert, he's made Pro Bowls. Just let it, just, you know. I mean, that is true. You're speechless.

You're just, it's, it's, uh, I mean, I guess so. But yeah, we lost it. We lost to Gino Smith and the Raiders week one. No, I think it's more about the quarterback rating allowed was the point that, so what, what, a 108 rating allowed to the quarterbacks who have ever, you know, if you've got a poll. And you play this Patriots team. But the other games that we lost,

I don't think Rogers did much at all. Like I wonder if the, if the, if the high rating was against teams that, a games that we won. I don't know. I'm confused by the stat. So I should probably. Can I just ask a question real quick? Proof.

Did you understand the staff? I understood the perfect. No, in the games that we, in the games that we lost. Uh huh. Rogers didn't do anything. And we lost the game. And we lost that game. And Josh Allen was good.

So we went one in one with Josh. Rogers didn't do anything. And I don't remember Gino like playing out of his mind. We just took the quarterback rating of the seven games against teams that you played pro bowlers. You know what's not cool? Explaining explaining it. It's what it is. He's just genuinely.

He's just genuinely. Wilde has a mental. Honestly. I say this. I'm saying the games that we lost, we didn't lose because the quarterback lit us up. I know that's why I was. I know that's why I was. I know that's what you're saying.

It's one. KW, I know that's what you're saying. And what I'm saying is you have a mental block that any potential Patriot Red Flag alert flags in your brain as this has to be false.

No, it's not. Okay. The flag is this. I wonder if the four that you see, those quarterbacks were actually played better than the three games. Even if that's true, I think the point

is the quarterbacks who have any type of accolades collectively in wins or losses have put up good numbers and the quarterbacks who have no accolades, you shut down. So is there a chance Herbert's going to put up good numbers, which I think most people would think would give the charges a better chance to win. That's the point, Nick. Good job. That's what I thought. Listen, I'm sure it was very confusing. It's incorrect. It's incorrect. We can't talk about the Patriots. No, my, you think it's great. Well, that's a problem because they're the two-seed in class. But you know what else is cool, guys?

Symmetry. Oh, good. Symmetry is the coolest. And in Bill's Jaguars, it's a battle of best v. Best. The number one ranked rush offense in football against Jacksonville's number one ranked rush defense. Wow. We don't have to talk about that with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They're number two in the NFL and takeaways and number one against the run.

You guys had Eric Armstead, obviously. Mark Armstead, obviously, on the show. He's a big piece of that. It's the sixth time in playoff history that the top rushing offense has met the top rush defense in a playoff game. The rush defense has won the previous three meetings. Oh.

How about that? So I mean, that also speaks to they are going to need Josh Allen to play great, which is not a news flash, but that they're not going to be able to just run the ball down the Jags throw. What up? KW. The quarterback?

Josh Allen, the quarterback, not Josh Hines Allen. I know it's good. I know that, that actually is the people getting confused between Josh Allen and Josh Heinz Allen is more common than anyone being confused about that Pat's step that everyone understands. No one. Wanted to make it clear.

Big letters. This is Josh Allen, the quarterback needs to play great. Cause I'm just, no, I'm saying that. You're saying that the stat kind of illustrates, whichever one of these things kind of breaks through. Like, will the Jags rush defense succumb to the number one rush offense or will be able to overcome it? Can I ask you a question, Brew? Because it feels like this is the one game this weekend.

I think I know who you're picking in every other game. I'm not going to say it right now, but I, this is the one game that I'm guessing you're on the fence on. You know, am I correct? Yeah, I know. I just want to do this game. I definitely know who you're picking in every game. Early in the week, I was lean in probably Jacksonville, but now I'm, right now I'm leaning Buffalo. Can I tell America who you're picking every game, Danny?

All the favorites except Herbert. That's the answer. Was that? Are the Bears favorite? Yes. I guarantee it. Yeah, they are. I guarantee Danny is rolling with all the favorites except for Justin Herbert.

