NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2023 Super Wild Card Recap Part 2

Episode Date: January 16, 2024

In a virtual room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler recap the final two games of Super Wild Card Weekend. The heroes start off by talking about the Bills beating the Steelers (04:00) followed by the Buccaneers beating the Eagles (18:55). The heroes finish the show by discussing Bill Belichick getting interviewed by the Falcons (39:50) and Jerod Mayo being named the new Patriots head coach (44:50).  Note: time codes 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. Getting Younger by the episode. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. two of our super wild card weekend recap series, one of two. And yes, it is set.

The best weekend in football, the visual round, playoffs is set. Let's go through it. Saturday, 1.30 p.m. Texans at Ravens. Saturday, 5.15 p.m. Packers at Niners. Sunday, noon. bucks, lions, and Sunday 3.30, Chiefs, Bills. Give me it. Give me everything you got. That is a great slate of divisional round football. And to get to those matchups, we had to get through, and we thought we had gotten all the floating trash bags out. Well, we had to use this long weekend, this holiday weekend, and happy

Martin Luther King, Junior Day to everyone to sort out the teams that don't matter and the teams that do. And we're going to get into all that with the last two games that were played on Monday. Dan Hansis here with Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. And yes, boys, we did not get any classics on Monday. And in fact, it was too pretty much a one-sided affairs, one more than the other. But we did do the business that we needed to do to set up what I think is going to be a brilliant week of football next week. Yeah, I appreciate you going Pacific time with all the times for next week. That was an accident. Best Coast, like, let's normalize that. And yeah, the average margin of victory this week for these six games was 17 and a half points.

The two games on Monday, as you mentioned, weren't like overly competitive, although they were both within one score at different points in the second half. It never felt close. But I guess that's why the NFL still wins, or maybe I'm just an addict, is that even though these, games like they really weren't great just the stories that kind of come with them especially tonight watching the eagles go down like that are just so fascinating in terms of the drama and everything that's going to come next and everything that came before it to get to this point that it's still like you can't you can't stop watching it even as it's a car crash yeah because i think if you're going to it can go two ways and we're we're so used to so many of these playoff games

going down to the final possession into overtime uh this was a different week If we're still in the weekend, I'm not sure it's still the weekend. It's Monday. It's a holiday Monday. Kids didn't have school. So at least you're in the States. So I guess it is. It's a long weekend. But I mean, like when the Cowboys get dismantled utterly and when the Eagles get their doors blown off. And when even Mike Tomlin is walking off the podium as he's being asked about his future, it's like we are getting storylines that are pretty impactful with some of the most deeply embedded franchises in NFL history. So I'll take it. I mean, I'll take that. Jeez, those shots of Jeffrey Lorry in the Eagles owner's suite. I mean, you can't tell me you're looking at the way

those shots of Lori stone-faced and almost catatonic. And you're wondering, what does it mean for Nick Siriani? And of course, what does it mean for Mike McCarthy? And what does it mean for Mike Tolman? You're right, Mark. There's so many storylines on rap ahead. But let's get to the games that were played today, including that Eagles game. But let's Let's start. Let's go in order in which they were played. The Bills and Steelers were originally scheduled for Sunday, but a blizzard socked western New York by today. They had the field looking pristine. The seats were still covered in snow, which must have been like probably like crazy annoying if you were there. But we were watching it on television. So it was all cool for us. And for Bill's fans, man, you're alive. You're alive and well. The Orchard Park. Five on the play clock here on second and nine. Takes his snap, back to pass, fires over the middle, complete on a crossing route to Shakir, who gets away from the tackler, down to the 10, looking for the end zone, and he's in.

Khalil Shakir did a disappearing act on the tackler, reversed his field, and found the end zone. Unbelievable. If you want your child to grow up to be a star linebacker, do not let him see tape from either game. today. So the worst tackling you will ever see. And Khalil Shakir stayed on his feet, evaded would-be Steelers, tacklers, and found his way to the end zone. The clinching score for the Buffalo Bills and a 31-17 win over the Steelers who were nice enough, I thought, to take my strong hint that they weren't invited to next week's action. And they acted accordingly while, you know, keeping it respectful. It started 14-0 this game with the Bills.

hitting the tight ends twice in the first quarter and Josh Allen looking locked in. And then Buffalo, as they've been known to do this year, start to get a little sloppy, start to kind of rest on their laurels. They actually let the Steelers back into this game, Greg Rosenthal, to the point where we're talking about a one score game. But it was one of those things. It was the swingers game that we talked about earlier this year, Mark, and one of the Thursday night games where it was almost like the bills were just toying with the bunny.

They were a bear. They were just toying with the bunny. And when it was time to kill the bunny, that's what they did. The Steelers are that bunny. Yeah, they were down, what, 21-0-0 in the first half? And there's a blocked field goal that Steelers end up taking advantage of scoring a touchdown later on that driver else that they could have been down 24. But all the defensive injuries for the bills, which we'll get to, did lead to a point.

It was 2417 in the fourth quarter, bills get the ball. And I was like you, Dad, I never thought this was really a game because I just thought, well, the Steelers' defense isn't going to stop them, and they didn't. And I think that drive at 2417, which finished with that Shakir catch we heard, was really all about what this Bill's team can do this year, which is they only threw the ball twice on that drive. They let Josh Allen run it a couple times. He had that big run on a read option where he plows into the defender.

