Nightcap - Best of NFL Divisional Round Part 1: C.J. Stroud DISASTROUS 4-INT playoff meltdown, Caleb Williams’ 3 INTs, DOOM Bears in OT Loss

Episode Date: January 21, 2026

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson react to the Rams thrilling OT winner versus the Bears, CJ Stroud's absolute collapse against the Patriots and the fellas try and make sense of ...the BTA the Seahawks put on the 49ers. Subscribe to Nightcap presented by PrizePicks so you don’t miss out on any new drops! Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/NI... 0:00 - Rams beat Bears in OT19:14 - Patriots defeat Texans behind CJ Stroud's46:40 - Seahawks put BTA on 49ers (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey guys, it's your favoriteunk here. Go ahead and click that subscribe button below so you don't miss a single episode of Nightcap. That button right here. Come for the sports. Stay for the stories. Rams beat the Bears, 2017 and overtime. Matthew Stafford, 242, 258, no touchdown, no interceptions.
Starting point is 00:00:23 He was sack four-time. Kyron Williams, random ball, extremely hard. 21 carries, 87 yards, two touchdowns. 31 rush attempts, 111 yards, two touchdowns. touchdowns. Kobe Parkinson was the lead. Well, he caught three for 56. Fuka had five for 56.
Starting point is 00:00:40 Jordan Winnington have two for 35. Devonty had a big catch on that last drive. Yeah, that was nice. He got him in field go range. Yeah. C. Dub, Caleb Williams, with another unbelievable throw, Ocho. I don't know. I don't know how.
Starting point is 00:00:55 Yes. Again, that's two. That's two weeks in a row. Two things can be true, Ocho. Yes, sir. Yes. The ball was misplayed. But to say that wasn't a hell
Starting point is 00:01:05 of a throw is you're just being disingenuous. I mean, you are. To keep retreating with four guys in his face and throw off his back foot. And in most of the time. And in most of the time, I say most of the time as a quarterback, once you're retreating backwards and you have pressure coming at you, that obviously the ball tends to fall actually short and it's an interception. Yes.
Starting point is 00:01:26 Most of the time, because you are retreating, you have pressure in your face, you're not able to get the kind of strength you want to on the ball. But listen, Caleb Williams. is up there when it comes to having an arm talent and arm strength. I'm not calling him Aaron Rogers. I'm not saying he's Brett Farb. I'm not saying he's Matthew Stafford. But in conditions like the night,
Starting point is 00:01:45 he can still make all the throws they can. Yeah, but I think his ability to throw on the move is kind of what separates him. Because if you really just watch him, he's more accurate on the move than he is in the pocket. Pocket, yeah. I mean, he can roll. And the thing is, Ojo, if you notice a lot of his throws,
Starting point is 00:02:03 he's rolling to his left. So it's almost like you always try to force a guy to his non-dominant hand. Which is a right-handed quarterback, you force him left. A left-handed quarterback, you force him right. But if you look at his best throws, he is rolling left. Left, yeah. He feels very comfortable you putting him in that situation. And by design, it's hard for you to imagine.
Starting point is 00:02:25 Maybe he's right-handed. Let's push him right. I mean, let's push him left. You push him kind of where he want to be. He made some throws tonight. He turned the ball off. over three interceptions. Chat.
Starting point is 00:02:39 Look at the story. How many turnovers for Buffalo? They lost. How many turnovers for the 49ers? They lost. How many turnovers for the Texans? They lost. How many turnovers for the Bears?
Starting point is 00:02:48 They lost. You see a real current theme? It's the common denominator, Uncle, you say it all the time, especially when it comes to playoff football where points at a premium. Every series that you have the ball, it matters.
Starting point is 00:03:01 In games like this, when it's so close, The margin of error is so small when you turn it over three times. It's hard to overcome that. Even though the Bears had opportunity on that last drive, I'm not sure with it. I don't know if it was a miscommunication between Caleb Williams and DJ Moore. And, I mean, I don't know what happened on that intercept.
Starting point is 00:03:22 You got to keep running. You can't stop. Even though if you can't catch it, you might be able to knock it down. Because in that situation right there, Ocho. They've already had a possession. You not have a possession. Yes. If you turn this ball over, next possession wins.
Starting point is 00:03:34 I mean, that's going wins. Basically. And that's what happened. And that's why you've got to keep running because he's thwarted with the anticipation that you will continue to run. And if you don't catch it, you just make sure he doesn't catch it.
Starting point is 00:03:48 Just give me another chance, Ocho. Just give me another chance. If I'm not mistaken, I think that was second down. Was that second down or third down? I think it was second down. So at least give me another chance. And if it was third down, allow me to punt the ball and pin them.
Starting point is 00:04:02 Yeah. But, I mean, I mean, in those conditions, guys were catching the ball extremely well, Ocho. Yeah. Those D.Bs? Yeah, they were. They were. Listen, the D.Bs were catching the ball better than the goddamn receivers.
Starting point is 00:04:17 Because there were a lot of drops. There were a lot of drops that could have kept some drives going. I think, but I'm not mistaken. I think Rome had some. Roam had some balls that were catchable. You know, they were right there. but obviously even with the conditions, you got to focus a little bit more, you know,
Starting point is 00:04:38 practice bringing the ball in. And listen, I'm used to playing in conditions like this all the time, especially once you get to November and December, you know, everything has to change. Your mechanics, you being able to focus on the ball a little bit more, bringing it in, making sure you got it. And, hey, that ball is, hey, and he's... That ball heavy, that ball hard.
Starting point is 00:04:57 Man, it's hard and heavy, boy. I would just get ready to say that. And the fact, hey, Stafford and goddamn Caleb throwing it like his nuts. Nothing. That's why you kind of got, you want guys with armed talent like that, Ocho, that can cut through the elements. Yes. Because you know in Chicago it's going to be windy.
Starting point is 00:05:13 And you're also outside in Green Bay. So if your home game is in the Midwest, so you play Kansas City. So let's just say you're home, you're Kansas City, you're Chicago, your Green Bay, or you're going to be in the Northeast where you're New England or you're the Jazz. You're the Giants. Ocho, you got to have a guy that can cut through the wind. Yeah, you got to. Because it's going to get windy. It's going to get cold.
Starting point is 00:05:36 You're going to probably have to play sometime in climate weather, be it rain, snow, sleep, wind. I don't know why this happened. It always happened like this. Soon as I start to come on air, and now, a sudden, I can't stop coughing. But you show everything good over there? You coming down and stuff?
Starting point is 00:05:53 No, not everything ain't good. You see, I can't stop coughing. But I'm looking at the Rams defense. Ocho, why y'all keep crashing and letting the man get the edge. Outside, yeah, yeah, every time. Damn! Every time.
Starting point is 00:06:09 Y'all crashing down hard. He's a mobile quarterback. You can't do that. Yeah. You got to stay just me. Ooh. There you go. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:06:28 Joy to miss him out of that lightsaw. I knew something was going on. I was like, damn, I spelled Lysol. Maybe. We got some Lysol. There you go. Yeah, let me get that. Hey, because you are, listen,
Starting point is 00:06:42 well, ain't no reason to be coughing like that. What? Chat, how are y'all doing tonight? Y'all, y'all good? Hope you all having a good, hope you all having a good weekend. Y'all shouldn't have to work tomorrow. If you have to work tomorrow,
Starting point is 00:06:56 you need to think about changing, you know, jobs outside of that. We're going to have a good time tonight. We're going to go into the holiday tomorrow, celebrating, you know exactly what it is. Listen, I got down. Yeah, but I thought, uh, I thought the Rams defense allowed him to get to the edge entirely too much.
