NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2020 Week 12 Recap

Episode Date: November 30, 2020

A room filled with heroes- Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, Chris Wesseling and Gregg Rosenthal recap every game from week 12 starting with the Chiefs and Bucs (4:56), Titans & Colts (14:14), and Panthers-Vikings (20:34). The Saints- Broncos game deserves it's own sentence in this description, where Kendall Hinton started at QB after zero practice reps (48:29). Nick Shook joins the show to recap the games that the heroes don't feel like watching every week, bc #lazy (1:10:30).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.

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Around the NFL podcast is putting its Josh Allen apology form in the mail. Welcome to another edition of The Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis and 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, Christoff. Back.

That one calls him Christoph. How are you feeling, buddy? My French club did. Ooh, there you go. Senior year of high school. What a club that was. He's totally up to date on the Chris Wesleying wiki, but apparently not. Yeah, when I would bring the Bree, then it was Christoph.

Did you retain a lot of French? None. Okay. No. I remember reading the, uh, The Little Prince in French, and that was the highest of my French acumen ever got. While eating Brie and drinking some nice red wine, potentially? Kianti.

No, that's Italian. So you revealed last week at this time, West, that you had lost two iPads to the bathtub during long arrests that turned into slumbers while submerged in the water. Did we lose any more iPads this week in the past 70? We have not lost any. I've sort of chilled on the baths for a while. They haven't really. I get the feeling that the listeners would reach out to you with some different ideas maybe to help you. Oh, God.

What did you get? I got so many offers. One woodworker vowed that he would just let him know what dimensions in my bathroom are and he'll whip something up that will suit all my needs. I have many people offering bathroom caddies, which Keisha has one. but for my purposes, I take notes while I'm watching the game, so I need to have my hands free. I need to actually be able to hold the iPad in my hands,

so I can't really use a bath caddy. I've just decided to take fewer bath. I thought the woman that said just text her anytime you need someone to just hold it for you, that was going too far. That was going too far. I didn't know if she was going to be clothed or not while she was doing that function. It seems like what we don't need right now are woodworkers. is what we need is big tech to step in here.

Maybe get you a Tom Cruise Minority Report type touchscreen that's in front of the bathtub, but also will not electrocute you because we don't need another challenge for you, West physically, electrocution, keep it out of the mix. No, I think big tech should get on board. They should sponsor the show. I don't know if there is such a company called Big Tech, but if they could whip up something from my needs, I appreciate it. Umbrella term.

Many, many companies under that umbrella that should be willing to help and excited to. They should all link arms and come together. We should start a company called Big Tech. And if we just let it sit there, it has, it's got the umbrella, it's got the corporate name. If somebody wants to come at us to buy it out because they love the name so much because it's a name that probably no one thought to actually name their company. But if they would have thought of it, it would have been a billion dollar idea. We, all right, I declare that Big Tech is the name of our company. So that locks us in from a legality standpoint.

Good. Big tech. All right. All right. Now, on to the business of week 12 in the NFL. Strange Sunday we're about to dig into some epic, stinky eggs were laid across the league by would-be contenders, potential pretenders in the league. Also, this feels like the first Sunday, Greg, where the NFL, which is dance through, through the raindrops on COVID-19 to this point

where it really felt like COVID-19 impacted the league in a way that it hasn't before, and we are not out of the woods yet because we don't even know if a week 18 is going to have to come into play right now as we tape this Steelers, Ravens still on the books, but we learned today that there was yet another positive test in the Ravens building.

Yeah, and I think if that game is played, it just then there's the next week. I think this is going to, hopefully every week isn't as last minute and crazy as this one is, but I think this is just the world we're living in for the rest of the season, really. It is not pleasant, but this is the hand that we've been dealt as football fans

and as members of society. As Americans, I would say. We can put it on us as a country. Feels us. Very American-esque. But those of us that work for big tech can tell you that we're working toward a solution, so stay tuned. All right, let's get to the games, beginning with a big intra-conference showdown.

Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, only one quarterback looked like a star. Second and four for the Chiefs, Mahomes, snap at his belt, works the right boundary. Tyreek Hill over the shoulder. Touchdown! Kansas City and continues Carlton Davis's Nightmare Day. And the wonderful game for Tyreek Hill, a 20-yard reception, perfectly thrown football, over the shoulder of the cheetah who's putting on a clinic in front of a national audience. Mitch Holtus with the call WDAF, yes. Patrick Mahomes and Tyree Kill, there is no more terrifying twosome in football. Hill had 204 yards and two touchdowns after one quarter. And he scored

for a third time, as you just heard, in the Chief's 27, 24 win over the bucks in Tampa. this was boys another nearly flawless performance by Mahomes who accounted for almost 500 yards of offense. He capped his afternoon by stealing Tony Romo's heart with a series of perfectly executed plays to run out the clock after the bucks pulled within a field goal

with about four or so minutes to play. And he iced the game in a fitting manner converting on a first down throw to Tyree Kill who finished with a 13-269-3 slash line on 15 targets, an all-time single-game performance, one of the great performances against the quality defense, West, to boot.

Oh, yeah, Carlton Davis, poor guy. He was on my all-pro watch list with, you know, a guy Mark can tell you, Denzel Ward, who's having an all-pro cornerback season in Cleveland, Jair Alexander, and Green Bay. And his all-pro bid went up in smoke, today when the Bucks tried to get him to play one-on-one with no safety help for a quarter, and that quarter ended up with 200 yards.

I mean, the game was over by then. I guess the Bucks made it interesting at the end, but it reminded me of I played flag football for a couple of years in my early 20s, and it was a co-reck lead, so we're not talking about, like, college. Wait, Wes, hold your thought. Erica, can we get some story time music underneath us for what? West, go ahead, Chris. As a co-rek league, so we're not talking about, like,

Division I'm one college type of prospects here, but I imagine in the finals we went up against a pair of wide receivers who were both in the 6-2-6-3 range. And I imagine maybe some small college experience in their past, and I have been playing number one cornerback all year until that game, and halfway through it was just obvious that I could not, no matter what I did, I could not stop anything they wanted to do at all.

They did everything they wanted to do, on the field. And, you know, just like the pirate ship lady in Tampa Bay today looks so morose because everyone in that building could see that nobody could cover Tyreek Hill. Everybody on my team looked morose because I had to be taken out of there and we need to switch things up. I could not athletically compete with these superior people. And that's how Carlton Davis was with Tyreek Hill today. Well, Greg, let me throw it to you off that. So Carlton Davis, that's not just on him. Tyrick Hill's a hard man to cover. And, Juan Winfield, Jr., who's had a really nice year as well, did not give him the help that he needed.

But in general, this seems like a scheme issue as well. Your bolzacons takes a major hit, I would think, as well here. Well, I'm looking forward to breaking this down more. But I would say at the end of the day, like every defense that plays the Chiefs is kind of choosing the way that they want to die. And they rolled with a guy, Carlton Davis, and that type of coverage. That's the way they decided to die early. In the end, you know, the Chiefs scored 27 points and they're forced to punt three straight times in the second half.

That doesn't happen too often. In the year, you know, 2020, maybe that's your defense giving you about as good a chance against the Chiefs as you can hope for. Not that, you know, you want to give up 560 yards, but that you just do something. But it really feels almost like an unstoppable offense. You need them to make mistakes.

You need to come up with big plays. That's how Bulls thought they were going to do it. It didn't work. I was watching this and it kind of dawned on me although it could have dawned on me two months ago it would have been appropriate also

that oh yeah we're going through this incredibly bizarre season with all these really unprecedented twists and turns but it's just going to end with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl it's just I'm just utterly convinced

and you can try to hard sell someone else that I know how we do this we've got to act like that we've got to go through all the motions but barring like How about the fact that they They can't, that they always let these teams back in these games. Two-point win over the Panthers.

A couple points last week, three points. Like, that is a different way to be diamond. Nobody who watched today's game thought the Chiefs were ever in jeopardy. Right, right. And I mean, I would, I feel like my feelings about the Bucks have declined. They're balanced and stuff, but can you, can you imagine them winning, like, as a wildcard team for straight games to get to get to the Super Bowl, to win the Super Bowl? you didn't go on the emotional roller coaster that Tony Roma went on

from at the beginning of the game saying the bucks have no chance unless they start running more of Tom Brady's New England offense to at the end of the game coming right back around and saying by the way they came back they have a very good chance of meeting on this very field against the Chiefs

in a couple of months. Well the Chiefs, that was a huge win for the Chief's number one seed chances which really does matter. If you look at the rest of their schedule, they do have to go to New Orleans, they have to go to Miami, two pretty tricky games.

games, obviously the Saints game's tough. If they lost this game, I don't think they would have any chance left. Because you look at the Steelers, it's just hard to see two losses for the Steelers. So the Chiefs have to keep winning these games to get the one seed. Yeah, and I think that would be, because I know there are Steelers fans that are yelling at their podcast playing device when Mark's saying that, we're undefeated, we're undefeated. We should be taken seriously as well as a heavy Super Bowl favorite right now. So I think at the end of the day, though, I agree that there's no.

one better than the chiefs. And it continues to feel reductive saying it. But Patrick Mahomes just, you know, and like I said, Romo was completely a flutter as Mahomes expertly ran out that clock, keeping plays alive. He's such an underrated scrambler because he has, you know, all-world, you know, all-time level arm talent in terms of accuracy and arm strength and his ability to throw from different angles and off his back foot and flat foot. You forget about how savvy he is running with the football. He doesn't have, I guess, the highest speed levels when you measure him up against the Kyler Murray's of the world, but his ability to know exactly when to go, know exactly when to get down, never make a mistake in terms of running out

of bounds and costing a team. He's just the perfect quarterback. I mean, there's no other way to look at it. He's a quarterback IQ also. I mean, like in the fact that he's paired with Andy Reed, I mean, It matters where you land as a prospect, but he's the perfect quarterback with the perfect coach, and you can only imagine what kind of like notes they send each other over text about football deep in the middle of the night. It's going to be something that you could write a book about someday. He's clearly worked on his scrambling between last year and this year. I think the whole year this year he has been so decisive knowing exactly when the defense turns its back that he can go, and he has taken advantage of that whole year this year.

It was the greatest quarterback of all time and Tom Brady on the same field. together what a game he turns on the man that gave him everything in new england my last thought in the game before we move on is how close uh this came from this came to not being a connection the tyree kill patrick mohams connection it was last summer when tyree kill was mired in legal issues uh that were you know on him obviously with a domestic violence situation and it seemed very close to being one of those situations where he ends up out of the league and he disappears for a while, maybe pops up again later, but he's on a different team. The way it played out for the Chiefs was they stuck with him. The legal process worked its way out and

now it seems like it's ancient history. But last year, it did not feel like Tyree Kill was necessarily part of the future for the Chiefs. He is here now and he is impossible to cover. Right. And I think the player you described as Antonio Brown to some degree who is floating around after years of bizarre stuff. So he was on the field also. And not doing much. Not doing much. All right.

