NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2020-2021Week 17 Recap

Episode Date: January 4, 2021

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling recap every game from Week 17 starting with the Browns clinching the playoffs for the first time since 2002(2:18) . The dolphins crumbled to the Bills (10:02) and the Ravens are rolling (16:05). The Bears lost the Packers (59:22) but somehow made it into the playoffs and Tom Brady and the Bucs are heading to the post season (1:20:35).Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the NFL podcast. Drops 40 on the reg. Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis. I come to you from a virtual room filled with heroes.

Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal, and Chris Wessling. What is up, boys? Hey, Dan. Hey, buddy. Week 17 flagship show. Yes, we have reached the end of the Yellow Brick Road. 256 games. And we've covered them all on the round the NFL podcast.

or I should say we will have by the end of today's show. And Mark, I know you're in a good mood today because for the first time in the history of this program, the week 17 slate will not be the end of your favorite football team season, and we're going to get to that. But I just want to let you know that I like the smile on your face and I could tell the joy rages within. I mean, it's mostly just relief compared to what.

what the other narrative would be, had they lost today. But I am happy in an, you know, we can get into it. You're beaming. You're beaming. It's coming out of your pores. I can see it. It's a strange sensation. It's very surreal. I know Mark very well, and I've gotten to know him as a sports fan very well. He externalizes anger about the Browns, but internalizes joy. And there's so much within him right now, Wes, that you could see it coming out of his

pores and his skin. Look, he's flush. He's flush. He doesn't know what to do. He's got also a reputation to uphold. He can't just go gaga right now after all these, after all these years, you know, he's got a, there's a certain brand that we have here to protect. Absolutely. I think you guys have figured it out. You figured it out. We're going to get to it, the playoff schedule and everything at the back end of the show. But I, I'm just going to say right now, I don't have a problem with the Browns Week 1 or playoff matchup either. A lot to talk about this week. But first, let's go through all the games.

We're going to go by conference here this week. And first, we're going to get to the AFC, go through everything there, how that conference is set up for January football and then hit the NFC, capped with the Sunday night game between the Eagles and Washington football team. But yes, let's start in the AFC, and yes, let's start in Cleveland. Mayfield takes the snap He's going to run it to the right Mayfield turns the corner and got the first down on the right side

He slides inside the 40-yard line Minkin Fitzpatrick tags him down First down Browns at the 39-yard line of Pittsburgh And the clock is running With 52 seconds left to go It's a first down And that bench area is starting to feel it right now

Jim Donovan with a call WKRK The Cleveland Browns are back in the postseason qualifying for the dance for the first time since 2002 they snuff out a late Pittsburgh rally

to beat the Steelers 24-22 the Browns 11 and 5 they're going to the playoffs Mark Sessler they're going to the playoffs and you'll be watching them in your garage or your living room I don't know

They're going, Mark. They're going. It's sinking in. It's still sinking in. These Browns games, I thought Nick Shook, who will be on later, put it well, that they just, they don't make it easy on their fans or themselves. And, you know, this was another week where they went into the biggest game they've had and, you know, since their return, I'd say, with one practice. And a lot of remaining corona issues, but no excuses. with the Steelers sitting, all their stars.

And, you know, part of me thought the Browns kind of, no matter what, they couldn't really come out of here, winning the narrative. Because if you win, you beat an under-man Steelers team. If you lose, well, we know what the conversation piece would be there. I thought they just did, they did whatever it took. From their star players who were on the field, they got just enough. They got just enough from Nick Chub. They had 192 yards on the ground,

but what was a little bit different about this game was that a bunch of it came from Baker Mayfield. He is not a scrambler, and that's not really a big part of their playbook. But I thought he took off and moved the chains on a couple key runs. That last one we heard right there, Jarvis Landry made a couple key catches. And in this defense, which at this point is built of, you know, plasticine and small pieces of wood, you know, got the interception from, you know, they did just enough. I'm kind of at a loss for words because I think that if you look at what the Steelers did, you could ask yourself. yourself, you know, from a brass tax angle, which team comes out of this more encouraged?

Because Pittsburgh's B-Team nearly beat Cleveland, and I think Cleveland's defense has become, especially without Denzel Ward, a raging weakness, and they're going to have to do a lot on offense and a lot more on offense next week to hang with a Steelers team that gets 60% of their roster back. But I give Cleveland credit for, you know, it's been a chaotic 14 days for them. and they're a reflection of Kevin Stefansky. They're not a panic team. You know, I think good teams don't panic in general. And then Cleveland, unlike years past, have a bit of a different demeanor to them.

It's Olivier Vernon's hurt. You will see if they get Denzel Ward back. If they don't, I will see. The one other thing I'll say real quick is that this is, the Browns being here, when I think of the Browns, I think of you three and Erica, first because of a really rough eight-year period to get here. I think of all the people that tweeted today, all the listeners from our show. It means a lot.

But as to Wes's point, I'm not like, you know, one of these fans that just has a blind optimism. I'm very concerned about next week. The Steelers are a very good team. Well, I still think the Browns should, A, be happy, you know, that they got into the playoffs. B, okay, yeah, it was the Steelers B team. Everyone's got a B team right now, especially.

the Browns. I mean, they were missing six players. I know it wasn't like the star players, but they had six guys on the COVID-19 list. So I hate when teams play in back-to-back weeks. It doesn't happen too often. These teams will be playing again next week, but it's really not the same game. Not only do you have, you know, the Steelers stars back, but Cleveland is hopefully getting some reserves. And compared to the other potential matchups that they could be going on the road to be doing in the AFC, like Buffalo, like I'll take it. I'm a Browns fan, the way that this thing ended up for Pittsburgh. And you got to feel like, okay, let's not talk about bad luck and like everything is just luck. Like, they had some nice

luck today. They kind of missed the call on a Mason Rudolph interception. You know, the two-point play at the end, it comes down to a two-point play that could have maybe even called a penalty there on the Browns. You got to play Mason Rudolph. So it's like they've earned 11 wins. 11 wins, got to get you into the playoffs. I don't need to hear anything about backing in. Like that's a playoff team. But just the way today unfolded, you got a bit of luck. And I think it's a team that they can certainly compete and maybe beat next week in Pittsburgh.

Yeah, they, you know, the Steelers looked like they were dead in this game after Rudolph threw an interception, the Brown score shortly thereafter. Pittsburgh 13 straight points after that and then go for the two-point conversion. In between, there was the play call on third and three for Cleveland, where they drop back to pass when they're in field goal range or very close to it. Baker takes a sack and then an incompletion that then set up the second touchdown of the quarter for Pittsburgh. It wasn't the most impressive performance by the Browns, but ultimately it doesn't matter because they got the win and they're going to the playoffs.

And like you said, and we'll be talking about this all week, Pittsburgh, you know, they didn't have T.J. Watt, in addition to Ben Ralthusberger, they're missing, their two best players or two most important players right there. It's going to be a very different matchup, but also I don't think Cleveland's going to be intimidated by going into Heinz Field for that game. I get the feeling that this is going to be a very close game and what's going to be a great weekend of football in the AFC.

Yeah, I mean, this just nearly caused something of a breakup on our private text thread because, and I know, you know you guys were rooting for good fortunes for me personally, But, you know, we were calling the game in the third quarter and stuff, and everyone's saying everything's going to be fine. Well, I just know the way it seems. That was banned. I know. I know enough not to do stuff like that. Well, I don't know what Dan was attempting for their psychologically.

No, I just told you it was over in the third quarter after the Rudolph pick. And I was right because it was over because Pittsburgh Steelers lost. I didn't totally enjoy it at the time. And I said unsubscribe from this thread after being on it for, you know, six plus years. But, yes, you were right in the end. and I'm glad that you, that you were. All right. So, Cleveland, playing January football for the first time since 2002.

How about that? The Buffalo Bills, a team that has had very little luck in the last 20 years. They closed out their schedule with not a lot of movement to be made in the playoff picture, but they did have the chance to break some hearts and break some hearts. They did. snap, boots it high into the air, pretty good looking punt. McKenzie backpedaling, wielded at the 16-yard line. Dodges two men, starts up the middle, now to the right side, at the 30, at the 40.

Isaiah McKenzie on the run at midfield in Miami territory. Got to beat the punter, he gets around him. He's at the 20. He's at the 15, 10, 5. Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown, Buffalo. Isaiah McKenzie goes 84 yards for the touchdown. He's got three touchdowns today. Good night, Miami.

everybody having fun connected to the buffalo bills including john murphy of w gr with the call josh allen threw three touchdown passes and yes isaiah mackenzie scored three times in the first half including that 84 yard punt return it was ova at that point uh the bills pour it on against the dolphins 56 to 26 at orchard park with the win the bills clinched that number two seed completing an incredible year where they matched a single season record for wins and won their first division title in 25 years. Josh Allen plays a half, throws three touchdowns, goes 18 to 25. Matt Barkley comes in. He even does some things in the second half. And that is the second most point scored in team history by the Bills. And Greg, on the dolphin side of

things, just a complete collapse. Obviously, they had, listen, a lot of lot of these teams are facing COVID-19 challenges. Ryan Fitzpatrick, in another heartbreaking setback to his career, comes down with COVID. He is sitting at home watching this game. And Tua and the offense, very conservative again early on, everything short of the sticks. But it wasn't just Tua. This was a total meltdown in all three phases by the Dolphins. A team that you didn't expect that from, given what we'd seen the first 16 weeks.

No, I didn't. No, I didn't. You know, I give the bills so much credit. I guess they still only played Josh Allen for a half and they could win by this much. I'm just so used to teams resting when they really don't need to win. And they had a feeling that the Steelers, you know, they knew the Steelers were resting and they said they were going all out for the Tuesday. They didn't really. I mean, they sat Tradavius White and Jerry Hughes, but they just put it on them because they're a football team playing good football.

That's like, you know, they're not going to stop. And Miami, as frustrating as it is to end this way and feel like you got left out in the cold, in a stacked AFC. They were a defensive team. And if your defense is getting lit up by like this, it's not like they can feel like they got shorted, that it was the Fitzpatrick injury, or it was, you know, playing the bills this week,

or, you know, they're getting unlucky not to make it at 10 and 6. If you're giving up this many points to the best of the best, and that's the bills, I mean, they weren't going anywhere fast, that they had a great season, but this is kind of a brutal way to end it. Although, and it raises questions, because they have the number three, overall draft pick, courtesy of Billy O'Brien, Laramie Tunsell, and the Houston Texans.