Starting point is 00:07:25 Too much. You have to understand. You have to, you have to contain. There you go. There you go. See, this is what I'm talking about. Hey, I'm just, I'm just making sure I want, I want nothing you got coming over, come across this place.
Starting point is 00:07:40 You're an eater? You're a hit or a bunch. Who? You! Hey, if I'm the eater, you don't see me coughing ever. Oh yeah, yes I did. Yes, I did. You remember.
Starting point is 00:07:51 When? Man, I had to call hazmat up in and clean. It sanitize everything. But they get the win. Look, I thought this win was probably very satisfied for Sean McBay, considering how Ben Johnson ran on the field against Green Bay and shut Matt LaFleur's hand. Yes.
Starting point is 00:08:13 and Matt are best friend. He didn't take too kindly to that. Oh, no, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, he didn't take too kindly for that. No, absolutely not. If you're a Bears fan up, you have no reason to let your head down. You have no reason to be sad. Obviously, you're sad because you want to be in the NFC championship game, obviously.
Starting point is 00:08:31 You want a chance of going to compete from Lombardi, but your future is very bright because the two people. Absolutely. That goddamn Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. As long as they're there, you're going to be in contingent every single year. And now the EFC, the NFC, that division in general looks different now because of your quarterback and your head coach. And it's going to be like that for a very, very long time. Well, if Minnesota wants to don't, if Minnesota doesn't want to get left behind, they better
Starting point is 00:08:58 get a quarterback. They left behind already, they are left behind already because who are you going to find that's going to be the type of talent or equal to that of goddamn Caleb Williams or Jordan Love? Hey, finally Jerry Gough. Well, you had, say I'm darnal. You let him walk out to the door. And you let him walk out to know because you thought your number eight pick was the answer.
Starting point is 00:09:23 And you found out quick. Not only is he not the answer, but it's hard to keep his ass on the goddamn field too. Yes, yes. I totally agree with everything you just said. But when you, the Rams have to feel very good. Look, we got an epic matchup one Thursday night, Ocho.
Starting point is 00:09:41 It was an unbelievable game. If we could get anything close to that, I'll take it. As a matter of fact, I'll take a second helping of that because that was a phenomenal game. Let's see if the Rams are fixed their special teams because remember, Rashid, Shahid got it started. Yeah. Again, I mean, I've never seen a game winning play the first minute of the game. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:08 But Rashid, Shaheed took that kickoff back. The game was over. Yeah. Take the win right up out of your cell. It was over. Yeah. It was over. It was over.
Starting point is 00:10:20 But this was a good game. This was a good game. This is what the game is supposed to be. Two very evenly matched teams. Matthew Stafford, two gunslingers, two number one overall picks, going head to head. Caleb looked good. I agree with you, Ocho. I think with the talent that they surrounded him with, the offensive line help that they got.
Starting point is 00:10:40 Now, if I'm them, I'll probably go get me another pass rush. I need a pass rush. outside sweat. I need somebody that can consistently generate pressure. But you look at at them office,
Starting point is 00:10:50 they got leveling, they got more, they got a doonese, they got Kemet, they got Burt and the third, they got Zakias. They're loaded, man. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:58 I like the running game with Dianre Smith and, and what is, Montagai? Monongi, Monongi. Monongi?
Starting point is 00:11:09 Monongi. Monongi. Yeah, him. Hey, he'd be running people Over, Ocho. He don't play. He don't go.
Starting point is 00:11:19 I'm not what they. Yeah, he don't play. He's going to let you know. He's going to let you know he there. I don't care how small he may look. You know? Yes. I don't care how small he looks.
Starting point is 00:11:28 I said, oh, okay, he's running behind his pad. You know, when you was a good, hey, son, run behind your pants. Mm-hmm. He definitely run behind his pads. But I thought Swift ran the ball really hard tonight. Yes. But they turned up, when they turned the ball over on downs inside, you know. Ziocho?
Starting point is 00:11:46 Pass gave up those points. Yeah. Now, that game, when it touched down, you're in the lead. Yep. Analytics is ruining the game. Instead of coaches having the field for the game, they're allowing analytics and data. Right.
Starting point is 00:12:03 You get in the way to games. And now you lead points on the field, the points on the field going for it on fourth down. I mean, they were more successfully against Green Bay. But they do it all the time, though. Ocho, we used to like, okay, it's fourth and one. Kind of like at midfield or on the other side of midfield. Okay, we go for it once.
Starting point is 00:12:22 I mean, we might have on fourth down, especially if we're losing, okay, we get you going for it. Right. But, man, that go, also, the Bears went for it six times. You might have, you might have in a situation where you're not losing. Right. You might have maybe five in a season. Uh-huh. Now these teams have like 10, 15, 20 fourth down, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, you might have.
Starting point is 00:12:47 going for it. And you got to understand why they're going for it too. Uncle, you understand the problem because if you do make them, the chances if you do make them, the chance of you win in the game increased that much. So I kind of understand it. I understand the analytics and the data behind it and the percentage, how high the percentage is if you happen to make those four downs, it give you a better chance of winning those games. But when you don't make it, that's the problem. Now you put your goddamn defense in harm's way and hoping they can stop, you know, these teams that you're playing against, especially if you give them good feel. especially if you give them a short feel.
Starting point is 00:13:19 That makes it even worse. Especially you play in a team like the Rams. Ocho, I'm confused. I need you to help me out on this one. Because we had a very similar play to what happened last night in the Denver game with Devante. Yeah, same way, but they gave him the catch. They did.
Starting point is 00:13:35 They gave him the catch. I mean, obviously, his knee was down. Well, hell, when Brandon Cook had the ball in his hands, his knee was also down as well. I guess this. I mean, it's confusing. There's no consistency when it comes to, calling those, I call them bang-bang plays.
Starting point is 00:13:50 Yes. The receiver's catching the ball, and the DB's right there, and they're both handsy. And whoever comes up with the ball, that's what we belong to. But Devante let the ball go. So I'm assuming that should have been, what, maybe a fumble based on our logic. Fumble or incomplete or something? Incomplete, based on our logic and reasoning from last night. Well, it couldn't have been incomplete because the guy caught the ball.
Starting point is 00:14:12 So it's either fumble or interception. Yeah, one or the other. Yeah. But I was surprised. I was surprised because I'm looking up like and they did like first down. I'm like, really? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:22 Because that's like a very similar play. Matthew Stafford gets an opportunity, goes back to the NFC championship game. You know, last time he was in the NFC championship game, well, that was against the Eagles. That's what they lost. They lost last year to the Eagles in the snow game. And he played really, really well.
Starting point is 00:14:49 I thought, look, for a guy that's played in a dome his entire career, he played at the university. Oh, he grew up in Texas, Highland Park. He went to Georgia. He was in a dome. He's in another dome in Southern California. He played really well. Yeah. I mean, listen.
Starting point is 00:15:06 He played really well against, you said it. You said, hey, you remember last year? Last year. He was dealing, boy. He was throwing. He was dealing. And he came, he came one back shoulder pass away from beating the goddamn eagle. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:20 Yeah. I mean, when you had that kind of armed talent, it really doesn't matter the condition that you do play and you just hope those that you're throwing the ball to can make those catches, I get the ball to you. Yeah. I get the ball to you. I'll definitely make it happen.