And I just have this image of the left tackle Dion Dawkins going up behind Josh Allen after that play and making, you know, the flex that Josh Allen does and all the offensive linemen being so jacked up. And Josh Allen ends up running for 74, including that long touchdown. It's like, this is a tougher Bill's team. They can match a team like the Steelers that also runs the ball well. And ultimately, they made enough plays on defense, this offense and Josh Allen, who played a very clean game. We get out of Mark for, you know, the Josh Allen roller coaster. This is not a roller coaster game. This is just a very good game throwing and running the ball. ball by Josh Allen. Yeah, it was, it was, you know, methodical. And I thought that, you know,

even though there was a one-score situation late, I don't know. To me, it felt like at some point the bills will do something to clean this up and execute the Steelers than they did. And I thought Josh Allen, like, you know, the running ability over the last month plus, really since the coordinator switch has been a huge factor for them. The second longest touchdown run 52 yards in NFL playoff history. He's the perfect guy to do that. He dominated in cold weather. Three touchdowns, no turnovers. Like, they clean stuff up in the red zone for the most part. And they continue to get help from unlikely characters. Because like you mentioned, Greg, like Terrell Bernard goes down, Christian Benford, Taran Johnson. Like, that's a factor next week. But they survived today, and they

survive pretty easily. Like, the Steelers are going to put up a fight, but I don't know. I watched that thing, and it felt like a low drama element to me. Like, it was just a matter of time. until Buffalo did what they needed to do. I mean, the idea of the seventh seed being added, you have to take the good with the bed because you're going to take a bad Steelers team within the prism of looking at postseason football. But you're also going to get on the other side

a team like the Packers, which I think a lot of people think is a team that has a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs. So the Steelers felt like they were really a placeholder for a Bill's team that has now gone from six. and six to 12 and six. And they had their postseason odds were under 10% at one point. I think they were, what was it?

Were they 10th or 12th in the playoff race at one point? And now here they are not only winning this game and getting once again to the second round of the playoffs, which they do every year now. They're going to be hosting the Chiefs in their building. And Josh Allen after the game talked about this topsy-turvy year for the bills and how the struggles of earlier in the season. have kind of made them stronger now? Well, I mean, I think we're playing at a comfortable level

because of the uncomfortable situations that we've been in this last six, seven weeks. You know, it's almost a sense of our breath of fresh air and knowing that everybody's in the same position that we have been, you know, win or go home. And to be in that situation, like I said, the dividends that it's going to pay off, and I think you kind of saw that tonight of, you know,

we were cool, calm, and collected, and nobody blinked, and we just kind of went out there and did our job, and we're going to need to continue to do that. I think I know what he's saying there, too, Greg, that those games, and you remember late in December around Christmas time, you know, while the rest of the league was either playing out the string or everyone had different levels of urgency, the bills are playing for their lives week after week after week, and that must have taken a mental toll. And it's almost

freeing now that they're just like everybody else. You win or you go home. And I love the Bill's chances against a vulnerable chief's team because of the confidence they're playing with now. And the fact that they have a kind of stared death right in the eye and live to tell the tale. Well, in that they have Josh Allen. And obviously the chiefs have Mahomes, but Allen to me is unique, the way he can run the ball and that they're getting contributions from the rest of the offense. That was a big concern. Like you wouldn't have known, Gabe Davis didn't play in this game. And hopefully he's back for next week. But that's a big loss for them. Shakir makes a great player to every week.

Like, he has finally replaced Cole Beasley. James Cook is a legit running back. We've learned that. He's a real RB1. He's a pro bowler. They're run blocking well. That catch Kincaid made on the first drive. Like, that's a wide receiver catch.

And that was a big play I thought in this game. I'm pretty sure that was third down. And, you know, they'd be punting away and zero zero. Instead, he makes the big catch in a tough situation, and they end up going to score the opening drive touchdown. So they're getting contribution. from everyone, but I'm a little worried. I'm with you.

I'd be leaning bills, and we'll have all week to talk about that. But, you know, Mark mentioned it. Going into this game, they were already down Resul Douglas and Threll Bernard, who has been their best linebacker and their best cornerback. Then they lose Spector, who is one of the fill-in linebackers. They lose Dodson, who has been starting all year at linebacker and playing pretty well, like their second linebacker. That one looks serious.

He was carted off. They lost Christian Benford, who's their son. CB1, now that Trinavius White has been long gone. Terran Johnson left this game. He's their all-pro slot cornerback. I could be wrong, but I tried to do the math here. And, you know, math is tough for me sometimes. I believe they were without their top four cornerbacks and their top four linebackers

by the end of this game. And so just how many of those guys are coming back next week? Like, that's going to matter a lot. But they're an offense first team, and their offense is very healthy. And they're going to need to put up a lot of points. It's a good thing they're catching the 2023 chiefs and not the 2020, 2018 to 22 on a version of that team. Absolutely.

Well, and, you know, their regular season five-game win streak to close out the campaign started with them going into Kansas City and winning 2017. Then they went and took out the Cowboys. And they've done this in different ways. And it's like I kind of feel like they're a team that while we've seen like the Eagles, for instance, and we'll talk about them in a minute, completely melt down under the weight of controversy and in-house problems.

