Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - NFL Squad: Worst Divisions in the NFL, Should League Change Playoff Format?

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses the worst divisions in the NFL and debates whether or not the NFL should look at changing their playoff structure, eliminating the divisions with the winner having an awful record from getting in and which teams might stumble in the final four games of the year?Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Omaha SteaksFrom legendary steaks to mouthwatering desserts and more, save 50% off site-wide for a limited time at OmahaSteaks.com. Plus, our listeners get an extra $30 off with Promo Code NFL. IceShakerCreated by and used by the Gronkowski brothers, IceShakers has sold over 1 million bottles. They have changed the game with workout bottles, and this is the gift you’ve been looking for… go to IceShaker.com and use the code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout to save 25% on your order.Hillsdale CollegeAll of Hillsdale’s courses are self-paced so that you can start whenever, and tune in wherever. Plus, you can go deeper with readings, quizzes, discussions - or just enjoy the lectures. Go right now to hillsdale.edu/lockedon to enroll. There’s no cost, and it’s easy to get started.PrizePicksDownload the app and use code lockedonnfl to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.Bilt RewardsStart earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/LOCKEDONNFL. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

AFC South, NFC South, NFC West, which is the worst division in the NFL today? Time for NFL Squad. You are locked on NFL, your daily NFL podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. And welcome inside this week's NFL Squad. Podcast Network, your team every day. And welcome inside this week's NFL squad. It's NFC and AFC colliding. So sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and join us as we get you ready for another wild week across the National Football League.

It is December football, the most important month in the National Football League to this day, even with the added regular season game to the schedule. We are part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And this episode is brought to you by FanDuel, where new customers, you can place a $5 bet and get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win that first $5 bet. Visit FanDuel.com to get started today.

I'm your host, David Harrison, also hosting the Locked On Commanders podcast for this illustrious network. And joining me as usual, Locked On Cowboys host Landon McCool, Locked On Packers host Peter Bukowski on time for this one. And Matt Derry, Locked On Lions representing the best team in the National Football League. And of course, we've got some AFC interlopers here today. Kevin Ostreicher of Locked On Ravens, Chris Carter of Locked On Steelers, and Tony Williams of Locked On Jags bringing the barbershop atmospheres for some real NFL talk here on NFL Squad today. And we're going to get

real, guys, about the worst divisions in the National Football League today. And I'm looking around at the group, and there's only one of you. Wig. AFC South, my friend. You're the only guy brave enough to come through for this conversation today. So I'm going to start with you, man, AFC South. Is that the worst division in football? If it is, why? If it isn't, let me know which one actually is.

It is. It's the worst. You know, I had to mute myself. I didn't want to say it, you know, the first time, right? But, no, it's the worst. And that's because the Houston Texans are supposed to be good, and I think they're real mid. That's mediocre.

I just don't think that – I think Tampa can beat them on a neutral field any day of the week, and then the rest of those teams, even the Saints, even the Panthers with the way that they're playing right now, would take out both the Jags and the Titans. So, yeah, it's the worst. I used to call it the Mountain West with the way that they're playing right now would take out both the Jags and the Titans. So, yeah, it's the worst. I used to call it the Mountain West of the NFL. And then they looked like they were doing better. And now it's back being the Mountain West of the NFL again.

Can I piggyback on this quick? Not to totally derail the show. Absolutely. Please derail it. I've been thinking about this because there are three NFC teams, NFC North teams. Of course, the team that I cover, I don't,

I'd hate to help Luke Braun and the Minnesota Vikings, but a nine and four team and 11 and two team are going to be wild cards. They're going to go on the road in the first round. Why tell me why this makes sense. Like I understand the, the seven seed, like the Packers has the seven seed went to dallas last year landon was landon remembers what happened but i if if the goal is

to have an equitable playoff i don't understand how uh a buccaneers team in the nfc south might win eight or nine games and host a playoff game against what could be a 13 win or 14 win Minnesota Vikings team. That is nuts. And I just, I don't see any reason. I like, I think if you say winning your division gets you a guaranteed playoff spot, and then we seed based on record, I don't see any reason why that's not better than what they currently have. You keep the division, the primacy of your division, because you still play the most games against your division. It gets you in. It's the same number of games. The TV partners are happy. Who's mad about this? Tell me who's mad. Wig is mad, apparently. Wig, what you got, man? You don't got to raise your hand here,

Wig. I don't know how the AFC does it, but you can just go here. Okay. Well, I just think, I kind of agree with Peter, but the problem is I can't let the recency of that situation be the reason why the rule gets changed because it's the total opposite in football. You see them four lost SEC teams around here in seventh place in their conference, and they're sitting there crying about some team from the ACC. That's the flip side of it.

