Geoff Schwartz Is Smarter Than You - COVID Protocol Changes, the Chiefs Rule the AFC, and Gabe Acknowledges the Colts

Episode Date: December 20, 2021

After a packed week of NFL news, Geoff and Gabe skip the usual college show to recap the changes to the league’s COVID protocols and what impact they could have on the rest of the season. Also, Geoff basks in the glow of the Chiefs being the best team in the NFL, and Gabe thanks the Colts for putting an end to his recurring Patriots nightmare.On Moving the Line, Geoff and Gabe share some laughs at the expense of Kliff Kingsbury, Carson Wentz, and any NFL player who wears a cup.Make sure to rate the episode if you enjoyed it, and leave a comment if you want to see a video of Geoff rolling like it’s 2006.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

it's monday december 20th i'm jeff schwartz alongside gabe goodwin this jeff schwartz is smarter than you we're powered by the varsity podcast network as usual a lot has happened in the national football league so we're going to have two two podcasts this week devoted to the nfl we'll get back to college football and the bowl games as they ramp back up on our wagering show on thursday we'll do a big bowl preview as we head into the holiday weekend. Then obviously we head into playoffs and more. We'll get you settled in. But who game?

We last recorded an NFL show, me and you, on Monday. Matt and I did our show Wednesday. We talked a little bit about gambling. And then boom, like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, things happened. Games got moved. New COVID protocols. The Chiefs are now the best team in the NFL. Like, we have all this stuff happening,

so we figured it's a good time to do kind of two shows and talk this through. Yeah, well, normally the NFL week doesn't last as many days as it has. So this way, we really need to check in on the league twice. And yes, the college game, I mean, Utah State doesn't give us a whole lot to talk about. Normally, we'd have our first show of the week be a college-focused show. We'll have to double down on college later in the week and throughout bowl season. So you start us where

we need to begin, Jeff. And I guess it's more of a serious story, but the COVID cases are out of control, probably in people's lives as well as in the NFL. It's bad in certain parts of the country. The league made two sort of puzzling decisions from where I sit. A few games got delayed, moved to Monday and Tuesday. You've already alluded to that. That caused, of course, freakouts, some rational, some totally irrational. But then they also decided to stop testing vaccinated players so they don't, you know, test positive and missed games, I guess.

Jeff, maybe I've been living out here in la a little too long and drinking the kool-aid but it feels a little strange to go with less testing as an approach well i don't even know where to begin on this because the nfl has had a pretty solid run of not having issues and then obviously it's about two after thanksgiving and we're seeing a spike in the country. We're seeing a spike in the NFL. Kind of makes sense that this is the only family joint for Thanksgiving and whatnot and it happened. Okay. So I guess we'll start with the games being moved. So they moved three games.

So there's two games Monday now, two games today, and two games on Tuesday. And the games on Tuesday, by the way, are at the same time for some odd reason. I don't know why they didn't stagger them, but they're at the same time. And I understand both sides. I understand the players on the Browns and on what the Rams and who else, the Washington football team that they want the games move because they want their starters to play in important games, right? Washington's fighting for a playoff spot. Browns are fighting for a playoff spot. Seahawks, Rams, fighting for playoff spots. They want their games to be played when guys are able to play the football game.

And I understand the other side saying, hey, look, guys, you told us these would be forfeits. But the fine print's always important, right, Gabe? The forfeit required three things to happen. It required not able to move a game. It required something else. And the third one was very important was unvaccinated spread. Unvaccinated spread.

These are vaccinated teams having spreads. So it didn't meet the criteria of games being canceled. And I understand players being upset. Look, if you're a Raider, if you are an Eagle, you would have played today. We were on Sunday night you would have played today against a Browns team that didn't have three of their quarterbacks if you if you're an Eagles player you would have played Washington without five of their best defensive linemen and three of their quarterbacks like you would have played you would have won those games would have been easy W's for

you it would have helped out for the Raiders, not to the playoffs, but for the Eagles, certainly it would help them get to the playoffs. And I think the NFL is to blame for some of this because the NFL PA begged them to test every day, begged them to test every day because they were testing unvaccinated players every day, but vaccinated players once a week. I feel like this is always going to happen where if you don't test every day and we'll get to what their solution is to this. If you didn't test every day, this was going to happen. It was going to happen and it did. It eventually happened.

So the NFL deserves some blame for that. The players wanted more testing. They asked for more testing. The NFL kept saying, no, no, no, we're not going to do that. Also worth pointing out that if games got canceled, no one was getting paid. That was put in for this season as well so players as much as you're upset that you didn't play yeah you weren't going to get paid if you get canceled so that that's kind of in the past now right the new protocol is basically what they didn't control is your game where if you are vaccinated,

you will not test unless you're symptomatic. If you're unvaccinated, you test every day. Excuse me, I'll take that back. If you're vaccinated, you won't test unless you have symptoms. If you're asymptomatic, you wouldn't even know, but you're not going to test anyways

because you're asymptomatic. If you're vaccinated. If you're unvaccinated, you you test every day this is what college football did this year game this is like didn't test this didn't test um and so it's it's i am not sure it's the right thing to do but it ensures everyone plays because a lot of players were upset because they got caught up in this and they did everything they're supposed to do. They got vaccinated. They followed the protocols. And because of close contact, they were tested and tested positive.

