OverDrive - OverDrive - November 28, 2025 - Hour 1 - Luke Willson

Episode Date: November 28, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs kicking off the back-to-back against the Capitals and Penguins, William Nylander out of the game, if Auston ...Matthews can return to his dominant form, his leadership for the Maple Leafs and the stature for USA Hockey. TSN NFL Analyst Luke Willson joins to discuss the Chiefs' playoff chances, Lamar Jackson's cold performance against the Bengals and Week 13 picks with Al's Brother.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 My name is Maria. Okay, I lied. It's Mary. But I just got back from a European-style holiday on MSC Cruises. And it made me want to be more European. Oh, the restaurante. I mean restaurants. Nightlife and shops in La Galleria.
Starting point is 00:00:13 Sorry, sorry. Even North American stuff like water slides and a sports bar and the views were bellissima. Okay, this is a problem. Book and save. Get drinks and Wi-Fi included. Visit MSCruises.ca, or contact your travel agent. Let's holiday.
Starting point is 00:00:27 Restriction supply ships registered in Panama and Malta. This hour of overdrive is powered by Fanduil. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. All right, here we go, overdrive off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app, up on YouTube Live, up on TSN Plus. Brian Hayes, Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. Lots of hockey being played. We've got NFL football going on.
Starting point is 00:00:54 We're not up on TV today because TSN's loaded this afternoon. You know, I woke up this morning. Golf on TV, first thing in the morning, the Skins game. Yes. Nice surprise. I love it. I hadn't even heard about it. Just found that it was on.
Starting point is 00:01:08 Yeah, I noticed they were replaying the Australian Open or something, which I believe took place over the weekend. Like golf is basically just asleep now for the better part of a month, month and a half, which is fine, but I still want to watch. Well, it's the Friday. I mean, it's a great day for sports. Oh, you're right. Was it the Rory Sheffler thing?
Starting point is 00:01:25 No, it was. No, it was, it was Keegan, Lowry, Fleet. Whitewood and Shafley. Not exactly a dream team. I didn't even know that was happening. Yeah, I didn't either. It was on this new course in Palm Beach. Okay.
Starting point is 00:01:38 Designed by Jack and Justin Thomas, apparently. A co-design. Panther National, I believe, the course is. All right. And they're playing, you know, of course, millionaires playing for more millions. Yeah, why not? High drama.
Starting point is 00:01:52 Absolutely. I'm sure they're having a great time. And there was a bit of drama, though. I did, like, I know Lowry made a put on top of Keegan at one point and said, I've been spending the last few months breaking Keegan Bradley's heart That's a good line Rubbing it in
Starting point is 00:02:05 And he's right I guess he hit the defining put Right He was the one that knocked it in A Bedpage Black That's right Yeah I did not
Starting point is 00:02:13 I didn't know that was going down Neither did I Because I think isn't Sheffler playing Macquarie or something Like there's something I have no idea Like golf is so far Off the beaten path
Starting point is 00:02:23 Yet I would watch If I knew about it You know Like today is a day of how do you market yourself? Yes. You know, like when the NFL yesterday
Starting point is 00:02:31 obviously owned everything and you have to have an appreciation for the fact that every other league just said, we're not doing anything today. Don't even try. Not trying. It's your day. And then the NFL today brilliantly said,
Starting point is 00:02:45 we'll sneak back in today. And they're playing right now, bears and eagles. So that is still going to take up a lot of the energy. But the NHL's playing, the NBA's playing golf is trying to squeeze in. Like every American is just sitting at home, I guess, today.
Starting point is 00:02:57 That's what I mean. It used to be you had to actually go out like two malls and stuff and shop. On Black Friday. Yeah, on Black Friday. Like, there was actually one day you could go out there and get stuff. Now the only people working are the Amazon delivery guys. Yeah. Like, is there even a point in going anywhere?