The flip side of it is what if everybody's super competitive from top to bottom oh like maybe if the bingos weren't so bad you know unexpectedly they could say that in the nfc north because you got that's tough to expect to lead a some wig unexpectedly right right right right that's awful right right right they are but you get my point it's like from from a year-to-year thing, going into the season, folks expected all those teams to be really, really good. So it's just the flip side of football. But, Tony, wouldn't it be better to say, okay, if the Bengals won eight games?

Like, we've got two teams from the AFC South, or AFC North, excuse me, on this call. Why should the Ravens and Steelers not each have home playoff games this year? Why should the Ravens have to go on the road to Houston, an aggressively mediocre team in the AFC, and play a road game? To me, that just doesn't compute. We're never going to seed teams by DVOA, though maybe we should. But this is – No.

No. I'm mostly joking about that. I'm mostly joking about that. Landon's going where I'm going, I think. The answer is TV. Landon's right. It's TV. And look, college football –

You also figure that the NFL would get it right, and Pete's not wrong. But they're doing exactly what college football is doing. How Boise State and Arizona State are getting buys, how the five seed has a better path than the one seed in that tournament is silly. The NFL, you'd figure, because it's always the king and above everybody else, would get it right, and they're not.

And Pete has a point. I mean, Minnesota and Green Bay are very good. And it's not going to be those two teams every year, right? Like we've seen it when it's the NFC West, like when it was LOB and it was the 49ers, like it was crazy that one of those teams was going to have to be a wild card. But I think it's, it's also the counterbalance of that, of like the years where like a 12 and five second place team from the AFC North doesn't, it has to go on the road to an 11 and six AFC North winner or whatever,

like a division. I think there's sometimes it plays against it where it's like, Hey, the division winner should still hold, hold the pace of they deserve to have a home game because they won their division. And I think there's some credence that there's also plenty of legendary moments that happened because of those. You think of Demarius Thomas's touchdown against the Steelers,

the Steelers were 12 and four, the broncos were 8 and 8 that year you think of the beast one of the greatest playoff runs of all time happened because they did it in seattle not in the saints and is that fair to the saints maybe not but i think that's the history of is that like they they want to give division winners like if you win that division you deserve a one home playoff game but after that when you face other division winners that's it that's right so you'll get upset though like you're still going to get upsets if you seed it the way that i'm saying like the the packers were nine and eight last year they did not deserve a home playoff game they still went into dallas and beat the brakes off the cowboys okay that's enough peter we can talk about other examples here i guess i don't have a problem with let's change the rule, right?

Okay, let's come up with this great rule, and that rule should last for 20 years. I think I just have a problem. Peter, this is not necessarily specific with you because your team is one of them. I don't want to change a rule based on a scenario where we see this year where three of the top four teams in one conference are all in one division.

I talked about it on locked on NFL and everybody's sitting there forgetting about Minnesota as if they don't even exist. And they're one game behind Green Bay or one game. You show up to one of these maybe once in a while. Right, right. But the thing is, is let's come up with rules that are fair every year and not just in the year where there's an

anomaly of all of these really really good teams being in one but tony when was the last time the afc south was worth a damn in the playoff race all right so let me tell you okay so let me tell you where let me tell you where let me tell you where my this is how old i am i didn't grow up in jacksonville fan by the time they got a team i was was almost 30 years old. I grew up a fan in Washington. And I remember the NFC East with Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, and Buddy Ryan. I thought it was unfair that they beat each other up all year. I thought it was totally unfair. And the 49ers and Bill Walsh just sitting out there,

just beating up on the Falcons and the Saints all year. And then all of a sudden, who's the team of the decade in the 80s? The 49ers. So we've seen this before. Let's just come up with rules based on what's good all the time as opposed to like the anomaly of one year. Wouldn't that help a situation like that, Wig? Like when you have all those great teams in the NFC East,

if they're all like, think about it this way. Not if their records aren't top tier, Pete. I think that's his point. Those teams are up on each other. No, no, that's true. Like's true like if everyone's each other and you've got a 9 and 17 and you've got an you know but but also you you do have other games like there's only six games and now at the end so my thing is with the extra game now we get a better feel for this because six your division games are worth a little bit less right right? Because it's six out of 17 versus six out of 16. And like, there's this great stat right now.