And one last thought. Isn't that, wasn't that a weird game, though? How, 2724, that game felt like it should have been 42 to 20. And here are the bucks, one third down stop away from getting the ball back with a chance to tie or win. That, I don't know, I was watching the game. I felt like it was in the twilight zone or something. It was like a black mirror episode.

A lot of games like that today. How did that happen? And I don't know. Maybe it's just all the weirdness in the world and sitting in my living rooms, it's getting dark and I don't have any lights on and the game's not. I mean, it's just weird times, weird times. Let's move up. Here's Henry on the right side to the 10.

Henry to the 5. Henry to the end zone. Touchdown. Titans. That's three for double two. Derek Henry. Mike Keith, having fun. WGFX with the call.

Derek Henry went off for 140 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone. And the Titans hit cruise control from that point onward, whipping the Colts 45 to 26. And they take sole possession of first place in the AFC South. Mark, this game felt like the Titans sent it a message to a rival. I think so. And it makes me think twice about the Thursday night game that we mentioned on our preview show, where there were just a lot of special teams, gaffs, and weirdness. And it kind of, you know, it took, I think that game took the Titans out of their,

out of their mode a little bit. And this one, I mean, the cults, this thing at halftime, it was clearly so clearly over that I am not, you know, I'm not too proud to say that I barely just scanned the second half for any hints of life from Indianapolis. And I think they were mentally broken by Derek Henry and what Tennessee did in the first half. that they never climbed back into this. And, you know, it kind of reminded me of, like, the other side of the sandwich or cookie or whatever you'd want to say to the Tyreek Hill game.

Because Derek Henry, like, had essentially the kind of game you'd want, you'd be thrilled at, like, over the course of an affair, it would be an incredible contest. And he did it in 30 minutes, and he did it in such a dominating fashion. And it was also A.J. Brown and Ryan Tannahill. And we talked about, is there concern about a team like this that's basically, basically just built around three or four guys. Like it's Henry, it's Ryan Tannahill, it's A.J. Brown. I have no problem with it when they play this way.

They just, they seem like a very mentally tough team to me. This was, there was a corona factor to this. I think this game would have looked different with DeForest Buckner on the field. And DiNiaco Atre was out as well. And so that's, I think that, you know, Tennessee found a vulnerability. It doesn't always mean it's going to work. It worked beautifully. And, I mean, the cults, it's almost like one of the,

those bury the ball games take the game tape throw it out a window and move on because it was it was a humiliating loss for the cults well if the titans win this division and now they're in you know good shape just one up that second quarter that first half really 35 points and 350 yards that that that's going to be the division right there and yeah sometimes with all this corona stuff it's going to be when you play a team you know the saints basically got to buy today because you know they would have one that. It probably would have won that game anyways. People get a little carried away. But, you know, they play a Colts team who their defensive line to me, other than those special teams, woes, were kind of the key in that first game, was their

defensive line. And they lose by far their best player. And I would say easily their second best player on the defensive line. And doesn't excuse it. The Titans have a million things wrong with them. They've been crushed by injuries in Corona too. So that's just how it is. But that's part of the reason why the matchup plays out the way it does today, and now the Colts are in some trouble. I don't think we've seen the Titans defense at its best this year. And to me, this has clearly been the best team in the division all year long. You can say the Colts, but I think the Titans, the way they play, they play sort of like we're used to the Ravens playing, where they come in and they out physical you. They dare you to match their toughness. And we saw it happen

today. To me, they've been the class of that division all year. I'm totally with you. And I think if you look at something about like Derek Henry to do what you're doing as a running back year after year to surge down the stretch like this like hats off to your conditioning the way he treats his body because I mean he is to me I think he should get MVP

votes I mean I know we won't probably in the way this league runs but he's where he is their MVP and he's the MVP of you know to me he's top five on that in that list he I mean the way he's built just his build and in addition obviously how

hard he works and obviously does. This is just his time of year. We've seen it now. This will be the third straight year where he's just going to roll through defenses that are compromised by injuries and this year COVID. And as long as they give him the ball and he stays healthy, he's going to continue to rack up these monster games. I think he'll win a rushing title going away again.

So I thought, yes, obviously DeForest Buckner was one of the, you know, biggest acquisitions any team made this season and he solidified that Colts defense in the way they exactly needed. So he take him out of that mix. There's going to be big problems. But Henry was beating them every which way, whether it was going up the middle or going around.

And I just thought that was such a show of might by their offense in the first half. They had 346 yards, 173 yards passing, 173 yards rushing, 35 points at halftime. They just have a higher gear than any of these.

AFC South teams, including the cults. That's why I thought they had a good chance to win this game. And now I just, I don't see them with Henry involved in his ability to close out games and wear out defenses. They just seem to me like they're going to get to 10 or 11 wins and take this division. And I think that you mentioned that 173 Murr run pass in the first half, they're balanced too. It's not just the run game.

I mean, there were a couple big plays through the air too. So I'm with you. I really like them in the AFC. They play Cleveland next week, and I think we're going to find out with the better of those two teams pretty quickly. Down 11 in Baltimore in the fourth quarter. That, to me, it was a pivotal moment in this AFC playoff race for those two teams. For them to come back on Baltimore last week, kind of just changes the trajectory of those two teams. They're home against the Browns.

If they can beat the Browns, and their two, eight and three teams, then they get the Jaguars and Lions after that. So things are set up at eight and three for them. them to have a home game in the playoffs. Now they just got to take care of business. And the Colts need to get some guys back on the field. Let's move up. Cousins, back to pass. Fires to the end zone.

Yes. Touchdown Vikings. Chad Beebe! Well done. Your first National Football League touchdown has made everybody forget about the moth. And it's tied the game at 27. Chad Beebe!

Wow. Oh, Ricky. K-F-A-N, Paul Allen, of course, with the call. Not the Paul Allen that was murdered by the American Psycho actor, character Patrick Bates. That should be noted as well. Kirk Cousins capped a 7-place 75-yard drive with a touchdown strike to Chad Beebe,

who only minutes before seemed to doom Minnesota with a muff punt that gave Carolina. of the ball deep in Vikings territory with two minutes to play. But BB scored, was followed by yet another long-range miss at the gun by Joey Sly, and it allowed the Vikings to escape of a 28-27

win. Their playoff hopes are alive. I saw some analytics predictor saying they have a 21% chance of making the playoffs. Only one back! Yeah, well, it would have been very close to zero, I think, if they did not find a way

to win this game and they did everything possible everything possible to blow their season today their defense got ripped up by the Panthers running game without Christian McCaffrey they had eight penalties for 52 yards in Minnesota they turned the ball over three times including back-to-back fumbles

that got returned for scores on consecutive plays from scrimmage you had no Adam Thielen COVID-19 out Dalvin Cook was held down for most of the day and he was a little banged up too missed some time with a lower body injury on that second fumble that went for the score

so I just want to say Kirk Cousins good for you man you're playing I mean no one's Patrick Mahomes but if you want to stack up games over the past month or so he is stacking a big time performance after big time performance and to do it today without Adam Thielen

when Dalvin Cook was not there to make the big plays, to go seven plays in 75 yards to save your season with no timeouts. That was just the big time performance by Cousins. I don't know if the Vikings make the playoffs, but I will say that this is the type of win that makes you believe because they were dead in the water and they found a way to survive. Had they lost this, I think Jeremy Chin, the Panthers rookie defensive back, would be the story of the game. He is the first player. He took those two fumbles to the house and back-to-back drives. The first player to do that since Fred Dippy Evans in 1948.

Dippy! Give us something on Dippy, Wes. Never heard of him. Sounds like he had an interesting hairdo, though. I mean, you can assume certain things if your nickname as an adult is Dippy. I don't know how much respect you're garnering people around you. I was disappointed, though. I mean, you know, team narrative, team Teddy Two Gloves, Teddy Ridgewater, you know, they had their struggles. If they get a first down late, you know, before they, you know,

kick the field goal, you know, they probably win this game. But he gets the ball back after they've collapsed with 43 seconds left and no timeouts at the 13 and gets them in position with three throws for Joey Sly to go kick the game winner. And Joey Sly yanked it. It's like you can miss a game winner. but when you show your nerves with your kick, then it's got to be tough for Joey Sly to be going to the kicker club

because he missed it by about 35 feet and it was indoors. It was, in fairness, it was, I believe, a 53-yard attempt. So it was, it wasn't a chippy. I know, but he missed it by like 40 yards. But he did. He yanked it. He yanked it. Like, they keep putting them up for these huge kicks.

Every week he's kicking like a 58-yarder or 60-yarder. Yeah, he's got to stay in the kicker club because at the end of the day, when it comes down to it, he's the only knowing that can stand with Justin Tucker in a length competition. That's true. It's important to have someone there to push him that way. So, yeah, and the Panthers, I mean, that's a tough spot.

The defense. But I mean, Teddy returning to Minnesota, it just would have been nice for them. They finally get a buy. Them and the Bucks are the only teams that have played 12 games. It's crazy. Exactly. Poor Kirk Cousins. Nobody's going to give him any crazy.

credit for that game because it happened on a Sunday afternoon. But at the end of the day, all you did was beat a rebuilding Carolina Panthers team on a Sunday afternoon. So that's the way it goes when you're Kirk cousins. You need somebody better. That's true. And Justin Jefferson continues to be a menace to opposing defenses. He had two more touchdowns in this game. And they flashed up the Fox telecast, a side-by-side comparison of the rookie seasons of Justin Jefferson and Randy Moss, and they were very similar. Now, Randy Moss obviously was a once-in-a-generation player and a superior player most likely to Justin Jefferson,

but it really does give you some perspective because Moss also hit the league like a hurricane when he came in in 1998. All right, let's move on. Pepper snap. Mishnowski has it down. The team of Zustia lives. And good!

The 49ers! have beaten the L.A. Rams again. Twice this year, twice last year. Sweep them up, baby. Craig Poppin, Tim Ryan. They're like Sessler. They don't like the Rams. KNBR with the call.

