OverDrive - Naylor on the NFL playoffs matchups, the Bills' Super Bowl journey and Jackson leading the MVP choices

Episode Date: January 10, 2025

TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NFL, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen's MVP choices, the Bills looking for the Super Bowl victory, the AFC and NFC contenders in the playoff picture and more.

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Let's go. New year, new you. New you. New you. Explore it all. Feel brand new. At iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. Here's our good friend, our TSM football insider, Dave Naylor. Now, Gunn, I'll ask you about the All-Pro. I'm sure you saw that today, that Lamar Jackson, first team All-Pro at the quarterback position,

that would indicate Lamar is about to win his third MVP Do you see it that way and if so, how would you expect Josh Allen to respond to that? Look, I'm biased because I watched Josh Allen every week, you know, and I'm I watch lights Yeah, I saw Lamar Jackson in person once this year. I'm watching a bunch of times in tele on television But yeah I think part of this and I I think I think some of the thinking for people in Buffalo is say you have seasons where it could have been Josh and then they went another way.

And this is certainly a season where it could be Josh. Yeah, and some of it is numbers and some of it is more than numbers. I think sometimes just judging quarterbacks, because you can't see every game by numbers, can be kind of foolhardy. You've got to look at situationally what a guy does. And that's the Josh Allen factor to me. Like I think if Josh Allen wanted to play

the way he'd probably love to play in his dreams, he could put up numbers that would be insane. But he just throws it into that gear kind of once or twice a game, right? And the rest of, and that's part of, I think, the maturation we've seen, is that Josh Allen doesn't do the things Josh Allen is known for all the time anymore, because there's some risk involved,

right, he just, he's learned to be a more conservative quarterback, which is, doesn't necessarily enhance the numbers, but it enhances the efficiency uh... speaking of efficiency by the way i would like minus twenty four june's plus twenty four who the bill in turnover uh... uh... said number one and i thought that i first want to thank you before i get

to my question for putting some kind of positive spin on that unlike joe from the bridge and wrote that this guy was minus three and then in quotations he wrote several times he was you didn't need to write that but at what point so nailer you're saying is the mvp gone it's lamar's like what what did lamar do what specific thing and i know about the

the throwing yards the rushing yards but when did it turn for you or your opinion where it's like now he's got it i think it really kind of turn these last few weeks like it felt like a month ago coming off the detroit game it was it was going to be josh allen and then there were a few people prominent in the in the media who popped up and said actually you know i'm i'm gonna take my claim with Lamar Jackson. And then you had, I think the Bills end of season, I mean, it's funny how this thing becomes,

it comes like a week to week thing, but I think the Bills schedule at the end of the season really didn't necessarily do Allen any favors in that regard because they played New England twice, one that Allen took one snap and left the field and the other two, the other game against New England and the one against the Jets, I mean, I don't think they were, in fact Alan even said it after the New England game. He said, we're walking a very, we're toeing a fine line here. Yes, we want to get as high seeded as possible, but since we clinched the playoffs,

we're not really going in showing the whole playbook because they had so many games that weren't meaningless, but they were games that they could win without showing their whole hand. And Alan said it after the New England game, and it got a lot of attention because it was pretty transparent comment. So I think that's the other factor that came into this a little bit

you know buffalo wasn't really being pushed beyond the detroit game in the way that they they were early in the season and you know allen's the allen didn't have any wild performances you know those watching games nor the last couple of games where you know jackson kept pushing yet and that it does i think that the question like if if allen's not going to win an mvp this year will he ever win one you know if you'll be in the running every year

because he's so great but i thought it was his to lose i think he should win it again it's not the for confirmed yet is just history would suggest whoever ends up with their first team all-pro the mvp and and lamar jackson was voted as the first team all-pro ends up the MVP and Lamar Jackson was voted as the first team all-pro quarterback, which would be three in his career, which is remarkable. I mean, Lamar Jackson is a remarkable player, but Josh Allen, we consider how many points they put up this year, who they beat.