Ever since that Tyler Dunn think piece came out, like the bills have suddenly become this like completely resilient group that injuries have been badgering them for weeks and weeks, but you kind of just feel like there's team where like these secondary and third story characters rise up week after week. And with Josh Allen, anything is possible. And they're hosting the chiefs, like, I don't know. they're a weird team and a weird AFC. It's like I kind of feel like

anything is possible with them at this point. On the other side of things. So the Steelers and credit them, the schedule softened up for a little bit for them. They made the necessary plays and the backup quarterback played well to get to 10 to 7 and make the playoffs. But the reality of the situation

is that this organization has now lost five consecutive playoff games under Mike Tomlin. And we were talking about how the Pete Carroll Seahawks seemed to be stuck in neutral in a way. And that organization made a move on a forever coach. It's only natural that, and it's the responsibility, I must say, of the reporters at that site during that press conference to broach what is the future of Mike Tomlin, who just completed his 17th season. This is how that question and answer went. all right so if you're watching this on youtube you saw tomlin stone face turn walk away leave the press

conference abruptly um and so he didn't want to talk about it at least not today a lot of frustration obviously for tomlin who has been to the top of the mountain but it's been a while now yeah some of the coaches that have won playoff games i think i've tried this out last year too but heck play the hits uh you know, since before, like, Mike Tomlin, Mike Malarkey, or Doug Marone, Mike Zimmer, they've all won playoff games more recently. And the Steelers' opponents have scored 31 points at least in all those games, which is, which is crazy. That question, just for a little context, did come after like a pause, and it was probably got, it was the end of the press conference. And so that was got to be the last question anyways. But it was ESPN, you know, Brooke Pryor who asked it. So he

knows who she has, all this stuff. Like, he did not want to. answer. He's entering the last year of his contract. No, but you just say no comment, Greg. No, no, I'm not defending it. It's not a great look. I give him a pass. He's frustrated, but it's not at all. For whatever reason, the announcers, Romo and Nance were like, oh, we talked to Tomlin about his future and the contract being up and it's like,

he's not going anywhere. Why would anyone doubt that? And I tend to think that's true. I don't think the Steelers would ever think about it. If there was anything but, you know, brewing, it would be, is Mike Tomlin? wanting to break or wanting to leave at some point. But even that, that to me would be very surprising. I mean, a week ago, he's a coach of the year candidate. I get they lost the playoff game. Who? Tomlin?

Not by me. I mean, not by anyone. He would not be in anyone's top five. I think in general, like Mike Tomlin, like, I mean, the fact that there's no losing record here, what he's accomplished. Like, it's the last person I'd fire. But I would say he's one of these coaches,

not unlike, you know, Belichick in recent years, floating through the abyss of the NFL without a quarterback you can rely on. And like some of these floating trash bags we mentioned on the Zumwald intro in our last show is like these teams that get cleared out that don't have a quarterback you can rely on. And that's like the Steelers are not to be taken seriously

come, you know, mid-January when you're dealing with Mason Rudolph, even if he's played well in the last couple games, it's like, come on here. Like, I mean, but you need an answer at that position. And we'll get to some Belichick news that came out during the late game today at the end of the show.

but I know Greg, you kind of dismissed it when we were talking about the end of the Belichick Patriots tenure. But what if the guy the Pats get with a third pick turns out to be a C.J. Stroud type, dude. Like the idea of getting rid of proven battle tested coaches that have pelts on the wall when you're in a cycle where you don't have a quarterback, that to me is a mistake. I think the Steelers owe it to Tomlin for what he's given that organization to find. him a true successor to Ben Rothesberger. Belchick's a little different, obviously, because Belichick was the guy that was making the personnel decisions for the most part for the Patriots.

So it's a little bit different in that case. But at the same time, I think it would be a mistake for the Steelers to take these last few years of Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, old big Ben, Kenny Pickett, who's a middling prospect and say, it's time for a change at coach. But probably not going to happen. But who knows?

who knows what's going to happen. It seems like the league is in a weird place with coaching and the owners have an itchy trigger fingers. We will be spending probably more of late February, but especially March and then maybe into April than Mark wants to be talking about the Steelers quarterback situation.

I have a feeling, you know what I mean? They're just going to be like, because they're like wide open. It's not going to be just bringing back Kenny Pickett. You absolutely can't do that. And in the Steelers defense, Steelers fans, I think, will probably want to point this as like they were as injured on defense and you could see it in

this game as the bills too so tomlin was not including missing tj wad of course but at linebacker they were on their fourth and fifth linebacker still not a big time their secondary no not a big time team but just like he was trying to fight with a defense that that was not all there and i'm i'm fine not watching the pittsburghs of the 2023 season any longer really i have the pittsburghs of this whole decade it bored me but i want to give a little credit shout out to mason rudolph because he is a guy that was completely forgotten played a role, a major role in the making the playoffs. And I thought he played. I know he had a bad interception in the end zone, but he played a role in them getting back in that game.