Mark it down, Parkins picks Friday afternoon. Oh, wow. What a good friend promoting the future saying I know it. You know what? Do you have anything else? That was cool. Well, I went three for three on cool stats according to these guys, two for three. That was a cool stat.

Thanks. That was really cool. Coming up next, who left up the MVP? We discussed. First things first overtime continues. We've got Willie Colon and Coach Mangini out here. Gentlemen, the regular season is over. It's time to make the case for the MVP award.

It is a two-man race, according to all accounts, between Matt Stafford, the current favorite, slight favorite. And Drake May, not too far behind him. The odds have gone back and forth the last couple of weeks. When you look at their season resumes, I think it's totally understandable as to why. May has him slightly in yards, same turnover. Stafford obviously crushes him. In touchdowns, May has him slightly in rating and obviously with two more wins for his team.

So I think this is going to be the closest MVP vote since Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning. We're separated by just over 10. It was 10 and a half first place votes. That was back in 2012. Could be even closer. We, of course, have had multiple split MVPs, 97, 2003. I think it's going to be very close. So here's how I see the case for Drake May's MVP candidacy,

because it is a, I think it's a unique one in terms of a second year player, and some of it is based analytically. So I put up together some categories here. He leads in yards pass-a-rate and completion percentage and yards per pass. Pretty good. has the highest pass rating in NFL history for a quarterback that was sacked 45 or more times. Now, maybe that's my Justin Herbert bias showing, but doing this while you're the fourth most sacked quarterback in the league,

he has the highest passer rating in NFL history for a quarterback with 45 or more sacks. Under pressure this year, a passer rating of 103. Like, when he was pressured, his numbers did not dip at all. Very abnormal for a quarterback, much less a second year guy. The advanced numbers all love him. The EPA, the completion percentage over-expected. He's like an analytics darling. But he did have the easiest strength of schedule of any team in NFL history since 1999.

So that, you saw the counting stats. Those are, I think, the other relevant details. Coach, does anything there jump out to you as being particularly relevant or not for Drake May's MVP case? Well, I knew that their strength of schedule was the weakest in the NFL. I didn't realize it was the weakest. The weakest since the 99 Rams. That part to me is pretty amazing. What I would say in terms of the sack number, that's a concern for me.

And I know that really you must hate this. It's always put on the O line. Facts. But the reality is that the O line plays a part. But if the quarterback's moving around, the O line doesn't know where that guy is, they're going to get sack more often. If they hold the ball, they're going to get sack more often. So the sacks that it's an O line related.

stat, but it's a cumulative stat between the O-line and the quarterback. So I don't love that part of it. I do think you have to give him a lot of credit for having a new offense coordinator, although he got a great one in Josh and having a new head coach, but there was a significant learning curve that

comes into play with that. So there's a lot of reasons to really like Drake May. The 1999 stat is stunning. Yeah, I mean I give him a nod from this standpoint that I think he's ahead of schedule, right? Being the second year quarterback or the new head coach, the way he looks like, the way he's been playing this season,

excuse me, he looks like a guy that's in year four or five. And I think that's where you can hang your hat on it. On top of that, he comes across as a leader. You know, I watched him at the end of the game against the Bengals man. Stefan Diggs and all these guys can't talk enough about how much they love his leadership, his poise, his calm. And the fact that he's really, the way he communicates on the field and how he handles himself on the sideline really speaks value. So I think overall, those are the little details I like. But, you know, he's having to, he had a hell every year, man. There's no doubt about it.

What about the idea of, so you don't like the sack part of it, but also the pass rating under pressure. Just when he's pressured, he still is relatively efficient. And also the shocking nature of it, like they were supposed to be better. Everyone thought they were going to be better. But they were the 21st in terms of the Vegas odds to win the Super Bowl. And here they are is the two seat. Like whereas Matt Stafford, and we'll get to his case in just a second. But like Matt Stafford's team coming.

in was expected to be better than Drake May's team. Yeah. Now, that happens every year where there's a team that nobody thinks it's Washington last year, right? Nobody thinks they're going to do anything and Vegas hasn't met really long odds and they achieve better than

expected. The under pressure part is that statistic in terms of when he was facing extra blitzers or is that... When a pressure was registered, he had a pass a rating of 103. Right, but I'm saying is it could it be a four-man rush where he was under pressure and they beat him or is it?