And they feel like, hey guys, I did everything I was asked to do and I'm still testing positive. Why would I even follow the rules? positive and they feel like hey guys i did everything i was asked to do and sometimes i'm still testing positive why why would i even follow why i follow the rules if i can't even play this week so the players want this change the nfl decided with their doctors to make this change i'm not a scientist man i don't know i don't know if this this is smart but i know it's going to ensure all the games are played so So in the end game, everyone makes their money. Yeah, okay.

I mean, that's fine. I'm just... And I also don't know what's the right thing to do, but it sort of defies common sense that you're basically saying we'd kind of rather not know that we have a bunch of guys walking around with a very contagious virus

that we are now learning. Assuming this is this Omicron variant, like this thing spreads and has the breakthroughs. And like the whole point is you're looking out for your community when you're not spreading it around. So this brings back like some of the points. I can't even believe I'm bringing this up. But like some of the points Aaron Rodgers made a few weeks ago when everyone freaked out on him was like, hold on a second. There are people who are vaccinated who are spreading it to each other and none of those guys are getting tested. Why am I being tested constantly and wearing a mask and keeping distance and no one cares about those guys?

They're the ones causing the problems. I thought that was an interesting point at the time and I think he kind of foretold this problem. Well, I beasley said that way back in august said the same thing right um the question becomes and i'm sure there are other podcasts as much as i'm smarter than you there's other podcasts that are smarter on covid yeah i tell you that's right whether or not you know a vaccinated asymptomatic person can pass the virus on to other people at the same rate that an unvaccinated person could? I don't know those answers. And maybe the NFL is determined because, look, they have scientists working this, right?

And by the way, they were one of the only businesses last year to make it through basically a quote-unquote season, right? They made it work last year. They've made it work up until now. So they've done a good job of getting this to season, right? They made it work last year. They've made it work up until now. So they've done a good job of getting this to happen, right? They've had low, like they had an incredibly low number

of positives through 15 weeks. And all of a sudden, boom, it just kind of all hit at once. So maybe their scientists are telling them, hey, look, it's really not that big of a risk. By the time that a, basically asymptomatic person

even knows they have COVID, it's too late to pass it on or the viral load's not enough to pass on. And so they've determined that. But look, here's the thing, Gabe. I've done everything. I know you have as well. You've done everything, right?

I have social distance, which I'm fine with because I don't like people, so it's perfect. I socially distanced. I've worn my mask. I've gotten my shots, got my booster the other day. I've done everything, right? I've done my part. My family's done our parts.

And I'm ready to just kind of like go back to whatever regular life is. And I'm fine wearing a mask. Like I don't, these people, people are like, I don't care. I go wear a mask at the grocery store, like whatever, put a mask on. It's better for my face anyways. It's cold in the wintertime. I don't want, no one wants to see me.

It's perfect. No one talks to me. It's great. It's, I actually like it. But like, I'm ready to just sort of figure out a way to live with this because it's here. It's not going anywhere, obviously, at least right now. It might never leave us right all the

variants and and no one not everyone vaccinated so the nfl is saying what i'm basically saying is like we're going to find the best way to do this for everyone okay we're going to vaccinate up if you if you have symptoms which by the way both seahawks players i think it was uh lockett and collins were tested negative the next day they came to hayman haveett and Collins were tested negative. The next day they came and said, hey, man, I have symptoms. And they were tested positive. So that's a system they followed, which is the system that they're going to put in place now. It does rely on the players being honest with coaching staffs

about their symptoms, or really not, but training staffs. But this is the best option to continue life with COVID in a locker room. All right. So like you said, you and I are certainly not the people to listen to to unpack what to do about COVID. But let's talk because you know what a locker room is like, and you're one of the smartest players I know. So speak for other smart players.

Doesn't it seem then that guys are incentivized to hide their symptoms or to lie to themselves just the same way we used to have this problem with concussions and other injuries you just didn't want the training staff to know about isn't that maybe a problem um it uh it is but i will say that from i again i've never had covet have you you didn't get COVID, did you? I've not had it. Okay. Um, is that people that I know that have COVID that actually have it, it's hard to hide your symptoms.

If you're, if you have symptoms, yeah, like it, it seems hard to hide them. I have friends that have had, that are vaccinated, have COVID some that,

that were not vaccinated, had COVID. It's hard to, if you actually have symptoms, it's pretty hard to hide them. And it feels like even if you are vaccinated, it's still kind of hits you actually have symptoms, it's pretty hard to hide them. And it feels like even if you are vaccinated, it still kind of hits you, right? Now I got sick. You know, I got ill after my second shot and then my booster. Like if that is what it feels like to have COVID,

you're not going to hide that. You can't go in a facility and hide that. So yeah, I guess if you have a runny nose, maybe you don't tell your team about it because you don't want to get you don't want to because it's not that bad of a symptom maybe that's the case but like i just think i i also think it depends on what team you're on right like if you're the chiefs and you're trying to win a super bowl yeah if you have some if you're symptomatic you're going to take one for the team right like you're going to tell someone you don't want to spread through the team right you want like that's part of to tell someone. You don't want it to spread through the team, right? That's part of it, too, right?

