NFL Stock Exchange: An NFL Draft Podcast - 130. What Matters Most From Every Game of Week 17 in the NFL

Episode Date: January 2, 2023

Hosts Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers go through every game on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday slate of games form Week 17 in the NFL and tell you what really matters most beyond the final scores

This episode is brought to you by our good friends at NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. I'm sure by now you've all got back into your Sunday routines, but they could be even better. With NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV, you get the most live NFL games all in one place, every game, every Sunday. And you can even watch up to four different games at once with MultiView, one of my favorite inventions of this decade. It's exactly what you need to catch all the action. Make your Sundays more magical. And also, YouTube TV is great. I got it this year.

It's awesome. Sign up now at youtube.com slash BS, device and content restrictions apply. Local and national games on YouTube TV NFL Sunday ticket for out-of-market games excludes digital only games welcome to the NFL Stock Exchange podcast in this episode we're talking what matters most from week 17 in the NFL and oh boy was there a lot that mattered most of course we had playoff eliminations playoff locks you had the draft order moving up and down some incredible performances all around the

NFL. We're going to talk about all of it. I'm Trevor Sycamore. With me, as always, is Connor Rogers. Let's ring the bell. Welcome to the opening bell of the NFL Stock Exchange podcast. I'm Trevor Sycamore. That is Connor Rogers coming to you in the wee bell of the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast. I'm Trevor Sykema. That is Connor Rogers coming to you in the wee hours of the night. Well, not really, but it is later than we normally record because Connor does such a great job on SMY covering the Jets postgame.

And the Jets had a rare afternoon game. Rare afternoon game for the New York Jets. So we're a little later than normal. Yeah, wish they didn't. Could have just done the one one o'clock could just get it out of the way early and then we could record at our normal times come on what are you gonna do what are you gonna do we're definitely we're definitely gonna uh talk about the jets versus the seahawks game as well as every other game that we saw during the sunday slate of week 17 in the nfl man so many things on the line in this game yeah future jobs draft position playoff positions implications everywhere teams getting eliminated team

solidifying playoff spots there's there's so much to talk about and of course it's a Monday podcast here on the NFL Stock Exchange which means we're going to tell you what mattered most and that doesn't necessarily have to mean this individual win it could mean a lot of different things could be player performances like we said it could be draft pick stuff long term sometimes short term is what matters most so we'll definitely dig into that but buddy how we feeling now i'll give you the i'll give you the proper introduction how we feel in this evening i'm good man another you know crazy sunday i know for a lot of people it was fantasy championship weekend um so and there was some some heartbreakers i'm sure out there by lack of performances or

surprise performances and of course so many playoff implications on the line and a lot of weird upsets and almost upsets this week that i know it's the nfl anything could happen especially this year but trevor even i was very surprised by a handful of these games so we're recording this on late on sunday night obviously and it is the first of the year is the first day of 2023. So I should have opened up the podcast saying happy new year to everybody out there who's listening to the podcast. We love you all so much for starting your year off with us. We appreciate that a ton.

But the reason why I'm bringing it up is because, Connor, we got sports betting legal in Ohio on this day. I'm in Cincinnati. I work at PFF's headquarters, and their headquarters are in Cincinnati. So today was the first day that I could bet on my mobile device legally in the state of Ohio. So can I tell you? Yeah, walk me through the feelings of this. It was wild this morning because, you know, you go through like, oh, I'm just going to, you know, I'm going to place this little bet here.

You know, I'm going to win a little bit of money. And then there's other ones where it's like, I'm going to put a seven game parlay together. That's how they make their money. So I actually did, you know, for the fun of it, I got a couple of free bets and I did have a seven leg parlay that I want to try to, how do I find this one?

How do I find it? He doesn't even know how to navigate the gambling. I don't even, I don't even, I don't even, I don't even know what I'm doing on this app. I understand how to bet, but the app it's,

it's, it's so new. Okay. I remember it. It was in any time touchdown bet. Okay. You ready for this? It was Jamal Williams.

Hit. Love it. Mike Evans. Hit. Christian McCaffrey. Hit. This is all in a parlay. You didn't even round robin it.

You didn't even protect yourself. You just said, these are all going to hit. No, I went for gold. Austin Eckler. Hit. And then we get into the two that did not hit. Brian Robinson Jr., who had an opportunity on the goal line, and they instead gave it to Carson Wentz to stick it over the goal line instead. So I had opportunities there.

And then Saquon Barkley. They scored 31 points, and Barkley wasn't any of them. I was pissed at that one, but I lost it by two legs, so I can't even be too mad about it. But I just wanted to throw that out there to the good to the good uh the sex addicts of the podcast that uh i got burned on my first six leg parlay so you know four of the six yeah hit four of the six you got to join the round robin life we'll figure that out after the show i mean it's just you would be you'd be you wouldn't even be doing this podcast right now

you'd have so much wealth that you could have just walked away from the podcast. But instead, you get to talk about what matters most from the Sunday since your parlay didn't hit and you didn't round robin it. And that's where I ask you, where do you want to begin? Let's start Battle of the Birds, baby. Let's go Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons. Obviously, the premier matchup of the weekend. David Blau going head-to to head against Desmond Ritter.

I mean, the stars were out for this one. Hollywood was rolling out the red carpet. They couldn't even fit enough people into that stadium. It was overflowing. A Cardinals win this game 20-19. Connor, did you have a main takeaway from this one? A very mini takeaway from this one, because this was a game that was not on alert

when there's a million games going on all the time. And my mini takeaway from this is that I really like that the Falcons, I think, found a nice player in Tyler Algier. And it was somebody that I liked during the draft process. I thought he can play all three downs and I'm really seeing it in this Atlanta offense. He has the frame to take on a heavy workload. He had 20 carries in this game. He's somebody that understands not only pass pro, but has soft hands to make a play after the catch as well. So I know when you look at the box score of this,

you know, 83 rush yards on 20 attempts, everybody might shrug and go, who cares? I mean, he had 69 of those yards after contact. He ran for six first downs. He forced three missed tackles. He averaged 3.5 yards after contact per attempt. So I've just really liked what I've seen from Algier this season, where when you're watching these teams, Trevor Trevor the Cardinals and the Falcons who feel like they're

they have a wild injury list every single week you're looking for pieces that they can use for the following years even if they're not first round or second round kind of picks and I've just continuously liked what I saw from Algier on the Falcon side of this game and Trey McBride finally being used by Arizona in the passing attack for them as well. So those teams right now, they're looking towards the draft. It's a disappointing season for both of them, but it's nice to see those fun, fun offensive guys that could be a part of their future for the longterm. Early sex addicts of this here podcast will remember my running back rankings for 2022. I had Bree saw rb1 yep i had kenneth walker rb2

i had tyler algiers rb3 baby hell yeah you did i love to see it and it's just it's such a fun running style to watch right the dude looks like you insulted his family yes every time he touches the ball and that's that's a running style that you love to see because the man will never go down a lot of the same reasons why people love damian pierce are the reasons why you would love tyler algier so i absolutely love that my what matters most for the atlanta falcons is look you can't give up 340 yards to david blough you just can't and and i think for this falcons team it all starts up front we've done mock drafts on this show we talked about my mock draft a little bit last week if you guys missed that episode you can go check it out. And I had the Atlanta Falcons in number six, taking Florida

State edge rusher, Jared verse. And I'm sticking with that. My, what matters most is the Falcons have to heavily invest on the defensive line this off season, whether it is that first round pick, which it looks like it's going to be a top 10 pick for the Falcons. Whether it's in free agency, getting some guys along anywhere, interior edge rusher, it doesn't matter. They have to get so much better along that front. Desmond Ritter played well enough again to where you go, okay, we could legitimately see what this guy is all about in 2023. Do you want to go into that year with just him?

