NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Super Bowl LVIII Predictions with Cameron Jordan and Kirk Cousins

Episode Date: February 10, 2024

In a convention center full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler wrap up their week on radio row LIVE from Las Vegas. The heroes open the show with a discussion about who walked away with hardware at the NFL Honors (06:46). After the break, Cam Jordan joins the show (31:49) before the heroes make their Super Bowl LVIII predictions (46:11). They wrap the show with conversations with Kirk Cousins and K.J. Osborn (01:01:42) and Nikki Glaser (01:10:58).  Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Around the NFL podcast. Bang, bang, ATN, gang. From Radio Row in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's around the NFL. Super Bowl week, show three of four on our final show from Radio Row as we head into the weekend. football game of the year. Dan Hans is here with the heroes. Greg Rosenthal and Mark

Sessler. And yes, we got another great show coming up. Great guests. Great conversations. We go over NFL honors, the Hall of Fame announcements, make our game predictions, some sandwiches on the line. Let's have some fun last show of the week before. Super Bowl 58 kicks off. No fun will be had. We are serious football people. I don't think we are. That sounds like Greg, when we drove by the pinball museum, and he's like, wait, what's pinball? Well, you were definitely born on a different planet. But Greg explained, but that was stunning to me. The humans will know.

My brain just wasn't working. I was thinking candle, like it was a different version of candle pinballing because it looked like a bowling alley or so I was like, what the hell? And let's not lose the site that there is an actual pinball museum. Yeah. What is? I think there could be some cool items in there. We're talking like 1972 pinball machine. The Gen Xers are definitely feeling the pinball museum.

I'm not, I'm not rushing. over there. But I think it might have some charm. It is sad that the pinball has lost its cultural cachet, but the museum is here for those who are still. Yes, it is. How are you feeling, Mark? How are we? You know what? Like, I am just here to do, like, what I can do the best I can. No, I'm not, it's like, it's one of, it's a lost Super Bowl week on some level. Like, because I, I, I, I don't think I've seen Las Vegas at all. I feel I've been in my hotel room and then wheeled over to this facility and then wheel back. We have been taking Mark to the set in a wheelchair. People

should know the full story of what's happening here. Yes. We, Dan and I did, you know, the rarely tried bang bang bang last night. Two dinners. Both, you know, great company. A six o'clock dinner with our producer Eric and our great friend Matt Casey from NBC. And then when we're on our way

to the second dinner where we're going to see Handsome Hank and our friend Connor or we actually saw. This is an all-time. A young man wearing, his name is Will Soistram, and Will was wearing a sweatshirt with our faces on it. The old room full of hero's sweatshirt that someone had like sort of illegally made and sold on our Biaven. That's fine. It's good to spread. It'd be nice if we made a dollar of merch income at some point in our careers. Right, but that's not Will's fault.

No, it's not on Will. The fact he was repping, repping us and we just walked by him in the casino was an amazing moment. Like, everybody's minds were appropriately blown by just the happenstance of it all. And then he was like, where's Mark? And we're like, well, Mark's under the weather. He was disciplined. Well, I always, whenever anything happened, there's an era of disappointment from Dan and Greg. And I think they vaguely, vaguely don't believe that I've been ill, but I've been in my hotel room the entire time.

We believe you. We believe you. I believe you. I am telling you, I believe you, a hundred percent. It's been an odd week. I am up on the 50th floor, though, and I've had an incredible view of what's happening out in Vegas. It's a surreal sight. That meeting, that chance meeting, is right there with me to a couple years ago

when we were walking through the streets of London. And not a young man, a young bloke was walking towards us, and he stops in his tracks, he pulls his AirPods out, and he just doesn't say where he just points at him. He goes, I'm listening to you, mate. Which is pretty tribut too. So it's very cool to see. And we have, over the course of this week, people have been coming up to us yesterday at dinner. There's a J-R-V-P fan.

Hey, now. And somebody came up and said, one's throwback podcast coming back. So all the satellite, what about our Bang Bang 2 mark featured the great Connor Orr. Yes. And handsome Hank. Right. And now the only question is, does the heat and light podcast return? We get questions about that either individually or combined.

And on a, I would say, if not weekly, three or four times a week basis on Twitter or four times a week. There's some people out there that want it. I think it's, you know, we ran into tech issues last time. Those have been wiped away. And I think, you know, Connor and I are more free now. You guys run an amazing platform. I remember that.

We literally had a meeting with the great people of Iheart earlier this week. I'm like, if you guys have any ideas to do a show, like, we'd love to do one with you. I could see it coming back. I mean, Connor and I want to. You could lead a heat and light to water. Right. But can you make it drink? it's like do you want to do the sequel to something 25 years later the fans won it like that's what that's what we're here for the fan of menace heat too a little bit of a risk it's not a little bit of a risk heat too um all right so good stuff great stuff let's uh let's get into it let's start with everything that went down uh here in Vegas at the annual NFL honors award awards uh in which they you know make all the announcements prince harry was in the house how about that

handsome Hank doing his job that was the news of the week to me is that Prince Harry is being you know tugged from place to place and made safe by handsome Hank the guy was like 14th in line for the throne and now he's like one of the biggest celebrities in the world

and all he had to do is turn his back on everything that he was connected to in his life there's something to take out of that perhaps I don't know let's get into it I don't have a pro or anti Harry stance I'm just pointing out that he went from like third or fourth in line for the throne to like Cam Hayward's up on stage

accepting the Walter Payton aboard and he's like the first thing he says is that's freaking Prince Harry it is it was really threaded a needle I guess is what I'm trying to say it's a crazy moment we've definitely like jumped up the the star power for NFL honors Henry I would think got at least a 20% raise look it's Berman Chris Berman is oh shaking hands over there glad ending the big bell bottom that's his only blazer by the way look at him we have reached the stage in the super bowl week where the splash page on esbn.com is Chris Berman picks the winner of Super Bowl 58 so that's where we're at now all right it's time don't get impatient Greg no this is the journey I just mean that that's like what are we

doing here yeah like make a big deal of who what the pick is all right like we're going to do in just a bit We're going to make our picks. But let's start with NFL honors. And obviously the big award is NFL MVP. And this is not a surprise. The way in general, a lot of these awards, there wasn't a lot of fun intrigue this year for several of them, including MVP, because you knew the way the season ended,

Lamar was going to win. It really came down to was he going to win unanimously. He did not. But he got 49 of the 50 first place votes. So it was a blowout. Dak, a distant second place with 50. points Lamar 49 CMC with 14 your boy Mark Brock finished with nine so that was the voting and here was Lamar on stage after accepting the award I'd rather sign in a video to accept the

award if I was going to win you know because it was great pleasure and I'm being able as well not just myself and that's off to those guys that they did in my 14 as well um but you know just to give this award to be here for the award it's fun But I'd rather would have been in the Super Bowl to accept the award. But it's all good. I feel like just enough time has passed where it's not weird for him to be on the stage after blowing the AFC title game.

So that's good for the Lom Army, yeah. It's happened a lot in NFL history that these NFL MVPs accept the award after a crushing playoff disappointment. It actually happens... It's a little wonky, yeah. Yeah. I believe Patrick O'Holmes,

that the year he lost to the Patriots in the AFC championship game as a starter. His first one, same thing happened. It's happened a number of times. And it is awkward, but you're able, I think he's able to appreciate it. And the bigger surprise is just like that. It was such a blowout to me.

I guess it was just the way the season ended. It felt like a very strange MVP year that Lamar would have been my pick, so he was a deserving winner. I think he was the right pick for this year. But it wasn't a year like where the last few years, I think the second or third place, like Jalen Hertz's

2020 season would have won this. Josh Allen a couple of years ago would have won this. And there just wasn't one of those seasons this year and Lamar was the best of the option. Yeah, and I think the way the schedule worked out, MVP candidate, knocked out MVP candidate. Then the next week, that guy got knocked out by someone else. And like, Lamar kind of was on top of the hill

at the end of the season. But I just go back to this thing. And I guess part of it is like, we're in an era where like what happens in the postseason is not supposed to matter in terms of MVP, quarterback, offensive players, of the year, but I would rather we vote later. There is something awkward to me

to have the MVP be someone, and this is just me who completely blew it in the playoffs. It's a little... Well, it's a regular season award, though. That's just what it is. I'm just one... I guess it should be, because otherwise it's going to just tilt heavily no matter what happens in the Super Bowl, but... So, here's the thing.

I think, well, it's not... It would have been weird or had Jack Prescott got up on stage. It's not 1982 and the kicker for Washington winning... Right, there's been some terrible MVP awards over here. But this one, I feel like, we're going to look back, and while we're not going to disagree that Lamar should have won, we're going to be like, wow, he kind of, this is, not that he was lucky, but it's like, good year to be him in the situation, he didn't have his best rushing year, he was middle of the

pack and touchdown passes and yardage, everything else he passed the eye test, and he won a bunch of big time games in the season. So it makes sense, but the numbers, it's kind of a strange year. But he got it. He's got the hardware now. He's got to do it in the playoffs. I don't know if people will remember that, though. It's like when Paloma, there's been some defensive player of the year awards like that too where there's not a logical pick i think with the palomala year one of the uh but MVP is right right that's what i mean like in in the long run though you're just like well he won two MVP's uh i do i found the voting interesting i believe it was aaron shots um voted for josh allen first he came in fifth overall i thought there would be more diversity

brock purdy got nine second place votes five third place votes uh deck just edged as you mentioned out uh christian mcaffrey but there wasn't like a lot of uh mixing it up i think I thought there would be a little more disagreement. And I heard, and we're at the point of the week where everyone, you know, not us, of course, but everyone that works in media is just trying to, like, get now to the finish line. And I heard Stephen A. Smith just railing against whoever was the one who didn't vote for Lamar Jackson. It's fine. It's a disgrace.

