NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2021 Championship Weekend Recap

Episode Date: January 31, 2022

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal recap Championship Sunday starting with Joe Burrow out-dueling Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead, including a quick trip to the Kicker Club. The weather gets a little stormy before another press conference is held to discuss the locks competition. Then the heroes recap the NFC Championship game as the San Francisco 49ers traveled to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams. Finally, a brief discussion on the Tom Brady retirement reports... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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My name is Dan Hansis. I'm in the studio, stage, really, stage five here at NFL Network, filled with some heroes. Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal, Championship Sunday is in the books. And yes, somehow, some way the football guys. gods. Whoever's out there deemed it necessary that this year would be the one where the Cincinnati Bengals come out of nowhere in advance to the Super Bowl to face none other than the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals, Mark, Chris Westling's boyhood team, the man that he had such a difficult relationship with ending with a divorce and a dossier. And now he's no longer

with us and we're wondering how Wes would feel. And then Lakeisha, his loyal wife, that amazing woman who was a diehard Rams fan. Those two teams are playing for the Lombardi trophy two weeks from tonight. I cannot think of anything that has happened during our podcast that comes anywhere close to these events. I've been watching football since 1986. This is the most interesting development I can remember in my entire life. I'm a Browns fan who is, you know, and a lot of people in Cleveland, Bengals fans wouldn't be rooting for the Browns. Forget all that. This is from somewhere completely different, a totally different realm, and just watching Lakeisha's reactions today on Twitter on social media

and just to have it capped with the Rams win as well. I mean, this is one of the most improbable sporting conclusions to pre-Super Bowl. And any sport, I'm dumbfounded. I'm still processing the whole thing. Right. To be clear, it's like it's the Lakeisha Wesleyan Super Bowl. You know, the Wesleyan brothers, they got the Bengals. They got no ties for the Rams. La Cusia travels with the Rams,

diehard St. Louis Rams fans, moves out here at the same time that they do and lives and dies by them. But I don't know if she was rooting any harder at the stadium for that Rams game than she was at her house where we watched the Bengals pull that game off.

And it's just like sport. Yeah, sports are, they're stupid sort of, but it's hard not to think of like Wes's talk where he would be like you have to you have to resign yourself about the ultimate meaninglessness is of like watching sports and watching which way an oblong ball bounces and yet like it creates moments like that like that was an overwhelming moment and it almost took a little while during that NFC championship game to like get cranking back up because you're just

you're just feeling a lot. You're feeling a lot watching that thing go through. And it's great to see Keisha, especially living that moment. Oh, it's so great. And, yeah, like we, you know, knew West so well. So when everyone is celebrated the fact that Cincinnati's on this improbable run, you wonder how West felt. But Lakeisha has obviously the way she sees it is like that is West,

like still with us and connected to her and connected to us, them going on this incredible run. So, you know. Yeah, and we'll get into the game. But I do with, since we're talking this now, Now, like, she brought out the sage. I feel like she saged the Bengals. The sage came out.

You know, you talk about... I was unable to make it today, so what happened? Speaking something into existence, which Keisha believes in that, too, but she saged this into existence. She brought out the sage at 14.3, was not looking good at that moment for the Bengals. At various points when it also wasn't looking good in the second half, she brought out the sage. and that sage was just cranking towards the end of the game.

She's like a Stevie Nix figure for the 21st century. I'm way into her witch-like qualities. I mean, the city of Cincinnati, there's a lot of homes and mansions. I think you just give her a mansion at this point. I mean, she ushered this long-lost team into the Super Bowl. Right. Tony Realli had this tweet last week, the host of Around the Horn, and it was at the two-minute warning of the Bill's Chiefscape.

but I was thinking about it as they were lining up for that kick in the Bengals game. And he just tweeted out while they were at the commercial break, like, let's all live in this moment forever. And that was like, that sports to me is like there was that one moment in that Bengals game where you're just, you don't know what's going to happen next. And everything that you've watched all season has led to this. And you're just like totally pure being existence. And when you got kick fiercen on your side, he comes through and delivers.

Unbelievable. And, you know, we'll get into it. Like I had a chance to lock up the lock title and I'm in an all-time fade. But I'll tell you what, like, how could I be rooting against Cincinnati during that comeback? I wasn't. It was like, okay, that'd be cool if I have the trophy. But this is even better. And then for the Rams to win, too. It's a really, I think it's a really in what's been a tremendously difficult couple of years behind the scenes for our show, just doing the show in general has been a challenge. times and just finding our footing for this to be the outcome of the first full season after we lost west i don't it just you know you can't you can't make it up it's it's the stuff of movies and we get one more game to determine a champion so we're going to go through um both games we'll start uh with what happened at arrowhead field and just from a pure game there is all this stuff that's all personal to us but just from a pure game standpoint that was one of the more mystifying games I can remember about how things can change in an instant. So let's let's get into it.

Let's head to Arrowhead Field and break down the AFC championship game. Snap to Mahomes, rolls the shoulder. Now in trouble. Now moving to his left, back to his right. Wiley gives him a block to try to keep him alive. Now he fires late for the end. On the side, Kelsey on the touchdown, Kansas City. He'll burrow back to throw, short pass caught by Pryne, Pryon, down to the third.

30 sideline 25 20 15 10 fire touchdown bangles shotgun snap to burrow throws it into the end zone for chase he leaps he's got it 24 21 cincinnati placement is down butker's kick is good and we are going to overtime and now the bengals will turn to the rookie kicker evan mcpherson four years ago he was a senior in high school in tiny fort pain alabama now the bengals will turn to the rookie kicker evan mcpherson four years ago he was a senior in high school in tiny fort pain alabama now the bengal's The Bengals' Super Bowl chances rest on his right foot. The kick is up. Yes, hit. Yeah. Good. Coffin nails. Bam.

Bam. Bam. It is no fluke. It is a fact. The Cincinnati Bengals are headed to Super Bowl 56. Oh, Ricky. You went supersized on us, and I love it. Oh, and the pongoes are out.

Dan Hort, Dave Lapham, K-C-K-Y, W-C-K-Y also. That was Mitch Holtes on Chiefs Radio. Unbelievable. Best bongo game ever. Who day. Evan McPherson. McFearless. Kicked a 31-yard field goal, 9-22 left in overtime.

After the Cincinnati Bengals wiped up the biggest deficit in championship game history, on the road at Arrowhead. 2724 Cincinnati. By the way, 3 and O all time in AFC championship games. Advanced to the Super Bowl where they will attempt to win their first Lombardi trophy, sending the Chiefs home in stunning, stunning fashion. And to the point that I was making just minutes ago, Greg, this game obviously turns in a way no one can imagine.

Kansas City comes out of the gate like they were just picked up where they left off against the bills going up and down the field they get ahead 21-3 they give up touchdown it's 21-10 but they march in the final minute of the half and then Patrick Mahomes

begins what for me turned into about a 90-minute meltdown which I could have never predicted one of the more surprising things like we talked about last week the nature of the game the Chiefs Bills game, I thought it was the best game of the ATN era. One of the more mystifying things I could ever remember is what happened to Mahomes from that final pass of the first half, short of the goal line, tackled,

they go into the half with zero points, leads to the momentum building for Cincinnati. They get back into the game and obviously come back to win it. But the Chiefs and the Mahomes meltdown on offense after being unstoppable early in the game, how do you make sense of it? I'm glad you started there in the last two plays of the first half. First and goal, Cincinnati one-yard line, nine seconds left for the Chiefs. At that point, they're up 21-10. We can get into the Bengals drive before that later, which was an important drive.

