NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2022 Week 12 Recap: Rise of the 3-7 teams that are better than their record

Episode Date: November 28, 2022

A room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal recap all the action from a fun-filled day of football, in this order: Bengals at Titans (3:34), Ravens at Jaguars (13:10), Bears at Jets (24:52), Raiders at Seahawks (32:17), Bucs at Browns (41:14), Chargers at Cardinals (49:51), Rams at Chiefs (59:44), Falcons at Commanders (1:05:34), Broncos at Panthers (1:12:34), Saints at 49ers (1:19:03), Texans at Dolphins (1:25:20), and finally finishing off with the SNF game between the Packers and Eagles (1:29:21). Note: timecodes approximate.NFL 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. 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. The Around the NFL podcast. Keep the turkey away from Mark Sessler. You better. From the Chris Wessling podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. NFL. I'm Dan Hansis with the aforementioned Mark Sessler and Greg Rosenthal. Heroes both.

So am I. Self-love is okay. It's important. And there's no lack of that on this show. And, you know, this week, week 12, right? Week 11 last week I labeled a nasty little thing. This week, to me, this Sunday is the inverse of that. And let me explain. This is, This Sunday, a schedule that wasn't especially juicy, to put it kindly, not a lot of high-profile matchups on the schedule. And yet, NFL Sunday woke up, rolled out of bed, and when it got up to the press box, took a deep breath, smiled, took a photo, and then posted on Twitter, my office for the day. Which, a phrase that we banned about a half a decade ago on the show, by the way. You know, optimistic about life, reflective on the journey and how lucky football is to be football.

And then the football was good because that's just like a cliched moment, which almost feels like punching it in. These teams are punching it in. Well, no. And just to be clear. Just to be clear. That shows a difference when you and I, Greg,

what you think of that message when people posted. I see that as when a beat writer or whoever puts my office for the day, it's a feeling of, wow, I'm at the Super Bowl and this is where I get to work. This is a cool job. There are times when it has more... A lot of cynicism on this side, I know. We literally banned it on the show.

I mean, it's more like mailing it in as a tweet, just like as Twitter performance. In terms of an original tweet, you mean? Okay. I mean, I feel like the sentiment... We're way off track here. You're right. It was a good Sunday of games.

And then it wasn't just because of the... Well, I mean, we banned the phrase from the show. So there's literally, it's a lawless move on your part. But secondly, in case the listeners are wondering, because that last week's episode also had... Was it suck the sadness or smell the sadness? No, you swallow the sadness. I mean, that was just because I want,

people need to know just because the Jets had a turnaround performance today. That's not why the optimism in my office for the day business comes up. That was a separate part of the show's title a week ago. No, people that know that the old Zusser is a beacon of integrity understand that I know what happened in our league this week and last week. It's a greater viewpoint. Like my fandom does not extend just to the Jets. I'm loyal to football

That was my point about you That's where I'm at now As the weeks go on I'm just like Greg I feel like I'm loyal to football I don't know what you're suggesting That I don't know the undertone is that You have the two of you enjoy the sport

And I'm just floating along here Yeah Well that's not accurate But just a narrative 681 We have so much to get to today So let us start with the game let's start here this is good the game that everyone expected to be good the game

that featured two teams that make sense as super bowl contenders in the aFC squaring off Cincinnati at tennessee and it did go down to the final minutes Joe catches the shotgun snap fakes the P-Rine floats it toward the end zone and higgins he's got it touchdown bengals as he used his height and his size and went up and over the 3rd cornerback in coverage for the touchdown. Great throw by Burrow, better catch by Higgins. There you go. There's the call from Jeff Joniak and Tim Tom Thayer, WBBBM.

The Bengals, man, they can beach in different ways. And the Titans know the physical Titans feeling good about themselves, but the Bengals seem to have their number. Joe Burrow threw a 27-yard touchdown past the T. Higgins with less than 14 minutes to play, and it held up in a 20 to 16 win. by the defending conference champions over the Titans, the team that was the number one seed last January of the Titans, got knocked out by the Bengals on their miracle run to the Super Bowl.

So here we are now. Two teams feeling good. And it was in this game, Mark, the Bengals that are feeling better because as the season goes on, they continue to get stronger and show you they can win in different ways, even when they're missing key players. Yeah, it was a what you would call classic sort of white knuckle operation between both teams. And I think they kind of can look at each other and see a lot of

similarities and who they are. The Bengals came in with a plan to just sell out, I think, and stop Derek Henry and not allowed Derek Henry to have one of those games. And that playoff game from a year ago, Henry was not himself. He is right now. And he was allowed 38 yards at 2.2 yards per carry. And the Bengals on the flip side, after allowing nine sacks in that playoff game, won today. I thought both of their lines showed up and did their part. And for me, what I've watched with the Bengals of the last couple weeks, because it's not just T. Higgins, who had 114 yards off seven catches and that touchdown, which was a huge part of this game and a momentum turner.

Guys like Somaget P. Rhine with Joe Mixing out with a concussion stepped up again two weeks in a row. Trevionne Williams, another one of the running backs, had a huge play in this game. Our dude, Trenton Irwin, the long-haired, the blonde, long-haired crocodile hunter. It was actually a childhood actor they discussed during the game. I believe it. left his childhood commercial acting career because he was benched for a football game for showing up late after rehearsal.

Well, where did it get him? It got him here. He made a gigantic 16-yard catch in this game. From the audition rooms, that charisma of the child actor he took it to the football field. You see it. You do see it.

And it's these guys that are stepping up until you get Jamar Chase back probably next week. I think it came close to appearing today. You will get Joe Mixing back. And this game came down to, and we can talk to Gravedigger about this. The Titans ran out of timeouts.

It was just inside the two-minute warning. The Bengals were driving. They had it forced into a field goal that would have given the Titans a chance at least some time to go back, drive for a touchdown. Again, no timeouts. Kevin Strong gets nailed on the field goal try by nailing the defenseless long snapper. Bang, game over.

He gets nailed by nailing. Game over. It was. They got to stop. They had to use up all three timeouts. They would have been down seven points with, let's see. let's see how much time to play when that happened I think it was I think they were in pretty good shape

was a minute 57 left so they had a shot and it was it was the right call the because the snapper if you don't know the rule the snapper on the field goal attempt because his heads down it's tucked and he's seven until he lifts his head up he's defenseless which means you can't hit him I know the the contention on the Tennessee side was that his head was up by the time contact was made but that's not not what the officials saw. And so it was kind of a, I got to say,

anti-climactic end to what seemed like was going to be a great ending. That was my point because both teams, I think, were struggling, especially the Titans on the Titans, on the Titans, trying to break free. You don't have Henry.

Tannahill made a couple big throws in this, but it wasn't them at their best on offense. And you kind of thought that, you know what, every one of these NFL games, if you're going to give a team one minute and 50-something seconds to come down and do something, it's just going to happen this season. And then suddenly bang, the game was over.

And like 18 seconds later, and it was like, wow, that could have gone on for another 28 minutes in another universe. You were loving it. That's perfect. Well, I just thought it was very definitive. It was glowing. It was talking about, wow, that game could have gone for 20 more minutes.

That is not, you know what? I don't, I don't understand where we're coming from this. I thought it was just a massive jumps to position. You're right. It is crazy. Thing over. Did you want the game to potentially continue there? I have jumped on the Titans bandwagon, so I'm not rooting for the game to end on a penalty.

Oh, that's right. They're 0-1-1 now Gravedigger pointed out with you on the bandline. then jump in here. You don't control everything if you're on a bandwagon. So do you cast Mark from the bandwagon after that? Or how do things work here? No, there may be people jumping off after this performance. But if Mark wants to stay on,

nobody will throw him off against his will. I'm staying on. This didn't shake my confidence at all. This is just another week in the NFL. Along those lines, I'm waiting to hear back and I'm going to keep you updated in real time as I look through my inbox. I reached out to our research department

because my two early games that I drafted ended it in 247 and 248. And I want to know where that stacks up. Now, that's a crazy thing to be asking the research department to look up on a busy NFL Sunday, the fastest games this year. And maybe they laughed it off and threw it in the recycle bin, but the trash bin, but I'll keep you updated marks.

I know you especially that matters. I would like to think if it maybe got put to the back of the pile, but they don't just put it in the circular file for you. It's a request coming from a journalist inside the building. Our journal, capital J. The Bengals Bandwagon should be filling up. here winning these games without Jamar Chase

with the offensive performances that they've had and then to win a game like this which is a little more nasty in the Titan style of game I think is going to have them really fired up Somaget P. Ryan had a good quote afterwards to our Mike Giardy saying that that's all we've heard is that you have to

match their physicality well you have to be ready for their physicality well they got to match our physicality we're a different team than we were a year ago I'm not sure if I'm ready to go there yet, but this is how you build into being a different team. To win a game like this is very impressive to me. And I got to put my eyes on it.

You can tell me what you thought, Gravedigger, of how Joe Burrow looked. But I don't think anyone played football any better than Joe Burrow did a week ago. Some of the throws he made in that Pittsburgh game were just crazy. He's played as well in the last two weeks coming into this game as any quarterback in football. And if you got Joe Burrow peeking and when you got Jamar Chase coming back, that's a lot to deal with. Yeah, Burrow looked great. I mean, he was very accurate with the ball down these like long sideline throws that were put where only the receiver could go up and make a play or put in the zone hole between the safety and the dropping cornerback. A few of those throws to T. Higgins and obviously the sideline play to Irwin was a beautiful throw as well. Like literally no either Irwin catches that or nobody catches that. And he was also really decisive in getting the ball out of his hands quick. They were using that quick passing game like an extension. of the running game today, and it's one of the reasons

that the Titans only had one sack is that Burrow was getting the ball out of his hand. He wasn't holding there standing in the pocket and holding it except for a couple of times. And the couple of times he did that, he made something happen with his legs, and he picked up first downs with his,

with his legs when the defense had their backs turns. So, all in a lot, he played a great game. And now there are seven and four. So that's a nice. Same with the Titans. Titans are, you could say that about both teams. Oh, that's true. I agree with that.

There was no real pass rush. There wasn't any pass rush. Next-Gen stats. think put out that Burrow had the cleanest pocket he's had all season today. Wow. And the Titans also couldn't stop Samadjapirine in the running game. I mean, they would hit him two or three yards after the line of scrimmage and he would push the pile for five or six yards frequently.

Wow. Sounds like a great game by that Cincinnati offensive line. And both ends then in the run game in the past protection. They won in the trenches and they were the more physical team. I think that's why they won. But I think the deciding moment in this game was it was about six minutes to go. the Titans had the ball fourth and five inside the 20 and they elected

to kick a field goal down 20 to 13 to make it 20 to 16 which doesn't really make that much sense to me unless you are really confident your defense is going to get you the ball back right away. That's what defensive coaches do. They just imagine this scenario that they're going to get the stops but

I mean Brable was very frustrated in this game too and I think that... Well that's the thing they didn't get the stop since then I got the ball back with like six minutes left and possessed it for the rest of the game. Wow. Do we have Greg, do we have any shift on your end with some of your snark towards Cincinnati head coach, Zach Taylor, who seems to have this team playing very well on multiple levels? They're in good position.