Like, Josh Allen had a, Eric, I know Eric would have voted for Josh. He had a big time year with, like, a lot of memorable splash plays. And I don't think it's absurd that he got a vote. Also, coming from Aaron Chats, like there's a lot of data and hard work and perception and ideas going into that. It's not just from the middle of the friend of the show. Speaking of, well, maybe you would feel differently, Mark, because your Cleveland Browns had a nice award show. But if they factored in the playoffs, there's no way Kevin Stefansky is coach of the year. But he does win the award over D'Amico Ryans, who obviously the Texans beat up on the Browns in the playoffs.

They finished tied in points, but it was Kevin Stefanski that got the more first place votes. One more first place vote. That's as close as it gets, obviously. I think that actually emphasizes my point. Forget the Brown side of it. It's like I think what D'Amico Ryan's did ultimately was go and win a playoff game for a team that like absolutely was in another world a year ago. And Stafansky, you know, he earned it absolutely for regular season,

navigation of losing like a billion quarterbacks, bringing in Joe Flacco, and, you know, having all that happen the way it did. kind of keeping a calm demeanor through it all. He's won it twice. There is a pretty short list of coaches, and it's a pretty credible list of coaches that have won it two times. So I think Kevin Stefanski is a good coach. He stands out on that list as like, wow.

Right, because he was a little bit on the hot seat coming into this year because the other two years between the awards were arrived. It's fitting that it was tied. I think it's fitting that it was tied. Just give it to both of them. They tied in points. Come on.

I would love that, actually. It's crazy. Every vote matters. Five people. left Stefansky off their ballots entirely. You vote for the top three, but seven people left Ryan's off their ballot entirely. So even though Ryan's had more...

Either of those guys off your ballot. I don't even think that's that crazy, too, because, like, Dan Campbell got a decent amount of support. He had three firsts-list votes. It was an interesting year in that category. Kyle Sannahan got a decent amount of votes. John Harbaugh, McVeigh, and then deep, deep, I mean... But I'll use Stifansky as the example.

Come on. I'll use Stifansky as the example. Yeah. If one of the playoff teams had a team that, used five quarterbacks and made the playoffs. Like, you can't not give him. Well, no, it wasn't wonky at all. It's just that I think that the vote to me is always ridiculous

because just because Kyle Shanahan's been good for so long, and we say this every year, like, he gets far fewer votes. Like, Kyle Shanahan has done a better coaching job than any one of these people. He came in fourth. Yeah, he came in fourth. 13 coaches got a vote, which is, I can't remember many voting awards. Even Sean McDermott for that inspirational speech that galvanized, his team to a big winning streak.

Oh, wait, the speech was years ago, but it's still. Don't mess with the narrative. So I'm cool, though, with Stefansky winning coach of the year. Flacco winning comeback player year is wild. We're at dinner when we see that, and we had a friend who was connected to somebody who had wagered quite amount of money on DeMar Hamlin winning that because DeMarhamlin nearly died on the field last year.

So Flacco gets it after starting five games, winning four of them. We have some Flacko sound. But I would imagine we've gotten to know Flacco over the years. He's a humble guy. He kind of sees, he has a good perspective on things. It had to be a little weird to beat the guy that almost died. You know, I keep saying it feels kind of strange.

I literally played five games this year in the regular season. So it definitely feels a little strange. But, man, it was a special two months. So I think any time that you get recognized for playing some good football, it means a lot. So Flacco takes that award. Um, let's keep moving. Offensive player of the year, we can come back to any of these. Christian McCaffrey takes that.

Well earned. He was a monster, led the league in all purpose yards, over 20 touchdowns. Another very close vote was defensive player of the year. Miles Garrett edges, um, Mika Parsons, T.J. Watt. Uh, how close was that vote? That was 23 for Miles Garrett, 19 for Watt. Then you go down to Parsons at 7 and to Ron Bland, one. Hmm.

And even closer because WACC up more, like second and third place votes matter a lot. So it was very tight, but T.J. Watt didn't get it done. And then AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, this is a great rookie class in the NFL. And it was C.J. Stroud, who could not, as great as some of those guys, Pooka and Akua really comes to mind. He got two first place votes, yeah. Two, you had to give it to Stroud. If it's a rookie who blows up the way he did, yes, Stroud deserves that. Even not taking into account that he had a massive playoff game as well, yes.

well-deserved for Stroud and defensive rookie of the year. Just like the Jets last year, a team sweeps this category. It is the Texans with Will Anderson, Jr., taking that trophy home. Yeah, well, the Will Anderson defensive player of the year vote

was also extremely close. In first place votes, actually, our guy, the conductor, Kobe Turner, tied for the lead there with Will Anderson and Jalen Carter. They each got... Your guy. I mean, we like him, but he's your guy. They each got 14 place votes, but it was the second and third place votes that ended up deciding it. So Carter got second and Kobe Turner got third.

The comeback player of the year, though, is maybe the most surprising NFL honors award that I can remember. I would say, like, I've heard it's, like, put out there, and I kind of think this would be a good solution that just name the award after Damar Hamlin and then from here on out because it's like, and then give. Yeah, but he didn't even win me to win it. I know, but I, like, I'm saying they could have done that. How about give him the award? It's strange. A lot of people must have, like, the Flackos, the narrative, like, completely, I think, outshined the fact that Hamlin didn't play much this year, too.

Brown's QB take? I thought Baker deserved it more than Flacco for what he did this year. Baker came in third, and this just reminds me of Wes because Wes would rail against the comeback player of the year award. And I agree. It's just so nebulous. I think if you're going to have an award, make a definition of what it is

because you're trying to compare a player that came back from a near-death experience to a guy as I saw on Twitter that was coming back from unemployment. He literally didn't have a job. And then Baker, who fits a more traditional kind of winner of the award of just like coming back from a big career dip,

define exactly what it is. When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous. Because eight people, DeBar Hamlin actually got eight more first place votes than Joe Flacco. So actually, the conventional wisdom was kind of right. And though they only changed the voting last year to include first, second, third in every votes.

But what happened was eight people left Demar Hamlin off their ballots entirely. Now, they could have just thought, they might have just thought, he doesn't really make sense for this award in their mind. Or they could have completely forgotten him because he, you know, just they weren't thinking about him because he didn't have a big season. him. Trust me, not every, not all 50 voters are like completely locked into what's going on. So it's one of those two things. But either of those to me are kind of unacceptable. And I just think they've got to define what the award is because Flacco only got left off three

ballots and he got a ton of second place votes. And that's why he won. Even though actually way more people thought Hamlin should have won. Well, a lot of it is what happens at the end of the season. But when you say to define what the award is, I think it's one of the more nebulous awards out there because if you say it's just for returning from injury, or it's bad season, great season, or it's something obscure happened to you, and then you return and play well. It's like, there's all sorts of comebacks. Brock Purdy got, got six total votes, including a first place votes. I was like, wait, what's he coming back? Calvin Ridley came in seventh for coming back from a gambling suspension. I think the cynical side of me with Hamlin is that happened

late in the regular season last year and then he was at NFL honors last year and they celebrated him there and almost like it's old news so the fact that he didn't qualify for the award last year people kind of moved on it was no longer compelling to them

in the way it was but those that remember that night and really how that play it's, listen it's kind of a silly award but what happened to him that to me defines the idea to go back on the field and face almost that fear after what happened, that's a comeback.

Right, but it's also the kind of thing where it doesn't turn Joe Flacco into the villain in this exercise. No. He felt awkward about it and said as much because he was like, I don't even know what this, he gets it. It's like Phil Rivers said the same thing when he was coming back from nothing and won the award.

He came back from a bad season where he was just like, okay. Ryan Tannahill had a similar one. And the last awards thing I just would want to say is like It's nebulous. Yeah, it's very nebulous. Calm down, T.J. Watt and Steelers fans. You won a defensive player of the year award before.

You have such a hard-on for T.J. Watt. What do you mean? You're just always out to get them, I feel like. But they just get so fired up as if the top four candidates, and I would include Crosby in this, who came in fourth, and Parsons, who came in a distant third. You were splitting Harris to pick between any of the four of them. So you really, I don't think you can feel that, like, crazy

that anyone would get robbed here. It made sense to me that Garrett won it. A great sight of the night was Colleen Wolf interviewing Joe Flacco before the awards, and he was towering over by what seemed to be like a foot and a half, and she mentioned that she was already in six-inch heels. And she just was like looking up at him like she would at a skyscraper. Sneaky tall man. My image also with Flacco, I'll remember her from the night,

is there's a clip of Lamar putting his arm around. Oh, I like that. Flacco's shoulder. and then he put his head on his other shoulder like he was like Do Flacco's a young child so that's nice to see after there were some reports of them being quite prickly with each other

I was like to be a Ravens quarterback who steps up in the playoffs Tell me more Show me the path Sorry Greg Took Joe a while too, right? Joe, listen Joe I remember even after the Super Bowl year

It did not take him long at all. Well, it was his fifth year They had made the play for that time. I remember him playing lights out in Foxborough a year or two later and that great comeback by the Pats. He was a big time January performer. All right, let's pivot and talk a little Hall of Fame.