Starting point is 00:15:34 Yeah. But the Los Angeles Rams move on. They played their division nemesis, the Seattle Seahawks, 20 to 17. They're very familiar. This would be the third time that they played. There's no love. lost between these two teams.
Starting point is 00:15:54 Seattle, physical, both sides. They want to run the football. Yes. With Walker the third and Charbonneau. Yeah, is Charbonneau good? Is Charbonneau good? Because he left the game. He was Nick.
Starting point is 00:16:05 Yeah, he got Nick, didn't it? Yeah, yeah. Because they elevated somebody up from the practice squad. If I think I read that, Ocho. Right. But look, the way Kenneth Walker running, he good. We just keep running him. And you know those wives, the J.S.
Starting point is 00:16:18 Now. Cooper Cup. Cup. Yeah, he makes a lot. big catchers yesterday on third down. Now you're just hoping that Sam Darnel doesn't revert back because he has a propensity to put the ball in harm's way. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:16:34 You got a great chance to winning if you don't put the ball in harm's way. You turn the ball over. You're not going to represent the NFC and in the Super Bowl. No. So I'm just letting you guys know, just hope Sam Darnel does do what he's been doing, which is not turned the football over. I don't think he turned it over that last regular season game
Starting point is 00:16:54 against the 49ers. They got 49ers again. He didn't turn it over. He needs to repeat that song. Just play that. Just put that on replay. Repeat and keep playing it over and over. Because if you take care of the ball,
Starting point is 00:17:08 there's an excellent chance that you're going to go to the NFL, the Super Bowl. According to NBC sign line reporter, Melissa Stark, Rams player was putting Kaye M. pepper in their socks to stay warm against the bears. Hold on. cayenne pepper.
Starting point is 00:17:26 What the hell of cayenne pepper going to do in those kind of conditions? It heats up. It's still pepper. It heats up. Boy, uncle, that's the new one now, boy. I ain't never heard of that one. Well, when you put an, uh, what, what, uh, icing hot, Ben Gay.
Starting point is 00:17:43 Right. Remember they used to put that in people's job? And when you start sweating, what do? Oh, you, you heat, okay. Yeah, I ain't never used that before. The only thing I had, what do you call the warmas they give you? And you break it. The hand warm, yeah.
Starting point is 00:17:53 I ain't have those either, yeah. Yeah, that's the only thing I know about. And I used to take the hand warmas once it got cold, unc. I take one, break it up, let it get warm, and I put it on the inside of my glove. Yeah. I put one on the, I could, I have, I mean, if they called timeout or I went to the sideline, I would have them. But I didn't have no pouch. I didn't need none of that.
Starting point is 00:18:12 No, you know, pouch? Mm-mm. Oh, but look at you. Okay. No, no pouch. The last time the Rams won the Super Bowl. Cooper Cup was the MVP. Next week, the Rams will try to get back
Starting point is 00:18:23 to the Super Bowl with Cooper Cup now on the opposite side line as a member of the Seahawks. Look, he knows this offense. Yeah. He knows that when they're getting certain formations
Starting point is 00:18:35 and you hear certain calls, he can call it out because he's that kind of smart, he's got kind of player. Right. How much they rely on that? The film study normally tells you. Maybe he can give them some intricacies
Starting point is 00:18:47 of like when you hear certain calls on you? This is what that means Because it was always interesting When we play a West Coast team to hear They try to disguise it with both Bro, I know what Lucy is And I know what Lucy is and I know what all that
Starting point is 00:19:00 I know this And I know smoke Square out Come back I know we knew all that And we know we y'all was trying to give us Those bogie Wobby calls too So yeah
Starting point is 00:19:12 Get that mess out here This show contains information Subject to but not limited To personal takes Rumors not so accurate stats and plenty more. What's up, man? This is your boy Nav Green from the
Starting point is 00:19:23 Broken Play Podcast. Look, it's the end of the season, the playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcasts with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network.
Starting point is 00:19:36 Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. They're cheese. Oh, it's a rap. It's time to rebuild. Who's your MVP right now then? Drake May up there. Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy, Matthew Stafford.
Starting point is 00:19:48 Where did he have both Knicks at? He ain't too far behind. He did all this talk. What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro, is crazy. Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan. But Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams. Hey, he should be in that conversation.
Starting point is 00:20:03 In what conversation? He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app. Apple Podcast or whatever you get your podcast. The Patriots beat the Texas by the Facebook. of 28 to 16 to reach the AFC championship game. New England earned their first AFC championship trip since
Starting point is 00:20:26 2018 itself a clash with the Denver Broncos. I don't know it always comes down to, you know, Peyton and Tom. Yeah. The victor keeps alive a 15-year street with every AFC title game since 2011 has featured
Starting point is 00:20:42 either the Patriots or the Chief. The last without them was Pittsburgh over the Jets in 2010. C.J. Stroud had arguably his worst game of his three-year career throwing four interceptions in the first half. He finished with 20 and 47, 22012 yards,
Starting point is 00:21:00 and a quarterback rating of 28. Strauss scored a reception in the first half tied for the most in a playoff game since at least 2000. C.J. Straub passing rating was 28. Ocho, if he had taken a snap and just backed up and threw it into the ground, his quarterback rating would have been 39.6. Hey, um,
Starting point is 00:21:19 that was a good. embarrassing. That was embarrassing. You can't, you can't do, you got the best defense in the NFL, you got the best defense in the NFL. You got away with it last week and you watch film all week. All right, I can't go into this game. I understand the importance of this game. I can't do one thing. I can't put the ball in harm's way. I can't turn the ball over. I just can't. and the watch film, to understand that you got by, by the grace of God,
Starting point is 00:21:52 and you come back in this game, and you still, oh, come on, nah. You got the best defense that can take you all the way to Santa Clara. All I have to do is the quarterback of this team is don't put the ball in harm's way. Don't turn it over.
Starting point is 00:22:06 That's it. I mean, it sounds easy, obviously sitting here on the goddamn, you know. No, it's not. But it's not. I would have thought he learned his lesson Monday night, Oh, Cho, we talked about it. No.
Starting point is 00:22:17 We talked about it, Ocho. He fumbled four times. They got two of them back. Yeah. So he had two fumbles and two picks, right? Or would he have two fumbles and one pick? What did he have on Monday? But he got seven turnovers in two games.
Starting point is 00:22:30 Yeah. Ocho, this is what Troy Aikman said on the broadcast. C.J. Scrow has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years. He's not been the same player. We've not seen the development from him. There's a reason for that, and it needs to be addressed. Now, when Shannon said C.J. Stroud has not been the same since his rookie year. What they say, what they say, what they say about, when I say, CJ has not been the same.
Starting point is 00:22:58 They say you hate it. They say you hate it. You hating. Where is that energy for the white quarterback? Now, what y'all say about Troy? Maybe because Troy played the quarterback position and I give, you know what, I'll give you that. Right. He played at an elite level the guy with a Super Bowl MVP, led a team to three Super Bowls.
Starting point is 00:23:18 So if you want to say well, Troy, know more about that position, I'll concede that. But all he said was the exact same thing that I said, it was just a different voice. You see, C.J. Stroud, he got intoxicated by the success that he had. Listen at him talk.
Starting point is 00:23:35 This man said his rookie season, he was one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL. As a rookie. Yeah. He was going on everybody's platform. He's that guy. He's that guy.