He was way better than I ever would have imagined over this last month, not the answer, not the future. But in my opinion, neither is Kenny Pickett. So a lot of unanswered questions. Better than Kenny Pickett without questioned. I mean, I don't think there was any question. Yeah. All right. Let's see. Should we take a break? Let's take a break and hit the other game played on Monday night. what's up everybody daniel jeremiah here and i'm bucky brooks on move the sticks we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters every week we study the tape talk to decision makers and share the insights you won't find anywhere else is the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow we break down the draft analyze matchups and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day plus we dig in the coaching strategies roster construction and the trends that shape the league year after year whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level we give you the

full picture if you want insight that goes beyond the box score this podcast is for you don't miss it listen to the move the six podcast on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts 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. 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. David Moore swings in motion to the left from the 44-yard line. Makefield throws a ball to the right side, caught ball, and a broken tackle by four to the 40, to the 35, 30. David, it's great Palmer. Palmer to the five. Touchdown Tampa Bay.

Touchdown. Fire them cannons. Trey Palmer does it. Gene Deckerhoff. And it was that easy. It shouldn't have been this easy. And yet it was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who get that Tray Palmer 56-yard catch-and-run TD,

James Bradbury playing the worst football of his life, toasted as he was missing tackles and bad in coverage, really throughout the year. That put them up 25-9. Tampa Bay. They end up winning 32 to 9, eliminating the defending, no longer defending conference champion Eagles.

And the Eagles are obviously a big, naughty storyline that we're going to get to. But Mark, let's start with the Bucks because, man, we all had our fun with the NFC South this year, which was a bad division. And one team had to win the division. And it was the Bucks, a Bucks team that started out pretty hot, then was one of the worst teams in the NFC for about two months, and then kind of got their ish together to win that division at nine and eight. And then played this game like a team, like we're seeing, like we saw a lot this weekend, there are certain teams, which makes one of the many reasons why next week's going to be so much fun.

All the teams that are underdogs, for the most part, feel dangerous not to borrow Baker's line. because they're playing with house money, because they have nothing to lose. And the bucks, no one thought the bucks were going to make any type of dent in the playoffs. And they just stomped the Eagles. And now you get the idea of them going up to Detroit. And they're going to be free and easy, including the quarterback, your former quarterback, Mark, who went 22 for 36 for 337, three touchdowns, no picks, averaged over nine yards per attempt, and just led this team in a way that Jalen Hertz and really everyone on the Eagles

could not get anything together. Baker was the leader for the bucks on this night. It's a great story for Baker Mayfield. It's not going to be up there in the level of what happened, you know, in Detroit with Jared Goff. But if you've tracked Baker Mayfield's career, and I think, you know, there have been these high moments and there have been a lot of low moments and he's inconsistent.

But the version of him tonight, 337 yards, three touchdowns, pretty much mistake-free. This is the team a couple times this season that we saw. And I think if you're going to get this version of them, they're dangerous. I think it also helps. Let's be real. They came up against a team that was crumbling at the seams, falling apart. And like, I mean, two teams from Pennsylvania decided not to tackle today.

But I think this was the most more overt of the two. I've never seen anything like it in January football. And like, you know, it was interesting because like on the like on the Manning cast, Ray Lewis, not my favorite person on the planet, but he was going nothing. about like the tackling angles. It's like you're just watching a team from the pure fundamentals fall apart. Like when James Bradbury and Kevin Byard

completely fell apart on that Trey Palmer 56-yard touchdown. It's like that's part of the story here. It's like the Bucks played a pretty flawless game and their defense. You know, the Eagles, the first time they played way back early in the season, ran for 201 yards on this Bucs defense,

which is a pretty good run defense. Tonight, 2.8 yards per carry, 42 yards. They couldn't get out of their own. way. And so a lot of it for me had to do with the Bucks, obviously hitting the Eagles at the perfect time, but then handling their own job as well. Right. I think to start with the Bucks, the Eagles, look, they're the bigger story, and that's fine. I mean, bucks understand that, but to celebrate the Bucks, because a win in the playoffs is a big deal. And anytime you can get it.

I mean, even Bills fans should be thrilled. I was counting the numbers because I was like, I wonder who's won more playoff games, Bucks or Bills, since. 2020 when the bills started this run. And it's the bucks. The bucks are at six. The bills are at five. It's amazing that the bucks have now beaten the Eagles twice in the playoffs. They did it a couple years ago and they won four that time. They won the Super Bowl. And they did it tonight with so many of the players that were coached by Bruce Ariens who, you know, I don't think his advisor role, does he still have their role? Maybe he doesn't. It's too active because he's on the Manning cast during the game. Maybe he's not still getting the paycheck. I don't know how that works.

I bet he is. I mean, that's the place you want to get in life. Let's face it. It's awesome. But they mentioned 17 guys, which they were pointing out, it's like, oh, that's not that many. I was like, that's a lot. 17 guys are still there from a Super Bowl title four years ago. And I think it's six or seven of the defensive starters. And you saw like Levante, David, with that huge tackle for loss in the third quarter.

Because this was a game. It was a one-score game in the third quarter that ends up setting up the safety. And he was all over the place. And Vita Veo was the guy who stuffed. The tush push, and Jamel Dean is out there on single coverage, like all these Bulls guys that have been there. And it was a great plan. It was the perfect plan.

It was a perfect opponent for Bowls who's just like Mr. Blitz, and he got to face the team that had no answers for Blitz. Next Gen Stats had the number that they had 10 unblocked defenders tonight. That is the most in any game of the next gen stats era. Hertz faced quick pressure, which is defined as less than two and a half seconds on 13 plays tonight. That's the most by any team. all season. And it just felt like coaching malpractice. So it was a great coaching job on one hand.