He has an incompletion left. At that point, there's five seconds left, and they decide to run another play, which I think makes sense. You can easily get another play, and if not, you get three. and Mahomes fritz out. And he said after the game, he knew the situation, although he did try to make a timeout. It almost felt like that Tom Brady moment where he thought there was an extra down

and he didn't know the timeout situation. And he just wasn't cool. He wasn't in the moment. He fritzed out and he throws it to Hill in the flat. And that is just an incredible mistake. But it's still 21 to 10. And you're getting the ball at half. And you're getting the ball in the same.

second half, but they didn't, the chiefs never returned. In the, in the eight drives starting at the end of that, you know, in the second half, they went for 83 yards. It's just hard to believe. In the seven drives in the second half in overtime, they go for 83 yards. They have more than one first down one time. He throws two interceptions. They get three points. It's like that it's just hard to believe that they went three and out four separate times, including an overtime, and you had one first down on the other ones. It's insane. And they asked Andy Reid, what did you notice that the Bengals did differently in the second half defensively? He said they played a little bit more man coverage, but they didn't make

any major adjustments. I thought it was the rare example of Patrick Mahomes with the events you just described that unfolded before the half that got into his head. I thought that he was pressing in the second half too. It was interesting as I was watching the raw feed. And Romo was sort of screaming at the production team. Get me, get me a clip of what Mahomes's eyes and what his face are doing after that meltdown before the half, because he wanted to see if you could notice a visual difference. And I think that this was Mahomes kind of crumbling. I mean, Tyreek Hill vanished in the second half. And the Bengals are this team that's been on this journey for week after week that if you let them back in, because their offense has not been

closing drives. They're imperfect too. This just became their game. And it's just one of the more peculiar things we've seen because the Chiefs have been on such a hot role, obviously, but it harks back to the inquisical performance on their offense earlier on in the year. We kind of got both Chiefs teams today. Yeah. And if you look at the splits of going back to the week 17 Chief Spangles game, Mahomes and the offense disappeared in that game as well. But this was different.

And I think, well, that's one of the great things about sports and the more mystifying things about sports. I keep on using that word because that's the only thing that I could, the word that best That kind of day. Describes how I, I'm trying to make sense of that because Mahomes was really at his very best, the best we've ever seen him throughout that Bill's game, throughout the first, you know, two quarters of this game. And he was on tilt. And like, if you ask me who in the league do I have to never worry about going on tilt in a big spot? Brady's going to be number one. But Mahomes would have been number two.

And you have to give credit to Lou Anarumo and the Bengals staff, because obviously there were adjustments that were made. but I'm just wondering how you process that because even look even look Greg like we can get into that the final series of regulation right I think if you can kind of combine those two series that really tells you a great story and you're you're figuring okay they nearly gave this away but they're whittling the clock down they're going to they're going to execute here score the touchdown with 24 seconds left or whatever and get out of there with the win but the plays take the sacks and then the last sack that led to the fumble. It's like, man, he just took a 14-yard sack or whatever was and fumbled in the biggest moment of the season. It's like, this is Patrick Mahomes. I still can't believe it. I can't believe it.

That was a great play by Sam Helbert, and it could have been the play that Bengals fans remembered for the rest of their lives if the ball bounces a little different in the Bengals fall on that. But you're right. They had first and goal at the five-yard line with a minute 30 to go. They're trailing by three at that time. At that point, they were on the only decent. drive that they had in all of the second half or overtime.

And they were trying to get the Bengals to get rid of their timeout. So they run it on first down, which I think totally made sense. See if you can get in. If not, you force the Bengals to take their time out. Now there's 126 left. And I do wonder if the talk with Mahomes on the sideline was like, don't throw an incompletion. Right.

You know, do not let, do not stop the clock here. You know, if you have to take a sack, you take it. and it was really a story in the second half. I thought, okay, maybe they didn't adjust too much. I read some and saw some that they played a little more man coverage. If you ever want, like, the vindication of just rushing three, this was it. Because this second half of this game, it was a whole lot of rushing three, dropping eight into coverage, and tackling better the Bengals did,

playing coverage better. But then you get to the spot, yeah, where he takes a sack to back of five yards. Again, that's Hubbard. I mean, so those are two massive plays by Hubbard in a row. They take the time out again. And you're right. He just was kind of running around, lost. You have to give credit.

But a lot of it, I think, was just like the situation being too much, like trying to figure out what the situational football of it all was, instead of just going and trying to score a touchdown. But that's what's so atypical about it because this offense has been together for years at the highest mountain tops of the NFL. and for them suddenly to enter into a state of confusion is, to your point, it's totally mystifying. I mean, sometimes things just happen and there isn't all a logical explanation for it in the NFL, and this is one of those times for me.

It's something where we need, like someone who gets the All-22 and watches, because I'm just curious, like, what Mahomes was looking at in a lot of these plays. He held the ball so long for all the second half. So you have to give a lot of credit to the Bengals secondary, but it also, was he being too cautious? Like, we'll have to look. And then you go to after that meltdown in the red zone and Butker bailed you out, it wasn't a hard kick, but it went from being either a touchdown to, you know, 20-yard field goal to now he's kicking from 45 and he splits the uprights.

Bucker is a great kicker. You go to overtime. They win the coin toss after all the talk that we've heard all week about how overtime's not fair. And he nearly throws a pick six that Eli Apple drops. Oh, I mean, that talk about another play that would have been submitted history. He throws another one up for grabs, trying to force it to Tyrie Kill, who went invisible in the second half of this game, gets intercepted. And that is, and the Bengals are an incredible story, and I can't wait to watch him. And I hope they win the Super Bowl.

But I'll always remember Mahomes and the offense short-circuiting. That's to me the thing that I'll, that is the thing that's great about sports, but also will drive you crazy because you think you have things figured out. and then something like this happens. The moment can get anyone, and I think it got Mahomes. Well, and I also think about Kansas City's defense after the Bon Bell interception where it was like, you know, you have a chance to squelch the Bengals as well, and Joe Mixon, who is not, you know, necessarily thrived on the ground in the playoffs at all, ran through them over and over and over.

And it's just like they seem to me, they've seemed like ghosts at the end of this game, the Chiefs. Like, yeah, they won the coin toss and, And they go crazy, and the Chiefs Twitter account says, like, we won the coin toss. Did you see Josh Allen's tweet? No, I didn't. What was it, Ricky? It was right when the coin toss happened, and he called heads, and it was tails.

Josh Allen tweeted pain, period. Brilliant. And, like, they were, they won the coin toss, and there was like, oh, my God, here we go again. And I was thinking, they've just had eight straight drives where they haven't had a touchdown. They just had seven where they had three points. And especially that the end sequence, I mean, this, I think the Bengals defense has to get a lot of credit. Hendrickson was getting some pressure on him. He was in and out with injuries.

Hubbard, like I said, played well. But this has been a veteran defense. Ouzier was one of the biggest free agent signings of the offseason. Von Bell, Jesse Bates is the one who ends up breaking up the pass in overtime that turns into the interception that Bell gets. He's an all-pro type of player. And even Eli Apple, I was happy for him because my immediate thought when he dropped that pass was if Chris was here, if Wes was here, he would be talking about the play he talked about more than any other as a Bengals fan, the Lewis Phillips play dropping the pass in the end zone. But this time, it didn't come back to bite. Well, in that game, that's Super Bowl, Montana throws the game winning touchdown right after.

So it's like you're looking at the lost opportunity by the by the Bengals. this time around, they did it. I mean, I think I just, I spent most of this game thinking that Sinci's offense, too, lacked the aggressiveness to come into this thing and just have put it all out there. And for much of the game until, like, the second half really got cooking, they seemed real tight. I mean, at one point, deep into the second quarter, Burrow had 28 yards and five straight incompletions, which was not typical Joe Burrow business.

Yeah, he was six for 13 at one point. Yeah, go ahead. All right, boys. Hold it right there. Let's take a quick break. We'll be right back. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin.

And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get.

Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks.

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And we're back. And he turned it on with the rest of the Bengals, and now he's the hero of this team and the guy that is wearing a diamond chain and saying I make way too much money for my diamonds not to be real. I mean, this man is feeling himself. He was after the game. He talked about being an Ohio kid, now taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl. That's something I'm really proud of, being from Ohio, being the quarterback of the Bengals.

It's two and a half hours from my hometown. This is something I've always wanted playing the Super Bowl, and I couldn't be with a better group of guys. And we did see Mike Brown also on the riser. And, you know, we're talking about, or are we texting about, like, you know, where is West coming down when he's watching? this situation and the Wessing Brothers and we were texting with them and Greg I thought you summed it up well

that he would have been feeling the moment until that happened maybe exactly. It's funny like does Mike Brown get credit for anything here or is it like the whole angle and like it's all a lot of it is just good fortune, bad fortune they had the worst record

when Joe Burrow showed up as the number one overall pick like how much is connected directly to just lucking into that and then you know you do a nice job building around him and things come together faster than normal. But as an organization, like we had Paul Dainard from The Athletic, and he explained some changes they were making behind the scenes to try to get more up to the times.