The Packers, Vikings, and Lions are 28 and three against the rest of the league. 28 and three against everyone not in the NFC North. The Packers have lost to the Lions twice and the Vikings out of four losses. Their only other loss is to the Eagles, who are the two seed in the NFC North. The Packers have lost to the Lions twice and the Vikings out of four losses. Their only other loss is to the Eagles, who are the two-seater in the NFC. The Vikings' only loss outside of the division is to the Rams, who are in second place.

The Lions' only loss is to the Bucs, who are leading the NFC South. We've never seen anything like this. I get it. I guess my problem is I'm in the Southeast and I deal with college football and I can't stand when subjectivity gets too involved because I'll reverse it on you. If we're going to really see the Kansas City Chiefs this year. Oh, which one of y'all going to put them in the top four? And if 13 and one or whatever their record is, that's where subjectivity starts to change.

I agree. You don't have to be subjective. You can just seed it based on record. And I think that's fine. But that is subjective. If you, if you do it just based on record, Peter, my point is, is that's the, this is the flip side of it. When you do it based on record, you're not still doing it based on who the better team is. Well, but, but isn't that a better gauge of who the better team is than the way you do it now where if you only win eight games you might get a division you might get a home playoff game because you win your division like if your division is like it's it's the same argument like to your point about being in the southeast i i take this the sec fans argument to heart like hey why should

clemson when they're beating up on our sisters of perpetual sorrow in the acc and i include my syracuse orange in there me and matt syracuse orange uh like they were a nine-way team why are you looking back look i'm just saying all school you beat some teams and you're very good but i understand the argument that like that clemson conference win should hold less weight than a two or three loss not not a three loss Alabama team this year because of who they lost to but in another year it could be the case that a three loss Alabama team is just and I don't better than that and I honestly don't because I have sat here for years and watched them get away with these rivalries and that foolishness.

You can't tell me that Pitt and West Virginia ain't a barn burner regardless of their record. Most of these Mason-Dixon Southern teams, they get away with that, and then you look at their record outside of the conference, and they're losing to these teams outside of the conference early in the year. So I watched Florida State and Miami for 15 years dominate college football. One was in the ACC and one was in the Big East or whatever it was. And the second Miami and Virginia Tech went to the ACC,

neither one of them won the conference. Miami still hasn't won it in 25 years. But we knew Miami. We knew how good they were because of the people that they kept recruiting and who they kept putting in the NFL. But it doesn't mean you're going to win every week. Who's better, Minnesota Vikings or Atlanta Falcons? Minnesota.

They just beat them by three touchdowns. Minnesota might have to go to Atlanta. It makes the regular season matter in ways that right now, like Ohio State didn't even get to the big 10 title game and they're in the playoff at eight. Like that's, that seems crazy to me. And,

and that's, that's the part. This is your point. This is the subjectivity that I think ruins everything. Like the Packers are in a position right now. And I understand that I'm coming from this from a Packers perspective, but the Packers are in a situation right now because they lost to the lions on Thursday.

Let's not bring it up. If the Vikings win the next two weeks, a week 17 game between a Packers team that could be at that time, 11 and four and a, and a Vikings team that at that time could be 13 and two could mean zero right in the playoff race, essentially zero. Like that to me is bad.

