NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Week 15 NFL Picks with Cynthia Frelund

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

Gregg Rosenthal and NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund give you their picks for Week 15 and Gregg is hoping to keep his streak alive! They talk Las Vegas Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles (01:49), Arizona Cardinals vs. Houston Texans (04:27) Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (08:42), Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants (12:03), Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers (15:46), and Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys (18:25). Note: time codes approximate.  NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. If a Lenovo gaming computer is on your holiday list, don't shop around. Just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com. It's your last chance to score exclusive deals on the gaming PCs you want, like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 gaming desktop and Lenovo Lock Gaming Laptop. So avoid all that shopping, chaos, and price comparing, and just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com,

where PCs are up to 35% off. That's Lenovo. Thank you.com. Lenovo, Lenovo. Hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move to Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL

rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up? It's Cam Jordan. I'm back with season three of your favorite podcast, The Off the Edge with Cam Jordan podcast. It's happening every Wednesday to hear conversations with my friends and stars from the NFL, the sports world in general, and entertainment. About anything from teams and players making waves to pop culture. And I'll take you inside my journey through my 15th season in the NFL.

Looking forward to you joining me this season, the season of more on The Off the Edge with Cam Joined podcast. Catch new episodes every Wednesday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. Store more and do more with your data. Try them for free at wasabi.com. Is that another email from your boss bragging about their fantasy football team? It's time to take them down in the playoffs.

I'm J.J. Zachary Eisen, host of the late round fantasy football podcast. Tune in daily for winning insights to help dominate your work league, your family league, or the league with your college friends who still think they know ball. It's time to lock in and get your roster championship ready. Listen to late round fantasy football in the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to NFL Daily, where the greatest streak in sports remains alive. I'm here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio. My name is Greg Rosenthal.

I'm with Cynthia Freeland. and she says that this is her favorite day of work. Her favorite show is probably game day view, but right next to it is this show, our picture. In my head, it's kind of an extension of the same thing because we do it today, so it feels like one. We are of one. We do like all those weird little random shows.

Who needs them? All of them together, though. In that show, we pick every game. We don't really worry about this. How many years have we done game day view? Like seven, I believe. This show, though. Damn, okay.

This is only two years old, but I'm on a hot streak. Yeah, you are. Ten straight winning weeks. Let's go. With no thanks to Pete Carroll and some of the most insane end-of-game circumstances I have ever seen. I finally watched that game Thursday morning, and the amount of things that had to happen for my Broncos not to cover were crazy. But I still went two-and-one last week, and then it kept it going. You sound frustrated.

Well, I just thought that was crazy. It was crazy. You know what else happened in that game? No one really noticed? They had a play, a running play, before the two-minute play. warning that ended at 201. It looked like it went to two. And then Pete got the timeout at 201 and that actually saved it so that they could get

the ball back on the other side. Then there was a, it was so many things happened. And you know what? It didn't matter because I went big game hunting last week. And my underdogs won straight up. Chargers beating the Eagles and the Texas beating the weirdest game. Can we agree that that was one of the weirdest games you've ever watched? Absolutely.

And I was there. I got to see it in person and it was a delightful game to watch. How did you explain that to your kids? Oh, I mean, Walker just, he loved it. He went crazy. And I'm going to stay. I'm going to go first this year. You do it.

Because it's a continuation. To punish the Raiders for what they did to me last week, I'm taking the Eagles minus 11 and a half. 100%. I've been, sorry, if I'm in, you can jump on this if you want. There's no rule against, you know, what we're doing here. This Raiders team, I'm confident in fading them each and every week. I went back to watch this Raiders Broncos game to see if there was like anything different. And you know what? The Broncos did get a special

team's touchdown. The Raiders did move the ball. Like on their first drive, they got a touchdown. And so it wasn't like the most one-sided game. But then again, they doubled them up in total yardage. And this is Kenny Pickett returning to Philadelphia. So there's just not enough points.

I don't think that you could give me. And I really imagine that Kenny Pickett, quarterbacking the Raiders, is going to score for them to cover 11 and a half points here. No, I'm totally with on that. I also, when you were talking about a special team touchdown, I also thought that was really funny

this week when Liam Cohn was like, they were like, what do you, you know, what do you want to give credit to the Jets for? They're like, they can do some stuff on special teams. Why did they even ask them that question? I mean, that's so funny. That is really funny that they had to prompt him to say nice things

unlike Mike Tomlin who Bill Belichick just start every press conference. They didn't say it like that. I mean, they were like, oh, so what do you what are you game planning for? Like, they said it more respectfully than that, but it was just He's like, they can score touchdowns, especially. That's funny. That's an option for you to take is one of your picks.