Starting point is 00:23:45 And he's regressed every year. But y'all don't want to have real conversations. Y'all won't us. Because before, well, we, you wanted guys like Ocho and myself, guys that played the game, guys that played the game at an elite level. But then when we tell you the harsh truth, well, oh, the word, that energy. I said something today, Ocho, I said, think about this. I said, chat, think about this.
Starting point is 00:24:10 If we want to debate Peyton. and Tom, Joe Montana and Patrick Mahomes. Okay, we can critique that. I say, think about this here. Y'all talking about Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Neither guy has won a championship, and now we're debating who's turned the ball over the most in a playoff game. Let that sink in, something we've never done before.
Starting point is 00:24:33 We're not talking about championships where we can compare. You want to compare LeBron? Well, LeBron got four championships, Kobe got five. LeBron got four MVP, Kobe got one. LeBron got four finals MVP, Kobe got two. Kobe's been the 19 all-star. LeBron has 21, all-star game MVP.
Starting point is 00:24:50 If you want to debate that, we can have a conversation. But since when do we debate, guys that don't have a championship, we start picking apart. Well, one guy turned the ball over four times, the other guy turned it over three. One guy turned it over three,
Starting point is 00:25:03 the other guy turned over two. When do we start doing that, Ocho? No, because there's nothing else to talk about. You have to pull something out the air to create dialogue to tell the difference between two quarter that haven't won a championship yet. Back to the CJ Stroud thing,
Starting point is 00:25:18 I want to have a better understanding on why he's regressing the way he is. Is it the coaching? Is his OC is gone from his rookie year? What can it be? What is the issue behind it? Because he has a talent around him. Yes.
Starting point is 00:25:32 He has a great supporting cast around him offensively where the struggles that he's having, he shouldn't be having them. One of the best chances as far as that window for them and having an opportunity to compete from a Lombardi trophy was this year. having the defense that they do have. Yes.
Starting point is 00:25:47 This was the year. Yes. I just don't understand. He's been very inconsistent. He's been, you know, up and down. He has good games. Then he has a string that are bad. It has you, it leaves scratching your head.
Starting point is 00:25:59 Based on the standard in which he's set from his rookie season, you expect him to continue to get better and keep chopping wood. Keep chopping wood. Sophomore year, okay, it's a little shaky. Okay, we can live with that. We know going into your third year, maybe. things will continue to get better and you build off some of the things that you've seen that have been mistakes, you learn from and you don't do them again. But now those same mistakes are continuously
Starting point is 00:26:25 happen. Those same assessments, those same fumbles, that clock in your head has to go off some time as a quarterback, understanding when you got to get rid of the ball. No one would have to let it go. Is he getting better or is he talking about getting better? Because here's the thing now. See, it's kind of like Winking in the Dark you know what you're doing but nobody else does you can tell us
Starting point is 00:26:49 whatever you want to tell us we have no choice but to believe you because we're not there in your most private moments but that's not what the work says but I will say this
Starting point is 00:27:01 I will say this you don't get you don't have the success he's had you don't get to where he's gotten to and done some of the things he's done in his career
Starting point is 00:27:08 without putting in the work oh Joe how many guys got to the NFL. There's been a lot of guys that had great college careers. We've seen a lot of guys have great one years.
Starting point is 00:27:17 Yeah. The trick is to do, Ocho, if you go to the pro bowl one time, man, didn't nobody know you had that in you? But now can you go back again? Yeah. Can you go back again?
Starting point is 00:27:27 Can you go back again? When they build a game plan to stop you, Ocho, can you still have success? Okay, so now you have the outstanding rookie season. What are you going to do by the sophomore year?
Starting point is 00:27:38 Yeah, you got to keep building. What about your junior season? You got to keep building? Are you going to talk about it or you're going to be about it? Come on now. Damn, man. Hey. Sometimes you have to have real hard conversation about these guys.
Starting point is 00:27:55 Like I said, I came in the league in 1990. So that means I've seen a lot of quarterbacks. I saw Mahomes. I saw Brady. I saw Manning. I saw Rivers. I saw Rothersburg. I've seen a lot of quarterbacks.
Starting point is 00:28:08 I've never, ever, since 1990. So that's about 37 years. of being in the NFL and cover it. I've never heard a rookie quarterback. Talk as much as this young man did after success that he enjoyed in one season. I've never. You know, you know, it's funny.
Starting point is 00:28:28 So it's hard for me to be able to give my context and perspective on what he said because most of the time to time that I've heard him talk, it's obviously God-fearing God. So I haven't seen or heard some of the things you might have heard. So it's hard for me to give my piece on that. But I just don't understand what the issue and why is, as good as he is, as great of a throw of the football that he is, having Nico Collins and having some of the other weapons.
Starting point is 00:28:57 When Nico was out today, Ocho. I'm just saying in general. Yeah, overall, yeah, but he had Nico the large part of the season. Yeah, during the season, I'm just, I don't understand. I get what you're saying. Maybe next year, we got Tank Dale coming back. You got Tank, tank one hell of a player. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:29:13 Tank is one hell of a player, and he changes it. Hopefully he can come back. That was a gruesome injury, Ocho. Yeah, he'd be back, though. That was a gruesome, Ocho. It was. And then, if he comes back, it's still going to take another year for him to get his timing and his legs.
Starting point is 00:29:29 And he's about his-bought. He's been rehabbing all this time. Yeah. He ain't trained. Yeah. Fuck, I hate, my bad. Excuse me. Sorry about that.
Starting point is 00:29:39 No, you're good. I hate stuff like that. Just, you understand how that position is scrutinize. Yes. General. But you also understand why they get $60 million a year. Come on, man. Look at your Brady's.
Starting point is 00:29:56 Yeah. Look at your mannings. Look at your Jackson's. Lamar this year, I'm going to chalking up the injury. He was injured. He was in and out. And when he came back, he wasn't the same Lamar. But you go back and look at Lamar's track record,
Starting point is 00:30:11 Lamar's proven commodity. You look at it. His first year, he started like six games. They make the playoffs. he comes back to next year, he wins the MVP. Yeah. You look at Mahon boy and maybe it's unfair because everybody in their second year and third year not winning MVP's.
Starting point is 00:30:30 Everybody can't have the level of success that Lamar Jackson is had. Patrick Mahomes is had. Drake May is in the running for the MVP in his second year. Could win. I think Matthew Staff is going to win. They're going to give it. The mere fact that he's in the discussion. Right.
Starting point is 00:30:47 Only in your two. Says a lot. Yeah. Yes. Now, maybe we look at the coordinator. Who's coaching him? What's he teaching him? Is he processing?
Starting point is 00:31:01 Is he learning what he's being taught? Mm-hmm. Because we've seen coaching matters. We look at Matt Jones when he had a Josh McDaniel. And we look at Matt Jones when he had the other guys in his ear. Yeah. Mm-hmm. We look at K.
Starting point is 00:31:19 cable on chess on. Now that he's here with Brable, he looks like a different player than what he was with the Jags. Yeah. Coaching matters. Systems matter. Organizations matter.
Starting point is 00:31:35 Sam Darnal. Tadda. Those things matter. So I would ask, D'Amico, look at you off. Who's coaching him? The quarterback.
Starting point is 00:31:49 Who's in his ear? O.C. He's regressed. He has not gotten better. He has not. And you cannot convince anybody that's watched him his rookie year and watched him sophomore and junior year that says that C.J. Stroud has gotten better at anything than what he was as a rookie. Yeah. And I don't understand it. You know, from the outside looking in, I'm not in that building. All I get to see is I get to see the finished product like everybody else in the chat. I get to see them on Sundays. Obviously, playing that position, you understand the work that has to. go in to improve from your rookie year to your sophomore to your junior year.