They're frustrating to watch. I mean, I'm still saying like he's wearing a polo, but it's like a fancy polo. You think they're frustrating to watch. Offensively, like the way they create their scheme. I would say, yeah. A fancier polo. Yeah, now it's like you're getting one at the mall, some sort of designer. It's like, what is the difference between this polo and one that's $200 less?

I'm not sure, but it costs a lot. So you're not making any sense right now. Well, give Zach Taylor the final word on this. We wouldn't trade our quarterback for anybody on the planet. And so we're glad to have them. I might agree. I think if you're Cincinnati, he's perfect for you. Let's move on now to a great game.

And another potentially great quarterback who. it felt like had a moment on Sunday. Trevor, he drops, he looks, fires left side of both caught, caught, Zay Jones catches it the two-point conversion is good Jacksonville has taken the lead What a throw again by Trevor

Lawrence, I mean an absolute bullet to Zay Jones Frank Frangy Jeff Loggeman WOKV, you feel like you have a heard those names a lot because the Jaguars are barely one in years on this podcast, but now it feels like that's going to change because Trevor Lawrence is finding himself. The young quarterback connected with Marvin Jones for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds to play, then hit Zay Jones,

as you just heard on the two-point conversion, Doug Peterson. You got guts, my friend. And the Jaguar has held on to beat the Ravens 28 to 27 after Justin Tucker. They, you know, Ravens have no time, you know, 16 seconds or so after the two-point conversion. They do get the ball near midfield and then Tucker attempts a field goal. And we'll get to that a little later because I'd like to hear the call from Jacksonville on that as well. But that comes fall short. The kick would have been a record. And yes, the Jaguars escape with an unbelievable win, Greg.

And like I said, it feels like, and we know Trevor Lawrence has been playing better and better the last couple of weeks. but this is like makes me think that he might be able he might be ready for a lift off put it that way this was his moment this was his i'm not messing around mom so many great throws in this comeback the first one that comes to mind to me is fourth and eight they're down 19 to 10 mid third quarter so once again the ravens blow a two score lead once again it's in the fourth quarter it's fourth and eight Peterson goes for it you sort of had to there and he throws an absolute dime hole shot to Zay Jones, where it's ahead of the cornerback and, I mean, ahead of the safety and behind the cornerback, it needed touch.

It needed arm strength. Sometimes you think arm strength is all about how hard you can throw it, but it's opposite hash and he just put it right on them. They end up winning on that, scoring a touchdown on that drive. Lamar's up for the challenge, scores a touchdown right back, and then that final touchdown drive the Jaguars had. Not only did he make a lot of great throws, but he showed a lot of awareness.

They played hurry up at the very end, setting up that Marvin Jones touchdown at the 10-yard line. You thought they were going to spike it there or that maybe they didn't have any timeouts at that point. You thought they'd spike it. Maybe you throw it out of bounds, but they play hurry up. They had it all set up.

The Ravens weren't quite ready for it. He puts it in the perfect spot. And Marvin Jones makes an even better catch. Underrated wide receiver since he came into the league, Marvin Jones. Yeah. It's good. For sure. Especially making those types of.

types of plays. If you just watch today's game, you would think that Zay Jones is one of the best players in the league. The connection between him and Lawrence today, Zay Jones finishes with 11 for 145 and so many of them were beautiful timing routes. He just hasn't missed throws in three weeks, Trevor Lawrence. My big thing with him was, is he aiming it and throwing the ball where he aims it? And it's like that hadn't been the case for a while. And he's been like lights out for three straight games. It was really impressive. Well, and their characterization early on was like they had chances to win in the fourth quarter and they were like, oh for six on those chances.

These final three scoring drives for the Jaguars, Lawrence 15 for 19 for 173 yards with two touchdowns, converted three third down throws and two fourth downs. And we've been asking all along, where's the signature win? Not demanding it, just saying that would be the thing that makes us think differently about Lawrence. And previous to this, he notched PFF's number three and number two top scoring grade over the,

his previous two games. Today, he hit his highest next-gen stat passing grade of the season. It's happening. It's good coaching. He's making the throws. He has had great chemistry with Kirk, and now you throw Zay Jones in there. It's an interesting team to watch. He's playing very clean. Like, he's not making any big mental errors. And then now that you're mixing in the great throws, too, is a lot to be excited about. And now I'm going to give it to the Ravens defense. And not just because

they cost us, Mark. The Locke brothers, you know, so sturdy throughout the years. This is just a little, you know, ATN lock it up trivia. This is the third time. The Ravens have blown four games in grisly fashion this year. I've locked them three of those games. And they have no idea how to close out a game. And as much as we want to talk about their defense,

having the ability to win games along with their running game, they have let down in a lot of these games. And I just want to go through that last possession for Jacksonville. that was outrageous how bad the defense from Baltimore was how many plays they gave up they weren't protecting the sidelines they would just get wide receivers wide open all over the field they the Jacksonville Jaguars had a third and 21 after a sack from Baltimore at their own 14 yard line with 151 left in this game and no timeouts and from that point on they gave up a 10 yard reception to make it fourth and five uh Trevor Lawrence um first down then they go Trevor Lawrence 17 yards to Christian Kirk, eight yards to Zay Jones after a false start, a one-yard run, a Trevor Lawrence pass to Zay Jones, 29 yards, and then the Marvin Jones touchdown pass.

And these dudes were wide open. And then the two-point conversion. And none of these plays were contested. And I'm just wondering, I don't know if it was a prevent defense or whatever the scheme was, just seemed to be woeful and obviously inefficient. Yeah, they were picking on Marcus. Peters late in that game. Humphrey was in and out. I believe he was in for that last

drive, but he had missed a drive earlier in the fourth quarter. It's so frustrating for the Ravens defense because I thought they played a pretty good game otherwise. Lawrence had been clean, but they forced a lot of stops in the first half. In the third quarter, Jaguars went three and out, three and out, and then the Ravens forced a fumble. So they had been doing their job, and then you just get to winning time and you blow it. 18 points allowed in the fourth quarter. It's, I mean, this is the first game all season that they haven't had a 10 point lead.

They were one of the few teams in NFL history. That was true. And it was nine and it was mid-fourth quarter. And you can't put anything really on Lamar here because he had two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Like he had to set them up multiple times here where the Jaguress came back. And he responded, well, I feel like too much is on him still.

Like, a lot of their offense early was him scrambling on third and long and him just picking it up. He ends up with 89 yards. They didn't really have much of a running game. They had a number of drops. And you're counting on him to make, like, one of the best throws of his career to Deshaun Jackson for 62 yards on a play where Jaguars, like, dropped eight. Like, you're counting on those types of plays.

And Josh Oliver, they're blocking tight into score. You just feel like he's still doing a little too much, although I guess it's hard to blame the offense. And there's really no excuse for, I'm sure you're going to see it if you haven't yet. He went off on a fan on Twitter who came after him as, you know, he doesn't serve a contract. Look at this, which he shouldn't have done. The language you used was, I'm sure, regretful when he wakes up in the morning or when he hears from whoever it is that's going to find him. He defiled the Twitter opponent. But like Lamar Jackson, yeah, beautiful throw to Deshaun Jackson after Gus Edwards fumbles.

the ball and causes the Ravens to lose the lead. They're second in 20, and he hits D-Jax on the bomb, leads him to the touchdown, and then the defense blows the game. It's like, of course it wasn't on Lamar, but I've now seen enough from the Ravens, like, from like the

power rankings perspective, for example, I've been kind of in my mind making excuses for them all season and being like, you know what, they're fine, look at this. They should have won this game. They didn't win this game, but they look how good they were here. This has happened too many times. I also think we're in an AFC where the better teams have an embarrassment of riches on offense in terms of their weapons. And it is, you are

kind of asking Lamar to do it by himself because I think when they lost Rashad Bateman, they're completely exposed at wide receiver. You lose Mark Andrews for a game or two. There's nothing around them. Right. What other quarterback is in this situation on a team that people are still saying they could go win a couple of playoff games. Let's see. DeMarcus Robinson dropped a touchdown. That was a four point play on a great play by Lamar. That could have been the difference in the game. Mark Andrews dropped the touchdown, although they ended up scoring on that drive. Anyways, like, people were letting him down all over the place.

Quickly, we got to mention that they went for two. And there was a couple of coaching decisions in this game that were fascinating, but we've sort of passed right by it that they go for two, the Jaguars, to go win the game there. They could have kicked the ball to go for overtime. And I love that. I love them feeling that moment. It happened twice today.

And it worked twice today. Right. And the other one I didn't feel as good about in the moment, but the way the Jaguars' offense was moving the ball there, that felt like the best chance to win the game and I love that Peterson did it and that Lawrence rewarded it. We've got to see more of that.

Yes, yes. And remember, Twitter is the playground of idiots. Noel Galgar once said how any Ravenson could watch that game and come after Lamar after seeing what the defense did laying down in that game. But Justin Tucker, it looked like he won the game. Well, that's 60, calm down, Greg, one second.

67 yards and it was straight down the middle. but then let's hear the call from the Jaguars. From 67 yards. Tucker puts a foot to it. The 67 yard field goal is no good. No good. The Jaguars win it. What a win for Jacksonville. And that's a silly building with the guy in the thong,

the mascot, and the chlorine tank and everything. But that was a pretty good home field advantage today. If you freeze frame that kick and it's just, like you go three quarters through it I will bet my lease car that like that thing's going in and then bang it's not it looked perfect well if it's least though

what happens there well I don't know I'd have to deal with the dealership I don't know what I mean I don't own property so what am I supposed to be? Long day of phone calls at the very least I'm glad you mentioned the crowd because it almost felt like the crowd knew that they were watching something special

it was really great throughout the fourth quarter they're a great football town we know how supportive they've been And I think Dan, Doug Peterson, we saw him celebrating right at the end. And he was putting his hands on his knees like, oh, my God. Because their squib kick to set up that kick would have gone down as one of the worst coaching decisions of the year. There was only 14 seconds left when they kicked it off. It was a bad idea, I guess, but it was even worse execution.

They got the ball at the 40-yard line and they had only burned four seconds off the clock. It was a disaster of a decision that almost. handed it over the game. I mean, Doug Peterson would have been absolutely killed. Just kick it or kick it high and deep and short, but the five-yard line is a great thing about winning because, like, people, no one's going to ever talk about that ever again after tonight. Check it later.

We're just getting started. Let's take a break. And then we'll roll on week 12. 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-off seats.