You can be like, okay. And if you're vaccinated with symptoms, too, you get back on the field sooner than unvaccinated, right? So, like, I understand what you're saying, especially with, like, fake COVID cards or vaccination. And we're watching the Bucs now. We're going to welcome, I think, Antonio Brown back next week. So, I get there's – and there's going to be someone who does it.

I'm not going to be naive. There's 1,700 NFL players. Someone's going to do it. But I think it's hard to hide the symptoms if you are symptomatic, and it's going to be less than you think, but it's probably going to happen. All right, fine. So then let's talk about the other angle on this, that only a guy who was thoughtful. Were you part of the NFLPA? Were you a team rep at any point? Did you have anything to do with working? No, but I was very, I was, I paid attention.

You paid attention. You probably translated things for some of your teammates from time to time. It seems like you would have been a guy who was in the know. So I feel like some of the smarter players out there or more opinionated players out there are having a little bit of a battle over what the NFLPA did in this scenario. And, you know, it's too confusing for most listeners to try to understand. But basically, the guy in charge of the Players Association is on the Browns, right? Jason Tretter, yeah, the same guy. Tretter. And what do you know? The Browns, who need to be able to field a team, get their game delayed. Even though we were told you'd forfeit if you couldn't feel the team by

Sunday, when, if your game was on Sunday, well then, so other players think there's like a whole conspiracy there or they're getting unfair treatment. Maybe you can explain it better than me. I think there's an interesting point being made,

even if not perfectly worded by some. Yes. The NFL is favoring the Cleveland Browns. Yes. Yes. NFL players, the NFL is, you know what? We got to help out the Cleveland Browns. Yes. Yes, NFL players. The NFL is, you know what? We got to help out the Cleveland Browns.

Sure. Yes. And, you know, the Washington football team. Yeah, those are our favorite to help out. It's like a conspiracy. They move the games because 25 players on each team had COVID. That's why they move the games. And here's the thing, though.

Them changing the rule is almost, is a bigger deal than the game being moved. I mean, because if the game got moved when the old rules just stayed, none of these guys are playing. But since they've changed the rules, they're talking about now Baker Mayfield being able to play and Washington got like four of their defensive linemen back and they might get a quarterback back.

And it's the rule change that really is why the games are going to be different than it is just because if they had waited until Tuesday and they didn't change the rule, then all these guys aren't going to play. Right. But it was the rule change. It was the rule change. was the rule change but the rule changing benefits everyone though like i said man if we're going to have life after this during this this feels like the best of kind of you force everyone to get vaccinated forced i mean you made everyone get vaccinated essentially right he incentivizes them to get vaccinated.

Incentivized them to be vaccinated. They have for the most part, right? Especially Tier 1 and Tier 2. And Tier 1 and Tier 2, I think, or excuse me, Tier 2 and 3, I think, have to get boosters, right? That was part of what the NFL said as well. And they're going to keep playing on because it was never going to stop. They weren't going to shut down. Shut it down for two weeks. Okay, no. They're not shutting anything down. They're going to keep playing on because it was never going to stop. They weren't going to shut down. It was like, shut it down for two weeks.

Okay, no, they're not shutting anything down. They're going to play the games. These are professionals. They'll figure it out. And they'll get ready to have, hopefully, a really good postseason. This is what's on everyone's mind, especially as the games are being played Monday and Tuesday. We have a bunch of games on Mondays and Tuesdays

because of COVID. We've got to keep talking about this. RG3, who quietly has the hottest takes on the internet. This guy brings absolute heat non-stop now. He said what I saw quite a few people saying, which was, and I'm just going to quote him, the entire NFL should shut down

for a few weeks to ensure the safety of the players from this COVID surge and the integrity of the game with who is available to play. I saw a lot of people share that sentiment, that just shut it down, get it under control, and then play the games with the right people on the field. Is RG3 making the most sense here, or do you think that was silly? Well, what is, okay, so, but you have to shut it down and basically quarantine everyone right like you can't just shut it down and be like all right go home and then what do you see my family for christmas like do i just sit at my house for two weeks like what does shutting it down mean i don't know man that's that's the beauty of a great take you don't really always have to defend it you just

say something really cool sounding and then you move on i mean but but there's also what there were 26 teams that could play this week on time yeah what about those teams right like they don't and and even the teams they move like the raiders are fine eagles are fine i think the rams and seahawks both have their own issues um so it's four teams that had to deal with this and again for now for now well i think because of the new policy is going to change i do think though it is um it behooves the league to make sure these games are played with the best players being available yes uh yeah and it's fantasy playoff season and people are gambling and got survivor leagues well yeah i Well, yeah. I had a bye this weekend. Thankfully, I had a bye because my quarterback was injured,

and Joe Mixon got hurt. It was a bad. I'm glad. I had the most points in my league, but I was second place. I'm sorry about that, Jeff. Well, the point is, yes, the league and everyone involved wants to see the best players on the field, and we can all care or not care about these guys' health.