Because that to me is a distinction because if it's facing pressure, that could also be a function of coaching where, hey, we recognize this is their blitz set. If we get this blitz set, we want you to throw the wide receiver stream. Yeah. Yep, I got you. So I'm not, it's great, it's great. But I'm trying to figure out is that a, is that a Drake May component or is that a Drake May Josh McDaniels?

So I think Josh McDaniels might win assistant coach of the year. All right. So that's the Drake May case. So again, we're going to hold off on who we would vote for here until the end. Here's Matt Stafford's case for MVP, as I see it. It's a very conventional one. He is the fourth quarterback ever with 45 or more touchdowns and less than 10 or fewer interceptions. And the previous three all won the MVP.

Right. Right. It's a very easy place to start because it's like leads the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns. Another very easy place to start. The other side of the Drake May easy schedule is Matt Stafford played an absolutely brutal schedule. Like Drake May against playoff teams this year, four touchdowns, two picks. Against non-playoff teams, 27 touchdowns, six interceptions. Matt Stafford just played a lot more playoff teams than Drake May did.

And I don't know how much you guys would value this, but I got to be fair. I knocked Jalen Hertz for the tush pushes and the one-yard touchdowns. Eight one-yard touchdown passes when you've got to. Devante Adams, who is a Hall of Famer and a lead at that. And 18 of his touchdown passes came from inside the five yard line. Those are both the highest in the NFL by far. Little bit of stat padding from Matt Stafford in terms of throwing inside the one inside the five. You're skeptical.

I'm skeptical because you can't blame him from executing where the ball's at. I mean, it's still, there's not a lot of real estate for him to deliver and execute, but if you're getting it done, you're getting it done. I think in reference to his schedule, I mean, they had the six hard, hard, hardest schedule in the league. And when you talk about his talent and the way he performed this season, he's elevated everybody's game. You talk about the big year Puka had, Devante Adams, the fact that him and Sean McVeigh,

both have made this outfit for the last three years a Super Bowl contender. I love everything Matthew Stafford has been able to do. And I've been most impressed with his durability. So going into the season, it was a lot of talk if he can even hold up through 18 games because of his back and everything he endured last season. He's played all the games, played at a high level, and he is the lead dog for that franchise. So yeah, for me, I know we don't want to give our MVP talk.

I think I know who yours is going to be. It's okay. I don't think you can look at one yard touchdown passes as stat padding. We see week in and week out where the team has the goal line defense in. There's one wide receiver split out. It's in man coverage. Everybody knows where the ice lace is. They throw the fade.

It's incomplete. They throw the fate. It's incomplete. It's nowhere near the same level of success as like a tush push would have. So I think that's an unfair comparison. So just a lever execution. Yeah, and you do have to have a level of skill and understanding as to where to put the ball and the defender. So that, to me, is a little bit unfair.

I do think he had a significant edge of same coordinator, same head coach, years of experience, been in the system. To Willie's point, though, we weren't sure whether he was going to play or not play going into the season. And we were talking about who the alternatives were. So for him to come out and play as well as he had against the schedule that he had is pretty impressive. Fun little note here. Matt Stafford had eight passing touchdowns from the one yard line, tied for the most since we began tracking this in 1991, tied with Aaron Rogers in 2020, who also won the MVP, but was also throwing to Devante Adams. DeVantzance, DeVante Adams, really good player, scoring touchdowns in close. All right, Willie, you got to vote. You should. I don't think you do, but you should. Who would you vote for for MVP? I got Matthew Stafford. The way he played this season phenomenal, the way. We look at the Rams because of him and Sean McVey and their scheme.