We sat there in September. This offense comes out like a house of fire, the bill's offense. And we say, yeah, but, you know, it's what a team's doing in December that matters. This team gets better every week. You take Cole Beasley away, everybody's disappointed. And then Smoke Brown comes back. Gabriel Davis goes over a hundred They find some guy named

Antonio Williams Stast on their practice squad I had to look I had to dig deeper to find info on this guy Than anybody ever in the history of this podcast Who is Antonio Williams This bill's offense just seems to get better every week The defense is getting better every week

Wasn't Spice rack guy Jonathan Williams on the bills I mean yeah sometime back Spice rack can't catch a break And it turns out Antonio is the best random Williams running back ever to show up. Come on, Spicerack. You'd have to think that had Fitzpatrick been available, we would have maybe seen a repeat of the lineup switch. I mean, I get that it's not all on Tua,

but kind of tracking this first half from Miami, the offense seems to just sputter and sort of fall apart when he's in there. And he had like 28 yards or something on their first four drives. They were averaging about two yards per play. That was where they are at when the game was spitting out of control. And absolutely, this would have been a relief performance, however you want to put this Flores strategy for Fitzpatrick. But again, it wouldn't matter because what Miami did well all season was, you know,

play, making the most of their players, getting contributions from all phases of the team, defense which led the way special teams doing special things and yet a special teams breakdown on a punt return when they when they could least survive it and you had the defense could not get a stop I believe Buffalo scored four straight touchdowns in the second quarter and the offense which was always the liability with this team was certainly didn't have it in them to get into a shootout with Buffalo so while you could look at it as like oh man it's a bummer fits didn't get to end his playoff drought and didn't get in this game. The way it played out and the level the bills are at,

even when they're only playing their stars or half the game, I don't think it matters. And the Dolphins, of course, didn't get the luck they needed from the other game, so they go home. Just a tough way to end what was still a successful season for Miami, but a tough way to close it. All right, let's move on now. The Baltimore Ravens also had put themselves in position to clinch a playoff spot

with a four-game winning streak. They would lock themselves in with a W. on Sunday, they got the Bengals, and I think you know how this is going to turn out. Dobbins will carry across the 30. Stiff arms, man, 35, 40, leg race, midfield, Bengal 40, 30, Dobbins to the 20. He might, 10, 5, he will. Touchdown. J.K. Dobbins.

Jerry Sandusky, W, B, A.L. Yes, the Ravens finish up a dominant close to their season with a 38-3 beating of the Bengals. That's five straight wins. for Baltimore, and it clinches their third playoff berth in his many seasons with Lamar Jackson behind center. Mark, the Ravens capped their ferocious clothes with a historic rushing performance. I mean, this is, when I watched this team, we just talked about the bills, but I look at the Ravens and say, and I get that their schedule has been light down the stretch, who can handle

what they're doing right now during this five-game win streak, which this podcast predicted. Dan Hanses some, almost over a month ago. They are averaging 267.4 rushing yards per game. And it's, I love how they're doing it. And what did they have today, Mark? Today they rumble. 404, the fourth team since 1950, to have more than 400 yards in a game.

It's incredible. And you can look at Tennessee and what someone like Derek Henry did. They've shifted who gets carries in this backfield. But the way they have it right now, It's J.K. Dobbins, 13 carries, 160 yards. Gus Edwards, 12 carries 60 yards. Lamar Jackson, 11 for 97. They are perfectly happy to be a three-headed beast. Mark Ingram, not a big role, but he had nine rushes today. But in general, there's sort of a pick-your-poison backfield, and it's going to be someone different that blows up next week. And you're getting Lamar Jackson now rushing for yardage per game that is higher than his MVP level a year ago. He threw a couple beautiful darts as well. someone like Mark Andrews is back involved in these games, and they look to me completely unstoppable. I mean, they really do.

How many weeks in a row have we told a story where at halftime, they had 258 yards, the Bengals had 62, and that's a Bengals issue to some degree, but the Bengals' offense had looked pretty good the last couple of weeks, certainly a little bit different than in weeks past, and the Ravens just, they take the life out of you. And I get that time of possession is not, like a total hallmark stat, but when the Ravens have the ball for 22 minutes in the first

half, it is with them because it's the way they do it. Even on their first drive, which was a field goal drive, they took seven minutes off the clock. So someone's not have to find a way to slow this running game. And when they were a bit milk toast in the middle of the year, they didn't have this power. They seem agitated to me. They are going to get Tennessee in the playoffs. I cannot wait to see that game. I think they are fueled off of a sense of revenge right now. I just see it in them in a way that I don't and some other teams, and they are total power. And, you know, this

is something that I think a lot of people would look at and say sports teams have a bunch of cliches. We don't buy into it. And that's fine. But athletes a lot of times do. And John Harbaugh has told this team to roll off of faith and guts, two things that you can't see. Yes, that sounds cliche,

but they are operating like a team that has seen something. No one else can. And I would be very scared to deal with them a week before. Come on, Gregi. It's time to buy in on your, the Ravens, the team you fell in love with. You jumped off the bandwagon at the wrong time. I mean, you're telling me, they got the Titans next weekend. You're telling me this Ravens' offense is going to get rolled over.

And I've gotten it. I got it from you and I got it from some sports talk guy too. It's like, is this Ravens team more dangerous and better than last year? It's like, well, no, because they're missing those players. They haven't beaten the great teams, you know, yet. And that team, like, we know. now that they blew it in the playoffs, but they were one of the greatest regular season teams in the history of the NFL. So it's like, no, they're not more dangerous than that. But you're right,

it's crazy they're a five seed. They led the NFL in point differential entering this game before going up 38 to 3 on the Bengals. And I do love the way it sets up in the AFC because the Titans are not only the team that broke them and broke their hearts last year. They're the ones that did it this year. That game that the Ravens gave away was their low point. And they had no business. losing that game to the Titans, who just sort of took it from them at the end and started their downfall. And now they get to go and make up for it, like the two tough, like biggest teams out there on offense. You should expect a lot of points. I mean, it's beautiful. And oh, by the way, if the seeds hold, then they get to go potentially, or the winner of that game, potentially

goes to Kansas City the next week. And that's delicious, too. Sign me up. Let's do it. I'm back on. What do you think, Wes? What do you think about the Ravens right now compared to where they were entering the playoffs a year ago? I think of how wrong I was that I thought this team I thought they were broken like Greg said I thought the Titans broke them the way you deal with a bully is to punch them in the face

and the Titans are the only team willing to punch them in the face they do it they come away with it twice they come away with it well done twice and I thought this offensive line losing Ronnie Stanley, who was a Pro Bowl left tackle. And then now you got Zeus Brown kicking out to left tackle. That guy should be an all-pro to keep the offensive line together

and to keep the running game, the number one running game in the league. After switching positions, supposed to be the slowest linemen in the NFL. Now he's playing left tackle, and they're killing it. Zeus. I was so wrong about this team. You know the one thing, though, Wes, like, it was Lamar Jackson who even said, teams have figured us out. Teams looked at the Tennessee game, and they've, they've, we're not, we're like six or seven weeks removed from a lot of chaos happening with that team.

Marquis, Hollywood Brown saying, what's going on here? Why can't anyone find me? COVID. And I think they were racked by COVID, too. Sure, they were. I mean, it's just like they've been through a lot. They've reshaped themselves. And the one thing that I do think is different from last year's playoff team, remember was Mark Andrews and back then Mark Ingram, the centerpiece of the ground game, who,

Both were hurt going into the playoffs. They played, but they were not themselves. And that was part of the issue with Baltimore. They were not at high power. And right now, they are. And they have, you know, J.K. Dobbins there this year, and he's really turned into a player here. He broke the Ravens rookie touchdown record.

Patrick Queen on the defense. It's a different team. They want to have a better result than they've had in recent playoff games. I just, I like a lot what I'm seeing from. and I think a lot of people agree. All right, so the Ravens keep rolling. They are the number five seed. They will play the Titans.

The Titans had a chance to win the division, the AFC South on Sunday. Let's see if they could do it. Right hash, 37 yards to win it. Snap, set. Slovon's kick is up. His kick hits the upright and goes through. Yes.

Yes. Good. Yes. Yes. Bank shot for Sloeman in the 2020. AFC South champions reside in the 6-1-5. Hey, Mike Keith of another great call. I think that was like a West like Bob Yucer in Major League,

when the announcer is so excited that he runs away from the microphone to celebrate. It's like, Mike, come back. Dave McGinnis, come back. You got a call again. game, yes. Always trust Sam Sloeman. I was a caller, a robocallor

or a cold caller for Sloan Shield for two weeks in the late 1990s, so we'll get that out there. No matter what, trust Sam Sloeman. The villain kicker's 38-yard attempt, planged off the right-upright, sputtered over the crossbar as time expired, the deciding points in the Titans' 41-38 win over the Texans.

clinching the AFC South, Ryan Tannahill, through a touchdown pass, ran for two more. That gave him even 40 scores on the season. Think about that. And Derek Henry, he did it, rushing for 250 yards to become the eighth player in NFL history to amass 2,000 yards in a season. And it was so weird because that's an incredible game, 250 yards. But the Houston defense is so ridiculous and so non-competitive. And we've seen it because Derek Henry's previous two games against the Houston Texans defense, he also had over 200 yards. But in this game, needing the 223 or whatever it was to get to 2000, it was kind of like in the bag, even by halftime. He still was like 150 yards away, but it was like, no, he's going to get this.

And then it just became, wait, he's not going to catch Dickerson because he's done that his entire career these last three years, amazing Hall of Fame years where, you know, his numbers are good but not great. Oh, then all up 77 yards down the right sideline and all of a sudden you could make up a lot of ground and become the all-time rusher. He didn't get that, but he got 2000 and the Titans win the AFC South, even though Chris Wesleying, they're a hard team to trust because I can't, I continue, I tweeted about this because I struggle to wrap my head around it. I know it's a different world now in the NFL and the numbers are a little screwy, especially when you compare it to old errors. But here's a team that has a 2,000 yard rusher and a quarterback in Ryan Tannaill who had

33 touchdown passes and seven rushing scores for 40. And yet I see them as one of the weaker AFC contenders, quote unquote, because the defense is so bad to have all that on offense and still I feel like be highly vulnerable in round one. That's unusual. So weird to picture the Titans in that way where offensively just flush with talent. You win with superstars, and A.J. Brown, that play he made, down in the middle for 50 yards.

What an awesome play. And he just makes plays every week. Corey Davis falls 15-yard shy of 1,000. And people who watch him every week know he had his best year by far. John Huss Smith, one of the better run-after-catch tight. ends in the league, they are flush with talent on one side of the ball. And in the other side of the ball, say it every week. They cannot rush the passer, so they can't stop anyone. It's like next

level how they can't stop anyone, though. I mean, if Brandon Cooks doesn't drop a first down throw from Deshawn Watson with about 36 seconds left, you know, either would have had a first down and been closer in field goal range or would have set up second down and the clock would have run. This thing would have either gone to overtime or the Texans would have won regulation. I had no faith that the Titans

were going to be able to force a stop there. They needed a little luck. They made a couple good plays after that to force the field goal. But the crazy thing is, you know, the Titans got the ball back, I believe with 19 seconds left, 18 seconds left.