Maybe not. I think that's a different debate. But my talking point here this week is the defensive lines got to get better. You cannot look at this Cardinals team the way that it is constructed right now. The quarterback that was leading them out there, look at the fact that they gained over 330, I think it was 339 yards exactly in this game and think that that's okay. It's just not. The defensive line's got to be better.

It starts up front for them. Go get yourself a pass rusher. That is what is crucially missing from this falcons team yeah and they took two last year in the first three rounds maybe yeah and i know arizona obviously took my jay sanders as well i mean these teams are trying but it's not enough trevor those felt like pass rush specialists that they took they need to get a premium guy that could play every down yeah and one last note before we move on from this game, you and I had Algiers a top five back. He was the 12th running back taken in last year's draft.

So good for the Falcons. Feel like they found something there. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. I was just going to say the NFL. We're just two guys that are just sitting here. I mean, we're just ranking. We're doing top fives all the time. We're here.

We're doing it for you. This is why you listen to the pod NFL. We're getting top fives all the time. We're here. We're doing it for you. NFL, this is why you listen to the pod, NFL. We're getting it right. Why you listen to the pod. What's next? What game do you want to hit next? Bears-Lions. Blowout.

We're going to have to go through a couple blowouts today. Spoiler alert. I talked to Trevor about this game before the show, and I liked his take so much that we are going to amplify and elevate that take. So, kind sir, what did you think of Bears-Lions? Yeah, so final score on this one, 41 to 10. for the show and i liked his take so much that we are going to amplify and elevate that take so kind sir what did you think of bears lions yeah so final score on this one 41 to 10 uh first and foremost shout out to the detroit lions jared goff once again just showing that he is enough

for this team to succeed absolutely i now here's the issue ben johnson's been incredible right their offense coordinator and what does this offense look like when he probably leaves after this because he's so coveted that i feel like some team out there is going to give him a shot at head coach so if he leaves what is this offense because right now i would tell you if you got ben johnson back next year if he did not leave for a head coach gig you don't got to draft a quarterback in the first round with these first two picks go get defense if you go get two major difference makers on the defense side of the ball this upcoming draft and they're able to contribute and play right away as rookies i think the rest of this

team is going to elevate itself to where the lions are going to be a really damn good football team next year without ben johnson i don't know what it's exactly going to be but my real what matters most is I want to see Justin Fields attempt at least 30 passes next week. The game next week for the Chicago Bears does not matter. There is nothing on the line other than if you lose another game and Houston happens to win. I don't even know who they're playing in week 18. If Houston happens to win it, you could potentially get the number one overall pick. I would love for Matt Eberflus to go into next week's game to just say to Justin Fields, Justin, we know what you can do as a runner.

You're an unbelievable runner. I want that to be an element of your game, but I don't want it to be the main component of your game. I don't want that to be the main course. Who are they playing in week 18? Who is it? It's got to be the Vikings, right? It's got to be a divisional game. I think not, I don't want that to be the main course. Who are they? Who are they playing in week 18? Who is it? It's a, it's gotta be the Vikings, right? It's gotta be a divisional game. I think it is the Vikings. I want to go into that Vikings game and say, we are giving you 30 passes to attempt in this game. I don't want you to, I want you to hone in and take chances on what you

think would work, what you think won't. Let's do a really good job studying up before the week. Let's take a look at their coverages. Let's look at where they're weakest. Let's make adjustments mid-game. And let's really make this last game matter. Now, it's tough because, you know, you don't want Justin Fields to go out there and throw like four or five interceptions

and the rest of the team's getting like hella bummed out. But I would kind of say that message to everybody on the team. Try stuff. Try it. If you're a pass rusher and you've been working on a move all year long and you're not sure if you're ready for it, go try it. Go get live action with that kind of stuff. If you're a wide receiver and you're thinking about switching up, how you go for a release or how you set up a corner, try it. I want next week to be a true trial game for the Chicago Bears, most importantly with Justin Fields. Let him throw the football.

I get it. It's the NFL and these coaches are just going to say, oh, we're going to put the best game plan together so we can win every single time. And going into next year, they can beat the Vikings. I know that it's a morale boost no matter what, but come on, make this game matter. And it's going to matter most if you actually use it as a trial game.

So that's what I want to see. That's what I think matters most. I'd love to see that next week. 30 passes, 30 passes. Yeah. If you're just going to have him go into next week and, you know,

run a lot and take all these hits, it's why even play him in that final week. I think he's correct. He took a scary late hit. I thought it to the head in this game. It was the second guy coming in and that's football. It's going to happen. But I, you know, he's not a guy that's, it's getting any calls right now.

He's taking a lot of contact. It feels like he's in and out of the tent way too frequently. And that is not me blaming Justin Fields. I want to make this very clear. It's the fact that he doesn't have a great supporting cast around him. And my take isn't, well, it's not his fault. He doesn't have a great supporting cast around him. My take Trevor is it's very hard to evaluate Justin Fields in this situation as a pure thrower right now because of everything, because what they don't allow him to do because of the constant hits he's taking and because of the supporting cast. So it's, it's interesting for me. I think fields has had a really remarkable year, especially in a quarterback class besides Trevor Lawrence has really taken a

lot of steps back across the board. But I also think he, there's a lot we left to see where I'm not writing him on as this future star. Yeah. I think they just, they need to do right by him. I'm with you. I would let him rip it a little bit more next week because who the hell cares?

Right. Literally, who the hell cares? What do you have to lose unless you are worried about him? I guess taking more hits on dropbacks. I mean, what's even the answer at this point? Right, right. He has yet to play in a game where he is attempted more than 30 passes. And I would just I would I would love to see that for him. I would like to see that kind of a game plan for him.

Jacksonville Jaguars absolutely kick the crap out of the Houston Texans 31 to 3 this Jags team is rolling right now Connor do you have uh what matters most from this one I mean my draft brain gravitated towards the Texans so much that I overlooked how impressive this is for Jacksonville. What's not to like? I mean, what matters most is that Jacksonville can make the playoffs, right? And that Doug Peterson, you know, I said Brian Dable would be like coach of the year vote, and I stand by that. But if I had to do an AFC one, it's absolutely Doug Peterson with what he's done with Jacksonville, cleaning up that mess and the fact that it just feels like they're not just a throw happy team. We can run as we saw today. I mean,

they handed the ball to a million different guys and had almost 170 yards. So the Jacksonville storyline to me, Trevor remains the same. The playoffs are still in sight for them. There's a chance. And what they've done to turn around, not the season, but the franchise as a whole is massive.

I just look at the Texans and go, keep losing. Yeah, they need to. What mattered most to me from this game was a Texans loss. And it stinks that they're this bad and it got this bad this fast. But they're hurting a lot of areas. There are question marks in a lot of areas. And they need to keep losing these games because they need the number one overall pick. And I still stand by it should be Bryce Young, by the way.

And we'll get more into that on the draft show. They play any next week. I know. That's why I've been saying I think the Bears are going to pick number one. I really do. No. Next week, Texans Colts a movable object against a stoppable force. Is that what they say? Yeah, I think that would be

how you would change the phrase oh no i mean the colts look like absolute poop too the colts let me say this the colts didn't want to be out there against the giants can i say like can i say it that simple it's that simple which scares me because i've never the texans stink okay but i i'm very impressed that the texans i think play hard this year they just suck and i would rather it be that way yeah what's that i said the roster's bad yeah it's a bad roster and everybody kind of thought that right they traded to sean watson and they got a million picks and they're trying to turn it around i think the colts are ready to call it man i really do and that means the texans can win the last game of the season and the bears can keep losing all right i'm gonna ask you this

do you think the texans tank do you think the texans ownership at the very top do you think the Texans tank? Do you think the Texans ownership at the very top? Do you think Nick Casario? You think they get lovey Smith in the room and they go, Hey buddy, we're going to need you to take one for the team here. Do you watch Bryce young in that sugar bowl? Do you watch it? I hope you did.