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 die-hard 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. 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. 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. Welcome back.

We keep spinning our way through week 12. Let's head to the Meadowlands, where the Jets began the Mike White era. Back to throw, looks over the middle, throws one, it is, taught by Garrett Wilson at the 35-yard line, makes a man miss up the 30, sprits right to the 20, to the 15. That guy, Wilson's player, dog. Touchdown. Garin Wilson with a catch-and-run of 55.

Your touchdown. Do it's own. Do it. Bob W. Shewzen and Marty Lions with the call, W.E.P.N. Mike White stepped in for the benched Zach Wilson and threw three touchdown passes and was almost perfect. Two of those to Garrett Wilson, the other to Elijah Moore, just to rub it in Wilson's face even more. Zach Wilson, that is. And the Jets roll over.

A beat-up Bears team, 31-10 on Sunday. And, boys, there's two ways to look at this one. Both have merit. One, don't read into it too much. It's against the Bears who are in tank mode at this point. They're beat up. They're one of the worst defenses in football. And I get that because you will need to see more from Mike White than just this game.

But then there's the other side. That White running this offense effectively and effectively. and getting the ball into the hands of the Jets playmakers was a revelation and confirmation to all the players that really made this move happen. I mean, I think it's a massive victory for the Jets where we stand right now. We'll see what happens with Mike White.

But Mike White has produced before and spot starts. I think secondly, this was all about the coaching staff listening to the players, listening to the locker room, and they tidied that and mess up quick. Maybe listen to the front office. Sure. But I mean, in general, there's got to be enough people saying we need to make a change. And there wasn't a lot of, instead of being stubborn about it, they handled correctly.

And then on the field, Mike White, in a rain, in rough weather, is making throws. And Garrett Wilson, who went off a week ago, Elijah Moore, who's essentially been evisible. I mean, these guys are now part of the offense. And I don't care if it's a bad defense. You went out and put 31 points up. You were functional. So it's like, that's what other teams have been doing to the Bears. That's what you just did to the Bears.

Right. He had the highest quarterback rating, Mike White, for a jet since Gino Smith back in 2014. It all ties back. Look, that Garrett Wilson play is the perfect play to point it out. Garrett Wilson is a beast. I think he could have been, or maybe he still could be, offensive rookie of the year. He just looks so good when he gets the chance.

And the way he opened up his hips and just okey-doke the defender there, reminds you of O'Dell Beckham a little bit as a youngster in New York. but that play can give some credit to Mike White because it's absolutely a timing throw where he gets it over the first level of defense and in front of the second level and if you don't have that ball there exactly on time Wilson's not going to have the space to go make that play

and I don't think Zach Wilson is making that play not the same way we know Zach Wilson isn't making that play in the same way so that part of the conversation is over for me for a while it's just what can this team do now and with the schedule that they have at least for Mike White I think he's going to keep putting up good numbers.

Yeah, I can't wait to see him again because if you know his backstory, two years ago, he became a brief sensation with the team by beating Cincinnati and thrown for 400 yards, played Thursday Night Football, got injured immediately and missed that game, then had a meltdown performance where he threw four picks against Buffalo and was out of the lineup until now. But if you've watched these Zach Wilson starts, the issues went beyond the opponent. So you can't just say, and if there are Zach Wilson defenders out there, Well, if he got a chance against the Chicago defense, he would have done the same thing.

No, because the things that White was doing what made him look so different today, his ability to keep his eyes up, not be obsessed with the pass rush, get skittish, run around, hang in there, fine, and then just deliver strikes and be accurate with the football. And I think one thing that kind of has been under the radar because of the quarterback is how talented some of these playmakers are in Garrett Wilson. And it's a sliding doors moment because the Jets were the other finalist for type. Iriek Hill, and he kind of turns us back in the last second and goes to Miami, so the Jets pivot and draft Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson is a star here. Elijah Moore has that ability as well, and it's fun to see the offense just being run in an efficient professional manner because it wasn't that anymore.

This is all we were asking. That's it. That's it. Relatively competent quarterback playing up more than that today. I do, I mean, you know, not to dig it all up, but it's like, I do wonder what this coaching staff, how they viewed Mike White versus Zach Wilson in camp in practice. practices, the person behind the scenes. And I just kind of wish, looking at the two Patriots games specifically, that you had a chance to have Mike White Helm one of them.

It would have been a big difference maker. But you're here now, and so you just have to wave all that goodbye. I'd be surprised if we see Zach Wilson, who was in street clothes today, inactive again this year. There would be no reason. Every time they showed him. I mean, it was, and again, like Mark mentioned it, it was raining and raining hard at times, very hard.

And it didn't matter. This offense moved the ball really well. And every time they cut to Wilson and he's getting just poured on in the rain wearing the Jets gear with a hood over him, like what was going through his head? You can't even imagine. But the Jets as an organization have moved on from all of that with this game. And that and that feels good as a fan because for the first time since the Brees Hall injury, I'm like, okay, you could start opening your mind up to higher ambition for the season again because the quarterback play was better for one week. They're seven and four. They showed an ability to put 466 yards on the board against,

I would say the worst defense in the league. But that's part of the point is like, okay, when you play the worst defense in the league, you can put 466 on the board. I didn't think that they were going to be capable of doing that before. Mike White doesn't have the physical tools that you would expect out of a great draft prospect. But he's not like a rookie.

He was in the Mitch Trubisky draft class. Like he's been around. He's been in the league now since 2018. He was undrafted, I think, in 2017. He kicked around. He has experience, and mentally, I think he knows where to go with the ball in this system, which really asks for right answers. And can he be better than a Nick Mullins was, for instance,

for Mike McDaniel back in San Francisco? I think he can probably be better than that with this talent, and that's what he needs to do. Next week, they are at Minnesota, and I think that is a really interesting game for both teams, but especially for Jet fans now who are going to live and have the high life again off this quarterback performance. But until you see it again from White against the good opponent,

you're going to wonder if it's Fool's Gold. He's a star in New York this week, though. I mean, the Mike White Chance were back. Very interesting. It's been an interesting season as a Jets fan. Great game for you, too. Because you know who led this game in tackles. Oh, I know.

Sandborn. Sandborn with 14. Got everything. Got everything I wanted. Anyway, let's move on. So that's my favorite team. Greg's favorite team is the Seahawks, and they welcome the Raiders team into their building,

looking to wipe away their pre-buy loss in Munich. But guess what? The Raiders aren't laying down. Hands off to Jacob, stutters to the right. First through the whole 20, 2530. He's off to the races here in Seattle. Nobody's going to catch him. 25, 20, 10.

Ball game. By my Josh. 86 yards in overtime. Touchdown Raiders. Victory, Las Vegas. Unbelievable. I mean, Gravedegger how does Josh Jacobs on a 300-yard day yards from scrimmage, knock at the bongos?

Well, you said it right before the call is Greg's favorite team. We don't want to, like, are we celebrating Greg's sadness? We're celebrating your sadness. You locked up the Seahawks. That's why he didn't. Oh, because you locked up the sea. Anyway. A producer who uses his powers for evil will be noted.

Josh Jacobs ran 33 times for 229 yards, including, yes, that 86-yard jaunt in overtime. And for the second time in as many Sundays, the Raiders walk off an opponent with a touchdown. I can't believe, I can't imagine that's happened too many times. 40 to 34 over the Seahawks and, you know, Gregi, we'll get to the Seahawks because it feels like their bugaboo, that defense is once again going to be a major issue for them. But for the Raiders, you got to give it up to them because they had no reason to go up there and play this hard and play this well. And yet they perform well and they're kind of just hanging around a little bit. They're a tough

offense to defend. And any time Seattle got a stop in this game, it felt like they had scored some huge victory. Like, they were just going downhill. Jacobs ends up with over 300 yards from scrimmage total. That's outrageous. He's playing out. And didn't get the bongos.

Didn't get the bongos. Playing at an elite level. Devante Adams only, quote unquote, seven for 74, but had an incredible one-handed catch to set up the game-tying touchdown. And then Max Crosby, on defense with sacks in back-to-back crucial situations, one to end a drive in overtime,

the other to end the drive at the end of regulation. He's playing at NARLPRO level. They have players, and Carr got intercepted a couple times. It was misleading. One of them, Adams, wasn't paying attention to the... It was on the first play of the entire game. It was a good ball. The second one was more of a great play by the Seattle defense

where it hit the Raiders receiver in the hands. Carr was so comfortable. The Seahawks got no pressure on him and he knows just when to get out of the pocket, when to let go of the ball, and their offense today, and we've seen this a handful of times this year, like looked like one of the better offenses

in the entire NFL. Well, I think when they can run the ball this way, it helps car a lot. And there was that period where I thought that's what they were going to become, like a ground dominant force that can overpower teams. And then that kind of was real hot and cold,

came and went. But I love the car because those two picks came on the first three possessions. That's the formula for an intent. entire team that's on the brink to begin with, where it seems to be there's a disconnect between quarterback and coach, offense and coach, team and coach, coach and maybe owner who can't pay for another coach, or a lot of things going on. And yet they're four and seven, and I believe it's six of their losses, have been by one score.

So they've been in these games. They're not getting their doors blown off. And you went and beat a Seattle defense that outside of today had been trending upward over and over. I didn't love them against the bucks, I guess, in Germany. but like their defense like had been an asset and not a weakness and the Raiders just put it on them and uh I thought the defense and then Josh Jacobs and the offensive line of course got their head coach off the hook because I was saying it in real time in the newsroom hated hated the overtime decision first possession the Raiders set up for a on fourth and two and a day when they have rolled up over 400 yards of total offense and an era when everybody's going for it they said i know daniel carlson's an excellent kicker they settle for a 56 yard attempt and it's not even a game winning attempt because it was their ball first and carlson pushes it

wide right seattle gets the ball near midfield only needing a field goal and this las vegas defense stands strong gets the three and out punts it back and jacobs bust the first run for the game winner so i i didn't love the way macdaniels played it i'm a little obviously as many raiders fans i'm sure are lukewarm at best on McDaniels era so far. But just to circle back to your point, Greg. Devante Adams, Max Crosby, those guys are superstars on each side of the ball. Derek Carr is a, I think, a good quarterback, not a great one. Josh Jacobs, I'm not going to say he's a superstar, but he's playing like one this year.

He's actually 100 yards clear, the next closest running back in the rushing title race right now. Like this team has no business not being in the playoff mix, and maybe they still have a chance. They got to get hot here, but we'll see. In the, in the AFC, I would say they don't have a chance. They could run the table, and then they'd have a chance, and that seems a little much. I don't know if you necessarily have to run the table, but you have to, you probably have one loss of wiggle room, maybe. AFC, I think you're going to need 10 wins. It just looks so deep.