The 49ers defense got one final stop on defense. They drove to plus territory. Then celebrated when Robbie Gold's field goal attempt went through the uprights at triple zero's final score 23 to 20. The Niners, yes, sweep the Rams and Mark, as hard as it is to believe, with all the challenges they've had this season, they are in the playoff hunt. Yeah, they're in the hunt and they look like a different team when they get some of these guys back. And I thought the story of the game for their offense was Debo, Samuel, absolutely leveled the Rams defense. He had catches of 33 yards, 26, another 26-yarder, a huge 24-yarder on their final drive that helped set up that field goal, and another four-yarder on that drive.

So Debo Samuel, you know, they're very challenged with Nick Mullins, a quarterback. I mean, he is what he is. But Debo found a way to get open. That was a big part of this game. And it does feel like the Niners understand how to play Jared Goff. It was more of the same where every couple of weeks you get the Jared Goff game where he had two bad picks. He had a fumble. they were all over him.

And it was the opposite of what we've seen when they've been hot, where, like, Cooper Cup and Woods are going off. It was just, they couldn't get unspooled. There was a series, there was a section of drives in this game where they went, let me check this out. A golf interception, a punt, a punt, a punt, a punt, a fumble, a pick, a punt, a punt. They could not get anything going until Cam Acres ripped off a big run. That really, you know, they kind of found themselves too late in the game

in the fourth quarter. And I, like, the Rams are a good team, but we kind of, we talked about this, how this could happen, how there was, there was a complete table setting for Kyle Shanahan to do this to Sean McVey. And McVey was a little irritated after the game. And I thought spoke pretty pointedly about Jared Goff saying that our quarterback has to protect the ball better. I mean, lost in this was an Aaron Donald defensive player of the year argument once again.

He was, he was absolutely dominant. And, you know, the Niners are, they, they, they, they, they, you know, they, they, you know, squeaked out a win here, but it came very close because of what Aaron Donald was able to do. I think the world of the Rams defense this year, I think they're phenomenal. But their offense has been smoking mirrors all year, and I think it's catching up to them. Sean McVeigh has called great offensive game plans, but a lot of it is misdirection and play action and tricking defenses and what they're doing before the snap. And how long can you do that every week?

I don't think you can. And I think you see 49ers give them credit for their defense playing awesome. Their whole team is banged up. And you see what happens when they get a guy like Debo Samuel back. They get Rahim Moster back. They're every bit of playoff contender if they have a healthy George Kill. And if they have their guys healthy, they are every bit of playoff. It has to be the biggest what-if season out there because there's a lot of them.

So there's competition. But Richard Sherman made a huge difference. These are guys they've been without for months, you know. And they get Ayyuk back, but this was totally on Goff. I'm not surprised McVeigh finally came down on him a little bit. I think other than the Super Bowl, the most disappointing game of Goff's career. Because it was a hundred, to me it was like almost 100% on him. The interceptions and the fumble are so bad.

But he also missed open throws. He was tentative. And you do worry with Goff that you're seeing some of the same problems, which is when he gets knocked down, you know, how does he react? Does he go into a shell? How about your team like Aaron Donald picks you up, scores a defensive touchdown? How about your running game? Cam Acres, busts one open for you, scores a touchdown, puts you in the lead.

He hadn't done anything. Then they get the ball two more times in the fourth quarter with the lead or in a tie game. And again, he can't get it done. Misses throws. When they lost to the 49ers the first time, the 49ers kind of took their lunch money. And Goff said after the game, he won't. wasn't worried because his problems in that game were accuracy, and that shouldn't be a problem for me. Well, it was today. Like, he wasn't accurate. And that's, it's, I don't, we don't need to

have a Jared Goff conversation every game. He's had some good moments this year. But this game was totally on him. And you don't want your quarterback to be the reason you can't beat your rival when they're totally beleaguered. Like, if they can't beat him now, when can they beat him? And it's really on Goff. And you also, you pump life back into that rival who's basically seeming to be down and out and now you give them life. You put them back in the picture. You essentially, of course, you don't wipe it out, but those are two great wins and back-to-back weeks that they were coming off against rivals. And now you have this loss. And yeah, I think with McVeigh, he's obviously a very smart guy, is one of the best young minds in football. He sees what his team is, that this is

one of the best defenses in the league. The offense is not like the offense from a couple of years ago. So they need to play smart and take advantage of opportunities and take advantage of short fields that their defense might give them. But when you're turning the ball over four times, that's how you screw yourself because then you negate some of the things that make you great. So Jared Goff is supposed to be the veteran passer who's supposed to keep things in order and be Sean McVe's eyes and ears on the field and he's not there for him. So I'm not surprised either that McVeigh lit a little fire under him with a little public undressing. I'm glad you mentioned Donald too because that was one of the best games he's played all year which is saying

something to me it's like stopped looking for reasons not to give him the defensive player of the year if he's the best defensive player to me he is um i wouldn't say it's over i'd say i would say he's you know it's a race um but it's just different you know it's one of the all-time great's playing playing lights out so i mean it's it's him and t j watt and miles garrett and yeah frankly if you're Miles Garrett, you lose two games to Corona. You're probably knocked out of that race to some degree. I just feel like Watts. I won from last year, and he's been even better this year.

And he might get it because of that. That does happen that way. Listen to this DPOY talk. Everyone's pumped up. Let's move forward. Took their lunch money. It's embarrassing. I just think Reeves should have won in 2009.

Gabriel Davis. Touchdown. Touchdown Buffalo. Cole Beasley to Gabriel Davis. How about that? John Murphy, a little squeaky WGR. Oh, those cheeky bills. Cole Beasley took the backwards pass and then hurled the oblongs, fear forward for a 20-yard

touchdown to Gabby Davis, the highlight real play for the Bills, 2717, went over the Chargers. Greg, Buffalo takes one step closer to the AFC East title. You like what you saw today? I did. I thought they were as close as they could get to their first, like, complete game of the year. coming out of a buy, I was like, can this defense show us something different down the stretch? They did, one of their best games of the year. Their running game, it's been a problem all year.

They go, you know, 30 for 172. Very good. Then they have three turnovers and seven plays with Josh Allen throwing one of the worst interceptions you've ever seen and also fumbling the ball in the fourth quarter and just begged the chargers to kind of come back into this. The bill's defense held up. That gives you just a little bit of pause that like, okay, you didn't quite put it all together. not that I'm worried about Josh Allen and their offense,

but his decision-making, we've talked about it. It's been a problem at times. And today I think he was one for two on passes thrown for more than 10 yards. So, you know, you're going to have to expand the offense. They usually do. I'm not that worried. I'd be more excited if I'm a Bill's fan at the fact that they got eight QB hits, eight passes, defense, seven tackles for loss, three sacks.

It looked like the Bill's defense from 2019. It seems like we talked about, you know, but someone needs to get on Justin Herbert early and make life difficult. That appears to what happened today. I mean, he seemed uncomfortable. He was. That's two out of the last three weeks. They've done some pretty good jobs against him.

Here's the thing with Herbert. Like, he still made some great plays against pressure. I mean, you didn't watch this game and think, like, the quarterback imbalance was the reason they lost. But they did make them uncomfortable. There were some miscommunications, some drops, too. But they showed them a lot. And it was, I think if you're a Bill's fan, that's what you want to see is the secondary

and Travade Tardavius White making a big time interception just at the moment where you thought maybe the Chargers are going to come back and steal this thing. The bills didn't pass 100 yards passing until deep into the third quarter, but they ran for 172 yards, which was the second highest rushing total of the season. And I think that's notable because if you followed them during their what must have felt like an endless buy week coming off the Hale Murray in Glendale. Feels like four years ago. It does.

Some by weeks feel longer than others, and the bills felt like it was about six months long. But, you know, they had been talking up, we need to get this running game going. We need to get it going. So putting up 172, that's a nice start. We thought this was going to be an air attack between Josh Allen and Herbert, as you said. and they combined for 451 yards. So, again, we are in the Black Mirror week of the NFL. Well, they did have about a 50-yard defensive pass interference penalty

that set up the first touchdown. And I like what you said about the running game. I don't feel like the bills have run in any game impressively before today. Right. And Allen's running was a big, big part of it today. He had some big first downs with his run. Singletary reminded me of Brian Westbrook a little bit last year. It has not reminded me of Brian Westbrook at all.

this year. And I thought Moss was slow this year. So it'd be nice to see if he looked like he's got some playmaking ability. And, and Dan, I know you're kind of on Anthony Lindwatch. Yes, Greg, as you speak with your hands over your face. Well, it was. People can hear that. It was a tough one. It was tough. Man, he's got it. He's just so bad with the clock stuff. I mean, he's one of the worst. Do they still have the clock guys? You can't be that in 2020, though. It was at the end of the first half. it was crazy there's just a lot of confusion at the end of the game there was a lot of confusion herbert's confused he's confused he's indecisive he waits um and so that this is happening a lot

and i don't think they would have won the game or anything but it's just they got to clean it up i don't know like that's it's a consistent problem it speaking of wasting a great effort joey boas was one of the best games any defensive player had all year he's been a monster last couple weeks since he came back from his injury he was just all over johns out All right, if you're looking for a reason Josh Allen didn't have a big day, it was Joey Bosa. Tough week for L.A. football heads. What was that, Mr. Sessler?

It's a tough week for L.A. football heads. PR machine's going to have to be put into overdrive to, you know, get back, get to a nice shiny another Sunday. Put that on a T-shirt. Oh, Greg's like covering his mouth while he's trying to, you know, I find it. Anthony Lynn. He's like, yeah, you didn't do too well.

That's not it. Because I find it so obviously I like anyone who watched Hard Knocks, we like the guy, but you know nothing pains me than some bad clock management. And the Chargers, I would put as the worst team in the entire NFL in clock management. And it's just every week at this point. And they're too talented to be three and eight. They got Austin Eckler back today. And he got about 120, 130 total yards.

That's big. They look like a talented team. I mean, you're not going to have Derwin James, so you just have to deal with that. but they're too talented to be three and eight. Their record should be flipped. You know, like 15 years ago, I remember there was the sideline coach or assistant whose job was to help the coach with the clock.

Did they kind of phase that out because it made the head coaches look weak? If not, if they did, bring it back because some of these guys need it. Bring back the clock assistant. They need it more now than ever. The game is more complex now more than ever, and teams are able to do much more in 30 seconds

than they ever could. I was assuming there's people in your ear telling you about all that. Is it really just on Andy Reed? Like when everyone's killing him for his... I could totally be bought out of my contract. The NFL media would not put up a fight. They'd be like, please, go, take them. I just thought of the first big idea for big tech

that we clone 32 Greg Rosenthal's and put them on every sideline. I feel like that's going to have horrific effects on your life personally, Greg, when there's 31? I guess you would still be here, but then we'd make 32 of you. So there'd be 33.