And I thought in one time out. And I thought like, oh, that's probably enough time. That's probably enough time for Ryan Tannenhill. I figured it would take two plays to get into field goal range, not one. I was like, that's probably enough time to get a kickoff here because the Titans are that good and the Texans are that bad and it came together. What an awesome game. The way that I was down on week 17 going into it, but I have to say the way that the late

games were all like back and forth, like you didn't, the Colts could have been anywhere from the four seed to out of the playoffs with like eight minutes left. It worked out pretty good. They gave us some good late week 17 drama. So thank you, Texans. I mean, it is an odd thing from an employment angle to be heavily tracking seven games at the same time. It may be a few more than I need on a weekly basis, but it was, you're right, Greg. It was thrilling.

And I'm just watching Mike Rable's expressions underneath the mask, but you can still sort of get, you know, a read on the eyes, watching his defense just get literally fried. But the floor for the offense is so high that I don't, I kind of have more. belief than doubt in them. They're in every game at least because of that. I'm with you, Dan, that it's hard to like see them surviving all the way. But you also figure like they're in every game. One quick thing I saw after the game was Vrable giving a big shout out to his owner who's from Houston, who ripped the team away from Houston. It's kind of an underrated Art Modell situation. So the first comment he has is given his credit to Amy Strunk Adams, who's, you know,

whose dad took the team from Houston. How about that? They go to Houston. They win the division over him to end their season, and they stick it in their nose. Are we celebrating this? I'm not. I don't like it.

I don't like it. But it's sort of like an underrated thing that like they're just allowed to dance on the team's grave that they stole away. And, you know, to finish the way the Texans did, which is what, four and 12? Did they get five or they had four? Four. Four and 12.

and what comes out of a season like that is a bedrock draft pick, hopefully. You don't even have that because, as we said, the Miami Dolphins have the number three overall pick because of the Bill O'Brien trade to get Laramie Tunzel. So just an all-around really bad season for Houston and for Tennessee. Maybe West, maybe this is because you look at the rest of the AFC and even the Steelers defense, which we've sung the praises of all year, and rightfully so.

they've had some moments of laps maybe it's going to be a wild type of playoff where the team with the most explosive superstar talent on offense just makes a run and you know the chiefs are a team that can match anyone in a shootout but i guess i shouldn't be too hard on the titans and i was a little bit earlier because the defense is that bad but the offense might be that good to shock some people yeah who wouldn't like a bananza playoff right just a scoring bonanza just take off every game bills chiefs tight Ravens, like there, there's a lot of 40 burgers in there. That was the most obvious 41-38 game ever. There was no doubt that Deshawn Watson was going to go nuts one more time, and no doubt the Tennessee Titans' defense would stink, and you knew Derek Henry was going to go absolutely mad. So a fun game to watch, even if it was, I guess, in a way, a little bit predictable. Okay.

Oh, one more thing. I got to get, because we just did the announcer power rankings, Wes, I wish you were on that show. But, and, you know, some maybe shots were taken at the certain team, Greg Gumbull and Rich Gannett. I don't think they were high up in either list for Greg and Mark. Maybe Gannon did a little bit better. He did fine. He did okay.

I think that part of it, I mean, judging them as teams, but yeah. Derek Henry, Derek Henry runs for 2,000 yards. And, I mean, it is beyond an afterthought with these guys. This is what it sounds like when Derek Henry goes over 2,000 yards. Eight player out. I love it. Second and five. This is Henry. Henry has enough for the first down at midfield.

One thing about Tennessee, they won't panic. They play to a certain style offensively. That's now, he's now over 2000, just the eighth player in NFL history to do that. Congratulations to Derek Henry. That is a season full of work. That's not easy. 372 carries to get it done. He's just a beast.

A season full of work, absolutely. I think they nailed it. The mood, the tone, the moment. It sounded like a season full of sentence. It sounded like an exhibition game is what it sounded like. And since I'm getting down on somebody, let me pull back, going back to the Browns game. And Kevin Harlan, they show Jarvis Landry on the sideline flossing for some reason, which is like an insane person would floss in the middle of a football game.

Kevin Harlan comes out of nowhere with this gem for the ages. And his dental hygiene is something to take note of kids out there. There's never a bad place to floss. Wait a minute. So, wait, so Stefan Diggs was also flossing today? Well, who, wait, who was that? I believe it was, I believe it was Stefan Diggs. I don't recall this with that.

I am sorry, Mark. I apologize. No, I just, you know, in the sake of. That he's, and that moment is like, why, what does Kevin Harlan remind me of? He's like a, he does like voiceovers for Ovalteen in 1947. He's the total package. All right. Enough of this funny business.

All right. Talked about the Titans. The Colts entered this week on the outside looking in in the playoff picture. Nearly won the damn division, and they're going to the dance. They had the Jaguars in Week 17. Rivers, all the near hash, hands off to Jonathan Taylor. Huge hole. He's at the 30. He's going to go.

10.5. Touchdown. Jonathan Taylor made a man miss the line of scrimmage. And then runs it into Peyton from 45 yards out. Touchdown. I. N-D-Y, Jonathan Taylor, have a day over 200 rushing yards. Nice call.

Matt Taylor, W-F-N-I. Forget about J-T-T, remember J-T-T-T, Jonathan Taylor Thomas? All about J-F-T, Jonathan and Taylor. Yeah. The running back capped a tour and closed to his rookie season with 253 yards, including the game-winning 45-yard score in a 2814 win over the Jaguars. The Colts clinched the seventh seed. They'll face the bills next weekend. Greg, Taylor's rise has been a game changer for Andy. I can't remember a player improving this much

within one season. He was one of the biggest busts in the first half and I think one of the best running backs in the league down the stretch. I mean, he's going to be a first round fantasy pick next year, I would imagine. And I think he... Remember a month ago when I ask you starting now whose career would you rather have? Jonathan Taylor or John. James Robinson? Yeah, now I'm taking Taylor. Without a doubt. What did I say then? Did I get it right or wrong then?

You said you got to go with Robinson. Oh, see, bad job. You got to look into the future. This guy, I mean, he... Good job, you back, Wes. Yeah. Even he changed... I mean, Robinson was out for this game.

Who knows what would happen then? It was fitting that Taylor did it because he's really what separates them right now from a hugely disappointing end to this season. What, like, what a roller coaster day for the Colts. They get the help they need early. You know, they find out the dolphins lose and that they're winning in. They get up 20 to nothing. Okay, we're going to sail to this thing. Then the Texans start blowing their game and they're starting to think, we can win the division. But right as that's happening, Mike Glennon

starts hitting 3rd and 14s, 3rd and 8s, 3rd and 9s, and the Jaguar score a couple touchdowns to cut it from 20 to 14, and the Colts offense goes to sleep just like it did a week ago, six straight possessions without a single point against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a must-win situation. That included two misfield goals by Blankenship, who's had a good year. But it was fitting that Taylor was the guy who kind of put them on their back with that run, and that DeForest Buckner and Camico Torre, who have both been good this year, but Buckner's obviously carry them, had two sacks, and Teray with a huge sack, kind of saved

them. The defense stood up at a certain point when it really felt like, wow, the Colts are going to gag this thing away. Is this how Philip Rivers' career ends? And the defense and the running game ultimately didn't let it happen. Thank God. At least I'm happy. And Darius Leonard, too. I mean, when he makes an impact, he does not do it without Flash.

And, you know, there were reports before this game that Philip Rivers basically has said, unless he's brought back to play for the Colts, he's going to hang up the cleats. and so we get one more week of Phillip Rivers. That could have been the end, and you're right. They didn't have the scores in their stadium, so they didn't know what was going on with Tennessee, but they made this far too interesting. And when I look at the AFC playoff field,

I'd have to put the cults as a team that I just struggle to believe in to the level of some of these other teams, but they find a way to win these games ugly, and if you're going to get that kind of rushing performance, who knows. They have the bills. They've got to play the bills.

It's a loaded. If they were playing the Steelers, you're thinking, okay, you know, or even the Titans who they're familiar with, but the bills, that's a tough draw. I mean, you got the Chiefs, obviously, you have the Bills, you have the Ravens, you have the Steelers, even though I know that they stumbled down the stretch. They started the season of 11 straight wins. That's a 12-win team. I think the Colts, you know, they're very good. Are they great, Wes? Do they have that next year, which you're going to need to hit to win a Super Bowl?

No, I think we've been talking about it all year They're just shy of being great Because they don't have their full complement of receivers They never had Paris Campbell healthy They never had all their young guys healthy at the same time Philip Rivers needs Jacoby Brissette in the red zone They have a complete quarterback Because he's too limited in the red zone

They're just shy of being a full team Well, and we also haven't mentioned since we've last taped, they've lost Anthony Costanzo their great left tackle for the season. He's not coming back. That wasn't their problem today. Rivers was really not bothered. But their passing game hasn't developed. I don't think it's injuries either.

You know, compared to most teams, they're relatively healthy. And they had a stretch where the passing game looked better. But when Rivers is going 6.1 yards per attempt against the Jags, he had a bad interception in the second half, could have had a couple. You never know. Maybe he comes up with one. great last playoff performance. I also wouldn't be shocked if the Colts did bring them back.

I mean, I don't know. Just knowing their history, are they sure they're going to be able to do better than Philip Rivers? Maybe not. So it might not be the end for him, but man, they avoided what would have been a regrettable gag job to end this season, having back-to-back games like that. All right. Let's move on.

And it is time. It's that time of the show. It's tag team time. Two handsome, bald gentleman on the show. but not for long because Nick Shook joins us and Chris Wessling says goodbye Wes. As always your presence lifts the show to a much higher plane

and we have nothing but love and respect for your abilities and you giving us the time today any final words. My voice is done. Shook, take it from here. You want to stick me with anything else dumb I said a month ago, West before you go?

No, actually, I asked some bombs. I asked the whole podcast that question. You were the only one who answered. Okay. See, the rest of us were like, I'm not saying anything. There you go. Chris Wessling, the king. Go rest up, my friend.

Shook, how are you, buddy? I'm fantastic. I've spent the last, what is this, five hours or so, in between watching multiple games once and all the audio from the broadcast, hearing people outside my apartment screaming with joy. It is an evening of celebration in downtown Cleveland. You'd think they won the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl here. In a way, you know, for a team that has had as much bad fortune as the Browns have since they rejoined the league, I get that. Hopefully people are doing it the smart way. How many people are in that stadium today? It looks like there's $15,000 or something or $12,000? Sounds like $50,000. They were letting more people in there.

It was 12,000. I saw some guy tweet at Joe Thomas. He was like, come on out. You know, the bars are open only for three more hours. I'm like, Joe, please don't go to the bar. bars. I will turn a blind eye this one time to you go do whatever you need to do, Cleveland, right outside Chook's window. All right, Chucky. So congratulations to you on the Browns. You are doing yeoman's work this week because we're going to take kind of a brief pause from the playoff

implication level games in the AFC before we get to the AFC to fill in the rest of the margins of week 17. Two more games, three more games, excuse me, to hit the AFC. Let's start with what went down in Denver. Two point attempt. Car looks left, fire. Got it. Waller. Jackpot, baby.