That's for everyone else to think about. I guess, last point from me. It seems to me that we're going to get ourselves in a scenario where, whether it's covered or not, there are going to be players who actively mask their symptoms in order to stay on the field. And the team will be in on it. I'm not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but we just know how this works. There's no way that certain star player X

is going to take himself out of the game when we get into the playoffs if he can just sort of make sure he doesn't cough in front of the wrong person. There's no way to imagine that that's going to get policed correctly. Is that fair? I don't know. I mean, maybe, but again, I think that if you actually are symptomatic,

it feels like hard to... But who's calling you on it? They're not going to a booth review. No, but you're in the facility, and if you're showing symptoms, someone is going to notice, and you get detested. But then what?

Who's reporting it to who? That's what I'm saying. The trainers. The trainers are in the facility. They're going to see you. Oh, yeah. Okay, so just real-life tom brady's uh coughing uh getting taped up on a thursday and he's coughing he's coughing and uh and it's just him and a trainer you think you

think that that news is making it back to the league and i don't mean i'm not picking on tom brady pick any person i think if you i think want. I think they would test him, yeah. All right, okay. We'll see. All right, let's get back to the field because we had a hell of a game. It was a banger of a game on Thursday, and it feels like forever ago now

because of all this news, but that was probably the best regular season game we've seen in a long time. Might be the best game of the year. Your Chiefs beat my Chargers. The Chargers didn't have a last chance there in overtime because that's the way overtime works in the NFL, but hell of a shootout, hell of a comeback.

Chiefs, absolutely no question, look like the best team in the AFC. The Chargers might be the second best team. I think so. I think you might even agree. Yeah. So, Jeff, I mean, do you want to just take a victory lap? Do you have new concerns for everyone who isn't named the Chiefs? What did you learn from that game?

Well, I tried to tell you guys, the three and four, I said, hey, if things start to click, watch out. And here they're 10 and four, number one seed in the AFC right now. The Steelers, the Bengals, and Broncos left. You went out, and you're the one seed, and you have home field advantage. You're going back to Super Bowl. Now, if you lose, you have to deal with the Titans, possibly, who lost to Steelers.

That's your biggest concern now, really, is the Titans, who you lost tiebreaker to earlier this season. The thing about Kansas City that is so interesting, Gabe, is they didn't even play their best game, really, on Thursday night. Pamela Holmes was okay for three quarters. game really on Thursday night. Pamela Holmes was okay for three quarters. Then he had three 75-yard touchdown

drives to end the game. The defense was down their best pass rusher, Chris Jones, and that's a big deal. He's been leading the NFL in pressures for the last six weeks. Without him, they were without one of their best corners and without one of their

better linebackers. So they managed to win a game that was ugly at times on the road against a division opponent. It's an impressive win. A lot of teams aren't pulling that win off like that, especially with some of the errors they had. Now, was it help? The Chargers went two for five on fourth down? Absolutely.

But that's how the Chargers played. The first game, remember, they were really aggressive against the Chiefs and they won that game for being aggressive. Here they lost that game. My takeaway is the Chargers are really good. This rivalry is going to be awesome for years to come. The Chargers obviously got to continue

to improve the offensive line, get a big run stuffer on defense. And Herbert Mahomes for years to come is going to be fantastic. But the AFC had their opportunity, Gabe, to bury Kansas City, and they didn't. They just did not do that. They opened as 10.5-point favorites against Pittsburgh next weekend in Arrowhead. I feel like, again, if Mahomes can get back to, again, just a couple errors here and there's some bad throws,

but they're not turning the ball over as much, which I said, they're not going to continue turning the ball over as much as they have. They're forcing turnovers on defense. They're playing a lot like they did in 2019. So they feel as close to back as you can be. Yeah. By the way, 10.5 points. That feels like Vegas thinks it's a 14-3 game.

Because, I mean, God knows the Steelers can't score points, but that D is pretty good. Well, they were good today, but for the last couple weeks they had not been good. They forced four turnovers today. I meant their offense is terrible, not their defense. Oh, their offense is just atrocious. They're not going to score very much at Kansas City.

There's no way. There's no way. It's just not going to happen. So we'll see how that game goes. But I think the takeaway for me is the two best teams the AFC played on Thursday night. And they might play again in the playoffs at some point. I think Kansas City, that's the team they would not want to see at all in the playoffs. They would have beat them once. Justin Herbert is incredible.

You just don't want to play him. But, you know, it's interesting. The Chargers were not stopped the entire night until the last drive of the game. And that's kind of the difference between the Chiefs and Chargers right now, right? Is Mahomes ended the game with three straight touchdown drives.

Herbert had the ball with about a minute 10 left, if I recall, two timeouts, needing 40 yards for a field goal. It went backwards, right? Penalty, backwards. And that's a little margin of error that sets apart the Chiefs and Chargers right now, right? Penalty, backwards. And that's a little margin of error that sets apart the Chiefs and Chargers right now, right? As you have, the Chiefs can get it done in those moments.

Chargers haven't proven they can get it done in those moments. As far as the fourth down stuff, Gabe, I could give two shits, man. Like, go for it, don't go for it. The discussion about the analytics behind this, I just, I'm so over it. I don't care. Like, I don't care.