Starting point is 00:32:24 And for some reason, things haven't, it just, it just hadn't done that. Now, the one thing that we can hoop and holl about is a goddamn defense over there in Houston. Huh? That, that's one of the best, if not the best in NFL, outside of the goddamn Seahawks and the goddamn Broncos. Yes. Can you imagine? Could you imagine understanding, I'm just, I'm putting myself in C.J. Straub's shoes.
Starting point is 00:32:46 me having a defense like that Just don't eff it up I ain't got all I got to do I don't got to mess it up I mean it sounds It sounds easy You know But obviously
Starting point is 00:32:59 Oh man That's Ocho How about just not Ocho Look at the plays that he was turning the ball over on though Ocho Yeah What was complex or overly complicated About that
Starting point is 00:33:13 No Just don't throw it to the other team hold on to the damn ball. They would have won this game. If the Texans could have got those scooping scores like they got against Pittsburgh, they'd won this game. Yeah. They, they,
Starting point is 00:33:31 Drake made former twice. He only lost two. He fumbled four times. What if one of those or two of those, they scooping scores? Of course, yeah. Like we saw against Pittsburgh. They got a scoop and score and they got a pick six. Mm-hmm.
Starting point is 00:33:51 Changes everything. It changes everything. But when you got a defense like that, you don't have to do much. You don't. Ah. You just, he, I don't know, I don't know, maybe he goes to Whitfield or he go to Tom House or he goes to someone. But whoever is in his ear currently, oh, Joe, you can't regress like that. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:17 You can't. Now, I promise you, we got to have real. Ocho, they're having real conversations. Do we extend this guy for $300 million, or do we make him play, oh, do we just pick up that fifth year option and make sure he plays year four? 300 million or play out year four
Starting point is 00:34:39 and we pick up year five. That's that, oh, that's, see, that's one that, I wouldn't want to be Nick Secaria. Is it Secaria? No, you said you want to be a GM. You said you want to be Matt Ryan. That's what you say it. Chad, did he not say that?
Starting point is 00:34:53 Why don't know, why the, the Bengals should call me. One of these teams that call me. So now there you are. You're a GM. So, okay, I'm the GM of the Houston, Texas right now. Yes. Do I pick up, do I pay C. Day Stroud? What? 300 million. So do I pick up the
Starting point is 00:35:09 fifth year option and make improve himself one more year? Yep. I'm going to take option two. I'm going to pick up that fifth year. I'm making improve itself next year. Yes. And then, boom. Okay, you know you're the future for the next 10 years. I got
Starting point is 00:35:25 Let's go. I can do that. I mean, both guys were just like staking up the joint for a long time. I mean, Ocho, if you go back and think about it, Drake may got three touchdowns, but two, Boutet touchdowns, and Stefan Diggs, I don't know how they held on today. I still don't know how Stefan Diggs was looking at the damn hand, like, how did I hold on to that? What the hell?
Starting point is 00:35:48 Yeah. Bouté, in those elements, he caught the ball with one hand against. against Stingley Jr. Yeah. Yeah, he had a beat. You know what? That was great coverage by Stingley, but a perfect ball placed
Starting point is 00:36:02 will be great coverage any day. No, absolutely. That was perfect ball placement. Ain't nobody. A perfect shot beats a perfect defense. I don't care. Oh, you see, we've seen Kobe and Steph and LeBron and Jordan and all these guys.
Starting point is 00:36:21 The defender, I mean, bro, how you First of all, how you, KD, how do you even see the basket? We watched Steph last year at the Olympics. Yeah. I mean, 24 at the Olympics.
Starting point is 00:36:35 And you're like, hold on, wait a minute. Batoon and these guys are basically in the job. Bro, how are you making shots from 35 like that? Like it ain't nothing. Ain't nothing you could do. We've seen the hottest hitters
Starting point is 00:36:48 and the pitch company, the perfect placement. Ain't nothing you could do. That was a perfect throw. Bootate, ha, ha, survive, oh, guess what? He caught the ball. He survived the contact from the ground. He got up with it.
Starting point is 00:37:07 That is a catch. Yeah. But this defense, at some point in time, Mocho, you can't pay everybody on that defense. Oh, Will Anderson Jr. contracts up. What you're going to do with him? Hold on that. And that's what I'm getting me to say. He's a three-time, I think he's going to, what, three pro bowls?
Starting point is 00:37:27 Yes. Two or three pro bowls. He's all pro this year. He's going to be probably a top 20 of the top 100 players. He's probably going to be in the top 20. Okay. If you get CJ 300, oh, you just saw what Miles Gary got. You just saw what Michael Parsons got.
Starting point is 00:37:47 And he's younger than Michael Parsons. Yeah. So you're going to have to be looking at to give him $192,200. You just paid Stingley And you paid the other guy Alasseter on the other side Petrie Wait
Starting point is 00:38:02 Wait, wait, no Lasseter Petrie Bullock Hey this was their year Man Hey they got a squad man They got them Boy
Starting point is 00:38:13 Hey Shizier Is up or he still He got I think Shizier Shoulder might be up too Oh they got a squad Man Yes
Starting point is 00:38:24 This was their year boy Look, they've taken care of shows. They've taken care of Nico. Huh? Stingley. Lasseter. Didn't they take care of Lasseter? No, Lasseter only in the second year, ain't he?
Starting point is 00:38:46 Oh, is he? Yeah, you only in the second year. What about Petrie? I'm not sure. I'm not sure about Petri. All in them, boy, man. Hey, God. Boy, could you imagine, could you imagine if I was out there at the quarterback,
Starting point is 00:38:59 quarterback at Houston? What? Huh? Hey, I call Josh, I call Mike McDaniel, Joe. Blue Rape. Ooh, that's a good one for the OC? Yes. Hey.
Starting point is 00:39:12 Oh, hold on, I rather, I mean, honestly, I like, I like the idea. I like where you're going with it. But I prefer, I prefer goddamn Mike McDaniel over there in Detroit. Because he has more to play with. He has more tools to play with. He got more tools in the toolbox and that kind of offense. And it's basically what he's already used to running. I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like that.
Starting point is 00:39:35 I like that. Check this out. This is what D'Amico said. He never considered bitching, C.J. C.J. is our guy. I believe that he could come back out in the second half and flip it. I believe that he could come play better. And he did that in the second half.
Starting point is 00:39:49 He did play better. We had some positive drives there in the second half. I believe that we would do that. And he did that. As I always tell our guys at halftime, it really doesn't matter what happened in the first half. Yeah, it's a two-half game, huh? It is. Two-half game.
Starting point is 00:40:06 You can stinking up the first half and come back and look all-world in the second. Yep. Yep. But in a game like this, it's hard to overcome four turnovers in the first half. The only thing that saved them it was that Drake May was throwing picks
Starting point is 00:40:23 and fumbling the football. The ball, yeah. That's what kept him in the ball game. And they needed their defense to get some scooping scores or some pick sixes like they got against Pittsburgh. And they had one. The guy tried to pick it up in that area of the field.
Starting point is 00:40:41 You got to just jump on it, bro. Just jump on it. Just jump on it. You're trying to play hero ball. Will Anderson Jr. got one out, and he almost had between his leg and then Campbell jumped on that one. That could have been another one.