And Landon, your first point was the TV partners. Wouldn't the TV partners rather that game potentially be for a home playoff spot because we're still fighting for seating in the NFC? Like that just seems like a better system to me. All I know is that I agree with tony that the afc south is the worst conference i'm glad you mentioned that so this conversation of who the worst division in football is has gone all kinds of which ways i love that this is what i love about

our i did say not to derail us we're going to have another conversation about which division leaders might stumble here in the final month of football. And I don't know how, but somehow it's going to get into why Bronny James shouldn't have been drafted by the Lakers. Coming up next on today's episode of Benefell Squad, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you in part by Built Rewards. And if you're a renter, then you need to listen up because this is a total game changer. Thanks to Built, you can now earn points on rent payments just like you do with your groceries, your travel, and so many other things.

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You're already paying by going to join built.com slash locked on NFL. That's join built.com slash locked on NFL. Make sure you use our link so they know we sent you. Don't wait. Start earning rewards today. Continuing now, today's episode of Locked On NFL Squad, AFC-NFC colliding for the first time, and it's already been a lot of fun. We're going to bring up another topic and see how this thing goes.

We're going to talk about which division leader right now most likely has the odds of stumbling down the stretch here as we get into the last month of football. And, of course, all these divisions are led by the Bills, the Steelers, the Texans, the Chiefs, the Eagles, the Lions, the Bucks, the Seahawks. And I don't know if everybody would agree, but I would probably say the Detroit Lions are probably the least likely to stumble of all these division leaders. I think the Bills and Joe Marino could have a say there.

But since he's not here, Matt Derry, we're going to go to you. Which of these division leaders do you see as being most likely to stumble coming down the last month of the nfl schedule i i just don't and look i just don't like how the chiefs are playing and i think even if they finish with the one seed and and do their thing i look at them as as a stumble candidate in round two of the playoffs i just playing with fire and mahomes is great and kelsey's great and that defense is great you know chris jones i love but but i'm telling you I just I could see a scenario where they sit in that in that perch in the one seed sit out a week get the bye and then stumble in round two as far as regular season yeah you mentioned the Lions David um schedule's not so easy for them

as compared to let's say a Philly team trying to catch them or even a Minnesota. Lions have to play the Bills and Josh Allen. Still got to go to Chicago and play on the road. And of course, the narrative's out there, Jared Goff can't win in the cold weather. Okay. But it's still out there, so that'll be fun next week. And then having to play Minnesota and San Francisco on the road, Minnesota at home. So watch the Lions to maybe get a loss here. I mean, they've won 11 in a row, but I would anticipate one or two losses maybe for my Lions coming down the stretcher just because of attrition. But I still think they'll finish with the one seed. Yeah.

Now, of course, the Lions are a part of arguably the biggest matchup of the weekend coming up. So we'll talk about that here in just a little bit. Kevin Ostreicher, Locked on Ravens. I want to kick it over to you now. So Wig already talked about the AFC South being the worst division. The Houston Texans are leading that division. However, in his conversation, he also rattled off a bunch of teams that all just kind of happened to be in the NFC South. So I would probably say that Wig thinks the NFC South

is the second worst division in football. I think that's probably fair to say. The Buccaneers currently lead that division. And I want to ask you this. If the Buccaneers win the NFC South, how much of that is they're really better than the Atlanta Falcons and how much of that is the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins specifically just could not at all this season find any kind of consistency yeah it's just been a nosedive for Atlanta I mean I feel like Tampa sure I mean they'll earn it I guess but I mean when you're talking about a

potential first round exit I feel like Tampa is someone that you can circle, especially with the wildcard teams that we're talking about. And I would feel more confident in Minnesota. I would feel more confident in green Bay defeating Tampa Bay than I would in Tampa Bay, pulling out a victory there. And sometimes that's just how it is. I mean, with the AFC South, like we were talking about, it's like, how do you feel like it's right that Houston can essentially walk to a home playoff game in a division that really hasn't had anything of substance this season? But when we're talking, and I want to kind of flip this a little bit on its head,

when we're talking about stumble candidates, I know that we're talking more so in the playoffs, but Chris and I both have a very interesting schedule dilemma here in these next three weeks. And when you look at it, Pittsburgh and Baltimore have three games in the next 10 days, starting on Sunday, because both teams play on Christmas.