Bowles just completely flummoxing this team and a bad, a terrible one on the other hand. And Peyton Manning, he does not like criticizing, but he was just sitting there watching like, I can't believe they're just staying in empty with no extra pass protector in there. He's like, that is just being stubborn. They are just being stubborn. They're just doing the same thing. And it's something we watched for like two months. It's kind of crazy. That more than anything is why I think Tiriani is going to get fired. And I think Bowles and this Bucks team was weirdly like the worst matchup for him. This or like the Vikings team would have been a tough.

I mean, let's face it. Like anyone. Well, that's true. Anyone would have a bad match for this Eagles team. I think it's pretty unprecedented. Our buddy Kevin Clark, who works with the Peyton Manning brand over there now, Omaha Productions. He made a comment on Twitter that I was thinking like the same time as I read. I was like, can you remember a team?

melting down like this without without a major quarterback injury or some type of injury that completely destroyed the structure of what the team was. And, you know, they weren't perfectly healthy and not having A.J. Brown was certainly an issue for them. But I just could have imagined I imagine A.J. Brown moping his ass around the field in this game as well, making a few plays. I think they were losing with or without A.J. Brown in this game because there's something fundamentally broken with this Eagles team. And it is. It is crazy to think that if the chiefs don't get the benefit of a ticky-tack holding call at the end of the Super Bowl, we could be talking about the Eagles being a champion last year.

And I don't think anybody's going to be surprised if Sierra Ngoes because what I saw and I think a lot of people saw was a team that had more or less packed it in and do not believe in the head coach and the coaching staff. And everyone's doing these 360 windmill dunks on Matt Patricia. Listen, Matt Patricia was just a guy in the deep background on the staff. Sean Desai was the defensive coordinator that got promoted when Gannon left. And then the hired from outside the building. Yeah, Siriani makes the decision, weird timing to dump Desai, humiliate the guy in a lot of ways, kick him upstairs and put Patricia in the spot. But it's not Patricia that's maybe the scheme's not great. I'm not saying it is.

But it's not Patricia that's embarrassing themselves on the field with those. miss tackles and poor angles and just low effort performance. I mean, the Eagles got to wear this, and you can't just blame it on a coach. I would say to Kevin Clark's tweet, because I saw that too, that I was thinking, kind of jogging my memory. There are certainly teams that kind of went like eight and one,

and then were revealed to be frauds, but there aren't teams like this that looked like they had turned the corner into the world of maybe being like an NFC East dynasty with a quarterback you could believe in for the next. 10 years that went through a personality switch like this over the course of a month and a half because it was like an Eagles team that, you know, two months ago we were saying the front office is forward thinking. The roster is stacked. Like the way they're built is the way you win

in the NFC. And then like six weeks later, they seem to lack all confidence. The coaches are flummoxed. They clearly miss both their coordinators. The players feel like there's on the edge of a total insurrection and the coach could be gone in two days. here is Nick Siriani at the podium. We were kind of waiting on this and they just had the camera on the empty podium. When Siriani going to show up? What's going to happen is Jeff Lurie taking him outside, putting him in a basement somewhere and locking it up. You don't know what's going on with the once proud Siriani.

Here are his comments after the game. Obviously, we were in a big slide. And, you know, anytime that's the case, I always look at myself first and I didn't do a good enough job. obviously we lost five of the last six and lost today. And it's almost like you couldn't get out of the rut we're we couldn't get out the rut we're in. And that's and that's all of us. Yeah. I mean, it is. It is all of us. But it is the head coach. The buck stops there. And I thought Jalen Hertz's body language and the way he comported himself these last few weeks have really told a story too of a team that didn't have the proper leadership to help get out of the rut either.

Right. I think when Manning was. Talking about like the lack of protection there and Jay Gruden gotten some heat for popping off about it on Twitter too. Just because like if I ever let my quarterback like get brutalized like this, I hope people would come at me. And then RG3 actually did come at him. He was one of his quarterback. That was delicious. Which is hilarious. But that's maybe a quarterback losing confidence in in his coaching or what's around him.

And E.J. Brown this week, you know, deleted all the e. Eagles. I did not know this during the week. I found this out tonight, but he did the whole, like, delete all the Eagles stuff. And he also deleted his entire Twitter account. And it's tough. And I think it really was crystallized for me tonight. Because I've been on the side of like, yeah, well, but the offense hasn't really been the problem. It's been the league's worst defense. It's been this and that, you know, the offense by the numbers. And like, they've been good. They haven't been great. And Hertz has been good. He hasn't been. terrible until these last three weeks, although it really turned into a snowball downhill. But then the start of the third quarter, because this game will be remembered as totally one-sided. And it really was. But the Bucks offense had been settling for field goals. They didn't get any points right before the half. And then in the third quarter, actually, the Eagles defense for a minute settled down. They forced Baker into some bad sacks. They actually punted, I think, three straight times, if I'm correct. And the Eagles offense had a chance to get

back in this game. They're only down one score. And in those three drives after halftime, against a buck's defense, it was highly mediocre all year. They had a total of zero yards. They punted twice. And then they had that sequence where they ended up going backwards, like 15 yards or whatever it was. It hurts is holding onto the ball forever. And again, they don't have answers for the blitz. And he takes a safety that ends the game. And that, that to me was like, oh, yeah, I guess it really did turn into a full scale melancholy. down where there nothing is right about this team absolutely nothing is good about this team not even the offensive line is like good about this team and you're right i can't think of anything

like this in our run the patriots in 19 were fairly similar they were 10 and one and they but they just got old it was it was just like they weren't as good as the record they just got old it wasn't like this and i'm not going to kill seriani for this although the flashpoint focus series is i mean I had the Emmy Awards tonight. My wife's at them right now, actually. Very proud of them. How do we not get an award for this series at this point? The Eagles just never won again after they were the flashpoint focus.

