NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2023 Week 11 Recap

Episode Date: November 20, 2023

In a room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler recap Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. The heroes start of by recapping the Lions escaping with a win against the Bears (02:16), the Packers narrowly beating the Chargers (09:45), and the Texans taking care of business against the Cardinals (20:05). The heroes then run through, Seahawks at Rams (26:22), Giants at Commanders (35:43), Jets at Bills (43:32), Steelers at Browns (57:19), Titans at Jaguars (01:07:58), Buccaneers at 49ers (01:15:52), Raiders at Dolphins (01:20:11), Cowboys at Panthers (01:26:45) and finally Vikings at Broncos (01:32:23). Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast will not be deemed a culture misfit. From the Chris Wesleying podcast studio and beyond, it's Around the NFL. The week 11 flagship program where we break down everything that went down on this football Sunday. I am Dan Hansis, and I am joined by two heroes. In the aforementioned Chris Wesleying podcast studio, Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. I am in the guest bedroom of Keith and Debs. So that's the setup as we begin today's show.

And yet it's not even the biggest story about the setup here. Very nice, Mark, to have you back in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio. Thank you. Yeah. You know, it's a recurring health issue that is bubbled up multiple times. And I appreciate you guys, you know, hold, it down and anyone that some people that reached out to me who have not had a chance to thank some of the listeners we've got a great group listeners so thank you and hope it doesn't occur

ever again or at least not again during the regular season or playoffs yeah i must say that we we did miss you this week mark and uh the shows were i thought solid and entertaining but we need the cess dog in the mix so getting them back for the flagship show is a big deal yeah just trying to be a culture fit at the same time. So working on all these issues at once. Plus, we got to have them back when the Browns are seven and three. There's something that's never happened in the history of our podcast. But I know we'll get to that later.

That's true. That's true. Mark, don't be a culture misfit. You want culture fit. I will say actually the Browns were seven and three once when Mike Patton was coach. I believe. No, it's seven and four. But they lost all the rest of their games.

So hopefully a different path this time for that crew. We're going to get to the Browns in just a little bit. because they are a very nice story here. But let's start with a game and a lot of good games. For the second straight Sunday, we had a lot of games that went right down to the wire. Not as many field goal kicks to end it, but there were a few of those as well.

But let's start in Detroit where the Lions did battle with the bears, and it was a little tighter than we expected. Fields back, Lions rush four. Fields, looking at getting hit. Go to go to the balls loose. Inside the five. It's kicked out of the end. That's a safety.

That's a safety. The Lions are going to win this game. Aidan Hutchinson knocked it loose. It went out of the back of the end zone. And the Lions going to lock this one down. What a game. What a game. Whoa, man, we still got to get Dan Miller on the show.

That is on the to-do list. Yeah, put that on the potential top 10 calls of the year list. Sure. I think Miller's all over that list. Once we get a look at the raw data, yes, Miller for WXYT with the call. Jared Gop threw a 32-yard touchdown past the James and Williams with 306 to play and set up David Montgomery, go ahead, one-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left. And then the defense that you heard there, close things out in a 31 to 26 win over the Chicago Bears,

the Bears team that got Justin Fields back on the field. Greg, Jared Goff has been so good this year. And yet this game, he wasn't. Here's a quote, it was not my best ball for three and a half quarters. We're a resilient crew. We're tough. We don't back down. So even in a day when Goff was his old turnover bug had returned, they still find a way

a sign of a good team. I was shocked by the end of this game because for 55 minutes, it was one-sided. Like it wasn't like, I know Goff had. the three interceptions. One was tipped. The other one, like a receiver bumped off his route, but he also had two that weren't caught by the bears that were terrible throws. He was terrible. But even

beyond that, they were just outmanned. The time of possession was 38 to 16 going into those final five minutes. 343 yards to 191. Justin Fields played fantastic, and yet they got the ball with 430 to go, and they were 415

to go. It's the first time all year. Any team down 10 with five minutes to go has won the game and they scored so quickly six plays 75 yards including that jameson will a jameson williams touchdown he gets free they get a three and out where just in field after run run pass you know put in a tough spot drops an absolute dime down the field would have been the game winner it was a it was a gutsy throw to try but it was a perfectly thrown ball down the field uh tyler scott drops the ball about 45 yards down the field. Lions get the ball back, score

quickly, and then make that defensive play, just handled all the situational football so well. And Mark, I think it's kind of one of those other things. Like, the lions are 8 and 2, but this is a nice little thing to add to your resume on a day where you kind of stink and you're getting outplayed

that, hey, we can go score two touchdown to win a ball game in the last 5th. Yeah, in a way it's learning to win a different way. And when they've been dominant, they've been so dominant. And this was atypical, and it was a typical Jared Gough from this version that we've seen. He hadn't had a game like this going back to like 20, 21. And I love the way they talked about him after because I think if you're Jared Gough, like one of my seared memories that

affected my idea of golf for so long as we saw that Rams Patriots Super Bowl in person. And you could just tell pregame that like the moment just seemed too big for him. And this could have been a chance. He's getting booed in, you know, by the fans. During a year where the Lions become the biggest story around, it's like, are we going to slink back and go back to our old ways? and he found a way out of it. And I thought another part of this, too, was that for all the ups and downs, like they did hold the bears on third down. They stopped them a bunch and some potential touchdown drives were field goals.

I think that mattered a lot. And you can't go blame Justin Fields. This was just a Lions team that finds different ways to win. And today it was like going to the darkest corner and work your way out. Fields's return was successful. They didn't get the win out of it. But he finished 16 of 23 for 169 yards and a touchdown, had a very nice deep ball in this game, including a touchdown throw to DJ more.

But in the end, yes, they weren't able to win a game in which they turned the ball over on the other side four times. That's a bitter pill to swallow. And I think Shook brought this up, Greg, on the preview show. And it's worth bringing up again because I don't want to take any air out of the balloon of the lions. We're off to their best start in many years now at 8 and 2 steaming towards a Thanksgiving day game. they were always kind of like the laughing stock of Thanksgiving. And now they're one of the top dogs in the league. That's great.

But, you know, this schedule is not imposing. So you take care of business against a team like the Bears. There's going to be questions about Detroit all the way to the playoffs because this is kind of what their schedule is. I'm not trying to be that guy, but I'm just saying like you had to pull a rabbit out of your hat against the bears. They're going to have to be sharper than this when the real schedule arrives, which might not be until the middle of January. Right. They've got the Vikings a couple of times. have basically, I think they have an at Cleveland in there, I believe.

Well, the Saints. Oh, no, they have the Saints. They're going to end up losing one or two of these games because they're not perfect because we saw what could happen to Goff today. They did run the ball very effectively, including on, even on those game, you know, winning drives in the fourth quarter. They threw in a couple runs, and that was good. Jameson Williams is starting to make plays.

But I was concerned about their defense. Now, coming off some bad performances out of the buy. then you play against Justin Fields. He was the best player on the field. I mean, he made good decisions. He made good throws. It could have been more. They scored, I believe, on five straight drives before that last five-minute sequence, where again, I pointed out how Fields actually had a nice throw that was dropped on the last drive. They really had a chance. And you're right, Mark, it was these fourth-down decisions, which if you look at each one, you can't kill Iberflus, but he kicked a couple field goals in fourth down situations.

One to go up two scores, but it was fourth and one, and they really had the lions on the rope, and he decides to kick a short field goal. And then another fourth and five, when they decide to go from nine to 12, I didn't like that one at all. And I think big picture for the bear is his defense again, after a great game, like collapses in the big spot,

and he is now, I think, something like five and 23. And I think games like this are not going to help. him stick around. Yikes. Any other thoughts on this one, Greg, that you took out of it? By the way, six and 22, I want to be accurate when I'm getting after it. No, I think I hit the big ones. I would give the Lions some credit here that they ran the ball really well against a good

Bears run defense. It's been good all year. And Gibbs, Montgomery, like, that is a thing. It shows in this game, they do not want to fall behind and, like, get into those sort of game scripts because when they can get ahead and run the ball, they are tough to stay. There was a play in this game where, Jalen Johnson dropped

what would have been another interception and a pick six. It's like golf, not all of those interceptions were on him, but he came close to us talking a very different way

about him this evening. He could have had five picks. He could have had that pick six that Jalen Johnson dropped would have ended the game. So the lion's getting a little lucky too, but that never hurts. All right.

So the Lions get the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. It was the Packers fighting for their playoff lives against the L.A. Chargers and it's another one that went down to the very end. That's a 30,

Keene and out in motion to the left. Herbert in the shotgun. Fourth and one for the Chargers. 23 seconds ago. Snap to Herbert. Looks, waits, fires it. And it's not down. Incomplete. Battledown. Kenny Clark, the biggest play of the game. And the Chargers are dismissed with 19 seconds ago. There is your dagger delivered by the Green Bay defense, in particular, Kenny Clark. Yes, Kenny Clark with a big ball. He got that big play. You got that big meat hook up there, knocked it away. The Herbert pass ending another frustrating game for the L.A. Chargers under Brandon Staley.

In the end, it was a 2320 victory for the Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love had perhaps the best game of his young career here, throwing for 322 yards. And he hit Romeo Dobbs for a 24-yard touchdown with 233 to, play that put Green Bay ahead and then they get the stand on defense to shut it down. So this was kind of a good opponent for Green Bay because we know the Packers are a team this year that have struggled down the stretch of games, trying to find ways to close games out. And they found a Chargers team that this is their business. This is their bread and butter. They take games that

they should win and they find ways to lose them. And that is absolutely what I saw here today. And we're getting to the point now with the Chargers, Mark, where you start to ask questions about, I understand management side of it. They're not a team that is known for firing coaches in season. But, you know, after another day where the offense or the defense, that's supposed to be his baby gets shredded, this time by Jordan Love and a Packers offense that has not been dynamic

this season, like, are they a team that is a candidate here to pull the trigger in season on a move to, in a desperation play to save their season? because we are heading to the life support ward right now for the Chargers. Yeah, on the hottest seat around, maybe west of Ron Rivera. And it's because of the way these games dissolve for the Chargers. It's like you have bad drops by Keenan Allen. Quentin Johnson's like signature move at this point is like game-defining bobbles and drops that like change everything.

I don't need to hear that Justin Herbert can't like get a game winning drive when he puts that pass out there for Johnson. Yeah, I think it's like you'd have to be. not watched to blame it on Justin Herbert. But I thought this was sort of like an acid test for this defense. It's been a struggling up and down Packers' offense. And instead we come out of this with Love playing one of his finer performances and guys like Jaden Reed and Luke Musgrave and Don Tavia and Wicks like showing up

and making the offense look functional. It's like what this is the opposite of what Brandon Staley can argue. But I think in the after the game, like his comments were baffling people as well. Here's Brandon Staley asked about changes for the team that is struggling badly as we reach late November. I have full confidence, like I've told you, and like I've told you from the beginning, I have full confidence in our way of playing. Full confidence in myself is the play caller and the way that we teach and the way that we scheme, full confidence in that.