One thing I noticed, too, is like, look, this Eagle's defense is awesome. I'm not worried about it. 68% pressure rate? Jeffrey Lurie, their owner, said this is not like 2023 when we totally collapsed because our defense is Super Bowl caliber. Our special teams is Super Bowl caliber. I think he has a point. And that's why I don't think they're going to collapse in that way.

And they're facing a Raiders offensive line. Just forget about it. This Raiders offense. Forget about it. has topped 300 yards once since week four. And even in that game last week where they were kind of competitive-ish, they gave up 27 first downs. So they're one of the worst teams I've ever seen.

I like the Eagles to bounce back. The positivity rabbit is back, although it's not back. It's gone. Someday, you're going to have to explain to me what that rabbit was even about. We need to have like a three-minute-long documentary about that rabbit. It's an Easter Bunny blow up. It's amazing. Give me your first pick, Cynthia.

I don't understand. Okay, my first pick, listen, I, I'm going to, like, I want to just keep it simple because, whatever. I'm just going to go with Houston to win by more than 10. Okay. I just, Arizona, here's my fun, my fun fact. I was talking to some of my, like, friends and be like, like, well, what is Arizona's defense going to do? against this offense. And they're like, well,

Bouda Baker's wife had a baby this week. And I was like, I was like, a friend in the league, not like one of my personal friends. Not like a Kyle's surfer bro buddy or whatever. Kyle would be like, what?

Kyle, your husband does not know much about football. Okay, that's also not true. He just doesn't say anything because of what my job is. So he like won't, he doesn't want to like act like he's like my.

No, he just not like, doesn't want to act like that. You might have made my decision for me. I got to admit. I wrote down four games this week, and I couldn't decide between three and four. Okay. And one of my four, I'm not going to make it my pick now, was Arizona plus nine and a half.

So make the case just football-wise. My question was it, you know, I do this reasoning a lot. I'll tell you exactly why. Do the, have the Texans earned the right to be favored by nine and a half points? I'm giving you a half point back, by the way. Right, right. You said 10. Well, they have to win by 10 for me to win.

have they earned the right to be favored by nine and a half against, and I'm not going to say anyone, but I don't consider the Cardinals anyone. I consider the Cardinals like the 25th best team league, not the 32nd. I don't think they're the Raiders. So that just seemed like a lot for me with a team that has a lot of defensive questions. Maybe offensive questions.

I understand you mean. Number one, the thing, first of all, this Houston defense is poetry. It's wonderful. And they're very, very especially good at stopping play action passes, which is what Jacobi Brissette has done at, like, a top 10 rate. So they're very good at, like, his trick play. They're good at stopping his trick play.

Now, on the other side, what we've seen from C.J. Stroud, oh, by the way, and Marvin Harrison, the Astorix Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr., probably not playing, still hasn't practiced. So just keep that in mind for fantasy purposes. I know playoffs are starting, whatever. But then on the other side, when I'm looking at C.J. Stroud, you talk about the O-line being average. Here's something interesting. When you look at the number of plays that they've thrown quick passes, so sub 2.5 seconds, they're doing it at a 50% clip that's the second highest rate of throwing those quick passes in the league and dalton shaltz has just like been there that's the level where like what part like i don't want to go anywhere near buddabaker although my player friends were like they have nothing to play for none of his incentives hit if he does anything the dog is out of him in this fight oh baby makes you a baby makes you uh softer for the week allegedly i don't know i think it's funny but but but that's not part of my real analysis my real analysis is

The quick passes are going to be any sort of, well, combat any sort of problem. The front's going to give them. But then also, I watched, go back and watch some of the recent plays. And I love, I love me some Will Johnson. I don't know if he quite gets a yet. And I think they can exploit that. Nico Collins quietly has the third most yards in the league on downfield passes. Will Johnson, part of a rough week for the University of Michigan.

Next, I. Yeah, we'll just leave it there. You convince me. Those are some very logical reasons. And I also think when I think about it more, Jacoby Brissette, throwing a Michael Wilson and Trey McBride, missing that extra weapon in Marvin Harrison, Jr. is really big against maybe the best secondary in the league.

All right, I'm crossing off my Arizona. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. To be honest, look, if you saw at the beginning, my record this season is up to 26 and 16. That's a 62% clip. You're doing well there. And that's after losing for the first four weeks.