He's the guy for me. Yeah, I was talking to Wilds earlier in the week, and I was leaning towards Drake May just because of the significance of the turnaround and how much turmoil the organization was in last year. And the questions to some degree of whether or not Drake May was really going to live up to his draft status or not live up to it. And then he makes the huge jump that he makes with a roster that is piecemeal. the paths have a significant amount of salary cap money next season because they didn't spend a lot of money putting this group together, young offensive line, all those things I give them tons of credit for. But when you look at the level of touchdowns, what's the 15 touchdown difference? No, it was what, 46 to, yeah, 11. I can do the math.

Yeah, 11. I need some help with math, obviously. 46 to 35. That number is pretty, yeah, but you're kind of them running touchdowns. Yeah, total touchdowns. Yeah, that number to me is. too great to not give him. Can I also ask you, do you think, because I was listening to the trolls,

and I know we try not to do that, even though we sometimes are one of the trolls. Do you think this is a Lifetime Achievement Award of Stafford? Because he had the big year in 2011? I think the Lifetime Achievement Award argument is the worst argument in this entire discourse. Okay. That is not what the award is. Good. I can his numbers this year stand alone.

That's what the Hall of Fame is for. Okay. Hall of Fame is a Lifetime Achievement Award. If you want to say the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, for like a lifetime of service and it's a lifetime achievement work. But the idea of like, no, who was the best this year? My vote is actually Drake May. The touchdown argument, I can't refute,

but most valuable player. If I focus on the keyword of value, it's a lot of what you were just talking about. Matt Stafford has Sean McVeigh. He has Pooka Nakua, who is going to be first team all pro at wide receiver. He's got Devante Adams who will wear a gold jacket. jacket one day. The supporting cast that Drake May has is maybe better than we thought. And I'm not saying that Vrable and McDaniels are not also excellent coaches. But as for a second year player

to do it with this supporting cast and add 10 wins year over year and have the level of efficiency and numbers and have a top three offense, I got to, if I had a vote and I should, I would cast it for Drake May. And I really think this is going to be close. I think people are going to be very very split on the conventional case for Stafford and then the more like analytically inclined case for Drake. Yeah, I think I give it to Stafford because of the division he plays in with Purdy and Sam Donald there. He's had some big time shootouts come out on top his numbers speak for themselves and I just think he's had the better share. And you're talking about most valuable. I don't think

there's more anybody more value than Math of Stafford for the Rams. And many played the Jets who had no interceptions in 17 games. Listen, I can't argue against the Jets. Twice. My bears are already talking Super Bowl. I've been informed. I don't like it so much. We begin in Chicago. Packers Bears Saturday night, 8 o'clock.

Things you can expect to see at the game. A lot of cheese graders, a lot of energy, and me. Hey! That's right. Flying in, first row behind the Bears bench, not a big deal. Oh, wow. That's right.

Friends of the show, Ben Johnson, Cole Komet, were asked about their mentality heading into the game and what it means for the rest of the playoffs. Take a listen. We're mentally prepared to play for five more weeks. And so that's our intent. How do you do that? You go out and you win the first one.

There's only 32 teams. So the goal is the Super Bowl. And that's what our mission is. And we've got to take care of this first one here in order to be on our path there. So the question is, do I like that the bears are already talking? And I asked Brew if I could do this. And he said, yeah, I don't like it. It's your team, though.

I love it. What's not to love about this? The goal of pro sports is to win a championship. Ben Johnson apparently told everyone after they lost week 18. He said, I don't want you to even come into the facility if you are thinking about a vacation and if you are not fully prepared mentally and physically to be here for the next five weeks. You got to beat Green Bay first, but one game at a time? No, the goal is a Lombardi Trophy Cup. You got to love it.

You love it. It's terrible and it's flawed. What's terrible about it? So we went to back-to-back Super Bowls. Oh, so what would you know? We were 14 and 2, one back-to-back Super Bowl. And I tell you, every one of those weeks, you wouldn't know that we had won back-to-back Super Bowls.

We were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars last week of the season. They were terrible. We were really good. You would have thought they were the 85 Bears the way that Bill was able to present them because the most important thing is what's in front of you. It's that meeting, it's that practice, it's that film session, it's that game. It's not five weeks from now.