Starting point is 00:03:11 I think you'd like to believe there's still some, you know, finance going on out there. There's still interaction and malls are alive. Rickston mortar interaction. Exactly. Moms and pop shops are alive, you know, in different spots around the U.S. but I get the impression I know from my own experience it's just now click on this
Starting point is 00:03:30 like I'm not an online shopper but my wife everything she gets basically is online the only time she goes back somewhere is if she has to return something you know what I got the same problem is the online shopping is all my family does
Starting point is 00:03:45 and the problem now is we were victims of the porch pirate epidemic did you get hit by that hit by the porch pirates at some point no way now we don't get the stuff deliver to the house very often because we're often not home during the day. So now I spend all my time at these little
Starting point is 00:04:01 pickup depots. Right. Some of which are in very shady convenience stores in parts of Toronto that I generally would not be kind of hanged out in. Always the best. It's great. Always so great when you're in there. You're like, is everything on the up and up in here? Yeah, we got you carried away. We got you. They got you taken
Starting point is 00:04:16 care of, they got a pile of packages in the corner. Yeah. And like you, you show up with your little text on your phone that says I got a package here and they like rifle through million packages. It feels like they could all be stolen. Like if the clerk turns this head for one minute. Yeah. Like it would be a porch convenience store pirate bonanza. Right. Where you could steal the entire inventory of Amazon out of one convenience store. But that's how it's running now. Everything's run through the company store. Well, and I, you know, we just got ourselves
Starting point is 00:04:43 a deal, the post, the, you know, postal service and they've been going back and forth for almost two years. Are they now? Are they back? My understanding is they came to a conclusion. And I think what is going to be happening is like individual mailboxes and all that gone in the future and I in the suburb has been like that for a long time right have the kind of community boxes do you have a mailbox at your place yeah I know so we have the community mailbox but growing up I did my parents still do it was always like you know open the slot and throw it in like that yeah that was the old school that's the way Toronto mail is gone forever we still have one in the old city but yeah maybe it's maybe it's going away my understanding is that that's coming even for like the city and stuff like that which I don't know where they're going to
Starting point is 00:05:24 them you know like there's not a ton of room in the city no there's not for all these like community mailboxes but apparently that could be a part of the future and maybe that like eventually something's going to have to give with where we're going with home delivery yes like to your point like anti-theft you know like at some point something's going to have to give where there's some way to kind of avoid it or well someone was you know a safe haven for it all someone was telling me if you buy a new house now if you buy like a fairly high-end new house house. A lot of them have these little like locker systems where the delivery guy can open the locker, put the package in, close the locker. You can get out of from the inside, but they can't
Starting point is 00:06:04 get out of it from the outside. Like that's, like, you know, like that's apparently where it's heading. Like a safe room almost. Like a little, like a little door. Like apparently like I'm old enough to remember when people used to get milk delivered to their house. My parents else, they have it, they still have it on the side of their house. A little milk door. The best. Yeah. So this is a milk door with like a lock. where it locks as soon as, like, you can open it to put the package in, but once you close it and the packages in there, it locks. Okay.
Starting point is 00:06:30 And then, yeah, you can access your package from the inside. But, like, the average person ain't getting that. Well, that's the whole thing, exactly. Like, I don't know. We'll see. But it is Black Friday, and, you know, I don't know if anyone actually goes anywhere anymore. And sales started like a week ago.
Starting point is 00:06:46 Everything's like the before Black Friday sale. It's like the actual day up means nothing. Or the price is better on Black Friday? I don't know. Isn't there, Cyber Monday? There's all these different days now. It's tough to follow everything. But again, we got a lot of games in action.