And we broached the idea. Could the Sirionic potentially lose his job? And now here we are. It's kind of stunning. And we're going to see what happens there. but to pivot back to the bucks. Emeka, by the way, was watching this game with me because, you know, we're hoping to move up in the world and whatnot.

And she knows I'm just an associate producer to the assistant to the producer. Yes. And she was seeing what was happening with this Eagles team. And she was just like, ooh, baby, maybe we can get that new washer and dryer. Maybe we're going to get a bonus at the end of this season. I told, calm down. We'll see. We'll see. I mean, to have a supportive wife is one of the great, one of the great weapons for any man.

Greg, she's literally never listened to an episode of our show, though. So it's, it's kind of hard for us to feel that she has an incredible sway over your position inside the, you know, the vehicle. Yeah, that's fair. Tough, by the way, tough weekend for the NFC East, Marron. So Tom Brady, just to underline what an amazing year this has been for the Bucks, given where the expectations were. They had Tom Brady for one last ride last year. They go eight and nine and get wiped by Dak and the Cowboys in the first round. Now they're 10 and 8, and they are going to the second round of the playoffs

to face the lions who are a very good team, a very fun team, a team that is very easy to root for. But they, Mark Sessler, are not quite a juggernaut either. And again, like, Baker in this spot is going to be dangerous. When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous. I think he is going to absolutely play well in that spot. and will the bulls asans take hold and be able to minimize what Detroit does? We have a week to get into that game.

But I really think that is a competitive game. I don't think this is the Bucks had their moment tonight and get the doors blown off. I think they're going to surprise people again with another good performance. They're not done yet. Yeah, I think we, I mean, we laid it out. There's a lot of players here with playoff experience. And I think they're going to be doubted a lot during the week. And there's going to be a lot of people jumping on the Detroit story.

and whenever you get Baker Mayfield getting doubted over the course of a week, you're going to get the better version of Baker Mayfield and just think about the smile on Todd Bowles' face at the end of that game. This team is playing with house money and that's a dangerous thing in January. Baker going to get the Gino-Smith contract, Greg?

Something like that? I don't think so. But I could be wrong. I don't think he's going to get that much. But it's funny how these playoff games mean so much Because, like, let's say Antoine Winfield doesn't make that play where he knocks the ball out at the half-yard line last week

and the Panthers end up beating the Bucks. You know, because the Bucks, I think, had basically no touchdowns over eight quarters other than garbage time for two weeks against the Saints and the Panthers. Like, the Baker's not getting anything. But then you come out and you play great tonight and you play great next week.

Yeah, no, I know it. And it's been a good season. And yeah, I don't think you would get that contract, But that's not, I point that one out because it wasn't overly lavish. It rewarded him and positioned him clearly as the top of the food chain. He's still got like 40 million guaranteed. That would be surprising to me. But they might feel some real loyalty, especially if he plays well in Detroit.

And it's a good matchup. Before we move on, let's hear from Baker Mayfield after the game. We fought so hard to get to this point to get a chance to be in the playoffs. And I'm so proud of this team tonight, the way we came out and started fast. I just, I'm so proud. And so we wanted to give ourselves a chance and now we did just that. We can play better than we did tonight,

but it's on to the next one, so we're on to Detroit. And Baker has won a playoff game for the first time since that Browns win over the Steelers mark. So he is no stranger to the big stage, and we will see what happens next. Weird.

Weird to see the Eagles, just bizarre, to see them crumble the way they did. The same thing. thing happened five years ago. The people in their organization that have been there the whole time have to be feeling such a whiplash. I know the team that defended the title was better than this.

They were competitive in the playoffs. It wasn't a collapse quite like that. But they were nine and seven that season after they won the Super Bowl. And then the next year, the floor totally fell out. And the guy they had given all that money to, Carson Wentz, was like, is this guy even going to stay on our team? And here we are again. think Hertz is going to have that trajectory, but like, I mean, but shoot, it's along the same line

right now. Forget about 10 and one, Mark. Let's go back to last year's draft. And when they, you know, everything, everything they were doing was being hailed as genius. And, and they were seen as this team that was just, yes, they got beaten the Super Bowl. But this, this is the, the organization in which you strive to be in the modern NFL to where they are right now. It's, it's going to, you're to be a fascinating 72 hours, I think, around that organization. And Jason Kelsey, by the way, which I thought it was maybe a little, listen, I like Kelsey. We all like Kelsey. Good guy. Great with the media. Outstanding football center. But treating it like Michael Jordan retirement watch at the end of the ESPN telecast felt a little strong. He left the locker room without speaking to reporters,

and there's a lot of speculation that his career will be coming to an end, even though he's still playing at high level. So there's going to be change around the Eagles. You know it. I thought Troy Aikman made some, you know, good points and some kind of heavy comments that the idea of like you could tell immediately that this team was checked out before the game started. And the only way to fix this situation is substantial changes to re-energize the fan base and get the, the organization back on track. What will Lori do? That's almost probably what he's thinking about when they're showing him in that sweet. Yeah, and I mean, it goes beyond Kelsey, too, because guys like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Wes Watkins, DeAndre Swift, Zach Cunningham, Nicholas Moreau, and there's like