How about that? Well, let's start at his Super Bowl week after all with a great Super Bowl memory of the aughts. And the Colts have had a hard time all season covering kicks. It's Hester. Trying to work it back to the middle. Gets past the first wave and here he goes. It's Hester.

Inside the 30. Hester's going to take it all the way for a touchdown. And no flag, 92 yards. Listen, it's hearing Jim Nance without Romo going, Ah, Jim! That was Devin Hester, Super Bowl 41. I call it the Prince Super Bowl in Miami, the heavily favorite cults against the Bears,

and that was the highlight. Oh! That was the highlight of that night for the Bears, the opening kickoff in an eventual Indian Indianapolis win. Devin Hester, and it's interesting. It's kind of fun now as we get older and seeing these guys that you remember when they came into the league now getting into the Hall of Fame after watching their

whole career. Devin Hester is in the class of 2024, joining him, Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis, and then in the senior committee class getting in as Randy Gratashar and Steve McMichael, former Bears great. But great crew, all deserving. Who jumps out to you on that one, Greg? What on that list? I'm thrilled to see Andre Johnson and Julius Peppers get in.

It's a great reminder, especially with Peppers, to just wait a little bit. Wait a little bit to evaluate these careers. And when I was mentioning Flacco before, I was thinking about, I think it was his first three years. He had like one touchdown, eight, seven interceptions, and they were really getting on it. We get it, Lamar Jackson will win playoff games. No, no, no, no. I just meant like people were killing Flacco for. not being a playoff performer for years, and then it actually flipped the entire way.

And Julius Peppers, to me, was picked on for years of maybe not living up to his, like, draft value. Like, people have totally memory hold this. They're like, well, he's so talented, but he really doesn't play that hard. And it was like just people who are kind of making vaguely racist comments about a guy who's extremely low-key, and sometimes you have to really watch, I think, the film to appreciate and appreciate his consistency that he got better and better and better and better and he made things look easy. And he was a guy who I think got in in part because he had such a long career

of sustained excellence. But for the first five or six years of his career where he was still very good, he got picked on and people were using the B word around him and he's literally a Hall of Famer. And so it's really cool to see him get in. This is the B word. The B word. The bust word. I don't know why I called the B word. I love this class because this is the first, like I just think it's like a cool class. Aren't all these players cool? Well, yeah. It's like we cover big chunks of their careers. Devin Hester obviously stands

out to everyone that you will never have a player like him getting into the Hall of Fame ever again, assuming the NFL keeps the rules as they are for kick and punt returns. It just will never happen. It's like that element in the danger that he presented will, is gone away in the NFL. Everyone always sort of

brushes over the senior entries, but Steve McMichael, I think, was the first football card I ever had. was a member of that 85 Bears team and was a long-haired, angry, like, fury-driven linebacker who sometimes because you had Mike Singletary in there and a couple of us, Ron Rivera, gets a little bit forgotten. He was as badass as it gets. And right now he's battling ALS, and I know he's going through a lot, but he was like a mid-80s

and he played a lot longer than that Bears team, but he was a mid-80s fire starter and an unforgettable if you watched them. Andre Johnson is one of the more dominant players of his era and good to see him get in. Some of the guys as they get older, and that was the case with Johnson's last three years. He was in decline as a player and, you know, bounced around a little bit, went to Indianapolis,

even was in Tennessee at the very end. But those prime years, those peak years with Houston, he was just locking in. He was a first team all pro twice, second team, all pro, twice, and kind of like the linchpin of that offense. In that J.J. Watt, glory years, he was the star on the other side of the ball, the consistent guy, and well deserved for him as well. I think Patrick Willis was essentially a perfect player.

He didn't have as long of a career as some of these guys, but was a perfect player. Right. I love that he got in because, to me, he's a little bit like Terrell Davis, where the first five years of his career, he was the defining inside-slash-middle linebacker of those five or six years. And then he got hurt, and it was kind of it. It was really six years. And I think that's, to me, more worthy of a Hall of Fame induction that you're dominant for a six years.

Six years a long time in the NFL than some of the compilers that get in. So to me, he's a particular type that I'm glad got in. I just, like, this is actually the first class where I started doing NFL covering it in 2003. I feel like I did pretty much see all of these guys' careers. Freeney started just a bit before, same with Peppers. And it's just, I don't know, it's badass to see, but it's also crazy to me that Antonio Gates is not on this list because I don't want to do the thing where you just say it's crazy,

he didn't make it, who would you take out over him? Hester, to me, would be the obvious one. But I would actually put Gates over all of them. And I actually think if you had asked everyone in 2010, and you gave them this list, who's the biggest lock of the Hall of Fame here. I think Antonio Gates would have been your answer. And I do think he's getting punished a little bit for being on the Chargers. And some of it's just timing. But he won first team all-pro three

straight times over Tony Gonzalez in his peak. He has 40 more touchdowns than Travis Kelsey does. He's the all-time leader in touchdowns at his position. He has about 30-something more than Gronk does. Like at the time, there was strong arguments that he's the greatest tight-end of all. So I hate knocking it out, but Hester is just a weird one, because Hester only made three or four Pro Bowls. Like, he, I think he deserves to get in and maybe, and I think it's just a timing thing. Gates will get in eventually. His chemistry with Rivers was unbelievable.

And here's the thing with him, injuries were just really kind of held him back. He played forever, but he was, remember, he's always battling those foot issues. And when you look back at his stats, he was always a red zone stud, as you mentioned, the touchdowns 116. He just had two 1,000-yard seasons. Now, I know it's a different era back then. But I'm just saying the injuries, he missed a lot of games in his career. But if you're a player who goes, first team all pro is big time.

And he did it three years in a row. And then five out of six, he was either first team or second team. So I feel like this is the case I make for Don Mattingly, my hero growing up in baseball, a shorter prime that's truncated by injury. But if you are a face of the league and a dominant presence over the course of a decade, like that should be given extra. So I'm with you. He'll get in, I think.

He'll get it. That's why. It's hard to get. It'll be right. We saw him, by the way. We were getting coffees. I know. You didn't say anything to him, though.

I had just gone on a little Twitter rant because it annoyed me because I was such a fan. I think he's maybe the greatest receiving tight end I've ever seen. You just have to compare between eras, but I did not say anything. You should have showed him your little tweets. Well, what if he's annoyed? I mean, he might be pretty disappointed that he didn't make it. You're in his camp, though. That would be clear.

You know. Shout out to Dwight Frieder. I was going to say we don't want to and we're going to have Cam Jordan on in a little bit and Cam Jordan is right behind Frini in the sack record

he's in the top 20 and sometimes in that and I said it in the pod recently the best rivalry the two best rivalries Cowboys Niners in the 90s since I've been watching football and Pat's Colts in the 2000s

and the Peyton and Brady it sucked up all the oxygen but Frini was one of the guys the dudes on Indianapolis that made made that whole team go. And he was a consistent force in their front seven. And they don't win titles and have that run of success without him. So also well-earned. And he's in the

top 20 all-time size. Right. And he's the guy that was getting like defensive player of the year, second, third. Like that's the difference between him and like a Willis who was really great at his position. But he would, another one who was really dominant. And had a nice little run too. I remember him, hevered him in the 28 to 3 Falcons team. He had a nice little rebound season. That's right. And it was kind of a team leader for them. Mark, do you want to add anything on the final Veterans Committee? I'm going to scour that. Well, he said Steve McIkel, but there's also Randy Gratashar.

We can't leave Randy out. Gratashar was, I believe, Denver Broncos, like during the Orange Crush era. That's before my time. So I kind of stay away from giving firsthand knowledge about players that I was, during, I was essentially a toddler during that time. I was just giving you the runway in case you had something in there. I think it's, you know, actually my only comment. It's kind of sad for me. It's great that they get in, but sometimes

they're not alive anymore, or it's so far away that people kind of glance over it and don't really, like, understand what their career was. It's like, I don't know how we do this with Hall of Fame where some of these guys, like, get in and celebrate it a little bit earlier. Like, if you're, if you're on the bubble that long, it feels like a rough ride. I immediately think about speeches, too, with these guys. I feel like this is a good, a good crew. I feel like Willis is going to bring some fire. Who else? else we got. Well, I'm doing a little Gratashar here. He is

the heart of the Orange Crush defense. He's the all-time leading tackler for the Denver Broncos. He's the 1978 defensive player of the year. So went to the Super Bowl? Shout out. Shout out. All right. Anything else?

All right. Let's wrap this up. Good conversation. That's what's happening in the news. Let's take a break and we'll welcome our first guest. We'll be right back. Welcome to that. Our next guest is, he's a dude. Let's start there.

He's a dude. He's also part of the NFL media podcast network. He's also a stud defender for the New Orleans Saints. You know who I'm talking about. Cameron, Jordan. Welcome to around. the NFL, buddy. I appreciate you guys having me on.

I mean, the intro music dropped, and I was like, oh, now I get it. I get it. Welcome to the Twilight Zone. So that's, okay, so Twilight Zone, it's always a good test, like, how the guests hear what that song is. So it's a bit of a sci-fi vibe to you. Yeah, it was quite eerie until the guitar started stringing, you know? Yes.