Jackpot. Raiders 32. Broncos 31. 24 seconds for Drewlock. Add up, baby. Gruden. Add up, baby. Roll those dice.

Listen, Brent Musburger, that man, it's not a young man anymore. To have that level of vigor. For a meaningless week's 17 tilt, That was a nice hire by the Las Vegas Raiders. Musburger, KRLV. Yes, Josh Jacobs plunged in from one yard out to get the Raiders close.

And Derrickard and Darren Waller converted on that two-point conversion in the final second, securing a 32-31 win over the Broncos mark. 30 points in the fourth quarter alone by these two teams. Sounds like a fun, dumb game to close out a disappointing season for the A&C. West Robles. Yeah, fun and dumb would be accurate. I really want to thank the Raiders for going for the two-year. point conversion there versus taking this into overtime, which could have gone on for another 25 minutes or so. No human needed that. I mean, the Raiders, this was kind of every Raiders game.

Like Jerry Judy of the Broncos, we said, you know, we saw what happened against the Chargers last week, drop prone, horrible performance. You'd think that would be the note that you go into the offseason with. It's the Raiders defense, so they get right. Jerry Judy had a 92-yard touchdown that, you know, looked like it could have been the game winner. And then Oakland came back. Oakland at one point had three turnovers and five snaps. You get a little bit of good from Derek Carr. You get enough from Derek Carr. Again, I'm not trying to read what's going on with some of these coaches,

but Gruden underneath the mask looked absolutely steamed at Derek Carr at points in this game. But their issues are on defense. They did enough on offense to get this thing done. You know, two teams with a ton of questions. I don't know if either starting quarterback is the starting quarterback next year. Wow. Well, I mean, I don't know. Now we're putting Derek Carr in the same class as Drew Locke.

I know we put a lot of heat on Derek Carr in this podcast, but now we're getting crazy. I'm not putting them in the same class. I just think that, like, there's something, and this is just in the water. I think it's been that way the whole time. I don't get the sense that Gruden is thinking, we're good at quarterback. I think that, you know, today kind of advertised why, you know, Derek Carr is a quality starter, but is he going to get you over the hump? And at what point do they look at somewhere else?

Well, how about this? How about from this perspective? You also like him a lot more than I do, and there's just no bridging that gap. He's fine. I guess I defend him because I think he's a little better than he gets credit for it, but he is not great by any stretch. You could probably do better than him if you hit on a quarterback in the draft or maybe even one of these veterans that shake free.

But if I'm looking at the Raiders, if I'm Mike Mayock and John Gruden, and I'm like, how do I fix this team? I'm going to the defensive side of the ball before I go replace the quarterback. That just me. Well, if they knew how to do that, they would have done something. He's been there three years. So, I mean, they certainly have to keep trying. All I could think watching the end of this game is Andy Reid,

I mean, I know he wasn't, you know, free to be watching on TV. But if he was, he should just be thinking, man, this is a nice division to be in. These coaches just bungling these, like they were, you know, Vic Fangio and Groot. It's like, this is how Belichick had it. Wow, what a setup. Right. Like, he basically was looking and be like, are you guys doing an Anthony Lynn impression on purpose?

Like, are you trying to lose this game with the time management? It was crazy going back and for that. I was losing my mind. Fangio took a time out at one point that allowed the Raiders to completely climb. I was thinking, you know, and all these games had these moments, like Greg's head would explode. You were watching it. Gruden took his headset off with 12 seconds left and potentially like three more snaps for the Broncos. He just decided, you know what, I'm just not even going to, I'm not even going to be involved with the strategic decisions for the rest of this game.

I'm just like done with this season, which, you know, we've all been. Maybe it's not car and it's not the defense. It could be the head coach, but I know you love him as well, Dan, so I will get off my, my, no, that's not true either. I don't love John Gruden. I don't know. I think he's a fun personality, but there's no sense debating whether John Gruden should be the right head coach, because he's going to be the head coach, because he's a 10-year contract, and he's, I think, entering, just finishing year three. That doesn't make it right, but you are correct that that is the case. All right.

Let's move on. A hand off to Michelle coming to the near side, flips it back. to Myers. He's going to throw it to the right for Cam Newton. Makes the catch at the seven. Inside the five, into the end zone. Touchdown Patriots on the second TD toss by Jacoby Myers. Best throw all day right there. Bob Sochi, of course, Scott Zolak goes out on a high note, WBZ. Cam Newton threw three touchdown passes and caught another, and the Patriots rallied to beat the Jets.

2814. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Pats. And that's 10 straight wins over the Jets. So everybody else gets healthy against the Pats, not the Jets. Shook, this is the end of the road, though, for the Patriots, and that's a new reality. Yeah, it's a new reality, and it's an uncertain reality. And this is going to be the second straight off season in which they go into it, not really knowing what their situation is going to be a quarterback. The difference is, is last year it was, well, Tom Brady either comes back or we figure something out.

Now it's, do we want Cam Newton back or do we look somewhere else? because I think we've learned enough from what they've done with Jared Stidham or not done with him this year to really tell us what we think or what they think about him. And Cam goes out on a strong note, at least for this season, and maybe gives you some consideration for bringing him back. I mean, it's sparkling passer rating 242 yards, three touchdowns, all that good stuff. But again, it is the Jets. And unlike last week, the Jets couldn't hold on to their early lead that stretched into the second half.

But, you know, there's no better way, I think, to come back in a game than by scoring and then getting an interception after you threw a touchdown pass to your quarterback and then scoring two more touchdowns and putting a game that you were trailing in against a bad team away and going to the offseason at 7 and 9 and not really knowing what the hell your team is going to be next year other than the guys that you're going to get back who opted out this year. So it's a weird reality. It's definitely not one that we associate with that Flying Elvis logo on the side of their helmets.

Well, Belichick was really annoyed after the game about what he thought was a report from Adam Schaefter that they were, you know, that they were moving on from Kim Newton. And it got to the point where I think Mike Reese, he certainly clarified on Twitter, I think he might have done it on the call, actually saying no, Adam Schaefter didn't really report that was like one of those games of telephone, that Schaefter was just kind of in a conversation thinking that, you know, saying he doesn't think the Patriots are going to keep him, then it gets passed along as some report when it wasn't a report. And like, Belichick was spitting fire.

He's like, well, why don't you go ask your anonymous sources, you know, who are a quarterback is next year trying to stand up for cam he has appreciated cam all year um i don't think that was phony like cam won the good guy you award from the media there like you know they all they all like they all like the experience but i can't imagine cam's going to be back we have the whole off season this game doesn't matter seven and nine that just felt like it felt like this was a seven and nine patriots team all along and that's like right where they ended up that's where they are seven and and Belichick will decide who his quarterback is. We don't know who the Jets quarterback is in 2021,

but it won't be Adam Gase that has anything to do with that decision. It just came down a few minutes ago. The New York Jets, let's get some missive music here, Ricky. The New York Jets informed Adam Gase that his time with the franchise is over. Here's what Christopher Johnson, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. Our strong finish last year was encouraging, but unfortunately we did not sustain that positive momentum or see the progress we expected this season. To our fans, it is obvious we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization on and off the field and will continue to provide the necessary resources to feel the team that you can be proud of.

It has been a long time since I've been proud of a Jets football team. It's been 10 years. In fact, it, you can stop that now. In fact, it's no longer his miss if it's now mine. In fact, now that the Browns are in the playoffs and the bucks are in the playoffs, no team in the NFL is on a longer playoff drought than the Jets. And they have to do something big this offseason. We have to see how it's all going to play out.

It starts, though, and I sincerely believe this, not with the number two overall pick. And that got a little bit more interesting with what Justin Fields did in the college football playoff over the weekend. but with the head coach. They need to hit on this head coach and get an adult in the building, a CEO-type dude who knows how to run an organization and can work alongside Joe Douglas and Joe Douglas, the GM, needs to be the guy that picks who the head coach is.

They need to be on the same page. And they want to keep the structure in place where the ownership is, you know, the GM and the coach report to the owner, fine. But give Joe Douglas the power to choose who this guy is. that's how you get this thing off on the right foot. It can go in any direction in terms of who they go with, whether it's an Eric B. Enemy type or an Arthur Smith or someone from college. I don't really care.

I don't have a strong feeling on who it is. I just need it to be someone that, again, can handle this job and everything that comes with it because that was Adam Gates, amongst his many failures, was his inability to handle the job in the locker room with players with the media. and even starting with this opening press conference, which goes down in the annals of New York sports for how funny it was to people.

They need to be better. Enough is enough. Get this right. I don't know if I trust ownership to just be letting Joe Douglas make the decision. You shouldn't. Nobody should trust Jets' ownership after what's happened this last decade. But I'm hoping maybe they've learned some lessons from the gays hire, which obviously was a disaster.

from start to finish. Another way to look at it. All right. I feel like we usually do the thing where we kind of like read an obituary and go over like what the coaching tenure. I feel like we've done that four times at least with Gase. Like we've written his obituary like six times.

Yeah, this is probably the least surprising firing that happened immediately after a game in the last five years. In NFL history, maybe, yeah. For sure. All right, let's keep rolling. The Chargers and the Chiefs. and meaningless. Listen to the grittiness of Nick Shook's Cleveland neighborhood. It sounds like the fantasy corner of some degree.

It's like Gotham City or something. That's like a fire truck. Well, it doesn't help that I'm like right across the street from like the justice center for downtown. You're going to be up late tonight, I predict. There's a, yeah, the people of Cleveland, please. They're out in the streets. They're just going wild. Are you looking?

What are you doing? Yeah, I mean, I'm not near a window. I mean, this room's surrounded by windows, but I would have to stand up and walk away from the camera to look at this. But, yeah, they're out there. They're out there. All right. Let's keep rolling. Let's head to Arrowhead. Herbert.

Play action again. Sets his feet. Money. Heads his feet. Money. With the heave, left sideline. Mike Williams caught. Touchdown Chargers.

Yes, Matt Money Smith, of course. With the call to the Chargers Radio Network, Justin Herbert capped a glorious rookie season with three touchdown passes, leading the Chargers to a 3821 win over the Patrick Mahomes' less chiefs. shook. The both end the season on a four-game winning streak. And, you know, that combined with the brilliance of Herbert's debut season, it makes you think that Anthony Lynn is going to be safe at the end. Yeah, you know, I think if they didn't have quarterback figured out at this point, it might be a little less stable. And you kind of have to discount the win today. I know the

chiefs are obviously the number one seed of the AFC, but not having Patrick Holmes is a big deal and it affects a game like that. But I think the fact that they have quarterback figured out answers a really big question for them. And they have a core roster-wise. When you look at their starting lineup on both sides of the ball, I think really defensively more than offensively, that you could say, well, this is a team that should compete, but that's also been the story of this team for the last two years. We've talked so much about how they lost nine of 11 games last year by one possession.