Starting point is 00:40:55 That could have led to points, maybe a touchdown, maybe a field goal. We don't know. Yeah. But there were some opportunities there for the defense, but it's just hard when your offense puts your defense on short fields and keeps putting you in harm's way.
Starting point is 00:41:09 Because I don't care how great you are. That's what we had to learn at the 2000 Ravens. As great as our defense were, if we kept putting them on short fields with a guy, hey, all they got to do is just kneel down and kick a field goal. Yeah. And then a busted player or a broken tackle,
Starting point is 00:41:24 that's a touchdown. Make them drive 70-80. You weren't driving 7080 on that defense, not that year. I don't believe a team is, going consistently drive 70, 80 yards on that Houston, Texas defense. The only thing that would harm them, would put
Starting point is 00:41:38 them in harm's weight, yeah, turnovers. Offent turning the ball over. And the Patriots, hey, they got their hands on the ball. Gonzalez got it out from Woody Marks. Carlton Davis had two outstanding things. They're incessible night. Hey, Carlton Davis played a little
Starting point is 00:41:59 receiver, boy. He must have played a little receiver back in the day. Those guys played well. They did a great job. Anthony Jennings had a sack. Tonga had a sack. Caleban Cheson had a sack. They put pressure on him.
Starting point is 00:42:18 But man, Will Anderson Jr. were playing out of his mind. Three sacks. Danelle Hunter, two sacks. Countless pressures. Hey, they're supposed to come away. I mean, they're supposed to come away. You coach your defense do that for you.
Starting point is 00:42:31 You, you get, hey. Five sacks. you supposed to repay the favor though. But you know what's funny is them five sacks, the full turnovers, it counters. It evens everything out. Yes. It evens everything out.
Starting point is 00:42:47 Yep. And the thing is, the reason why I was a close ball game is that, like you said, one team had five, what, five turnovers? No, they had, no, Woody Marks lost, yeah. Woody Marks lost one. and so that's five turnovers and the other team had three turnovers.
Starting point is 00:43:10 Mm-hmm. It's crazy. But look, I got to try something because something is going on with my quarterback and I believe he's the guy, if I'm D'Amico, this is how I'm thinking, I'm D'Amico Ryan. My quarterback is not the same as he was in his rookie season.
Starting point is 00:43:27 Now, I need to know why. I'm not going to leave a stone unturned. Yeah. I'm on sky with heaven and earth. Maybe he needs to get an O.C. Maybe he needs somebody else in his ear. You know, I don't know what it is. They need to do something because when C.J.
Starting point is 00:43:43 Stroud missed a few games, David Mills came in and kept their head above water. David Mills came in and kept that Houston, Texas offense, above water until C.J. Stroud got back. He did. So if David Mills can do it and look the way he looked in such a short, amount of time. I'm sure C.J. Stroud can come back and do it. I'm not sure if his confidence, maybe shot a little bit. Maybe they need to have a different approach and to getting him in rhythm. Stop having plays that are so long. Stop having plays that require play action. I don't know. I don't know. You know, that team, D'Amico, they understand what C. Day
Starting point is 00:44:18 Strout's strengths are as a quarterback and they understand what his weaknesses are. You need to make sure you play to his strengths and hide his weakness is the best way you can until you can make his weaknesses a part of his strength. And that takes years and years and years of working at your craft to do that. Yeah. Well, today was the AFC championship game in 97? Oh. Yeah, yeah, that was 97.
Starting point is 00:44:52 I think we did pick off Cordell a couple of times. What did we pick him off, three times, two times? You played against Cordell Stewart? Yeah. When it's with the Steelers, huh? Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:08 Three times. Yeah. Well, I think if they, no, he, because, uh, one year, Cordell, I think it might have been that year. Cordell finished like, second or third in the MVP voting. One year. Who won the MVP? In 97, Barry and Brett Far are tied.
Starting point is 00:45:26 Oh, Brett won it three years in row, 96, 97. Yeah. And then TD wanted in 98. Yeah. And then, um. Kurt Warner won it in 2009, and I think Marshall won him in 2000, and then Kurt won it again in 01.
Starting point is 00:45:46 I think, I think. With the Rams, huh? Nah, Rich Gavin. Yeah, I think Kurt won in 01. I think Rich won in, oh, 2. That's with the Raiders. Yes. Yeah, we're Jerry and Tim.
Starting point is 00:46:00 Yeah. Yeah. But Houston, you got too much talent. Don't squatter this. You got to find out what's going on with C. CJ, because you're about to have to invest a boatload of money in him. So you might want to make sure everything is on the, that you got, you give him the best tools possible from an offensive perspective as a coordinator
Starting point is 00:46:21 and a quarterback coach to make sure you're maximizing his ability. Yeah. After the game, several fans posted Strauss, Strauss' infamous postgame moments with Kayla Williams from week two of last season. Straub, Big Brother Williams, despite them being the same age, and told Caleb, stop taking those big hits and then it would be a hell of a player in the NFL. Well, he ain't lie.
Starting point is 00:46:46 Williams did not look at all interested in what Stroud had to say. Since that moment, C.J. Stroud, 5,795 yards, 34 touchdowns, 18 picks. Caleb Williams, 6,612 yards, 48 touchdowns, 12 picks. Eh. Tough. He's just trying to look at it. He just tried to look out of that.
Starting point is 00:47:16 You know, that was a genuine moment, too, from two players, obviously, knowing each other before they even made it to the NFL. Just give me some, because you know how they were giving Caleb crap. CJ, from California. From L.A. No, I'm saying. Caleb is from the DMV. They know each other. Come on, man.
Starting point is 00:47:34 I'm talking about from college. I'm not talking about when you know, you know, you know your competitors. I see what you said. This show contains information subject to, but not limited to personal takes, rule. Not so accurate stats and plenty more. What's up, man? This is your boy, Nav Green, from the Broken Play Podcast. Look, it's the end of the season, the playoffs are here.
Starting point is 00:47:53 But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcasts with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. They're cheese. What's a rap? It's time to rebuild.
Starting point is 00:48:07 Who's your MVP right now then? Drake May up there, Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy, Matthew Stafford. Where did he have both Knicks at? He ain't too far behind. You did all this talk. What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro, is crazy. Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan.
Starting point is 00:48:24 But Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams. Hey, he should be in that conversation. In what conversation? He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or whatever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:48:40 Yeah, yeah, yeah. The number one Seattle Seahawks bully, the San Francisco 49ers by the score of 41 to 6. The Seahawks advanced to the NFC championship game. They'll host either the Rams or the Bears next week. Raheeshaheed returned to opening kickoff 95 yards to set the tone and they never look back. Seattle's defense was stifling as they were the last game of the season when they beat
Starting point is 00:49:07 the 49ers 13 to 3. This type, it was even more convincing. Seattle defense dominated forcing three turnovers, holding the 49ers to 3, 236 yards, and three turn them over on downs three consecutive times. Kenneth Walker finished the game, 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns, tying the great Alexander the great, Sean Alexander, the great Seattle running back,
Starting point is 00:49:32 Seattle's running back for the most touchdown in a playoff game. Ocho, this thing got started from the job. It is hard to overcome. You know, a special team touchdowns, Ocho? They just do something to you. Hey, listen, they take the win at the time. your sales. For one, you're already playing on the goddamn road having to deal with the 12th man.