They beat the Lions and the Chiefs. What he did with less in terms of other firepower the offense completely revitalizing his game in terms of turnovers all of that screams mvp yet if it's not gonna happen for him he may not get it again in the future cuz next year might be lamar again or mahal almost all more or or or or you know who knows who it's gonna be

i guess what it does now gunn is it emphasizes the importance of him winning a Super Bowl now. Right? Like, you've got to get a Super Bowl. You've tripped over the two fears of Buffalo Bills fans, right? Like, you know, late at night, their greatest fears that the Josh Allen era will come and go without him winning an MVP and without the Bills winning the Super Bowl. And I think that's already in the water on the Super Bowl stuff, right? Like Josh Allen's first season was 2018.

This is his age 28 season. They've been good enough before. They certainly, the Bills have had teams that have been capable of it, they just haven't got it done. And every year that passes, it's kind of like we're not near the end of the Josh Allen window, but we're right in the middle of it. And that is part of it. You mentioned the turnovers.

I think that's certainly the big evolution in Josh Allen. The Bills are part of the reason they're plus 24 is they took the ball away 32 times this year and only gave it back eight. I mean eight. And look, there's a bit of a myth about Josh Allen and turnovers, at least where it comes to playoff performance. That hasn't been his issue in the playoffs, but it has been certainly in the regular season. And I think that's a legit concern that Allen may never ever win an MVP.

And you know, again, it's a very tough award to win. And again, you've got a guy like ma home who's had a down year that is funny he was still the betting favorite to about the mid season to people to figure is going to throw it into gear at some point but he never really did never really had to but it's uh... i look i think the fact that he matched up i think we're going to get it it to reach over a week from now

we're going to get baltimore rolling in the buffalo you know with that kind of debate hanging in the air and the radio you just writing writing off the steelers like that are we i have the right i love us i will be surprised at the bill don't win i will be if baltimore doesn't want even without a plow i have not one i think it and i'm and i'm big on the baltimore thing that i was more of a suitable

character right now paid for a while uh... that that's where i was going to go nail gun is there any I'm big on the Baltimore thing. Baltimore is my Super Bowl pick right now. Tell you the truth. Oh wow. There you go. That's where I was going to go, nail gun. Is there any upsets that you think maybe around the corner? Like, I don't know, would Green Bay sniff? I know Hayes would love to hear if Green Bay has a chance. I'd love to see it.

I mean, yeah, Green Bay is the one that I think could be. Because I still think they're a team that, because they're young, they're still getting better. I mean, they went in in ideal conditions and played Detroit. Now Detroit was ravaged on defense that game. But they were a play away from the Lions at Detroit in an extremely meaningful game for both teams. That's the one that I think,

if you're looking for an underdog that could pull the trick this weekend, that's the one that would think if you're looking for an underdog that could pull the trick this weekend, that's the one that would grab my attention. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Listen, Philly's got high expectations though, too. That should be a really good ball game. There's a few different games, like even the Rams-Vikings, I think those are two good teams.

I want to see how the Vikings recover like psychologically from what they did in Detroit I mean you think of that guys like think of the road that they they chose for themselves by the way they played like going on the road You know and and having to go back to Detroit eventually and play as opposed to being the first team You're to get your two home games in perfect conditions away from being in the in the Super Bowl And I still can't get over there's a stat from that game that just still i can't get out of my head the date through the ball twenty three times

adjusted jefferson jordan adison and pj hawkinson and they completed six shanty dot the do not credit the lions but it's also a lot of the quality of throws possibly a lot of the city like smart not man in any other you know i think you know if you've had an outdoors but like ideal conditions six to twenty three that's right of those three guys made well we'll see what

comes with this weekend enjoy tomorrow now got enjoyed sunday down in buffalo appreciate you doing this buddy and they've got me on guys and uh... they'll this you know minus minus three but that how many times several several several several several okay well i don't know if they're on the site i was happy to play in the nhl you know couple coffee and i have a good start

it's a lot of this to rogers yeah uh... that the forty gold for sure aris i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i