They play each other on the Saturday game before that 11, but yes, yes. Well, 10, 15th to 25th is technically 11, but we're doing 10 for math's sake. So you,

you, you look at pittsburgh's schedule it's philly it's baltimore and it's kansas city and depending on how you depending on how you feel about it it is brutal depending on how you feel about kansas city and their stumble whatever that could be a different thing baltimore has the giants they have the steelers and then they have the texans we could be talking after week 16, and this division could be tied between the Ravens and Steelers if Pittsburgh loses to Philly and the Ravens and Baltimore beats the Giants and the Steelers. So in terms of stumble candidates, I'm not saying this for the playoffs

for Pittsburgh. I still think they can be competitive in the playoffs, but I just don't think the AFC North is decided despite Baltimore having some issues they have to work out. Plus, Chris, I mean, I don't know how you feel about it, but George Pickens being injured right now really, really worries me about that Steelers passing game because I don't know who else they have. That's where I was going to go to is that George Pickens was thought to just have a minor hamstring. Mike Tomlin updates us today and says it's more significant than they

thought. He's doubtful for this week, most likely out. I get the impression the Steelers are going to be like, look, we need that guy for the playoffs. We're basically in the playoffs right now. Let's rest. They might rest him both the Eagles game and the Ravens game, and then still maybe not bring him back against the Chiefs, because that's a four-week stretch.

You go from Saturday to Wednesday because of the game. So I look at the Steelers schedule. I think it's, this is, this is the absolute worst time to missing like one of the top receivers in the NFL and an offense. We don't have all those weapons. Now,

Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. If there was a combination of, of quarterback and offensive coordinator to make that not matter. I think that they're a pretty good combo to have because Russell Wilson has been doing a good job of finding all the other guys in the offense he doesn't he hasn't depended on George Pickens you look at this past one against the Browns he was finding uh Jalen Warren and um Skowronek and you know anybody in the Steelers offense Pat Fryman we've got you know he's finally getting his touches back-to-back touchdown weeks um I think they can stomach it but again it's when

it's who they're playing and when they're playing. The Steelers have not won in Philadelphia since 1965. That means neither Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, nor Chuck Knoll ever won in Philadelphia. It is a curse. I don't know what it is. It's just something that happens.

I'm not picking them to win this game. I don't care if Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown punch each other and break each other. Nick Sirianni curse might be stronger. I don't know. We will find out. But then again, after after that tough road trip you go on the road again in a short week against against the Ravens and then you go and then you come back home but you're playing the Chiefs to Matt's point maybe the Chiefs that are in the middle of their stumble and that gives the Steelers a break but that's not not easy. So I look at the Steelers, and if you're looking at a team

that's going to not finish as strong as, say, the Lions or the Bills or one of those other teams, the Eagles, I can see that because of their schedule. The obvious answer, though, I think that if you're picking one of these division leaders right now to fall off, it's the Seahawks because they are playing the Packers, the Vikings, and the Rams, and they're not exactly a top-tier team. But the Steelers, they have big questions coming up this next month.

And that brings in the other candidate for worst division in football, right, the NFC West. But Landon McCool, locked on Cowboys. You're in the unusual position of not talking about the Dallas Cowboys in playoff football this season, and we'll see if that runs another season next year. But right now there's three wildcard teams in the NFC, Minnesota Vikings,

Green Bay Packers, Washington commanders. If you're one of these division leaders, that's probably going to host a home playoff game, whether you deserve it or not, which of those three teams do you not want to play the most? I'm sorry. What was the three?

I glitched out for a second. The Vikings, the Packers and the Washington commanders. That I don't want to play. I think to me, the Vikings right now. I mean, I don't – they just – even though we kind of each week are just waiting for the Sam Darnold to explode, I'm just waiting for at some point the arms to fall off

and the whole thing to just completely implode in place. That defense is so good, and I think that their game translates well the arms to fall off and it's just like the whole thing to just completely imploded place uh that defense is so good and and i think that that that their game translates well into the playoffs um you know we'll see how well it gets as the the further you go and you need advanced quarterback play but i think you know as far as playing defense and running the football uh that would be a team that i wouldn't want to have to play, especially early in the playoffs, because I think that they'll give you a real dose of physical nature early on in the wild card or the division round. Yeah. And Wig, on the AFC side, man, we're looking at the Ravens, Chargers, Broncos.