We've got to bring this group together and do it consistently, okay? And that's where it's at. So you can stop asking that question, okay? I'm going to be calling the defenses, okay? So we're clear. So you don't have to ask that again. And this is, you know, we've been doing this long enough when you hear that tone in a head coach. It's a little defiant, but it's also there's a defensiveness and a sensitivity that you're picking up on.

This is a coach who knows that he's in trouble. Joey Bosa limped off the field in the first quarter with a foot injury, showed up in the second half in street clothes, and in a walking boot, but it had all the looks of a serious injury. And maybe, Greg, you and I were texting. Maybe this is the last snap that Joey Bosa ends up playing for the Chargers. Staley was not happy being prodded about Bosa's situation either. I don't.

Man, there he goes. I mean, you've all been, like, in hot water with, like, a significant other. And, like, when things get testy, It's like, this is like, it makes me feel that same way. It's like, he came in as such a likable guy by the media and not a tough group of media people in general in covering this team. And it's like, it's dissolving before your eyes. And you're right, Dana.

It reminds you of like other coaches in the 11th hour and not a good 11th hour. No. I mean, I feel like we could play Brandon's daily clips all night. I don't even want to, but it's the, it's the defensiveness. Like that at one point, he talked about, you know, talked to why. He's not here to talk about the fan base. to talk to the fan base. And it's not like we haven't made improvements.

We have made improvements. It's not the truth that we haven't made improvements. And he's just feeling this all personally. And then as he's trying to defend the defense, he points out essentially, you know, the offense kind of blew this one too, which is like not a great look. It's absolutely true.

Keenan Allen drops a touchdown. Quentin Johnson drops another pass. They are 0 and 5 in games decided by three points or less. And I just think, I just think of this team and I think of sloppiness like that Jane Reed rushing touchdown where like none of the guys on the second and third levels are in their run fits at all. It's just, you know, Austin Echler getting stuffed at the goal. And it's just all these little things add up when you watch a Chargers game. It was to kind of even underline the point you just made, Greg, five of the Chargers six losses have been for a combined 14 points. So the difference between 10 and 7 and 7 to 10 is right there, that inability to kind of find a way.

And, you know, this is a team that has a lot of stars on it, a lot of big names, and it's never really happened. Khalil Mack went over double-digit sacks in this game. You have Herbert, you have Keenan Allen having arguably the best season of his career. You also have Austin Echler. I just wanted, Austin Echler, two things I noticed here with their star players, Echler. broke away in the first half into the open field. And it was like he had a piano on his back. And that has been kind of

a kind of sneaky, quiet situation with Eckler this season. I feel like he has not been nearly as explosive. And he did deal with injuries earlier in the year. And I'm just wondering if he's playing healthy. Obviously not good for a guy trying to get a deal. And then the other thing I want to note is Herbert, who

did really nothing to lose this game. But you actually, sometimes I want Herbert to be a little bit more like why I like Burrow, for instance, more than Herbert as a player to watch is. I love the fiery charisma that Burrow possesses, which Burrow that Herbert doesn't naturally possess. But I want to show you one play. Again, the dysfunction and the failures of the team to do the little things. It's late in the game. It's a fourth and short play. Excuse me, it's late in the game and they're trying to get something going with 740 to play.

They don't get the playoff. They have a backup center in. And you see Herbert spike the ball into the ground, scream at his line. And it's just like I actually liked seeing it, but it also I thought was a snapshot into the frustration around that has to be in that building right now. And you just wonder, and we're going to get to the Jets a little bit later, how long before it starts leaking out? And that could be the death knell for the coach ultimately. I just, I have a bit of a, just a suspicion that Staley is in mortal danger this weekend and in the next 24 hours. I guess we'll see.

Yeah, we'd almost have to publish like a flashpoint focus probably right after the show to get ahead of that. I think we're a little late on like saying that the Chargers are a little late. But I mean, I do think that Herbert has shown like insane toughness and like total competitiveness. I know what you mean, Dan, but it's like he's also finally got reasons every game to feel frustrated. And that reaction just has to be natural. And it's like, these players are not children. They're not college players. It's not hard to lose a locker room a month ago.

And so I really wonder what's happening inside the building. Because you're right, Dan, they don't do the little things right. They remind you of a team that doesn't close when they need to. And it goes beyond just the game to execution. Well, they also got their leading rusher out of Justin Herbert today. Eight carries for 73 yards, which to me shows he knows how desperate the situation is. He is not someone that is looking to run. A lot of those were runs up the middle where he took some big hits in everything.

I know Packers fans are getting honest. We spent all this time in the Chargers. I said it if you go check out NFL Plus last week. No, it wasn't. It was on our podcast, actually. We talked about sneaky stories. It's so hard. Check out.

And we thought Jordan Love, I thought Jordan Love had his best two games of the season in a row. And here's another nice game. Doesn't even, you know, Christian Watson is their seventh leading receiver on this gate. And they still get it done. So 322, you get to 4 and 6. You're on Thanksgiving. You're not out of it, actually, going into Thanksgiving here against the Lions. I know the lines are eight and two, but that is not an impossible ask.

If they can find a way in that game, in that conference, the NFC is very, very soggy in the bottom half of the playoff picture. The whole season, even if all these struggles is right in front of you, and I do have a bad feeling, everything they do from here on out might be without Aaron Jones, who suffered an ugly looking knee injury. he was helped off the field then carted and it looked like something that's you know the dreaded cart with the towel over the head

but Matt LaFleur did say that he didn't think it was long term that he's in good spirits we'll see what that means but we're not going to probably see him four or five days from now yeah we shall see yeah probably asking a lot for Thanksgiving

and that would be great news if it's not a long term injury if it is something that cost some time AJ Dylan gets yet another chance to establish himself in that backfield. Let's move to Houston where, yes, like Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, there's a young crop of quarterbacks that are the tomorrow of the league. No, nay, the today, the right now.

C.J. Stroud, looking to keep it going. Here's the game. Here comes the blitz. Fourth and eight at the Houston 27. Murray in the gun, Murray, throwing downfield to his left. And incomplete. Knocked away. Steven Nelson.

And the Texans take over on downs. 21-16, they have the ball with 30 seconds to go. Interesting. Okay. I don't know, man. It was a hard week. It was either this one. I was thinking maybe the Rams game.

I don't know, man. We're giving out Bongoes or beating the Cardinals. I don't know, man. It was a fun game. The Texans were almost a team of ATN, man. What are we doing? I don't know. Producers' choice, I guess.

I don't care if it's a fun game. Where would you have gone this week? You don't want to know. Bill's Jets? I didn't want to do Bill's Jets to you, Dan. You can give it to the bills. No music instruments at that in fair. I mean, I think if you ask me, so now I'll answer,

I would have given them to the Packers. Really? Oh, okay. Getting back in the mix. All right. Well, you ask me. Yeah. You win some, you lose some.

C.J. Stroud. grew for 336 yards with two touchdowns. That was Mark Vandemere on the call, by the way, K-I-L-T. And the Texans on a day where they weren't overly sharp still do what they need to do to beat the Cardinals 21 to 16. And Greg, excuse me, that was the call that we heard was once again the defense getting the big stop when it came down to it and a sign of, you know,

the emerging idea that the Texans have some depth here to win games on both sides of the ball. That's a huge step in becoming a team. Right. Defense, Will Anderson, Derek Stingley, their top five pick, their top three pick from a year ago makes a huge interception. Their offensive line is playing much better. And this game, while I get what you're saying with the bongos,

it was about as crazy as humanly possible a game could be that had only seven points in the second half. It was just like turnover after turnover, fourth downstop after fourth downstop three times in the first. fourth quarter, Kyler Murray had a chance to go maybe take the lead with a touchdown. And three times they came up short on fourth and short. So they had three straight turnovers on Duns. One was just a total miss by Kyler.

He had a couple throws today that were just off target. And so that sometimes happens when you return from a torn ACL. You didn't really see it the first week. You saw it this week, just like fluttering balls. Maybe it was just weird. One came on a well-time blitz. We heard that. That was the last play call.

I think the D'Amico Ryan's just won right there. And then one was on a bad route. I thought by the receiver didn't make a good play. So it all happened. And they were only in this game because the Texans who racked up 333 yards in the first half just couldn't quite put as many points that they should have on the board. You mentioned Stroud with three interceptions. But other than those three interceptions and one was on a drop mark,

like he couldn't have possibly played any better. That's a big other than. But other than those two interceptions, he made some absolutely insane play. I just find him so watchable. Like, he's, like, a fringe MVP guy for me. I know that this game like this could, you know, I guess shadow some of that kind of voting. But I think it's incredible to see that a rookie quarterback,

because we're watching so many, like, second and third year quarterback still struggle and showing consistency and a lack of growth and it's so frustrating to watch. But CJ Stroud, like, his relationship already with a fellow rookie in Tank Dell, I mean, there were some plays today where, like, their connection and their mind-milled is already one of the, best in the league. And it's like, I forgive some

of these turnovers because that I just would expect from a rookie, especially one that's throwing the ball as much as he is. And it's like the upside is just simply insane. And it's like, send them right into the second round of the playoffs. That's how I view the text. Hey, no. My goodness. All right, Mark. Yeah,

Stroud had three interceptions, excuse me, two interceptions. He was throwing the ball into tight windows. Didn't it always work out. But you know what? The guy believes. He finished for three Sunday, excuse me, and he had two all season entering the game.

After the game, he did not sound like a young quarterback who's going to turn gun shy after making some mistakes. And, man, Steph Curry don't ever stop shooting. I'm going to keep letting a ride. You know, and I don't got no shame in my game. I definitely got to be smarter, but

I don't, like, no confidence is taken away from me. I'm going to keep letting it fly. I mean, that's obviously what you want to hear from your quarterback, unless he continues to have three interception games, but you obviously are giving him a pass here, Mark, and that is

also a famous sestog quote, ain't no shame to my game. I've heard you say that countless times. Yeah, you can hear me saying that around the building at any time of day. That's true. His, like, throw at the end of the half, and I'm sure people have seen it, the 40-yard touchdown tanked out, was just, it showed everything from these two players.

It was just an insane route. It was a triple move. I don't think the third move was playing. That was freestyle. But Dell is snapping off these routes in a way that I still have a feeling like as high as you think like the ceiling is for Tank Dell. Like I don't think people realize it's not high enough. He is as good as like as any rookie that's coming to the league this year in terms of his wide. Like his routes are insane.

The way he wins is insane. The way he wins on the outside, he ends up with eight for 149 and one. And because he's 165 pounds, I think people think it's like some sort of weird creation of the system. but no, it's like he is just getting wide open. I mean, Stroud was on pace at halftime for 500 yards in this game. And a lot of them were like these like third, third reads where he's getting it into tight windows. It was really, really awesome to watch, even though they kind of blew it in the second half.