Do what you want to do. Hardball, you want to go for two at the end of games? Go for two. Whatever. I have so many shits to give about stuff and fighting about the percentages of win-loss, going for kicking field goals. I just don't care. Do you care? fighting about the percentages of win-loss, going for kicking field goals.

I just don't care. Do you care? The discourse on this is so stupid. It's like politics, right? You either believe one thing or the other thing, and Twitter's not going to make you change your mind. I think the comp to politics is spot on. For those that aren't aware, the Chargers, who always go for it on fourth and you know

the opponent's side of the field uh the chargers who are allergic to letting their kicker or punter play thank god um i mean definitely by can by old school conventional football wisdom cost themselves some points easy field goal tries on fourth and goal that they turn down and go for it i think the smartest take on this is not an analytics take but hey man they should go for it on fourth and short or fourth and goal they just need some better damn plays on those in those situations like yeah do it just have better offense i mean, you know, Parham dropped that first one, right, when unfortunately he got concussed, right?

Right, right. One of the balls was tipped. I forget what happened in the... I think one was tipped and then one was just kind of got jarred loose. The Chiefs also went four and a fourth down and Mahomes threw,

I don't know, just like a screwball. It was just he never got control of the ball. So the Chiefs had their errors as well. Chargers fumbled the Chiefs had their errors as well Chargers fumbled inside the five yard line

as well remember Kelly Kelly jumped like three yards away just silliest thing of all time made no sense but like

that's kind of my point right the Chiefs have have won in these moments the last three years and the Chargers haven't now the Chargers

are better they're getting to winning these moments and you hope obviously in the playoffs, they wouldn't win that moment against Kansas City. But right now, across the AFC game, no one should worry you except Kansas City and Los Angeles. Who is worrying you?

Who are you worried about in the AFC besides the Chiefs and Chargers? Nobody, and that gets us right to our last topic for this episode, at least until we take a break and play over-under. But, I mean, man, it was fun watching the Patriots get humiliated by that. You know what? The team who shall not be named finally gets named. Good job, Colts. Thank you.

You did it for us. You fixed this nightmare that's been going on almost two months where everyone is pretending that they think we're watching Brady again. Mac Jones stunk. He was awful. Carson Wentz wasn't any good at all. Well, Mac Jones was much better than Carson Wentz. They were both awful, but Jonathan Taylor saved the day. Colts D was pretty good.

I mean, they exposed this Patriots team that everyone was trying to pretend was a real contender. I kept yelling, please tell me they're not. They're not, right? I mean, that's what we saw. There isn't anyone else other than the Chiefs. Unless you like the Colts, I guess. No. Yeah, I like the team that won a game with their quarterback being 5 for 12 for 57 yards, one touchdown, one interception.

You could have had eight interceptions. Look, here's the deal. So there's now one bye in the playoffs, right? There's one bye now. And since the end of the 2012 season when the Ravens made the Super Bowl as a wildcard team, up until last season, when Tampa made it as a wildcard team,

Super Bowl, I should say, made the Super Bowl, there has not been a team who didn't have a bye who made, Super Bowl, I should say, I mean, Super Bowl, there has not been a team who didn't have a bye who made the Super Bowl. Byes are very important. The Colts don't win the division. It's up in the air, I think, but they're still a game behind Tennessee.

Actually, I think Tennessee has a tiebreaker, right? They beat them twice, if I recall. I'm going to make sure on that. You're telling me that, yeah, the Titans have the tiebreaker. So they really are up two games because the Colts have to be clear of them by the game. So if you look at the AFC, let's say the Chiefs have the one seed, which feels fairly likely.

So you need someone, Carson Wentz, to win three road playoff games to make a Super Bowl. Tom Brady did it last year. Yeah, Tom Brady did it last year. Carson Wentz is going to win you three. You're going to run the ball that well three straight times in the playoffs? No. Let's look at New England. Not this year.

Not with Mac Jones. Not going to happen. Buffalo. Off this year. Not with Mac Jones. Not going to happen. Buffalo. Offensively. Right? Like, just blah. Can't protect Josh Allen. Can't run the football.

They're not winning. Now, they're going to win the division probably. So they would have a home game at least. But they're not three-point. So that thing about the Colts, everyone's like, oh, Colts, oh my God, Jonathan Taylor. I'm like, okay, great. You have to win three road playoff games

to make a Super Bowl. Not going to happen, Gabe. Not going to happen. Sorry. And I give Frank Ballard and Frank Wright, Chris Ballard and Frank Wright credit. They built a good football team up. They just don't have a quarterback who's good enough.

You know what they should do right now? This is when you go get Nick Foles. Let him take you on your run. So when you call up Andrew Luck and get him out of retirement. Honestly, would Andrew Luck, if you gave him a couple weeks, would Andrew Luck be better than Carson Wentz by the playoffs? Yeah. That's crazy.

You really believe that? That's not an RG3 take? That's for real? So I don't know if it's because people root for redemption stories, but the amount of people who just shield themselves from criticizing Carson Wentz, I don't get it.