And certainly it seems like whatever they did has worked because they seem very set up now moving forward with Bernie. I mean, if anything with Mike Brown, he's given say, power, and influenced other people. And if you go back even to that, 2015 team, you can look and say they're the best roster in the AFC. I think some of the stuff that Wes wrote that massive and collected that massive folder about was the fact that they were zigging in the wrong way when everyone else was zagging. They had no

scouting department. They didn't spend money in a free agency. All that's changed. And I just, we don't know what West would think, but the one thing I'm sure of is that Joe Burrell changes everything for the Bengals historically going forward for the next 15 plus years. And he I would struggle to think he wouldn't be totally enamored with the club that we've watched over the last couple weeks. Absolutely. You're reminding me of 2015 when Wes was really into Duke Tobin. I don't know if you remember he wrote a whole piece about Duke Tobin. He actually went and asked Duke Tobin questions at the Combine, which West was loath to do.

And I think that's a really good point, that Mike Brown has changed the style of their ownership in that I think he's let guys like Duke Tobin be a real GM, even though he doesn't have the title, I don't believe. be a real GM, his daughter, Katie Blackburn, who actually has a lot of respect, you know, within the NFL and the organization, kind of run the organization her way. And you saw so many of those players step up today, and you saw their drafting step up. I mean, not just Jamar Chase,

but I want to go through sort of how they came back at some point, but one catch that really stands out to me is the Higgins catch in overtime. His arms are getting raked on that play. They weren't calling anything in this game. Defensive backs could maim the opposing receivers. And they did to Higgins right on a potential touchdown in the first half, which the Bengals were not happy with.

And Higgins, who had six for 103, I thought that was a theme today. Higgins and OBJ, the wide receiver two is showing, man, if you have two guys on the outside, it is so tough to stop. And this was a Higgins day. And that catch in overtime was very difficult. And really was the key play in that winning drive before. mixing got a couple big runs where do you go from here if you're the chiefs

that's something that's a tough loss that is that's one that will stick to the ribs just like we talked about the Packers lost last week they now you know they had that game in their back pocket at 213 and that's unbelievable turn of events

the tweets and the like just the feeling of that game like don't you think the Chiefs felt like they were going to the Super Bowl that there wasn't even I think they took their foot off the gas. I think everybody felt that right, right? It just seemed like, okay, this was one. We talked about it on the network show.

Like, this felt like a close game. The Bengals could steal it potentially. But also there was a possibility. This was like a 42-24 game just because the way Kansas City looked, they could run the Bengals out of that building. And it didn't work out that way, obviously. Any other thoughts about the comeback or anything? The one thing that happened early to Kansas City,

and they got into that, you know, the time issue at the end of the first half was when Andy Reed challenged a play. He got, they got the challenge, but he took a timeout beforehand, and it stripped them of an early time out that ended up costing them. I mean, you know, it's like Andy Reid used to get tagged with this time management thing all the time. He's escaped a lot of that because he has one of the best quarterbacks we ever watched. But to your point about the where we thought the chiefs would be at this point compared to where they were. It reminds me a lot of the 2010 Packers, where you have it. Aaron Rogers. The sky's the limit. They never get back there to win. They never win another title. And it just shows you how elusive it is. Because now Kansas City goes into an offseason

having swallowed an evil pill. Well, there's some scarring on this team now. You had the Super Bowl last year where Mahomes got abused and physically wrecked. And then you have this game, which is something to collapse, historic collapse, biggest blown lead ever in the championship. Sunday, there is just this level of invincibility that Mahomes had in those initial seasons that now they don't quite feel that way. Now a team's gone again into Arrowhead in the AFC title game. And now you have Burrow and the Bengals saying, listen, this is not your conference anymore. This is our time. And it snuck up on everybody because look where everyone was picking Cincinnati before the season.

Look where they were at the beginning of the season on my power rankings. like this was a team that was not ready or supposed to be making this jump, and yet they had. Look where they were when I, you know, I backed off this a little bit, pronounced that they were going to take over the conference back in, like, November. It's like, you know. I went to see the NFL.com midseason predictions, and no one at the entire NFL.com media group out of 30 people had the Bengals in the playoffs at midseason.

Not one person had them even as a wildcard team then, which it actually is disrespect. They probably were five and four. I think it was coming off their two-game losing streak. So it was a weird timing. But not one person even had them in the playoffs at that point. The Mahomes thing. Mark, speak on it. Yeah.

Oh, yeah, you didn't. I was drifting, looking at my notes. What's happening? You didn't even have them in the playoffs in the mid-season. Well, no, I mean, I would say my directive would be there's probably 55 people that make those predictions, fire all of them and start over with an entirely new collection of individuals. You do feel for Andy Reid, who has, man, he has taken some tough losses, over the years, especially in the conference championship weekend.

And look, not everything's about the Patriots, but I do think these sort of games do remind you how just brutal, how impossible it is for what they accomplished, like how tough that will be to repeat, even when you have Patrick Holmes. Because they have hosted four straight AFC championships. Like that is so Patriots. Like that's like this other level that even ahead of where the Packers are at of like, can you get the one or two seat every year. Like, that's, like, the highest almost level you could reach.

And the Chiefs are even above that. But even on another level above that, you have to actually, like, finish each one of these games out and get through the gauntlet. And it's like, man, that's tough to do year after year. 21 to 3 with 2.18 left in the second quarter, and the Bengals got the ball. And you mentioned how they weren't aggressive all day, and that was driving me crazy. They weren't throwing on first down. They were running a ton.

they had a play action pass on the first play of that drive for a big gainer up the field. I can't remember who was to either Boyd or a tight end, got that drive going and ended up scoring later. And then they did settle in and get a little more aggressive. But the thing that to me was just in the comeback most important about Burrow was he wasn't going down. Like he only got sacked one time in this game.

And his legs, and he said this after the game in an interview with Ross Tucker, actually. I was listening to on the way in, that some people, you know, dismiss my legs. Like, they don't think I can run, and they ended up spying me a little bit towards the end of that game. And that really was a difference in some of these field goal drives. Especially the play. I mean, this is when you started to feel like the football gods are operating on a different level here. When he evaded Chris Jones twice on that one play that they showed Chris Jones up close after,

and you could just see he knew that that thing had slipped away. Can I read one absurd tweet that came out of Kansas City? after this, KMBC, I'm assuming that's a television station. This was their tweet after the Chiefs melted. In all caps, against all odds, colon, we were never supposed to be here. We were never meant to make it this far. But against all odds, we did. What a season.

Thank you for the incredible ride. We will always be Chief's Kingdom. Wait a minute. Excuse me, but every single sentient human being above toddler level assumed that they would be here. You just have to look at it this way. And it's a news organization saying we, which is kind of funny. It's just utterly bizarre. That tweet makes more sense if you imagine an idiot wrote it.

Well, that's not who I'd hire in that position. Chiefs fans got into this thing of like everyone discounted us and everyone gave up on us. And like why is that the thing that gets you going and like fires you? Because that's true. Some people did. But like not many. When I went back to look at that midseason thing, for instance, everyone still had them winning the division and had many. More people than not had them go to the Super Bowl?

We're just simply saying we expect them to be nearly perfect, and they played a nearly perfect first half up until they crumbling here. Yeah, it was a ludicrous tweet, but I'm glad it went viral. Boys, would you like to step behind the velvet ropes? Because I think there's one other figure we need to discuss. Okay, sure. In the non-justin Tucker category, I can't remember ever seeing a kicker or a moral.

locked in than the rookie fifth rounder Evan McPherson he went four for four again today he went four for four last week he went four for four the week before that he is 12 for 12 in the playoffs every week has had a 50 yarder massive 50 yard bomb in this game as well and that is he is a legitimate again don't sleep on this weapon two weeks from Sunday across the street because he is not that i ever get behind j feely's analysis on cbs delcast but he made a point that carries across anything else he has no battle scars on him he doesn't know anything but success and you could tell that's just flowing through him he's been unbelievable for that i was like he kicked a 52 it was a 52 yarder to take the lead in the fourth right the a fc championship and i i had no

no worry at all forget the 31 yarder to win it like of course that one's going to in no concern at all it changes how they play offense because that was part of the comeback was picking up three points in a couple in in a handful of spots they only had one touchdown actually during the during the second half and that's why the borough brady thing and i and i did feel like early in this week they're going to win this game somehow i don't know how they're going to win this game and in the burrow brady thing there it's maybe forced but there are little things that i think winning plays, not just like the running and stuff, but avoiding the sacks and making the smart decisions at the smart moments. And like, that's where the luck is. If you want to call it luck,

that's where the luck is. You look into the face, into the visage. And like, it's like he's so, he's so unflappable. I mean, it's like you're the same way that Tony Romo has run out of verbal concepts to describe Mahomes and it's, you know, all the stuff he does, you're going to get there with Burrow. I mean, they have Burrow and the new Justin Tucker. Who would have, you would have bet houses in the opposite direction. that the entire division would be looking up at the Bengals forever, and that's where they are right now. Can we talk Tony Romo?