We always think that, though. They're going to have to sweep Los Angeles in back-to-back weeks. You got the Chargers and Rams. I don't like this. And Dan, you mentioned maybe the Chiefs in the final game of the season are sitting people, but you got the 49ers and chiefs to close the season and a tough Patriots defense. I don't see it, but I am impressed with today. AFC, I mean, if they were in the NFC, I'd give them a chance. That seventh spot might get up.

We could field a team that would make the NFC playoffs at this point. Yeah, a little wonky. But you're right. McDaniels was frustrating. Every fourth down call he made seemed to be wrong. He also kicked a field goal to tie it on fourth and one inside the 10-yard line in the third quarter. And again, like, okay, you want to tie the game, but it's not just Jacobs who was running 6.9 yards per carrier. Amir White, 14 yards per carry on two.

Amir Abdullah, three for 16, like every time they ran the ball. So that drove me crazy. And then they did go for it at midfield on fourth and one. And they had a toss play where they lost yards and didn't get it. And I think that was in his head. But they looked like they were the better team. They dominated up front on both sides. They got after Gino Smith a lot more than vice versa.

And their offensive line played really well and really dominated Seattle's defense in a way that is a little concerning. This was a game where I think they felt the absence of Jamal Adams, just so many big plays and just the secondary, a lot of confusion going on for Seattle's defense. And Seattle's got a few little problems popping up. Kenneth Walker now is that three straight games where he really hasn't gotten anything going on the ground? He's been okay in fantasy because he scores a touchdown

or he makes a big play as a receiver, but they were dominated when they tried to run the ball and they just don't make as much sense. Gino mostly had a good day after a poor start, but the running game in a lot of, situations, just put him in a tough spot. What the about Gino Smith? He had a couple again, every game, whether it's good or bad,

he'll throw a couple throws. It's like, that's Gino Smith. Whoa. He had C's seven touchdowns that have had a completion probability of under 25% the season. No other quarterback has more than three. He's making those incredible throws. When they went on a drive, it went fast. They had at least five plays

over 20 yards. It might have been more than that. Like a lot of big plays, but it wasn't consistent. And I think that's partly because of the running game. Gino made a couple bad decisions early he got away with and then he played really well but they they're just if they're their defense we'll see I'm a little nervous

but Dan Mike White had eight of those throws today just to let you know I'm still tabulating but I believe it's close to that that's good God has walked into the metal ends Seattle also had to bad calls go against them I thought they overturned I did a same chapter 8 can we move on

this is just one of the key the key parts of this game we leave the door open just a little bit he just kicks it open he just takes the door off the hinges and throws it off a mountain side. I would say that you had the ball near midfield and overtime needing a field goal. Absolutely. So let's, you know, calm down.

Will you ever stop talking, Greg? The overturned fumble by Jacobs where, or they called forward progress. You watched it. I think it was one of the most controversial call on Sunday that they did not allow what appeared to be a pretty clear fumble by Jacobs because they said forward progress. Do you imagine Greg's next door neighbor like in the summer when the windows are all open in Greg's house? Let's, let's try something. Can you imagine living with me?

Let's pause. Nobody say anything for five seconds. Greg, don't jump in. And then we're going to go to break. Ready? Okay. It's good. That is progress.

We'll be right back. 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 in 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 die-hard 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. 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 podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. All right, welcome back in the Cleveland Browns.

Welcome Tom Brady into their house. How would it turn out? Let's check it out. McCoy to throw, back to pass. He's got time. He's up in the pocket. He's got an open field. He's in a 15.

He's in a 10. He's in a 5. He dies. He is 10 touchdown. 16-yard touchdown run by Colt McCoy. Yeah, that was just a little pre-Christmas present for Mark Sessler. Right. The fabled, if you listen to this podcast,

a lot of 2010 Patriots Brown's game that Mark talks about constantly Colt McCoy going in in the 34-40. The only time that Tom Brady had lost to the Cleveland Browns in his long and winding career. I mean, was that the slowest, like 15-yard touchdown scrabble you ever see? Greg, why would you need to say that now in a moment of celebration for Colt McCourt? So that was Mark's favorite moment in this rivalry, but Tom Brady, again, having trouble with the Browns today. Percent underneath center, they give the ball to Chubb.

He's driving for the goal line. He is. He's in. He's in. Touchdown. Nick Chubb and the Browns are winners. They ran right behind James Hudson right up the gut with the best running man. in the league what a comeback when your season was on the line i'm sorry was josh jacobs in this game

oh no jim donovan in 2010 jim donovan in 2020 because nick chubb scored on a three-yard run with 19 seconds left in overtime and the cleveland browns and jake brisket's final start somebody tweeted at me the other i think yesterday like how could you work for the nfl and not even know Jacoby Brissette's real name. Twitter is the playground of idiots. Anyway, Jake Briscuit's final start before Deshaun Watson's return, a 2317 win over the bucks. And afterwards, Brissette, and he really played admirably throughout this entire run. He got the game ball, and he had this to say after the game.

I mean, it's in no disrespect. But in the words of Tom Brady, that was fucking awesome. That was fucking awesome. Hard not to root for that guy, Nick Shook. The Pipe, who joins us now, one of Ohio's brightest sons. And Shook, I know you, I know this has been a difficult time for Cleveland Browns fans, and it's about to get weird on some level, depending on your outlook, when Watson comes back next week. but what a nice way for the Jake Brisket era to end, huh?

A nice way. I still can't get over the Colt McCoy flashback there. That was way on the left field. On points. I was completely shocked. It's very pleasant. But, yeah, a great way for him to go out. And, you know, I mean, statistically, it's been a career year for him.

It obviously puts them on a lower ceiling offensively, but they produced a good amount of points with him at quarterback. He's played very well. And you're right. What a way to go out to beat a quarterback who used to be, you know, you used to serve as an understudy for in New England. really a poetic ending and an unlikely outcome. I mean,

so many things have to go right for the Browns for them to even be in this position. David Adjoku, who has drawn the ire of Browns fans in the past for having inconsistent hands, makes the catch of his life one-handed on fourth and ten with the game on the line just to get them to overtime and then they're able to hit a long completion. It was a strange game. The weather wasn't good. It wasn't terrible,

but it wasn't good. And they come away victorious. That's the Browns. I mean, I forked them last week, and that doesn't change anything, but it is a nice little pleasant game. game for Browns fans and for Cleveland to be happy about something, especially after what

happened in college football yesterday. So it was weird, but it's a win for the Browns, nonetheless Cleveland this season, along with their offense being productive. I know they seem sometimes like opening drive magic and then they'll go to sleep. But the issue has been defense, wire to wire. And I just wanted to see the Bucks coming out of Germany where they were so balanced against the Seahawks. They ran the ball really well. They put up 17 points today. Was that more about Cleveland's defense finally looking competent and not totally lost on the ocean? Or is this just the buck's offense going back to what we'd seen prior to the Seahawks tilt? I think it's more of the latter.

A lot of deep shots testing Martin Emerson, the rookie in one-on-one situations with Mike Evans, drew some PI calls, but actually Emerson didn't allow a single reception for Evans on the day. It was an offense that seemed almost a little too confident in the past. It didn't rely on the run as much. You've got to give some credit to the Browns who have been terrible against the run this season. And they really stuffed Rashad White as a lead back in that offense. I anticipated him to break 100 yards and run all over the Browns. And they end up winning by one score or whatever.

And that's just not what happened. So they did play better, especially in the second half when they needed stops. And again, like you're right, Mark, that's been the story of the Brown's offense this entire season. You have a great opening script. You get a touchdown. You take the kickoff because you know, you receive to start the game because you know you have a good game play. And then they just fall flat. They showed a graphic during this game, 44 minutes between possessions and three of their losses,

between touchdowns and three of their losses. and they were over 44 minutes today before they scored again. That's what made it so weird is the fact that they were able to somehow wake up and go down the field. And it was a lengthy drive that they had to put together to then go score and send it to overtime. But yeah, credit to the defense. Joe Woods has been under fire all year.

And at times they look bad again. But I think it's more about the bucks at this point. I mean, at least just based on history, it's like we're talking about that Seattle game. And, you know, they didn't do that well, putting up enough points, I think, against Seattle. but there was a stretch in the second half here after the Bucks went up 1710. They got the ball seven more times.

That's almost an entire game's worth of drives. They didn't score a point, obviously, because it was 1710. They had six first downs in those seven drives. They had 91 yards. They had multiple chances to win the game. They couldn't do it. Like, that is a sickening loss if you're a Bucks fan. And if you're Tom Brady and trying to believe that this offense,

is turning some sort of corner to go seven scoreless drives. They didn't even turn the ball over. They were just bad to end this game. Yeah. And they, you know, at a certain point, you don't want to make it too simplified. But they just don't score enough points this team. I mean, you look at their schedule this year. And I'm just, let's go back since week five, 21, 18, three, 22, 16 in a win,

21 in a win, and now 17 in an overtime loss. And we're deep enough into the season where it's like, oh, look out here because this might just be a limited offense. Tristan Wirth suffered what looked like a terrible leg injury. So their left tackle, stalwart, very good chance that he's done until 2023. And shook, I know with the Browns, they're the same as the Raider. They're interesting when you compare them to the Raiders, another AFC team. That's four and seven.

that has used up all of their rope, as it were, like they have no margin for area here. But even if the playoffs are a pipe dream with Deshaun Watson, they do get a layup next week against the Texans, they're going to be a berser down the stretch because they play teams tough. They've hung in almost every game this season. I wouldn't want to face the Browns.

It gives the fan-based consolation because they have a reason to watch the Browns, even if they don't have a shot to make the playoffs, because you get kind of a trial with Watson going into the next season and maybe you get a Mangini-type run where you win your last four and carry some momentum into the off-season like he did with the Browns.

Those Browns, by the way, those same Browns as Colt McCoy back in the day. And maybe that's how they go into the off-season with a positive momentum. What is what? What's the next year? I don't know.

I'm just saying when you say like Eric Mangini carried all that momentum, I think you've got to, you know, it wasn't a great ending. Oh, no, no, no. No, no. The next thing I know you're going to say that the week after that Patriots game,

the Jets walked them off in overtime. and sent the Browns down a death spiral. It was a week after the Browns beat the world champion defending Saints, by the way. We do have maybe a title for this episode. It's like rise of the three and seven teams that are better than their record. Jaguars, Raiders, Browns, they all sort of deserved one. A bit wordy. It's like a little wordy, but they all deserve one and they all got one.

Four and seven heaven. Seal it, sign it, deliver it. Shooki, you want to stay on for another game? We'd love to have you. Absolutely. Let's do it. Let's keep moving. from the shotgun.

Win or lose. Echler goes in motion. Herbert to pass. Cot! It's good. It's good. Herbert to Gerald Everett. And they take a one-point lead.