But I think I've been wrong so many times thinking that the Cardinals were better than they were and that they would cover some big number against a good team because to me they look more like a five or six-win team, not a three-win team. And you know what keeps happening lately? They keep getting their doors blown off by good teams like the Rams last week. So I'm glad to cross that off. I feel better about what will be my third pick. But I'm going to give you my second pick. And I'm a little wary about this.

Why are we doing if we're wary about it? Because I do believe. I'm falling for the trap. Okay. Vegas is trying to make us take the Chargers plus five. 100% there. Vegas is like, I am.

I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. Little tiny carrot. I'm going to do it. Maybe because the last few weeks picking against the Chiefs on game debut straight up and here as well last week has been so satisfying to see them lose. But it's five and a half. And I know the numbers keep saying that the Chiefs are better.

than they are. And I believe, I believe that. But there's something in your gut, in your gut. Heavy, not my gut, in their gut. So there's something heavy about this team that the number that at the end of games, there's the opposite of what they normally had. And all I need to happen here is the Chargers to keep this within five and a half. What are they in their last five games? One

and four. And they've been playing teams I would describe as right around the Chargers level. Not the very best teams in the NFL, but playoff teams, week after week. It's been a really hard schedule. And you know what's happened every time? They've either lost or they've won a game once in overtime. They won by three points. They've shown nothing to me that they're going to beat a good team. And I say a team with this Chargers defense, I think it's a real deal defense and a quarterback and a coach. I know they've got other problems, and that's why I'm not very confident. I love the Jim Harbaugh put last week's win like up there with his wedding.

I love him. It means more to him than maybe the other coach. He's won a lot. You know, how could this game mean as much to Andy Reed as all of his children? And that's why I just need them to cover five and a half. And I'm taking it. I know Vegas thinks they're being tricky and asking us to take it. Tricky, tricky.

I'm taking it. Okay. I mean, I, the chiefs have screwed me the most this year. I went back and looked at like the reasons why. and part of the, like, okay, you can blame the online, sure. You can blame penalties, also sure. Usually with a very well-coached team, you don't get that many penalties from that many games.

So, okay, all this stuff is true. Then I look at the defense. It is so wildly inconsistent. Usually with the Spag's defense, it's like September has some weirdo things, and then it starts to go up until the right. They get better. That hasn't happened.

There was like maybe 12 minutes in the second half of last game, where it was like, oh, shoot, they came to play, And then Trem McDuffie gets hurt. And C.J. Stroud also just made a couple really good plays. Right. So you're saying C.J. Stroud can dice up Kansas City, but then you're worried about him against the Cardinals? That's a fair point. He made plays on his own where I thought like they even got pressure to him quickly.

And Herbert, I know he's playing with that injury. I know it's a short week. There are some concerning signs, but what ultimately did it for me is I think the offensive line on both sides of the ball are a problem. And I know the Chiefs actually played okay. up front last week. Yep. But I think this charges front. And overall, their defense is better than people think.

I think in a lot of ways, their team build has been about trying to beat the Chiefs. And I know it didn't happen last year for them. They were close. But especially in the division, it came through in week one. And they don't have to win for me to keep it going. They just got to keep it within five and a half. So I'm feeling good. I convinced myself into it now that I said it.

Okay. Your number two. My number two is a number two, as in the spread is two. That's Washington and the Giants. I can't believe you're taking this scheme. I have no clue who you're going to take here. I'm going to take the Giants. Okay, that's who I have too.

Yeah. But I don't know. These two teams, to me, I look at these two teams in December of 2025, and I'm just like, yeah, have fun with that. Same. That's why I'm doing it because of a field goal. Okay. It's not like you're asking, like you put it at three and a half.

I'm like, stay the heck away. Okay, but why the Giants? Okay, a couple reasons. Number one, well, one, Jackson Darts fun. so we like fun. I'm looking at all the things that happened. You saw a D-line coach get fired. You saw Abdul Carter get bench.

You saw, like, there's just a lot of weird junk going on. And this is a team where, you know, they have cameras on them for, like, the in-season hard-knock stuff. Like, there's some, I don't know. I'm looking at this and I'm saying that front is going to play with their hair on fire because they're already very good and they want to show who should stay, who should go. They're playing for their jobs now. Wondale Robinson has a really good matchup against a secondary in the commanders that has been.

Poor. Non-existent. And, well, they exist. They exist. And they're more injured now than they have been all season, and they weren't good to begin with. And I watched that game last week with Washington, who we thought was going to beat Minnesota, and they just looked rudderless. They just didn't care.