I think everybody would assume you're going to say Ravens here. But is there a case being made for the Chargers or the Broncos to be the more dangerous team that you wouldn't want to see compared to the Ravens? Yeah, the Chargers. And the reason why is because they by default, they play complimentary football. They better not try to open it up to get the doors blown off. So they know who they are. They play it in a phone booth. And when you play that way, you don't have to change. And usually that's how it gets in the playoffs. Anyway, everything is limited possessions possessions everything tightens up the bench gets shorter you know everything you know because everything is all about you know we got to win to advance so they're going to be used to playing in that box because they do it 17 times during the regular season and you just got to be patient

enough and willing enough to go in there and do it with them the way the Chiefs were doing the other night. The Chiefs are now accustomed to that because they've had to play that same way all year. Whereas by choice, that's how Pittsburgh wants to play. That's how Detroit wants to play. That's how Philly has always wanted to play. I just love the fact that everybody's doing it, even if it's by by choice, by force. They're playing football. We're blocking and tackling matters, and that's why it's going to be fun. I think that makes Ladd McConkie one of the wild card pieces

in this postseason run because if he is out there, we saw with Ladd McConkie and not much else, the Chargers, and I understand the Bengals defense, absolute cheeks, but they scored at will on that team. We saw them in a number of primetime games play well with Ladd McConkie out there. And when he's not out there, as we saw, it gets really tough for this Chargers team

to move the ball, but their defense is so disciplined. It's a testament to how much coaching matters, right? Because it's not that different a group personnel-wise than it was last year. But Jesse Minter comes in from the college game with Jim Harbaugh and they are, they are just playing fast. They're playing physical. That defense can keep you in games. And then when you have a guy like Justin Herbert, though, Tony Wiggins has seen firsthand in the post season, what second half Justin Herbert in a playoff game might look like. But I just think that team with

Jim Harbaugh, they feel different. They are a really, really scary team. But to me, it all hinges on Lamba Conkey. If he can't play, they can't win. If he can play, they can beat anybody. They have the biggest variance to me in the postseason. It really just hinges on a rookie receiver. That's the crazy part. I will admit they're a little bit better this year than I expected them to be.

Wig and I talked on Locked On NFL earlier this season about them, and I was not very complimentary of them, and I will say that they have been better. The Buffalo Bills have also been better than I expected them to be this season. They will face off against the Detroit Lions in arguably the best game of the Week 15 slate. We'll dive into that and all the other big games this weekend. Coming up next on today is Locked On NFL Squad,

part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is also brought to you in part by Ice Shaker and Commanders fans, sports fans all across the country. I know you're like me. Your holiday shopping list is, let's just

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talking about some of the best games on the schedule this weekend, and we're going to wrap it all up with bold predictions coming from Landon McCool Kevin Ostriker and Tony Wiggins so gentlemen get your bold predictions ready to go but we're going to start with the game of the week Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions Matt Derry the question for you obviously is are the Lions going to make good on that uh one and a half point spread that they are favored to win by and is this a legitimate Super Bowl preview in your eyes? Didn't you mean Peter Bukowski's Lions? No, I'm just kidding.

Sorry. Come on. Let's be honest. You know, the Lions escaped the other night, certainly. Pete's Packers gave them all they could handle and got some help from the 12th man, as Pete said, on his show. But let's be honest. The Lions have played so many games, close games lately.

They played the 3-11, the Kevin Oestreicher 3-11 deal. Now they get a little bit of a break, a little bit of a rest from last Thursday to this Sunday playing the Bills. But Bills coming in off a loss scares me a little bit. Josh Allen playing unbelievably well with six touchdowns last week. This is going to be an absolute war, and this could be a game in the 50s. I mean, first team to 50 getting a 50-burger might win it because the Lions still have injuries defensively,

and the Bills, we just saw, got carved up by Matthew Stafford. Certainly the Lions' offense at home could do the same thing, but one and a half is an interesting number, David, as you mentioned, because that means a lot of folks figure that 11-game win streak would come to an end this week, and it just might because Buffalo's a very good football team. There's something special about this Lions club. That game's in Detroit, isn't it, Matt?