A double slant. You had Keenan Allen going first. He drew all the attention right behind him. Gerald Everett with a layup touchdown. Or two-point conversion. Fifteen seconds on the clock. Fortune favors the bold. Oh, listen.

All right. Oh, yeah. All right. The bolts bongos. The bolts bongos. Listen to the resin. And Matt Moneysmith's voice. Wait, it's like a Tom Brokaw's unannounced child.

Unannounced. We don't know the history, but it feels apt. Two teams went for two when they had a chance to kick an extra point and go to overtime today. Both those teams won their football games. Justin Herbert, who certain. people will tell you is a social media quarterback through three touchdown passes without an INT, including that game winner to Gerald Everett on the two-point conversion and the Chargers escape with a win over the Cardinals.

Woo, Shooky. How about that? The Chargers, six and five and a huge win. And for the Cardinals, a stomach punch loss that they're probably not going to recover from. You know, Cliff Kingsbury has talked about this on the Hard Knocks, Inslee. season multiple times how there's opportunities in front of them. And yet this was a huge wasted opportunity. They had three possessions in the fourth quarter alone where all they needed to do was pick up a few first downs and take some of that clock and take some of the time off the

clock, you know, just bleed the clock, keep the ball out of the charger's hands. Each time they went three and out. They came they gained a combined 16 yards in those three possessions. Twice they got the defensive stops. It looked like the charges couldn't get anywhere near within scoring range. and then they gave them the third opportunity. And it was that third opportunity when they set back to punish it. This is it. This is when they're going to score and win the game because, you know, you only get so many opportunities in those situations.

Justin Herbert goes down. It's kind of a short drive, but they convert and then great play calling for the two point conversion. Nice little motion out of the backfield, distract the linebackers get a trail over the middle. Gerald Everett wide open for the two point conversion. The Cardinals, they blew it. They blew their opportunity to win this game.

And it doesn't fall in their defense. Their defense did the job twice. It falls on Cliff Kingsbury and their inability to scheme even one first down in the final quarter of this game. And that right there is the story of this Cardinals team, the entire season, opportunities wasted throughout the year. It was a shocking ending, not just because of, you know, the two point conversion attempt and actually hitting it, which the Chargers have struggled in those situations in these short yardage where they go for it on fourth down. They just haven't been a good team there. It was shocking because until the fourth quarter, the Cardinals looked like the better team. They were getting everything that they wanted offensively.

You mentioned they kept going three and out. Before that, it felt like Kyler Murray was doing everything he wanted to do and the Chargers defense had no answers whatsoever. And then it just totally flipped on a dime. Like, the Chargers worked so much harder for their points in this game than the Cardinals did for their points. But the Cardinals kind of in a, you're going to find a way to lose off between these two teams who both, it felt like loser energy, frankly,

from both of these teams, like the Cardinals had more loser energy. Big loser energy. BLE. That's my only thing I have to say about it. That's great comment. Anything else? I'll get any other takeaways here.

The only time that there was any winning energy was on the two-point conversion. That was it. Even that one, that was great that they went for it, but it was shocking how easy it was. I don't know what Isaiah Simmons was doing on that play. If they knew that was the matchup they were going to get on Simmons. Simmons is just sitting five yards into the end zone

and barely makes a movement. Have you ever seen an easier two-point conversion? It was just pitch and catch. It was very strange. Not, it was, he had outside leverage, right? He bites on the outside fake, as if he's not already in position to play on that. It was bad defense from then, but yeah. What is the argument for Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray as a duo to exist beyond the season?

Money. I think I think it's probably about how much money the ownership group is willing to put into a new experiment. Yeah, I think if it keeps going, like this, that they're going to move up to watch Dean anyways. I think maybe I wonder if the bidwills were looking at the news and they saw Matt Rule just got a $10 billion contract from Nebraska and all that offset money disappears. You know, the Panthers don't have to worry about it anymore. Assuming the language is similar in Kingsbury's, because you know he'll get a job in college

whenever he wants. University of Santa Barbara. Cliff, I don't know. He's got that house. No, the thing about colleges, he'll get a big time job. I know. I don't deny that. Like, that's not, you know, I just named a different college.

Although a Spicerack likes to point out, he failed in college. I know. Like his record in the NFL is literally better than it was in college. Well, he had terrible defenses would be that he came in with some pedigree of like, we don't know what sort of offense he's going to run. What happened to OSU since you mentioned it, Michigan pants them as I understand? Ohio State fans will hate me for this, but I tweeted about it. I've been getting lit up about it since then.

I think that they need to start considering a new coach because in the 1990s there was a coach named John Cooper who could recruit great and he could never beat Michigan and if you can't be Michigan, you're never going to contend for a national title and that's starting to look like Ryan Day. Go get Urban Myers. It's two years.

It's just two years. I mean, they had him. I know. Let's bring it back. But the fashion, Greg, the fashion in which they lost is bad. Greg, do you have a college take here? You're pushing back on this?

I'm just saying it seems emotional. They didn't lose the game until that. Greg just has 14 TVs in front of them on Saturday, watching all the college football. It is literally what the whole season boils down to for Ohio State. They're 12 and 1, and they, you know, they lost one game. It's only two games here. Greg, you may not have your hand on the pulse of Ohio on that one.

I'm just saying if you're agreeing with Albert Breers, Ohio State takes, you're probably got the wrong takes. Whoa, whoa. Whoa, I'm not agreeing. I'm putting my own out there. Speaking of takes, I had a hard take against the club in England, the Three Lions Club. And I said, oh, just watch out.

Team USA, you're never going to beat us. You never have and you never will. Very quiet. Didn't hear a lot from the English listeners. No. They were lucky to get a tie. It felt like a moral victory for England to get a tie in that game. Anyway, you know what else was a moral victory, by the way?

When I locked up the Chargers, what a genius pick here. You know what? I have to say this. You said this is your quote to me after the game. Quote, your joy in this moment weakens me. That's how Stan wants me to fail. Because not only, you know what it is? He wasn't even gloating.

He wasn't gloating. You and I, Mark, we lose on a two-point conversion. This son of a wins on a two-point conversion. Yeah, it was gloating energy. I'm not saying he verbalized it, but, yeah. He was just so happy. Exactly. I just wanted to take the monitor and just crush it and just take the happiness out of him.

See your little laptop? What does that say about you and what in our relationship in this program? It says I'm a monster. Always feels good to hurt your friend. And then you said, yeah, someone had a great take on that, that you want to be the hero in someone's life, but first you want to put them on the ground before you could become the hero. I was like, well, that's dark.

Yeah, I wasn't sure what Jason. I think we traffic in bits about darkness all the time, but I'm not sure if he understood Jay that people might not understand the context there, unless that's something I actually do do. Well, you need to... But I don't even know what that means, really. I think you could take a... I don't suggest that you do that,

but maybe just in your own personal time, kind of in the middle of the night, just explore the comment versus shooting it down on the show right now. Just sort of explore it. Because I'm not saying, by the way, that I agree with Jason someone. I think that's a...

I don't know what he's doing it. Explore why you want to crush me with a computer and what that comes from. Because afterwards, when the Seahawks won, the Seahawks lost, you were like, well, at least we've got that. That'll humble you a little bit and make you not feel as good.

but you're wrong actually because I had locked up the Seahawks originally and I switched off the lock. That's the switch of the year. If you want to know why I felt that way, just ask the other person sitting next to you who felt the same way and then wonder why all those people around you just want to crush your head with a monitor. No, it's mostly just you too.

This is where we need West. We need West to balance it out. I have a parting word. I'm glad that this is one of those rare moments where I'm glad that my monitors are 2,500 miles away from there he goes. Nick Shook, thank you very much, the pipe. And while we're talking about locks, I should have mentioned... Yes.

The Cincinnati Zoo locked up the JETS Jets, Jets, Jets, via Twitter late in the week, but got it in in time. Pre or post the line moving past lock zone. That is a great question. I think it was before because we thought... Fields was questionable. Fields was questionable. I believe it was a six-point line at that point.

I mean, I think it speaks volumes. Mark said it all. Is this the new one? It is. A lot of honking from the zoo about like bold picks and things. You're blocking against Trevor Sivian. I like this. This is an upgrade.

All right, let's move on now to the game that was supposed to be the matchup of the year. on paper. Nothing ain't on paper. In motion, Jody Forkson, right to left. Fake hand up to Cacheco, backing up further as Mahomes, guns it over the middle, caught. 20-yard line into the 15-yard line, angling near side with the block. 10, 5. Kelsey stretches out for the end zone.

Touchdown. Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelsey, the best tied end in National Football League history. Oh, Gregie. Mitch Holtus getting in the debate that we began last Sunday night when talking about who is the best tight end ever. Travis Kelsey certainly in the discussion as he continues to put up numbers that we've rarely seen at the position.

He had a touchdown, the only touchdown throw from Patrick Wilhomes, but nobody had to do much against this Rams team right now. A 2610 win for the Chiefs at Arrowhead. had Bryce Perkins played quarterback in this one, Mark Sessler. It's, if they, when they scheduled this, they thought we were going to get some version of the Rams that simply does not exist on one side of the ball right now. Bryce Perkins taking snaps, running all over the place.

His scrambling ability is his offering, what he offers as an asset, very little outs. But you're throwing to 2-2-at-well. Karen Williams is running the ball. It's just like this is a completely different cast of characters. And I kind of give the Rams defense some credit. Jalen Ramsey was absolutely fried on that one Travis Kelsey touchdown. It's like the 18th week

and I feel like Jailen Ramsey's doing something where it's like I'm sorry, what's your Jalen Ramsey or are you a post version of Jalen Ramsey? But they stopped the chiefs. They held them to field goals on drives that ended at the Rams 3, 4, 9 and 13. So the red zone defense showed up. Aaron Donald caused a lot of problems but it's kind of like the chiefs were able to just go through the motions. Andy Reid seemed a little

irritated coming out of halftime. He thought that there are issues of the red zone. He called it terrible. And yet that didn't unlock them for 30-something second-half points. This was just sort of on the journey of this season. Patrick Mahomes still did beautiful things. He had an end zone interception and was kept at bay a little bit by the Rams,

but they still got it done. And in the end, like the Rams are a non-functional offense that also came into the game with no Alan Robinson. So it's a bare cupboard. Alan Robinson who needs surgery on a a stress reaction in his foot. So his deeply disappointing first season with the Rams is over.