But I would think the 32 would probably gang together to kill you. I mean, the implications for what it could mean for humanity, the level of like annoyingness that would just go up in the country, it'd be a lot to ask. It feels like too many Greggs. A lot of instigation. Big tech off to a shaky start. Let's move on.

Cardona will snap a fast. It's a pretty good IP, though. The snap in place. Swing of the right leg, kick driven to the upright. The kick is good. Got it. Boom, does it again. His second game winner of the season,

and the Patriots prevailed the buzzer over Arizona by a 20 to 17 final. You have life. Boyd, you have life. Was that the bruised and battered and thoroughly beaten? Zolak? I believe it was. I imagine he was dressed, he was disheveled with a big bushy gray beard and a bottle with three Xs on it.

I'd like to see you say this to Zolak's face. It's not a small man, Zan. Not a small man. Greg continues to do the good PR work. All right, Bob Sochi and Scott Solek with the call. I'm just saying it's probably been a tough season for Scott. We haven't heard from him much. Nick Foll kicked a 50-yard field goal, time expired, and the Patriots rallied in the second half to beat the Cardinals.

20 to 17. Mark, Cam Newton's numbers were ugly in this game, and the Pats couldn't even clear 180 yards of offense, and yet they found away. Yeah, and it was just minutes before that Zane Gonzalez had missed a 45-yard field goal that, you know, in minutes before that, that Erica was super annoyed at Cam Newton for one of his many gaffes today. But that missed feels. I mean, enough with that, Erica. Every time Cam Newton makes a mistake, we do not need you to pop up in a text saying how much you hate him. I didn't say I hate him, but he is not good.

He is not good. I agree with you on this. And I get it. He does not have the weapons. He doesn't have this. He doesn't have that. I'm dumb with Greg trying to say he's good. Yeah, it has nothing to do with it.

He makes mistake after mistake. And every time you need him to come up with something, he doesn't. And I'm sick of it. Sick of him. He had a terrible year. All right. You know what? I apologize, Erica.

Your exact text was, you can't tell me that Cam Newton doesn't suck. And then a follow-up text, he sucks so bad. Well, it's more just that, like, I feel like 100% of the game text this year from Erica, or about Cam. I think that's what you're getting at. There's nothing else. It's only anger. It's only Cam.

All right, Mark, go ahead. He's only slightly polarizing. Well, he didn't suck quite as much after that missed field goal because they got the ball back, you know, very little time. He races for a first down. And then Isaiah Simmons belted him out of bounds. And that was a 15-yard flag that basically a helmet-to-helmet shot. That set up the pathway to have the game-winning field goal.

Other than that, the offense was pretty hideous today. A little bit of everything from Damien Harris. I love the way he runs. Demir Bird made a catch here and there, but they were putrid. And they needed special teams to help. And they really got a big return from Dante Moncrief to set up a touchdown on a punt return or a kick return. And then Gunner Olshevsky had an 82-yard punt return touchdown that was wiped out by a, I thought, a rather questionable illegal crackback block that, you know, they went on to score a field goal.

So it didn't. I heard on NBC, Rodney Harrison, who's no stranger to cheap shots during his playing days, even he said, if you're in that position, all you have to do is stand in the guy's way and you've done your job and he's not going to tackle your returner. When you lay into the guy, you put yourself, in danger of getting the flag there. I don't know. Like, I'm not an expert on crackback blocks. That was one of the rule changes two or three years ago that they can say if it's unnecessary,

if you kind of deem that you didn't have to do it, basically. Some of these things feel like, you know, your body is just doing football stuff and you're going to get flagged. I mean, look at this, that one, it wasn't the most egregious penalty I saw today, but... Did they score a touchdown on that drive? No, no, so that they scored a field goal,

so it took four points away. Four point, you know, they... Kyler Murray, I mean, this has been a... rough patch for the Cardinals. Think about the Seahawks loss and the way they lost today. Kyler Murray did not. I know what they said that he was fine, that his shoulders fine. He heated up on the ground later on, but at halftime he had negative two yards rushing off of one rush. It just wasn't part of their offense. And, you know, he had, he, the Patriots is something interesting defensively. Instead of just trying to rush him, there were a bunch of guys

jumping trying to bat his passes. And it worked. It led to a, a kill. interception at one point. And so I just think if you take Kyler Murray and, you know, second half he started to run a little bit better and their offense got going to some degree. But it was, it was a pretty funky day for that, for Arizona's attack. And they're just not the same if he can't be set free. It's interesting because the Patriots, it's not unusual for them to come out of a game giving other teams a blueprint. I'll be interested to see if this jumping thing takes off. I mean, it wasn't like every time. But there were a couple plays where like they, instead of trying to like charge forward and just like surround him in the pocket there were like guys

noticeably jumping up and down and it they got to him and he threw a couple beautiful passes like off his back foot made a completion at one one point that was just an intriguing uh connection but he he was uh he was having fits today and it was a very bellichickian game did they right during the telecast did you see uh him shaking the arm out kiler murray or getting worked on on the sideline, if his passes seemed to be lacking any zip? What were you seeing that? I didn't think that he threw the ball terribly or anything. I just think that he, they got in his head.

And I think that maybe it took the emphasis off the ground part of it, like him running, which as Greg is correctly said is sort of one of the most unstoppable, you know, things out there in the NFL right now. And without that in the Seahawks game, I think that's one of the reasons they lost that game, clearly. And I chart it as a reason today, too. Well, they had a good plan against Lamar, and they had a good plan against Kyler. Murray, especially without a lot of athleticism, they're not going to go after you and start

rushing. They're going to kind of back up and let, you know, stop you from getting to the outside, make you come to them. He averaged about the same per pass as Cam Newton. So, I mean, that's a massive win when he is back to pass. I would think you would like this game, Mark. I mean, this is an old school Patriots game, special teams, situational football, look like the inferior team, maybe get a call late, which, I mean, it was. the correct call, the hit, the late hit on Cam Newton, and then you sneak out of there with the victory. My thing on Cam Newton, maybe this isn't the time for it. I'm looking forward to watching this one. He's clearly didn't throw it well. It's more that their season, when you kind of

diagnose it, would make sense if their defense hadn't collapsed or hasn't collapsed before this game, that they have a $1 million quarterback leading what's been a relatively average efficient offense, but the defense goes from literally first to dead last in DVOA, like the best to the absolute worst, and ultimately, like, the way they're constructed, that's their biggest problem. They could get by with this offense if they had like a top 10 defense, but they're nowhere close to, they haven't been close to that. Stefan Gilmore was a huge difference on DeAndre Hopkins today, and I get all the DVOA side of it, but there's little things that Belichick and certain coaches do that cause confusion,

and I think that that was a difference maker today. I mean, they've lost how many of these games like this on the final possession. This is the one they won. They're trending up. I mean, they're just not that talented. I think they're very well coached and they just don't have a lot of talent. Everything about this season for New England feels like it's following the path that you would have expected, that they're going to be better than, they're recordably better than the talent level because the coaching

is so good. This still screams to me eight and eight with a ceiling of nine and seven and they're right. in that territory right now, five and six here with five games to go. Let us, you're killing that defense so much, Greg. I mean, nice performance. Not today. Nice job today. Great performance today.

I just said. Maybe not the total albatross you present that has week after week, I feel like. I just said trending up. They just can't get off the field, you know. It's okay. It's not special. I mean, they're in the wrong conference. In the NFC, they'd only be one out.

In the AFC, they're two out and like four teams out is not happening. Don't put that out there. We don't need the Patriots in the playoffs. They're a bad, unwatchable football team. Get, are you? They are awful to watch. Let us move on. From your lips to Godzias.

We'll hand this one off to Latavius Murray, the great cut. And he's off and running 20, 10, 5. Touchdown, Latavius Murray. What a run. My Lord, what a run by Latavius Murray. Oh. John. This is the game that gets this one.

They get the Broncos? This is the type of game that would keep King Kong in his cage. I mean, come on. The Saints' defense went up against the Broncos team starting a practice squad wide receiver who had zero reps at quarterback of practice this week, and it went pretty much exactly how you'd expect. And a 31 to 3 win for the Saints,

that is their eighth straight victory. Norlands allowed 112 yards of total. offense and 12 passing yards from a single completion by Kandel Hinton. That's your trivia question. That's your trivia name. Remember Kandel Hinton, Hinton? Kendall, Hinton. Well, Greg, that was something.

It was. It was one of four teams to only have one completion in the last 40 years. The first team since Ryan Leif to have more interceptions than completions. I mean, Ryan Leif was a number two pickething. the draft. Poor Kendall Hinton. He hasn't practiced quarterback. He's coming off the practice squad. You know, what do you expect? If anything, I was shocked how much they threw the ball. On the first drive of the game, they're running it well. And on third and three, he throws it. It seemed crazy. Right before the half, they like have him throwing, trying to get points.

I think the combination of Kendall Hinton and Pat Schumer, like, was not, he was not the one who was going to come up with the DeAngelo Williams playing wild card. for, you know, the whole game to get a victory. They're playing the best team in the league in terms of total complete offense, defense, special teams. And, oh, by the way, a historically good run defense so far this year, this Saints run defense. So it was like, it was going to be tough sledding. It was the wrong matchup for it.

And, you know, just move on. I don't need to hear from these Broncos fans. It's like you would have lost anyways with Drew Locke and then you'd even feel worse about your quarterback after he threw three or four interceptions. So pipe down. Wait, are Broncos fans still honking? They, I, it's on, it really bothers me. I can tell you they're not my mentions anymore.

No, they're honking about today that the game should have been canceled, that they're mad at the NFL and a bunch of the reporters are too, which seems insane to me because Vic Fangio, who's a grown-up, immediately after the game rightly said, I'm upset with my quarterbacks. Let's listen to it. Let's listen to it. I was disappointed on a couple levels in that that our quarterback, put us in this position that our quarterbacks put the league in that position,

you know, there's, there, we count on them to be the leaders of the team and, you know, leaders of the offense and those guys made a mistake. And that, that is disappointing. And we should make it clear what exactly happened. It was Jeff Driscoll, I believe, who tested positive for COVID-19. And then everyone else in the Broncos quarterback room admitted that there was a time when they were together in a closed room with Driscoll that they didn't have their masks on, which puts them into that protocol even if they had not tested positive themselves. So it eliminated their entire quarterback room for week 12. Right. They've got cameras on this stuff. There's also wristbands and that might have been part of it too in terms of like

knowing where they are. It's like what do you need to take it seriously? What do you like what What's it going to take for the players, the country, like anyone to take it seriously? It's crazy to me that people were upset with anyone, but those, this wasn't an outbreak. It was one guy, it was one guy getting sick and the others, you know, not really caring about, like, what the rules are, which are, like, very established, which are very, like, pretty easy to follow. And it's, like, very clear. So I guess I'm, like, confused. It's a microcosm, my friend. Our country has struggled so much with this

And hopefully there's a light at the end of the tunnel with this vaccine And it turns out West that we're going to need the vaccine to save our asses Because we cannot seem to wrap our heads around how to properly protect ourselves We've been divided and common sense is going out the window It's been politics instead of common sense And I don't know how politics enter this football discussion But but Greg's totally right Broncos fans are crazy for trying to defend their team here.