Yes, it is. So why is it only one and a half? That seems disrespectful to the Lions. Coming off a mini-bye, and the Bills just had to travel across the country, like all the way across the country. Now they have to go travel again. Like that, that to me,

that should have been, that should have been three. If anything, I don't understand that line at all. Yeah. One and a half, some places to others. I think people figure that maybe this is just that time that the lions

finally lose. I mean, they're 12 and one, they won 11 in a row, but you know, it's going to come to, it's come to an end eventually, right? Unless they just keep running the table,

and that's what Dan Campbell and his guys are doing. They're playing great football, but this is going to be a tough test. With all those guys out hurt on that defense and having to deal with Allen and his legs, that could be a deal-breaker on Sunday at 425. A lot of man coverage. I think that's the matchup. If you're going to play a bunch of man coverage,

Josh Allen's going to carve you up. When Ian Hutchinson went down, a lot of people thought the Lions were going to be ultimately cooked there, and certainly they've been able to withstand that loss as well. So a lot of good things going on in that matchup. We're going to stick in the NFC North here. Peter Borkowski, Green Bay Packers going on the road to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks, favored by two and a half points on the road. Is that disrespectful to the Seattle Seahawks,

or is it just a testament to the elite status that is the green Bay Packers? Well, that game opened at three and a half. So evidently the, uh, the market thinks that it is disrespectful to the Seahawks. The fact that it's at two and a half now means that there's action on Seattle. I frankly don't understand that. Um, I, I see a Seahawks team. I understand they're playing great defensively lately,

but Jordan loves since the Packers have come back off their buy he's been as efficient as any quarterback in the league leading leading the league in epa per play the last month um this is a defense right now that that is playing with even with the the lions game really good football despite some injuries without jair alexander without edgar and cooper um so like think this is a game the Packers are going to win because I think they're going to be able to pressure. If you can't block, you just like games against the Packers. If you can't block, you're just cooked because they can block. And if games are still, I understand we just had a game

that was like 600 to 601 in LA, but the game still comes down to if you can block. And if you can't block, it's going to be tough to beat good teams. They just can't. This Seattle Seahawks offensive line just stinks, and they can't stop the run. So, like, Matt LaFleur will give you 40 carries. We know that.

We've seen that. So I just think it's a bad matchup for the Seahawks. Yeah, and the NFC West will continue to battle it out with the AFC South for worst division in the NFL along with the NFC South. Chris Carter, Pittsburgh Steelers are traveling not too far to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles. My locked-on Commander's audience is going to be hoping that the Steelers can pull off that five-and-a-half-point upset victory

because the Eagles, potentially, the Eagles win, and the Commanders lose in New Orleans this weekend. The Eagles will clinch the NFC East. If the Steelers can pull off the win, the commanders can pull off the win, then that makes next weekend's Eagles commanders match up a little bit more sexy. What do you think happens in this battle for Pennsylvania? Listen, man, I went to college at Cheyenne University, the first historically black college and university in the land.

It's by Philadelphia. Let me tell you, those people are crazy this that environment is crazy that that's the reason the steelers have not won there since 1965 it's a curse that's been upon this franchise if russell wilson lifts the curse catch me on the next squad show better yet peter bring me on that night because i'll just be screaming super bowl because i've never seen this happen in my life uh with the Steelers winning in Philadelphia. I have to think the Eagles are playing some really good football. They do a lot of the things the Steelers want to do.

Andy Weidel, who's second in command of the Steelers front office, he helped build the Steelers, the Eagles trenches not too long ago. So he's trying to do that for the Steelers. I feel like the Eagles are a step ahead in that direction. So you're missing George Pickens. You're playing a team that kind of plays the way that you want to play, who's healthy. Now, granted, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, who knows what happens there?

That's kind of weird. But I think with all that, the Steelers have been winning pretty well lately. I think this is a week where they take a loss. They have to reevaluate, come back on the short week, and then see what they can do against Baltimore where they've they've had a lot of success recently but I just I'm sorry but I can't touch this Philly curse that's just existed since uh since time immemorial for this for the Steelers uh and again this is a good Eagles team on top of that imagine all that focused in one direction it's it's uh I couldn't imagine that ever happening.