It's not, that's what kills teams. That's what sends team home. And look at Green Bay. Remember Green Bay at the beginning of the season? Oh, we might go undefeated. Remember how they were talking that way? And then they go and get beat by, I think it was Cleveland beat him or Carolina beat. I forget who it was.

But that is the absolute elixir for making sure that you. you don't end up in the Super Bowl is worrying about anything that's five weeks from now. You better just worry about Jordan Love and Green Bay, who almost beat you when he was hurt, and they had no Micah Parsons. And I know there's no Micah Parsons. I get it, but Jordan Love should probably be back. I'd be worried about that as opposed to talking about anything five weeks from now. Yeah, I understand your point on keeping the main thing, the main thing, and I get that.

I think for this team in particular, a team that hasn't had this type of success with a franchise quarterback. I think there's nothing wrong or resetting the target. And the target is Levi Stadium going to the Super Bowl. And you have to remind a lot of these guys that, and you've heard it around the league, you know, times like these are special. They don't come back around. So if you don't have everybody doubting, if you don't have everybody understanding that this is a rare opportunity for you, and if you don't execute it and get it done Saturday, then you're going to miss out.

So at least giving this team a compass in a direction that, hey, man, starts with Green Bay. But we plan on going further than Green Bay. I think it's a healthy message. First week for a young ball club. That's kind of what I'm wondering. Like, I obviously don't want, like, the Bears players thinking about how they're going to stop Saquan Barkley because he's not playing this week.

But I don't think that, like, Ben Johnson, does it really take anything away from this week against Green Bay to be like, you're good enough to win the Super Bowl, the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl? What happens two weeks from now doesn't matter. The only thing that matters, especially in playoff football, is what is in front of it. But he stated it starts with Green Bay.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right. And when Green Bay beats him, because they're worried about five weeks from now, they'll have plenty of time to think about the next time they want to get jumped, you know, jump the gun. But Caleb did come out say it's just another game, too. He's going to go, he's going to be ice cold. When we see a couple of these, oh, the cold comers. Oh, I love that.

He's built for this, right? Listen, Caleb, Caleb is the least of my concerns. Caleb's going to ball out. Everyone else is going to be a nervous wreck. Caleb's going to be ready. Meanwhile, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin today. Here we go. He weighed in with Rich Eisen on his thoughts on his friend and I guess now former rival,

John Harbaugh, after the news broke yesterday of his firing. Take a listen to Mike Tomlin. I just have so much respect for Harbs. Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rival, we've been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of. More than anything, I just think it's, you know, a larger example of today's sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There's just not a lot of longevity.

You know, I'm sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone. You know, today's culture, that quick 18 years that John Harbaugh had, I mean, it was just over in an instant. Willie, your reaction to your former coach? Well, you don't toss the pilot who's always landed a plane. You may have a problem with the in-flight service, but that's why they have hotlines, right? And so I think Mike Tomlin is a walking example. And I also think that the Steelers are just rare in what they do. They don't operate like everybody else.

And I think he understands, and I think he explained that, hey, man, I understand of the position I am in. I understand all the coaches haven't had that opportunity. But I think right now the Steelers and Mike Tomlin just do things by their, they just operate from a different by different code. And I think it's unfortunate because I think when in reference to John Hubbard, I think he needed, I would have gave him another year. I feel like you just don't throw away stability. There's value in that, especially when I think the offense needed just a facelift. There wasn't a crisis on the roster. You know what I'm saying?