Cause we're going to need you to take one for the team here do you think do you think that behind the doors conversation happens for a player like bryce young because it wouldn't be the first time that it happened with lovey smith no it wouldn't be the first time it happened with lovey smith because we in tampa bay um i put my hands up put my hands up no no it's a very real topic they didn't try that last game my thing is they're already putting jeff driscoll out there like is that not enough it's not enough they come on they shut down. I don't think they're going to have to actively take it.

I don't think so either. I don't think they're going to tell them to do that. Colts Texans score prediction. I'll say 12-6 Texans. Yeah, that sounds about right, doesn't it? Yeah, 12-6. All right, I'm going gonna go 13 to 16 how did we get there how did we get there i don't know what's the over under i'll say 33 no it's over under the year no it's got to be

higher than that does it did you watch nick foals no no i'm just saying i'm just saying like i don't know if vegas is gonna go that low i'll say 36 i will say low research time the over under is 36 all right do we have an early do you have an early one for this oh the texans actually have score i've texans have scored some points the weeks before this. I don't have an early... Actually, I wonder if it's up yet. I will check. I don't know if it's up.

No, you're right. At 33, it's just like... That really is the stoppable force versus the movable object. I'm going to say 30, 36.5. I'm going to go 36.5. Ooh. Do you see what? I think it's up okay what is it 38 and a half okay i was close damn smash under smash all right uh so i think we got that's all the slop out of the way my what matters most is simply Jacksonville Jags. Please win

next week. Please. We're begging you. Nobody wants to see the Titans in the playoffs. Titans fans listening and watching this show don't want to see the Titans in the playoffs. You don't want to do that. You don't want to subject your friends and family to that. You don't want to have to

dress up and go out to a bar and act like they're gonna win but you guys you guys don't want that we're looking out for you i need the jags to win next week i need the jags in the playoffs all right uh what game do you want to go to next i'm with you huge for jacksonville i guess since we already did the colts we should talk about the giants briefly sure yeah um i mean what matters most of the Giants is that they got the coaching hire right. Nailed it. I didn't need this win to solidify it. That's not the

point. But the Giants go into the playoffs now with house money because nobody expected the Giants to be in the playoffs this year. And the Giants got there, honestly, by coaching. If you need an example at its pinnacle in the NFL of coaching matters to a point that is insane compared to any other sport out there,

the New York giants are the poster boy for that this year. And I'm not saying that to take away credit from Daniel Jones or Saquon Barkley or wink Martindale's defense. But I'm just being honest. I mean, I'm just being honest. They don't ask Daniel Jones to be a hero. He gets it done with his legs and he's efficient as a thrower, not a superstar, but efficient as a thrower. And that to me is coaching. So that's what matters most to the New York Giants. And that is one of the most important things when you are a fan of a team in the NFL. If you have that answered, you should feel really good about your long-term future. Remember during the summer when we were doing

some fan questions, somebody asked us, what's more important to nail it at general manager head coach or quarterback and we went back and forth with a lot of this stuff and honestly there have been so many coaches this year that make me think if i didn't say quarterback i can't remember what i said during the summer i think i probably said well i think i said i think i probably said quarterback. But if I didn't say head coach, I think I might change my answer to head coach. Watching what head coaches have been able to do across the NFL with teams and quarterbacks that aren't even really theirs in certain instances.

Now, a couple of them, okay, you can argue like they've got, like Doug Peterson, for example. He inherited Trevor Lawrence. So, like couple of them, okay, you can argue like they've got, like Doug Peterson, for example. He inherited Trevor Lawrence. So, like, he's got both, right? But, you know, you look at Brian Dable, and you look at what he's been able to do with Daniel Jones and how incredible that's been. I feel like I'm a lot closer to saying head coach than quarterback.

I still think that I would say quarterback, ultimately, because he's the one who's playing the games. But, man, a good head coach is just so much, and you can see that with the New York Giants right now. I'll give you Daniel Jones's flowers, man. I know a lot of people are, claimer for that on social media. A lot of people are kind of like saying like,

hey, what are you guys going to give Daniel Jones's props? I'll give Daniel Jones's props right here. I mean, this was a better season from Daniel Jones than I really ever thought we were going to see. And I'll absolutely admit that. I will absolutely admit that I will absolutely admit that now. I don't know how much higher Daniel Jones is ceiling is as opposed to what I thought previously,

but his floor and his consistency are a hell of a lot higher than I thought was going to be the case. I didn't think that Daniel Jones was going to stick around. And now he is at the point where report came out earlier on Sunday that the Giants are going to offer both him and, or at least they're seriously considering offering both of these guys multi-year contracts. And they should,

they deserve it. You look at Daniel Jones in this game, 19 for 24, 177 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 11 carries, 91 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. I can't sit here and say things in the offseason like the NFL is gravitating towards dual threat

quarterbacks. You need to find dual threat quarterbacks because of how much value they bring and how much stress they put on the defense. I can't sit here and preach that in the summer and then not give Daniel Jones props for that for being both. Because he is. Now, does he have an elite arm? Is he an elite passer?

No, he's not. But he is clearly such a great example of even if you are an okay passer, even if you are just a good passer and you have a genuine rushing ability to you, this is the kind of offense that you can orchestrate. These are the kind of points that you could put up, even with a terrible receiving supporting cast.

So would love to see the Giants really invest in that receiving supporting cast, whether it is at the end of the first round. You can try to go into in free agency. There's just not a lot of talent there, unfortunately. But look, you don't have to force the quarterback need this offseason. Giants are in the playoffs so they're going to be picking in the 20s you don't need to go fishing for a quarterback like a Tanner McKee or somebody else who might still be on the board in the 20s after the big three or big four

are gone already but by the time the Giants pick so hats off to Daniel Jones I didn't even think that we were going to get to this point where he was going to have this season, even with a good coach. And he's doing it with a terrible receiving cast going into the year. I know a lot of guys have played better as of recently, but... Richard James breakout? Yeah, I mean, I'd say Hodgins breaking out. Obviously, Darius Slate, when he's been out there. Bellinger at tight end, they're making him a really nice weapon.

Guys that don't start anywhere else. That's what makes it more impressive. Hats off to the Giants. I'll certainly admit that they are way better than I thought that they were going to be. And I've got to give them their credit for that. All right, let's move the Broncos Chiefs here. I mean, stutter of the day for me, I think.

Yeah. I mean stutter of the day for me I think I didn't think the Broncos would remotely hang around in this game after a week of I don't know if this came across your timeline I was kind of floored by this the topic of the week that I couldn't wrap my head around was did the Broncos just cut Russell Wilson and eat all the money

and I just every time I Google that contract, I go, I don't even think this is a conversation for another two years. So I'd be brutal. That would be just one of the more diabolical moves I've ever seen in a salary cap league. Trevor, what'd you take away from one of the more puzzling games of the afternoon as the Chiefs get their 13th win yeah i'm i don't want i don't want to say like full-blown worry but it's definitely on my radar the lack of consistency that the chiefs have in their run

game like mahomes is superhuman right there if they're going to get to the super bowl they're going to do it off the back of patrick mah, the arm of Patrick Mahomes, I should say. But when you get up against those really good teams, especially playing the Bengals, playing the Bills, playing those really good teams in the AFC, you are going to need to control the game. And I worry about Kansas City's ability to control the clock if they're not willing to run the ball, whether that's because

they don't believe they're as effective as they need to be running the ball, or if they just believe that they're better and more efficient passing it, that they can move it better that way, whatever it is. Sometimes the best defense for guys like Joe Burrow, guys like Josh Allen, is to keep them on the sideline. And in order to do that, you do have to be able to run the ball. You have to be able to control the clock. This is another game in which Kansas City, yes, they won this game. They lost the time of possession.