15 other guys that are like pending free agents. So I think no matter what, the Eagles are going to look functionally very different. And while the team took a dip, and I'm not down on jail on Hertz entirely, but I would say that like a year ago, he was like an overt MVP candidate. And just kind of to see what's happened him over the last five or six weeks leaves you questioning like the entire future. And there were no questions going

into this year around Hertz. Who knows? His number one wide receiver might be asking out of town. There's a lot of... And they're not afraid to shake things up to make big trades, to be bold, and when I say they,

it's essentially Howie Roseman, but it's also Jeffrey Lurie. And it makes me wonder like whose decision? I don't necessarily assume it was Nick. Siriani's decision to even make the change with Sean Decide. Like, that might have been Jeffrey Lorry and or Howie Roseman.

The reporting that's been around the Eagles over the years reminds me of how baseball managers are very upset with the money ballification in baseball of, like, how the front office is basically telling coaches what to do. The Eagles feel as close to that as any NFL team, where they view the coaches as a little fungible, and that Roseman and even Lurie is kind of kind of calling the shots in this order. all right so that's where we're at one round complete in the NFL playoffs let's hit some news starting with this broke in the second half of the Eagles bucks tilt the Atlanta Falcons interviewed Bill Belichick for the head coaching job the team announced Monday that they

interviewed Belichick it is the first known interview done by the famous coach since Belichick and the Patriots mutually parted ways. Belichick has been a head coach for 29 seasons, 24 in New England, five in Cleveland. And of course, maybe his most famous victory is Brady and company overcoming a 283 deficit in Super Bowl 51 against the wait for it, Atlanta Falcons. So it's just everything about it is as a football fan, strange mark, because you just, you can't imagine Belichick being on another sideline. you can't imagine him being part of an interview process and it's kind of hard to imagine him on the Falcons after 28 to 3. A great tweet tweeted the night by Nora Preciati quote tweeted the Falcons announcing that the interview is done above it. Can you tell us about a time you face significant odds and how you overcame them? Did you watch the game on Monday?

I love it. Yeah, it was kind of like it's kind of like Merrill Street having to like audition for like a local town performance of like Oklahoma. It's like we think we pretty sure she can do this. But I like I get it. I mean, you want to meet with the owner and I think that that's an important thing to Belichick. And I think Arthur Blank would be a good owner for Belichick. I really do. I think that's like kind of like the key thing for the final stage of his career. But then he'd walk into a situation not unlike Arthur Smith where it's like, what are you doing with quarterback? That's what we just did with Belichick. So I always, the Falcons feel like a bit of a weird fit to me for

Bill Belichick, but I don't know, I don't, there aren't a lot of, Greg, there aren't a bunch of teams lining up to talk to them right now from what we know. I thought it was interesting, Tom Pelliser, the Pellraiser. I think had this first, and if you didn't, I apologize, but he definitely had the info that it was

in person, which to me was meaningful whether a, it shows the seriousness to it, like, you know, they're not messing around. Well, Bill doesn't know how to do a remote camera setup. I mean, Let's be fair. Now, I don't know if it was in Atlanta.

So I was like, if Belichick's getting on a plane, it's like, shoot, he's probably taking the job's happening if he's getting on a plane. If Arthur Blank got on the plane and came to Foxborough, either way, the fact that the news is out there that it's in person almost signals to me that like, hey, if there's anyone else that's going to get in this, you better do it now. Because, you know, we just met in person and we might, we might go ahead and do this thing. I just couldn't believe it. Reading the tweet that they tweeted it out

and there was like a little picture with it It's just like what is happening? It's almost as if that using the word interview just doesn't even seem right. When it's Bill Belichick, say we met with Bill Belichick about our open position. Right. If anything, he should be interviewing you.

And maybe that's part of the, if there are teams and there are many teams looking for a coach right now that are apprehensive about entertaining the idea. It's just the enormity. of the Belichickness of it all. But like I'm like with you, Mark, and I think the Cowboys,

it's worth a very serious conversation at the star. I think the Eagles should be talking about it. If they're looking to make a big change potentially, I think Belichick is someone that any team looking to hire a coach right now should take advantage of the blessing that he's at least an option potentially and meet with him if you can. But, you know, a lot of people have the option to engage in a potential.

potential business arrangement with Lamar Jackson, and they Galaxy brain their way out of that one, so this wouldn't surprise me either. Same thing with Tom Brady, by the way. No one, not many teams particularly one, like the Chargers kind of did, and that was about it. Man, don't let Belichick go to the Eagles. I might have to just, you know, become an Eagles fan here for...

Oh, that will make you become an Eagles fan, Greg? I love that for the Eagles. Well, you know, it's all relative. I picked the bucks tonight. I wanted this team to go away. This team was done, though. I went five and one this week. I had a nice week overall.