Yeah, I do have a couple other little things. I know you do. I know you do, Greg. But this Tony Romo telecast, coming off last week where I sang his praises, and I thought he had an excellent Bill's Chiefs game, he was not at his best in this game, and he had his biggest flub to me since he's been doing television

when it was the last possession of regulation and the chiefs are knocking on the door. It's first and goal from the nine. And he begins to tell the audience, this is our conduit. This is our expert, our former player. He's telling the audience, should Cincinnati,

even though they have a three-point lead, let the chief score a touchdown so they will have enough time to get the ball back? It's like, bro, this game, you're winning this game. You don't want to give up a touch. down to go behind so you have 47 seconds that was I couldn't believe he was saying that it's almost like he didn't know the score that was an insane thing for Romo to say in a normal game you know

you knew where he was going like if it was a the first Bengals chiefs game and it was just all offense back and forth but that's even then you you can't think that way because there's there's Malcolm Butler there's like too many times of doing exactly what the Bengals did and And then there was a red challenge flag, and he was thinking that they should challenge an illegal procedure, like lining up the wrong way, which you can't challenge either. Well, he got caught not knowing the nuance on that one. Like, you can't challenge. It's part of his job, too. It was a bad game.

He was thinking, like, the worst possible scenario was giving up a touchdown with 20 seconds left or whatever it was going to be, which would have been. But, you know, the best possible scenario is Sam Hubbard forces a fumble on Patrick Mahomes, which is exactly what happened. And you got to give your guys a chance to go do that. Yeah, you can't even float that as a theory when Cincinnati has like seven consecutive stops on defense, basically, before that drive. You can't be like give up the touchdown to fall behind in the AFC title game in the last 41 seconds. Right. They were owned. I mean, the drives were 16 yards, 17 yards, seven yards, negative two yards, negative four yards.

And then they had the three and out. It is crazy. I do just want to remind you that despite it looking dry, on camera today. The rain was out in Cincinnati. We're on an 8 and 2 heater. The Rainmaker. Forget plus 7.

I should have gone money line and locked it up like Mark Sessler, but it all works out anyways. They won it. They want it. Does it get you a little uncomfortable, Mark, when Greg gets this giddy. Sometimes it's like energy.

It's Greg's materialism that gets on my radar just a bit. By the way, the Rainmaker's coming back out. Grab that early Bengals plus 4 line for the Super Bowl because we're riding the Bengals to the end. Are you kidding me? That line might change.

And let me, I have an announcement to make. I'm going to call my own press conference. I am in the midst of a collapse in the locks competition. Listen, I have no regrets about my strategy here in the playoffs. The strategy was get behind the best quarterbacks and the superior teams. And I thought that I was doing that. And yet Aaron Rogers and the Packers let me down. And then Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs let me down.

And I will tell you this, Mark, and this is a show of respect to not just you, but the game, we will not have a tie. We will not have a tie. And I think, given the nature of my picks here, I'm going to seed, you know, the prediction. I want you to pick the team you want to win the Super Bowl or think they will. I will go the other way. And we will find out who wins the title. If I'm going to collapse, I want to call you. collapse into a tie.

I want to either somehow survive, like the Rams did last weekend in Tampa, or going down in infamy. I like it. And I think it's a great sign and a great show of character by me. I think I know who Mark Sessler's pick, and maybe just for luck's sake, we should keep it that way, because you've gone against the Bengals Day on all three weeks here, so just for the luck of it. Well, I have to go wherever Mark goes, I have to go the other way. That was really admirable of you. Thank you very much.

It seems like really mature. It seems crazy, though. I'm like waiting for the kicker. Like, I'm waiting for him to be like, psych. Well, I think the kicker was that that entire speech was to set up Dan as a highly noble figure. I mean, I'm only in this position because I had a four-game skid prior to your skid. So it's forced us to behave a certain way. Don't you want to fully root for the Bengals in the Super Bowl, you know?

Well, but Greg, like that we're saving that for later in the week. That's how you, you know. It's called a tease. You build drama to some degree. Major tease. Spoiler. But a lot of people are coming at you, Dan, also. And it's like, listen, we've been doing this thing for years.

And it's like, we're not like at each other's throat. over this. Like, it's going to go down in proper fashion. We tied one other time. That was, like, five weeks ago, one Sunday show, there was one. Right, there was.

I have been annoyed, but I was annoyed with my own epic failure. I'm feeling pretty good right now. I had a gash across my throat one Sunday night, as I recall. Well, there's, I mean, there's a lot to be said to take this thing. Listen, the Packers,

they got me mad last week because that was a gag job. The Cincinnati Bengals, coming back in Arrowhead, I could live with that. I'll take that out. And by the way, My other pick for this weekend was the Niners.

So again, it doesn't matter right now. I'm on like, I'm on a cold streak as you were in December. And to that point, like I wrote down something to myself that I stopped asking for anything from the NFL. And it started to give me a lot of great things. And like, that's to me, I think something is happening here that we have no control over. I mean, we have no control over anything. But I'm along for the ride. That's why I've decided.

I've tried to keep in control and playing as from ahead as the favorite. to try to stay in control. I'm throwing my hands up. And I said, do what you must with me. Right. Fantasy. I'll be on the Bengals. Control me.

Control me. Bend me, shape me. If you did. If you must. If you didn't, you know, lose this lock. If the Bengals hadn't come from behind, though, we would not have gotten Chris Rose on NFL Network with a pretty cool moment tonight. They're kicking it on third down.

He was four for four. Ooh, this one's for West. Awesome. Chris Rose, we got to know Chris this season on Sunday nights, watching Sunday night football with him in the big theater. He's a really good guy. And that was nice. And he's a Browns fan. And so I think everyone is just, no matter who you are or who you were or who the Bengals were to you in the past, your heart needs to not even exist. There must be something dark and lost inside of you. If you can't kind of feel this Bengals team, and I do think it's one of those Super Bowls, and the Rams are cool too. but we're like 95% of people are going to be like, spoiler, we're pretty sure who we're into in this game. Sure. Hearing that was, there was something about hearing that. It was kind of like T. and Wes at London that, like, hit me more than even anything

watching at Keish's and everything. Something about hearing, like, on NFL network, him saying, like, this one's for West. It's just like, it's bigger than just West and the podcast and the Bengals. It's awesome. And all the messages from everyone today's been awesome. Very cool, yes. And, yeah, so many people feel the same way we do that just something strange is in the air

than as difficult as this is been without Wes. This has been a nice little thing that we've been able to enjoy together. All right, let's take a break and talk about the game that produced the NFC champion. And yes, the Cincinnati Bengals opponent in Super Bowl 56.

Yeah, the Bengals going to the Super Bowl. Let's take a break. Hey, this is Matt Jones. Now, I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. What's up, everybody?

Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision-makers,

and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig into coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL.

Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Second and 13, 49ers go. Empty Garoppolo looks right, throws Devo Tunnel, screen block from Jennings, breaks and tackle. Devo Samuel, 20, 15, 10, 5. diving for the end zone right up there touchdown san francisco calling to the snap alone in the shotgun against a four-man rush clean platform he deals left side Cooper Cup in the end zone he's a cheat code touchdown Cooper Cup touchdown LA hold down the kick is on the way and it is right down the middle.

Matt Gay from 30 for a 20 to 17 lead with 146 remain. Snap back to Garoppolo, pocket crumbling, he spins out, he's hit, he's wrapped up, he flipped it forward, it's tipped, it's intercepted, it's intercepted, it's intercepted. Aeron Donald got pressure on Garoppolo and Craven Howard pledges the NFC championship game. Hey, how about that? My buddy, my picnic pal, J.B. Long, with the call of his life, K.S.P.N. Also heard Greg Papa at KNBR up in the Bay Area and the Los Angeles Rams down 17-7 in the fourth quarter. The place going nuts. Everybody in red, it felt like.