And sometimes there's a lot of factors that go into that. But I'm just saying, I am a little bit worried if Kansas City gets a lead on some of these better teams in the playoffs, do they have the rushing attack to salt away the games, to continue to keep drives going, to continue to keep the clock moving and keep possession in their favor, because you can do that passing the ball,

but there's always a risk when you throw the ball in the air and you let it be up for grabs for anybody to go get it or for incompletions to happen and things like that. So that's just, that was my takeaway from the Kansas city chiefs is yeah, I think they got some issues on defense as well, especially at third corner. They might be, especially when Snead went out of this game,

they were kind of exposed in the secondary, but secondary is an up and down thing. Running game should be something that you can rely on. And I, I just, I'm a little worried about kansas city's ability to keep the other team's quarterbacks the other team's offense off the field when they're going to need to be able to do that in the playoffs yeah just going through their offensive line it

seems like you know creed humphrey's been creed there's no denying that it seems like joe tooney had a pretty rough day just looking early at the early numbers there. And you're right that they need, you know, Orlando Brown's going to be a free agent. They need this group to really come together and help them have a balanced attack, as we've seen in spurts this year. You know, for me, I think any performance like this

gives you a little hope for the Broncos, because right now, let's not forget, you're selling this job out there to maybe Sean Payton maybe some other guys out there Denver I think is a very attractive destination for head coaching candidates but I think that it's lost some shine because of this Russ contract they're attached to and how bad of a year it was there for Nathaniel Hackett. And now you need to kind of show, hey, Hackett wasn't ready to coach this team. That was a lot of their problems. This thing can be turned around like we saw Jacksonville turn around this year. I don't think Russ is ever going to be in that top tier of

quarterbacks ever again. But can Russ be middle of the pack? That would be enough that would make this job attractive to candidates. So I think any level of competence from Denver to end the season here is a small victory as they try to audition this franchise to head coaching candidates. I think they're going to make a huge push for Sean Payton. I think they have to, right? I think a lot of teams are going to, obviously, but the Broncos are in a situation where they're already so pot committed you almost you know you got an extra first round pick back this year for trading bradley

chubb if you trade new orleans a first rounder this year and a first rounder next year and you're getting a quarterback or sorry you're getting a head coach that might be able to salvage russell wilson that i mean like that's that's worth your two first round picks right that's that's what's most important you're already so pot committed to Russell Wilson to where if you try to I don't want to say like pinch pennies or bargain shop but you know what I'm I mean what I'm saying that if you try to do that at head coach this whole thing's gonna blow up so bad that everybody involved is gonna be fired anyways so i can see this team getting very very aggressive for a guy like sean payton dolphins patriots the next game here i want to shout out carlos dunlap for the cheaps too that's

it though okay that'll that'll help them in the playoffs a veteran with that kind of experience been around forever i think i think they'll have to play him a little more than they already do but i thought he made a nice impact today but dolphins dolphins patriots right that's where you're going yeah uh gator great carlos dunlap by the way that's right dolphins a long time ago dolphins lose this one to the patriots by a score of 23 to 21 was not a pretty day on offense for the mi Dolphins. No. Jeff Wilson leads the team in rushing yards, 15 attempts, 45 yards. Teddy Bridgewater went 12 for 19, 160 yards. Skyler Thompson came in the game when Teddy Bridgewater broke his finger,

12 for 21, 100 yards. Both those guys threw interceptions. I mean, it ain't like the Patriots played great, but they played enough to beat the Dolphins. And, you know, there's plenty of negative about the Dolphins. Lost five in a row now. They were 8-3 at one point. Now they're sitting here at 8-8.

Now they don't even control their own destiny anymore. They need help to get in the playoffs. They need the Bills to beat New England next week, and they have to beat the Jets next week. So basically either Tua Tungabailoa plays or this team's not going to make the playoffs. But I'll say this. For my what matters most,

this was still a good year for the Dolphins, even if they don't make the playoffs. I think this was a great learning year for the Dolphins. And they were able to have success and a lot of success while in a learning year, which sometimes you don't get the luxury to do. When you're a rebuilding team, sometimes it's just losses and losses. And you're trying to find silver linings. And you're trying to get guys to really still be invested.

This Miami team really hit a good high. And I think that Mike McDaniel came in and what he was doing worked so well early on. And then I think McDaniel really got some good coaching lessons of what happens when guys get injured. What happens when I don't have the quarterback available? What happens when the quarterback is struggling a little bit more than I thought? What happens when the team gets on a losing skid, right? Like, he has now experienced so many roller coasters within this season of being a head coach

that I think it's going to be great for him in the long run. I don't know if Tua is going to be the quarterback long-term for this team, but I think that you get to answer that question properly because of a year like this you don't just get to go into next year and be like oh yeah of course like to his guy no question about it i mean yeah we're gonna believe in him wholeheartedly you probably have some closed door conversations with the owner of the general manager and you go all right what are we thinking let's be honest doors are closed and you get to actually make moves that you think are best for the franchise so ultimately disappointing down the stretch for miami i know that but when i look back at this

year of what it was i really do think this is going to be something that's going to be good for them long term given all the roller coasters that they've had this year. It's tricky, right? I agree, and I am Mike McDaniel fan number one, and I like a lot of things the Dolphins have done. They are one of those teams that we've seen a lot of teams in the NFL like this this year that have the golden quarterback question weighing them down because now to his long-term health is a gigantic scare. Three concussions this year.

Is he going to get hurt again next year? What level of veteran or whatever you need to do, quarterback do you need to put behind him or next to him? Do you just guarantee Tua is the guy next year? I think if his health was guaranteed, it's a no-brainer. Tua's looked really good for a lot of this year. Miami is at such an interesting crossroads right now. But what I will say for them is,

as much as they lost, and what matters most for New England is that they kept their season alive. Somehow, someway. Somehow, someway. I don't think a lot of the current pieces are necessarily even going to be a huge factor next year for them. They have a ton of the current pieces are, you know, necessarily even going to be a huge factor next year for them.

They have a ton of cap space coming up. I don't know how invested they are in Mac Jones. Jacoby Myers is a free agent. There's a lot to talk about New England. Bill Belichick's not getting any younger. They need to figure out an offensive staff. But all that we could talk about until we get to that point is that New England's alive, okay?

It's that simple. Where this is interesting to me, Trevor, is that New England's alive. It's that simple. Where this is interesting to me, Trevor, is that New England has a Buffalo team that is going to be gunning like hell next week to clinch that number one seed. Miami has a New York Jets team that has not looked alive in weeks. Can Miami, despite losing

to New England today, still pull this off? I think they have a chance. I think so, too. I definitely think so, too're you're definitely not far off there saints eagles saints come away with the big dub here in philly and jalen hurts obviously not playing in this game uh lane johnson's on the game as well so philly was banged up but the saints 20 sweat huge yeah josh, Josh sweat, obviously a scary injury there. Hope everything's all right with him.