I always found it, it's 1988 cop driving back to his apartment after his partner just got shot. Yeah, he's down and out. Yeah. That makes perfect. Sam, here's a little full circle moment. We've been doing this podcast for 11 years now. I'm getting emotional about it. And before the podcast started, we worked and just wrote for NFL.com.

When you were drafted into the league, you came to the old Culver City studios. And in the green room, a young journal, Dan Hansis, met with a rookie. That's him. He talks to the third person ever since he got the last contract. And I remember we had a nice conversation. I wrote up the piece. I remember talking about your dad, Steve, and watching the Mr. Perfect video years ago in WWF.

And now here you are, like, I don't know, you're a Hall Famer? I think you are. You're the all-time sack leader of the Saints. You're in the ATN era of one of the greats. Yeah, one of the great. And you are in outshine Jordan Cameron, who you were mistaken for in that draft process. I mean, come on.

In 2011 draft class, arguably the greatest draft class of all times. There was so many, you know, there was Cam Newton at number one. You know, me at 24. Cam Hayward at like 30. Then there was Jordan Cameron at like the fifth or sixth round. And I even got called by the Browns to get drafted by them because it was Jordan Cameron Cameron Cameron Cameron Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, it seems like a great dude. You know, he won Walter Payton Man of the Year award last night, though. Is that problematic for you?

People still confusing YouTube? I've got called Cam Hayward a couple times in my stay here for the last three days in Vegas. I've been called. I was like, oh, man, Jordan Cam. And I said, that don't even make sense. That he's been retired for so long. And let's still go in like Jordan, comma, Camma, Cam. Maybe that's what it was.

There was pause in there. So maybe he was just reading it like you do to the passport, you know, last name first and then go on to the name. But I also get, I was like, oh, he's like, what they don't do. I was like, you're Cam. I was like, come on, say it. Say it. You're like, I was like, Newton. They're like, no.

I was like, you don't. I've gotten Brandon, Marshall, and Alvin Camara. And at this point, I'm just like, where are we going with this? You, you know, you're a great player, but at this point, you're basically a podcaster. You're our colleague. Like, Alvin Camara, great teammate. You're our teammate. We're here on the NFL.

Yeah, the Off the Edge podcast. And I know that you're truly a podcaster because you're getting an 830, not even a wake-up call, an 8-30 car to come over here to Radio Row every single day. you're working harder than us. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's a 6.45 wake up to, so I can go run down to the, to the weight room down at the hotel just to get my 30 to 45 minute elliptical in to get the juices really, the creative juice is flowing. You know, the cerebral cortex has to be pulsating at ultimate levels for me to, you know,

be able to get into a car at 8 to be here by 830 to get this work in. How's season one going of being a podcaster here? Man, so, you know, I don't even know what season. And so me and Mark Ingram had a podcast, you know, trust levels, biggest, you know, biggest trust on the highest of levels. It was vibes, you know. And when you can bounce ideas and talk to other people, it's a party. Going solo, this solo act? You know, I'm not feeling like Justin.

I've been thinking about it. Tell me more. I'm feeling like Justin Timberlake when he left Insink, you know, like, I'm like, I'm out of my own. I miss my friends. Nope, won't say it out loud. We'll continue. You made a lot of money, though. Well, you want to be Timberlake like 2003 to 2014.

not modern day Timberlake when everyone hates him. Wait, everybody hates him? I feel like there's been a lot of pushback and blowback with Brittany and Janet and some other stuff. Are they on trolls? Do their kids watch him every day? I would not know. I think Justin's doing all right. I think you're right.

And that's, yeah, he's probably doing quite okay. Between Branch and Princess Poppy, you know what goes on in my house? How many kids you got? I've got four. Okay. And three of them are girls. So guess what we watch? A lot of musicals.

And guess what trolls is? One heck of a musical. Mm-hmm. Living in L.A., I only know, like, one dad has three kids, and it just tears his life asunder. It's mostly two or one, and people I know. So to go four, you're in L.A., so the taxes are high there. Three kids at a school? That'll blow the house up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sounds hurtful. I got to take these kids out to eat every day? No, no, no, no, no. Can we talk a little saints? Absolutely. Why wouldn't I want to talk about the black and the gold or the gold on the black? Can I ask you one, like, the most fascinating moment for me from the Saints all year.

You know, you close out the season with a, with a, you're up 41 to 17 over the desperate Atlanta Falcons who are about to fire their coach. And you're down at the one-yard line after an interception. And James Winston dials up, you know, unbeknownst to the coaching staff. A one-yard touchdown for Jamal Williams. You go up, you win the game 48-17. You know, Arthur Smith is all annoyed afterwards. Dennis Allen doesn't know what to say. But then James Winston tells everyone later, like, look, we did it because everyone in the locker room wanted this to happen.

Like, your reaction to that. Tell me, you tell me your version of what happened here. I'm so sorry the locker room really enjoys being a brotherhood. Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry that we punished a rival team. I would do it again. In fact, I would have gone for two. Now, the only thing I'm going to have a discrepancy with is, I didn't understand the ramifications.

They're like, no, they were taking victory formation. Ah. So the can't land of Falcons had already acquiesced. Oh, hell, yeah. And they were just trying to get out there just like their head coach was about to get out there, the Falcons. And you know what? I love that about, I didn't under, Greg went to Tulane, so he was a little more into the world there. grew up in the Northeast.

I didn't understand the true hatred between the Saints and Falcons until we started covering the sport more closely. We kind of need more Saints Falcons. Right. A rivalry in the sleep. What do you want me to do? Like, good job. Well, hey, I'll see you next time, bud. Right.

When I saw James, that clip that kind of went viral last week, on stage at the church as a pastor, I was like, Dennis Allen didn't have a chance against this guy. Of course everyone's following James Winston. Absolutely. Yeah, my only half of my gripe was, I was like, Dennis ended up saying sorry, and I was like, why would you say sorry? I was like, you know what?

You say sorry, we didn't go for 50. So sorry on you. But here's the test, because, like, after the game, James was like, And, like, apologies to coach, but we made a decision as a team. Jamal, Jamal has been an amazing team. Right. An amazing player.

Whatever, they called his number, he's given all the juice, all the, you know, even giving up the possibility of accolades. But are Dennis and James cool? Like, is James going to be there next year? Now, James deserves to be a starter. He deserves to be a starter. That's fair. I mean, when you see the quarterbacks that played, I'm not knocking anybody,

but we played the Chicago Bears, and it was not Justin Fields on the field. We played a guy in New York whose agent was probably became more famous than he did. So you're telling me James who's got, you know, the arm of every Titan's dream, you know. That's right. I forgot you all ended DeVito Insanity. I forgot that game. I got one thing, though, I'm glad we weren't part of DeVito Insanity. One thing, though, because I would imagine San Francisco, like the players would never do that to Kyle Shanahan. So I guess I'm asking from another angle, like Dennis Allen kind of like they wouldn't? I don't

know. But is it perceived as the players doing something to the coach or the players representing the players? I think the people outside the locker room kind of question like does Dennis Allen like have this team you know in every possible way or is it like we're going to go do what we want to do no matter who the coach? Would that happen if Sean Payton's the coach?

I don't know. Absolutely. Okay. Okay. Sean would have gone for two. I would have gone for the it. It wouldn't been a victory formation. But if Sean said no. If Sean said we're kneeling out of. I don't, I've I've seen us beat the brakes off the Philadelphia Eagles, and we're up by like 30-something, 40-something. He's like looking around and like it could, it's clearly a time to take a knee victory formation and sees Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary, a legendary Saints player who had then gone to Philadelphia

and was like, AK, over the top now. And we're up by like 35, 40, you know, it was like, and we're going up top. So I don't see Sean ever saying no to scoring more touchdowns. Sean? Yeah. Drew Brees. Yeah. Say no to more touchdowns.

Right. There you go. That's like, you haven't a hundred bucks, and I'm about to give you 100 bucks. And your financial advisor is saying, we don't want it. Right. There was, we talked about a lot on the show. There was, like, like, a lot going on with the Saints though this year. Like, they were just a strange team to figure out where I'm friends with a lot of Saints fans kind of follow the coverage. And the fans sometimes were just like, they were frustrated in a way that was almost unusual for a team that was still, you know, in the mix and

first place, a lot of the years. And I think it was understandable that they were frustrated with all the success that they had. And then after the season, a few things kind of struck me of... Somehow we blew a 17-point lead to the Green Bay Packers. That happened. I remember that. That was early. Mickey Loomis said something about after the season. This is what struck me of that, like, we need to do some changes maybe with the roster and personnel to improve the culture. And that that comment was like, hmm, improve the culture. Because when they hired Dennis Allen, they were like, We're keeping Dennis Allen because we want to keep this culture going. He's the guy that's been there and been running this defense.

So, like, what do you think Mickey Lewis is talking about there? Like, with the culture, was there? I've learned to not put my GM hat on. Okay. Yeah, I've played this game, and it's never worked that well. I was like, yeah, this is what we're going to do with the draft. This is how we're doing it. This is what our team needs and have been completely wrong.

You know, so I was like, yeah, we're going to get a defense vint. And then in the first round, we got it back into the first round. And I was like, oh, this is the D-N time. And then we went to officer tackle, which turned out to be a phenomenal draft. So you learn to shut the hell up and let the up top do what they're supposed to do. They're supposed to want more. If we're three years drive of playoffs, maybe a culture shock needs to happen. I think there's a core group of our players that push positivity and whatever it is.