You get it. You know what it's about. Well, I know what it's about, but I don't want to, it's not, no, because I saw someone that's not that way tweet out that

Wentz has like, oh my God, Wentz is playing so great. He was three for six at the time that I was tweeted out. There's just a, like, it's just odd, man.

Like, he's not good. I've never thought he was good. I've always hated talking about him. I don't understand why these people you're talking about think he's good at football. I know why they like him as a person, and I think it must cloud their vision. That's all I got. I've never heard a better explanation, even after his one phenomenal year statistically, that he wasn't a part of the actual Super Bowl.

I've still, to this day, don't get it. I'm so far out of the loop on what makes Carson Wentz likable, but life is the way that it is. Jonathan Taylor MVP, though, you think? Maybe. Could be, right? Probably very unlikely. Unlikely.

Wow. If they win two of the next three and he leads the league and everything a running back can lead it in, you don't think he's the MVP? I think you need to have 2,000 yards or break a record. Is he going to break LT's touchdown record? I mean, I don't think he's breaking any all-time records, but he's having a hell of a year. The MVPs at running back have either rushed for 2,000 yards

or broken a record. I think it's LT, Peterson, and Sean Alexander over the last 20 years. You have to break a record or rush for 2,000 yards. All right, well then, this will be how I tease the next segment, moving the line. You're saying it's not Jonathan Taylor. You probably think it's going to be a quarterback.

I think maybe whoever wins Defensive player of the year automatically becomes the MVP because that's the kind of year a few guys are having. We'll cover that when we move the line. That's next. All right, Jeff, we're back. We're moving the line a few over under games. I'm going to throw at you. None of these are real this week. Just things you could pretend to bet on. Between the Chiefs' win and the Cardinals' loss, over-under 22 and a half times, Jeff said,

I told you so, this weekend. Were you doing victory laps the whole damn time? No, I did one with Arizona. And I said, like, look, I said to everyone, I told you guys, like, I don't believe them

because Kingsbury's teams get worse throughout the... People are like, well, that's college. That doesn't matter. I go, but it's happened now three years in the NFL. Yeah. So, I mean, if it happened in college, if his teams continue to get worse each year, that means he's not adjusting.

Right. And it's happened three years in the NFL now. They were A, no. They're now 10 and 4? Lost, not just lost in Detroit.'re now 10-4. Lost. Not just lost in Detroit. Got blown out in Detroit. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't believe in that. I mean, Kansas City, I told everyone that was going to happen anyways. I took more of a victory lap. It's just it's so funny, man. We ended last season with the three best teams being Tampa Bay, Green Bay, and Kansas City.

We end week 15 with the three best teams being Tampa Bay, Green Bay, and Kansas City. Now, right now, we record this during Tampa Bay, New Orleans. Tampa Bay might lose. They have zero points in the first half I don't know they just can't beat the Saints I don't know what it is this would be 0 for 4 in the regular season against New Orleans if Tampa loses this game

but they're still the favorite in the NFC people like so want there to be parity there typically is in the NFL but you kind of have to do it one year before people believe you can do it, right? Like you don't enter the tournament typically as a newbie and everyone thinks,

oh, this is the year they're going to do it. They say, okay, it's good to see you here. It's the next year, right? The next year. So like for Arizona, maybe it's the next year. For other, maybe it's the next, you know, Indianapolis, it's the next year. Now they's Indianapolis. It's the next year. Now, they had a playoff team last year as well, but not with Carson Wentz.

So people get so angry when I just point this stuff out, man. People on Twitter, man, it is a whew. I've got a point now where I just mute my mentions. Like, I can't do it. There's so much, like, it's on NFL Sunday. It's wild, dude. Yeah, well, you get people watching 14 different games and they're talking about all kinds of nonsense and no matter what you say if it isn't

that they you love their team in that moment they're gonna you know they're gonna get fired up at you um all right let me bring this take to you I believe this I'm not sure who I'm gonna take but I think whoever wins defensive player of the year this year, I want to know over under 50% chance that player wins the MVP this season. The defense MVP probably is TJ Watt or Parsons. I mean, Watt has like 17 sacks, like a crazy number of sacks. Yeah, and he's missed some time. I really think he could be like a record-setting. Well, I mean, Brady's going to win the MVP at Rogers,

but they're not giving it to Watt on a non-playoff team well who says they're a non-playoff team they're not making the playoffs if this defense does what it's done the last few weeks and keeps winning them games that they have really no business winning and they find a way to get into the playoffs you know 10 11 wins and it's been all defense in the final month of the season, and he's put up 18, 20, 20-something sacks? You don't think that he's right there next to Rodgers and Brady for MVP talk? I know that's a bunch of ifs, but come on, that could happen. Possibly, but I think that he probably would not be, no. Okay, how about the Cowboys on Sunday?

Obviously, again, not the toughest competition, but the defense continues to look good. They've got playmakers putting up stats, too. You don't think any of their guys could potentially be in the MVP conversation? Do we just have to hand this to one of these old-ass quarterbacks, Brady or Rodgers? Yes, probably. Oh, God.