The last I saw was that obviously they transported him to a hospital. And I saw that he was, he was moving his arms and his legs as they were kind of like getting him off the field. So that's a good sign, but hopefully he's going to be okay. Cause he's a big part of their pass rush, but even beyond that,

just hopefully he's going to be okay. Health wise saints, 20 Eagles, 10. What was your what matters most here from this one in the eagles loss as much as i like gardner minshu like we can officially get away from this whole jalen hurts is they're a product of the offense or the team's really good and all those things could be true that this is a really good team jalen hurts

is an extremely valuable player i cannot emphasize this enough because Jalen Hurts can do things beyond the normal quarterback play to get you through difficult circumstances like this. Credit to the Saints. Their defense is still playing really, really hard. They have a lot of veterans on this unit. You knew that they weren't going to completely fold. They've now won seven games. Isn't that weird to say? The Saints have now stumbled into seven wins when it felt like they were going to finish the year with four. There was a scenario where they could have really been in the driver's seat, I feel like, for the NFC South title still. But because Tampa won, they got eliminated. It was bananas. I think what matters most, though, besides that mini point

that's just showing how good Jalen Hurts hurts is Trevor. I'm starting to get a little worried about the Eagles injuries down the stretch here. I really am. And when I, when I say that, I mean, I looked at the Eagles all year of like, this team should be in the Superbowl. Okay. Those are my expectations. My expectations aren't when the division or when a playoff game win the get to the Super Bowl win the Super Bowl is a little unfair to say about any team in my opinion I'm getting scared like the Lane Johnson injury is massive Josh Sweat gets hurt today Jalen Hurts has been out with the shoulder and we know he's going to be good we think he's going to be good for the playoffs obviously I just feel like the Eagles are starting to take some of these massive hits

that you worry about them limping a little into the playoffs and running into a 49ers or a team like that. So that's what I have my eye on most because I knew the Eagles were going to. It was a very, very early point in the season where you sat there and go, the Eagles are going to win 13 or 14 games. It's just the way the schedule is. And they're just that good. Now I'm more worried.

How far can they go? This is the first time I've really questioned that. Yeah. And I definitely see the points that you're making, but I'm not ready to say that this Eagles team peaks too early. Cause I saw a lot of that on social media. Did they peak too early? No,

I don't think that I think they just got, they got key injuries at a bad time and that happens. Right. I'm not saying they can't survive that, but I'm finally nervous about them in the NFC. And I didn't feel like that for a long time. Well, I guess the timing of it could go into it, but my what matters most is actually, I'm not nervous about them. Jalen Hurts, it felt like he maybe could have gone this week, but you think that there's a good chance that he could play next week.

You're playing a Giants team that's already clinched a playoff spot. They don't really have anything to play for. They can't catch the Cowboys for the fifth spot. And obviously they can't win the division. So the Giants are basically where they are. So are the Giants really going to play their starters at all next week? If they are, then how long are they going to play them for? Eagles, if they win next week's game, it doesn't how long are they going to play them for Eagles?

If they win next week's game, it doesn't matter. They're going to clinch that number one overall seed. I think Jalen hurts comes back next week. I think he plays. I think they beat the giants. I think then Philly gets that extra week arrest. I think then Lane Johnson comes back the week after,

and I'm just not ready to say that this team. Peaked too early. That's my big takeaway. Hurts is coming back. If he comes back and he's able to get this warm-up game against the Giants, whether it's their first-string guys or second-string guys or however long he plays, it's a good warm-up game for him, and then they get a whole week off to heal up then a little bit. So then you're not worrying too much about Russ and, oh, man, J like he hasn't he hasn't played in weeks almost a month at this point you get to eliminate that and I think the Eagles are still going to be a force in the

playoffs and look anything could happen if it's them versus the 49ers in the NFC championship game I'm not saying the Eagles are still destined for the Super Bowl but I'm just not I'm not with this they peak too early thing I'm not I'm not buying that I think the timeline for the Super Bowl. But I'm just not, I'm not with this, they peaked too early thing. I'm not, I'm not buying that. I think the timeline for the Eagles still sets up really well for them. And I still think they're a really good team in the NFC. So just wanted to, that's, that's my point there. No, I think it's, no, I think it's really fair.

It's, they're so fascinating to me. We knew he'd get to this point with the Eagles of like, they're not going to be challenged very often, barring a catastrophic injury. And I still think they've suffered that catastrophic injury. They've just had a few add up. Let's stay in the NFC and go to your box. Bucks Panthers.

Great Tom Brady game. Great Tom Brady game. Kind of a Tom Brady, Sam Darnold's classic AFC East battle. Yeah. They meet again. I mean, I guess I should really just toss to you. Where are you now with this Bucs team that has now scratched to 8-8? Key for the Panthers, I'll just say, they're securing a top 10 pick. And I think we talked about this a little bit last week.

The Panthers being in contention for the division was good for morale. Like it was just, especially if Steve Wilkes is going to continue to be the head coach. Great for Steve Wilkes. Right, if Steve Wilkes is going to be the head coach going into next year, it's a really great building block for him. A lot of these guys continue to believe. But ultimately, Carolina did not want to make the playoffs. You did not want to make the playoffs.

You have the biggest need on your team is that the most important position in the game and you have to pick high enough to go and get one of them that you believe in yeah they're if they were going to jump all the way in 19 they were not going to be able to get a quarterback they wanted or at least it would have cost them way too much to go do so so now they're sitting here i think they have number six overall. I don't want to give away the episode for tomorrow, or on Wednesday, but I think they're sitting here at number six overall.

They're ninth. Oh, they are ninth? Yeah. Oh, man, I must have moved when I looked this afternoon. Okay, so they're sitting ninth. It's still a top 10 pick. There's still a chance that they could go a little bit higher up, but that is important.

Staying in the top 10, I think, is really important for the Carolinaolina panthers bucks did a better job of i will say doing what this offense was built to do and that was tom brady hanging on the ball a little bit longer letting some routes develop attacking deep down the field certainly taking the deep shots to Mike Evans, over 200 yards receiving today, goes over 1,000 yards again for the ninth time in a row for Evans. Unbelievable streak. So he had a crazy day.

And look, Carolina's secondary sucks without J.C. Horn. Yeah, J.C. Horn. I don't know what to tell you. They hired Josh Norman, who was serving coffee last week's not even a that's not even an exaggeration he was he owns a coffee shop in atlanta he was a barista there and he was serving coffee last week and the next week he's going up against julio jones and so they had josh norman uh they had keith taylor who's been bad this season and they had cj h C.J. Henderson, who I don't know if there's a player playing with worse effort on a couple of those plays that Mike Evans had

that were bombs than C.J. Henderson. Dude, he's just going through the motions on those plays. It's bad, dude. It was bad. All that to say, Tampa played better. Tampa definitely played better. The coaching decisions, when it matters most, are still an issue for this team. You know, kicking a field goal when you're at the four-yard line, fourth and one, the other team has one timeout, and there's a minute left to go in the half.

How are you kicking that field goal? Go for it. you don't get it you're asking Carolina and Sam Donald to go at least 50 yards to get into field goal range with one timeout and 50 seconds left on the clock come on be like be come on be serious about that decision come on go for it and the same thing after they kick that field goal they're stopping Carolina on defense and they waste all this time and don't call a single timeout when they really needed to. It's just the blunders, the, the, the time management decisions. When you get into the post season, that's the, that's the little margin for error stuff that could be the difference between a

win and a loss. And right now, Tampa continues to, to fail at the coaching decisions. So that's what matters most to me. Caroline's eliminated. Tampa's going to the playoffs. Probably going to rest their starters next week. They're probably going to get more healthy. Maybe they get Ryan Jensen back. I don't know. But ultimately, no matter who they play in the first round,

it looks like it's obviously going to be the Dallas Cowboys. Actually, I think it's locked into the Dallas Cowboys. No, wait. They can still win the division. They could still win the division. It's a long shot. But I think it's going to be Dallas Cowboys. You got to be on your P's and Q's with coaching decisions,

time management, timeout decisions, when to go for it. And Tampa's just not. They haven't been all year long. They just have not. So that's why it matters most. I'll go Panthers quick. I actually really like the environment they have for hopefully drafting a young quarterback with that top 10 pick.