Starting point is 00:07:01 We've got the football game. We've got hockey games currently going on. The least we're going to drop the puck in about an hour on TSN. And I guess William Nealander woke up today not feeling well. Now he's not playing. Oh, boy. So Willie's out. And, you know, Willie didn't have,
Starting point is 00:07:12 Willie had a, he had a strange game the other night because he did not have a good game. Yet primary assist on the time goal and he wins it in overtime. and for a team that is struggling and needs all the help they can get, missing out on him is pretty significant. He's been carrying him a lot of them. He has offensively for sure. Yeah. He's been carrying them
Starting point is 00:07:32 offensively and he's also been carrying on the conversation with the coach. Yeah. Which I do wonder where, like if that ever boils over or when is Barubei going to start going at someone else other than Willie. Right. Like he obviously has taken on Neelander as like a project
Starting point is 00:07:48 of his that he's going to try to get him to play a certain way and it's in certain areas of the ice he's not yelling at him about making plays in the offensive zone clearly because willie would look at him and laugh at him and should and say are you who pardon Craig you're telling me what to do here when it comes to a two-on-one right or you know open ice in the offensive zone no thank you but um you know i don't recall the last time he went at austin or went on john tovarez or went at morgan riley or went at any the other long-standing leaves to have not exactly been phenomenal, you know, every single game that they've played under Craig Baroube.
Starting point is 00:08:24 Yeah. But it's always Willie. It is always. And it's like heated between the two of them. And maybe it's because Willie is maybe one of the only guys who gets that type of abuse or that type of constructive criticism, whatever you want to call it, and has the standing within the club and the contract security and plus just the flat-out ego to give it right back, which is, which appears to be what's going on most of the time, right?
Starting point is 00:08:47 It's not a one-way conversation. No, it's not. Will he's standing up for himself, whether he should be or shouldn't be. And we don't know the context of what's being talked about. Well, we can generally guess. We got a pretty good idea. Yeah. You know, bad defense.
Starting point is 00:08:59 Like, the game against L.A. was pretty obvious. They was standing still while they were scoring goals. Right. That one seemed pretty obvious why Barouba was yelling at him. The other night, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I'm sure it was something of the same, like a similar context. You know, wasn't in the right position, wasn't picking up his man, wasn't finishing a check, whatever it was. But, listen, Willie, his offensive ability is, at this point, second and none on the team. Yes.
Starting point is 00:09:23 Like, Austin can't, isn't at the same level as William Nealander right now. Offensively. And yes, John Tavaros has been great, but John is a meat and potato's offensive player. Right. Like, Tavar's going to the front of the net and bashing and crashing and banging and finding a way to tip a puck or pick up a rebound. And that's what he does very well. And he's continuously doing it well.
Starting point is 00:09:44 But in terms of game-breaking offensive ability, that's never been to, Boris's game. But Willie's got it. Austin has had it throughout his career, but it hasn't happened really this year. It didn't happen a lot last year. And yet you look at the game today, Washington is playing a lot better. Joseph Wall is going. I'm a little bit surprised by that. Like I think conventional wisdom would suggest the starter goes the first game, but it's a five o'clock start. He got a lot of action the other night, basically won them to game. And they're in Pittsburgh tomorrow, so I guess he'll be able to get that start because Stollos isn't even on the road trip. Now. Like they're on the road for the next thing.
Starting point is 00:10:17 seven, eight days. Storler's isn't even with the team, which at some point they're going to have to give, I don't, I'm not holding my breath, but you'd like to believe they'll give more of an accurate assessment of what's going on with Stollars. Not in their DNA. It has not been something they've done recently, but we'll see. But wall goes today, Willie's out. You know, you play the hits, you go back to the big guy. And Matthews, I think you got the rust off the other night.
Starting point is 00:10:41 He's going to have to have himself a game tonight. It wouldn't hurt? Yes. It would be very, very nice if Austin had a. defining moment this year because I don't think he's had one yet. No. No, he hasn't. That's been the huge problem with this team is that the guy who's your captain, the guy who is supposed to be the superior athlete, the guy who was making the case as one of the best players on the planet if not one-eight, Connor McDavid, at his height, which is a long time ago when you think back
Starting point is 00:11:06 to it, it hasn't been anything close to that, Hayes, and it's a massive concern for the Maple East because there's no answer for that, right? Like, clearly, We were told that the off-season arrest would be enough to get him back to where he wants to be. And we haven't seen Matthews back to where we remember him being at the height of his powers. And it's starting to make you wonder, like, is that even possible anymore? Man, I hope so. Like, I hope so, but that's where I'm at. Like, I would have said, and I said countless times throughout the summer,
Starting point is 00:11:42 definitively, this guy's going to come back like a rocket. Yeah. Like, I was bracing for it. I was looking forward to it. I couldn't wait to see the... It was probably unfair to call it a redemption tour. It was a one-year injured. He's been in the league for nine years.