So that's just my take on. I feel bad for Harbaugh, man. He's a hell of a coach. But I think everything they went through this season, could have been salvaged in the offseason and making another run for the Super Bowl next year. Yeah, I love listening to Mike Tom and talk because I think he always has insight when he talks. And that relationship has lasted a long time. I mean, they've, they've had so many games against each other,

and the divisions typically come down to those two teams year and year out. And he is right. The era of the longstanding head coach is pretty much coming to an end. So you've got Tomlin who's left, and then really, Andy Reed. Yeah, so once Bill went and now you've got John who's going, really, there's only a couple left. And I don't know if we're going to see the 18-year head coaching runs or the 15-year head coaching runs

because the volume of turnover now, it's the norm as opposed to the exception. Especially when you see the success of like Liam Cohen and Ben Johnson. When you start having those stories pop up around the lead, you feel like owners are more quick to pull the trigger and cut a gap. Yeah, okay. But I mean, if Sean McVeigh wants to coach that long and doesn't want to retire or doesn't want to go do TV or something like that,

like he could coach as long as these guys. Kyle Shanahan could coach as like really successful guy who is smart and stays with the Times and stays currently. I wouldn't make it extinct. John Harbour was not done wrong here. You could disagree with whether or not he should have been fired or not. But there was a- The only reason I'm shot by the take, because I know you stand out all the time

and say, hey, man, you think guys earn equity in their job. I feel like Harbour earned equity for one more year. I mean, it's been, what, 13 years since he won a Super Bowl. He has won. He has three playoff wins with Lamar. Jackson. Like it's he's underachieved. He's under achieved with Lamar. He has been stable. He is a good coach, but he was not wronged by this. Like you can disagree with him. He got he got 18 years and tens of millions of dollars with the Baltimore Ravens. Like this is not a product of the times.

Like it's just sometimes it's just time for it to be over. It is. There were a lot of organizations that tend to stay with their head coach longer. The giants for years were like that. And I brought this up yesterday. So they move on from Coughlin and they've been searching for the next guy ever since. So we can disregard the level of success they had because it's not enough Super Bowls, but it's not easy to win the Super Bowl unless you have a Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes type player. And to this point, Lamar Jackson hasn't been Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. No, he definitely has not been. And we'll see what happens with Mike Toblin after the playoffs.

But coming up, 14 playoff teams. It's a pretty flawed field. We go through it next. Time now for first things last. If it feels like these NFL playoffs are wide open, that's because they are. There are 11 teams with 11 or more wins, which is tied for the most in NFL history. But every team has at least one, if not more, obvious flaw. So here we go.

14 teams 14 flaws you decide, which will be fatal. In the AFC, the one-seat Broncos tied an NFL record for most one-score wins with 11, and their quarterback has never won a playoff game. The Patriots racked up 14. wins against the easiest schedule any team has faced in the NFL since 1999. And in Jacksonville, can Trevor Lawrence really be trusted? He's on one of his patent hot streaks with 15 touchdowns and one interception in his last six games, but no one has more games with three or more turnovers since 2021 than Trevor.

The Steelers' offensive limitations are obvious, and they showed up whenever they played a formidable opponent, averaging just 18 points a game against playoff teams. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud has just one game with a passer rating above 100 since November. The Bills have a Swiss cheese run defense that's allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the third highest yards per carry in the league, while the Chargers allowed Justin Herbert to get hit 129 times this year, good for second most since we've been tracking the stat. In the NFC, trusting Sam Darnold to win multiple big playoff games with the one-seated Seahawks, well, that's very much in doubt. His teams have averaged just 10 points per game in week 18 or playoff games over the last two years. No team in the playoffs allows more yards than the Bears.

Eagles scored 21 or fewer 10 times this year, tied with Carolina for fewest in the league. Speaking of the Panthers, they have the worst point differential of any playoff team since the 2011 Broncos. The Rams are the second favorites to win the whole thing, but they really stumbled down the stretch, allowing nearly 28 points per game in their last six after only allowing an NFL best 16 points a game in the first 11. The 49ers have no pass rush. In fact, their 20 sacks are the fewest for any playoff team since 2020, and the Packers come into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak that coincides directly with losing Micah Parsons for the year, and they have just three total sacks and are allowing 28 points per game in that stretch.

So there you have it. The NFL wanted parody, and you've got it. All these teams are flawed. So who wins is anyone's guess? Who you got? That's all I've got for today. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. I'm the O.T. We're back tomorrow.