And it seemed like once again that the Los Angeles Rams and their coach, Sean McVeigh, were going to get done in. by Kyle Shanahan and those Niners who would beat them six times in a row and now had a double digit fourth quarter lead. And yet the Rams get a big touchdown from Cooper Cup. We've been doing it all year, one of the greatest wide receiver seasons of all time. Then they get the big stop on defense. They are able to take control of the game,

take the lead and close it out with, yes, Aaron Donald and friends getting it done. 20 to 17, the final. The Rams are back in the Super Bowl for the 7th. second time in, what is it, three years with McVey or four? Four. Four. For the second time in four years. And this one, Mark had to be so sweet. And you could tell on Sean McPay's face to not only knock off Kyle Shanahan, not only to get back to the Super Bowl, but all those demons like Jordan Rodriguez talked to about with us from the athletic last week, all those demons exercise in a big spot at SoFi Stadium. Yeah. And it wipes away everything the Niners did to them before. It's like this was the one that mattered.

was mattered five times more than those six losses. And you could see the look on Sean McVe's face. I mean, this was pressure. This was pressure on the entire team. And they overcame a lot. They overcame, you know, the Matthew Stafford mistake. They overcame the fact that I thought their defensive line, the strength of the team did very little for much of this game. Where was Von Miller for so much of it? That Aaron Donald's name was called at the most optimal time at the end to cause that interception. There's a lot to get into with this game too. But the drop. that I felt maybe told me the Niners are slipping away. Because we know that Jimmy G, he is a journey.

I mean, and you have to sign up for... You say journeyman? Yeah, I think I agree with you. Well, yeah, but it's just like... I feel like it's weeks in a row where you're watching him throw passes that were, you know, I want to call him, but desperate bordering on high risk, and he got away with a lot of that stuff. And today, he did not at the end.

And I thought... They finally caught him. Somebody took the gift. We had been calling for it for weeks, that at some point it's going to haunt them in a way that they're not going to be able to unhaunt themselves. And it happened today. The drive, though, for me, 1717, there's six plus left, total melt job by Jimmy G in the offense. They took 23 seconds off the clock when it would have been the patented time for Shanahan to get the ground game going, just to not even give Matthew Stafford and the Rams a chance back in.

And they did. I mean, they let this game away, and the Rams, you know, you get a performance by Otto Beckham. it's like everything, I know at this point this is not news, but all these moves they made. It was a year ago today that the Stafford Trade was announced. To have known back then, a lot of people doubted that deal that the Rams

mortgage their future, that a year later they'd be here. It's like... And we all, we had, I certainly had fun with it when they had the tweet, we're all in after the moves that they made. And then they were a little, they were a little bit on and off for a stretch there during the regular season. And it looked like

man, are they not only going to never have any premium draft picks, but they're going to go all in and they're going to fall short. And yet here they are, a nut like the Bengals, another four seed, Greg, that got hot, found themselves all of a sudden hosting the NFC championship game and then executing in a way that San Francisco had executed against them and all those prior losses. Yeah, maybe they're better off playing from behind. I mean, 177 entering the fourth quarter and you go touchdown, field goal, field goal, and your defensive line in Aaron Donald and Vaughn Miller and that.

group that had been quiet throughout the game, beasted three straight drives. So it's like, we don't need to hear anything about this team's toughness. I don't think toughness was ever, you know, the right word for it because they also have won, you know, been in some difficult spots this year and won tight games, not always against the top competition. But it was 177, Stafford gets the ball back, and it was just like bet. And it was, they went right down the field.

And it was plays to Odell. It was third and sixes to cup. Really the whole game I thought the difference was the quarterbacks. And I know Stafford until the end, his numbers weren't too flashy, and people are going to bring up that to Quisky-Tart drop interception. And we can talk about that. But it's like, Stafford played great in this game. And, yeah, he'll give the other team a couple chances,

and he'll make a couple mistakes. But the reason they put up 20 in this game was all Stafford. Again, they weren't really running the ball. again they didn't really protect most of his completions were excellent throws like most of their points came from throws into tight windows the touchdown the cup was awesome the out route to cup earlier that drive was was amazing he had another one to odell it's just like jimmy g's not making those throws jared goff's not making those throws maybe there's seven or eight guys in the nfl that are making those throws and matthew stafford is one of them

And I know it's not like a great home crowd here. It was definitely split. But that drive you mentioned where the 49ers started turtling up, like that was after the Rams just scored 10 straight points. And the Rams fans were loud when the 49ers were on offense, and it was vice versa. And it felt like that was making an impact. And the 49ers were feeling at that point.

And certainly Aaron Donald was feeling it. The one thing, I mean, had they lost the Rams, there would be a really, really rough couple of weeks for them. because I also found them to be, and they've got to clean this up, disorganized, pre-snap, these timeouts they call when you're going to try and to avoid, like, a delay-of-game scenario. It's just like, this should not be happening to this Rams team under Sean McVeigh. They took a terrible challenge at one point that I don't know who's in Sean McVe's ear.

It went south, but it's like, how are those decisions being made? They had no timeouts for the last 650 on the clock, which Terry Bradshaw mentioned. When Terry Bradshaw's asking the question. The first thing he said to McVeigh was about the time. And he got the facts wrong. He said you only had one timeout with seven minutes to go. No, it's even worse than that. They had no timeouts with seven minutes to go.

And I thought that when he burned his final timeout on a challenge of a fumble on a play it was fourth down and they had their punt team on the field, San Francisco. He challenges it trying to get the ball back in midfield. It was a terrible challenge like Mark saying. Was it desperate? Was he just desperately? It felt desperation, especially when you realize the payoff is because you're getting the ball back anyway.

Like maybe it's like 30 or 40 yards field difference maybe. But the opportunity cost here is like, or you lose the challenge and you have no timeouts and you end up watching Jimmy G. kneeling on the football for two minutes to end the game. Like it was that much. Now, the thing that I'll, I'll think about two things if I'm a Niners fan and I'm dying. And by the way, we could talk about how the Rams did a nice job. The fans filling that building.

We're across the street in the newsroom. After the game was over, I went to the glass. and looked out, and it was all 49ers fans just filing out. Now, maybe Rams fans are there watching the ceremony. Yeah, they're watching the ceremony. But I'm telling you, Greg, let's not carry in a water here. Tens of thousands of San Francisco fans were in that building. It sounds like at best it was half and half,

but it was probably more 49ers fans, which is wild. So that had to, for all the things that had to feel so good for McVey and the Rams, that was a tough situation, the buildup to this week about how there was going to be all these 49ers fans there you sent all of them out of your building in a sour mood and my other thing I think about is Kyle Shanahan at midfield he put his offense back on the field after that lost challenge by McVe and I'm thinking man that would have been an incredible kill shot to send McVey into the offseason if you would have after he blows his last time out on a bad challenge and puts himself in a terrible situation for the rest of the game if you then would have gave it to

Debo Samuel on fourth and two and converted a first down then we could be talking about a totally different outcome right now and he didn't do it I thought that was conservative it was a sloppy game in many ways for both teams so whoever lost is going to go have a lot to think about and if you're the niners it was a rough one but to dan's point on that fourth down it they hit that deep throw to odal beckham another great throw uh two plays later they were back at the exact same yard line that Kyle shannon and it gets back to what I've been talking about in the show both of these guys have this weird inherent conservatism streak in them in terms of fourth downs. Even McVeigh kind of played for the field goals on their last two field goal drives.

And it worked and that's great. But there is something about them that's like inherently conservative. Well, they're progressive in terms of their view on offense and scheme. But in terms of like the tactician of like a game day, how I handle my team, they are a little conservative surprisingly. So can we hear the- Sorry for cutting you off there, Mark. No, no, no.

I'm going to tee you up on this one, Mark, because- Well, let's see what it is. Yeah. The other thing that's going to stick to Niners fans, of course, Jaquisti, Jokwisky Tart, the safety. There is $9.55 to play in the game. And the Niners, I believe at this point, are holding on to a three-point lead.

And Stafford drops back to pass and throws a balloon into the middle of the field. I would like to hear the Niners call this because this was another huge moment in the game. Stafford back. It's in as he throws. deep downfield for Van Jefferson, and the ball should have been intercepted. It was dropped.