Starting point is 00:11:55 He's had a great career. Okay. You had your one year. It was a bad year. It's not as if he's been, you know, two, three, four years deep where you're waiting for this guy to have some miracle resurgence. But I thought he would come out, chase a heart trophy, win the rocket, and reestablish himself as the man.
Starting point is 00:12:13 And prior to the injury, he had not done that. The injury being out for more than two weeks clearly didn't help. And the other night, again, he was good, he was fine, but it wasn't, it wasn't rock star stuff. No. And I'm to a point now where I'm hoping it can happen because it would be unfortunate if it just kind of, if he transitions into the next stage of his career, which does happen, it just puts such an emphasis on everyone else to be so much better. And that's the thing about the core four for as long as it's been, you could always rely on
Starting point is 00:12:45 them because they were young and they were productive and they were predictable and everything else was interchangeable and obviously you look back on it now the way they were wired in the playoffs wasn't good enough and the depth that they had wasn't good enough that's why they only got out of the first round twice in nine years but you could rely on those guys during the regular season you could rely on them to be so good so productive so dominant takeover games literally win games on their own to the point where it allowed you to look at a third or fourth line and say, ah, it's not great. It might cause problems in the second round,
Starting point is 00:13:16 but in November, it's no problem. If he can't get back to that top 10 player in the world status, it just puts an emphasis on everyone else to be so much better. Oh, yeah. And I don't know if they have the capability of doing that. Like, then all of a sudden, Easton Cowan's really got to be good. Yes. Like, he's really got to be a player.
Starting point is 00:13:34 Nick Waugh has got to really be a player. And John Tavares can't look 35 at any point throughout this run. You know, and it just puts a lot of pressure on that. So I'm not to the point where I'm going to definitively say, and I don't think anyone should definitively say, you know, the best years of Matthews are behind him or his ability to completely dominate stretches of games or stretches of a season are completely behind him. But I am at a point where I'm like, I'm at a hold. I'm not buying. I'm not selling. It's a stock.
Starting point is 00:14:05 I'm holding the stock. Yeah. You know, I'm not bullish. I'm not bearish, but I'm like, you got to kind of show, let me see where this goes before I jump. off or jump back on a bandwagon. Right, exactly. No, yeah, I think that's, and that's a fair way to look at it because, look, we're just watching what we see here. I'm not,
Starting point is 00:14:22 I don't have. About rooting against them at all. Not rooting against them. In fact, you know, it was a great, as I was saying yesterday, like watching this guy through his rise, doing what he was doing with pucks and beating goaltenders in a way we hadn't seen it, certainly in Toronto before, and because
Starting point is 00:14:37 Elis had never had a goal score like that, and very few teams in this league ever have had a goal score like that in the history of this league. So it was a lot of fun to watch it, and it was a lot of fun to see it on a nightly basis practice in games. Problem now Hayes is like you wonder about it because, you know, 28 years old, the kind of the numbers have just been flagging, and it's, to me, it's like you look at everything,
Starting point is 00:15:08 like it's the explosiveness that's flagging. It's the, it's the two. way dominance that's flagging. It's not just the shot. It's not just, but it's just a list of stuff, right? Like he, and, and then there's also just the idea of the force of personality. Like you, you were named the captain
Starting point is 00:15:23 last year, right? And have you really put an imprint on this team as the captain? Like, did that change anything? Like, you had John Taveris's captain one day, the next day you got Austin Matthews as captain, you know, Brennan-Shanahan believed that would change something. Brennan did that for a
Starting point is 00:15:40 reason, right? And what was the reason? And has there been any real effect to that is my question. It doesn't have a different feel or tone. There's no outward evidence that there is a difference with Austin Matthews as a captain. And that to me, that's massively concerning. Well, I think in large part because his personality hasn't changed, his approach hasn't changed, but his game has fallen off ever since he became captain. But you're right. In terms of like something tangible you can point to and say this is different now because the letters on his change. instead of the other guys.