All right, well, if there was a year to try to give it to a defensive guy, it seems like a few are having extra special years. Look, we all know Aaron Donald is phenomenal, and whether his numbers are good or not, he changes the game, yada, yada, yada. I'm not trying to stand for Aaron Donald this season. But Watt, man, it's wild. He's done a really good job. He really is.

All right, we just talked about Rodgers. It is. He's, he's done a really good job. Yeah, he really is. Um, all right. We just talked about Rogers. So he tied Brett Favre's green Bay, uh, passing touchdown record on Sunday, 400 and something touchdowns. And I want to know over under one and a half retirements in Rogers future. When he says goodbye,

is he gone for good? Are you coming back? I thought he just was gone. He came back. No, I didn't say you retired though. He was kind of coy about it. I think under.

I think he might do it one time, that's it. So where do you think he'll go away and he'll make his wonder for a few weeks or months and then he'll just pop up and be the Niners quarterback or he'll pop up and be the Broncos quarterback? Yes. And so he'll do his year or two sort of like Favre did, but then you don't think there's his version of a Jets run in him?

No, I don't think so, no. Okay. All right, by the way, speaking of the Niners, if Aaron Rodgers were the quarterback of the Niners, that's your favorite team in the league right now, right? Yeah, I think so. That's the difference, right? An all-time great quarterback makes the 49ers a terrific team.

I think so, yeah. And the Niners are playing good football right now, yeah. They're super physical. They've got a few cool weapons. Their defense is playing well. All right. Over under two and a half years until someone hires Urban Meyer again. You know it's going to happen.

He will be on TV next football season. You think he'll be on TV next football season? He's already burned through the two biggest networks. No, he'll go back to Fox. You really think so? Yeah. Come on. You know it's happening.

All right. It probably doesn't do either of us on. You know it's happening. All right. It probably doesn't do either of us any good to probe into this one too much further. I have a feeling that that won't be next season based on nothing. I just think it'll be over a year. You don't think? Oh, okay. I think I'll be a big new kickoff next year again. Talking about college football.

Yes. So just pretend the NFL stuff didn't happen back to grading how well coach day and everyone else is doing in the college game yes okay maybe he wants to come do a podcast with you you talk college football this is supposed to be a college football show today i mean if we're colleagues maybe yeah maybe he'll come work with you um all right jeff over under 14 and a half times you've been hit in the junk during a football game in your life. So once intentionally, we're playing. Once.

Yeah, we're playing. And the reason why we're bringing this up is very quickly, because I need to make fun of Carson Wentz even more, because this is just absolutely ridiculous. I'll pull the right quote up here. He was, let's see. oh, here it is right here. So he claims Matthew Judon of the Patriots tried to hit him in the Twig and Berries,

but he said, don't even go into specifics, obviously, but when a man's ability to reproduce is being questioned, there's some other extracurriculars, guys' hands need to be guys guys hands tend to be their sides all right okay so um gabe a lot of euphemism in there i don't i i don't understand why he's so weird. But like, who thinks about reproductive, like,

I don't understand the point of that. Just say that, yeah, he hit me in the nuts. Like, what do you mean we attack my ability to reproduce? Because there's a bunch of just sterile NFL players walking around who got punched in the nuts

while they played football. Jesus, that's so weird. It's played football. He's such a weird guy. He's so weird. He's weird. You know what, man? He's not thinking about those parts the same way you are, Jeff. So we were playing in college. We were playing Houston in 2005.

No, it was 06. I think it was. And so I pancaked a linebacker into the end zone for a touchdown. I was on top of him. He swung. He missed. He hit me like an inner thigh, and then I punched him right back in the chest.

Okay. Or like whatever. His chest, stomach, whatever it was. So we're watching film on Sunday or Monday, whenever we watch film. And my right guard, Polanyi Masun, Big Uso, says, he says, oh, so we're watching that play. He goes, ooh, ooh, Sola, Big Uso, says, he says, oh,

so we're watching that play. He goes, ooh, ooh, Sola, get him. Get him, Uso. Get him. And I was like, Polanyi, shut the fuck up. Like, shut up. Because like, my coach didn't realize I punched anyone in the field. But Polanyi was like all about it, dude. He's like, get him, get him, Sola, get him, get him. Like, just yelling in the back of the room. So my coach

was like, what is going on? And so he rewound the play and he saw me punch the player on the ground. So he made me roll after practice. 200 yards of rolling. Rolling? Yeah, you just roll. It sucks.

What are you talking about? You just roll. It sucks. You throw up afterwards. Polanyi did it with me at least. Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry. i can't picture this what is rolling what do you mean you literally get on the ground and roll down a football field

and roll back like lay on your side yeah and and roll like like like pencil roll yeah all the way down the field and all the way back yeah you throw up yeah it's terrible the point of this was to talk about you getting hit in the nuts but i have questions about this All the way down the field and all the way back? Yeah, you throw up. Yeah, it's terrible. The point of this was to talk about you getting hit in the nuts, but I have questions about this. Is this a common sort of form of punishment? I don't – not – I mean, this is 2006. Not anymore now.