Jekwaski Tart had the interception on the 49 and 32-yard line, and he dropped the ball. And he is sick. The ball is underthrown and Tart flat-out drops it. It couldn't have hit him any better than it did, right in the V of the neck. Great call there. Yeah, it was 17-17 at the time,

and after that play, immediately after this drop, it should be Niners' ball with a chance to take back control of the game. He hits Beckham. Stafford for 29 yards and then a penalty on Ward for a necessary roughness. It becomes a 45-yard play. It leads to what ends up being the deciding points. I think if you're a quarterback and you go, you know, Kevin Patcher, our friend who wrote up the game called it a Yolo ball for Stafford.

You know, you only live once, which I think we... Weird spot for a Yolo ball there, first in 10, no doubt. At your own 15. I think we also banned the phrase Yolo on this show. I think it's gone. Okay. It was gone from culture, and now you just brought it back in a big spot. So we got to work best

Well, I referenced someone who brought it back That's what I did But this is the thing Like I know it's like The one thing about the NFL right now Like every Jimmy G is getting destroyed On Twitter and all this stuff Like there's just a part of me that's like

I feel bad for Jimmy G I feel bad for Tart I mean who tweeted out after Bummer No excuses I deserve all the criticism my way The opportunity I dream of I came up short I let my brothers down

I mean first of all You're taking accountability But secondly I mean yeah he's going to think about that every moment of every day. It's one of those. Well, here's a, well, that play you mean, specifically, or the whole game? No, not the whole game.

Tarts dropped interception. It's like that would have ended this. And we'd be talking about Matthew Stafford's two killer mistakes in this game versus saying Matthew Stafford played. The game's tied there, right? It's tied. But that was their, they're never, from that point on, their season slipped away because they gave up the drive and then Garoppolo then takes the hit and throws the ball up for

grabs that stuff you can always do that though like jalen ramsie had two potential pick sixes in the second half that he dropped which like he would be living with that for the rest of it he's such a competitor i would imagine it's killing him right now that he did not make the big plays in the big moments uh when he when he could but he had his defensive guys around him to step up i really do think that's what makes this rams team unique special you know potentially a championship team is this defense really is great. And I know it didn't feel like they were getting after Jimmy G that much this game. They stuffed the run.

I mean, that fourth down that they didn't go for, Dan, it was because Eric Weddell came up on a run blitz fit and stuffed them. And then the next down, it was Gaines and Aishon Robinson who stuffed them. And you look at Elijah Mitchell on the day 11 for 20. This dude has been killing everyone all year. This running game is what they're. I got you, Greg, but give it to Debo and see what happens. But Debo even seven for 26.

Well, here's a stat to your point. I wrote this down. San Francisco in their first five playoff games with Kyle Shanahan averaged 177. 0.4 rushing yards per game. That's five yards of carry average. Today, 20 for 50, two and a half yards of carry. Right. And like I did the Sky Sports hit going into the fourth quarter.

And Baldi was just talking about this is where, like, what's happening? Aaron Donald hasn't made a play all game. It's 17 to 7 at that point. Like, Aaron Donald needs to be the one who makes the play. If he's going to be on the sideline trying to fire everyone up and change, and he did. He had two QB hits in that fourth quarter. And it's like everyone's going to kill Jimmy G for throwing that pass. If he doesn't throw the pass, he's taking the sack and it's fourth in game over, fourth and 20.

And if the guy doesn't drop it or hits the ground, it's fourth and 10, and they're going to win the next down anyways. because they were going all over them at that point. And they stepped up. We talk about quarterback stepping up in the fourth quarter? Like those dudes stepped up in the fourth quarter. Let's hear from Aaron Donald. Our boy, Steve Weish, interviewing Aaron Donald on the field. And I think Von Miller crashes into the interview.

You know that thing. I always wanted to be part of that thing. Right. You win a big game. Well, we kind of did with Wes and company when we won the Shield titles. We were interviewed by Kwong Lem on the desk. And I believe there was a moment where maybe Wes was being interviewed. and I just went over West's shoulder.

He's like, we did it, man. He's like, oh, man, you're a real star. He's like, no, you are, bro. I think that moment might have happened. I think that, you know, you kind of create. You're sort of the person that showed us how to do that. Thank you, Mark. And Greg, you got a trophy too when we went back to back the shield.

Oh, yeah. I was the general manager. Do we not? I was the O'Dell Beck. No, they would have had to won a title. You know, I was a big free agent signing and. Big sign. We needed that.

Make sure it didn't get stale in the clubhouse. Let's hear Aaron Donald after the game. with Steve Weish. What about the way the defense held up? You go into the fourth quarter down 17 to 7 and you shut them out to give your offense enough time to rally. I brought the guys that we taught.

We got too much in the line to lose. Way too much on the line. Everybody bowled up. Guys start flying around. We found around to make big plays when we needed to. And also, lastly, the pressure you got on Garoppolo that led to the sack to seal the deal. What about that play?

Just being relentless. That's my boy. Ain't no one. There's a great job by Wyshe in a big spot there. And there was a great moment in the game. This is 17-7. Donald is one of the great players in the history of the sport. In his prime, he's been to near the mountaintop once.

He's been to the Super Bowl. He's been part of some disappointing Rams teams through the years. And you see him pulling those guys together on the sideline and giving them that exact message. to just explain to why he's clearly he's like guys we cannot let them move the ball again we are better than this team we need to win this game and literally from that moment when fox caught that on the sideline their defense never gave up another yard in that game and they were like that's donald that happened sometimes and you can see these players you know with all their bluster and it's like

the other teammates are kind of like all right yeah not with er donald no because they were like it was a moment of total sobriety they were nodding along with them and it never it changed them entire. And the Rams in general are an advertisement on team building because it's like, go get these stars, give them a little bit of time. They're going to peak at the right moment. And you're going to have so many Odell Beckham disgruntled wide receivers and other players midway through next year saying, get me out of this trash city and take me somewhere special. Let's talk, Odell, after the break. Hey, this is Matt Jones. And I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero. We're just here to

Try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL. now to learn more. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development

to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots,

from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan

or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael F. Florio, and together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet. We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL.

Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Let's talk, O'Dell, because he really did, he profiled as an important guy in this game because the Rams need that, they need that secondary receiver. They lose Tyler Higby to injury earlier in this game. So then Beckham becomes an essential figure. Cup is going to do what Cup does, 11 for 142 and two touchdowns on 14 targets. Some of the biggest third downs. brilliant he is the MVP and he had a drop he even those numbers could even be bigger but he made every

other play in this game and is such a money player one of the best wide receivers in the sport but beckham first 100 yard game since week six of 2019 uh with the browns and we had been waiting for beckham to have this type of game he didn't find the end zone but he was nine for one 13 and every time stafford look for him on 11 targets beckham was there ready to play and made the big plays that, frankly, as someone who's been vocally critical of Beckham, and I still hate the way he kind of got his way out of town in Cleveland, but you have to give it up to him because he's now really proved himself, Mark, a guy that for all the ups and downs of his career, when the spotlight was bright here with L.A., he really has answered the call. Absolutely. Like, I don't

like the exit either, but that's secondary and that's in the deep distance at this point to me. It's like he is, he was looking out, I think, for how he'd be remembered as a player. And we do think of them differently now. And I mean, it took a little bit of time. But it was also Matthew Stafford's first season in this offense, too. And I just, I give the Rams a lot of credit for honestly going for it and not in foolhardy fashion. And like the way that it's working for them, it's because someone like Les Sneed chose to think totally differently about building a team than other teams do. I mean, Odell was found money.

He got his way out of the Browns. It's not like they had to trade for him. But they did call him up, though, and explain how they'd use them. Like, it wasn't just about money or just where, like, they made it clear to him that that was the landing spot and they were right. And then Robert Woods blows his knee out. Right. They did a great job.

They did a great job getting him, building a program to get him to get him to the point. But it's sort of been lost in the shuffle. Like, he's getting paid, you know, the same as, like, Will Fuller gets paid for eight games. Like, he's just getting a half a season at $4.5 million dollars. I mean, that is incredible. I think he got a $750,000 bonus day for winning. He keeps getting more bonuses because they win and it was tied to winning, which is brilliant too. But it's like every team's got a weakness.