I'm very impressed with this offensive line when i watch it week after week i think they have one of the more promising tackle duos in the entire nfl i thought icky looked great today taylor moten we know what he can do dj moore ever since sam donald has come back has looked like dj moore that we know is worth every penny of that contract not just a guy fading into irrelevance with guys that couldn't throw him the football he looked awesome they have a ton of picks I I like Deontay Foreman but my overall thought is they're going to be able to draft one of those really talented running backs that we talked about on our running back preview and that's going to make this offense look much more attractive I just I like the structure of

Carolina's offense. The more I watch them where I go, man, get CJ Stroud in there or whoever it's going to be with that pick. And maybe they're a team that they do go to the veteran round. Maybe it's a Derek Carr landing spot. I don't know, but if they got one of those guys in the top 10, I'd be excited to watch them develop in Carolina. Obviously there's a lot of different ways they can go with the QB upgrade,

but they should go rookie. They should should definitely yeah rookie hey uh speaking of speaking of tom brady though connor what if i told you that you turn back the clock and you could have invested money in tom brady's player stock as a rookie i wouldn't be sitting here if you you wouldn't be sitting here or if you did if sitting here. Or if you did, you'd be sitting here with, you know, leather-bound books of rich mahogany behind you, smoking a cigar while you were doing the podcast, because your investment would be worth up to 4,000% above what you put on it.

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You want to touch on Brown's commanders next last one on the one o'clock. Yeah. What matters most for me? Did Ron Rivera lose this team? Honest question, Trevor with starting Carson. Yeah. I mean, maybe. With starting Carson? Yeah. I mean, maybe. And then the post

game was weird. The post game, he didn't realize that Washington could be eliminated with Was it just the Packers win? Did they get eliminated? Oh, no way.

Yeah. Right? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Hold on. Hold on. Let me look.

Because I literally just thought about that in my head. That's why I'm brain farting right now. Oh, my God. I think they got eliminated. I thought they did, too. Did Ron Rivera lose this team with that decision oh man the saints yeah because because of green bay's win commanders got eliminated that's bad it's really bad it's just not a good look man man. That's my kind of takeaway.

It's tough to come back from. I think Ron's probably built up enough credit. Sure. One of the most respected people in the NFL, I think. Right, right. Carson Wentz was butt cheeks today. And they went draft quarterback, 100%. But no ads, I think, could have gotten you through this season. No ads Heineke.

Okay, all right. No ads Heineke. I was like, where's he going with this? What is no ads? I'm not saying Heineke's great. I just couldn't wrap my head around this. Well, Heineke started turning the ball over a bunch recently oh yeah totally when you go to carson wentz you don't have to worry about that okay all right i know what you're i know

what you're saying but you also like they traded for carson wentz you know dumb you know what's doubling down doubling down look it's gonna be tougher riverboat what matters most to me was that the's going to be a tougher riverboat. What matters most to me was that the commanders have to have a new quarterback next year. It doesn't matter. Again, they're probably sick of hearing that too. The only quarterback who should still be on the roster next year

for the Washington Commanders is Sam Howell. Would have rather he played. Sure. I think a lot of people probably are at this point. You can get out of carson wentz contract right i believe so i feel like that's always you know it's funny whenever carson wentz get trade it gets traded that's the sell everyone's like well i mean if he stinks there you could just have his contract it's like if that's the first thing you say about a trade

that's a really bad sign he has zero guaranteed money going into next year you can cut him for nothing yeah he's a pay he's pay as you go oh boy that's i think i want to say derrick carr's pay as you go uh almost pretty close he's close he's close he still has a little bit of guaranteed what about tannahill i actually don't know tannahill has one more year where half the salary is guaranteed. Then he becomes... Yeah, but what's it up to? Then he's a free agent.

He's a void year after that. 36 mil on the cap. Yeah, that's not going to be good for anyone. I mean, he could get moved. Who knows? Their cap gurus do plenty of different things. But what matters most is absolutely just Washington's got to have a new quarterback next year. It's bad.

It's bad. Not a bad football team. No, no, no, no, no. But I'd like for them to have a new quarterback next year. It's bad. It's bad. Not a bad football team. No, no, no, no, no. But I'd like for them to have a new owner too, but that might be a little bit more difficult. 49ers Raiders. 49ers come away with the big overtime dub. Did not think that this game was going to be close.

This is almost a double-digit favorite game that were the 49ers. Once it was announced that Derek Carr was not starting in this game, this line jumped for the 49ers. 37 to 34 was the final score in this game legend Jared Sidham 23 for 34 365 passing yards three touchdowns two interceptions he also added 34 yards on the ground on seven carries my man was out here slinging it. Like he had absolutely nothing to lose. Well. Because he kind of didn't.

What do we think, Connor? Do we have takeaways from this game? It was a wild one. I have a quick Niners one. Okay. And then I'll go real talk on the Raiders. My Niners one is, I'm not really, this didn't worry me or anything. The one thing that they have

to refine is their pass rush. They had no sacks in this game. They had eight quarterback hits. Nick Bosa had six of them. Nick Bosa went berserker mode, but nobody else really did anything this entire game for their pass rush.

That's, I just wonder, do teams look at that and go, we'll do whatever it takes to contain Nick Bosa, very hard thing to do, defensive player of the year. I just wonder about that. They got to refine that, but I think they will. I think they will. They had a bad game rushing the passer outside of Bosa.

The Raiders, which I find more interesting, because the Niners, I just think they're really good and I didn't have some pressing takeaway from this fluky game. The Raiders, I think if you're a Raiders fan, this kind of gives you a little hope about the offense next year. Is that insane?

This is a really good defense they went against. Okay, what I'm trying to say is I think more of their problems this year were car focused than people want to admit and their cars time yeah i think yeah davante adams is still awesome josh mcdaniels didn't completely forget how to coach offense i don't think he's a good head coach but i think the man knows offense yeah as we've seen his departure from new england the ramifications that i i don't

think jared sit-in is going to be the quarterback next year but at least if i'm a raiders fan and now you know you're keeping josh mcdaniels like maybe car had a bigger hand in it than a lot of people realize and i've watched pain uh you know not regretfully but i've watched a decent amount of car lately because he's attached to the Jets. We're going to have a lot of conversations of the work I do in that. Carr was pretty bad this year, and Carr's not a bad quarterback. There's a difference. But there was a lot of Carr-specific failures in the offense,

and Jarrett didn't look comfortable today and played freely. And I think that's a really good sign of you're looking for some kind of hope for Vegas. That's a really damn good point. I think that's a really good sign of you're looking for some kind of hope for Vegas. That's a really damn good point. I think that's a fantastic point. Now, I will say one of my maybe lighthearted what matters most from this one is that when you either can the quarterback or fire the head coach, the new leadership bump is so real. Especially in the AFC West. The Broncos almost beat the Chiefs

and the Raiders almost beat the San Francisco 49ers. If you told me, hey, power rank the NFL teams right now, Chiefs would probably be one. San Francisco might be in your top three. Like you might get the San Francisco at number three and these stellar dweller teams were just taking them down to the bar so i think that bump is very real but you're right i maybe this is a little bit of hope for raiders fans to to look at a different offense like this i mean dude davante adams i don't know know, people love wide receiver rankings, right?

And they love to talk about who's number one. I think I always lean Tyreek Hill simply because the speed element is a weapon that is unbelievably valuable that he does to a level that no one else brings. but when it comes to the nuances of mastering everything that goes into the wide receiver position i don't think there's a better wide receiver in the nfl than davante adams there are so many good ones right now justin jefferson cooper cup jamar chase i mentioned tyree kill right there's just there's so many good ones that are up and coming that are already established. But what Devontae Adams does just bends logic sometimes.

And he does it in a way that he's just, it's mastery. It's just mastery of his craft. He's unbelievable at it. Wanted to shout him out. My real What Matters Most was just, Niners, still the scariest team in the NFC. This doesn't change it at all for me. But yeah, just wanted to shout that one out.