Starting point is 00:16:12 Right. So what was that all about? You know? It's just a bad call? Was it, you know, like... Yeah, I guess it was making up for what... I may have been making up for a mistake, his own mistake.
Starting point is 00:16:22 He put himself in that spot when Babcock was here and he got in legal trouble and that caused a big problem. And I think also the, you know, Babcock, I think was pushing for Tavares and, you know, there was obviously they looked back on the Babcock run differently now, clearly. Yeah, everybody does. Everybody does. And I think maybe there was a,
Starting point is 00:16:41 It was a mulligan for Shanahan where he's like, man, that's always what I dreamt of, this guy being a young captain, just like every other young superstar gets to be, like McKinnon did, like McDavid did, like Sid did, like Ovi did, it was just natural, and they just didn't do that for him. And who knows, maybe that was a part of, you know, maybe it was an issue in the background, I don't know. Like maybe it was something that was always kind of hanging around the relationship. Like, why aren't I the, I should be the captain? Why aren't I the captain? When are you going to give me the captaincy? And maybe there was some uncertainty on what the future tomorrow's going to look like. will he still even be with the team? Do you want a captain just leaving the team?
Starting point is 00:17:13 You know, now it turns out he stayed and they worked out a deal and the rest is history on that front. But that could have been complicated. When was the last time a captain just didn't sign with a team? Yeah. You know, maybe because the team either didn't want him or he decided I want too much money or going somewhere else. I don't have a reference I can use right now.
Starting point is 00:17:30 But, yeah, listen, there's a lot of pressure on a guy. Like, there should be pressure on the guy. Yeah. You know, based on where this team is right now, now he's healthy, he's the captain. He's got the legacy at stake. Depth guys are going to come and go. You know, he has been chasing an all-time great leaf, all-time great American player, you know, and that's what's on the line here for him.
Starting point is 00:17:55 Yeah. Because through nine years, he had established best goal scorer in leaf history. He's going to own all those records, you know. Very short, in very short order. Arguably biggest, you know, superstar. are the first got to win the heart and forever Rockets, Rookie of the year, something that never happened. Like he sent
Starting point is 00:18:13 so many benchmarks that no one prior to him had ever done. And now, you know, and again, on the American side, same thing. Like they're going to the Olympics for the first time in his career. I presume he'll be the captain again. I don't know if they've announced that. I don't think they have. I don't think they have. But he was a captain of the four nations,
Starting point is 00:18:33 had a chance to do some great, couldn't beat Bennington in overtime, had multiple great chances. that could have been a defining moment for him. I wonder how that changes, right? How does that change his outlook on life? The way he walks, the way he thinks about himself, the way other people think about him, if he scores one of those shots, right?
Starting point is 00:18:51 If one of those shots goes in, he had plenty of chances. Grade A plus plus, and Bennington robbed him multiple times. If he leads the U.S. to that win, does it change anything? Now, the flip side is, I remember a lot of people saying, well, now that Marner's made the big play, set up the winning goal, will that take the weight off him in pressure situations? Will that make him a different player? Right.
Starting point is 00:19:14 At nut-cutting time. And it didn't. And in games five and seven against the Panthers, we found out it did. Right. And I think the answer to that would have been, it was not going to change anything in Toronto for him, but it would have possibly changed his profile in the states. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:30 And this is a big opportunity for him. A lot of Americans do not pay attention to hockey other than when they get to the Olympic Games. Like T.J. Oshy is a household name down there because he was great in shootouts. That's right. They didn't win gold. He just scored a bunch of shootout goals.