And Fangio's right. The quarterbacks put their team into this position. Fasio. Any other thoughts on the game? Tassim Hill said after the game, don't look at my terrible passing numbers because once we realize the dire situation of the Denver offense with their quarterback, we completely shifted our game plan.

Listen, as we talked about this last week, I am not. That's an ungenerous paraphrase of what he said. I am not a Tassim Hill belief. but I also cannot kill him too much here because it was a weird stupid game and a weird stupid year but I will just say that the two teams combined I believe for about 71 passing yards well I will defend you from some criticism you took last week over Taysam Hill I thought it was actually in contrast to most of the criticism of Taysam Hill which is just to find him laughable and a punchline I thought yours had a very specific point to it okay good and well it did it was

Can this guy actually play quarterback? Can he goes through his progressions? Can he play quarterback the way quarterbacks play the game? And I didn't see today's game, but from the tweets I saw mentioned, that had to be in question today. Oh, no, he struggled. He was, I don't care what they say about changing the game plan.

I get it, it was more run-heavy. On his first 26 dropbacks, or 16 dropbacks, they had 25 yards. He took two sacks. He held the ball forever. There were guys right in front of him open and he didn't deliver it. He fumbled the ball again.

That's six on the year. He helped, you know, in the running game, and he's great on the goal line, and eventually he put together a couple of passes later. But it was about as discouraging pure passing performance as you possibly could have had. I mean, they were averaging under two yards per play for most of the game. The run game was good, and in the end, it didn't matter. And they did string a couple plays together late in the game, which I think Sean Payton wanted to do. Think of it this way, though, and this benefits,

potentially all four of us and others. If he plays himself clearly plays himself out of a starting role or a future starting role, then it's one outrageously tedious offseason storyline we just don't deal with. That's true. One thought, just one not so out of the box thought, but just if Taysam Hill is indeed this limited, I want to say also that Alvin Kamara has not really been a big part of this offense now since Taysam Hill took over. He didn't have a catch today.

He had one catch, I believe, for negative. two yards last week. And now you have Taysam Hill at the goal line. It just seems to, it's messed with the flow, but it was a special year for Kamara. Isn't this team potentially better with a more qualified quarterback in Jamis Winston behind center,

Alvin Kamara in a role with a standard quarterback, more or less, and then Taysam Hill being mixed in the way he was before, isn't that potentially a much better offense than what's going to be, what's going to be unfurled upon us for the rest of the year, potentially? Just throwing out out there.

That's a lot to take from one game. Right. I would say that says Alvin Kamara's fantasy owner. Says Alvin Kamira's fantasy owner. You know, that's, I feel like, I hear you, but they've won two games in convincing blowouts. So we'll see if he's a long-term answer, but Breeze is going to be back in a couple weeks.

And at this point, they're going to move it forward. I don't take too much negative out of one game either. And I think last week was almost, was almost all positive, and you move forward. That's what I say, too. I'm not killing Taysam Hill in this game. It was a weird, stupid game, but just let's keep an eye on it. Let's see what happens.

Who do they get next week? He's killing Cabrera's fantasy season. I hear you. I don't know if that's coming back. I know. Honestly, that's not what's behind it. It's just, I thought that this team was cooking with Kamara as the motor. Is it going to be cooking if it's going in this direction?

Who do they have? When Winston played at the end of the game. They've outscored their two opponents, 55 to 12. So I do think it's a team game, and this team is looking to be the number one seat in the NFC. And I think they could do that with Taysom Hill or Breeze. All right. I asked twice.

Didn't get any help. Let me look this up. I told you, Atlanta Falcons. There's like eight people screaming at the same time. The Atlanta Falcons. All right, that's a plus matchup. Let's see what happens. Let's move on.

Back control. Fires. He's got a receiver. Touchdown. His third touchdown of the year. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes in place of an injured to a Tungabaila, and the Dolphins became the latest defense to flummox of Sam Darnold-led Jets attack. 23.

The Dolphins win at the Meadowlands. Miami's defense played very well in this game. Two interceptions. They're up to 17 straight games with at least one takeaway. That's the best in the NFL. Ryan Fitzpatrick delivered a Ryan Fitzpatrick type game. He didn't kill the team with turnovers. And he threw two touchdowns.

So I just think he's been since he's gotten there. He's been everything the Dolphins could have hoped for and more. He was great. Or he was rock solid before he got bench for Tua. He's come back in now. And he nearly brought them back with a comeback last week. And now he beats the Jets soundly. And so the Dolphins get back in the right direction.

Tua is going to be an interesting thing to watch here because the thumb injury saw a report this morning that the thumb injury that kept Tua out this week is something that could stick with. And Brian Flores was asked after the game if Tua is still the starter. Yeah, if he's healthy, he's that guy. I don't know how many different ways we have to continue to say that. You keep asking. I'll keep answering the same way.

We'll see how Toa looks in practice this week, but Fitzpatrick fills in, does the job, and the Jets are one step closer to Trevor Lawrence or Owen 16 or both. And their schedule, this might have been their last chance at a win. Patriots, they got the Patriots Week 17, who they were up 10 on. But until then, it's pretty rough. Belichick's not losing to the Jets. We've got the Browns, too. I got that one in the bag already. That one, like that one, I mean, I'd be interested to know what you'd be interested in what you'd

be rooting for to happen in that game you know well we've got we've got a few weeks i think adam gase should i don't know well that too he said he said sam darnel was he thought sam darnal was pressing sam darnel said he wasn't pressing adam gase got caught in a lie that yes i have that too great calling the plays all right so let me set this up so last week there was a lot of speculation because adam gays had given away play calling to darrell logan the offensive coordinator. And then he took it back, I believe, last week. Was that what the conversation was?

And then this week, the reporters were asking, who was calling the plays? Because it didn't look like the OC was doing it, and Gase would not budge with the reporters. Here's how the interplay went. I didn't take over it. We've done the same thing in the last four years. We were watching Dowell through the whole game.

He wasn't doing anything. I mean, he was just standing there. he tells me it's not hard this is not hard we go through it the drive before hey these are the three plays i do the third downs so what happens after the three plays when you have us here because we were watching one where dal was talking to frank pollock he wasn't calling the plays you were what part of the game was it i want to say that was the third quarter busted yeah when we got and i i was trying to do some of the two minutes stuff you know matt patricia got fired, Greg, and we're going to talk about that in a little bit.

And that's now three head coaches that have been sent off. I don't know how much it really helps a team to get a quote-unquote head start in this game. But if this is on any level impeding the Jets or having the Jets fall behind these other teams, which I'm not saying it is, they could be doing a ton of work behind the scenes right now. But the guy is a total laughing stock and there's no reason to have them in the building. And why is he lying? Right. I mean, firing him would be showing him mercy.

If you want to punish Adam Gase, let him continue to coach and get caught in lies. Like sometimes you're just lying about something that means so little. What does it matter? Just tell the truth. Like, I think he's like lost track of why he's even lying. Well, he tells me the first three plays. Wait, what? So he's saying that they're calling the plays by one guy says the first.

three plays, and then Adam Gase calls what the guy wants to call? It was a perfect question. What about the next three? They've scored three points against Brian Flores's dolphins this year. In two games, in 120 minutes, in the year 2020, with every offensive advantage possible, they've scored three points against the dolphin. I think there is an advantage to just clearing out this cancer. And, you know, the Panthers zeroed in on Matt Rule early because of getting, because of deciding they wanted to go in a different direction. Other teams, I think that's the wave of the future. And if you're the Jets, if you're Joe Douglas, I hope, doesn't in his mind have any reason to be loyal to Gase or

keep him at all. I know what he said a couple of times. I don't take any of it at face value at all. I would remove Gase immediately. Based on track record, he might not, it's probably not Joe Douglas's decision to make based on the Jets' ownership's track. Well, then that should annoy Joe Douglas because it should be someone that Joe Douglas wants to work with into the future in their most critical offseason. It doesn't necessarily happen in a vacuum either. I would think Douglas is part of the conversation with ownership, but is ownership that ultimately makes this. This is all a moot point, though. There's no way Adam Gase comes out of this alive. It's just a question of whether he gets fired in December, tomorrow, December, or January 4th.

Question, Dan. Yes. Considering how they've played under Gays, And how the Browns played when Greg Williams took over his interim coach, doesn't allowing Gates to stay, give them the best chance of keeping or getting Trevor Lawrence? Bingo, Wes. There are a lot of Jets fans that are saying that don't fire him because that helps the team. Keep losing. You don't want to get any shot in the arm. And isn't that the most important thing to get Trevor Lawrence?

That might be it. One other, I think that potentially could be it. And I guess that's the only way that it would make sense keeping around because he just makes the organization looked so bad week after week. Some of his play calling was just an abomination in this game, giving the ball to Frank Gore over and over and over again. They had a, the Dolphins didn't play extremely well on offense in this game. In fact, they turned it over twice in the second half and giving the Jets great field position and Darnold and the offense can't do anything. Frank Gore runs into a wall on fourth and one at the

19 late in the third quarter and that was about it. And my last thought on this is Sam Darnold, I wish him the best of luck wherever he ends up. But it's getting to the point where the Jets, even if they luck into a few wins and don't have the number one pick, they might be looking to replace Darnold anyway because Joe Flacko's outplayed him this year. Like he had all of his wide receivers on the field. I think he's just been, Adam Gase has just, I think, messed with his mind so much that he's just not out there playing free and easy. And you see it and how tight he is and the mistakes he makes. So ugly stuff.

Ugly stuff. Let's check in with the other New York team. Alan, back to throw. He's going to get sacked. The ball is loose. And recovered by the Giants in the 38-yard line. Jabal Sheard got the sack, and Leonard Williams covered it up. Bob Papa WFAN with the call.

The first place, New York Giants. The first place, Jim. Big Blue got to Joe Burrow, Phil, and Brandon Allen. And recovered. It was decisive. play in a 19 to 17 win. Alan threw for just 136 yards and Cincinnati muster just 155 total yards of offense. Greg, the Giants lost Daniel Jones to a hamstring injury in this one.