They lose close games again this year because they're still kind of out of sorts. We just discussed that, you know, in relation to the Broncos and the Raiders. So I think it does give him, you know, a little bit of a boost in sticking around. and I have a weird feeling that the Chargers aren't going to be about making a change because of this type of result and because of Herbert's play as a rookie. But I'm not really convinced. I mean, I need it to be proven to me in a close game. If he does keep his job next year, they finally turned a corner because at this point, I know this is kind of a negative take on this, but I'm kind of tired of just making excuses or thinking, well, but if, but it feels like what Browns fans used to do with their team. Well, they won this, they almost beat this team and you win this game and you win this game.

The situation turns out a lot different. that's not enough for me, but they do have quarterback figured out, which is, you know, that's a really positive sign. I mean, Jay Glazer this morning went in the other direction and reported that Lynn was not expected to be safe. I mean, TBD, but I don't think it's totally decided. And, you know, in his argument, they've missed 109 starts by players that should have been starters for them this year, which is among the highest in the NFL. And you're right, Nick, it feels like every year we're talking about Chargers injuries. Just to me, it's a case study in how different organizations proceed because I don't, I want to be convinced that if they keep Lynn, it's because they truly think that Lynn is the best coach for the job versus we're an organization that doesn't want to pay fired coaches while hiring another one. All right.

Let's move on to Detroit where the Vikings and Lions finished out their slate. Burke back to pass, nine seconds to go, throws left. It's caught by Beebe, bounces off two lions, ten. Ten-five. Touchdown! A 40-yard touchdown for Chad Beebe, who, like a pinball in a pinball machine, bounced off a couple of bumpers wearing Honolulu Blue for the second touchdown of his career. And for Kirk, he has three, which means he's thrown the second-most touchdowns in a season in the history of Vikings football, and we have taken the lead. Paul Allen, KF-A-N with the call.

A meaningless week 17 game against the Detroit defense? It's Kirk Cousins' Domination Time, baby. Cousins threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score, pass for 405. Total. And the 39-37 win, Minnesota finishes 7-09, Detroit 5 and 11. Shook, what are the positives that take out of the season for the Vikings? Number one positive that you can't ignore is the fact that you found your replacement for Stefan Diggs and a bona fide number one receiver in Justin Jefferson.

That's the greatest trade perhaps in the history of the NFL. in terms of how it worked out for both sides. I like that thing. He's been awesome this year. He's going to be awesome because what makes him good is going to continue. It's not the fact that he's necessarily a burner. He's a fast guy, but he's a complete route runner, even at his age. And it's only going to continue to get better.

Kirk Cousins has made the most, I think, or at least established a relationship with him on the field where you think that they can reach new heights as the seasons go on. And, of course, you have Dauvin Cook and the offensive side of the ball. Now, the defensive side of the ball is where they need to get. get better. This was a season of change for them. They had a lot of different personnel, a lot of different moving parts coming in and out of Minnesota, a lot of veterans that they relied on who left. They had to turn to young guys at corner Cam Dancer being one, Jeff Gladney being another. So I know they kept their safeties intact, but I guess we shouldn't be

entirely surprised by the fact that they weren't this good. They need to get off to a better start and maybe we're talking about a better team going forward and maybe that happens in 2021. I saw some comments from the Lions, you know, beat guys. It really feels like Matthew Stafford's, you know, in his pressers have almost been like saying goodbye to Detroit. He's like opening up more than he ever is. He's sort of putting his whole tenure there into context. You're seeing his media buddies like Dan Orlovsky make the case aggressively that he needs to be out. I don't think any of this is a mistake.

I think Stafford wants out or is hoping that he gets out. And we don't need to go over it now because I want to get to the good games. But I think it's coming. I think it's coming. One little lion's nugget. There are reports that Detroit is going to make. Your cadence, Greg, when you're trying to move the show along, it just like speeds up and they're on,

I don't know, da-da-da-da. There are reports that Detroit is going to chase Seahawks general manager John Schneider. Yeah, Ian got that one. Stay tuned. That would be interesting. That would be a heck of a coup, I think, for them. And, yeah, it's been all over the breadcrumbs on this.

I agree with you, Greg. Matthew Stafford. the fact that he played in that game today, and I know he's a tough dude, but with all the injuries, it felt like a guy that wanted to go out with one more game with Detroit. We'll see on the field.

What happened? Shook, you've come, you've survived. I don't know if the building you're in is going to survive. What's happening in Cleveland right now? I almost worry about the city if they win a playoff game, but for now it appears that you're safe and we thank you for giving us excellent work as the sixth man of the year.

That's why Greg agreed that you should be named the pipe. No, we did not. No, I called, I said, let's just go sixth van or whatever. I don't know, but pipe is not, is not good. You know what's funny about that, Dan? We talked about this. My profile picture on Slack for the last four years has been a picture of J.R.

Smith walking downtown next to my little sister during the Cavas Parade. So it fits, it fits. But about worrying about the state of the city if the Browns went up a playoff game, they're not going to have a home playoff game, so we don't have to worry about that, at least not this year. All right. Well said. Not the guy you want next to your sister.

I wouldn't think, you know. No, she was like 15. That's all right. Hopefully. Well, we hope. And, you know, we're just, you know, it doesn't. And, you know, you better treat Nick shook's sister well in general because Nick shook will be coming after you if you ever do her dirty.

See? It's all out there, Nick. There he goes. The pipe is off. Let's now head over to the NFC playoff relevant games, starting right at the top where the number one seed was up for grabs, at least until the packers were done with the bears. Rogers, looking at the players. over the defense, and third down.

Third and about four, snapped to Rogers blitz on. Rogers lofts it. Deep down the middle, got him in out there. It's MVS, and he is gone. 10-5 end zone. Touchdown. Green Bay Packers, 72 yards. You know, I think that was Wayne Larravey, WTMJ.

Aaron Rogers, I believe, finished with 47 touchdowns this year. He'd have probably 59 if MVS caught. most of the wide open bombs thrown his way this year. He dropped another one today, but he did catch that one. That 72-yard strike from Aaron Rogers that put the Packers in control. They cruised to a 35-16 win. Yes, they clinched the number one seed in the NFC. They will have an open round next week.

They will not play. They have the buy. And then they will host the lowest seed remaining in the divisional round. And if they get out of that round, yes, they will host the NFC title game. The Packers have gone 13 and 3 now in each of Matt Will Floor's first two seasons on the sideline. Pretty damn good. And Aaron Rogers enters the playoffs, boys, playing at a level that approaches the highest of highs in his legendary career. Yeah, I think getting a game without David Bacteari under their belts, especially, you know, matched up against Cleo Mac in this, you know, solid pass rush.

and doing what they needed to do, I think it'll be good for their confidence. I mean, it's Rick Wagner and Billy Turner, two guys who are pretty disappointing elsewhere, like free agent pickups, and it's really all about the system, and it's Rogers making them look better because their offensive line is great,

and they're going to miss Bactiari, but to be able to put up 35 and ultimately pull away from the Bears says a lot. And I think the NFC is still very balanced. I don't think they're huge favorites, here. But I know, I think they'll be rooting on the bears next week and hope for this rematch, you know, because then they'd get the bears again. And it should be said, just to be clear, David Bacteari, they're all pro left tackle. He blew out his knee in practice on Thursday. That

happened after we recorded. That's what Greg's referring to. I mean, these stadiums with, you know, very few or no fans, what makes up a home field advantage? I think we'd all agree that a team like the Bucks or the Rams having to go into, you know, sub-minus temperatures, is a mess. And part of it is the way that we see Green Bay play in the snow as if there are no elements at all. And I think Matt LaFleuror, you know, last year I think I was on the record saying that 13 and 3 didn't look like 13 and 3 to me.

I totally believe in this team in the NFC right now. And I think that his two-year span of coaching is massively under the radar. It's almost like it's been normalized or people are just bored with it or it's not a talking point. I mean, you're getting Aaron Rogers playing right now at a level that, it's going to take something rather remarkable to shake them up. I mean, yeah, like losing your left tackle is huge. But every team is dealing with something like this somewhere.

And can they overcome it? I don't love their defense, but yes, they can. This NFC side of the board is nothing close to the AFCs. We can lift up teams like the Rams and fill in the blank, but the Packers have an easier course than almost any AFC team would. This is an interesting game, too, because you look at the final score 3516. Oh, blowout, just like we all predicted,

which is why all three of us locked up the Packers. It just felt like Green Bay with a lot to play for was going to bring the Bears down to Earth who were on a three-game winning streak, but it was against three of the worst defenses of football. It kind of played out that way. But this was also a game that was 2116 with 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter

and Chicago has the ball. the drop by Valdez Scantling that I referred to came in the third quarter. It was as bad as bad gets, the worst drop you'll see by any guy this season. It would have put the game essentially on life support. Instead, Aaron Rogers takes a sack on third down after that. They have to punt it away. And the bears go on a 15-play, 51-yard drive that takes up over eight minutes of the clock. And it ends on fourth and one at the Green Bay 25 with an incompletion.

from Trubisky to Alan Robinson. That's an Adam Gase special, 15 for 51, but nothing. And after that turnover on downs, which again, chewed up more than half a quarter of game time, Chicago's defense gave up touchdown, Mitch Trubisky interception, Green Bay touchdown, game over. So I don't know what the bears are going to do going forward. It's an interesting situation because Trubisky obviously played a lot better once he got his job back. But I would, sometimes we put too much into Week 17. and by we, I mean, decision makers in the league.

But I think Bears' management, if they are thinking of giving Trubisky another chance on this team, should look very closely at this game compared to the other three games. Because once the competition rose up, he was not able to play at the same level he was earlier this month. Well, and they'll have next week's game against the Saints to look at, and that defense might find a way to solve Mitch Trubisky, too. I mean, I don't know who should be making those decisions. I wouldn't allow the GM to be making any of them. And we don't know that for sure,

although there was a report Nagy is expected to be back, which makes me think Ryan Pace, the GM is going to be back. I think making it to the playoffs will matter with this ownership, which is not known as the most active ownership in the world. Well, also known as a sleep at the wheel. Well, that's one way to put it. You know who wasn't asleep at the wheel? Oh, Dan, Hansis, who had Aaron Rogers getting that all pro.

I will recognize now. It would be stunning if he did not win. MVP and first team all pro and you you just mentioned lafleur and that got me thinking you know mark these voters send in their votes this week it's like i think it's you know it's due wednesday or thursday something like that it's before the playoff games in the way the season ended for miami who would have been my pick um for brian flores i think he still would i i would go floris in the way it ended for green bay i you know i think sean peyton will get some votes stefansky'll get some votes i think lefleur will get some votes. It's pretty unpredictable, but it wouldn't shock me if Lafleur ends up winning that

award. Sure. And it would be well earned. I mean, it's unbelievable, 26 and 6 to start his career in the regular season. They won a playoff game last year, got wiped out in the NFC title game. The way the NFC sets up, and we'll get to the playoff picture at the end of the show, you can definitely make the case for the Packers going back to the Super Bowl, something they've fallen short on 10 years in a row. it'll be interesting to see what happens. Now, one of those other superpowers in the NFC is the Saints. They entered Sunday hoping for a chance to swipe that number one overall seed, but they needed help to do it.