I mean, yeah, I'm with you. There's no denying that. All right. Jets Seahawks. Take it away, buddy. Seahawks win this one 23 to 6. I was told by people who watched your post-game sny show that you had a fantastic rant afterwards and uh obviously because i don't live in the greater new york area i didn't

get to see it so i'll just let you take it away what was your uh what was your what matters most from this game oh man well what the the simplest form is that the Jets season is officially over. And I think what matters most is the trickle effect of that. Of course, where does that go from here? What's most concerning is that the Jets were lifeless for the last couple weeks of the season when they had a chance to end the sport's longest playoff drought. They haven't been in the playoffs, Trevor, since the 2010 season. I was a freshman in college.

I'm now in my 30s. I think when you look at it like that, that's an organizational what matters most, is that we have been one of the biggest signs of failure in our sport for a decade. And then when you look at the micro of this regime, because Robert Sala and Joe Douglas are not responsible for all of that, they're not responsible for most of that, but it was in front of them to end that streak and inspire confidence in this organization and they failed when it mattered most and i think that's tough

and i think how you respond of course matters there of you know your tenure and i think they're going to get the chance to i don't think woody johnson's going to move on from either of those guys and that to me would be insane honestly if he just started firing everybody i think the jets did take some nice steps this year but i think when they needed it most the offense could not get it done and what matters most with the jets offense is that you can't point the finger at one person they're going to go get a veteran quarterback that's an improvement from what zach wilson Mike White were this year, but the offensive line wasn't good enough. The run game wasn't consistent. The play calling was bad for the large part of the season, especially after they lost Brees Hall and ABT. And if you're two injuries away from your offense being highly productive, or at least efficient enough to

win and close out games to wildly ineffective against units that include but are not limited to the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Seattle Seahawks, then it's not good enough. And that's something that the Jets, as an entire unit, need to figure out this offseason. And I don't think it's very easy to answer. Yeah, I mean, it's beautifully said. I think quarterback is certainly a position that, you know, the old saying they get too much praise when everything goes well, they get too much blame when things go bad. Yep. I agree with you.

I think that certainly there's a lot of things on offense that, that were failures for the jets, but ultimately it, it is really tough to lose, not just AV just AVT and Brees Hall, right? Becton, too, right? This is a high-caliber draft pick that you have of a guy that has not been able to play for you. And when you look back on the logic of that pick, yeah, of course, you would probably rather have a Tristan Wirfs, another guy from that draft class, because those guys, when they've been out there, have been playing really well. And the been out there part means a lot. But the mindset was right.

The mindset was right there for it. Now, again, you can go to quarterback and say the mindset was there for Zach Wilson. They just made the wrong choice on him. Now, how many wrong choices do you get? I don't think there's a magic answer to that, but I would agree that though there are some questions for um the the gm right now what's his name it just he literally blanked on joe douglas joe douglas

thank you i'm an idiot uh even though there are some questions for joe douglas i don't think there are enough piling question marks for him to be relieved of his duty certainly not i mean when you look at so many of their other draft picks, let's face it, who's going to win offensive rookie of the year? Probably Garrett Wilson, right? Who's going to win defense rookie of the year? It's going to be Sauce Garner, right? You got the offensive defensive rookies of the year.

You know, you've got a lot of young guys that are already contributing for your football team. Now it's still got to come together for them but i'm excited to see this jets team with a veteran quarterback i hope they nail it because like i said last week a lot of the rest of this roster is there first round this year go drafted offensive lineman go get a good one go get a guy that you think can make a major impact if they can get themselves a paris johnson jr from ohio state love that man would absolutely love that and he could change things around real quick especially if they go get a veteran and that was kind of that was that was

also my my what matters most is i really want this jets team to be aggressive and going after a quarterback this offseason and i also just wanted to point out, Sauce Garner, hell of a game versus DK Metcalf. Yeah. Which he lost. Yeah. It got lost in how lifeless the offense was that Sauce had that kind of game. Yep. So, you know, not completely bury Seattle, as, you know, we often do go plenty of Jets bucks

on this show for obvious reasons. I mean, credit to Geno Smith, man. Like, this is where it all started for Geno. Geno's been vocal to say that he had a lot to learn. It wasn't just the Jets that things didn't go right for him. It was on him as well. And Gino's come full circle in Seattle with Kenneth Walker and that offensive line that didn't have Abe Lucas today.

I think what matters most for Seattle to me is resiliency. Sure. That's what mattered most to me when I watched this game. They didn't have Ryan Neal at safety. They didn't have Abe Lucas at tackle. Tyler Lockett broke his hand and had surgery and was back in a week. Kenneth Walker's been playing through injuries really since summer. I just think Seattle is resilient.

And I think that matters so much, not even just for now, but for the long-term future of, you know, Pete Carroll's the oldest coach in the NFL, but they clearly have a lot of guys on that staff that are doing a really, really good job with this young team. And Seattle kept their playoff hopes alive, right? I mean, they're in a situation where they still need help. They've got to beat the Rams next week,

and they need the Lions to beat the Packers. It's kind of a win, and you're in there for, for, for the green for, for green Bay. Yeah. But yeah, I think that it's that, that just matters a lot that Seattle is still alive here as the season's going on, which is really cool for that team. Really cool for Gino Smith. And they're again, like the jets, they're building in a lot of great directions and we didn't, I don't think a lot of people believe that either of these teams were going

to take the steps that they did this year. And so I'm excited about both these teams future for sure. Vikings Packers. I mentioned, I just mentioned that as Packers win next week, they're in, which is just jarring nuts to say Packers now 8-8 on the season. They beat the Vikings in not even close fashion.

41-17. This game was not even as close to the final score was. Vikings scored a couple of garbage time touchdowns. Scored 14 in the fourth quarter. It didn't matter. Aaron Rodgers didn't have a miracle game in this one. He was 15-24 for 159 yards. Aaron Jones had over 100 yards rushing. But I'll tell you what the big difference was for me in this one. He was 15 for 24 for 159 yards. Aaron Jones had over 100 yards rushing. But I'll tell

you what the big difference was for me in this game. Packers defense. And it wasn't just the turnovers, right? Kirk Cousins coughing the ball up three times. You're going to lose the game. You're just always going to lose the game at that point. So them winning the turnover battle was huge for Green Bay. But I thought that they were the better team anyways on defense, specifically by how they figured it out with Jair Alexander. Put Jair in man coverage against the other team's best wide receiver. Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in the game, one of them. Five targets, one catch, 15 yards. The man could not handle Jair covering him. Now, that's not to say if you played this game again, Justin Jefferson wouldn't get the better of Jair Alexander. I think that there's certainly room to believe that that would be the case. This would

be a back and forth battle of two of the best, but I'm emphasizing this for the Packers sake. You have an unbelievable defensive chess piece in Jair Alexander when he can do things like he did this past week. They're playing Rasul Douglas a little bit more in the slot. The safeties are playing a lot better because of it. They're either playing man coverage or they're playing quarters coverage and it is just going so well for them. That adjustment on defense is why the Packers are here.

We all want to talk about, oh, sure, some of the wide receivers are playing better for Green Bay, and they are. I want to make sure they say that. They definitely are. That's a part of this. But the Packers' defense are why they're still alive for a playoff spot down the stretch.

And that is also why the Packers end up making the playoffs. If the Vikings somehow still get the two seed in this one, the Packers would play the Vikings again in the first round as a seven seed. And guess, guess who I'd be taking that game. Probably the Packers, even though that would be in Minnesota. So it's just a wild finish that we could have here with this Packers team.