And Kyler, at least he's running well. Like, he didn't throw it great, but seven for 51 on the ground, including a touchdown, a 40-yard run called back by penalty. Like, he looked ready to go this season. Two weeks in a row. Yep. All right, let's take a break, and then we will continue on. All right, we are back.

Let's dive right back into the games, and it's time now for the Sunday Drive presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander. Ooh, another game that went right down to the end. Ram, Seahawks, the rivalry goes on. From the left hash, 55 yards to decide week 11. Here's his kick. Very right. It is.

No good! No good! Wide rights and the Rams celebrates a week 11 victory. 17, 16, and only three seconds left. The three-game losing streak is over. The November losing streak is over. The great J.B. Long for Rams Radio, with the call. And yes, it was Jason Myers,

could not connect from 55 yards out with three seconds to play and allowed the Rams to escape with a 17-16 win over the Seahawks. And yes, like J.B. said, that's ended the losing streak for the Rams, and it also keeps them alive in four and six in the NFC playoff picture. Greg, let's start with the quarterbacks because Matthew Stafford, he returned from an injury. He led the team on two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. order to complete a comeback. Gino leaves with an injury of his own and then comes back in a lot

of drama down the stretch here. So much drama. Cooper Cup also left this game early with an ankle injury, never returned. Ken Walker left with an oblique injury right off the bat, never returned. And that sounds like a multiple week injury, just the way Pete Carroll talked about it. But Gino missed two drives in the second half. And it ended up being, you know, really crucial. And it was interesting because on the second of those two drives, he had his helmet on, and he looked like he wanted to go in, but they decided at that point they're still winning, and I think the score was 16 to 7 or 16 to 14 at that point.

They went with a second drive for Locke, and he throws an interception on that drive. Even though Gino seemed like he was ready, he got hit in the elbow by a helmet and was able to play through it, gets the ball back with 131 to go, and no timeouts, and gets them into field.

goal range. The problem was they could have been much closer. You kick a 55-yard field goal at eight seconds left. It's not a bad job to get in that position. But they were in that position with 30 seconds to go. And they ended up handing the ball off for two yards and everyone, including myself, killing Pete Carroll. But Gino said after the game that that communication in his helmet went out. And he thought he saw a look quickly. And he just was at that point freestyling and making the calls and he called the running play there. So unfortunate timing for the headset to go out there and unfortunate decision ultimately by Gino not to clock it there or throw a pass because they could have gotten a lot

closer than that 55 yards. Or can I just say, Mark, can I just say? Or Gino messed up and then he made up the headset thing and Greg bought into it hook line. Well, no. We don't know. That's him. That's him taking the blame. That's him taking And the point because Pete Carroll, you know, the way he talked about it so obliquely, I'm like, what is he talking about here? Because he's like, well, that didn't go the way we wanted. He admitted it. But he basically was trying to cover for what happened and, you know, just told them the truth.

That was not covering himself. He's saying, I messed up. I should not have called a run there. Well, yes. You're earning 10%. I think to Dan's point, we just don't technologically have like a Zerpruder film on what exactly happened on that effect. And that's fine. But Seattle starts four and four.

on third downs, and then goes one and 11 the rest of the game. They kind of, I think, part of the story here. They're the worst third down team in the NFL. They have been all year. It's plagued them nonstop, and the Rams, who in two games have allowed three points to Seattle in the second half. I thought it kind of reminded me of when we were in London, and they came out against the Cardinals, the Rams, after being able to do nothing on the ground, came out and

kind of dominated and had a couple of drives where they just marched up and down the field running the ball, but they kind of let Seattle back into this by throwing that pass down. The Rams did. They let Seattle back in with that choice to throw it, and it gives Seattle essentially the ball back with about a minute 40. Yeah, there were a lot of fascinating game management decisions. I think Pete Carroll really blew it at the end of the first half

by not taking a time out. Could have given his team when the Rams were going into score some time to possibly respond. And like, that's just how Pete Carroll works defensively, not being aggressive. But what you're referring to, Mark, is the Rams, yeah, had the ball inside the 10 after two really impressive drives

where they ran it down the Seahawks' throats in the fourth quarter to score those 10 points and make this comeback. And they chose to pass instead of making the Seahawks burn their timeouts. In hindsight, I was with you. That was my first reaction,

but in hindsight, you had to throw the ball to try to score a touchdown there. So I just, I can't kill them. They tried to be aggressive going to Pukukua. They didn't execute it there. Either way, the Seahawks would have gotten the ball back.

It just would have been with like 55 seconds in no time. out. It's such a collapse, though, Dan, and this is one of those games if you're a Seahawks fan that feels like, oh, my God, this game might ruin our season. Because at one point in the game, the Seahawks had 34 offensive plays to the Rams 19 yards. So they had 205 yards on those 45 plays to 19 yards. For three quarters, they absolutely looked like the better team, and they just didn't quite take advantage of enough. Gino gets hurt. And then the fourth quarter, their run defenses, which has been great all year,

kind of gets mowed over by freaking Royce Freeman. It just is a tough way to lose. I can't, Royce Freeman's still in the league. I love it. Yeah, it's 12 penalties, Greg.

For 130 yards, the most penalties for any team this season, the most for Seattle since 2018. And you're right, like you say that this might ruin our season. This is just one game. There's still a team with a winning record. in fact, six and four is pretty nice spot to be.

But then you look at the schedule up ahead. They got the Niners on Thanksgiving night. Then they get the Niners again in a couple weeks. And they also get the Cowboys and Eagles. This is a murderers row stretch. So this is a win at home. Excuse me, there's a win on the road. You want to stick in your back pocket and then set up and say,

and hope, you know, maybe we could split those next four. Now you kind of find a way to win at least two and then maybe three. Or you're going to find yourself in a dangerous, a dangerous spot late in the regular season. I would tend to think we probably will not trust Seattle after that rugged three-game stretch. And I don't need to trust the-game. And it's the next four, too. So you got to win one of those four.

I trust them coming out of this game. I do have a question. Like, if you're Gino-Smith, like, in terms of medically clearing Gino-Smith, like, you're out, he's got a big wrap on his arm and shoulder. Yeah. And then it's like, you're playing again. What happened over the course of five or six minutes that suddenly greenlit Gino-Smith? We don't even know if he'll be able to play on Thanksgiving.

I mean. I think he just can, what Pete Carroll said was, Gino convinced them he could play. And I'm sure they're thinking twice because I think he was ready to go to the drive before and they decided to leave lock in there. And Gino had a good game overall, 233 and a touchdown, you know, avoided the interception. He made good decisions and throws in the last drive. But the balls did kind of come out funny. If you were looking at him, he had one weird sideline pass to Metcalf. And even the one over the middle, like they went in right direction. It got there, but they were a little wobbly. So I don't know if this elbow injury is going to be an issue.

And one reason I just don't believe in the Seahawks team right now because they just have too many things going wrong with them. Neither of these teams could protect. Stafford and Gino were just bruised and battered. Both of them were running for their lives the whole game. I'm bummed about Cooper Cup or Cooper Cup. This is now back-to-back seasons where the injury bug is biting on him hard. And that, you know, we talked about the idea of getting Stafford back.

and then you get the big three with Nakua and Cup together. And it just seems like it's starting to be one of those seasons for the Rams where you can't get your guys back together at the same time for any length of time. But otherwise, a very nice win for Sean McVeigh and company. It always, you know, it always means a little more in the NFC West. Swept him, by the way. He owns Pete Carroll. There's something about this matchup.

He swept them and he's kind of killed him since Pete Carroll. Especially in the second hand there. That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyo. Toyota, let's go places. Learn more at Toyota.com slash Grand Highlander. All right. So it wasn't, you know, I'm in New York this weekend and, you know, I spent getting a lot of family time in. It's very nice. At the last moment, I decided to bring my two boys as well. So they, they've been bonding with their cousins and their uncles and aunts. It's been very nice. And to kind of keep it all in that headspace of where I grew up,

I did draft the Giants mark on Thursday's show. So Poppy's not next to me sitting in the big brown chair drinking rupee or cursing off Phil Sims. But still, there was something nice about watching the Giants, the autumn leaves and the crisp November air. And they delivered a performance that reminded you of the old Giants on Sunday. Takes the snap back to throw, steps up under pressure, runs out of a sack, then lobs it, and it's intercepted by Isaiah. Simmons running down the left side line 20 15 10 5 touchdown giants Isaiah Simmons with the pick six to end it with 16 seconds to go third interception by Howell and the Giants take out the broom they're sweeping Washington

again good call boo I mean that's Bob Papa I mean lost season for the Giants This is a nice. I would maybe give the Giants of bongos for one night. Yeah. Yeah. I think when Tommy DeVito gets 31 on you, you get some bongos. He got Tevito thrown three touchdown passes. He got Isaiah Simmons pick six taken to the house.

One of six, count them six commanders turnovers in a 3119 home loss to the last place, New York Giants. Great line here. you know, the old writing on deadline, you'll have those one sentence graphs that hit hard. The ugly game got even smellier afterward when there was no hot

water in the stadium for players to shower. You know, it's the most annoying thing. We can't even blame Daniel Snyder. Well, we kind of can still blame him. This is his old dilapidated building. Yeah. But what a dark, dark game for the commanders. And I guess

I'll just start with the commanders because they are team that at least entering Sunday had some more relevance than the Giants. I think it's not just us, it's everyone. Every time we seem to get behind the idea of Sam Howell, he has an outrageously poor game. And this was an outrageously poor game by Howl. Really? He didn't get a chance to watch this yet. Some of these interceptions he threw were just wretched.

And he did not give his team a great opportunity to win this game. And I got a shout out, Mark. Tommy DeVito, because this guy who's become something of an internet meme at this point. And we talked about an NFL plus last week, Greg, just having fun with the idea of the guy that has his mom making his bed and he's starting for the NFL. He played really well in this game, lighting up Washington's defense, despite taking a beating. He got sacked five times in the first quarter in this game, but hung tough, much tougher than his counterpart in New York, Zach Wilson.

and this was a nice win for the Giants and a good look for Brian Daebel, quite frankly, whose team in a lost year was playing very hard throughout. Yeah, because DeVito looked completely utterly lost at sea

when we first saw him. And this is a short amount of time to get someone who's not a high draft picked on a level ready. And that's kind of what Daibald's special sauce was meant to be. So I think it's a win for him. If you're Ron Rivera,

you were kind of hitching your wagon to the fact that you stood by Sam Howl when no one really believed or necessarily thought that was the smartest thing to do. Howell has been, I thought, really watchable. He had been keeping the turnovers down prior to this week. And even the like six, nine-sac games had disappeared. But this kind of sounds like that buffalo wipeout.