We'll see what his future is in Los Angeles. And this is the first five-game losing streak ever for the Rams under Sean McVeigh. Sean McVeigh, in what was a unfortunate snapshot of their season as a whole, gets absolutely clocked on the sideline by one of his own players running onto the field, had a swollen jaw for the rest of the game after that. And yeah, the Chiefs, this is one of those games where they didn't have to do much. It was the old Milton Burl routine, just show enough to win, and that's what they did, and they're nine and two,

and the Rams cannot get to January fast enough. I think Sean McVeigh is going to, I wouldn't say black eye, but there's going to be some issues there tomorrow when he wakes up and the skin and the adrenaline. Especially when he watches the tape and sees who did it to him, and that guy's no longer on the team. Well, they're getting to the problems. There was a report that's not from ESPN that Stafford, you know,

is questionable to return the rest of this season, which is more just confirming what makes, sense. And we'll talk Rams in the off season. But I think the number one thing is, is Stafford going to play next year? Is Aaron Donald going to play next year? Is Sean McVeigh going to be back? And it's crazy that they have all these games to run out the string here. And now it's without Robinson. That injury happened on Friday. It's just depressing. I would have liked to see it a little more out of Pacheco in the running game. It's like this is almost a game you can work on some things. And I think they're going to need their running game. And I like the way Pacheco runs, but they weren't particularly

efficient running the ball today and I think the Rams defense did show up I think it wasn't you can't just do what you want against Darren Donald and also you know how it is and sometimes in these type of games where it's such a mismatch and one of the teams is so down low usually because it's one of those Murphy law seasons

you don't maybe the team that wins doesn't get all the way up it doesn't have that same energy to it and you just kind of just take care of business type of game. They had a lead early I don't like the whole greatest tight end of all time thing just like putting it on him recency bias when for most of his career everyone would recognize he wasn't the best

tight end in the league. I would say he's not the best tight end in Chief's history. That'd be Tony Gonzalez, a lot more first team, all pros. You have other guys in that division. Kellan Winslow, you know, Shannon Sharp, Antonio Gates. Like, is he getting to be in that mix? Kelsey, I would say, would be in that mix.

But to just, like, put him all over all these guys because he's had a couple of good weeks. Seems not good weeks. I mean, he's had a tremendous career. Like Ozzy Newsom I'd throw in that next year. He's had a tremendous career. I think this year is starting to put him up with those guys. But there's no reason why he's suddenly like zoomed past all those guys.

I think that's all. And I'll use one of your own patriots in this argument. I think one thing helping Kelsey is as he's getting deeper into his 30s, he's remaining elite. Just like Brady put everyone in the dust because he stayed great for an extra 5, 7, 8, 9 years now. Maybe this is Kelsey what's going to separate him as he's a high-end guy into his 30s. back two or three more years like this, then it's kind of crazy. All right.

Now, let's move to a matchup between two NFC teams with playoff aspirations, Atlanta, Washington, the loser in bad shape, the winner feeling good. Let's see what happens. I guess that's every game. Sure. That's sort of how it works. Within the, when you look at it through the prism of the NFC playoff race, especially so. I think you explained it well.

All right. Back to pass is Mario. Balls tipped. It's in the end. And as he picked off in the end zone, the commander said they picked it off. Did Kendall Fuller get it, waiting for the signal? Perception, Kendall Fuller. Kendall Fuller is hanging out for Dear Life.

He realizes how huge this is. The entire stadium is on their feet, realizing Washington just might have saved the game. Save the game, maybe save the season. Bram Weinstein with the call. Who was that also? Because it wasn't London Fletcher. Julie Donaldson? Julie Donaldson as well, of course.

B-I-G and it was Duran Payne getting his big paw up getting the big meat hook up putting the ball in the air and then Kendall Fuller coming down with the intercepting Marcus Marriota in the end zone of 58 seconds to play and man it doesn't get bigger than that because it goes from the opportunity with Cordell Patterson by the way in your backfield that just runs people over in the goal line Jesus Christ you instead drop back to pass and instead of a 20 to 19 win which seemed very possible in that moment you lose 1913 and that is six wins and seven games for the commanders you just got to give it up to this team and fuller sealed the game this week with a pick he had a pick six last week at houston and um this is just a team that is finding its way here as the season goes on and it's defense that's getting the job done they still don't have chase young he they kept him down for another week but we might see him next week but you have a running game also now that is coming and really coming along. Brian Robinson, I thought, looked excellent. This was the Brian Robinson that we heard about and saw in the preseason, 18 for 105 in this game, running hard, running fast. Washington, take them seriously.

They're seven and five now. They are in the mix, for real. Robinson, you know, can catch the ball, too. I thought this was, you're right. Like, I was kind of watching this out of the corner of my a standout game. And their defense has been doing this week after week, and it's that line. So it's kind of like what Ron Rivera sold you.

And I feel like every Ron Rivera's, season has like the get out of the gate slowly. We have issues. And then we rip off four, five, six straight wins. I mean, this Washington team has not won six of seven dating back to 2012. It's been dark times. I think you're going to rise and fall with Taylor Heineke. But I'm just sort of a Taylor Heineke fan. I'm not claiming that he's perfect. But he kind of fits on this team. And this is the one game where I thought he and Terry McLaurin didn't quite make a ton of production together because of A.J. Terrell on the Falcons had was on McClure. for most of the game and played one of his best

outings all season. Right, let's be real. There's not much separating all these teams in the NFC. Washington keeps winning games like this. But now there is separation here between these two teams specifically. The fact that the Washington gets to 7 and 5 it's going to be between them,

Seattle, the Giants, and maybe the 49ers are in that mix too for the last spot. And then there's a pretty big drop off in the NFC to the teams that are two games under 500. So all those teams are going to get into the playoffs except for one and Washington's put themselves in that position. And Washington has the Giants, then they're by, then the Giants.

That's very interesting because I do think these teams are very, very close in terms of ability. And Washington, obviously, he's just playing better right now. So if I'm a giant fan, I'm very nervous that my season is taking a hard left turn. In Atlanta, both these teams ran the ball really well. Another game in Northeast, not very good weather today. So it was wet. Tyler, Alger. Algeria we're getting close we're getting close i mean by calendars it's the nomination what's the holiday

season too slows down um i didn't want to bring it up processing sometimes i didn't want to you do not understand how the u.s. males operates so i don't want to also have you have an expertise and that also the government with the cutbacks ironic you know you take shots at the pentagon you're saying this is done they tried to get rid of the post office a few years ago uncle sam's trying to help you despite some of the negative things you've said about the Pentagon. We'll see what happens if we can get this before New Year's. Totally sound analysis on the Pentagon, by the way. Washington ran 37 times for 176 in this game.

Atlanta, 29 for 167. But Atlanta, you know, they're playing without Kyle Pitts, and Mariotta, again, makes the killer mistake at the end. It was like a tip, little tip pass. I mean, it is crazy how these plays come down to a play. Do we need to defend Marks, Marys? No, we don't. But that was a tip.

That was a tip pass. But these games come down to, like, one, play or two plays. And it wasn't really just that tip pass. The play before it, they got a free rusher, James Smith Williams, in on Mariotta, and Montes Sweat ended up cleaning it up. You had first and goal at the two with one 10 left there. You have Washington over a barrel. You're totally expecting you're the Falcons to be able to run that in. And you end up losing two yards on the first play because of, and Mariota ends up eating it for a couple yard loss. And then they feel like the need to throw the ball and surprise them.

That's a little surprising. Yeah. And in other Washington commanders news, they unveiled a Sean Taylor Memorial. Taylor, of course, the great safety who was shot to death in 2007 at the height of his career. And it's just crazy with this organization

that they just can't seem to get anything right. They had Sean Taylor's family there and they have a big curtain over what is the centerpiece of the memorial. They pull the curtain off, the covering off, and it's a mannequin in, you know, a Sean Taylor uniform, a wire mannequin behind glass. And it's not even an official uniform. It's mismatch. It's a Nike top, but Reebok pants and then soccer World Cup cleats.

And in general, it just, you even, if you watch the video of it, you can see Taylor's family. And even they seem to have a look like. Well, I think the video said it all because the entire, there's a large crowd there and it left a lot of mystified gazes at the, and even like right down to the fact obviously we know what happened with the team name changed so they just have an old Redskins uniform there

with the helmet and the logo and everything. It's like, we couldn't build that man a bronze statue and put it out in front. This is what you come up with. It's just they never seem to get it right, this organization. Maybe that changes in the future when some ownership changes happen, but right now, be better.

Not good enough. But they were good enough on the field today. And Ron Rivera, who, a guy that we were burying, the guy we were saying, it's time for them to find new leadership. He's doing a good job there too. He does this every time. All right.

Let us move on to Charlotte, where the Carolina Panthers had yet another starting quarterback and Russell Wilson. Oh, Russell Wilson. Shotgun snap. Donald, quarterback keeper. Donald lost the football.

Has to dive on it. And nobody, I'm not sure anybody touched Sam Donald. Right. That might be a touchdown. It is a touchdown. Sam Donald. Run the option. Fumble and then Army roll into the end zone.

Perfect play. I love this game. So heady. That is Sam Darnold football right there. You don't count out. Sam Darnold. Jordan Gras, Gross, and Luke Keeckley on the call. How about that?

WBT. Sam Donald threw a touchdown pass. Ran for one, but actually recovered a fumble for a second score. And the Panthers use their defense from there to get by the Denver Broncos, 23 to 10. This game, we don't need to spend a ton of time on this one, Greg. But like, well, I've got 17 minutes. plan. Here we go. What do you got? What was your takeaway on

Darnold's debut? He played well. He especially got confident in the second half. He didn't do much in the first half. He had a nice throw down the field to D.J. Moore, when Darnold plays or Walker, they actually used, you know, D.J. Moore, who beat Sertan a number of times in this game, which you're just not used the scene. So that was nice thing. He didn't make any mistakes. They just punted a lot and eventually he started playing with confidence in the second half and he was fine. But it was more about the defense. It was

more about Russell Wilson. We keep thinking we get to new lows for the Broncos, and then we get lower. So I will just quickly run through like the options for new lows in this game. One option. They had negative one yard passing with four minutes left in the first half. Another option, they ran the ball on third and 20, because they didn't trust Russ, then got the ball back on a fumbled punt, and then did not let Russell Wilson throw the ball even once on the ensuing drive, even though they kind of had a third and medium and they just kicked a field goal. Their only points in this game

came on a touchdown that happened after a roughing the passer that would have ended the drive and a field goal on a short field where they essentially got 10 yards and kicked it. Let's see. We had Mike Purcell, the defensive lineman, yelling at him at one point

in the game. And I think that's about it. We have Russ's reaction to that. Purcell came off the field after a field goal drive by Carolina and you could say he was imploring Russell Wilson to do something, but I'm sure the language

is more colorful. Wilson was asked about it after the game. Mike and I are on the same page, you know, he came off after they, I think they kicked the field goal and he was pissed off. He just said, we got a effing go, you know, and

I agree, you know, so me and him on the same page. We, you know, there's no animosity there at all. We're on the same page we got to win you know we got to come out here and have some uh some some some some grit to us some mentality to us we got to be able to win these you know these these these football games mark you're shaking your head well i just i i am waiting for the moment tell me if i missed it where russell wilson at least it's sort of like in a human being fashion you'll be waiting a while

like acknowledges that this has been a disaster and that there's a lot to do because i outside of what we sort of say about the cardinals week to week with looming issues uh personnel wise and what you're going to do going into next season like this is the darkest unfixable quarterback situation in the league because you're stuck with this and I see no there's literally zero signpost that tells me actually this is a bump in the road it's a gigantic bump the road like an earthquake hit so it's an opposite of a bump it's like chasm but how do you get out of it chasm I say chasm but wait a second I don't know anymore wait a second you're right it would perhaps be helpful for Russell Wilson

to acknowledge what everyone else sees we are terrible but we're going to fix this thing but I don't think that's how his brain works no he's relentless positivity guy I don't think that's allowed so I think that's that might be part of the frustration that his teammates have for him and also

to what you're saying about the quarterback situation yeah it's a bit of an unsolvable riddle for this organization and what's going to happen unfortunately I don't think I mean you always every once in while there is a guy that's one and done and it's pretty clear by Black Monday.