Nice job. The Cowboys obviously ding me and the rest of the world, but things, you know, the home teams played well, obviously this weekend, except for Dallas, which is ironic because they were the best home team

in the league this year. But next week will be another challenge in terms of picks. In other news, hey-oh, hey-oh, speaking of the Patriots. This went down in a funky timing in terms of our podcast taping schedule,

but Gerard Mayo was indeed hired to replace Bill Belichick as the Patriots coach, 37 years old. He's a Patriot lifer. He's a linebacker for the team in the glory days and has been on the staff and different roles for years. He becomes the first blackhead coach in Patriots history, which is great, obviously. And I guess the one question I have, Greg,

because I think you did share some, you harbored some you were a little concerned about the idea of moving on from belichick and then moving right to kind of a belichick disciple and another defensive-minded guy they had a chance to start fresh and you're obviously bringing in a quarterback so there it's not a a slam dunk bringing in a hot shot play caller and then drafting a quarterback move but it doesn't mean it can't work no and gerard mayo is known as like an incredible leader inside that locker room he was as a player in a great football mind and I think that was just my first reaction was like well do we really think Belichick's the

problem like the total problem here because all you're doing is like you're giving one of his assistants a promotion we don't know who the GM is there's some reporting that they don't mind not having a GM until the draft so I think it's this guy that's in house which is Elliot Wolf, Ron Wolf's old son is what my guess is because obviously someone has to be the GM through the next two or three months, but they might not like officially make it happen or something. I mean, you could also connect the dots and Robert Crafts wanted this to be his show for a long time. And all of a sudden, Robert and his son might be able to be calling all the shots here. I mean, that would be Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones thing.

That would be certainly possible. That would be concerning. It would be Jonathan. I mean, Robert Kraft, who was pretty good on that press conference, I thought all things considered, but he's 80, I think he's 82, he's 83. I mean. So is Jerry Jones. Yeah, it's a little, it's a little worrisome. That said, he is the first one to get hired, and there are, like, people really do believe in him.

James Palmer had a good thing on our show, the NFL report of how it would be different, how he has all these ideas. He's already interviewing, like, special teams coordinators, the guy from the Falcons, who's, like, respected as, you know, one of the top ones in the league. He's like, he's getting to do this before anyone else does it. So I guess they have a little bit of a head start, and he's got some ideas. But I'm a little skeptical. He is apparently trying to keep Steve Belichick, which is that to me is bizarre.

You know what, though? They're close. They work together for like eight years now. So they're like best friends. Like they consider each other. Steve Belichick called him like his, like a, he felt like his brother to him. So it's like I think he should stay then. Don't go with his dad.

Yeah. Well, right. I think also what's wrong with branching out on your own. I mean, and Dan, you mentioned on the other show, it's like you don't want to be the guy that follows, you know, Belichick, the guy. The only thing about this situation in particular, versus coming off like a Belichick, you know, Super Bowl or something is like the past couple years with Belichick have been distasteful to Patriots fans and messy. And so it's not, I don't think

it's the, quite as bad of a situation as like taking over for what we think taking over for Bill Belichick could be. It's like, it's been a bad Patriots experience. It's fresh blood. He's liked inside the building. If players like him, like, I don't know, I don't hate it. I kind of, it's who Kraft wanted for a year. He's been talked about for two plus years. So It was in his contract. They didn't have to, right. They literally didn't have to interview anyone else, which you would have to with the Rooney rule, even though Mayo's Black, that is a rule, you still have to interview

multiple candidates, unless you have it written into your contract that it's a succession plan, and he did. Just like making up the rules as we go. No, like Eric DeCosta had it, the Ravens GM. They had like three exact examples of like times this has happened. it with GM or coaches that if you put it in, you can do it. And that's it's bizarre. All right. Well, absence also makes the heart grow fonder and Patriots fans, even though they grew, listen, part of great incredible success like the Pat's had is the fan base gets spoiled

and expects it always to be that way. But there's going to be pressure on Mayo to show that this thing is on track. Or it's just going to be more, man, the fan base and the ownership, like longing for the good old days. That those those nine Super Bowl appearances and six titles are going to cast a long shadow that will last, you know, decades. That's the price. Maybe the rest of my life, you know, that's the price. Especially if Belichick is winning Super Bowls with Jalen Hertz next year, doing his tush push and getting gatorade bath. Take it from a Yankee fan. Like, it's not good enough to just make the playoffs. You need to continue to acquire chips. And if you don't,

it's considered failure. So Mayo's got a big job ahead of them. But first thing they got to do is find a quarterback for him or he doesn't have a chance in hell. Anything else in the news that you guys wanted to throw out there? Not really. You mentioned Harbaugh yesterday. The fact that he's already interviewing with the Chargers, and he might take another one or two tells me he got on from Michigan. That's a fun one.

And otherwise, all these teams are doing a million interviews, but we'll wait until... All's quiet in Dallas still 24 hours after the Cowboys meltdown. We also have, I believe, the dolphins giving some... form of supportive words for Tua with his contract status, uncertain, but we will be tracking all this stuff as it continues to roll out. We'll be back on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get Connie, unless she gets pulled into another nefarious 345 Park Avenue event. Or she's in hiding as an Eagles fan and doesn't want to do the show. I don't know. We're going to find out.

but the hope is that Colleen rejoins us because it's been too long without the tiny box. So make sure you're there for that. And until then, thank you to everyone for listening. And we are one round done. Three to go to Wednesday. Heat the call. here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends,

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