And the best thing that you can target the Giants with is an outside run, because I've been, harping on them all season long for how bad they are at allowing outside runs and like who's going to do that? You think it's going to be Chris Rodriguez? You think it's going to be? I mean, I understand that They don't even play Bill anymore in practice.

They don't play him anymore even though he was very good at such runs. He was very good on those runs. I was outside runs, but they don't play him anymore. So the thing that you're the best at against this team, you aren't doing. You lose Zachertz, which is a massive loss. I don't want to understand it. Like, Debo and Terry McCloran feel like they're not, I don't know.

Out of place. It just feels like, it feels like a bunch of like the pieces don't fit. I don't think Debo Samuel will be on that team next year. He is a free agent at the end of the year. I'm with you. I think the Giants. It's a field goal. Come on.

Come to my side. No, no, I'm on that side. I'm on that side. I just didn't want to have that much faith. Just give me one thing about the Washington Rearer. Like, yep, that's an advantage. No, I agree. And Jaden Daniels is out this week.

When we last taped NFL Daily, that wasn't 100% clear yet, I don't believe. So he is out, and that hurts them as well. And rest is probably the reason I like it best. We saw what the commanders did coming off their biweek. They look good for one week against Denver. They were rested. It's a late season by.

And I know the Giants got dog walked in Foxborough before the buy. But other than that, they've been competitive, and they've mostly played hard. They're one of the... I mean, this is damning with faint praise, but one of the better two-win teams this late in the season I've ever seen. Because they've been in, like, so many of these games.

Love it. Half of them, they've been up by 10 in the fourth quarter. All right. I like that. Okay, my third pick. I also just like the two. Yeah. Because you can get a field goal win.

Two's nice. They kept Young-Oikoo. I was a little surprised about that after that stub-toe thing. I'm glad his career did not end that day. I'm going to go 49ers minus 12 then. I'm not a take big favorites guy, but ultimately it hurts my soul too much to take the bills in this exercise.

I do think the bills are going to win, so that was the other one. I think the bills are going to win, too. My math does not. I was considering the bills, but there's no need for me to go against my Patriots in this format. I've been riding for the 49ers for much of this season. I think they have the extra rest here coming off of by.

They are healthier than they've been all year. Obviously, they're not getting Warner and Bosa back, but the rest of the team is healthier. I think it's an elite offense. They're eighth right now in overall offensive efficiency despite all those injuries. I mean, that's pretty impressive.

So to me, the rest of the way, they could... You know that they're going to get in as a wild card and face Green Bay in the first round and you know what's going to happen, right? Because it's just like a Kyle Shanahan like he like stirs this mystery pot of like lies

and he's like, I'm going to play the Packers. I'm going to beat the Packers. If I'm them, I don't want to play the Packers. Give me the bucks or something. I'm telling you, but I think, like, the way, like, I just feel like, he's like, whatever, I don't, Green Bay, find by me. Look, if they were, if they were going to Green Bay, that's not a matchup yet, that the Packers would enjoy.

But, man, if they were going to Philadelphia or Tampa, like, they can go win that game. Sure. So. I actually think they could even sneak a win on Green Bay. Love it. You're preaching to the choir. So Joanne Jennings, kiddle, I thought Purdy played a good game. What does Joanne Jennings say?

I must find out If you follow him And I've started to a little bit On socials And then you listen Like he is just A trash talker He's a

Great He's a S word stir I don't want to need I don't want to cut any extra You know he's just A pot stir He stirs the pot He does stir the pot

I just want to know what he said To make so Anyways keep going I don't even need to keep going Although I will Whatever the team total Is in this game I would love it

for the 49ers. I guess that's just another way of saying you think they'll win. But worst case scenario, if they didn't cover this 12 points and I was wrong, I still think it'll be 35, 25, 25. You know what I mean? I think they're going over their team total. Right. So this sounds crazy, but I think this is a letdown game for the Titans.

The Titans just finally got their first real win of the season. I didn't count the Cardinals win because that was the luckiest, most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. And then their coach got fired a week later anyways. Also, the Titans defense just allowed the Browns, 29 points in cold weather. Not a defense you need to believe in. That was like a real thing that happened. So now they've got to play a real offense. Again, team total.

Can the Titans keep up in a shootout? I don't think so. I'm going 3813. It's going to be something like that. So I'm feeling good on 49. I have 36. And you know my model. And your model is very conservative.