Nathaniel Hackett, I don't think there's any way he saves his job. I think he's going to be cooked in part because they know they have to make a big change and it can't be the quarterback. So it's going to be the coach's head who rolls. And I feel for him, I know he has a responsibility in this because he recruited Russell Wilson to come here. And he has not, he's an offensive mind who has not been offensive mind. In fact, he had to give up the play calling duties. That hasn't worked out for the team either.

but Greg there's like so many things negative around this team but Wilson refuses to be negative and I think it's the coach who pays ultimately I agree they have six games left I'm always wary of declaring too much about coaching because I've seen guys like Doug Morone win the last two games actually he didn't even win the last two games of the year they just played the Peyton Manning Colts close once and could change minds like things can change but they've just shown no signs of life like another option that it could have had for the lowest moment here was after they got that one touchdown, which only came because, you know, the drive extended with penalty. They get an onside kick, and the game's probably over at that point anyways, 23 to 10, and then Russell Wilson just throws four straight incompletions. It was as ugly as it gets. Steve Wilkes, though, three and three as interim head coach. I heard even before this game, some whispers that he has a real chance to keep this job if they play hard the rest of the way, and they are certainly playing hard.

They could be four and two, if not for that crazy game against Atlanta. they held the ball for 37 minutes. They were dominant in this game, for what it's worth. When Wilkes was in Cleveland as a defense coordinator, like over and over you heard players love him. They love them in Carolina. And most of his stops, it's like this dude is a good leader. And it's like he definitely deserves to get real interviews this time around

because Le Panthers were a disaster before this. It's easy to forget what was going on there. And he's milked some interesting performances on both sides of the ball. All right. Let's take a break and we will roll on. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks.

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Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Welcome back. We have a shutout alert. Let's head to Santa Clara. He looks middle. He will throw. Camara makes the catch. Camara takes it. Out of the ball. He fumbled the ball, and it's deflected around, rolling three on the Golan. Who's got it? Charles Menehue's got it. 40-Nehlers, let them get to the one-yard line and then take the ball away to keep the shutout intact.

Man, when Alvin-Kamara is failing near the Golan, you know it's not your season. And that is four straight second-half shutouts for the Niners defense. And that was my guy, Tallanoa Hufanga, who forced. first that Kamara fumble that held back New Orleans, who's turned away repeatedly in the second half in every attempt to get back into the game. Final score, though, 13, nothing. The Niners, Roll on, four straight wins.

And Greg, this is a game where the Niners, you know, we all were writing sea poems to use a cesslerism about their offense in the last couple of weeks. And that wasn't quite locked. in today but what it did do was allow us to focus on the defense which is also very good and deep and talented and that's why this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender right because they're one of the few teams and I throw Dallas in this mix that in any given week and you're

going to need this over a 17 game regular season schedule you need in the playoffs too either side of the ball could dominate enough to win I'm a little stunned that the Saints defense and I know they did get a lot of players back seven players most of which were starters who last week's game for injury, we're back for this game. But I'm still kind of amazed the Saints' defense held up. But you know what? This 49ers defense has the capability to dominate up front especially. Like, you can tell me, but line play-wise,

I would have, I guess they handed the Saints their lunch. Yep, the Saints were held to just 63 yards on the ground. And, you know, Andy Dalton has had some good moments this season, probably more bad than good. But if you're asking him to throw you to victory, it's not going to happen. And San Francisco, their D is just, again, it's under the radar because everyone's always talking about Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy G and all the weapons. But they haven't allowed a point in more than 94 minutes of game action now.

And I mentioned that stat about four straight second halves without allowing a point. They are the fifth team since 1991 to do that. So that's going back 30 years. So, yeah, this is a team that's humming and they could do it and beat you in a lot of ways. Yeah, there just aren't that many teams this season where, to your point, Greg, like if the offense takes a little bit of a week off, well, the defense just completely drops a hammer and dominates. I don't love that Elijah Mitchell got hurt in this.

I'll wait and see what happens with that. I just look at the Niners and feel like there might have been, they seemed a little off on offense today. And our team that you were on the West Coast against the Chargers night game, you had to stay on the west part of the country, go to Mexico City, come back and do this, like they can throw you off a little bit. I mean, you're allowed to have a day like this, but they survived. I'm glad you brought the Mitchell injury because he is a really, really good player. And who knows, it was a foot injury. And he was- Caffrey went in and out too. Yeah, he was quickly ruled out.

And so this window where all of the top skill players were healthy and making plays, hopefully that didn't end today. And it was just a brief two-week opening. But at the same time, that might be the only thing that could save these other teams in the NFC, because if they do have it, and they're healthy on both sides of the ball. Look out and the Saints. They will march on into the offseason, Gregi. Yeah, four and eight. I mean, when Andy Dalton is your leading rusher,

you're probably not going anywhere. It's all about Olive's rookie of the year. I think Caden Ellis has kind of came out of nowhere and been one of the best defensive players in the league, I would say, over last month. Just kind of dominating week after week. But that's all they're looking for. They are in the NFC South.

I mean, there are only one win. behind the Bucks. Now, you normally think of like the loss column is more important, but in the NFC South, it is so hard to get wins that it's crazy that Carolina's only one win behind Tampa. It's just a fact. And New Orleans is only one win behind Tampa.

Get the people excited. I was going to say, but are you actually making a case that anybody else can win this division? And the Bucks, what we saw from the Bucs today is, you know. There's like a 15% chance that either the Panthers or the Falcons could win this division. something crazy happens.

In one of those two ends up popping. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. 20. It's not very good. Lots of chance. See, if I was such a bad guy, Greg, I would have moved on to the next game when. Oh, yeah.

You set me up a few times. Instead. You set me up a few times. Go ahead. The rainmaker came. You know, climate change is happening. The rain isn't out quite as much as it used to be. But we're four and one on the season.

they covered the 8.5.8. That doesn't have to be pretty. Nine and a half, but they still covered it. Okay, either way. Moved around during this season. It was a fairly fortunate victory for the Rainmaker if you watch the game, but at the same time, it doesn't matter.

You're still collecting. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how you get there. I mean, four and one, that's an 800 winning percentage. That would be leading the NFC. Your loss did sink a slew of families across the country that took your advice that week.

You can live with that, Greg. You're getting on me for my one loss out of four out of five? I'm just thinking on a more micro level what it did to those families. Right. Some people who traffic in that world only have the means for one wager. Right. And if that was the one they made, nothing will ever be the same. All I really saw here is.

Did you ever see boiler room? Yeah, we're living at the YMCA now. I mean, we're not doing a weekly rainmaker, but. That was also the week you went one in one. So you still got one right that week. Look at that. Thanks, Justin. But again, you don't need.

need Wes here. You have Justin. He's just spitting facts and the facts are the Saints team in one way or another feels like a dead team walking. All right. One more game to get to and it features a team that is very much

moribund. Back to throw, gets it off. He's got to make it. That's going to be a touchdown. Football picked up by the Dolphins and Xavier Howard. Is this walks into the end zone.

Touchdown. Miami. I'll tell you what, X-Man just going to jog into the end zone for that touchdown. What is going? What are the parabolic mic's picking up there? I don't know. Was it so easy to beat the Texans right now that the band in Miami just went full on into the music before even reached like the 10-yard line on their return?

I'll up to you. It is that easy. It is that easy. Don't get hung up by the final score, which was 3015. over Texans because this was a game that was 30 zip at the half. Dolphins take their foot off the accelerator and just coast home for another win. Their schedule tightens up significantly, but you take care of business mark, and that's exactly what the dolphins did here.

Yeah, I mean, good teams go out and just hammer failed operations. And the Texans are repeatedly on the bottom end of these because we talked about last week how they were outgained 246 yards to five in the first half. Today, 287 to 32. That is a combined 533 yards to 37. This is an offense that generated 37 points over four first half quarters in two weeks. And so really it just set up. Plus, you throw an interception that set up an easy dolphin score.

There was a fumble returned by Xavier Howard. So the dolphins basically were just handed about the easiest Sunday around, but you still saw that this offense is so dangerous right now. I mean, I think that I am done sleeping on this team if I have it all. I think they could probably knock anyone out in any playoff game if you get the good version of Tua. One little note, Tauron Armstead went out with a pectoral injury. And after that happened, Tua at one point,

because, you know, the game was so out of control. It was like, should we just take Tua out minutes into the third quarter here? He was sack three plays in a row. At one point, he looked like he was sort of limping, around a little so he got he got yanked early but ian rapidport along with tom pellicero the pell razor um noted that that peck strain apparently is not as bad as originally feared he could miss some time but hope is hope is that he will in quotes be back on the field at some point relatively soon that is huge for them that is absolutely like a damasheck jenka piece of their offense

sometimes when you hear that peck thing you immediately it's torn and then it's seeing next year um yeah And like I said, next week, they get the 49ers on the road. Then they're against the charges. Then the bills and the Patriots and the Jets. Like, we're going to learn a lot more about the dolphins. But the Texans have hit that stage of Moribund territory. It happens to a couple teams every year where they just cease to even exist as an outfit that can compete. Like Damien Pierce is a perfect example.

Damien Pierce is a running back who was having a great rookie year. But at a certain point, you just get over. overwhelmed by how terrible things are around you. And he no longer has a present. It's swallowed them up. Yeah, to you're pointing at eight yards on five carries. Kyle Allen did start over Davis Mills. It made very, it did, it just, the environment makes none of that have any difference.

Just start Davis Mills and see if he could be your backup next year. Well, I think he's, I think he's probably solidified as their backup based on where they're at. I mean, who knows if anyone in Houston is a backup is going to be there next year. I think that's all TBD. The coaching staff could be different. The front office. That would be two one and duns in a row, which is what we were suspicious of that. Front office could be different.