Are you – you're not allowed to make somebody do that any longer? I don't think so. It feels fairly safe. I don't think that could hurt too bad. I mean, it just makes you dizzy. And there's no help. There's no – it's not like on a hill. You're just rolling. I don't know. I hurt too bad. I mean, it just makes you dizzy. And there's no help. It's not like on a hill. You're just rolling. I don't know.

I was in the Austin Stadium. I threw up in Austin Stadium afterwards, yeah. Okay. All right, so it sounds like that's under. But at least Polanyi did it with me, though, because he felt bad because he called me out. He was all loud about it, too. Like I said, it was like just quietly watching film.

Coach was like, the play was over. He didn't even realize that. I punched him one. Polanyi got into it, man. All right. And you've never, I mean, you've never really taken one that really doubled you over. You never vomited from getting hit down there, huh?

No, I have not, no. Okay. What's the cup situation at every position? Who's them who's not no one wears cups what yeah they're too uncomfortable it'd actually be worse to be hit with a cup on than it would without it hold on what you're saying no one no one wears a cup you dude you rarely get hit you rarely get hit and as much as you think of the nuts in the NFL. In a pile, people aren't going down there and grabbing stuff. No. I mean, look, you're wearing tights, right? And you're wearing pants.

It's hard. Things are kind of like, we're in there. We're in there tight. You're not really getting there. I guess, but it seems like certain positions, what would be the downside? I mean, like, you know, you played a lot of baseball. You played high school ball. Yeah, no, baseball, you get like straight.

Yeah, I get it. I get baseball. So what did you play? What position? First base? I played first base, yeah. I didn't want to win the first base either. What?

Yeah, I never did. You never took a nut shot in baseball? I got close. I got a belt buckle, inner thigh, inner leg. Never won. Never. Nope. So you're saying, and your teammates, what?

Short stop, second base, third base, obviously. They're all wearing cups, yeah. And I pitched too. I didn't wear one when I pitched either. Oh, man. Yeah, I never wore one in the outfield, but I'd wear it everywhere else on the field. Had to.

Yeah. I'm kind of surprised. I knew receivers weren't wearing them. I didn't think running backs were, or defensive backs. No, no one wears them. I think it would do more harm to your body with a cup getting smacked around there than it would just not wear a cup. Oh, you think you'd get it pinched and wedge something in there?

Yeah. Oh, that's no good. Yeah, see? It would be very uncomfortable. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. get it like pinched and wedge something in there yeah that's no good not yeah see it would not be it would be uncomfortable yeah yeah okay um all right well coming off of that anything we overlooked we've still got plenty of football left this week weird week we covered that already anything left to say before we bring it back and cover the monday and tuesday games uh no i'm just uh you know it's It's interesting. We're watching these press conferences.

They put these enhanced protocols in place. Coaches wearing face masks again. And then I guess they just expire by the end of Tuesday or something. They just put these protocols in place and they just kind of expire just for no apparent reason. I love it. The NFL says, screw this. We're making our money,

everybody. Yep. That's what we're doing. Yeah. All right. Well, then we'll be a little different schedule than usual. Instead of this having been our college show, it was bonus NFL stuff. We'll find a way to talk some college ball later this week. Well, we will. On our gambling show, we'll give you a good bowl preview as we head into some of the bigger games this weekend.

Into next week, obviously. The following week, we have all the New Year's six bowl games and playoff games. So we'll get you prepped for those. Bowl season, dude, yeah, it's not fun to wager on anymore. Well, you never know who's going to be playing. You never know who cares about winning. And you know a lot about some of the teams that are playing in mid-December.

So how the hell are you supposed to pick a number on some of these games? I've never understood how you win money on bowl season. But it's even worse now because of the opt-outs and transfer portal and stuff. The coach is changing. It's very difficult. All right, here, let's pay off college real quick. If you made it to here, here's your college talk. How do you feel about the quarterback that's coming to Oregon?

Blah. Blah, okay. I like him he's excited yeah but he doesn't he's the same as the anthony brown kid we have now just kind of like doesn't complete all the high percentage passes okay doesn't but also means that also means the five-star true freshman we have is not good which is concerning to me he was supposed to the best teams typically develop talent from within where do you think think Keaton Slovis ends up? There's talk about Arizona, Oregon State. This Cal just got a transfer, so Cal's out. They got the plumber kid from Purdue. He stays out west somewhere.

Yeah. No, San Jose State, somewhere like that. But not USC. No, not USC. I'm curious if USC will get a transfer quarterback too. I think you watch, you have to pay close attention to this stuff to read the tea leaves. In the sort of like hype videos that are out there

that the school's putting out, you're seeing a lot of dart. Oh, you are? Yeah, a lot. And obviously you can't put somebody in who hasn't showed up on campus yet, so who knows if a transfer portal's out there. But I think it's dart until it's somebody else. Yeah. All right.

That's our college talk. Uh, Jeff, we're back Tuesday and then you're back Thursday and a lot of football have discussed. Yeah, man. Well,

uh, it's crazy. It's, it's a NFL feels like it's been a month and three days. It's wild. All right, everyone. We're powered by the varsity podcast network.

We will be back in, uh, just, uh, I don't know, 24 hours. Somewhere around there. We'll talk some more NFL. Talk to you guys then.