Starting point is 00:19:46 And everyone was like, oh, this guy's Wayne Gretzky. They're this player ever. People in Florida and Georgia and Arizona. Who's this guy? Wow, T.J. O'Sha, he must be unbelievable. And if you're the captain of the American team, if they find a way to win a gold medal over there, which is definitely possible,
Starting point is 00:20:00 it's a huge moment for his profile in the U.S. Massive moment for his profile. That's a good point because you're right. Like T.J. Osi is like that moment in Sochi in American hockey terms, just like the average sports fan in the States that watches probably NFL, college football, first and second, and everything else. And then two weeks of the Olympics every two years. Like that, he's got, like in terms of the hockey players they would be aware of,
Starting point is 00:20:27 he would probably be in that conversation. They might know, they obviously know Grette's. if they're of a certain age. They know, they probably have heard of McDavid, but they know T.J. O'Shee, because of that, because of that one moment in Sochi. NBC on a loop. Bob Costas interview. Come sit down with me. Wow, I can't believe that.
Starting point is 00:20:43 You're right. You're right. You can't underestimate how big that. Like, T.J. O'She's still living off that. He dines off that to this day, right? Yeah, he's an analyst. He had a great career. He's a really good player. But, I mean, his career in that moment. He was a debt player on the American team.
Starting point is 00:20:56 Yeah, a debt player on the American team. I mean, he won a cup in Washington. I don't think that's, like, that's not what a lot of average Americans who don't watch hockey would ever know a reference. No. Not, hey, he won it with OVee, and remember that, it's Sochi. It's H.J. Sochi. Yeah. And that's it.
Starting point is 00:21:12 And listen, he's not alone. The Cichuk brothers, I'm sure, aware of it. And I don't know what it means to Matthews. I don't know what it means to any of the individual players. But it's got the potential for a big boost and a big boom. And it won't have any effect on Toronto necessarily. Well, you hope it will if it's for the positive. right? You hope that there's a swagger
Starting point is 00:21:31 there that can be kind of renewed because, you know, you don't see it enough anymore. Now, if he's not playing great for the Leafs and they're sinking, then he goes over there and is unbelievable and wins a gold, you know, some leaf fans would be like, hey, where's this been during the regular season? Unless he comes over
Starting point is 00:21:47 and carries it forward. Yes. It says, okay, now I found something. Now I... That would be... There's no downside to that. If you're a Leaf fan, again, I mean, outside of, if they'd be Canada in doing so, clearly. Like, if you're a Canadian and a leaf fan. You're rooting for Canada, obviously. But the guy, you know, he's due for a moment like that.
Starting point is 00:22:05 Like he needs a moment like that. Like it just, every do or die game, it just, he's lost in his career. Yeah. You know, and Marner had prior to that game as well. Now, Marner has junior success, you know, and not the same at a pro level. But, yeah, we'll see what he's got. Because it's a big one today and Washington. Then they're in Pittsburgh tomorrow. And this will be tested.
Starting point is 00:22:28 Yeah. You know, because where's your body at? How you're feeling? You just played a lot of minutes the other night. Now you're going on an early game, then a game tomorrow, travel involved. They're on the road. Then it's Carolina, Florida. Like, you've got a big week ahead of them.
Starting point is 00:22:40 Well, that's the thing about the halves at home on next Saturday night, where they're ideally looking for redemption considering what happened two weeks ago. Yeah. We had to do the mercy pull for Joseph Wall and you got embarrassed in Montreal. I mean, that was brutal. But, you know, the point you make about the, like, Matthews comes back into the lineup after a long absence and plays big minutes. You know, Tavares is playing big minutes.
Starting point is 00:23:02 It speaks to like this depth problem they've got right now, right? And we're going to see a little bit of it today with Willie Out. You know, like Dakota Joshua comes back into the lineup after he's a healthy scratch in Columbus. But this is a guy you talk about best laid plans. Like remember the offseason Hayes when they signed this guy or got this guy on the team? and there was all this talk about Dakota Joshua,
Starting point is 00:23:28 a perfect Craig Bourouet player. I remember talking to Bruce Boudreau, who'd coached him in Vancouver, said, this guy hits like a truck, he's a four checker, he works his butt off, he's got decent hands, he can bang in pucks.