And all year it was like, how are the 49ers overcoming these cornerbacks? Like, how are they doing it? Like, it just doesn't make sense. Like, D'Amico Ryan's and the pass rush are just overcoming it all. And I think today was a day where it hurt them because you just can't cover two guys on the outside. They had to leave O'Dell Beckham by himself. while Cooper Cup was getting doubled inside and Odell beat him over and over. Whereas the Rams weaknesses, in theory, I don't think showed up as much.

Some of their linebacker play where they tried to get cheap, Troy Reader had a tough day. But, like, they lose their two starting safeties during that 49ers collapse. And they bring in Nick Scott and Weddell. And those two dudes have been awesome. And I think that's, I get on McVeigh for some of the things he doesn't do as well. I get the feeling like Belichick. He is about as good a.

tactician in terms of like practicing and building up their skill sets and fundamentals and like getting guys into the right positions and knowing the roles and having a vision for those roles and getting his coaching staff to all coach up the way he wants it to because they can lose guys they have so many like random guys that just most NFL teams don't have at like minimum salaries that just come up and play at a very high level and like the coach should get a lot of credit and I thought he did a very Shanahan type thing that I sent a message early and I I love this, when they had an 18-play drive that started on their own three-yard line, 97 yards they go over 10-plus minutes.

And basically, that's exactly what the Niners did out of the gate to L.A. In that week 10 smashing, when Stafford threw two picks to open the game, and everything felt lost for Los Angeles, people came out of that, asking about their identity as they went into their buy week. And I think Sean McVeigh was embarrassed by that, and he's in a totally different place now. The Rams had 11-third-down conversions. 11 for 18 I mean that's and the Niners the pass rush was working too that's quarterback play I like I don't want to hear about the tart thing and I know Stafford threw behind cup and it was a bad interception in the end zone early four set first of all they you know squarnock dropped the 50 yard touchdown cup dropped a potential touchdown but that 11 for 18 like that was Stafford and that like there weren't a lot of bubble screens on those in fact a lot of the seven third down they didn't pick up were because.

Sean McVeigh was late in the game, like throwing passes that had no chance to go to it and wanted to be conservative. Like, Stafford was money on the money downs. He was so good this playoff run. This is interesting. Squarnack was only on the field because the Rams went no huddle after a third down conversion.

He had come in for Odell to block. And then he finds himself all alone in the end zone. And that was one of those drops. Would have been a great catch, but. Oh, that was right. No, no. I mean, he's an NFL player. It actually, what?

It was one of those plays, watch it again, Mark, because it was like one of those plays where it hits a guy's hands and explodes off his hands like he was a guard. I was like, oh, no. I felt bad for him, but obviously that was not his moment to shine. But Stafford overcame it. He wasn't perfect, Greg. So you can't like, can't overlook it, but he had so many big throws.

His first interception was he was off the mark on that throw. I get it, but even like the throws to get. He wasn't perfect at all, but he was significantly better. He's been great the whole playoffs. Than every quarterback he's gone against. And like, and just the quality of the throws, I guess you can't under. rate because he's doing things that that other guys can't do guys other than odell and in cup other than kendall blanton who had a great game at tight end had nine targets for seven yards

so like it was all odell and cup well you may have to do it again because it's you don't have tyler higby necessarily for this game we don't know what's going on with it with his but i kicker club scenario i would be concerned with if you're the rams about mac gay i just does not seem reliable to me on any level with this point the net uh with his first attempt he did you know he to his even though they weren't difficult kicks per se hitting those two in the fourth quarter helped put him into the championship game he's listen I feel good about where the power rings are going into the Super Bowl very clearly the Bengals have the edge there not a lot of mystery around that's that's that's a big edge for Cincinnati it is great the Stafford story is

it's a great story um knowing everything about him and where he came from Detroit and now either he's going to win a Super Bowl or the Bengals are going to shock the world and go from last place to Super Bowl champions. I think things are really, there are a lot of great storylines. This is a great storyline Super Bowl, which is a nice thing for our show. And it's fresh. I mean, this Rams team winning would be fresh. And this has been a long build. I mean, they were a top, I think they were third in wins in the NFL since McVeigh's gotten there behind the Chiefs and the Pats.

So it's like they've, they've been knocking on this. door and now they're trying to get through and nothing tops the Bengals though come on you can't by the way you can't get Trey lance in there for one of these short yardage plays I know this is like they're gonna get Trey Lance in there I know but it's like week one September is Greg is my Greg is shouting so why are you yelling like literally I need to see a doctor the Lance thing drives me crazy because the last couple of weeks in these games where you score six offensive points last week and this week you couldn't have used just yeah but you could have figured out a way to know more than we do Greg

I don't think Shanahan was ever comfortable. Short yardage, short yardage. It's okay. Short yardage. I understand what you're saying, but I remember sharing this quote that I read somewhere that Shanahan didn't like mixing and matching the QBs. He thought it messed with the flow of the office. There was something about this.

I don't think anybody could have predicted this is how the Niners' first season with the number three overall pick would play out, where he's in the mix for six or seven weeks. He has a spot injury start, gets hurt himself, disappears, and then is no longer part of the team. I don't care about... I don't care about the flow. It's like, figure it out.

You probably... You probably also don't care that Leonardo DiCaprio was in the crowd, which that was essentially all I was focused on for much of the second half. Oh, yeah. I mean, that was a big moment for you. I think for anyone with taste...

You know, I ran into... We were a little worried that he was not going to do the show because he was just going to leave and stock Leo. He's like he had never been that... He wasn't aware that he didn't... It did occur to me that he was like literally four football fields away from my desk. Right before we started taping, I ran into Scott Hansen of Red Zone fame.

And Scott, he told me a Corker, a Leo DiCaprio story he had. Now, I can't share details of it because I don't want to betray Scott's confidence because I think we might have a growing friendship now. It's in play. I think if you're the listener, let your imagination soar, it was that juicy of a story. But he told me a winding tale of Hanson and DiCaprio in a big spot in DeCaprio being on the wrong side of history in a big spot maybe a well he goes there sometimes if you see me in los angeles right side of history now lifelong rams fan i mean he was living and dying uh with the van jefferson drops and

everything he's just like he's oh he's not he's not he's not he's not um technically big enough a football fan for greg so he's not allowed in the he's a huge rams guy he's a huge rams guy if you see me um in los angeles this week listeners uh and i'm maybe sitting i'm saddled up at a bar somewhere and you want to come up to me like i would like i would like to hear the Scott Hansen story about Leonardo DiCaprio, I will tell you that story privately. Well, it should make Hansen feel very comfortable. I won't broadcast it, but I'll tell it at the tavern. Well, I think we're all, we're all breathless at the concept of that, so.

All right. Any other thoughts on the NFC championship game? Greg, this is a moment for you now. I know you have a lot of have a lot on your mind there's any other thoughts we're all but just to button up like football thoughts just the picture just to button up the uh jimmy groplo that was in all likelihood his final game with the 49ers um i believe there was a stat entering uh the game he was 35 and 15 as a starter entering this game so we're about to you know the rubber's about to meet the road and you're going to learn more about gropolo i think wherever he ends up next because i don't think that accurately tells you who he is as a quarterback.

However, I do think even if his value took a hit during this playoff run, there's going to be a team that looks at that record and looks at the success the 49ers had when he was involved and will say he's our QB1. You'd have to, like, if you're

a front office, also note that he's in the offense that is going to maximize every quarterback that's ever in it under Shanahan. Oh, there's a major buyer beware here. I'm just saying I think there's a team out there And it's not a market flush with options for veteran quarterbacks that's going to identify him whether, I don't know, Oh, yes, 100%. Someone's trading for him.

Forget like him getting cut on that contract. Someone's looking at that contract and saying, yes, please, bring him to Carolina or Pittsburgh or New Orleans or somewhere. And what happens after that, we'll see. And I have my doubts personally, but I think he is a starting quarterback week one, but it will not be for the 49ers. Now, is it Trey Lance? It has to be, right? It has to be. If it's not Trey Lance, there's something going on that we have not been privy.

I don't know if anything has to be with the quarterback market in the NFL at this point. This didn't feel as much like a Jimmy G game, though, like a referendum on that. He's not great. The whole three weeks stretch. I know they won two of the games. Yeah, even the week 18 game. And just that everything has to be to the middle of the field. I mean, there's just like nothing to the outside.

I do feel bad for Nick Bosa in that whole group up front. And that's part of the reason why I'm honking about Stafford so much as they were amazing. Bosa Beasted, Armstead Beasted. They had, I think, 10 quarterback hits. They were all over Stafford, which is why I was so impressed. He's not going to, this would not be something he would share, Kyle Shanahan. Kyle Shanhan. But I wonder if he thinks about it.