And if you get that version of them, that's wild. Because, like, you have to go back to 1984 when a Washington team that sacked a quarterback, or any team sacked a quarterback nine plus times and still lost by double digits, it's like, if you're on Rivera, your calling card is no matter what, our defense is going to cause a problem for the opposing quarterback. And it's like, you didn't do any of that today. Well, no. I mean, and it has an all season, which is why we don't need to belabor it.

Rivera is the one coach out there that, like, we know he's not making it to next season. I guess you could create a scenario where they win out, like, then maybe he would have a chance. But barring that, it's a tough spot. And it's because his defense has been so bad. And how about

Davido Dimes out there? He now has six touchdowns. I mean, that's, I don't even need to check. That's got to be more than Daniel Jones has this year. It is. It's definitely more than Kenny Pickett has this year. DeVito, it's happening. And, uh, Sequin.

Saquan, we talked about, Sequin has been running his ass of 140 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Nice job by Sequin. Hey, uh, Eric Roberts, you know, it's not too late. We can give Tommy DeVito some bongos on a Sunday night. This might be his last chance. All right. I mean, I'm down.

If you guys are. Like an unshowered Davido. I didn't know that, uh, we could do it in the middle of the game. Hey, you know. Hey. You know what, really? you know, when he, after he threw his first touchdown, through two touchdowns

to Barclay, he went sprinting down the field doing the, you know, like the Italian dude thing was like, hey, holding the fingers up. Like he is, there's a level of self-awareness, Greg, that I was not expecting from a guy that said his all-time dinner features

Elon Musk. Who else was it? Floyd, Mayweather, and Jeff Bezos. Like, yeah, there was a little more depth of character or sense of humor than I was expected. Yeah, a couple of creeps and maybe another creep. Okay. You can fill in your own blank. Uh, no, but honestly, he played very well. He really did. And, and I'm not saying he's the future of the position, but, um, he's really helping out

Dable here because this could have, this could have really, uh, degenerated into an all time humiliation season that would put Dable in trouble. But now I'm starting to think they're going to be able to kind of get to the finish line with dignity and tack because I think he's good enough. Like with the old trope, Greggy, we talked about it last week. You know what? With this game, he's going to be around for 10 years as a backup. You know, he bought a whole career. It's like, yeah, sure.

That's my trip. I need to see more, but I, that's my true. But right now, but for one day, he really did play well and good for him. And I'll give a shout out, Mark. I didn't get a chance to check his final line. But every time I do a Giants game on Sundays, Kavon Tibado is making plays. And he really is having a nice year to. with the Giants. He's absolutely made the leap. And I think

they have a guy going forward that can anchor that line. Yeah, two sacks, two tackles for loss. Like, he seems to be the guy that shows up regularly. And this defense, I mean, I know like they've had a couple sneaky good games. I look back in the bills when I'm like, all right, I'm not sure what to make of that one because of what's happened in Buffalo. But no, this is great. Anything you can cling to if you're Brian Daibble. This is great. They now pass the Patriots and Tankathon. The Patriots into that top three here

and we got a big Patriots Giants tankathon matchup next week. Well, you should pick that. We need that quarterback. Zavito, yeah, save your job. Get out of that top three. The team, man. We haven't heard that a lot either. And I was watching the games

with Keith Hanses for the first time on a football Sunday in 14 years. And, you know, he's a little rusty on like, you know, who to be rooting for and against. It's good that I was there to help him. because he likes Herbert a lot. So he's rooting for the Chargers.

And I'm like, Dad, because I have these two games on. I was like, Dad, actually the Chargers have the tiebreaker on the Jets. And they have a similar record. So we've got to be against the Chargers. And then he's like, oh, those giants, those dogs. My dad hates the Giants more than anyone hates anything in the world. And I was like, Dad, the Giants win this game. It actually gives them a worst draft pick.

And they fall out of contention for one of these big college prospects. He's like, oh, all right, Danny. So it was good to have, like, have that dynamic back and forth. I've missed it. You're a man of reason. Oh, you're right, Danny. All right, let's move on and, yeah, check in with the other team that plays in the Meadowlands, who traveled up to Orchard Park to face a Bill's team.

That needed a win in the worst way, and they got it. Bobby Wagner, go, Bobby Wagner. Hey, talk to me. Alan making a check. Bobby Wagner. back to the shotgun he goes here's the snap three-man rush jets drop in eight and the pass is complete to Shakir gets away from the tackle to the 40 35 30 doubles back to the 20 still loose he's going all the way for the touchdown 81 yards to pay dirt kalil Shakir wow Chris Brown with the call

WGR. I think that's a fitting call for this game, which was a very one-sided affair, 326 in favor of the bills over the fading jets. And it was Sauce Gardner that got beat in coverage by Shakir on that, a beautiful throw by Josh Allen. And then

Gardner sprints down the field, uses his catch-up speed, and then is unable to bring it down, Shakir, around the 20 or so. And he goes in. And this was kind of the game where the damn finally broke for a Jets defense that had been carrying this team all season. And after another disgraceful effort by the offense, it was the defense that also caved. Josh Allen led the way a very strong effort from Allen with his new offensive coordinator and a Buffalo team that

scored points on six of its first eight possessions, gets back above 500. And also, I think, importantly, Mark has a win that they can kind of feel good about. out. And you could kind of sense that with some of the, it was an endless game. The game would not end. It was, maybe I have to check, it might be the longest four quarter game of the season and considering it was so one-sided, it felt terminal, at least for interminable for this, this jet's fan. But they were, there was some swagger in this game and some chest pumping and this idea that the bills who have been struggling to really find their swagger, this is a type of game against the jet team that's fading, but still where you could find yourself a little

bit and build off it. Yeah, there was a legitimate stink on Buffalo all week leading up to this game. So it take, I mean, I don't recall at any moment, Sean McDermott being widely criticized by so many different people for so many different reasons. And you just felt like the bow could break. Down will come baby and cradle and all and all that business. But this kind of stops all that. And yet I'm not sure totally what to take from it because you're watching a non-functional offense. And it's like, I kind of felt like a game. When they took away the open. and kick return, the bills, and the Jets were suddenly a sitting duck, and out comes the offense in 20 minutes into this affair. They have zero yards, obviously zero yards per play. That

is pretty unusual. We've seen some weird games this year, but you're watching a non-functional offense, and I think that that weight of that and probably what is a fractured lock room at some point to some degree, what can you do as a defense? The bills start to make plays, and it's like there are a couple teams out there where they're leaning hard on their great defense and really problematic offense. And you're going to get these things. And it's like the four and six jets right now, there's got to be a lot of division inside that locker room. They're cooked. I mean, I would stick a fork in them, but I'm emotional right now

because they're my team. Friday's their last stand. And it's a tough game. Friday feels Yeah, they got the dolphins on Black Friday. And but they're getting the, they're going there. They're playing the dolphins and set the metal ends. But their confidence is at an all time low as a team. I could tell you that for sure just by watching them. And they finally bench Zach Wilson in the third quarter. I mean, this is a game that it's all there again. And it's so frustrating that we're back here where the jets are the butt of jokes, but this is just what seems to happen when you tie your, tie your wagon to a team like this.

Like Wilson, at one point coming off the sideline, coming back from break, is back peddling, I guess what he's kind of communicating with the coach. And he falls over. He trips on his own feet and falls to the ground. And I looked over to my brother and I said, you know, he's throwing an interception now because this is the jet thing. And not only is that going to happen. And sure enough, three plays later, he throws the interception that more or less puts the game to bed. They finally put in Tim Boyle and obviously he doesn't do much either.

They scored six points, one touchdown late in the first half. But this is a team that is getting everything they deserve now because it's all exposed, all the things that they were skating by on with all those crazy wins. and they were ignoring the real problems with this offense and refusing to make real changes. And this was all coming and building to this point in these last few weeks during this losing streak. I think everyone has been exposed from Joe Douglas on down

for making a terrible mess out of what could have still been a fun, exciting season even after the Aaron Rogers injury. So they deserve everything they're getting right now with the quarterback play. The fact that Nathaniel Hackett has a, free pass on this team is absolutely atrocious, but you know exactly why he has a free pass. Well, he's up in the booth now. Everything's, he's the one guy. Oh, that's the change. He's the one guy that changed it, but it didn't make any difference. Here are the big changes

that I noticed in this game. You put the overmatched offensive coordinator in a booth. You cut the third string running back in this game. I didn't see much else. And they're trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the fan base and acting like they're trying to really make changes. But the truth is they're not doing anything. And this is what happens. And if I'm Aaron Rogers, who supposedly, reportedly was targeting a Christmas Eve return, no, bro, you got a terrible offensive line that got further weakened by Mackay Beckton's ankle injury today. And I think it's just a matter of time now before this whole locker room breaks, because they already had a player's meeting, players only meeting heading into this game. And now they're going to face a Miami team in

primed in a game at an island game, it is going to be potentially a grisly scene at the metal ends. And again, like, these are games that Jets fans are supposed to be looking forward to all these spotlight games. And now there's a sense of dread around them. And it just sucks. Yeah. They let, they let the fan base down with their decision making. And it's really tough to swallow. Yeah, their absurd, uh, lone touchdown was their first in 41 drives, I believe. And I think you're, you're hamstrung because you have a super empowered quarterback and you knew what came along with that, but he's tied at the hip to an offensive coordinator and Nathaniel Hackett that is arguably and maybe overtly having an even worse campaign than a year ago. And that was one of the

worst head coaching stints we've ever seen. So it's like, you could have made changes here. Like for instance, the bills at least went out and got someone like Rosul Douglas who had three takeaways today. It's like, you know, go and try to change the situation. And the Jets did nothing and stuck with a non-functional quarterback who somehow is playing less adequately. than a Giants quarterback that no one had heard of, you know, a Fortnite ago. It's just like, it couldn't get any messier. And if you don't have the guts to switch quarterbacks to go and get one, it's all on you and the floor falls out and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Well, Zach Wilson, you know, the thing that is similar between this year and last year is not the play caller. It's Zach Wilson. And, like, I have a feeling Michael Lefleur could coach some offense if he had a quarterback. So to me, it's the quarterback. It's the offensive line. Rogers, ultimately, the choice is going to be made for him. Like, if they have eight or once they have eight or, once they have a

or nine losses. He's not, he's not coming back anyway. So if they get to that point. And the bills have, I think they're at Philly next week before a late buy. But it's now they could, even if they lose that game, I look at this AFC and I know the point differential thing's crazy. They're now like plus 100 for the year, which is just nuts. You know, all their offensive stats are. I actually think Josh Allen is having a good season. I know it's wrapped around a couple like clunky turnover prone games. I really do. If you take out those two games, I think he's been a total top five quarterback, if not better. And you could say that basically about any quarterback this year. You could pick out one or two bad guys. My point is they're running the ball well. You get a big

day out of Leonard Floyd and Ed Oliver. I know it's against the Jets, but Ed Oliver is playing with his hair on fire lately. And you've been running it better and you have Allen. I think they are still a playoff team, even if they go six and six. And I know that the schedule's tough. I think there's a lot to like, though. I'm not giving up on the bills, is my point. well you shouldn't give up on the bills but let's not go around an act like josh allen is a couple of bad throws away from having a good year you look i mean you had the first jack game you had the giant game you had the denver game uh i'm looking at multiple weeks where they scored less than 20 points on a down to down like play to play basis i think he's not been

much different than than he always is at my he is a quarterback that matters that is playing reasonably well, I think they have a chance as all the thing. I would say globally, though, like what they are as an offense. Like, today's not a measuring stick of that. Like, they seem... I think it is. People love to say, like, and I get it, the defense caved in eventually, but it's also the same defense

that's totally stopped the bills in games before when their offense wasn't doing anything. So you can't have it both ways. You got to give them some credit for being able to move the ball today. It's a nice day for them. Not a lost cause, but there's definitely issues with the bills in general, and I think three weeks from now,

we'll see, but it's like they go out and show us that you're a good team against a different team against the Jets. Like Josh Allen has a ton of touchdowns and I'm not saying he's like a major issue, but this isn't the same version I think of Josh Allen that we got at certain heights in the last two seasons. I think the point is great because I nobody would argue that Allen hasn't had moments of this season and stretches where he looked as good as ever. I think he has the ability.