In fact, I loved our locker room this year. But if our locker room isn't winning at a high rate, things are going to have to shake. One day they'll be like, hey, Cam, your time, bud. And I'm like, hey, I hope the Saints keep on winning. Whatever it takes, I just want the Saints to win. We'll close it out with a little legacy talk, so I'm looking at... 26 years of Jordan football there. Hell yeah.

Pick which you're talking about. Pro football reference, by the way, your head shots are always on point. What do you got in store for this year? Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I like the El Diablo look last year. That one was probably my favorite. You're talking about the mustache twist?

That was a few years ago. I still had, like, I saw dreads. Do you take, you know, you and Jimmy Butler. I had a Jerry curl after that one. That was, I now, I don't understand when, you know, Dion Sanders was like, it looks dry, but it's wet, or it's wet, but it looks dry. Whatever it was, I was like, I need that. This, the most recent one.

You got a top Jimmy Butler with the NBA. He's kind of your version in the NBA doing Fallout Boy. That was crazy. This year is kind of like you're looking like your guy that maybe was on the airplane, and you kind of let one go, and you're waiting to see if anybody notices. No, no, this one, this one was the Alan Iverson in Spotify. tired, walkover. Oh, the headboard.

Oh, 2001 finals. Scraping over Tyre Lou. You know, like, yeah. But here we go. So you have 117-and-a-half career sex. Hallelujah. And the most ever by the Saints. And that is a team that has some big-time players in their history.

Number one on the list is Bruce Smith. We're not going to get to 200. But if you get to 123. He played 19 years. Yeah. We saw him last night. It still looked like he could play. It looks like he's 37.

When I get to 125 this upcoming season, yeah. I was going to say that. Put you in the top 20. And that puts you in the club of the great late Derek Thomas, Dwight Freeney, Von Miller. Let's get in that top 20 and start scaling. What, 128? Dwight had 125 and a half.

And to get into the top 20, math is at 123, which is what, five and a half sacks next year? I think we could do that. Keep playing the Falcons. It's time. Yeah, yeah. As long as my ankle doesn't go out week 11, I have to go hobble around for seven weeks.

That's tough. I see myself doing that. The key is to stay, you know, they say the best ability is availability. And although I played, I was not at my regular standard of living after, in fact, at a dagam Atlanta game. So you think I care about Atlanta? How frustrating is that when you're just, your body won't listen to you? Yeah, it was a tin-car pile up and everything landed on my ankle.

Ugh. All right, well, hopefully next season you stay healthy and your dominant force as you've been in your whole career. Thank you, buddy. And yes, check out the off-the-edge button. Now, listen, we don't always give massive endorsements of podcasts, but we're going to do it. right here because Cam's the real deal he's got obviously

a big podcast future so let's get on the let's get on the carpet ride with it according to my people last night I showed some dance moves maybe I just I quit this football thing

and you know just go tap dancing for the rest of my life I don't know let's get in the top 20 first then let's do it all right Cameron Jordan thank you buddy

I appreciate you guys having me on thank you all right there goes Cam we'll take a break and we'll be right back All right. Welcome back. It is time. It is time to pick the game. That game being Super Bowl 58 and let's go around the horn. Let's pick the game and then while we're here, as per tradition, please share your sandwich prop for Super Bowl.

58. We should be hanging some money in here, right? I think we all know we should. It's a Super Bowl. So, Mark, get us going. How is this? And I think there is, here, there's two things on the line here with you, Mark. Just think about this. As we learned yesterday, you did predict Niners' Chiefs back in September. Correct. I wouldn't call it a daring prediction, but I got it right. Yes. And you deserve credit for that. Yes. So much credit. We have another situation going on as well. unless I'm mistaken, do you have a win yet in the picks in the playoffs? Because this could be history also.

I don't think I've won since, like, November. I think you are winless in your picks so far in the playoffs and the locks. So obviously this is also our final lock of the week, lock of the season, second half standings on the line. Greg, a lot on the line in this game. I don't think it's on the line anymore. You blew it. I didn't blow anything.

You lost last time. So that means you're one game up with one to play. Okay. You could tie it. I also believe in my situation. And also, I have the extra first place vote la Stefanski, so it would go to me, yes. There is an inglorious aspect to my situation that I believe I'm notched at nine wins. And I was told that no one has ever finished with only nine wins.

All right. So there's a lot on the line. Let's see what he got, Mark. All right. So this is what I predicted way back when. 49ers 28, Chiefs 24. But I want to explain how this game ends. Yeah, go ahead.

Because the Chiefs, you know, they've not allowed 31 points all. Yeah, it's all these, like, their defense has been so tight. Kyle Shanahan's, this is what I wrote for NFL.com, Kyle Shanahan's winding quest to lift the Lombardi crescendos on a February night in Las Vegas is Brock Purdy tilts Kansas City's defense for three scores and 400 plus yards. The play of the game, though, is San Francisco's 77-yard, pick six of Patrick Mahomes that seals the deal with seconds to go

in the final frame. All right. I love that. I love it, Mark. You are always looking to ring it on the old horseshoe there. And that's a needle to thread, but I believe in you. I like, I also like, we're not all agreeing. And I'm picking the Chiefs.

So I like we're on different sides. I'm locking up the Chiefs. 2720 is my score. It's just under that number. I do think it's going to be more of a running and a little bit of defense game. So a little under that over under. You know, they're a dynasty.

Some would say my locks title staying at home in Santa Monica is a bit of a dynasty. It actually started this four lock trophies in five-year run by picking the Chiefs over and over and over again. So I'm going to go back to the people that helped me get there. And sometimes we talked earlier in the week about Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and the journey that they've been on into becoming all-time greats. And sometimes that's all it is, is just elevating at the big moments. In the season, Travis Kelsey was four for 13 on contested catches. In that game against the Ravens, three for three. MVS, like, you might not think of as one of the great players.

Three for 14 all year and plus 20 air yard type throws. Three for four in the playoffs. They're just playing better. Look at the teams they beat. To beat the Dolphins and to beat the Bills and the Ravens in a row, that's a murderous row. Murderous, let's come down. Okay. Dolphins is a tough, you know, the offense, I think, the way that the defense stepped up.

It's totally fair. But they won that game easily. That competition they've been beating to me has been more impressive than the Niners sneaking by. So I do like the Chiefs to really put the dot on this dynasty, get their third title. Good game, 27 to 20. But the 49ers, to me, they feel like supporting players in someone else's story. All right. So I'm annoyed now because I can't go against how I feel.

and it's going to cost me the second half title, but I'll live with that. The second half's co-title. And Greg was always, you know, well, I had that extra first place vote. But it's going to be, it's going to show once again the level of integrity that I operate on at all times.

I'm not going to change just because Greg went chalk as he always does. They're literally the underdogs for what it's worth. I mean, they're two point underdogs. Everybody knows how you do your things. Okay, so congratulations on your titles. You know, whatever, okay? I do like the Chiefs here.

And I got burned like so many other people picking against them. Me too, by the way. I've been wrong. In the AFC title game, I thought it finally was Lamar's year. I thought Baltimore was the better team. And I'm going to say it again here. I think the 49ers, as they are presently constituted, their best game, I think is better than the Chief's best game, the way their roster is constituted.

And if Brock Purdy, for instance, came into this game sharp, and he was hitting throws, and you get McCaffrey making plays, and you have all this talent that San Francisco has an offense, if their defense can just play a B game, they're going to be okay because Kansas City is shown, even during this great run in the playoffs, that they're not an explosive offense. They're still not one,

even though they've had better success than they were having during a very difficult regular season. However, I just can't do it. I'm not going to be the guy that goes against Mahomes in this spot. I think he's going to find a way. So I'm also, and this was already his, here, Greg. I also have 2720. Wow. So we have the same pick, the same score.

Let's see what happens. I wrote on NFL.com that I thought Mahomes wins another MVP, but it's going to be the Spag's defense that makes plays that are memorable. The more I think about it, as I spin now to my sandwich prop, and we'll come back starting on my

side with that, I think there will be an element of so one of the offense having a big day, and one of the most maddening dumb storylines around this NFL season in our world

emanating out of certain corners of news media is that the NFL is fixed, that the NFL is somehow this has been preordained and specifically the corporate synergy on display between Taylor and Travis

is a sign that the NFL would wield the chiefs to this spot. Well, get your popcorn ready. People that love that conspiracy theory. because I think Kelsey is going to have a monster game here. My sandwich prop is that Kelsey becomes the first player in Super Bowl history to surpass 200 yards receiving in a game since Jerry Rice went off for 215 and 23.

Wow. Super Bowl 23, that is. That is my lock. Kelsey goes for 200, Taylor down on the field, sparks flying, and everyone is mad. That's my thing.

Everyone. Well, certain people. Certain people. Certain people will be big mad. I'm happy. They're happy. It seems like a beautiful relationship. I think they're in it to win it for the long run.

I don't know if I could put a sandwich prop on their marriage at some point. That'd be very long term. But I like those odds. But I like the under 200 yards even more. You got to hang on you, bro. This is the Super Bowl. That's more than hanging. That's out there.

That's beautiful. It's a going to go for it. I relish how the hordes of people are just looking past the 49ers. because of a two-week sample size from the Kansas City Chiefs. They're kidding. It's a very even in terms of how people are picking them. They're favorite. All the betters are taking the 49ers.