I mean, I'm impressed by Miami's consistency. They want their run game to be better than it was today. They also lost Austin Jackson late in this game, their other starting tackle. And the drop-off from Armstead and Jackson, who also missed some time earlier, to their backup tackles, was immense. So that's huge with a huge Mike McDaniel, Kyle Shanahan rivalry game next week. week spicy all right one more game to go mark you ready sure you ready to put the packers to bed once and for all well that's been my goal well consider your goal achieved Sunday night

football hurts takes the snap comes back gives it to Sanders Sanders with the first down and the game is over oh yeah that'll lock it up miles Sanders behind the blocks of siamallo and lane Johnson and the Eagles are going to the victory formation. The fat lady's not singing yet, but she's warming up her vocal cords. Yes, the Eagles did whatever they wanted on the ground against the paper tiger defense of the Green Bay Packers. 363 yards on the ground to be exact with three scores. Jalen Hertz and Miles Sanders combining for 300.

stupid ridiculous uh in a 40 to 33 win over the packers like i said mark sessler the packers you could pack them up and ship them uh out of town until 2,023 because they are 4 and 8 and their quarterback Aaron Rogers finished this game with his jersey off after getting x-rays on his midsection. But let's start mark with the Eagles. who moved to 10 and 1, keep a hold on the number one seed in the NFC and show once again that they can just impose their will on an opponent

with their terrific offense. An NFL offense running the ball 49 times at 7.4 yards per carry. And I mean, just the visualization of by the end of this game down the stretch, Green Bay hanging around had a chance over and over if they could shut down Philly on the ground to make a game of this with Jordan Lovin.

who him and Christian Watson had an immediate connection, but they couldn't do anything to the Eagles. Couldn't even come close, really. There were probably six or seven key moments where they could have had a chance to do it, and all I saw was a Green Bay Packers defense, and we've seen this before with their defense when they get run on like this, gassed, totally gassed the end.

But, of course, any defense dealing with what the Eagles did tonight and Jalen Hertz, who's just simply incredible from this angle. The Eagles ran nearly 80 plays, 79, 49. So you could tell Green Bay had their hands on their hips by the end of this game. I mean, they ran for 363 total. You mentioned Sanders it Hertz, but you know, throwing Gainwell and Boston Scott combined for like 11 for 63. So no matter who it was, you mentioned 7.4 yards per carry on the ground.

So that's more than Jalen Hertz was averaging through the air. They're like one of the rare teams that it's more efficient to run. And that's because the scrambles that Hertz had were incredible. The first play of the game, there's absolutely nothing there on third down, the first third down of the game, and he makes four guys miss and gets the first down, and that ends up leading to seven points. His decision making, which I think he struggled with a week ago on the RPO's of whether to keep it or not, he kept giving the ball away when he probably should have kept it. He kept it tonight, and there were so many good decisions.

And then that first touchdown by Sanders was an RPO where he did give it to Sanders, and they just were waiting for hurts to keep it. And he's just got prairie loans, prairie lanes. It's a prairie land. A part of the land. To throw to. And then he was dealing too. Like he had a third and 12 completion in the red zone that kept the touchdown drive going.

He had a third and 14 to get it close. That TD to Walkins. It's not like he didn't throw the ball well. That was just an awesome game to watch by Jalen Hertz. Yeah. You look at this team and I have some questions, you know, about their defense. and they could not put the Packers away, it seemed to, but it was also, it was almost like they were kind of toying with the Packers by the end of this game.

You never felt that Green Bay was ever in any danger of stealing this. And yes, Aaron Rogers now goes to the silent. We know he's playing with a broken thumb. He acknowledged that last week. And he was in a tremendous amount of pain after getting hit in the chops in the second half, stayed in for one series. but you could tell when he went to the sideline after Mason Crosby kicked the field goal that it was probably going to be the last you saw of him and then cut to Mark the shot of him

with his pads off with a jersey off looking every bit the 38-year-old quarterback that he is and he just wonder it's especially in a small sample size of course but the backup comes in the former first round pick and does some things like what is going through the minds of of management as you spin forward to the future of the Packers, which may or may not have Aaron Rogers in it. You're four and eight. I mean, we'll see how long he's going to be out. It doesn't sound like a comfortable physical ailment to be dealing with

as an NFL quarterback. I mean, if he's gone for multiple weeks and he comes back and they've got 10 or 11 losses, unless it's him saying, I want to be in this lineup, you know, come hell or high water, I don't know why you don't finally get a good look at Jordan Love, who I thought showed some promise tonight, and why you necessarily shove Aaron Rogers back into this lineup

or if you're Aaron Rogers, why that even makes so much sense. Well, they haven't had their by week yet, which I forgot about. They have the Bears next week, which would be a nice spot for Jordan Love to come in. And you're right. He threw the ball very well. I know it was only, what was it, nine attempts, but most of them were right on the money. He looked a little more confident in making quick decisions. You have the Bears next week, and then you have the buy after that.

It's an oblique injury, and you figure, Let Love start next week. See where it's at. It's tricky. It's an off-season question, really, that we don't need to get into because this season's dead. But they're pretty much tied to Rogers for next year. But if you play Love, maybe a little, you know, you can make decisions based off that. You could either trade Jordan Love off of that or you could trade Aaron Rogers off of that.

Trade Aaron Rogers to the New York Jets. I would take Aaron Rogers. Oh, no, because I have Mike White now. Oh, well. The Great White Way. It's lucky for them at this development. happened when it did with Mike White. Exactly.

We shall see. I mean, reasonable minds can differ on this, but I think Aaron Rogers has earned the right to decide how the rest of the season plays out in terms of whether he's playing or not. But obviously, Jordan Love could do himself a lot of favors here by playing well in this game and then if he gets an opportunity against Chicago, who we saw this today and throughout the season cannot stop anybody. But that's that. Eagles are 10 and 1.

They keep rolling. They get the Titans next week. Justin, maybe, maybe Justin will lock up his Titans in a show. Finally, a show of loyalty for his favorite team. That would be bold, at least. It would be pretty bold against a 10-1 team. They'll probably be seven-point underdogs on the road. You know what?

Show some fortitude here. This is a little early to be negotiating things, but if you lock up the Titans and you win, we'll give you that half back. You'll get one and a half wins. How about that? Why do you unilaterally decide on how the game works, Greg? We're a committee. My standing.

Greg is the locks czar. We all know. By separate standings. Just now Justin Curry in favor. What is that what is going on with you? What is a disturbing, unpleasant development? We've been on the same page today. We're both for the Seahawks.

He's just an arbiter of truth. He's a brown-nosed-is what he is. He's a what Justin's been doing for the last two hours up there on that. He's an independent arbiter, and he's just measuring what's the two. truth in this situation you disappoint me Justin hey we have breaking news by the way oh that's a surprise the research team got back

to me oh wow look at them and I want to tell you buddy I thought I had something special going on at the early games in my draft and I absolutely did because the commanders and Falcons came in at 247 which is the eighth

quickest game of the season just three minutes off the lead which which is Panthers, Bucks, back in week five. Number 10 on the list, Jets Bears at 248. I had 247 and 248 early on today. Remember, I had the sandwich bet that we'd see the fastest game in league history. We're not even close. Not even close, and I have more research notes.

What a great job, Greenholtz. You know, green holds. The whole team. With the ski bunnies and all that. Top to bottom. Some context than the late two-point conversions from NFL communication. Week 12, 2022 is the first week. Multiple games were decided by game-winning points scored on a two-point conversion

in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. The Jags and Chargers became the third and fourth team since 1994 to score the game-winning points on a two-point conversion in the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. History. Whoa. I feel like John Gruden was involved in at least one of those other teams. The others, Chargers, in Week 15, 2018, and Chiefs and Vikings

of week 15 at the Saints. I have a late show quiz question for you. Okay. 1994, the first ever NFL coach to dial up a two-point conversion. I'm sure it was Belichick who's the grounds or blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, it was Belichick. But, I mean, imagine, though, like, of all the people on the planet to have done it, that was Bill Belichick, kind of cool.

It had to be. I just want Bill to write you your letter back. The Belichick letters. It did write back. That was the whole concede of the article. But it wasn't, oh, no, after the long forum came out, NFL.com, Bill can't shoot you a note, just saying, I don't know. I wasn't asking for a, no, no, because it's like, do you think he got, um, did you watch the game on Monday? I thought that was you right now.

Do you think someone passed him to Balliuchick letters? I know for, I know for a fact that he, there was an administrative assistant in the story that was the Browns, his admin back in the. the day he became she became nick sabin's admin and they spoke to each other i read it i read it it was really good i really enjoyed it mark i don't know if you read it but i'm not going to write back no letters for you i don't need any more what's your next along form coming out never i mean maybe we're on to the next along form what's it coming out a huge he's a word smith gregg right i mean And even Belichick wants it. You guys, why you two have been doing this, like, during the entire time we're watching SNF trying to convince me to dial back like 6,000-word articles.

What I have going for me is raging apathy on this front. We have a big audience. If you're out there and you were a fan of Mark's long forms back in the day, the Belichick letters, any of the great ones, the sideline reporters ones. Unbelievable. There wasn't sidelines. It was just broadcasting. The Mother's Day piece about our sons play football. How wonderful that is.

That actually almost costs me major points within the news. Whatever it is, if you want to see more great writing from Mark Sessler... Because great writing sometimes makes people uncomfortable. Just let him know. Let him know. I don't understand your angle. I will play along with it. Hit up at Mark Sessler and Twitter and tell him that you love him as a wordsmith and you need more long forms.

We just can't stop talking. We like came in here. It's like we didn't spend that much time on this great game. But, hey, Botmark, do you have anything to say before we sign off? Black goo does not come from me. Good. All right, we'll be back on Monday night. Greg, do you have any of my friends, anyone from my personal life joining you on the show tomorrow?

No. We've got Phoebe Schecter who does great work on Sky Sports. She's in the house. Great. Not in the house, but on the phone. Nice book. Yeah. Good booking. So check out the Monday night recap and then we'll be back on Tuesday.

Remember the ATN homecoming show live from Los Angeles on January 18th. Tickets available. Do we have like a handy website we can point people to? Is there something we can do on that? Ticketmaster, if you just start typing around the NFL, you don't even have to type the whole thing. It pops up around the NFL live. It's so easy. Ticket master.

Can we make a URL? That's it. It's ticket master. I don't see a problem with this. I'm not a webmaster, but can we just make a dummy page that has... I get behind the link to our Instagram profile. That's good. That's progress.

That would have been great four days ago, but I think now would be also acceptable. If you would like to join us in Los Angeles on January 18th, check out our Instagram at the ATN podcast. Click on the link in the bio, and there's your lane to tickets. All right, let's go. There we go. What time is. The ticket master is pure. all right till monday night football eat the call

Hey, everyone. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. 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 anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sundays. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart

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