But first, they had to take care of the Panthers. Grease fakes the handoff, looks to throw over the middle. Touchdown! Right down the center of the field. Zach Streif, WW, Drew Breeze threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints had five interceptions. Teddy Bridgewater benched by Matt Rul. and New Orleans defeated the Carolina Panthers, 33 to 7.

That locks New Orleans into the number two seed. And the Saints, yes, will host the seventh seeded Chicago Bears in next week's wild card round. Feels like a nice setup for the Saints. I'm going to lock it up. Oh, wait, wrong show. Hold up on that, hold off on that, but I already like where you're going with that. Yes, the Saints were rocked by COVID madness in the days leading up to this game. they lost their or most of their entire running back room.

But an elite team like the Saints, they adapt and then they thrive. So no Alvin Camara, no Latavius Murray. All right, enter Ty Montgomery, who ran for 105 yards on 18 carries to get the Saints their 12th win. They swept the NFC South. That has never happened before. How about that? The NFC South, which is famously, at least until recent year, has been this ping pong type division where nobody had even won back-to-back titles in the first 20-some-odd years of its existence,

where I guess it would be less than that, about 15 years initially. Now the Saints have taken control of this division, and you're feeling good about them during the playoffs, right, Mark? Oh, absolutely, and I think you nailed it. The versatility to overcome losing Camaro and the rest. I mean, you weren't playing a playoff team today, but that doesn't matter. I mean, like, you know, that's no small thing to lose a position group. The way that they fought through that.

And, you know, I look at someone like Emmanuel Sanders who, without Mike Thomas, once again, nine catches today, 63 yards in a touchdown. Not huge numbers, but he's had a couple weeks like that where he stepped up. And they found a way as much as any team in the league, I think, to mask over star players not being in the lineup, whether it's Breeze or Mike Thomas, fill in the blank. They're extremely balanced. Their defense is super concerning in the NFC if you're going to have to deal with them. And, you know, I would love to see them have this, you know, final trip with Drew Breeze in the postseason, because I presume it will be.

In New Orleans, they're going to have to go on the road at some point. But this team is, this team is a tough out. And I think that you have to look at the way that they've, three years in a row lost heartbreaking playoff losses. That breaks franchises. That breaks teams. But the combination of Sean Payton, Breeze, and the rest of this team is different. Right. I'm so fascinated by this team. I love the narratives. I mean, you said it out. I mean, I just love the spot they're at. It's so unique. It's one of the best four-year runs any organization has had the last two decades. The only other teams that you could possibly throw in there would be, you know, the Patriots who, you know, made, you know, in one, three Super Bowls in those four years, the Seahawks who, you know, were into Super Bowls in one, one. The chiefs of the last four years, you know, who have a chance to go back in 1-1 and an AFC championship game,

Saints have like two lame playoff wins to show for it. And they have a Hall of Fame quarterback in his last year. And they have this class of 2017 rookie group that's entering their contract years. Camara got re-signed, but you got Lattimore and Hendrickson. Everything's blowing up here after the year. It's definitely going to be a lot different. There's just a lot on this team. But I like how they're coming into the playoffs,

especially their lines, their offensive line can take over. And you never know. The two seed matters, Mark, because you say they're going to have to go on the road eventually. You know, not if the Packers losing the divisional round. That's what they got to hope for there. And I think getting that two seed does matter because it means the Saints, if they can beat the Bears, get another home game in the divisional round, and that's big. Yeah, Sean Payton has done such a great job this season,

navigating through everything, including a slow start, especially by the defense, and then the Drew Brie's injury and then handling the Taysom Hill situation and James Winston to get to 12 and 4. Again, I mean, the guy just knows what he's doing, like him or not. The Carolina Panthers finished 5 and 11. After the game, Matt Rule, he didn't put it, he didn't label it an outright benching of Teddy Bridgewater. He said that he felt that Bridgewater was lacking velocity on his throws because he had an ankle injury earlier in the game, which is why he, he made the decision to bring in his backup. And it was a disaster for PJ Walker who came in and was intercepted three times.

So the Panthers, I think that's the one other big story for them. They obviously are a team that's rebuilding and it's going to be on rule and whoever the new GM is to figure out what the quarterback room is going to look like. You get the feeling it might look very different. I think it'll just be Teddy and a rookie, you know, just because Teddy's guaranteed so much money next year and it just makes sense for them to add to add a rookie they're they're going to be in the top 10 picks they've asked to interview patriots personnel head nick casario which would be a very interesting hire if that were to go down pairing him with rule i like that i would like that move

um it's i i like i like this season from the panthers i do i also like that the saints were so unlucky that they somehow didn't get a buy they're like the first number two seed you know in the NFC to not get a buy. All right. Let's continue to move, heading over to San Francisco, where the Seattle Seahawks harbored slim hopes of being the number one seed in the NFC. Let's see how their day turned out. So here we go.

The turn in hand, Collins, this time. Inside the 10, inside the five, he dives. Touchdown. Seahawks. So back us up five, it doesn't matter. Collins is going to punch it in for you anyway. Steve Rayble, K-I-R-O with the call. Alex Collins ran for eight-yards.

An eight-yard score, Russell Wilson, through two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks rally with 26-23 win over the Niners. They end 12 and 4, the Seahawks with a four-game winning streak. But they are locked in at the number three seed because of the Saints and Packers winning. The Seahawks will host the rival Rams in the wide. wild card round next weekend. Mark, how good do you feel about the Seahawks after today's game? I'm concerned about their offense. It's almost like a flip-inverse relation to where they were

earlier in the year where the offense was, we watched it through the air. We had Russell Wilson pegged as a potential MVP because of how they were allowing him to play and how D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were playing. And the defense was all the concern. I mean, Lockett today, set a Seattle Seahawks record for receptions in a season. D.K. Metcalfe set a franchise record for yardage in a season, but a lot of that has to do with the compiled numbers from earlier on. This team had 109 yards at the start of the fourth quarter. They couldn't run the ball. And it took a very typical Seahawks finish of the two Tyler Lockett touchdowns and the Alex Collins dash for a score. I mean, they came up late in a game

where, you know, and I would put this a little bit into, it's a divisional game against Kyle Shanahan and Robert Sala, who I thought, again, it's been weeks in a row, coaching lights out, made things real tough for Seattle. Seattle made things tough for the Niners in the opposite way. Just sort of a typical NFC West beat down. And, you know, this Niners team, they keep flashing to the box up in the sky where like seven-star players are not in the game.

I mean, they're doing with nobody. And Seattle, you know, they work themselves out of a funk to some degree. Do I trust them right now? My trust in them is a lot lower than it was a couple weeks ago. The one other thing I'd add is that Jamal Adams, who played really well today, he got, he injured his shoulder, and Pete Carroll basically said, look, we're not, we feel like he can play. That will be decided in full next week. But, you know, that's something to monitor.

But they feel like he didn't, he avoided a major injury, at least. Six points in their first seven drives. You know, Russ had 101 yards in his first 24 attempts. Now, part of it I do think you're right is because they're in the division. And these teams, they know each other. I think they've got to beat a little bit on what Seattle does. But guess what? They're in the division next week against a team that they just played two weeks ago,

whose defense made Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense look just as bad until they finally broke midway through the fourth quarter last week. So it's weird that the NFC West is actually the closest thing to the old NFC. East or AFC North. They're like the last division, defensive division kind of left. And it doesn't make any sense. But that's where the Rams and the Seahawks and the 49ers at least are right now. This doesn't feel like it's trending in a good direction for the Seahawks.

I agree that Adams injury will see how serious it is, but it's a shoulder injury. And he came right out of the game with it. He's obviously the key to that defense. And the offense has just been going in the wrong direction for weeks now. And you have Brandon Staling, that Rams defense. That feels like it sets up well. Now, we'll see if it's John Walford or Jared Goff and we'll get into all that this week. But that 12 and 4 record for Seattle and the division title, all positive and a really nice season.

But it is that the offense is disappearing act on some level in the second half that really would have me most worried if I'm supporting Seattle. Especially with the possible defenses that they're going to be facing, the Rams and then potentially the St. Then again, we've seen teams flip the switch. They've got to be happy they got back to this point with Russell Wilson once again and all these veterans. They're in good position. Speaking of the Rams and John Wolford. He's hit as he throws.

It's tipped. It is caught. It is intercepted. Troy Hill at the 20. Down the left sideline. He hits midfield and cuts to his right in his space. Troy Hill at the 20. Troy Hill up the 10.

Stumbling to pay dirt. A pick six to end the half. Oh, J.B. Long, the great J.B. Long with the call for KSPN. Troy Hill picked off a pass from Chris Struffler and took him 84 yards to the house. That was the defining play in the Rams 18 to 7 win over the Cardinals and a game that prominently featured backup quarterbacks. Greg, John Wolford, did pretty solid work in place of Jared Goff, accepting that opening interception. And Kyler Murray will now have plenty of time to heal up what looked like. like a pretty banked up. Yeah, it was disappointing that the Cardinal season ends, you know,

essentially with Kyler Murray, injuring his ankle on the first drive of the game. He takes a sack his ankle bends backward, awkwardly. He's been struggling. And Streveller comes in there. And it's the battle of the backups. But I kind of thought it was a battle of the coaches, too. And I would have said going into this game, Sean McVeigh had it all over, Cliff Kingsbury. I'm a little down on Cliff. And I definitely think coming out of this game, Sean McVeigh has it all over Cliff Kingsbury. He didn't know he was going to have his backup quarterback,

to be fair to Kingsbury. But, you know, they had nothing. The Cardinals' offense did. They had 56 yards late in the third quarter. It was a tough matchup. Whereas the Rams were moving the ball. They were dominating this thing. It's weird that it took that pick six

to get them finally into the lead. But Wolford looked good. McVeigh, you know, had him comfortable. It was an aggressive game. They could not run the ball at all. And they pretty much put it on Wolford's arm. And despite throwing a ghastly interception on his very first throw, and you thought, oh, my God, this is going to be a disaster.

I thought he played great after that. He did a lot of next level stuff with his legs and with his arm. Did you say next level? Yeah. I mean, here's what. I mean, above the level he was at before. No, I mean, like, next level, like, quality quarterbacking stuff. Like multiple times they hit third and long throwing it where he threw past the sticks.

Multiple times he went through his progressions and got to his second or third read. And then with his legs, you know, he was the leading rusher in the game. He outgained the entire Cardinals team. And he picked up, you know, a couple third and longs with his legs. So that was next level for a backup quarterback next level. That mattered too because the Rams are banged up in their backfield. They can't do what they were able to do a month ago with, you know, guys out of the lineup. up and he had 56 yards, Welford.