Yeah. Oh, that makes me feel bad. Okay, that's my third pick. All right. What's yours? You know what? I like spite. Minnesota screwed us last week.

So I'm screwing them this week. I'm picking Dallas to cover five and a half. I just think that's a really weird line. That one feels, it's in Dallas. Yep. Dallas is, you know, last gath to their... They're actually only a game and a half behind the Eagles. So they're still fully capable of being in it.

I think DAC handles anything you want to blitz him with, with like, ha, ha, ha, ha, I'm fine with that. Like, it doesn't matter. So Van Gink, Van Gink. it up buddy let's go like let's go let's try but i just think that they have a lot of answers to any questions that the the viking said out and i do however think mr jefferson gets in the end this weekend which we have okay okay okay and the dogs have the ice bucket chains loz gave them the ice bucket chains we what does that mean explain the whole thing you know the commercial

where justin jefferson's wearing the ice bucket chain i don't but i'll watch more tv yes so it's on every single game so whatever he's it's a very good commercial he has this he wears two ice bucket chains. I had to do something for Lowe's. We have to do it for game day morning. And I was like, at least give me an ice bucket chain because my dogs would like to wear it and I kind of set it offhand. You know what? You know what showed up?

Let's go! Ice bucket chains. And it's so the dog chains are great. But it doesn't matter. I love Justin. I was going to say that's the reason to take the Vikings plus five and five. I like where you're thinking because I saw that line and I thought it was weird. But I also just, these are two teams, especially the Vikings that I just don't know what to

think about. But I ultimately would rank J.J. McCarthy around 32nd of the starting quarterbacks that start this week. And he's playing a defense that's really improved. And I know McCarthy played better last week. I need to see more of that. I don't know. McCarthy's in Dallas don't really go well, you know, just the last name. I also am on the Thanksgiving teams, Lions and Cowboys. Does that extra, they finally got off this Thursday track where they played three games. Now they get a little bit extra rest. Could it be a left out? Could it be a little bit of a letdown game for the Vikings

who finally just got the monkey off their back and got one nice win and now they're playing a team that actually matters and is trying? I'm with you. Okay. Yep. All right. So to review, I took the Eagles minus 11.5. I took the 49ers, minus 12, and I took the Chargers plus five and a half.

You have the Vikings plus five and a half. Nope. I have Dallas. I mean, you have Dallas and your other two picks are? Houston minus nine and a half. Yes. And the Giants minus two. Okay. It's going to be a winning week.

Wins, wins, wins. I need to push it to 11th straight. It's also a winning week here for NFL Daily. We're debuting a new show in the field. Is it called Grandpa's on the field? No, it's called Power Players. It's just going to be like a little series that we put in the feed, hosted by Jordan Roderig.

Jordan. I love Jordan. And she's going to be talking with an executive Brant Tillis of the Carolina Panthers and kind of going inside the game and talking about team building. and it's going to be talking to different decision makers around the league and it'll be popping up in our feed semi-regularly and it's coming up on Friday. I like everyone to check that out.

That's great. I'm a big Jordan fan. We all are. She also has, I mean, anyone with a cute dog I also am into. That is important. And as big of a fan as I am of Jordan, a bigger fan of the 49ers, Chargers and Eagles this week. Keep the streak alive.

See you on Friday with Power Club. If a Lenovo gaming computer is on your holiday list, don't shop around. Just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com. It's your last chance to score exclusive deals on the gaming PCs you want, like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 gaming desktop and Lenovo Lock Gaming Laptop. So avoid all that shopping chaos and price comparing, and just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com, where PCs are up to 35% off.

That's Lenovo.com. Linovo, Lenovo. Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices

construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision-makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens. on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up? It's Cam Jordan. I'm back with season three of your favorite podcast, the off the edge with Cam Jordan podcast. Tap in every Wednesday

to hear conversations with my friends and stars for the NFL, the sports world in general, and entertainment about anything from teams and players making waves to pop culture. And I'll take you inside my journey through my 15th season in the NFL. Looking forward to you joining me this season, The season of more on The Off the Edge with Cam Joined podcast. Catch new episodes every Wednesday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. Store more and do more with your data. Try them for free at wasabi.com. You hear that?

That's the sound of the group chat going off when your fantasy team scores another touchdown in the playoffs. I'm J.J. Zachary Esen, host of the late round fantasy football podcast. Every move matters this time of year. To tune in daily to help build a championship roster to beat your friends, your family, and that one co-worker who won't stop talking. Literally. Listen to late round fantasy football on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast.

Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, we've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.