Eagles-Cowboys at Chaney University, I had to find the place where most people, because the yo mama jokes, the cuss words, everything, the vitriol, that was more fun than the game. I would sit and watch the Cowboys-Eagles fans argue all day. It's one of my favorite things. It's kind of wild to think that the Lions

might win the Super Bowl before the Steelers just win a football game in Philadelphia. That's kind of wild to me. Bowl prediction time. We'll start with Kevin Ostriker, locked on Ravens, buddy. What's your bowl prediction here for Week 15? I'm sticking Baltimore for

this one. The Ravens opened up on FanDuel's 14.5 point favorites for their game against the Giants this week. I'm saying the Ravens win up on FanDuel's 14 and a half point favorites for their game against the Giants this week I'm saying the Ravens win this game by 30 plus points oh 30 the Giants are pretty bad they're the Giants are pretty bad there there's no quarterback is what Drew Locke is going to be their quarterback if all signs point to him being healthy there's no Dexter Lawrence on that defensive line and I just want to say the New York Giants have ruined my life and the reason for this is because back in the day really before last week against

Philadelphia Jalen Hurts kind of saved this for me but Daniel Jones was the only NFC quarterback to ever beat Lamar Jackson all when the second the schedule came out I circled this game against the Giants not because I thought it was going to be this clash of the Titans or anything, but because I wanted the Lamar Jackson revenge game over Daniel Jones. I wanted that game. And what did the Giants do? They cut him, and they didn't let me have it, and they didn't let Baltimore have it.

So now the only thing left, the only thing that's right, is for Baltimore to go out there and beat this Giants team by 30 points. 30 is a lot, but I just feel like with what we've seen from this Ravens team, they haven't played their best football over the last three weeks. They've lost two of their last three games. Lamar Jackson was clearly not happy about a lot that's going on. I feel like this is going to be Lamar Jackson saying, hey, I'm still here too. And Josh Allen is talking about the odds going up for MVP. I think Lamar Jackson has a game where he says, what are we talking about?

I'm still in this race too. Congrats to anybody that's got Lamar Jackson on their fantasy roster in the playoffs right now. Look at my face. Look at my face. I'm not shocked by your prediction. 30 points against the Giants. Not bold at all, to be honest.

I might have to go 40 then. I might have to go 40.. I might have to go 40. 40, that's a little bit more. That's a little bit spicier. Well, Landon McCool, Logs on Cowboys, what's your bold prediction for this weekend? Here's my bold prediction. I think the Jameis Winston chaos circus comes into town, and they take down the Kansas City

Chiefs. Just by the weird energy around these two teams somehow cancels each other out. And this whole season has been dancing with chaos, and that's what this game is going to be as well. It's going to be a microcosm of how this season has just gone back and forth.

Somehow the Chiefs find a way to slip away and beat teams they have no business beating in these games this year. They're going to find a way to slip away and beat teams they have no business beating in these games this year they're going to find a way to lose this one this week uh I'm picking I don't know why because you asked me to I'm picking the Browns to go over the that is that is a post-game press conference I will definitely make sure to tune into if that if that happens Tony Wiggins locked on Jags man take us home with your bowl prediction. Well, he stole my bowl prediction, so I got to start arguing with Bukowski again about this.

What do you want to do now? You want to take... No, I'm just joking. I want to relegate the Jaguars. Sure, the Texans have a home playoff game. Let's continue. Yeah, I know it. I'm going to pick the Coast Ups at Denver, man. You know, I think Jonathan Taylor will get going a little bit.

It's always quirky when you play against a team that has sort of an offense you don't prepare for and a dude that does things that you don't prepare for. And we've been glossing and loving on Denver and Sean Payton. I saw him all over national news today and people were talking about Coach of the Year stuff. Hold on. Hold on for just one minute. Let's go ahead and say that that's going to be the upset. Even though I don't really believe it,

I actually was going to pick James Winston to beat Kansas City, but I'll go with that. I'll go with Jonathan Taylor. I like that. I like that. And so to recap today's episode, Arizona State absolutely deserves their bye week. Thank you to everybody out there for tuning in to this week's

Locked on NFL Squad. Of course, we will be back next week with a lot more fun. And each of us is hosting our individual shows, bringing you all the content and coverage you can handle across the National Football League. So until we see you again, if you're out and about, please be safe, be kind. We'll see you next week for another episode of Locked On NFL Squad, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.