And our friend Jason Zumwalt, a friend of the show, who is a Cardinals fan, so not happy. But he texted us, Dan and I early in the game, suggesting that Wulford was essentially just a clone of Sean McVeigh, that he's just sort of Sean McVe's body and face in a helmet. And it looks just like Sean McVey decided, I've had enough of Jared Gough, I'm going to put myself out there. I could see it. And I don't know what, yeah, we'll find out. Jared Gough, of course, had surgery on his thumb. expected to play. They actually had tape of him throwing the ball quite well in pregame where I was like, wow, could he play? Because they had him throwing at 25 yards on the field. You said he's not

expected to play? He is. He is expected to play, I think, you know, based on what Jim Nance got from McVeigh. And based on the video, they showed, I was like, wow, Gough was kind of spinning it today already. Interesting. All right. So the Rams back in the dance, third time in four years under Sean McVeigh. sorry about that mark and we now i am i am not against that at all i'm you're very thrilled for them that could be it by the way for uh larry fitzgerald and patrick peterson in arizona i think that was it was a sad way to end fitzgerald it wasn't even healthy enough to play today woof all right let's uh head to tampa brady looking looking looking flushed those of all fight over receiver it's caught by antonio brown flagstone brown will score a touchdown

Tampa Bay. Touchdown Tampa Bay Buccaneers. See what the flag's all about. Fire the cannons anyway. We got plenty of gunpowder. This is the season finale. Yeah. Gene Ducker Huff. WF.U.S.

with a great call. Tom Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdown. This is Tom Brady. It's 2020. Helping the playoff-bound bucks clinch the fifth seat in the NFC, 44 to 27. They whoop up on Falcons who aren't so youngy under Rahim Morse anymore. That's four straight wins for the Bucks.

They will get the NFC East champion on the road next weekend. Greg, Tampa Bay is right where it wants to be as second season beckons. They are because they're like an offense first team that is just rolling. They lost Mike Evans during this game to a knee injury that Bruce Ariens said after the game, they're hopeful is not that serious. I don't know what that means, you know, reading... He got carded. Yeah.

Well, there were reports that he did not have structural damage, so... Reading between the lines, it might be a ligament strain, which could be anywhere from your back or a couple weeks. We'll see, because they're going to do more tests. But the crazy thing is, like, you don't miss Mike Evans that much when Antonio Brown comes in and has his best game as a buck, gets a couple touchdowns, goes well over 100 yards, 11 catches. Chris Godwin does the same.

Rob Grankowski, you know what? We gave him them grief about Gronk looks better than he's ever looked and like, no, that's not true. Man, he does look a lot faster right now. Oh, so you're saying that the coach and the quarterback, who is the greatest quarterback of all time, actually know how to assess their own tight end, which we laughed at mere days ago.

I still laughed at it because he's not. not the same guy he was it's not there are two different ways to look at yeah i don't think he's better but they threw a screen for him today where he had juice running it that i i really don't think he had even four or five weeks ago he look he only had two for 29 in this game but they they didn't get stopped the the the the falcons did not stop the bucks except for one possession in the entire game and that one possession that they stopped them was off a perfect throw from tom brady to scotty Miller that went right in Miller's bread basket that just bounced up in the air and they got an interception. That's how like unconscious they are on offense right now. The Falcons put up a great

fight. It was 30 to 27 pretty late in this game and they had been matching them score for score. And it was just like you weren't going to, they would have scored 80 points if they got more possessions. And don't forget what the Falcons, a feisty falcons defense did to the Chiefs seven days ago. I mean, this isn't a totally lost team. They're playing hard for Morris. And so This buck's offense, this is weeks in a row now, where, like, I, you know, you have to strip away doubts and just sort of wonder what their heights are. This is going to be the buck's first postseason game in 13 years. And it needs to be said, you know, the paths finish seven and nine. They're going home.

Tom Brady ends his first season in Tampa with 40 touchdown passes. And I know we are in a pass happy NFL world, but that is an amazing season for a 43-year-old man. And there were some peaks and valleys, of course, for the Bucs to season on offense. But Brady played 16 games and ends with 40 touchdowns. The Bucks are getting, for what was it, two years and 50 million, whatever that deal was, worth every penny for what he has brought to this organization. And now they're going to be playing January football that matters. That's a big deal.

Unbelievable. Got to respect. Listen, I am a torture Jets fan, Greg. But you know what? I love that Tom Brady gets out of New England. and I get to appreciate him like other people on the outside just for what he's been able to do. Because you look at what he was doing at the end of his New England run. It looked like a guy in decline.

And he's still, he's not the same guy who was six or seven years ago. But this has been a really special year. And I think you would have, like, that's the thing. It says more about where the Patriots offense was at. Look, I don't think Tom Brady in New England would have been that much better this year. That was the worst, you know, set of characters in the entire NFL. Like, I think that would have probably been a disaster, maybe a slightly better disaster than 7 and 9.

But I don't think they would have made the playoffs with Tom Brady. He's the best 43-year-old player of all time. I mean, it's not even close. He was a top 10 quarterback this year. Even at a diminished level, he is a top 10 quarterback. And when you say right now his arm in certain ways is as good as it's been all year, I mean, his deep passing is stronger over the last three weeks than it was at any point in the season for the most part. And they got a nice setup with the schedule here in terms of the playoffs.

And one thing to keep in mind, their defense, not playing as well, but they were without three starters, including Devin White and JPP because of COVID. But those players, like some of the Browns players, are uncertain for next week, depending on the timing of when they come off the COVID list. So that's going to be something we're tracking. All right. Let's wrap up by spinning through the carnage of the NFC East. Let's start in the Meta Lens. Third and goal at the 17 of the Giants. Dalton back to throw.

Nobody's open. He slides to his left now. He sidearms it into the end zone, and it's intercepted by the Giants. Picked off by Xavier McKinney, the rookie gets his first career interception and steals the deal for Big Blue with 115 to go. Bob Papa played them bongos for WFAN. Leonard Williams applied the pressure. Andy Dalton threw up the desperation balloon,

and rookie Xavier McKinney came down with the ball in the end. end zone with one 15 to play one giant's first down and some ridiculous wayne gallman fumble recovery later and the jeelan stayed alive in the nfc race with a 23 to 19 win over the cowboys Greg the cowboys never fail to let down in the big one I mean just when you you think you've seen it all as a cowboys fan if you're you know for them out there you lose in this game to Jason Garrett, I mean, that just puts a little extra sauce in your pants. How about a, how about a... Wait, what?

I don't know. It's been a long day. What kind of sauce? I don't know. It's a bad sauce. A little bit extra, though. I mean, it's just like, this was Jason Garrett's moon. Is the sauce an outside source, or did he create the sauce?

Don't look too deep into art sometimes, just accept what it is. Week 17. This was Jason Garrett's move from 2011 to 2013. This was like what they did every year was they'd get to week 17. They'd put them on Sunday night and they would blow it. They didn't put this one on Sunday night. But man, you were watching this game knowing that the winner could be the NFC East champion and the loser gets eliminated.

And so there was that feeling. But then there was another part of me that's watching. It's like, these teams stink. I watched like they looked every bit five and ten and six and nine trying to blow the game back and forth. And Mike McCarthy really ended on a day. down note by not challenging this play that seemed like a pretty clear overturn that helped the Giants kick a field goal that made it four. He also didn't go for two. The fans are not happy with Mike McCarthy, Andy Dalton, had a really rough game, was very lucky not to throw about four or

five interceptions. I'm glad the Giants won this game because they were the much better team today. But it carries through another week where, you know, not I wouldn't say confidently because we've been tricked so many times that we're cautious to speak at this point about the NFC East, but thinking, you know, 24 hours ago, this Dallas team is the team that could, you know, do some damage if they click on offense. And, you know, a week ago, Andy Dalton looked great. Today he, in the first half, threw for 3.3 yards per carries throwing passes all over the place. Is that the Giants defense doing that? Or is that the Cowboys just being totally, you know, inconsistent in watching Mike McCarthy's interview after that game. I mean, it is a man with

a thousand yards stair. Very few people seem to need a vacation. as much as him without deserving one. Yes, no vacation for you, Mike McCarthy. I think I've been burned by the Cowboys so many times on this podcast for getting sucked into those little mini spurts of relevance. This time, I stayed out of it because they did, again, they're so obvious about it now that they do it just to get people to get sucked in, and then they lay the egg.

And you say to yourself, how did this Cowboys team come? out of the one that we saw last week where the three wide receivers were going nuts and Andy Dalton's throwing the ball with authority. That's what the Cowboys do now. That's what they've been doing for decades now. They're just an up and down mediocre organization in terms of their ability to put out a winning product. And it happened again in 2020 and come next summer, you're going to hear if Dak Prescott's back

there and you're going to hear about CD Lamb in year two, who had a huge drop by the way, right before that interception. You're going to hear about how the Cowboys are back. back and they're going to be, and then they'll suck everybody in again, and then the same thing will happen. It's just enough. The Cowboys, for the coverage they get, it's time to actually put together a real team that we could take seriously. This was not the team. And Jerry Jones is doing all the same moves. Saturday night, we learned that he signed Kellan Moore to this, like, big time, like one of the highest paid offensive coordinators in the league after Moore's agent pretty

transparently used the Boise State, you know, his alum, maybe intended to possibly go to Boise State, but the end result was they used Boise State to get a ton of money out of Jerry that puts Mike McCarthy in the bad spot. That's what they did with Jason Garrett back in the day to Wade Phillips. They gave Jason Garrett the money. Like it all just like it keeps for pity itself. I'd knock my water over. It's a disaster. Okay. So the Giants win on Sunday afternoon. But to win the putrid NFC East with a six and ten record, they would need the Washington football team to fall to the Eagles. Did it happen? Oh, Sunday night. Rob's it. Ball is loose. Young picks it up. Scott is there and rides them out of bounds of the 25-yard line. Oh, can you believe it?

They get a big break and they give it right back. Two plays later. That's the story of the game on Sunday night. Nate Sudfeld replaces Jalen Hertz with 1235 to play in the fourth quarter and immediately goes into the tank. The Eagles offense does a interception by Sudfeld followed by an Alex Smith pick that led to Sudfeld unable to handle a shotgun snack, Chase Young recovers it.