What's the early word there? They'll evaluate him. It's such a tricky injury. He was standing on the sideline walking around so it didn't look like the most serious thing, but they didn't want to risk it getting worse. Colt McCoy entered a game essentially with a 13th. to 10 lead. He entered at 10-10, almost through an interception on his first pass, and then Mark's son's namesake, settled down and stayed out of the way and handed the ball off.

It's amazing that Bengals had the ball at the 50-yard line with enough time, only down two with a chance to win this game. The Giants dominated almost in every way possible, almost tripled their total yardage. At one point, it was like 370 to 100, but a special teams play, fumbles, everything that they could do to keep the Bengals in it, they did it, and they almost let it slip away. But their defense, which we've talked about a lot this year, saved them. Lenny Williams is having a great year, and Jabal Sheard was a nice pickup off the street, as they say.

How is Jabal Sheard on the street, man? He always makes some plays. It's a good question. Week 13, this division is up for grabs, and it's in the hands of Alex Smith, Andy Dalton, Colt McCoy and Jalen Hurts about to get the most snaps he's ever gotten as a quarterback in Philadelphia. I saw Colt McCoy miss like a wide open short pass to a wide receiver on third down. I thought it yikes. It is tremendous that he's back on the field. I celebrate it in my house. But I don't know. If they lose Daniel Jones for a while, I mean, Daniel Jones also costs games for them half the times.

but I think they're the best coach team in this division. Right. I mean, McFoy came in. He threw 10 passes for 31 yards and probably should have been intercepted. They had many moments. I mean, that sounds like what called Sessler would do. Right. They had many moments where they should have put the game away

and just different ways kept let him in there. If Jones can play next week, I thought this was his best two games of the entire season were the last two. He played great in this game. It doesn't quite show up in the box score. But he really made good decisions, had a lot of third in longs. Darius Slayton dropped an 80-yard bomb that would have changed the score. You know, Ingram fumbled one in the red zone. But he made a lot of really good decisions, made a lot of good throws.

He played well today. We should fire this one up on game pass? That's what you're saying? I wouldn't go that far. The Bengals had like six first downs in the first 57 minutes of the game. That is not an exaggeration. Let's take a look at the Let's take a look at the Giants

I'm rooting for the Giants to win this division Feels very childhood-esque Have quietly now won Four of six and three in a row They have at Seattle Home Arizona Home Browns At Ravens Home Cowboys

Okay It still seems like everyone's going to go six and ten That's a tough one The The Washington The other teams I think all have Two Division games left They only have one, which does not help the Giants' chances.

You've got to play four straight winning teams. But I think if Daniel Jones is healthy, they can beat some winning teams. If Cole McCoy is there, they're not going to win anything. This is not good, developing news from Jordan Ronan. Renan? Rainin. Rainin of ESPN. A source told ESPN, the initial belief is that it's a, quote, pretty bad hamstring injury.

Okay. More tests are scheduled Monday to determine the full extent of the injury. So if it's, you know, if it's the type of hamstring injury that's, you know, bad, that's multi-week injury potentially. That is not good, especially a guy that, you know, uses his legs. We talked about that since Saquan Barkley went down the way he's been able to make plays with his legs. If that's going to be compromised, that is bad news for the Giants.

But good news for Colt McCoy and Colt Sessler, ultimately, Mark. Yeah, I think Colt Sessler totally apathetic to the development, but Cole McCoy, he's survivor he's hung around this league and it'll be interesting to see what happens here all right west we've reached the time of the show where we trade out one bald man for another but uh we always enjoy your your time with us yeah thanks for having me it uh it really does liven up my day my weekend so pleasure to be here pleasure pleasure pleasure to hear great having you love hearing from the listeners on mondays all throughout the year when i've been able to be on awesome make sure you hit up Check in with him and share your takes.

Listen, if Wes said something that you didn't agree with on today's show, I'm sure he'd be open to hearing from you on that too. Right, Wes? Yeah, yeah, let's hear it. When I think Wes, I think like lots of patience with people coming after him on Twitter. That's like what I think first. That's the stamp. All right. I'm a new man.

I'm a new man. We're a special man. And there is Nick Shook. What's up, Shookie? Hey, hey, guys. How you doing? Look at you. Do you have a little extra skipping your step here?

Because not only are you going to do games with us today, you're going to be doing Cleveland Browns football. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Your old employer. Let's get into it. What caused the end of that arrangement? We'll never know. Let's listen in to the Cleveland Browns.

Mayfield takes it. play action fake to hunt he throws end zone open hooper touchdown austin hooper well baker laden right in the breadbasket there doug jim donovan with a call wk r k r baker mayfield through two touchdown passes including that strike to tight end austin hooper and nick chub sealed the game with a first down late in the brown's 2725 win over the jags at the big chlorine tank. Shook, your beloved brownies are on the doorstep of a playoff return because they continue to beat the teams they should.

Yeah, I think that's all you can ask of a team like this. I mean, I don't think the Browns are anything to necessarily consider when you talk about the AFC contenders, per se. But I think they make the playoffs if they win games like this. They better at this point. Yeah, right? The way that their schedule lays out for them, unless they throw down a clunker against the Jepts and the Giants.

They have a fairly good shot at this point at 8.3 to make it. But it wasn't easy. You know, Greg, I think you'll point this. You pointed this out last week, and I'm sure you'll back this up a little bit too. The Jaguars have played better defense the last few weeks. They played a really tight game against the Packers. They're not as bad as you'd think on that side of the ball. And Mike Lennon is a step up from Jake Luton.

As you saw today, he was 100% Mike Lennon, just letting it rip. He's got, you know, living like there's no tomorrow. And he had a nice little, he had a dime of a touchdown pass really, and another one to Tyler Ifer in the end zone. It made me wonder what year it was. I had to check the calendar and make sure it was 2020. But, you know, he kept them, he gave them a chance and he made them competitive, but the Browns did what they had to do.

And the big thing for me was if you're Doug Marone and you're in a two-point game and you've just scored, you didn't get the two-point conversion, but you got all the momentum on your side. And you can debate the legitimacy of momentum at another time. But right now, you've got all the momentum on your side. and you decide to kick off to one of the better teams in the NFL closing games

because of their rushing attack and then that's exactly what you get. I mean, it just makes you think, like, did you not consider your opponent in that position? Because the Browns were, they were reeling at that point. But lucky for them

and credit to them, they can close a game and they won this one today. I don't know if there's a better fourth quarter rushing team right now. That's their strength and it's overt. And to your point,

if you're Doug Marone, you know it's coming your way. Their defense did play well, and this seemed like a game Cleveland tried to lose in multiple different way. I mean, the refs seemed at some point to be interested in the point spread. That was my other take. But it was – I come away thinking it was a positive game for Baker-Mayfield to some degree. But there is this Baker-Mayfield thing. Every – I feel like every start, there are two or three passes that just leave you, like, shaking your head,

missing guys open in the end zone. There was a very clear chance to hit Kareem Hunt on what would have been a pretty game ceiling type completion, just a shortout. And he threw him weird a little bit wide, and Kreme Hunt had a look on his face, kind of like, dude, whatever, you know. But the Browns, like, this was a classic game they would have lost, and they used their strength at the end, and they've done that game after game when they've won. The 200 yards rushing thing is becoming a norm for them, which is just such a shock

sight to Browns fans that have been watching this team fizzle up for 25 plus years. Shook, are you saying I should maybe come after? It's too bad Wes isn't here, but I could text them or whatever and start reigniting our Mike Glennon debates of 2013. Like, I still have a chance to win this one. Glennon Fever's coming back. No, no, you can leave your anything, your long neck debates at home. It's not happening. Never back to a worst quarter. He is my Zach Metenberger. I am to Mike Glennon, what Mark is to Zach Metton. Mistakes are made.

Mistakes are made. There was a moment after they pulled within two on the Eifford touchdown, where he scrambles on the two-point conversion, and he has a pathway to the end zone to tie the game. And then to his credit, he understands that he's Mike Lennon, and he's limited in almost every way. And he realizes he needs to peel back and throw a prayer to the back of the end. end zone of prayer that was unanswered, but it did, I mean, it's notable that the Brown

struggle to close out the Jaguars, but in the Jaguars credit, this is not a team that has given up hope. And they have played tightly. And I'm, you know, again, and we talk about the number one overall pick, the Jags lost 10 in a row. Today, they fired Dave Caldwell, their general manager who had been there since January 2013. Changes are obviously coming there. But this is not a team that is completely throwing in the towel and getting blown out week after week. And that is a credit to Doug Marone. Yeah, but you know what? Going back to your point, Mike Lennon, if he's going 100% all out, living like there's

no tomorrow, Mike Lennon, you go for the goal line there. Look, you're part of bald game. You have no fears. You've embraced the straight razor to your head. You have no fears. I don't care if Carl Joseph is bearing down on you. You dive for that pylon because you might never get another chance, at least in Jacksonville, or maybe it's next week.

Who knows, to do that again, and yet he dropped back and throws it to the back of the end. Are you saying, Shook, and what did you go fully shaped? When I was 23. 23. So you went young. Wow. You made a decision. You saw where things were headed, I'm guessing, and you made that choice, and it works for you.

Did you find it to be liberating and freeing in a way that made you feel more bold or confident? Yeah, I would say it added to it because, you know, looking back, I think the photos, the evidence was all there. I think I waited way too long. And what was really the turning point for me was somebody shot a video of me from behind and I saw the bald spot coming on the back of my head. And that night, I went and grabbed the clippers, shaved it off, haven't had any hair since. And you know what people say, Dan? And I'm sure you get this a lot about your hair and about my lack of hair.

I look better without hair. That's what they say. I mean, some people do it. And I think it's unfair and cheap to take shots at Glennon's physical appearance. So I will say nothing on how Glennon looks without hair. But some people pull it off better. than others, and you and Wes, both, I believe, improved yourselves a great deal and ended up with hot babes as a result.

You got to find out you don't have, like, what if you learn you have like little bumps and stuff all over your head? I was worried about that, and I hope they didn't have an egg-shaped head, but luckily it was, it's pretty round, so, you know, we're working out. Maybe that's how it works, you know. Jaguars fans, I do want to just say quickly on Caldwell, like they should be happy, you know, I think they have to be encouraged that they're changing it up from David Caldwell. It's a pretty big development.

He survived like 25, like, issues. Because they're Jacksonville, it slipped pretty under the radar, but he's been there since 2013. They are 37 and 87 over those years. Like, imagine like if a New York GM had gone 37 and 87. They've had one season with more than six wins in all those years. So there's nothing personal. But it's like they, I'm glad.