People just think that the Kansas City Chiefs are back entirely. It's like the larger sample size tells us that they were going to regress back to gaffs, drops, some issues, some problems, and having to be that office. Just like everyone thought that was going to happen in the playoffs, but it didn't. But that's a straw to me an argument because the 49ers are literally favorites. And in terms of Vegas, like the, the, the. what they would say the sharps, all the money's coming in on the 49ers. It's not a straw man in the sense that there has been a wave of support for the Chiefs

that was simply not there two weeks ago. It's based on a two-week sample size, and it's not, you know, false or a ghost, but... But it's not a two-week sample size. I think people are looking past the Niners in this situation. It's like a five-year sample size. That's all, and then them turning the flipping the switch. But we were talking about the Chiefs a certain way for 18 weeks. Yes.

And now we're talking about them differently for three weeks. it's a different team now. Yeah. Well, that's, but that's a presumption that that's exactly who they are from here on that.

That's all. I'm with you. It's always very difficult in the playoffs, which do you balance more, and that connects with my sandwich problem. I'm going, Isaiah Pacheco is going over 150 yards

from scrimmage in this game because I am waiting what I've seen the last handful of weeks from the 49ers. I think they're what sticks out most in this game that they have not been up for the challenge.

I don't care about the effort thing. That's like two plus. is essentially in two players in very specific plays. It's just that they've been mediocre. They've been mediocre in the biggest of spots. They should have lost that Packers game. They were really outplayed in that game. They didn't play well in the Detroit game and got bailed out.

The defense of the 49ers is the only reason I don't think they win this game. And so I'm going Pacheco over 150 yards from scrimmage. Oh, you've been talking about that. All right, how about you, Mark? Are you taking that? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we didn't do that part. You took my, are you taking?

I will take yours. I thought that was for all the time that we call certain things onion hangers in terms of a game situation. That's a huge one right there. I mean, I'm probably doomed, but... That's a huge one. If it... Like, will you guys buy me a sandwich if he goes for 184? Well, then just lower the number of it.

Not, bro. I'm going for it. No, I think it's a nice round number. Yeah, give me 200 first inch jerry. I'll take yours to you. I think that yours is more probable if, like, everything went right for the chiefs. Total yards? You could break off an 80-yarder at some point, you know, you never know.

Still would be certainly longer, long odds in terms of. terms of, you know, be like plus 300 or something. I will take you up on it, but it's certainly within the range of outcomes. That's the other part, Mark, San Francisco's defense certainly could be exposed in this game. That's true, but I would say their defensive woes are also more recent than the longer sample size, but I'm not big on their defense, but they gave up 60s. Isn't recent what matters the most? It is, but I'm just saying, like, in two playoff games, they gave up like 67 more yards on the ground

than they had at any, like, average-wise in the season. So, and I honestly think that the come to Jesus talk from Steve Wilkes, like, does matter. Like, they lost the pride a little bit. I'm usually with you, Mark. I'm usually the numbers over the season matter more. Look, the 49ers are favored. You just can't sell me on that no one believes in them argument. They're literally favored.

I mean, and it's a coin flip. But I actually think you're making good points. And if you're crowing at the end this Sunday, it wouldn't surprise me. Like, this is game, not much would surprise me. And I think the 49ers, I agree with you. too, that their best game is better. The other thing that doesn't matter is the everything that came before this game, if I beat the both of you and this lock, that's all that anyone will remember.

I'll give you the, you want the trophy? I will, let's do a vote. I will purchase my own trophy if, uh, I'd vote for me. I vote for you too. Give Eric a vote too. For one game. How many weeks have we had? I think, um, I think I'm 17 and 4 right now.

Well, that's, that might be a record. That might be a record. By the way, I, I buy into a hashtag effort. I don't even know if some of the Niners' defenders are going to show up for the game. She's like, I do not. I'm lazy. I'm laying on the couch.

Wait, we didn't get your sandwich, prop. All right, so I'm going to do a very me thing because I got a symbol from the sky earlier this week that in Las Vegas this week, a player was bit by a coyote according to some reports, okay? A lot of people reaching out about that. Right, and that's something that I said would happen a while back. I often say things that will happen, you know, down the road.

What did you say? That a player would lose, I believe. believe it was a player would lose like some playing time by being bitten by an animal. Now this, in this case, it's a little bit off. It's a little too specific. I mean, we're just, at this point, we're casting a wide net at this point. I'm accepting that he probably did say that, but I don't even remember. It's, well, people are reaching out to me and saying this is true.

I'm sure they are. Well, listen, I understand how this works with you guys, but I, it's been too quiet in Las Vegas. It's been far too quiet. Okay, I like this. This city, it's Friday. All of this business, this nonsense, this like, look, look at me business is about to shut down and it's about to become an explosion of human

non-virtue and problems and bad choices and all sorts of stuff. And I am telling you, I'm not, I just think this energy will feed out to the entire NFL sphere that between now and the end of the game, a what I would call a far-reaching NFL story. You know when we get those? It's like when Bounty, when Bountygate started, it's like, oh, you know we're going to be reporting on this for the next three or four months. Yeah. I'm not talking like two weeks or one week, and then it disappears. It's like, this is going to go deep and going to go long and wide in terms of like a story.

A far-reaching NFL story that lasts for months will hatch before the game ends. Oh, but it could only be within the confines of the four quarters? Well, no, no, no. Or through the weekend. The minute I said this and the end of the game. What if something has already happened? It just hasn't been reported yet. I think that would qualify.

Okay. I mean, not if it happened in September, but if it happens. But when does it have to be reported? reported by Sunday night? No, no, no. I would say... The bet has to close. Wager's got to close on the Sunday show.

In spirit, I would think that it would have to happen that we'd know about it by the end of the game. I'll go with that because I think otherwise it starts... Or by the end, by the time we get to this in the podcast, late Sunday night, which is hours after the game. Stuff's coming out. Stuff's coming out. Okay.

And I think... But when I say far-reaching NFL story, I think we can agree on one that if we were back on the news desk, you'd be thinking, headache, headache. headache for weeks, months to come. I had something similar, cooked up. So that's why I'm not going to take you on it. Because I, too, believe something's going to happen.

Why would you not take me on that? That's the most surprising. I really, I have a feeling that's the worst move of, yeah. Something newsworthy will move the needle. And yes. Isn't it too hushed? It's too hushed.

Right. The 49ers having another alarm clock, wake them up 15 minutes early does not qualify. It has to be massive. So I will take you up on this. Cam Newton's walking behind us with a cigar in his hand. You can't do that. What is this? 19806?

I don't know. They're smoking in our hotel all over the place. Are they? Yeah, I walked down out. Oh, it is Vegas. Yeah, I walked out of the hotel number two. It's the last bastion for smokers. Smoking men's cigarettes.

All right, there you go. Those are our Super Bowl predictions. Those are our sandwich props. I stand with you on that one, Mark. Okay. I'm glad that you do because I think that that suggests legitimacy. see. All right, let's take a break, and then we will welcome in certain members of a certain team of a certain podcast. Up next.

Yeah, you heard it. Our guest now joining us from the Minnesota Vikings. and K.J. Osborne. Welcome to Around the NFL fellas. And there's the chant. Can you picture it? It's almost your back inside the building. I can feel it.

This is the best intro yet. Best stadium, right? Yeah, they hit a home run with it. Really well done. Kirk, KJ, tell us what you're doing here with Bounty. Let's get into that. Well, you know, you can't have, we've had some wings that we've set up at these different stations,

and you really can't have wings without having bounty paper towels. It's true. So we're really, you know, understand a lot of people on Sunday watching the Super Bowl are going to have wings. They're going to have parties. You're going to have all kinds of good food. But make sure you don't forget about the bounty paper towels because I've hosted some parties through college through the years where I forgot the paper towels. You can't have football without wings. What if somebody brings the wrong paper towels?

You just kick him out of the party. Oh, yeah, for sure. Bounty only. Yeah, it has to be bounty. You're out. It's not going to work. That's true. I've always felt that.

I agree. It's not going to fill you. Here's a little This is our 11th season at ATN And every year we pick a team of around the NFL This year we picked the Vikings And it was after Kirk's injury And we kind of said

Let's get behind this as an underdog story Didn't quite work out But we had your backs all season long We want you guys to know that Love that Yeah Appreciate it man What's going on with the Achilles

I know you've been asked that 7,000 times Where are you at? Yeah so I'm three months in Probably got about four months to go. I'm hoping I can get back. I expect to be able to get back for seven-on-seven in OTAs because you're safe there. You're just taking your drop back with nobody around you.

Making the throws. I'm hoping to be able to do team drills too, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there and then go into the summer break, fully cleared, fully healthy. But the first three months has been a positive experience. I was nervous because I haven't had surgery before, haven't had big rehab.

But, you know, the surgery, coming out with the cast and the scooter and then the walking boot and now, you know, getting back in a shoe. It's been a real positive process. The Vikings training staff has been outstanding and it's been a good first three months. Yeah, KJ, I know at this point in the season, when we chose you as a team of a round of NFL podcast, clearly it made big...

Team! Oh! I think we just blew out everyone's ears. Sorry, guys. No, that was awesome. We're doing our best. Like, I am so excited that it happened. Eric, you're fired.