Yeah, we had a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter of the NFC title game. By the way, I think they had a double digit lead in the Super Bowl as well. And that got away. but I wonder... 21-10 fourth quarter. He also was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. I'm not sure if you were a certain 28-3 scenario. But I wonder if he would ever think to himself

when he puts his head to pillow. Man, if I would put the kid in... I don't know. Did Traylands ever seem ready for all of this? He never really got the chance. It's instructed to me that they rode this Jimmy G like roller coaster the way they did. They were about to go to him, though.

Remember, remember he? He was heard at the moment that they lost that Colts game in the rain, and it felt like that was, he wavered and said, I'm not sure if Jimmy's going to start next week, but then Traylance wasn't even healthy enough to play. It was a weird sliding doors moment. There is. I was like, who's going to say sliding doors?

Sliding doors. Sliding doors, give us the sliding doors, Siren, Ricky. Here's the real sliding doors, and I know I'll sound like a homer here. And everything would be different, so who knows. But if you told me that the 49ers would be in the Super Bowl, if they had drafted Mac Jones, I would buy that.

Okay. Well, Mac Jones had a really nice rookie season. And I think that's who Kyle Sianahan wanted initially. I think that's what he thinks about. Speaking of Mac Jones and Patriots homers, yes, Tom Brady may be retired. We felt like this show was a show that should be dedicated to the two games that determined the Super Bowl combatants and it turned into the Wessling Bowl. But yes, Tuesday's episode of the round the NFL podcast, we will be diving deep on Brady. Hopefully we'll have some resolution on his status, but it certainly feels like.

now with the reporting that he will be retiring after 22 years. I will owe you guys sandwiches. I'm still surprised and I'm still not totally sold. I know everything is pointing to and rap sheet even said, rap sheet came out and said, oh, FYI, he's still going to retire. He's just, and now I'm paraphrasing, he's pissed at Schefter. He doesn't want Adam Schefter on a Saturday morning telling the world that he's quitting the most successful career in the history of the sport. You got to put Darlington's name in there.

And Jeff Darlington put some respect down his name. but he is going to retire still. He just didn't like the timing. He wants to announce it in this little TB Times newspaper thing that he puts out there. There is an interesting discussion to be had about how this whole thing is played out and his dad and his agent pushing back so hard, but we can have that discussion. We will talk about that Tuesday. We'll also talk about how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the number one overall pick in the 2023.

I don't know. You know what? If you're a Bucks fan, it was totally worth it. Right. Oh, for sure. Right back into the darkness. Oh, you are deep in the darkness. It was a quick trip out of the darkness.

It doesn't feel very long. I wonder if we see Todd Bulls, you know, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Well, I read. Do you want that? I don't know if I want that. I read Bruce Ariens apparently is telling all his coaching staff to go ahead and interview and take jobs,

even if there's no promotion involved. Just go ahead. I told you he was not into this. Well, I don't know. Now I agree with you. All right. You're going to take credit for this being the right off. Sure, I will take credit for it.

Take's never expire. We can also talk about. You know, Josh McDaniels is the Raiders coach. How about Brian Dable, the Giants? Is this the Tuesday pod? I know. We can also talk about. I'm just saying.

So we're going to hit all these big league storylines, of course. And then we do like to do a show during the ramp up to the Super Bowl where we don't use the word or the word Super Bowl. I don't know if that's a Tuesday show. But at some point, we might want to challenge ourselves because we got a Thursday, perhaps. I think that's off in the time. We have two weeks. ramping up to the final game of the season. If you don't count the Pro Bowl, no, I do personally.

I know that's when you're going to be ponying up at this bar telling different about Scott Hansen's story that was told to you. Bellied up at the bar, spilling house secrets. This is your chance. Wes, by the way, would not watch a second of any Pro Bowl, so that's what I'm going to do, not watch a second of it. Sorry, NFL, I know it's, you know, touted as this high level event. Greg is not saying a word.

He won't speak against it. It's, you know. No, no, no. It's for kids. I've decided it's for kids. It's for kids. My kids actually are really into the Pro Bowl. They have been talking about it and looking forward to it.

And they think it's a bigger deal than basically every game except. Well, think about it. I liked you when I was young, too. If you're a kid, the idea is every, all the best players on every team are now playing in a game against each other. Cool as shit. I mean, it sounds great except every best player giving 20% of, oh, okay, we get it. We're all on the same page. I will.

But the kids don't know that. I'll get in line and start to. The idea is really good. Do you think the kids are watching, like, the blocking schemes and the effort of the tackling? Right. Mark. You could say to your kids, this is not a quality product. I'm going to teach you to watch a quality product, but that's...

Mark is that guy on Twitter, like, arguing against no one? Like, a take, like, he's arguing against someone that no one disagrees. You're going to chastise your children for watching poor quality football when they just want to see... A lot of great stuff comes out of it, too. The personalities you get to see, like, you know, when they're throwing... Well, I didn't realize I ran roughshot into three company men. I'm okay it's like I like woman you know please exactly company people Mark wow be obedient all right all right the Pro Bowl is a marvelous product and it will be treated as such on this program mark

well let's preview it on Thursday for 25 minutes then don't that'd be quick yeah that sounds like a dare let's do it then if you guys actually feel this way we have some time to fill now there aren't many games left In fact, just the one in two weeks from tonight across the street. I'll have a Wi-Fi issue that day. We'll be there, by the way. We'll be at the Super Bowl. Can't wait. And that is going to be a great week.

We're going to be down at the Los Angeles Convention Center downtown. There's a whole, like, big, Ricky, there's a big set set up. Iheart Radio is putting a bit. You know how you used to go to Radio Row and you'd see, like, the big serious XM sets or what was the big NBC set? This iHeart set blows it out of the water. I want the Jim Rohn set. No, you have to be credentialed. Because at previous Super Bowls, yeah, the fans were walking.

I think there is. No, you can't come into the, well, COVID's different. But like, you can't come into the row area without a credential, but there is a part where, yes, fans get walked around the experience. They're roped off like animals, essentially. But, yeah, they were within eye shot of some of the activity. Within distant eye shot, yes. In fact, there were a lot of fans watching Wes eat a softball pants that one time.

There was a horde of individuals watching that. That was one of our memorable Radio Row moments. They weren't maybe necessarily podcast fans. They were just watching the general goings on. And we were like, there is a man over there eating a giant hot dog with pieces of pants on it. So, you know, that's our podcast in a nutshell. I always remember that. Well, Wes, the wager was if the Raiders win 10 games.

It was the Dennis Allen led Raiders that were a disaster. And he was, they got out, they won a couple at some point. Wes hated that team. or he didn't think they were any good at all, but they had this path that actually got them to the number of wins, misremembering maybe a little of this. But whatever it was, it screwed Wes.

And Wes was so confident that the team would fail that he said, I'll eat my softball pants. I think it was they wouldn't win six because they at some point were getting close. It was nothing great, like, oh, they won 14 games. And he did. We went after, I think it was the New York Super Bowl, and we found there was a hot dog stand with the largest hot dog in the world. bought that soccer for 25 bucks expense that nailed it and then we cut up the and it was like

west this is the only thing you need to do west you must bring the softball pants make sure this is pre-leukisha it's like west the one thing you need to do is when you get on the plane have the softball pants did he reminded him 14 times i forgot my pants my pants he had to like run out and buy pants and it was a whole thing but he did take a bite of that hot dog with a chopped up there was even some zipper in there yeah there's a zipper elastic yeah right on the edge of the hot dog he ate more of the pants than he needed to right well you know he was a man of his word so so we're you know thinking about west now we're going to be thinking about him forever but now we have uh his his childhood team his

complicated team the bangles against the rams lakisha's team so that is the super bowl and we will be here to take you guys to the finish line anything else before we say goodbye Don't open it back up Too late I did I threw it out one last time You want like a Joanne Jennings breakdown No not not no

What is it you're looking for? No Silence you up All right Let's go Let's go Good stuff Wow

Bangles Rams It's crazy I can't make it up I still got mascara all over my sweater I'm crying all day So great Emotions are high Total chick

Bill Tuesday. Keep the call. Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move to Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies 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. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, we've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL, visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. This is an IHeart podcast.