He has the natural ability and the players around him to be the best quarterback in the league for the rest of the season. But this year has been marked by inconsistencies on their offense. But I think we've gotten, but we've gotten sucked in before Greg by the bills this year where it felt like, okay, this team is on track and then they lay an egg. I guess I just need to see a real extended stretch here where he's not shooting himself in the foot. They're not putting the ball on the ground.

And maybe the scheme alteration with a new OC makes a big difference. And maybe Allen, who kind of got his offensive coordinator fired, Greg, like maybe. maybe that was the wake-up call he needs in some level. I don't know. I just don't want to paint like a rosy picture of a guy that I think he got Lombardi, excuse me, I think he got Dorsey run out of town with his sloppy play this year. I just think people go so far in one direction or the other.

Now, I don't think these stats like paint the total picture, but I also kind of get it that like his EPA per play is a career high. He's second in the league to Purdy. He's top five in QBR. He usually doesn't rank that high completion percentage over expected. These are down-to-down things. they're actually at or above his career high. Now, no one's saying he's having his best season,

but I think he's having a better season than people recognize, and there's a decent chance, because he's often been pretty up and out. There's a decent chance he gets on a heater down the street. I just don't think anyone's walking around and saying that he is some sort of a disaster either. People aren't saying that. I feel like all of last week was spent on, like, what a problem.

Yeah, but I think part of it is, like, to what Dan just said, that, like, did, are you the reason your OC just got canned when all those stats are true about what the O.C. produced as well. A lot of those are from their highs. I think the O.C. got canned because John McDermott didn't like him. That's my, that's my... They can't be best pals. What, you mean, like, personally?

I mean, just that they didn't like working together. I mean... What you got there, Gregie? Nothing. Nothing other than, like, no one with that sort of track record and production ever gets fired in the middle of season. I mean, he clearly didn't want to work with him anymore. He got rid of him.

You gone. well you keep firing people until you're next in line exactly i think i think uh that's a team under an extreme amount of pressure to get this thing figured out and i think that hurt dorsey as well like the amount of pressure on them to not let this season go down an infinity infinity for uh buffalo fans uh by the way safety taylor raft sustained a neck injury came off the field in an ambulance a scary scene but uh it looked like he had feeling like in his extremities so that that's good but they also lost uh dane jackson and toron johnson uh to head injuries so they they've been they've been bit hard it's not just the offense with the turnovers

they've had a ton of injuries this year and they and now they get uh the eagles coming up uh and that's going to be potentially a fun little shootout all right good good all right so like i said at the top of the show um a little bit of a different week um back east. So with my family on the other side of the store, I am going to, we're going to take a break here. And then when we get back, it

will be Nick Shook, tagging. I'm tagging in. Oh, man, imagine Nick Shook is your tag team partner. Oh, my God. Well, you play different roles. That would be, you'd be the guy with like the dust and the little thing that you squirt in someone's face. Well, wait, that's the valet. Let's give me a little more credit than that.

But he's definitely the guy that like, I just got to like knock get pinned. Right. And if I can just get to that corner, right, where Shook is at the, at the, at the turnbuckle and slap his hand, he's going to hulk up and just clean house. So that's what I'm going to do with this break. And I will see you guys tomorrow night for the Super Bowl rematch recap of Monday night football. Let's take a break. And then Shook will join us. All right. Welcome back. Let's head where we always head when Nick Shuck is coming on the show. go to Cleveland.

24-yard line is where they spotted. 34-yard field goal attempt. Five seconds to go. Here we go. Culet ready to put the ball back. Snaps it back. Ball down. Hopkins in with flag down.

Kick is up. And the kick is good. With two seconds left, there's a flag down. It looks like the Steelers were outside. Two seconds left. And Dustin Hopkins puts the Browns ahead, 13 to 10. Offside. You bet.

You bet indeed. Jim Donovan back in the house. That's great to hear. Long time, Browns. Play-by-play band is healthy again for WKRK, K Dustin Hopkins. He's been a difference maker all season. Fitting. He gets the field goal in a 13 to 10 Brown's victory over the Steelers.

If you're watching on YouTube, you can see Dorian Thompson Robinson, overcome by emotion. He says he's a winning starter in the NFL. Also overcome by emotion, Nick shook and Mark Sessler, because they're both Browns fans, even if they don't want to honk about it. This had to be satisfying. Nick beating the Steelers with your backup quarterback.

I mean, it was an ugly game, but you know, you take the wins however you can if you're the Browns. They basically slept walks through the third quarter and then most of the fourth quarter and then found it when they needed it most. And they turned to the rookie who was able to complete a few passes, get them in range and pull off a drive that you desperately needed to kick a field goal that I was certain was not going to happen in this game. And sometimes the spice of life is surprises and it was today. I mean, for the first time ever, the Browns have beaten the Ravens and Steelers and back-to-back contests. If you go back through time, so many of these games would end so differently because you have issues at the field goal kicking position. You've lost your starting quarterback.

You've lost the center of your offense, your star running back. And countless, you've got issues at the tackle position and you're facing a Steelers defense that is, even with your starting tackles, wreaked havoc for a decade plus. So a lot was going on wrong for the Browns going into the game. And it was ugly, but it's ugly, I thought, because you've got. got something truly special and it is a beautiful defense and it is really rewarding to see Miles Garrett who's been surrounded by very little his entire career making game changing place. I got to ask you, Nick, like that, I thought that was a safety out of the gate when

Miles Garrett comes to tearing up the belly and blows up picket and it's, like the camera says, we'll see it, depends where the refs saw it. But Gene Serator said, you should have challenged that. You got to challenge a potential scoring place. Absolutely. it's crazy it was it was a really bad day of challenges for the browns because they they didn't challenge that and on that sideline angle you could see the ball is clearly over the goal line the entire football has to be out of the goal line for it to not be a safety we're not going to split hairs with the rules here but it should have been challenged then they go challenge uh the jerome for touchdown which they somehow get overturned and turned into a touchdown because it wasn't initially ruled as a touchdown even though there's really no conclusive evidence i feel like that was a makeup review there and then they went and challenged another play in the second half that was just a terrible challenge like you It was just swings and misses, and they lucked out on the one that went their way. I wonder who is in the booth making these decisions for them because they need to be replaced.

That is something we can investigate. I think you're right, Mark, to bring up Garrett right away because it's hard not to think about T.J. Watt, Miles Garrett. And, you know, T.J. Watt had a couple quarterback hits in a sack in this game. But when it comes down to it in the fourth quarter in a huge spot where Steelers, I think they had the ball in great field position. They got over the 50 yard line, I believe,

before Miles Garrett puts them back with a big time sack in that moment. He just keeps stacking those moments this year. It is pretty special. It is crazy. They are 7 and 3. They're 7 and 3. I mean, they're winning games in ways they would have lost them in the past. And I think

what there is a difference here, if you watch Kevin Stefanski's post-game locker room speech to the team, I think is even keeled nature. through all sorts of stuff that's happened affects them. I think there's a Brown's team that believes in each other in a way that you typically would look at

the Steelers and say, that's how they feel about each other. And meanwhile, all this chaos could have caused disunity. And I've seen the opposite. And it's stories of people like Dave in Najoku, who like keeps showing up in big moments. And it's the fact that you've had three different quarterbacks and even your starter. Fifteen targets for

Najoku today. He really, I mean, I think in other years you could say inconsistent. He's still going to give you the drops, but it's like you You may don't have pinpoint passes coming at you in some of these situations this season. But certain guys have stepped up and I just think it's kind of a season altering win back to back to beat the Ravens and Steelers. I think it means a lot to a Brown's franchise that like has not been able to do that consistently in 20 years. There's something weird around this team right now and it's built, you know, it's centered on their defense because you know, when you have a good defense, it's going to give you a chance in every game. But there's like a sense of belief and it's like cautious optimism within the fifth.

band base, whereas this team's just going out there and trying to prove every week. Believe in us, believe in us. And they stack a couple of wins that are coming wildly different fashion with different quarterbacks with massively different stat lines. And yet the one true reliable factor is that defense. And I don't know if we're in that era anymore in which a defense can win you championships. Like, I don't know if the Ravens and Trent Dilfer win a championship in this era, but if you are looking for a unit that's going to come about as close as possible to getting you there, this is the defense this year that's been that so far. It's the only thing they've been able to count on in most of their games.

And even today, I felt like Kevin Siffansky coached very passively in the third quarter. And I thought he's done a really good job in the last month. But today there was a stretch where they just were so conservative and so predictable offensively. And they had two times where they had the ball in Pittsburgh territory to start a drive. And they did absolutely nothing with it. Took no time off the clock clinging to a three point lead. And I'm sitting there watching this going, the Browns are going to lose this game. They are coaching not to lose instead of coaching to win right now.

And it's going to happen. And yet every time the defense bailed them out. And just like you said, that sack. that Miles Garrett sacked, it took them out of field goal range late. That's the defense coming through yet again. That's what gave them the opportunity here. And I want to be like sitting back and think, oh, eventually it's going to falter.

And it's broken down a couple times in the past. But it is more reliable and consistent. I fully believe that they'll have a shot in every game from here on now. Yeah, and I think some of the passive coaching came on Pittsburgh's offensive side where Kenny Pickett said afterwards that, you know, they were expecting Cleveland out to come out and play man from wire to wire. and they switched that up. They confuse them.