Washington takes it from there. Final score 20 to 14, and the football team at 7 and 9 claim the NFC East. And good for Washington, who won five of their last seven games to take this sad division. And good for Alex Smith, one of the great comeback stories in the history of our league. But that is not what people are talking about immediately after this game. this. Yeah, I mean, you know, you bring Sudfeld in. Your quarterback of the future is Jalen Hertz. And they want to, under the guise of wanting to get a look at Sudfeld who's been on the roster since 2017. So a lot of new information to be gleaned, of course, in this situation. I find it utterly

absurd. And I, you know, I've got a bunch of smart, you know, whippersnappers telling me, don't you see that they want to secure their draft pick this or that? Okay, look, that's your freedom, but I just think that there is something to be said about a code in the NFL that you don't do that. And it's also just to me, what are you, you put Nate Sunfelt, Sudfeld into a tough position. And all I needed to look at was the faces of the Eagles offensive linemen and other players along the sideline, including Jalen Hertz at the end of the game, just wondering, what is going on here? And the reaction of players, not only just on the Giants, but around the league. I think it's an absurd way to handle a totally broken season in Philadelphia,

and it leads me just to wonder what on earth Doug Peterson was up to. Is he smarter than I am and all of us? I don't know. I found it to be a really ill note to end the Eagles season on, and the Giants and Washington's. Well, it's going to be a great chapter in the sequel to Doug Peterson's book, you know, that he really knew what was going on. What was it called again? What was the title left of? Fearless. Wait, well, let's give credit where credits do. It's pretty fearless putting Nate Sudfield into a game that is still within striking distance.

It's saying you don't give a flying crap what anyone thinks. I'll give them that. Yeah, or that you don't really care about winning the game. So that's why everyone's upset, and it's totally understandable why everyone's upset. But they told me they weren't really that interested in the game before it started. So these are weird lines, and I do think you're not doing. right by your players that are out there competing by having a plan. And it sounds like, according to Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth, that the plan all along

was to bring Sudfeld in, which we didn't know that. Mike Garifolo indicated something to this nature, not totally specific, but thought we'd see Sudfeld. So they wanted to look at Sudfeld. Now, Al and Chris asked Peterson, why would you really do that if like the game's close? And yeah, he didn't answer that question to them. And apparently the answer is yes. And it kind of makes a mockery of the other players.

But teams do this stuff all the time. Players who finished last week's Eagles game were just ruled out for this game. It's a little different pulling an obviously superior player in the middle. And it's such an annoying way for the season to end for this NFCE's crown to be given to Washington. But it's kind of fitting. I can't believe NFL got to 256 all the games in time. But man, they're like limping to the end. these last couple Browns weeks, like, this has not been great football.

And anyone that watched the Giants Cowboys, like, I don't feel bad for those two teams. They're dreadful, too. Right. I mean, they dug their own grave in double-digit lost season. So the Giants fans have the right to be frustrated right now. Right, right. And upset with Doug Peterson. But ultimately, Doug Peterson didn't do this to you that Giants organization did by not fielding a better team.

Also, Doug Peterson, I don't agree with it at all. I think, yes, there should be some type of code you're playing in prime. time you're representing the league and your team and you have a really competitive, not a great football game, but a competitive football game going on. Jalen Herps is an exciting young rookie quarterback and to just remove him from the equation, it doesn't pass the smell test. It also could have helped if Nate Sudfeld looked at all prepared to play when he came in the game.

For a guy that's technically a three-year veteran, I understand part of the reason Doug wanted to get a look was because Nate hadn't had a lot of opportunity to play. well, I don't know what Doug saw in this quarter that's in that quarter of play that's going to help. And it also felt like part of something ickier around the Eagles right now. This happens on the same day that a report comes out that the relationship between Doug Peterson and Carson Wentz is fractured. And we see the divorce coming between the former franchise quarterback and the head coach. they make Carson Wentz inactive, a healthy scratch. They don't want to risk getting him hurt.

And then it felt like almost like a show like, oh, this is my, I'm Doug Peterson, this is my situation. Jalen Hertz is my quarterback of the future. But I want to get Nate Sudfeld in there to see if I have my backup of the future because I know it's not Carson Wentz because our relationship is fractured. It all felt a little bit ugly and really a tough way for the Eagle season to end. You feel for the players who compete and wanted to win on national television. tonight. I mean, I would like, you know, to flip it a little bit, like, yeah, at least we get a

seven win, NFC East winner. I guess that's something. And there are a lot of good stories for Washington, and we've been over them countless times with Alex Smith and Ron Rivera. So it's not to take anything away from them. And I think they probably are the best team in this division. Although I am so tired of saying things like that. Like they, I'm going to move off my prediction that I've had for months that the Bucks will lose to the NFC East. I don't, that at this point would say, you can't. No, you can't now. You might say that for two months and then get out.

I'll stick with it. Stick with it because it might still be proven right. It could happen. It could happen. All I would say, one thing is, like, you had other chances during a terrible year to get a look at Nate Sudfeld. I get it. Also, by the way, when April comes and they're in the first round picking at number six

versus number nine, a lot of people will be telling us how smart and cunning that was. I mean, the story will flip and suddenly they'll be celebrated for their widely, please. The Eagles don't deserve any more talk. Is it that big of a deal? Yeah. Here's the thing that Washington had 248 yards in this game against the Eagles backups. Yeah. And Al Smith wasn't careful with the football in this game.

There was not a lot to take out of the offense here. No. And if you follow any Washington fans or read the reply to some of the reporters, I mean, it's a heartwarming. Alex Smith is a heartwarming story. for everyone except for Washington fans who I have noticed are sick of watching him check down on plays. And the reporters

covering the team kept saying updating almost every drive that oh, Taylor Heineke's not coming in this drive. I guess they were under the assumption that was possible that maybe Heineke would come in for Alex Smith. I think the Giants had probably the highest upside, but who the heck?

I mean, maybe Ron Rivera just held off on a real craving to get a look at Tyler Heineke with the division on the line in minutes to go, please. And Greg, when we talked about the Bucks earlier, you said they got a nice matchup. They get the NFC East winner. And yeah, I think the Bucks are a safe pick to advance out of the first round. But, you know, that pass rush, they get hot. Tom Brady sometimes can look lost when he's got pressure coming out of him in his 40s. That could be a lower scoring game that people might think, despite what Tampa Bay has done,

the last few weeks, but we will have time to talk about that. All right, so Washington wins these. I haven't said, I never said the R word once this entire season. I just want to say that. When Al and Chris are saying it repeatedly, the old Zeus are went 256. Never said the R word. I think I had an A-plus record on that too. There you go.

Cessler nailed it as well. Greg, 14 times he used the R&A. I don't think, did I say it as off? I have it right here on my notes. I don't know. That's, all right. think so. Let's spin forward. It's been Blaybond did, though. I remember

Claibon did. You don't think, but he did. All right. Let's spin forward. This has been branded by the NFL. And again, I like to think that we are plugged in fellows to the league and also through our connection with our fans,

both of this podcast and the writing side of things. Like we might have some, I don't know, some type of creativity that we can offer to the NFL when they say, hey, we want to brand this weekend of upcoming playoff weekend in a different way. Nobody did. And now we're learning that has been branded super wild card weekend.

How about that? Because there's three games on each day this year because there's two extra playoff teams. It is no longer wild card weekend. It is super wild card weekend. And here is what it's going to look like. Saturday, one AFC game, two NFC games. It starts with Indy at Buffalo in the 105 p.m. time slot on CBS. Then the NFC, the sandwich game, the middle of the sandwich, Los Angeles Rams at Seattle, 440 on Fox.

So that will be Troy and Joe Buck. We hope Tony Romo and Jim Nance will be together on the early game, but Romo COVID-19. We'll see what happens. Late game, Saturday, Tampa Bay, at Giants, NBC. Then on Sunday. this is notable that would be news if they're out the giants but i think you mean excuse me Tampa bay at Washington football team Sunday uh the early game Baltimore at Tennessee that's an ESPN ABC joint the middle game 440 eastern Chicago at New Orleans on CBS and then the closer

Mark Sessler the closer Cleveland at Pittsburgh on NBC and it should be noted at Alvin Kamara, arguably the best running back in football, who got sent to the COVID-19 list. He tested positive. I don't know if this has changed, but I had read yesterday that if the Saints played on Saturday next week, he would not be able to clear protocol. But if they played Sunday, which they are,

he may be available next week. That's a story. He also has to be healthy enough to play. He was not a close contact COVID list. He was, I have COVID list guy. So big weekend. football coming up you made it to the final um to the final nine mark i i you know when i when i used to have root for teams that would make the playoffs or i remember when i was like a yukon

basketball fan you know i liked if they were in the elite eight game in sunday afternoon because i was like well i'm i'm one of five fan bases left still rooting for a team that's alive the browns will be one of the nine teams still alive for the super bowl late sunday afternoon you've been guaranteed that well i'm glad they didn't get the you know, the Andy Dalton versus the Texans spot on Saturday, like 10 a.m. You're right. You got Alan Chris, by the way. They did confirm that's the Allen Chris game.

Mike Toriko is doing the Saturday night game. It's also about three minutes before we start our podcast, so there could be some raw emotions coming off of that. I would just say the super wildcard weekend. I don't know what we're critiquing here. I feel like the message was stretch the bounds of human creativity, and I think box checked. Call it like divorce, you know.

divorce weekend you know it's a lot of football well yes and we are not going to jinx this because yes now it's the playoffs and there are a lot of games to play and the NFL has not bubbled up or done anything like that so we are hardly in the clear on COVID but just to make it out of the regular season and get 256 played that is a minor miracle it's a great slate by the way I mean other than that NFC East game you know the Washington getting in there those other five games all look great to me on paper. I don't know. Chicago, New Orleans doesn't do it fun for me.

I guess you're right. I take it back. And I've seen the Rams. AFC is awesome. I've seen the Rams, even though I'm intrigued by the Rams, I've seen the Rams, Seattle-like defensive struggle a couple times this year. I feel like I've watched every single Seattle game on an isolated island on primed. It's nonstop Seahawks.

But I'm glad for them. Happy for you, Seattle. Yeah, but there's no, there are no complaints about the AFC wildcard weekend. That is going to be a lot of fun to watch. All right. So there you go. We've done it all. We've said it all.

And as we tape this at 1142 p.m. on the East Coast, only Adam Gase has been let go as coach. He is now the fourth coach that's been fired. And there are usually a couple more. Zach Taylor should be noted. A report from Mike Floreo on NBC that he may not be safe. All this up in the air right now as we record this. And that's why. we have a special

around the NFL podcast episode coming up earlier than usual. Late Monday, we'll tape it. It is the New Horizons Monday podcast. We don't call it. We don't call it Black Monday. It's New Horizons Monday

because opportunities abound. So we will break down all the movements. Probably on Monday. Maybe, Greg, maybe nothing's happening on Monday and we'll say maybe we'll wait to Tuesday. But either way, The New Horizons podcast coming up next.

Be flexible listener. If you're a listener, you need to be flexible and we'll make the best decision. A lot to listen to today. So you've got to crank through this one quickly. Crank it. Send it up to two times in terms of velocity of the show. All right. Philosophy of the show.

Okay, it's definitely time. It's been a long day. It's been a long day. All right. This is Dan Hansa signing off for Quiet Storm, the old boss, the mailman, the pipe. And, of course, Ricky Hollywood, behind the virtual glass. He's going to do excellent producing work. I know she will on this mega app.

All right, everybody. Until Tuesday or maybe Monday. Stay tuned. So, you know, I'm sorry. Hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move to Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies

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