Starting point is 00:49:52 Then, you know, you practice all week and you focus on the offense and the high power octane that is the Seattle Seahawks offense. Then you know what they look like on defense. And then they have to deal with the special teams, too, they come out and score as soon as the game starts, it already puts you behind an eight ball. Then you can't get them going offensively. On top of the turnovers you have in the game, hell, you really don't stand a chance to actually, let alone win, you can't even compete playing like that. And so, I mean, damn, all three phases. They dominated. All three phases, they dominated the entirety of the game. At no point. At no point in the game, well, the goddamn 49ers in the game at all. And listen,
Starting point is 00:50:37 I tweeted at one point, they were up, they were up by, uh, by, maybe about, maybe about 14. What, 17, 3, 17, 6, something like that. But the 176, I said, listen, at some point, the pendulum is going to shift. The momentum is going to shift. Can the Seahawks get enough of a lead when that momentum shifts where the 49ers don't have a chance to come back? Most of the time, Monk, you watch football for a very long time. Most of the time, when it does shift, the other team makes a way and finds a way to come back and crawl their way back into the game. Tonight, man.
Starting point is 00:51:11 Yeah, that wasn't even close. I don't know what that was. It wasn't happening. I don't know if I've ever seen this before. A team only had 50 plays. Team ran 50 plays, Ocho, and get 41 points. Okay, let's just say for the sake of argument, we're going to take that special teams play away,
Starting point is 00:51:26 but still they got 34 points on 50 plays. That's crazy. That is crazy. You cannot, in the post season, I don't care how good your team. And we're going to talk about this. Buffalo, you turn the ball over four times. Now, you know, Sean got a little conservative there.
Starting point is 00:51:42 Oh, whoa, more. They have five turnips, my bad. Five. But in this game right here, Seattle, man, that defense, they're good at all three levels. Their back in is really good. Ernest Jones, the fourth takes the ball away, Big Leonard Williams. And D. Long, DeMarcus Lawrence has found new life getting out of Dallas. He fires the guys are playing for one another.
Starting point is 00:52:08 They fly to the football. Big Leonard Williams has been sensational. Man, you know, they got guys that can make plays on the offensive side of football. They can run the football with Kenneth Walker, what, the third, Sharbonneau, but the receiving end, they make plays. I mean, they're just the sound football team. Very, very well coached. And I think the thing is defensively, Ocho, when you watch them,
Starting point is 00:52:32 they don't do a whole lot. They don't do a whole lot. I mean, from what I see, they play some quarters and maybe man down in the red zone. But other than that, simplicity. Let's do a few things great as opposed to doing a lot of things okay. Yeah, and I think that's one of the reasons why defensively most of the time they're really not ever out of position
Starting point is 00:52:55 because they do the simple things and they do the simple things very, very well. Obviously, when you have the personnel that they do have defensively, it makes it a lot easier. We don't have to do all those exotic shit. You don't have to confuse your opponent with all type of different coverages and schemes and tactics to be able to do things.
Starting point is 00:53:12 And the fact they were able to put up 41 points tonight, minus, like you said, let's take out the return from Shishahee. They still put up 34, 35 goddamn points. Sam Donald tonight, he was only 12. 17. But that's it. One TD, the JSN. That was it.
Starting point is 00:53:32 That is how good they played the night. Kenneth Walker Jr. played well. Cooper Cup led the team with five for 60. But that goddamn beautiful. defense, boy. That goddamn deep. I don't, I'm not sure who they're going to play. I don't know who they're going to play. Obviously, we'll find out tomorrow. I'm not sure it matters. I'll be honest with your, Ocho and that. You never want to put the, you know, the card in front of, the
Starting point is 00:53:55 car's in front of the car. Well, that's where it goes. Right. The car in front of the horse. The car is in front of the car. The car has got to pull the card. I mean, when you look at, when you just look at them in the way they rally to the effing football, I mean, It's not one. I'm like, well, hold on. Hey, Ralph, I bet they got too many men on the show. They ain't no way to have, boy. Hey, hey, no, no, no, we all are supposed to have 11.
Starting point is 00:54:22 They got to have 13. Ain't no way that they get to the ball that quick. And they do. That's exactly what it's right. The front four, they can generate pressure. Occasionally they'll come with a blitz. But most of the time, they just generate pressure with that front four. Hey, that number three.
Starting point is 00:54:39 Ooh. Ooh, ooh. But if you look at them, they play defense just like the old Legion of Boone. The Legion of Boone basically played one cover. They played single high robber. We called, it was back then he used to call it Lurt.
Starting point is 00:54:53 Cam Chesa Lurker looking to pick up any crossers. They call it robber. Now, he's looking to rob the crossing route or the ink. Other than that, that's it. That's all they played. If you look at this team, they're a very simplistic coverage team. Good luck, good enough against Spoon and Wholen.
Starting point is 00:55:09 Got love at safety. You got Ernest Jones, the third, excuse me, the fourth, and then you got those guys, you swarm, the D-Lines just swarm. Yeah, fundamentally sound McDonald. You know, this is a really tough,
Starting point is 00:55:22 because Ben Johnson could get coached a year, Brable could get coached a year, D'Amico Ryan can get coached the year, McDonald's up in Seattle could get coached the year. I mean, look, there are a lot of worthy candidates. Hell, Sean Payton can get coached the year. There are a lot of worthy candidates.
Starting point is 00:55:37 But the job that McDonald has done, with this team and a short time there. This is only second year. Yeah. Only second year. Phenomenal. And here they're an NFC championship game with that game on their home field. Go ahead, Ocho.
Starting point is 00:55:52 The funny thing about it, too, those in the chat that are watching, now you understand the importance of a quarterback. You look at some of the teams that have struggled, and it's a goal to say for Sam Donald, situations matter, where you go matters, coaching matters, the person that's around. I don't give it that. I'm ready could go to the Jets.
Starting point is 00:56:11 He ain't going to be to do what we know. Well, yeah, what we're used to seeing. So, I mean, Sam Donald was in a perfect situation. I know, I've said it multiple times on the show. I know Minnesota is kicking their selves in the foot, you know, for actually allowing it. You're kind of hard to kick yourself in the foot. But I get what you said.
Starting point is 00:56:29 We get it. We know what you're saying, chat. Go on that's not a show, man. Listen, I'm trying to, I'm trying to prevent from cursing. That's why I said that. We know, we know what you be. right right right but but hey um sam donald is playing exceptional yeah i've been worried about him he's been somewhat he's been turnover yeah he's been very inconsistent you're right
Starting point is 00:56:49 yeah i think he had but yeah he almost he had 20-something intercepts huh yeah 20 plus turnover so i was worried about him going to the playoffs i was hoping he just took care of the ball because the defense was so well and if they if they can play defense the way they play tonight and special teams they do what they need to do. And Sam Donald doesn't put the ball in harm's way and just allow, allow offensively. Whatever the defense gives you, just take it. Just don't lose the game, trying to make bad situations worse. You're right. You're right, Ocho. And when you look at this team, like I said, they're very well coached, their discipline. They're good in the special teams area, especially on punk kick return because he is a pro bowl player on their special teams on the other
Starting point is 00:57:35 end, they do a great job of tackling. They pin you down. They make you, they don't give you big plays. They make you nickel and dime your way down the field. And that's the best way to play defenses. Defense is not to give up anything cheap, anything deep. I believe if you have to consistently drive the ball 10, 12, 15 plays, I believe I can make you turn it over as opposed to giving up a one or two,
Starting point is 00:57:57 you know, a 60-yard run or a 50-yard pass play. I believe if I make you go first down, first, second, Okay, convert third down, first second, convert third down. I believe if I make you continuously have to nickel and dime your way down the field, I believe you'll stub your toe. I believe you'll make a mistake.