This is a division opponent. And he said, we've got to adjust better. And then Najee Harris, we know that he's been upset with a few things. You've got Jalen Warren going off for a big touchdown. But Najee Harris, I think, was another crack in the armor about what's going on with this offensive coaching staff. Let's listen to it. There's just a lot of stuff that just goes around.

It's just that you guys don't see. I miss that appointment. I was just like, man, I'm just tired. Let's hear him some more because that, especially from Nadja Harris, was pretty telling, knowing that they're six and four, but that they've once again been outgained. Wait, where are they outgain? We kept it going. Yes, 259 to 249. They kept the streak going.

Let's hear him talk about that this record might be fool's gold. Meek's two things. You can look at the record and say, okay, we're still good right now. Look at the record and be like, if we keep playing this type of football, how long is that last? I look at it, like, how long that's shit last. Man. You know, it's a good record, but, I mean, it's the NFL. You know, it's winning, like, how we did, it's not going to get us nowhere.

Wow, that's selling to me, because Najah Harris is kind of known for being a leader. I think it's one of the reasons why he was drafted so early. Like, he is that dude that has a sense of the locker room and, and, and, you know, wants to lead by example. So for him to be saying that, he's probably not too happy either. He had, you know,

35 yards on 12 carries. Jalen Warren was basically their entire offense. And Kenny Pickett has 106 yards and 28 attempts. Ben Solek of the ringer sent out this cut up of every pass he threw beyond the line of scrimmage today. And it's, first of all, it's only 43 seconds long.

Second of all, I only count, I think there was only two completions. I'm not sure. Like, they don't have a passing attack. And we got to move on from this game soon, Mark. But when he was getting tested for potential concussion,

I know you thought maybe he was playing despite a concussion. Like, I was thinking, Trubisky's going to give them a better, if I'm rooting for the Browns and I was today, because I picked the Browns and I root for my picks, I'm thinking Trubisky gives him better chance because, yes, there'll be more, there'll be some variance,

but he's at least an NFL quarterback. And Kenny Pickett right now is making you wonder whether he's an NFL. Well, you could feel a switch, potentially coming at some point. I'd say Pickett, if he has one thing to offer in close games like this, Nick, in the fourth quarter, he's had sort of a little bit of a flare to him where suddenly he awakens and they're winning types.

That's why their record is what it is. They're not blowing people out. They're winning very close games, like one score games. And you need great play and you came out against a nasty defense. So no luck today. Yeah, that defense is in his head. It was very obvious in the way that he was carrying himself. And I think that these players have gotten to the point of frustration.

And Naji has multiple reasons to be frustrated. it, by the way, because he's also losing his job as we speak. But this scheme just doesn't empower any of them. I mean, third and long too many times over the course of the entire season, even the last two weeks has been picket drops back, throws up a prayer to George Pickens incomplete, throws up a prayer to Deontay Johnson incomplete. And when they did that on their last possession in this game today where they had to solely rely on the past, I knew they were doomed because they hadn't done it all day. And I don't think he trusts his offensive line. Dan Moore, by the way, got dominated by Miles Garrett. If you dive in the next gen stats, he owned him there. And I can't blame Kenny for

being, you know, uncertain in that situation. Right. Jalen Warren goes for 145 in this game. The rest of the team went for 100 and four yards. Steelers fall to six and four. It is messy in the AFC. Let's go to the AFC South. First down at the 20-yard line of Tennessee. Under center is Trevor.

Play fake again. Trevor avoids trouble. Close to the corner of the end. That ball is going to be caught. That is a touchdown to Calvin Redley. 20-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Calvin Ridley has extended the lead. It's one of those weeks,

one of those weeks where Calvin Ridley goes off. It's been a while, seven for 103 and two touchdowns. What's his third 100-yard game of the season somehow? They win, they being the Jacksonville Jaguars, 34 to 14 this week. This was not close. That was our friend Frank Frangy from W.OKV. We are friends.

Jaguars needed to bounce back after one of the worst games, maybe the worst game of the Doug Peterson era, and they did it in style. Nick, how'd they get it done? Trevor Lawrence, baby. I don't even want to say he's back because I don't think he ever really left, but man, he looks so good today. He looked so confident. And, you know, this is a few days after we talked about, I wrote a post about Doug Peterson

and Trevor Lawrence talking about how his bum knee has been limiting him and he can't move in the pocket. Well, he sure moved on that touchdown pass. He moved on another big throw to De Ernest Johnson down the sideline, escaping the pocket, doing everything on the run. He's got the mobility back. He looks exactly like he did at his peak last year. And yeah, it's the Titans, but you still got a formidable front that you have to respect.

A formidable front, by the way, included a defensive tackle, scored a touchdown, Mr. Jeffrey Simmons. but that was in the blowout portion of the game. And it was a blowout because Trevor Lawrence was on fire today. And Calvin Ridley ended up being the main beneficiary of it. I think when you get this version of Calvin Ridley, they're a different offense. And I mean, he was six for eight, Trevor Lawrence,

on 15 plus air yard passes. And that kind of explosive action through the air changes what they can do. They dominated in time of possession. And this version of the Jacksonville Jaguars, like last week was a little concerning because it's like, wait a minute. This is the kind of team you're going to play at some point in the playoffs if you overachieve and they got their doors blown off.

It's like a response game. I like to see a young team that's learning how to win come back and do it. You got a special quarterback and I think you also have a defense that's obviously a game changing defense where a year ago that was your Achilles heel. Right. Because the final stats, Nick,

for Levis, look good. The 13 for 17, 158. You know, that's great per attempt. But what was happening in the early portion of the game? basically the first three quarters when it got to 27 nothing before they kind of made it look better at the end. Yeah, those numbers are fools gold. Like the passer ratings through the roof and that wasn't what the game was. It's not really his fault. It's a lot of like what we saw last week and they played Tampa. It's Will Levis knows that, well, the defense knows that Will Levis has no

running game to support him. The offensive line is subpar. They're not going to protect him well. He's going to stand there and take his lumps and they're going to blitz the crap out of him and see what he does and be willing to take the risks. Like that touchdown passed to DeAndre Hopkins. was on a trick play where Levis motioned back after the snap into the pocket and caught the pitch and then turned in found Hopkins, you know, wide open right down the field. That was their first sign of life. And at that point, it was a blowout because what they do traditionally in the past, leaning on Derek Henry to kind of open up the passing game, none of that is working.

And he's just, it's an uphill climb. I feel bad for him because I actually think he's got something to him. It's just that we're not going to really ever see it until they figure out how to balance out their offense right now. And there's no hope for that. Their offensive line is just not good enough. Jaguers Texans next week. Oh, that's good.

Jaguars are at 7 and 3. We mentioned the Texans at 6 and 4. There is absolutely a route for both of these teams to get into the playoffs. But the Jaguars need to win that game or they give up first place in the division because Texans already won earlier. Titans totally out of it at 3 and 7. It's strange. I just kept waiting because there are the Titans that like, they're going to ugly into some of these wins.

And like they'll end up sneakily playing in a game that matters with playoff implications. in week 16 or 17, and it just is not looking like it's going to happen. They are 3 and 7. Their defense just has a lot of resources put into it, and it is not good enough. Our friend Justin Graver pointed out to me, I believe now that they lost this game, they'll have gone a full calendar year without winning a road game.

So that's what you're looking for. They were 3 and 14 in that stretch. And so the plan they way came into this season with already there was evidence that it wasn't going to work. Yeah, that is not a good sign. Hopefully they, I don't know, they got to stick with Levis, but for now we're going to stick with Nick Shook. He doesn't know this, but he's staying on for a third game

because I know you watch 49ers Bucks, and we didn't tell you, but we're going to ask you what you think about, 49ers bucks. Let's go to San Francisco. Bertie got a key in the play here. He's three receivers right. I.U. Kand U.S. Check left, going deep down the sideline for R.

You, he's got it, and he's gone. 20, 10, 5, touchdown! San Francisco. Ayup, Ayup, Ayuk is on fire! House call, baby, what a throw from Brock Purdy. It's all great throws from Brock Purdy. 27 to 14. The 49ers, get it done on a day.

Heck, they could have won by even more potentially. That was Greg Papa and Tim Ryan on KNBR. We should always call for Ayuk touchdown. That means we get the little sing-along. Brock Purdy, Mark, he came out of the byweek, and he did it again. He's basically been perfect for two weeks. He finishes with 333 yards and three touchdowns on only 25 attempts. 21 of 25, a total pristine operation.

The first Niners quarterback to have a perfect rating, I know everyone's like, don't care about QB rating, but it has not happened. I am everyone. When you say everyone on everyone. Well, no, because I mean, I get it. Like, it's not, it's an imperfect stat. But the last time it's happened to a Niners quarterback and it's been a lot of good Niners teams was Joe Montana and Steve Young back in 1989 did it.

So it's like it was that kind of a game. And I thought, Nick, that there were, there was a stretch of play here. And we've seen it before from the Niners, would it feels like that good old 4 o'clock Eastern Niners game when they're really rolling, where Brandon Ayyuk, who is developed into an absolute star wide receiver, was utterly unstoppable. At one point, went back to Bats and Jamal Dean, who like got injured on the plate because Ayuk just as like insane with his speed and what he's doing. George Kittle is back in the mix.

They didn't even really need a lot of from Debo Samuel until late. Christian McCaffrey had an incredibly powerful first drive. Then they kind of rested him. It's like they seemed to me like they were going to win this game, 45 to 10. And I would say this. The only thing I think a little concerned with the Steve Wilkes defense where it's like they could not put the bucks away the way you would have thought down the stretch. Baker Mayfield's been spicy. Evans and the crew have been that way too.

But it's like there was a chance for the Niners to win this game by 25, 30 points. And it got way too close or just a little too nasty down the stretch. Yeah. Where it really turned was when the Baker Mayfield led a five-play 75-yard touchdown drive that happened really, really quickly, like two and a half minutes worth of time. in the fourth quarter and it's like oh we do kind of have a game then they get right back down there they're on the doorstep of the end zone and they fail to convert then they get down there again and baker throws a pick because chris godwin didn't really sell out for the ball and so you you are concerned about that and christian mcalfrey was frustrated because in the possessions in between first

they were coming in the blink of an eye it was like three and out oh we're giving the ball back i look up and all of a sudden they're putting back to the buccaneers again but christian mcalfrey was frustrated because it's fourth and one and they can't convert and they turn it over on down And he comes over and starts punching a Microsoft surface tablet on the sideline out of frustration when they're up 13 points when there's four minutes left in a game in which their defense has already stopped them twice. Like you think it's not that big of a deal, but they sense that too, which you really have to appreciate because a lot of teams of lesser caliber that maybe don't have as high of expectations as these 49ers do would be laughing on the sideline in that instance. And he wasn't. He was upset because they do need to clean that up. But man, what a day for Brock Purdy.