I think they went into this year kind of knowing that they were going to fire Marone and Caldwell at the end of it, barring anything crazy. and nothing crazy has happened, and they needed a restart. Greg, over those seven years, how many years, or how many pro bowlers do you expect the GM to draft? I don't know. Not your standard. One a year, one, you know, per.

Because he drafted six, but almost all of those six came in one year. You play to win the game, Chuck. They won more than six games once. Every rule is trying to help you, like, get the 500. How many GMs survive drafting Blake Bortles? None. Usually that would be, you'd be gone, you know. And that's the day.

having evidence right there. Greg, did you make the Cardinal Sin era of omitting a coach or player's playoff numbers when you gave his lifetime record? Because that should count more. That's fair. Let's 39 and 86. 39 and 86. They won the two

playoff games. Should have beaten the Patriots. The Hand of God came in on the Miles Jack Fumble recovery. Oh, please. And it's been all down to that. Hey, how about your number one overall defense? Best defense? ever doesn't cough up a 10-point leap, you know, choked it. Come on, dude.

That was a bad call. That was six points the other way, and you know it. That's the game right there in that spot. It was a call you see like every week. It wasn't that crazy. There's no sense litigating at. That's the past. Dave Caldwell's the past, and I would imagine Doug Mron will join him just not yet.

And since we're on the topic of dismissals, we should hit something that happened on Saturday, 48 hours after the lines were embarrassed at home. against the Texans, their second straight blowout loss when they seemed to be in the playoff mix and were, well, that was the final straw for Lions Management. Matt Patricia fired as head coach, Bob Quinn, fired, general manager. It ends a nearly three-season run for Patricia where they just never got things going. He was hired to get them the next step, take them the next step after back-to-back nine and seven seasons and they never got there. Patricia is sent on his way, Mark, a guy that

listen, he'll get a job again as a D.C., I imagine, but this is one of those head coaching situations where you probably don't get another shot when it goes this poorly. Yeah, we're just, we're talking about general managers and coaches developing pro bowl players, and I think my thing with the Lions, Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia, I thought, you know, you come in, you're going to want to change the persona of the lions that we've kind of ripped on and suffered through for so long. And nothing changed. And there seemed to be no real vision. And, you know, yes, you came from the New England Patriots, but there was no resemblance to the New England Patriots. Unlike a lot of new coaches, you had an established quarterback in Matt

Stafford, and those years were lost and wasted. So I would hope that, you know, A, this is a signal that this new version of ownership is not going to just sort of float through seasons with coaches and GMs that aren't successful. But this is as a critical moment for the Lions as there's been because you're dealing, we've seen these terrible losing teams. A 15-year-old in Detroit has no reason to spend time watching the Lions. You're going to lose generations of fans. I think anyone under 45?

I mean, when was the last thing they were competitive? No, I mean, but I'd say someone that, you know, maybe grew up with it during Wayne Fonce and some of those years, it got, you know, it started there. At this point, like, you got to tell your city and your fan base, we care, we're going to make an important hire that's going to change this. And it starts with an exciting hire, frankly. Well, Jim Caldwell's raising his hand because they were competitive, at least with him. They were nine and seven, like I said, those last two years. But they, that's why the hiring and now the postmortem, it looks so bad for the lines, because this is a team that was for most

of the 90s and into the 2000s, the bad team of the NFL, the laughing stock. And then you finally got the organization to a place where they were right on the precipice of being a contender. But you say, no, we're stopping this train. We're hopping on this other train and bringing the Patriot way into town. And then it just blows up in their face in nearly every way imaginable. So, you know, I guess good on new ownership. There's a change at the top of the food chain of Detroit for not.

I'm not giving them any good. I'm not giving them any. Listen, they... I'm giving them bad, actually, because they're keeping the same executive. You know, we talk about Easterby a lot. They're keeping the same executive who's been there the whole time. His name is Rod Wood. Again, it's nothing personal.

But it's the same family that's owned the team. And it's the same executive that's been here through a lot of this. And he's the one ultimately running this search. And I'm talking about back in, you know, before Caldwell. Like, it goes back years and years. There's no particular. reason to think anything would be changing, you know, like, well, you could hire the right general manager. I'm not saying you're saying that this guy's not capable of doing it. I, the only

credit I'm giving is they are trying to move forward and realizing this was a mistake. They got the GM and the head coach out of there and maybe the people, and it won't be just him making the decision. I understand that Sheila Ford Ham is going to be involved with this as well. Maybe she knows what she's doing and is a good judge of certain things. I don't know. She's rough and tumble. I would look out for her. But, yeah, I mean, they're hitting the reboot button again, and you just hope if you're a Lions fan, you get the right people working in the building.

I would imagine if your friend comes up to you and says, hey, man, I finally broke up with this girl that had been in this toxic relationship with for years, and you've told him until you're blue in the face, hey, break up with this girl, she's not good for you and he ignored you over and over and over again. You're not exactly going to be like, all right, pal, you're going to be like, good,

what took you so long? Now prove to me that you're not going to go back to her. I worry that they make a higher in the opposite direction. I think that's probably getting too far ahead of ourselves. But like Greg said, until you prove otherwise. Yeah, I mean, there's years and decades of proof that the organization doesn't usually make the right decision. We'll see what happens come January.

All right, let's move up. Booker stays in the ballgame. Here's Carr looking to throw again. Pressure coming. Kaminsky, it's intercepted. Dion Jones with a flag down. and Jones is going to the end zone and we'll see if it's an Atlanta touchdown.

67-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dion Jones. West Durham, WZGC, good call. With the call and it did stand. Dion Jones picked off Derrick Hart, took it to the house, a moment of domination and a game of domination by the Falcons who dropped a 43-6 bomb on the Raiders.

shook. You know, we, being the collective of Mr. Football Cagnaccenti, didn't think this Raiders team had the DNA to nosedive the way what they did a year ago. Well, now you have to maybe rethink that. What happened today? It had all the makings of a typical hangover game after they get so up for a game, lose in a heartbreaker, and then forget to bring that same type of energy to the field. It was beyond that, though. My girlfriend, who you guys have chatted before many times, they're not committing to, she's committed to the Raiders. And she came home today and saw that score late in the fourth quarter, 40 to 6. I looked at her and said, you know what?

This is the worst Raiders game I've watched in five years. And I'm not exaggerating. It was the worst game they've played as a team in half a decade before the Jack Del Rio Raiders. I'm serious. We're going that far back. And the problem is, is for everything that they were good at in the last month and a half. And we were all starting to maybe get behind Derek Carr for a little bit. Maybe he's good enough to get them somewhere.

Maybe he's as good as he was, you know, three or four years ago, taking that next step. They can go toe to toe. Awful to that. His stat line actually doesn't do justice of how bad he was. Now, all of it's not on him. He was pressured relentlessly. He was stripped on a sack, but his interceptions were bad. That one specifically, the audio track that we played, was very bad, and it just snowballed.

Five turnovers in the game. They were only three for 12 on third down. Everything that he was good at, getting them first downs with his legs on third down, converting in key moments. They couldn't do any of it. They even got a break. Josh Jacobs fumbled in the red zone early. It was overturned.

They only got three points out of it. They only ended up with six points of the entire game. They had a sad field goal in this game, a complete disaster, a train wreck in Atlanta. Woo-hoo. Oachy. Well, that's 11 fumbles for Carr this year. So for whatever reason, people don't, like, care about fumbles when, like, evaluating who's having a great year or not.

Yeah. But, you know, that's in the top two in the league. He's led the league before in fumbles. And so that, that's a huge problem because they do play in a way that. Look, no one's going to win. when you turn the ball over five times, but they especially play in a way that they can't, like, survive mistakes and turnovers.

Like, they want to play close to the vest. So that's wild, though. Rahim Morris has had some blowout wins. Who would think it? Who would have thought it? They are, like, it's not going to happen, but they are not out of the playoff picture if they kept playing this way, the Falcons.

But it's concerning. John Cruden comes out of the game, having to apologize to Raiders fans. And Derek Carr said that he was concerned, because the team was really flat in practice. And then the game started in, yep, they were even more flat. So I think you're right. There is a bit of a hangover aspect to the Chiefs game to some degree.

I mean, look at what Derek Carr was incredible against the Chiefs. He very nearly took them to the win of the year. And then Patrick Mahomes ripped their heart out. And I guess you could say there's a hangover. Now, you also could do the old teams that travel east for an early start that that's another trope that perhaps is in play here. But for a car to fall on his fat, there's so much fall on his face. There's so much, there was so much at stake for the Raiders.

It's, you know, they needed to win this game. They put themselves in a really tough spot now in the AFC playoffs and the Browns, who, like we've said, had the tiebreaker. They have the tiebreaker on Cleveland, but now Cleveland's two games clear of them. So that's going to be a very difficult situation for them to catch the Browns. There was no excuse to be this flat when they need. the win. So I, yeah, I have been very high in the Raiders all season. I didn't think this was going to be a season where we saw a performance like this. And who knows, maybe they'll play great

next week and we'll forget about this. But that has to leave you very nervous about the rest of the season if you're a Raiders fan. Yeah, the worst part about this too is like, as we got through the first two quarters or so, I was like, wow, the Raiders are just making a lot of mistakes. They can't get out of their own way. This is going to be, you know, a tough game for them to come back in. And then it really just blew up completely in their faces. I mean, they gave them multiple opportunities in this specific game. It's mistakes that, like, you look at it on tape and you're like, this might be indicative of an issue that extends beyond these four quarters, you know, getting a roughing the kicker

penalty that gives Atlanta new set of downs. Then you get them down to fourth and three on the goal line, and you give up a touchdown when you almost get to Matt Ryan. It's almost finishing. It's getting a roughing the passer penalty that extends another drive. It's undisciplined football, and then it's obviously sloppy football with all the turnovers. For everybody, myself included, you know, despite the fact that they lost the Chiefs last

week. I was like, you know, this is the team that could be in the playoffs. We talked about it. It can make for maybe a fun wildcard weekend matchup or whatever or a divisional round matchup if they got that far. I know it's only one game, but it's, it's concerning. There's nothing worse in the NFL than a moral victory loss. I swear this happens every. It's like,

oh, wow, they really tried hard. And then the next week, like this, I feel like, I don't know why. It feels like it always happens. Yeah, you're totally right. I do not buy into let down games when you lost the previous game. I don't care how well you played. A weird, funky little stat before we move on to Sunday night football. The Falcons finished with 304 total yards. They're the only

team in the last, the only team in the last five seasons with 43 plus points and fewer total yards is the chiefs who way back in week seven, versus the Broncos, had 43 points on 286 yards. So it wasn't like the Falcons are lighten up the Raiders, but the Raiders were so inept in all other ways. It didn't matter. All right. To Sunday night football. Sunday night. Rogers flips his hips, flips it downfield, wide open. Tunyan touchdown. Packers.