Starting point is 00:23:39 We've seen, like he's leading the team in hits, but do you remember a big Dakota Joshua hit? No, always a second late. Puck's gone, then he throws a hit. Yeah. You know, so, yeah,
Starting point is 00:23:50 you would like to believe he's wired tonight. I think with Willie out, this may a save Max Domi. Like there's a chance Domey was coming out. Can he salvage this opportunity? Is he even aware that it was that close? Who knows? Because he was given a big opportunity the other night.
Starting point is 00:24:04 And I don't think he took advantage of it. So we'll continue to look ahead of the game tonight. Again, on TSN4. We're tracking the NFL game. Luke is coming up. We'll get into what happened last night. Lamar Jackson does not look anything close to himself. He hasn't thrown a touchdown in three games.
Starting point is 00:24:20 Three turnovers yesterday. The fumbles killing him. and what a performance by the Bengals to their credit. Like that's a big win. Joe Burrell looked really good last night, really comfortable. And the Ravens, like, who's going to win the AFC North? It's a legitimate question right now, because the Ravens look fraudulent.
Starting point is 00:24:37 I know they've won games recently, but they were brutal last night. You talk about a team that was billed as a Super Bowl contender that is just face-planted in the biggest way possible. And I guess not unlike the Leafs in some ways, like health may be the underlying reason. Like if Lamar Jackson just can't run anymore, we did have some pretty decent. He was moving a little bit last night.
Starting point is 00:24:59 He moved pretty well at times, but he just did not throw the ball well. He did not make good decisions. But yeah, there's like you go from being an MVP candidate on an annual basis to being this. Like he's not that guy anymore. No, he's not right now. Not right now.
Starting point is 00:25:14 And you look at, you know, the chiefs lose yesterday. Now they're in serious trouble. The bills keep losing. like those three have been the pillars of the AFC and those three quarterbacks are like well one of them's going to win the Super one of them's going to win the MVP none of them are going to win the MVP right now
Starting point is 00:25:30 I mean there's a chance Alan can play his way into it Mahomes there's a slight chance if they win out now and he's just out of this world great probably had to win last night probably had to win yesterday yep and it didn't happen so credit to Dallas Green Bay Cincinnati we're tracking
Starting point is 00:25:46 Bears Philly Luke coming up more picks Alice Brother will join us Emily Kaplan on the show today We'll get to Jack The rappers are off today They're through the NBA Cup They don't have to play NBA Cup games How about that?
Starting point is 00:25:57 4-0 beat up, ready to rock In Charlotte tomorrow In New York playing the Knicks on Sunday Big game So Jack will join us in about an hour Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on the TSNN app My name is Maria
Starting point is 00:26:10 Okay, I lied, it's Mary But I just got back from a European-style holiday On MSC cruises And it made me want to be more European Oh, the restaurante. I mean restaurants. Nightlife and shops in La Galleria. Sorry, sorry.
Starting point is 00:26:24 Even North American stuff like water slides and a sports bar and the views were bellissima. Okay, this is a problem. Book and save, get drinks and Wi-Fi included. Visit MSccruises.ca or contact your travel agent. Let's holiday. Restriction supply ships registered in Panama and Malta. Wi-Fi 7 on Bell Pure Fiber Internet?
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Starting point is 00:27:09 Mail it in Friday, brought to you by Boston Pizza's NFL Game Day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pines. in shareables and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. Mail it on Friday is brought you by Boston Pizza's NFL game day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pines, dialed in shareables and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. We're currently in the midst of a football game day right now. Bears up 10-3 on the Eagles at the half. Philly fans handling it very well. Oh my gosh. You never know these are two eight and three teams.