I feel like the concerns that we had about them during their three game losing streak, feel like a month and a half ago. It was like three weeks ago, but it feels like twice as long. Games like this will instantly make you forget about that. He's super efficient. The splash plays were there. He was incredible on passes of 10, 15 plus air yards.

He was perfect on passes of 20 plus air yards. Everything worked for them. And when this offense is humming like it is like it did today, they're going to be a tough team to beat. Well, Kittles having his best year in three or four years. He goes eight for 89 and a touchdown. He's getting chunk plays at a 24 yard. Wide open all day.

Ayuk is a true one. Debo is healthy at least again. They'd get like a 40 yard or later. I think McCaffrey's punching his tablet because they aren't a great running team right now, even though they have Christian McCaffrey. They're just not. And they haven't really been for two months. So that is a little jarring that you're a 49ers team that when you absolutely need a yard,

you can't just hand it to Christian McCaffrey and be confident you're going to get that yard. But that's one little fly in the oint when they're throwing the ball this well. And Fred Warner's kind of making his great plays again. and both Chase Young and Bosa get sacks. So, like, I'm not going to, I got to watch it closer and everything. But they did, you know, outgain them by 150, held them under 300, ultimately win by a couple scores. And with the Seahawks losing, you know, you get up a game in the end of the West.

I think it says a little bit about Baker Mayfield, too. And the fact that, like, yes, he's imperfect and they're going to be frustrating moments. But he kind of just refused to give up. And he did have good chemistry with his wide receiver. So it wasn't just the Niners having their own issues. And that's sort of not trying to nitpick. It's just that, I don't know, it kind of reminds me of a couple weeks ago in prime time

when the bill should have won by 14 more points than they did. It's like the Niners kind of just let them back in. And that doesn't matter today. But will it matter in the NFC title game for the fourth time in five years or whatever? Yeah, that's a valid concern if they do get to that point. You know, you bring up Baker just real quick. This is the first I'm ever going to admit this in my life because it's the first time I've ever experienced this feeling.

I felt bad for Baker today. like I seriously felt bad for him like he's out there giving it his all and his teammates just aren't footing their end of the bill like it just he's he tries hard man he's having a good year he makes some mistakes he probably should have got picked off two more times than he did I think the Niners dropped three would be interceptions that were right there all right let's not feel too bad for him well he's yeah he's playing well he's out there with jarrant and tray palmer and yeah all these guys no I'm with you I think you know we Dan pointed out a cliche of like when a backup quarterback plays a couple good games we say like well he's he's earned like 10 years in the league i think dave canales the play caller offensive coordinator for the bucks has earned himself like eight years now in the NFL as a play caller because he was the guy who was there when gino smith's career turned around in seattle and he's turned baker mayfield and the guy that i didn't think i'd ever see with baker mayfield and so this staff is going

to have to win the division to keep their jobs probably i think they have a much better chance than the outside does. They really don't have any hard games the rest of the year. And I think they're probably the best team in that division if I had to choose one. So I think they have a chance. But Canales has done a nice job. It's going to be tougher though because they lost

Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, and Levanti David, the injuries in this game. And so that is disappointing for that defense. You know, it's never disappointing. He's having old Nick Shugan. No, it's not. Nick, go celebrate in the streets. Seems like people are celebrating a little too much in Cleveland actually stay inside and stay safe away from the windows yeah I'll do that

guys take care appreciate it little inside joke that things are going a little wild there and the cleveland streets thanks shookie we'll talk to you next week all right that's it for nick but mark we got a couple games left before we get to sunday night football let's go to miami 32 seconds remain adan o'connell the rookie from the Miami 39 yard line back to throw looking looking lots of time goes deep to the end go and it's intercepted by jalen ramsie who makes a tremendous diving interception his second of the ball game is third of the year and there is your MVP right there joe jimmy seffalo and joe rose on w b g g ramsi with his second big time interception of the game.

That was an incredible read and play just all around. Awesome by Jalen Ramsey. Clinch is a closer game than a lot of people expect at 20 to 13 with the Raiders having a chance there at the very end. Mark there is not a game today

I know less about than Dolphins Raiders. Why was it that close at the end? You know, they've been, they're 17 and 2 at home in their last 19 home games the Dolphins and they've been blowing people's doors off in super sweltering hot Miami.

Today it took a couple, it took a different type of win and it took different heroes like Jalen Ramsey to step up who had that game ceiling interception which was one of the most athletic picks we'll see all year, had another one that was really high quality and tough. That was the Raiders melting down

late. The reason it was close was that the offense we've seen from Miami, which if anything else too has been extremely efficient. They've been statistically right at the top of the charts, no matter how you look at it. But they came out of the gate, Tua with a on a scamper, loses the ball at his own 31, leads to a Raiders field goal. They had a 12-play drive that ended on downs at the Vegas three. That's a lost opportunity.

There was a Julian Hill fumble at Miami's 32 that led to another Raiders field goal. Tua was picked off on a deep shot later in the game. Jake Bailey missed a 50-yard field goal. So stuff cropped up where Miami just hasn't been doing these things. and it kept the Raiders in the game. The Raiders, to me, I will say this. It was not an overly impressive performance from Adrian O'Connell because the turnovers down the stretch were a death knell. They could not run the ball well today, 2.3 yards for carry.

But their defense under Patrick Ram, I think there's just more unity and cohesion in that coaching staff. The Raiders were dancing around early, the players on the sideline, and there's something about the Raiders experience where you lose this game, but I see a different team, I think we all do. and it came very close because Miami just lacked what it's lacked in other games

but I'll say one last thing Tyreek Hill did some incredible things in this game. He did some incredible things so it was kind of like we need two heroes to step up it was Jalen Ramsey

and Tyree Kill with a catch and run touchdown unlike anything else you'll see from anyone but Tyreek Hill and he did it again so they got just enough from their offense.

So 10 for 146 and one touchdown and that's why you give up all those picks for Tyree Kill for a day like today where he just carries you on a day where, yeah, you mentioned Tua had a couple of mistakes. You know, he's already at his interception total for a year ago. I just find that, you know, interesting.

He's obviously only played 10 games. And he's had like nine fumbles. Now, some of those were bad snaps, so I'd have to go back and through and see. Some of those weren't really on him, but that's a ton of fumbles. But you get him, you trade the pick for Jalen Ramsey. It was more about just like, we're going to take on his contract and we're not going to worry about it. And that's what it's for on days where like everything else is relatively even and you're playing a five and six Raiders team that's playing above their heads.

It's like, yeah, we have dudes that are better than your top dudes other than Devante Adams, who is a dude who got a nice long guy. Well, Hunter Renfro is back in this offense and made an incredible catch. Wow, five for 42. Yeah, they're using him again. So it's another thing I'd point to that's a positive for the Raiders who are still very much alive in this thing. But I like to see Miami closing the game with two intercept. Of course, that took, you know, the acrobatics from Jalen Ramsey.

But they won this one a little bit differently. And I really think for this team, depending on what happens, like, if they get a situation where they can play a couple home games in the playoffs versus having to go on the road, they're just a different team at home. It's a long way, though. I know they're seven and three, and that sounds like a big lead over the bills, which are six and five. But I am concerned.

They came into this week ranking 21st in EPA for the three weeks. preceding the buy. This is another game that, you know, might not raise that by much. So that offense, I don't think from the first month is coming back fully. Just because that's not how it works. To me, the question is, can they're improving defense? And it's definitely improving. Jalen Phillips. They're healthier. Jalen Ramsey. Like, they're better. They've been getting better. Can their defense improve enough? And can they show that they can start to win closer games against better competition to make up for the offense coming back to Earth? Because it's coming back to Earth. It is.

or can the schedule help you? Because you've got the Jets, the commanders, the Titans, and then the Jets again over your next four games. That's a fair point. If you don't come out of there, 10 and 4 at the worst,

you're deeply disappointed. And yeah, there's absolutely a chance you win all of those games. Sure. I mean, they'll be favored significantly. That's a fair point.

They were excited to get DeVan A-Chane back in this game and he got hurt almost right away. It sounds like they're not because they kept them, like they didn't rule them out, or anything because they thought he might be able to play but it was a knee injury and it was the same knee as before.

So I think they were just being very cautious. Also a short week. Tyreek Hill heard his hand and like continue to play awesome with what looked like a bandaged kind of glove situation. So, you know, he's tough as nails. He's back in there. But I think with A. Chan, it's like, I want to wait and see what happens with that.

But they play soon. They played the Jets on that Black Friday. A very rare four-day week for them. I guess that literally never happened. Have we ever have Friday games? Not that I did a year ago, I believe. Am I incorrect about that? I don't know.

Who can remember all this stuff? They're just changing things around. During the COVID year, there was a Wednesday game. Any day of the week. That was wild. That was the Pittsburgh game. Aidan O'Connell, look, he's moving the ball a little bit. He could be a lot worse.

In fact, I would say he's been better than the 20203 version of Jimmy Garoppolo. You know what else is better? Wrapping up our early games, Cowboys at Panthers. Let's get to it. From the 25 play action, Young throws the ball. Intercepted at the 30-yard line. Coming down the left side is Blan. Touch at the five.

He did it again. He did it again. Unbelievable what he is doing. Undercut the first down pass, and Duran Blan said, I don't think I've scored in about two weeks. Oh, man. Just like make a list of all the great players. in the NFL this season who have not caught three touchdown or four touchdown passes.

They've all scored less than Duran Bland. Somehow this Diggs injury is like worked out pretty well for the Cowboys. Not for Diggs. I feel bad for him, but four pick sixes this season. And Duran Blan gets his hands on a lot of other passes too that he doesn't even return for a pick six. Like he's a legitimately good quarterback. 33 to 10 is the score here.

Dallas goes to Carolina. They take care of business. That was Brad Sham. The Sham God, of course, from KRLD. What was the most interesting thing about a scoreline mark that felt entirely predictable? Well, there is the pick six right there. And right before that, Tony Pollard, with a really powerful touchdown run, I thought he ran really well, maybe one of his best games of the year.

It's not the most impressive box score. But he looked a little different to me. And I think within that couple of minutes in the game, the explosiveness from two different parts of your team that put the Panthers away because this is a frustrating one for the Panthers. Of course, no one's thinking they're going to win, but they kept this thing really close and they shot themselves in the foot at key times. There was a drive where essentially the Cowboys... As a one-score game entering the fourth quarter to your point. And it looked like it. And it was 17-0 after a drive where the Panthers had no business giving up a touchdown, but they had

I have not seen this before. Xavier Woods was flagged for simultaneously the unusual combination of a face mask and a horse collar on the same play. It doesn't happen too often. That puts them in a situation where Dallas could have had a field goal, right? But then there's two more personal fouls

against this team as well on third down. It's like the Panthers just kept letting the Dallas back into a game where it wasn't that Dallas didn't look effective or good. Dak Prasca, he looks, throwing the ball as well as anyone in the NFC or the NFL. But it was like you could have gotten Dallas caught into one of those situations. And Bryce Young, they put together their longest drive of the year, 17 plays, 70 yards,

nine plus minutes. It made it that made it 1710 in the third quarter. But then the Cowboys exploded with the Tony Pollard touchdown, Duran Plan pick six. And it's like they just, Dallas against obviously these lesser teams is way too much to handle. And Carolina by the end was like completely underwater. Right. The Cowboys are now seven and three. They had that one slip up to the Cardinals in week three.