Ah, beautiful, beautiful connection from Aaron Rogers to Robert Tanya, and the one of four touchdowns for the great Aaron Rogers in a 41 to 25 win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, the latest one-sided affair between these two old rivals Nick Shook you know we were just talking about it before we came on the league heaps these primetime affairs upon us

between these two teams but can you remember the last time we saw a good game between the Packers of Bears? Around the time I graduated college probably the Jay Cutler like the last stand of the good Jay Cutler Bears against the Packers

was probably the last time they had a classic showdown especially late in the season it's been very one-sided, primarily because the Bears haven't answered the quarterback situation, and tonight you see more of the same. I mean, you turn back to Mitchell Trabisky, and what do you get? You get three turnovers. You get a terrible pick thrown into triple coverage. I mean, we shouldn't be surprised.

So as long as the Packers of Aaron Rogers and are on the pace that they're out, I think this is going to continue to be the case, no matter how good Chicago's defense is. At this point, Packers' games are just kind of tracking Dan's sandwich prop that he had Aaron Rogers as an all-pro, and it's looking solid. Much better than the Jets are going to contend into week 17 prop. I think you're going to get it. He is my choice for the MVP right now. You know, you didn't need to add that second part.

If that's, by the way, we'll never create 32 more of you because sometimes one is too much. I mean, you know, all you try to do is go one for three when it comes to those props. I know. That's why it was unnecessary. But yes, I feel very good about Aaron Rogers being named All-Pro. it was a bit of a shot in the dark in August, but it looks like it's going to

land because he's, you know, Rogers has always based his game. I mean, he's got tremendous talent, obviously. He's one of the great players, but he's always played with such confidence. And it's always been such a big part of his game. You could tell this belief that he's just better than everyone else. And you can just see it on his face that it's

almost a higher drive right now because of all the outside factors that he internalized and it's driving him. I think the interesting thing with this game. And Mitch Trubisky didn't play well. I mean, come on. I mean, he's Mitch Trubisky. Like Shook said, three turnovers, Mark. But he, you know, he did move the ball enough, even if it was in garbage time. He got them three scores. I thought that this

game is really lost because the bear's defense, which, you know, they need to be perfect, was far from that in this game. They got torched both in the passing and in the running game. Yeah, I think that was as much of the story. I mean, Green Bay's first three drives all touchdowns, 14 plays 75 yards, 9 plays 60, 13 plays 75. We kind of know the bears are going to score between like 12 and 18 points every game. I'm sure there are a lot of very annoyed people on the defensive side for Chicago at this point in the year or every year. But, you know, to start the game that way, you're put in a hole because of both sides of the ball. So I, you know, it just feels sort of like a broken operation. It's good to see Green Bay go out flex its muscles.

romp over a much lesser opponent. Right, because ultimately, okay, Rogers is playing better. Their offensive line was pretty dominant and has been great all year, including in the running game tonight. But the difference is the play calling. Guys are open. I mean, it's the offense.

You know, Rogers is making great plays. But he was making great plays all along. Now he's also on top of that, having these open receivers. There was like a third downplay early in the game that you wouldn't even notice where it's him and Adam. Adam's connecting. Adams makes a diving catch on a throw that Rogers threw through a pretty small window in terms of the defensive line in front of them.

And then 65 yards later with a bunch of easy throws, they score a touchdown. So it takes like one great Rogers Adams play that no one else can make. And then the offense just kind of rolls. And it's nice to see Rogers supported so much. To your point about Rogers just doing things on another level, I loved how they pointed out the buster screen blitz that he saw beforehand that he just called. and, like, he sort of shook his head and looked to himself after, like, yeah, I'm pretty smart. I mean, he is, and he's, but a lot of, that's the difference between Aaron Rogers, six or seven other quarterbacks, and the rest of the league that in a quiet stadium with no crowds,

Rogers uses it as an advantage to hear what the defense is saying, what they're doing, what they're planning, and calling it out to his own teammates. I think that's also the difference between Aaron Rogers, who was visibly frustrated at the end of the Mike McCarthy era and where he is now with Matt Lafleur in their second season. and they continue to understand each other better. And you're seeing it in how effective their offense is, the rhythm, the pace that they have when they go down the field and drives like Greg mentioned.

And also the continued involvement of Robert Tunya. I mean, it helps a lot when you have Aaron Jones in the back field and you can run play action off of that, but it also helps when you have a tight end that you can throw it to off of play action where you might get him in a mismatch or you're going to get him in a one-on-one. Maybe it's in a leak across the field where he's opened downfield for a big game. It just adds to what you can do beyond your receiving court. The big question for them, though, and we'll use the term that Greg likes to use when it comes to Mike Petton defense, is the run funnel.

Are they ever going to stop the run against the legitimate team? Because without David Montgomery, the Bears have no rushing game whatsoever. They haven't had it for weeks, and a lot of his yards were gained in garbage time tonight, so it's kind of hard to look at from a statistical standpoint. So it's not a good litmus test. And then if you face a better team that can run the ball, it kind of calls on a question how legitimate this team is. And we know they're going to bring it offensively. It just comes down to their defense. We will see.

You're right. how this team stands up when it comes down to the tougher games remaining on their schedule, which is not very tough. We'll get to that in the second, but then, of course, in January because they will be playing in the playoffs. This is teams, the Packers are going to win their division. And, you know, when you look at their schedule remaining, it sets up well. They're one game behind the Saints, but they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. So, you know,

it might take them going, you know, you know, 12 and 4 here to take the number one seed. But it is not out of the realm of possibility. I just wonder sometimes with this team, like Mark said, you kind of wanted to see them whip up on a team that they should beat. That's what they did today. A little bit hot and cold at times this Packer team. This was a hot Packer team.

And when they're hot and looking good, they seem like they could beat anyone. But then they could show up the next week and you're like, wait, who are the Packers? still have a little bit of a lingering doubt around them, but you can't argue with the results. They're in a good position. I think they're, first of all, they got to go third. I think they're going to have to win out to get the one seed. They can't count on the Saints.

Do we have to talk about Tason Hill again? No, but they would just have to lose twice. You know, the Saints haven't lost in a long time, and they would have to lose twice in five games. That's just asking a lot. That would be a lot of luck for the Packers. So most likely the one game out, right? Right, but if the Packers lose once,

then they need the Saints to lose twice. So it's just a lot to ask. So most likely they have to win out. But looking at their schedule, they could do it. And they could be a much more, you know, we spent all offseason talking about legit 13 and 3 or not. And this would be a very legit 13 and 13. They feel more legit than last year's team to me.

A big reason for that is tonight's win because against other solid defenses this season, they've struggled. Tampa Bay, pretty good defense. They got beat by 28. Minnesota, you always can count on a challenging scheme from Mike Zimmer. They get beaten that game, although that was the Delvin Cook game. Indianapolis, they lose an overtime last week despite putting up 31 points because they can't get it done when they have the ball late in that game.

So this is the first time that they've gotten a win over a legitimate defense and putting up 41 points is a statement for them. And like you said, the schedule does set up pretty nicely for them. I think the big test comes in Week 16 when they play Tennessee because then they have to stop a run. On Sunday night, that's a good one. December 27 Titans Packers. Better than this one. That's going to matter.

I know. Enough of these bears. Five straight losses. You don't see that too often for a five-and-one team. Good news. Not only are they at a prime time for the rest of the season, they have been banished to all early Sunday games for the end of this season. Well, bad news.

One of the four of us will be covering them. So, you know, we'll see. Good news. It will be shook. It's going to be me. It's going to be shook. Hey, Nick, what god-awful meteorological, pattern has befallen Cleveland today?

Well, actually, the weather is pretty nice, but it's supposed to rain up to not, or not rain. It's supposed to snow up to nine inches on Wednesday, according to the local weather reporters. So this is the guy who hasn't bought tires for his truck that needed to do it a year ago. Luckily, working from home, living downtown, I don't drive very much. So I'll be able to trudge through it. As for the Browns, we'll see. They got a good running game, so we'll see.

All right. Good stuff. All right. that's it thank you to chris wessling for joining us we'll be back on tuesday uh well there's this you know we have a weird week set up here so we got monday night football of course and then right now scheduled we have tuesday night football uh so just know that we will be uh covering all the what's up erika well i just wanted to do a quick oh yes please yeah just jump in the elevator with me real quick if you will oh okay um and i would like to

just do a little locks update. So Mark Sessler, you are going up to the penthouse and the elevator because the Chiefs won. Greg and West with the Giants won. Erica with the Raiders lost that. And Dan lost with the Cowboys.

Who did you pick this week, Erica? The Raiders. Oh, wait. Ouch. You are the reason the Raiders lost, I think. Yes. Everything I touch. I'd like to see the score differential in Erica's locks. It feels like there's also been a lot

a one-sided ones for so reason. Have you thought about the irony, Erica, that you're the weakest link in this lock picks challenge as well? Yeah, it's people on Twitter sure like to list that one, you know? It's a good one. Who's Aaron, though? That would be more concerning. Dan has a little bit of an Aaron aura to him with the locks this week.

You went down swinging. Well, it's funny. I'm getting out here. I finally realized what. I was having fun with locks, you know, picking the Cowboys, is having fun for the show's sake. And then you see, you know, people locking up the Chiefs and locking up the, you know, Joe Burroughless Bengals. People are taking this seriously. So it might be too late for me, but I'm going to.

Well, hold. Wait a minute. I didn't lock up the Chiefs against, like, Wilton High School. I mean, they, they, it was. It's time to get serious because everyone else is. I would say this. Let's go, I will do a deep dive tonight and I will go look at every lock that you've made this year, Dan. you have some, in Greg, I can see it on Greg's face, he knows it, you have some severely concerning lock scenarios.

No, because this is just, this is, I'm the host, so I'll talk endlessly, but like, you have some seriously hideous locks. Mark, do me a favor. Do that deep dive and have it on my desk by 9 a.m. I will not deliver it when you ask, and I will not do a deep dive. I have already suffered through the Chicago Bears. I'm going to bed. All right, good. But you know what I'm talking about.

I have no idea what you're talking about. But it's time to get serious. All right. this is dan hansis signing off for quiet storm nick shook shook is like involved with a car crash at the end of everyone the old boss ricky hollywin and of course the mailman until tuesday I'm going to be.

Hey, Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Six, 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

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