But yeah, hats off to the defensive change there for the Packers. It's made all the difference in the world. Yeah. yeah I mean a pooped pants game from Kirk Cousins unfortunately three three picks he had a QBR of 10.2 um not great Nick Mullins came out of somewhere and appeared in this game well yeah yeah I mean kirk they just pulled kirk out obviously yeah yeah they didn't need it anymore no i think green bay scary again i don't i don't even know how he got here with how bad they looked at some point of this season it's a it's remarkable i obviously gyres confidence plays a huge part in that rogers looking like rogers

again we know what aaron jones.J. Dillon can do. But those are all storylines that we were talking about over summer and why we thought Green Bay would be such a great team this year. We didn't think the defense would be as bad as it was to start the year. Really poorly coached to start the year. A lot better this time around. They didn't get any impact from their two first-rounders to start the year. They really didn't for the first, what, eight weeks of the season. That's a long time.

So, but Christian Watson has come on late. You know, he had that touchdown streak. There's a lot is clicking for Green Bay right now. And I won't go full. They're the scariest team in the NFC. But if I was a Vikings fan, I sure as hell do not want to see them in the first round of the playoffs. No, because, you know, Aaron Rodgers is just chomping at the bit. Of course.

Last game. Chargers, easy one against the Los Angeles Rams. Yeah. What do you want me to say here? 30-31 to 10. Yeah, I mean, we can keep this one pretty quick. I mean, my what matters most are the Chargers, this team's, or this year's Cincinnati Bengals from last year, right? I say no because I still don't think they'll stop the run in the playoffs.

That's fair, but? But if they figure that part out, they got a shot. Getting hot at the right time. I think they're on a, what, five-game win streak, four-game win streak. Joey Bosa is back. You know, he had a 70.9 pass rush. Great.

He was getting back to it. They're getting a little bit more healthy. Austin Eckler is playing unbelievably well. The wide receivers are once again, healthy for this team. Justin Herbert's playing well. He didn't even have to light the world on fire today. And the charges were able to win big.

I'm saying, man, nobody really gave the Bengals a chance at the beginning of the playoffs last year. They had some pieces to believe in, but nobody really thought they were going to be able to hit the upsets all the way and really make that run. Chargers feel like if there's a team to make a run down the stretch, they've got the identity to do it.

And I'm excited to watch them in the playoffs. I really am. I'm with you. The one thing with the Chargers that interested me so much today, because I just laugh, we obviously do the draft and we watched Donald Parham coming out. And we were like, what if people just put a guy that's almost seven feet tall in the end

zone? And then you got Parham out there. Who's a legitimate six, eight plus. And he caught a touchdown today. So it's just one of those funny, that was like, I had to look for funny things in this game because this was a terrible game. You and I were saying off air that it is great to see Cam Akers

look like the guy we always thought Cam Akers could be. That's a nice little side note of this game. No, Cam was great. Cam looks, Cam looks better than he did pre-Achilles injury. You know, not only does does he not only does he have like confidence in his body now because it's been a little bit of time since he came back he's got confidence in just like his assignments what he's going to do out in space like cam looks awesome he had over 100 uh rushing yards in this one 19 carries 123 rushing yards so that was just

really cool to see rams are obviously a team that's very much in flux right now with what they're going to look like next year too but cam maker seems like a really cool piece that they get to hang on to which we were not convinced would be the case because torn achilles are always really tough for running backs but it's great to see before we get out of here mike tomlin's gonna freaking freaking go 9-8, dude. The Steelers won while we were on air in the last minute of the game. Who do Steelers play next week? They play Cleveland! They play Cleveland at home!

That place is going to be rocking. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Steelers can make the playoffs. Steelers can actually make the playoffs. They have a 6% chance right now as it stands. Okay, like let's... No, they have a 15%. They have a 15% chance.

They had to go up from the win. Right. They have a 16% chance from the win. What do they need? Okay, if they beat Cleveland next week week that goes to 29 oh they probably need the jets to win uh they need the bills and the jets to win they need the patriots okay if the jets win it jumps from 30 to 80 yeah there you go. And then the Bills have to take care of New England. That's the wildcard spot.

Yeah. The Steelers playoff post. The Steelers can make the playoffs! And that's not that crazy. It's not nuts. Because if the Dolphins can't play Tua, the Jets are going to play their nuts off in the last game.

Yay. Jets are going to win that game. And then the Bills should beat New England, theoretically, because they want the number one seed. They hold the tiebreaker with the Chiefs. So the Bills have to go balls to the wall. So the Steelers legitimately can make the playoffs. And it's not crazy.

It's not. How does Mike Tomlin do this? How does he do it? You know who the... You know who the, you know who this, wait, do you know who the Steelers might play in round one of the playoffs? Oh,

where it all, where it all began. If you play in Cincinnati, in Cincinnati, just like they did in week one, when they beat them, that's pretty insane. That's pretty insane.

If Cincinnati beats the billsills on Monday Night Football, then I believe the Bengals would have the track to the two seed because the Chiefs would have the one. Right? Yeah, I think you're on it. Or would the Bengals have the one? No, no, no, no, no. I didn't think that would be the case.

I thought the Chiefs would then have the one. Oh, we're idiots. The Bills play the Bengals as people are listening to this. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. So you're right.

No, no, no, no. The Bengals, yeah, yeah. The Bengals will still be down a game to the Kansas City Chiefs anyways. Okay. Okay. Okay. So yeah, Steelers-Bengals, where it all began. Anyway, Mike Tomlin's been coaching in the NFL as a head coach since he was 35 years old in 2007.

He is now 50, and he has never had a losing season that's remarkable like that is one of the most amazing stats in nfl history in my opinion and the steelers team stinks right now dude i mean it'll stink their offensive line's bad their defense got healthy and obviously became the defense that you would expect them to become. Still. They've run into some absolute dumpsters on this win streak, but they're doing it with Kenny Pickett, a rookie starting at quarterback,

a line that needs a lot of work. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Shout out Mike Tomlin. All right. That's all we got. That's all we got. That's all we got. That's what matters most.

Of course, let us know what you guys think as well. Hit us up on Twitter at Tampa Bay Trey at Connor J. Rogers. You can hit us up on Instagram as well. If you're watching this on YouTube, comment on the YouTube channel. We love to read the YouTube comments. It's an easy way for us to interact. We obviously love for this show to be as much of a community as possible. And I know we,

you guys got takes, whether it has to do with your team, whether it's a team around the NFL that you're watching, whether it's a certain matchup, a certain playoff spot, whatever it is. We know there's a lot of takes to be had this time of year. Let our YouTube section be the place where you can vent out your takes,

either responding to ours or just giving us your own. Connor, you got anything else before we get out of here no that wraps it up we will be back in the middle of the week with the giraffe show i will be in las vegas um but that will not affect this podcast at all we'll be steady rock and rolling giraffe show drops wednesday and tight end rankings drop thursday did i have that right uh yeah I think we'll do tight ends Thursday. We'll do something Thursday. There'll be a show. It will be some sort of ranking on Thursday, but I think that it will be tight ends.

Yeah, I think that's on our schedule. Are you going to Vegas to tell Carr how nice it is in the Northeast? No. I mean, he left the team, so he's not even there. I don't think. He still lives there. You know what I'm saying?

Casually just, you know, like run into him, you know, just like outside of Aria. No, I will not be recruiting Derek Carr. That is not what the trip is for. Okay, all right. I just got to look. I just got to ask. I just got to ask.

No, no, no. I just got to ask. Yeah, I went on the pod. So what matters most is that Derek Carr was actually the problem with the Raiders offense this year. But, hey, I'm here to recruit you. No, you're tanking the price. You're tanking the price.

Smart man. Smart man. Always thinking. Always two steps ahead. Some play chess. Some play checkers. Appreciate you guys listening to the podcast. We will be back with you on Wednesday

to update the official draft order. Talk about some major implications of cool players that have been moving up and down the draft board from an insane college football weekend as well we're going to dig into all that and so much more on the wednesday episode i'm trevor sycamore that is connor rogers thank you guys so much for listening to the nfl stock exchange podcast we'll see you next time Outro Music