Starting point is 00:58:18 And that's all I need. Yeah. And you know what else is good? If you look at the landscape of the team to the left, let's say for the NFC in general, you look at a game like tonight offensively, Chris McAfrey, causes the issue regards to who they're playing,
Starting point is 00:58:34 because they can create mismatches by using him in a multitude of ways offensively. But because the goddamn Seahawks are so good in all three levels, whether it be the front, whether it be the second level or they got them back in, they match up so extremely well. Some of the things that Christian McCaffrey is able to exploit when they're playing other teams, when you play somebody like Seattle, uh-uh. It's not happening. Like, he had some runs.
Starting point is 00:59:00 He wasn't able to do what he knows. He does. No, there were no gags. the last night and boy they was putting a hat on him tonight boy they was putting the hat on him the night boy i mean merner jones the fourth had two takeaways he had a pick had a force fumble ripped it out on the tight end um but i thought to look from about week i mean for like the last month after what they did to the rams they showed me something being down like they were and and and and and and and finding a way to get up off the mat and the wind that you're
Starting point is 00:59:34 game and overtime in the fashion. Not only did they tie, because the Rams go right down the field in overtime. Get a touchdown, P-A-T, they're up seven. And for Seattle to match it, to go down the field. And then say, you know what, we ain't doing no more overtime because the next score win. We're going to win it. We're going to win it.
Starting point is 00:59:53 And they say, you know what? We're going to win it. And Sam Donald did a great job. Seattle's going to be a tough out, don't you. They're going to be tough. I don't care. Look, the game. obviously we can say the game favors Chicago
Starting point is 01:00:07 because they practice in that and they play more often in those kind of conditions than the RAM. But anything can happen on a given Sunday. That's why we love football so much because it's one game. It's when to go home. There is no tomorrow. There's finality once postseason. It's not like that in any other sport. They say game seven. There's nothing like game seven.
Starting point is 01:00:28 Well, in the NFL, every playoff game is a game seven. Whether it's the wild card divisional or the AFC championship, obviously the Super Bowl, we know what that is. But every playoff game in the postseason, I mean, every playoff game in the NFL is a game seven. No other sport has that because I get four chances. All I got to do, I got to beat you four times. But it doesn't work like that in the NFL.
Starting point is 01:00:48 I ain't got to beat nobody four times. I got to win four games. If I win four games, if I'm a wild card, I'm going to beat the Super Bowl champ. I'm holding up the trophy. In other sports, if you win four games, all you did was advance to the next round. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 01:01:04 Before games in the NFL in the postseason, you're Super Bowl champs. But, uh, looks. San Francisco, uh, you know, the injuries, the end and out, you know, they lost Tramp for a minute. Uh, the wire receiver. I thought they did. I thought they, they played well. But sometimes, you know, team just has your number. Teams just have your number.
Starting point is 01:01:23 Seattle, Seattle is, I'm not so sure if the 49ers have all their pieces that they're a better football team than, than Seattle. You know, when I think about it, I think about if they had Bosa, if they had Fred Warner. Okay, yeah, because you got to be, because they can't get pressure on the quarterback, Joe. It's so hard for them to get pressure,
Starting point is 01:01:48 and you got to have somebody that can win quick. You need somebody that can win right now. That can win his one-on-one matchup. They got, and they don't really have that. Fred Warner's not going to make some of the mistakes that these guys were making. They're trying to go under and they get peeing. and it spits out or they go over and the guy cuts back.
Starting point is 01:02:07 Fred is not going to make some of the mistakes. He's too veteran of a player. He's going to read and diagnose what's going on a lot sooner than these guys. But I think, look, these games are always close. Normally, normally. I mean, the first time they played up in Seattle, the 49 is won, but it was a very close ball game. The second time, it was a 13-3 ball game.
Starting point is 01:02:29 The 49ers felt that, you know what, if we eliminate some of these turnover, though, Joe, we like our chances because we've already we've already been here and won before. So it's not like it's foreign to us. It's like like it's out of the realm of possibility that we can't, we can win because we've won here before. So you know, you feel somewhat good. You like to have Bosa because you had Bosa when you won the first time.
Starting point is 01:02:49 You had Fred Warner when you run the first time. You had Kittle when you won the first time. So you would have liked to have some of those pieces. But you got what you got. You got what you got. See, it has a look good. You got to make do it what you have. Obviously, I think it hurts not having Kittle, not having boasts, not having Fred Warner.
Starting point is 01:03:09 But when you think about when it comes to this time, when it comes to the playoff time, there are a lot of teams that have injuries, maybe not injuries to some of their star players to the extent of that of the 49ers, but you got to make do it what you got. You got. So, I mean, it's unfortunate. I think for the 49ers, they should hang. me to, and I've got a chance to look, it's hard for me to understand why.
Starting point is 01:03:33 I'm looking right back in this year. So, I mean, it is what it is. Yeah. I'm trying to think I'm looking at the 49ers, maybe a D-Lyman, maybe a corner. I mean, losing Huff, a Fanga, who's in Denver right now. Their safety is, man, I just don't know. I mean, the past in Jig, but I don't know what 36 will look.
Starting point is 01:03:58 looking at. I don't know what he looked at at? Oh, Joe, why would he look back inside? The quarterback is rolling towards the sideline. You look back inside and he throws it and jing him slith and catches it. I'm like, what are you looking for? That was a nice drop in the bucket too now. I mean, he's looking like your mom called him. Like he heard somebody. You called me, mom? No. Oh, man, see, Ojo. I mean, when I go to games, this why, and we're going to talk about the Bronco, this is why I came, man. I see some stuff, bro. I'm like, bro,
Starting point is 01:04:34 what? I just, okay, come in, son, come in, let me see something right quick. Tell me what you saw. What did you see? Right. I don't know. I don't know. But, yeah, you got to understand, too, now, when you're watching the game
Starting point is 01:04:52 from a fan perspective, even though you play the game, and when you're watching from an eye level of you, as you as you were to date, Huh? That's the $2. Because we can see everything up high with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:06 Sometimes, you know, what we see with a clear eyesight. The case, not the same. Not an eye level. Yeah, you know, and the bullet, you know, it's flying. You know, it's a thinking man's game out there, huh? You think of man's game. So one mistake, one slip up, one step behind, what are you done? You look the wrong way.
Starting point is 01:05:26 You hesitate. You're peek in the back field. that's all the thing that I tried to do, go ahead, go ahead. You say, yeah, have a take you beat. I'm going to say, you're out of position.
Starting point is 01:05:36 The only thing that I really, that I really emphasize, Ocho, is that I never tried to get beat on what I've seen on tape. If I know a guy like to cross face, I can't let you beat me cross. Now, if you step cross like you're going to cross my face and come out of the backside,
Starting point is 01:05:50 we need to get a different running back because he two got them slow to hit hold. Other than that, Ocho, you're going to have drops. You're going to make you're going to have drops. make some mistakes. But as I told, I remember Pat Sartan, I got
Starting point is 01:06:05 a chance to hollet him. I saw his dad. I saw his dad also talk to him. I say in the playoffs, there are no incidental plays. Every play matters. See, in the regular season, Ocho, sometimes the first quarter play might not have an impact in the rest of the game. But in the postseason,
Starting point is 01:06:23 every play matters. Every play matters. and so you're like oh don't worry about we'll get it back but that's the difference you know now all of a sudden instead of a seven point you got three now that's four points swing um

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