I'm sorry. The team of ATN, you know, I'm sure that was big news in the locker room. You guys talking about it. We're now an international award-winning podcast. How did that feel to be embraced by the podcast with Josh Dobbs and all the different quarterbacks that kind of went through there? Oh, we love it. We love it.

We love it. We love it. We appreciate it. And, you know, we got a great fan base up there in Minnesota, so they show us a ton of love as well. What was that like that end stretch of the season, which had some awesome, ups. It had downs. It had a little bit of everything throughout that stretch. And you're without your leader, Kirk, but you have different quarterbacks who come in and all sort of had their moments. And then, like, what was that whole season like? Because it feels like the Vikings are

always a lot. Like, no matter what, there's a lot going on. Like, it's a fun team to watch, like, the ups and the, and a little bit of the downs. Yeah, man, it was a lot of ups and downs. But, you know, whoever coach puts in there, that's what we're going to rally around. And one of the things in the receiver room, we say we try to be wide open, you know, so try to make the job easy. You for the quarterback man. We talked about the 40 seconds that before the play clock that, you know, you guys don't hear on TV and everything like that and the pre-snaps and the motions and everything like that. If we are up on our game as a receivers, you know, we can help the quarterback out. And again, just being wide open for him. And, you know, any guy that coach puts

in there, we're going to trust them. Kirk, can we talk a little carcassants? I don't know if you've heard that thrown out. I haven't heard that thrown out. So I really think, obviously, it's a well-known thing. A year ago in honors, you came out as Kirkco Chains and the famous team playing moment. I really feel like, and tell me if you agree or disagree, from our standpoint on the outside, it was like a turning point in how Kirk Cousins was seen. Like, it was like, oh, these guys love playing with him. You've always been a well-known as a good guy and a productive player. But did you feel like a change from the outside a little how you're seen after that kind of took off a little bit? Yeah, it was interesting. If I had known that, I probably would have

been on a plain shirtless of chains on in like year two or three. But, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, it's It took till year 11 to figure that out. So, no, it certainly has created a bit of a change. I think I've kind of always been the same guy, but perception was probably different than reality, and perceptions maybe catching up to reality in some ways. And so that's kind of where we stand now. KJ, like viewing Kirk as his teammate and as, you know, the leader in your huddle,

did y'all watch the Netflix show? And, like, was there anything from it? that you guys gave him some grief about from the Netflix show. I think a lot of people ended up loving that show and love Kirk, ain't it? I loved it. You know, I got a lot of feedback from family and friends. We were trying to keep it a secret during the seasons. We were trying to be low-key.

We didn't want to be distractions. So if anything, the grief I got was we didn't know. You didn't tell us. You didn't tell us. We didn't know. It was a little fishy because, you know, there was always cameras up at practice. I'm like, that's not the team. So I'm like, somebody's miced up every day.

But nobody, you know, usually that stuff gets out. But it was a good secret. It was a good secret. Yeah, that was such a great look. And I think maybe that also played into the Kyrgyzance a little bit. I think it did. And just seeing, like, the dedication it takes. And after the season ended in the playoffs, like, you know, you're getting up early

and spending the time with the family. I mean, I think it's good for people that haven't played the game to see, like, the human side. And that show did such a great job of that. Yeah, that was the fun of it, was that. we do cover a lot of the football. Maybe this show can cover the football and. And I think the and was what was so fun about it. Right.

Like, my kid loves that show. And he has like an hour of TV. He gets to watch a day. And he's choosing to watch that show. You're raising him well. Right. Which kind of boggles my mind. He forces his child to watch football content 24.

We're raising our kids the same way. Right. Like, I've seen the ex-players at NFL Network, how they train their kids to become NFL players. It's not going to happen with my body. So I'm training him to be a podcast. There you go. Now, you guys are here, you know, as teammates, your futures are somewhat up in the air going into.

Have you ever thought KJ of seeing what Kirk's done as a businessman in his career? He's gotten it done. Maybe you combine forces, combine the leverage, you're stronger together as a free agent tandem. Just the thought here. I've never even thought of that, like, go to free agency as a group, as like a team, as like a team, not as an individual. You seem like a friend's guy, Kirk. Did you watch Friends? Friends is a little bit ahead of my time, and I never really resonated with me.

So you totally mispegged me there. I'm not a friend guy. I'm sorry and apologize. It's a bad job by me. But they had an ingenious move where the six main cast members negotiated together. And, like, we get the same amount of money. I see. We go to the same place.

Same amount of money. Aligned with QB1 here. It worked out. It was a record-setting show. Maybe we'd try the same thing. I would not be against. If I had to pick someone to team up with to do that, the guy to my right would be someone I would pick.

Wingman, baby. It's a good idea. How does it feel like this time here is just an awkward time? It is. It's a good word for us. When you're a little in between, for both of you, just I guess, how are you feeling? What are you thinking going into it as free agents?

Yeah, we've said March is the month, and we're in February. And the season end of January 7th. So you really have two months. of no news and you're not supposed to have news it's just kind of a waiting game and that's okay so you have a lot of people asking about it when you run into them in town and and they want to know the updates and i say i don't have any updates i'll let you know march 7th 8th 9th 10th that's when things will start to heat up yeah until then there's no reason to have news because you really shouldn't for short this is my first time doing it so i'm going through it i'm learning and i'm asking my age

and i'm asking guys you know it got to be something you hear it got to be you know something and I'm finding out the same way as Kirk is saying, you know, it just doesn't happen until it happens. Well, I'll say, and we're going to let you guys go because we know you're busy. But I've always had a, I grew up a Jets fan. I wanted you to sign with the Jets a few years back. Remember that.

But the, I feel like you found a home in Minnesota. You guys have great chemistry as teammates. A lot of big time. Let's run it back. Stay in Minnesota. We don't need it. But get paid. Do the friends thing.

Get paid. Do the friends thing. All right. Some leverage. Some leverage. Some leverage. Thanks, guys. guys, we appreciate it.

All right, there goes Kirk and KJ and Mark's back in the picture. We should have mentioned that Mark stepped out because we didn't, you know, not a lot of mics and Mark needed a blow. I thought it was a little weird that Mark is still so anti-Mnesota Vikings from what happened with Team of Around the NFL. He did a walk off. He refused to interview, but it's nice to welcome you back. Well, it's, you know, I feel like I could tell that I was missed.

It's really evident. Like, it was just more talk space for the two of you. And so, fine, have a nice time with it. All right. So, Mark is back, though, because we have one more guest. And this is, I mean, this is a little pop for this guest that it's the final guest of Super Bowl Week at Radio Row. That shows how much. We care and love Nikki Glazer.

The drags. Now, Friday is always the big spot. Friday, Nikki Glazer, who is. a tremendously talented stand-up comedian and host and you're doing it all. Podcast hosts. You have your own podcast that is emanating out of this very

spot right after we finish up. You're going to be on it. I can't wait. Can't wait. And you're touring relentlessly. Making that guap. Yeah. So check out Nikki's tour dates on Tableside guap. Yep. And wherever you, all the socials.

Nikki Glazer, welcome to around the NFL. Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here. This is like a weird thing. Yeah, we go way back. We go way back. And Nikki and I, I remember, it's not weird for Mark and I. It's pretty normal. No, but I want to know. I want to know more. Way back in like 2008, when Nikki was first, like, fresh from St. Louis and college. And I was coming to L.A. to work with our buddies Bob and Jason Zumalt, and they were doing these videos and doing great stuff. And Nikki was a fan as well. of the work they were doing for the post show, which was really fun stuff.

Well, I met your friend Bob. I was drunk in college one night, and I was a big fan of Best Week Ever. Bob worked on Best Week Ever. I followed the Best Week Ever blog on VH1. Bob did the blog. He had also posted his AIM screen name on the blog, and because I was a super fan, I was like, I'll just add him to my buddy list. So one night in college, I came back to my dorm.

I was a little drunk. And I was like, he's on? I'll just like, you know, instant message him back in the, you know, I heard the like the door open. and then I became friends with him from just AIMing him once and then he put me in some of his sketches when I went to New York.

Collie was trying to make something happen romantically, never did. How could you resist? I know Bob. I don't know how you resisted Bob. There was a rooftop moment where I think we could have kissed, but I really like, I have a way of putting up a wall that lets people know, like, don't even try anything.

To keep their dignity. Yes, it's important. It's just, like I have friends who get hit on all the time where I'll just be with them and guys will just be like, hey, you're going to finish all that salad? Like, they'll just, guys will just say something. Don't do the salad bit. Or like, I was walking with my friend in the park and some guy was just like, hey, do you dance?

And he's leaning against his motorcycle. What's wrong with us? 20 feet away, goes, do you dance? And he's not talking to me. And I go, do people just ask you if you dance? Like, and then she's like, that's, oh my God, no, I don't. I go, stop talking to us, sir. So I think I put up a wall with people.

And especially. That's good, though. It's a skill. Like a friend zone thing because I just, I like being friends with men. And I don't want a weird thing to get in the way of that until I choose. I'm checking notes at the moment just about the tree thing and the leaning against the tree. Just leaning? Don't do it.

I put up a similar wall. It's why I really haven't gotten much attention from the ladies this week. But it's just obvious the wall. No one's ever asked me to dance in the park and I know it all connects. No one asked me either. I had to explore it and go, why am I not getting these? And you had a Comedy Central show that Bob was a head writer on. So we're all connected.