But otherwise, they got a 40 to nothing against the Giants, a 30 to 10 against the Jets, a 38 to 3 against the Patriots, a 43 to 20 against the Rams, and a 49 to 17 against the Giants. I'm not going to pick on them. That is a sign of a great team, teams that beat up on bad teams. And yeah, they got to prove it against the better teams. fine. But in the meantime, like, we'd be killing them if they lose any of these games or, or even if it came down to the last few plays. So they're getting it done. Only five yards

per attempt for DAC today, but, you know, no turnovers or anything. Maybe, maybe playing a little safer like he comes down to Earth somewhat. But they're, they're in good position. And any away win for them is massive because they can't be beat at home, it seems. Yeah, their road like splits are very differently. I would say Micah Parsons, three sacks today. They absolutely dominated Bryce Young, especially on third and long. Frank Reich has taken over play calling, and the one thing I'd say, they used a lot more tempo. They tried to go a little no huddle,

and I think it helped Bryce Young to some degree, but this team feels so lost to me on third down, especially, and there's a lack of creativity, and they get stuck in a lot of third and unmanage situations, and Dallas just teed off at that point. You know, it's like, I don't know, great coaching helps a rookie quarterback, out and puts him in the best possible situation.

And outside of Adam Thielen, playing above his head, like, there's just nothing else happening with this offense. Well, I mean, they haven't scored more than 13 points in four games. And then the last time they scored more was 15. I mean, it's, it's tough. He had 2.1 yards per play on passing plays

because he was sacked seven times. He was hit 11 times. And you mentioned Parsons having a monster game. If it wasn't for Garrett, I swear Parsons is just on another planet. He's over 10 sacks for the third straight season to start his career. I mean, that seems like that's a low bar for him, but only nine people since they started keeping track. I've ever done that to start their career. So that is the type of company. Michael Parsons is keeping and they keep it rolling. I like, I like that we have some powerhouse teams that stay good for the most part week after week. That is the Cowboys. That is not how you would describe our two teams playing Sunday night football, but they are fun. Let's finish up with the Vikings and the Broncos. Snap pocket two at one. All that blitz on the way.

Get it up, Russ. Russ throws the ball to the end zone. It is. Codd, touchdown, Denver. That is Cortland Sutton. His eighth red zone touchdown of the year. 15-yard touchdown, Wilson, to Sutton. He went up over, Mackay Blackman.

And the Broncos with 63 seconds left. All right, in front of the Vikings, 21, 20. Oh, yeah. Those two men did it again. Cortland Sutton, Russell Wilson, Dave Logan's back on the show week after week. K-O-A, Denver. Wow, still stunned by this one.

Cortland Sutton, 15-yard touchdown catch from Russell Wilson, put the Vikings behind 21 to 20. A Broncos take this one after shutting down a Josh Dobbs would be game-winning field goal drive with a bunch of pressure in his face. Mark, the Denver Broncos, are 5 and 5. And you mentioned as we're walking in here the unlikely source of great primetime drama in the last two weeks. Yeah, a couple weeks ago when you scan the future schedule and they're sitting out there

in these island games, it's like, I don't want to be taken to that island. but they've been a different team. And I think like tonight, you know, it continued a theme for them. They've got 12 takeaways in the last three games. That's outrageous. And, you know, that's sustainable when you wouldn't think so. No, it's not. And they talked about a streak like not occurring for that team in almost a quarter century.

But those little moments in a game like this made a big difference. Because I thought the Brian Flores, Vikings defense, did a great job of shutting down what would be touchdown drives for much of the game, stopping them at Minnesota's 13, 12, 34, 19, and 10. Those were all field goal drives. But two of those field goal drives came off of Vikings fumbles. That was their problem earlier in the year. It crept up again tonight. Then Dobbs had that one interception that led to a fifth field goal.

And I would point to one other thing right before the half, Kevin O'Connell. And I loved what he did tonight with a fake punt. I thought he did a nice job in the second half trying to give his offense a chance. But they had a fourth and one opportunity from the Denver 48 with a minute. left before halftime and they punt. That's your choice. But then Russell Wilson drove the team right down the field to make it 10 to 9 before the half.

So these little moments in a 21 to 20 game added up for the team of ATL's. Oh. Ugly evening for us for that franchise. That was a sad end. And yes, the first loss by the Vikings as the team of the around the NFL podcast. That's a great point, Mark, that you made about the end of that first half. And that's unlike O'Connell to be. passive. Well, that's a great point, Mark.

I don't know if Tony Grosie ever listens to the show or is aware that this is happening on the show. No, I don't think so. I know he's enjoying this Brown season. I'm sure he's a little surprised to see Josh Dobbs, the former Browns quarterback in such big spots. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised, but I am surprised. Russell Wilson, at the end of these games, two-minute drill, that is where he's at his best. So he did it at the end of the first half to get those three points, and then he did it to end the game, calmly moving down the field.

Most of it was what the Broncos offense has been all season, which is dump off to the running backs. I mean, Samaji P. Ryan had a good chunk of that drive on just these dump offs, but Russell Wilson's been in those situations so many times. The Vikings actually didn't bring that much pressure in that drive. I'm sure Flores will think about his strategy then when they were rushing four. That wasn't working.

They tried rushing two and three in that drive. They weren't sending a ton of heat in that drive. And Russell Wilson generally was just backing up, quickly surveying the scene and getting about seven, 10, 15 yards to P. Ryan, and you get a little break that P. Ryan's fumble that he had went out of bounds. Oh, that, yes. Right before the game winner. And Russell Wilson, to his credit, just throws it up on a play where they did send pressure.

I should point out. The touchdown came when they did send the house, and Russell Wilson had an answer. When that ball's in the air, I'm thinking, man, there's two Vikings defenders over there. But the difference is those two Vikings defenders are like 5, 10, 5, 11. And Cortland Sutton, I believe, is 7 foot 9 when he's jumping up in the air. It seems to be.

And like he's quietly having, you know, a great year. And Russell Wilson looks like a different player, obviously, from a year ago. There was another throw with total heat on Russell Wilson. And he threw that dart to Jerry Judy in the end zone that should have been caught. But it's another example of him looking more organized and less outside of his head than he was a year ago when he was lost at sea. Yeah, I don't know what to make of this Broncos seem. I don't think you have to make anything of it. I think they were much better than their 1 in 5 record indicated.

They had the 170 point game they gave up. But a lot of their other losses were like these tight losses. And now they're winning tight games. And these two teams are pretty emblematic of the NFL this season. I mean, the Vikings are a completely unlikely five-game winning streak. They almost moved it to six here, and I still think they're in good shape to make the playoffs. But who knows with them? I think they're going to be fine.

I think they will make the playoffs, but they're not going to be blowing teams out. And then the Broncos have won four straight games improbably. They were one in five, and now they're five and five, and I guess we have to talk about them as a playoff. Let's go. Let's ride, baby. Yeah, it's like I can take them seriously with the way that they're taking the ball away. way. And, you know, I thought they made Josh Dobbs uncomfortable on that final drive. And on previous drives, too, but their pressure made a big difference. I mean, Dobbs is playing out of his

mind. And it's still, it's hard to comprehend now. You know, how little he knows about even the team around him still a couple weeks can really help with that. But he had that incredible first touchdown pass to Josh Oliver where he, you know, escapes. He's nearly ganged to the ground and then destroyed by two people as he gets the pass off. Right. And he had a, he ran for, he's, He's been a great running quarterback all year. And so he's leaning on his athleticism. And I think he makes good decisions. I thought on that final drive, though, that kind of just, he was forced to run all over all

of the place to do like 18 figure eights. And he's having to make wild throws to try to keep the Vikings alive. And that's not the situation you wanted to be in. Yeah, I wonder if teams will look at the way this game ended in thought and think, like, okay, Josh Dobbs, smart, playing well. but it's asking a lot for him to know all the protections and communicate that to the offensive line and the offensive line to be cohesive enough

and because guys were getting free and they just did not have answers. They have the Bears next week. And then which is on Monday night football while Josh Dobbs is living in prime time now. And then they have the biweek, which I think for them will be really great to reset a bit because he was scrambled in this game.

He lost the fumble early. that was a fumble that I would put on him. It was kind of loose with the ball. He had three of them in this game, too. Had a few other plays that could have been intercepted. So this game could have gone a few different ways. I think the Vikings will be really happy that they ran the ball for 175 yards. Madison looked as good as he looked all season.

The Broncos haven't been able to stop the run all year. They only end up with 13 first downs in this game, but they just keep finding away. And look, there's not that much that's separate. the good teams from the bad teams there's definitely not a lot that separates like the Broncos from the Vikings and if you look at

these two teams as scheduled they just both have a bunch of games where you're like yeah they could win that game or yeah they could lose that game and that's kind of the middle of the game. Yeah like the Vikings can't come into these games and lose the turnover battle the way they did tonight the Broncos were two for 12 on third down at one point I think they were like 0 for 7

they had like five yards rushing in the first half so there wasn't a lot of balance around Russell Wilson and they just made the plays down the stretch and it's like I don't know like this is a weird team In a weird outside of the Chiefs, the rest of the AFC West is really bizarre. So I don't know what they can do at this point. They could win some division games. It's hard to take them like overly seriously, but why not?

Well, they got the Browns next. They're at Texans. I like the good thing of having all these teams. That's a tough little two games. In the mix is these games between all these teams in the middle. This tonight was a perfect example. We kind of know these two teams aren't going to Super Bowl. But it makes these types of games more fun.

There's going to be more meeting. We're getting into the meat of the season. It's Thanksgiving. week. It's week 12 coming up. We will be back Monday night. I believe it'll be all three of us. On that show? Okay.

We'll be back Monday night. I don't know. No, no, no. I'm just like, I'm scrambled. Let's try to get, let's try to get some consistency here. Let's get a, let's get a Sessler winning streak going. It is great to have you back. And then we will tape a preview of all the games, including Thanksgiving games, on Wednesday morning.

be a little earlier than normal. We'll try to get that out as soon as we can on Wednesday, but that's going to include the Thanksgiving Day game previews and all the games, and then we'll wrap the Thanksgiving games on Friday. Until then, for Dan Hansis, Nick Shook, Mark Zessler, Tony Groff, Grocey, and Dorian Thompson, he'd the call. This is an I-heart podcast.