And I was in that world working with the guys. guys in 2008 and we became friends that I remember like because I was broke you were broke to I had imagined at the time and I remember taking our buddy Brian's car and I would drive you to like stand up sets occasionally and it would be so it's kind of it's kind of a this is all in Hollywood it was a full circle moment it's so great to have you here and I need the reason why it was perfect it was a lot of reasons why are Greg and I here I don't I don't know but I love how I'm like literally in between you, you know, two of the greatest football minds in a country.

The reason I thought it would be a lot of fun is, number one, you are a big Taylor Swift fan. That's where I feel I do belong here. Otherwise, I would feel like such a fraud, and I would be really embarrassed to be here because I don't like being places I don't belong. And I feel because of my Taylor Swift knowledge, even though most people would disagree with that,

I do feel like this is the only year in which I belong. Yeah, and like I remember when we got to know each other, because I've always been a sports guy. Like, you were very kind of anti-sports. Like, keep the sports away for me. Because I'm scared of what I don't understand, Dan. It's not, it's not because I hate what I don't know. And I don't seem to really understand football.

And it's been explained to me many times. I'm starting to understand it. But I just don't understand how millions of people understand this very complicated game, like, second nature. There's no, like, training you guys go through. I always ask my friends, like, so where did you learn that that is, What did you, when did you learn what off sides were? Whatever, like these, like, did you ask your dad? Was there a course in school?

Like, you guys start playing football as little kids. Like, do they explain all the little intricacies of it? Like, how do you learn all these? It's a daunting sport to kind of jump into the water. Video games is a big part of it. Madden was a big thing, yes. But so here's a data point. So Deschriver mentioned a report from Apex Marketing Group

that estimated more than $330 million in brand value. you, Taylor Swift is brought to the NFL and the Chiefs. I don't know what really any of that means, but I do know that Swift and the NFL is on people's radar because it is these two massive giants of culture. And you are someone now, you're watching the games? Like, are you amongst the, like, maybe millions of people that are now watching football for the first time? Would you continue to watch it if she wasn't involved?

Yeah, I think so. Well, because it also lined up the time when Taylor Smith started going to games was also when my boyfriend moved in with me and he's a huge football fan and watches most of it. And so that was when it just started being on all the time. So just to enjoy being around that, I had to start understanding it. So I think that he was gone watching a game recently and I turned on the game and Taylor wasn't even there because I did care and I felt so cool. Because for the first time in my life, I was on the phone with a friend who was going through a breakup and I'm like talking to him on speakerphone. I have the game on mute.

And I felt so cool because at one point he's crying about something. I go, no! And I did the thing that men do, where they react, and then the person on the phone goes, what's going on? And you go, oh, I'm just, I can't believe she said that to you or texted you that. I felt so cool that I had like a man moment where you react to, and not just men, but like mostly react to something that happened, and I understood what was happening.

It's like, it's been an education, but it's 100% based on Taylor Swift. And I will say that, you know, I'm one of these people that has an unhealthy relationship in my mind with her of like she's like my friend or whatever and I know that disgust some people and confounds people as well but it truly is a thing like when she won last week of the Grammys

I felt this like oh it's like my friend is winning like I felt that kind of joy and I thought that's so ridiculous she's not my friend I don't know her why do I feel this is that really how I feel and then I go actually I've had friends win Emmys and it's the exact same feeling that I had

so I do feel like she's my friend and so when she first started dating Travis, I was like the... Travis, I'd just like your first name basis with him. It's great. Yeah, that's where we're at as 50s, I think. When Travis, when Travis and she first, when he first gave the friendship bracelet, I remember being so annoyed and being like, who does he think he is?

And him being like, I wanted to meet her after, but she was too busy. And it's just like, yeah, she's... Because I didn't know anything about him. I just thought he was just some guy and was getting headlines because he talked about her. So I was like, because this is a thing. If you talk about Taylor Swift, you'll get your face next to hers in some kind of headline. If you say anything. We're aiming for it right now.

Exactly. And I've never done that intentionally. But yes, I get my name next to hers on headlines sometimes because I have a lot of opinions. But I just thought it was his attempt to like, but he's not like that at all. It comes to find out. And it worked is the wild thing that that worked, like being that bold. And when she first got with Travis, I was like, oh, no, like he's going to be a football girlie. Like, I've never related to girls that like football.

Like, I'm losing her, you know? Like, it's like when my friends have kids. I'm just like, I don't, I won't relate to them anymore. We won't care about the same things. And then I said, try to let this in. And I was able to. And I feel like she, yeah, I, I, I, if she ever has a baby, though, that's when I'm out. That's why I go.

You're moving on at that point. I can't have a, it's too late for me. It's a bridge too far. Yeah. Yeah, she gone. Yeah, she don't. A little Kelsey baby. Like.

But yeah, I'm into it now. I feel like the two groups, I mean, you should see like when football fans are like why would you know Taylor Swift fans get so into this or follow this person around that they don't even know and get emotionally involved. I'm like there's a 70,000 person stadium of people whose entire weeks or months or lives or years are going to rise or fall based on what happens on that field and like whenever we're in person it always strikes me as like oh yeah these are just like other people doing this thing and they actually have no relation to me whatsoever.

And the people on the Patriots really aren't that different than the people on the Colts, even though I've built up in my mind. It's like we're having the exact same pair of social relationships. It's nice to put yourself into something that you have no control over. That's really, thank you for saying that because I've always, that's what I've envied about sports fans, is that you have this community and this passion and this thing where you can get so excited about these events you look forward to.

And I just never had that until I became a Swifty. And suddenly I have this community of people where we're all. all rooting for the same thing. It feels really good. And, yeah, the only place she plays now are places that are made for football. So it's like, it is the same thing. There's a connection. It's a huge connection.

It's, everyone dresses up. Everyone, but I've been to 10, a nine eras concert tours in the past year, and I'm going to three next week. So I'm going to, I'm getting up there. Australia. Look at you. I know. I didn't go there for it.

I'm just there for a wedding. And she happens to be there. so I'm going, but, and people go, how could you go that many times? And it's like, because it's just, it's just a great, like, people go to see games that many times, but my team always wins. Always. There's no disappointment. Yeah, ever.

I find a comparison here because when I was very young, I'd moved back from England. These guys were tired of hearing about this. But my mom woke me up one morning in, like, 1984, and we went down and watched the very old television set. It was the Charles and Die Wedding. It started like four in the morning. And we sat there and, like, I'll never forget watching that. And I kind of think with where our culture is a little bit, that this is the perfect kind of our version of Charles and Diana a little bit on some level.

But my question more would be, because it makes so much sense culturally for, like, the football star to date, like, the rock icon. Yes. And maybe the roles are a little reversed. She's the royalty. But would a, do you think the rock icon would date someone who podcasts about football stars? Would that have the same hold over the culture? I think, yeah. think we will love whoever she loves but this is certainly playing into like you know she's always

been the like she has a song called 15 where she's like you'll do things greater than you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team like where it's like she has all these illusions throughout like I wear short skirts she's on the bleacher well that stuff it's all been like leading to this and I do think it will last a really long time I don't think it'll last forever because I don't think many things do especially with the pressure of you know but I think I think that this will go the distance. I think they'll have kids. I think they'll get married and all that.

I don't think there's a proposal coming. You want to put a sandwich on it? Yeah. All right. I'd love to. We do sandwich props. Yeah. They will have children.

Long running. I will get an announcement 20, 25 December of a baby on the way. Nikki's hanging onion on the show. There'll be a very mark. I'm saying, let me predict it now. Wedding, Summer of 25, announcement of baby in December. That's beautiful prediction. By the way, do you have our opening?

because I think she might recognize the voice. I think Nikki will like this. Let's see. It's a test. Oh, I know who this is already. The around the NFL podcast. Asian's on Walt. That's it.

So this is such a fun, cool thing to have Nikki here. And you, by the way, check out Nikki on the Good Girl tour. If you're at the wedding and see, your fame is reaching levels where it's like, I got a million Instagram followers. And my friend is getting married in Australia. I'm going to go. Yeah. You can go to Australia for the wedding and then catch Taylor a few times.

Nikki, I'm proud of you, I guess is what I'm saying. I've spent $30,000 on Taylor Show tickets. I'm not get, I mean, I'm getting some. Here and there, I get a little deals or like insider. Like, you can buy tickets for $700 instead of $7,000, but I'm not getting any shortcuts from my fame. I don't think I want to be friends with her. Okay. It would ruin it.

It's too heavy. Yeah, it's too heavy. And you're also the host of F.Y. I know you auditioned for. I'm sorry, Mark. Maybe next time. We can't allow shirts in the swimming pool. And you refuse to take it off. Take it off, Mark.

And finally, the Nikki Glazer podcast, which I think about to do with you. Yes, I'm so excited. Awesome. And that wraps up our week of shows here at Radio Row next time you hear from us. It will be the flagship program, Super Bowl 58. Check it out. I mean, if you listen to these shows, you're going to listen to that one. So I don't need to sell it.

You know, listen. Thank you to everybody. to all our guests. Thank everybody behind the scenes. Eric, thank you, buddy. We had four old fashions with Eric and even gilted Rosenthal into one. So that was a big, big development also. Highlight of the week, guys. Highlight of the week. All right. Love you, buddy. Thanks, everybody. Till Sunday, Heath the call. Thank you.