Starting point is 00:27:47 and that one of them won the Super Bowl last year. Like, I'm watching video out of fans in Philly. They're going nuts. Anybody that thinks Toronto is a pressurized sports market, Brad Marchand and Matthew Kachuk and Paul? Yeah, it's so tough. Telling us how hard we are on the Maple Leafs and how the pressure is beaten into these guys
Starting point is 00:28:10 and how can they possibly play in that hellhole of a pressure cooker that they call Toronto. Try being a football player or a football. coach in Philadelphia. Yeah. Go down to Philly. Come on. That works out. I mean, it's not even close. No. Leading the NFC East, won the Super Bowl last year,
Starting point is 00:28:25 getting booed because they're losing by a touchdown at half. The coach fired again. They wanted him fired last year when he won the Super Bowl. Gary, and he's a bum. Get him out of there. I mean, it is absolutely off the charts. All right. Here's Luke Wilson. What the Rock is cooking. What the Rock is cooking.
Starting point is 00:28:45 What the Rock is cooking. what Luke Wilson's cookie. You got to get on your A game there, JP. After you won a Super Bowl, do you guys hear any booze the next season in Seattle? That we did not. We did start a bit slow the next year, but righted the ship.
Starting point is 00:29:04 Yeah, we did not. Philly, I heard you guys talking. Philly is a special place in that sense. I remember, don't quote me on the year, but it was probably like 2015, 2016, somewhere in there. We went to Philly. might actually have been later than that, but we went to Philly and I remember walking in, you know, coming out for the pregame stuff
Starting point is 00:29:23 and everyone's running their mouths. We come out as a team for the game and we're getting absolutely smoked. Philly was not great that year. And after the first quarter, we were getting after them. And it was the first and only time in my NFL career where I had seen, like, I'm talking, we were nine, ten minutes into the game. And all the guys that were heckling us started heckling their own team. It was hilarious to me.
Starting point is 00:29:46 I love it. I'm like, these guys are killing us. In nine minutes in, they're like, all right, we're done with Seattle. We're going after our own guys. As they should. Like, that's just how they operate now. Like, a lot of it, I think, is schick. You know, it's just like that's what we're supposed to do
Starting point is 00:30:00 in Philly. We boost Santa Claus, and that's how we operate. But that said, I mean, that offense in Philly, Jalen Hertz, like this guy talking about his career is wild, and he's still likely going to play in the league for another decade. Been to two Super Bowls, won a Super Bowl MVP
Starting point is 00:30:16 was phenomenal in the Super Bowl last year and yet it feels like again in Philly and elsewhere people look at him and say I just don't know what this guy's all about like unless Saquan Barclay is running for 2,000 yards can this guy perform can he play? His wide receivers always look pissed off where does he rank for you
Starting point is 00:30:34 how would you define the season and the career of Jalen Hertz? I mean the season has been awful that's just like the reality you look even this first half and I don't know how much you guys are paying attention
Starting point is 00:30:47 but Tony Gonzalez is talking about there's a player where Goddard's going right down the middle of the field you know and it's the issue I have is when you break down film there's a lot of times where you're like oh this guy's wide open why didn't the quarterback see him
Starting point is 00:31:01 and the difference between when that happens the majority of time the NFL is it's a bus on the defense that you might not necessarily be in your progression or it's the third guy in your progression or the defense of structure says you should be looking A to B and the guy who's C just killed somebody and you missed that.
Starting point is 00:31:20 But what's tough for me about Jalen Hertz is it's like what's supposed to be his first read on a lot of these things is wide open and he doesn't get it done. Even, you know, this game's 10-3 and it feels a lot worse. But there's a play earlier, it's a third down where they have everything they want, it's the perfect play call and Devante Smith, you know, is wide open and he misses him. but, you know, DeBonte tries to reach back one hand, can't get it done. If you look at that, bare minimum, he's probably catching that and getting down to the five, maybe gets in if he makes a man miss.
Starting point is 00:31:55 And instead, you're settling for three points. And again, it's just so frustrating. The weird thing about Jaylon Hertz is you go back to last year's Super Bowl, and you're like, man, this guy is one of the best in the league. And then the next week, you're like, this guy is one of the worst in the league. And it's really that dramatic. Luke, we watched last night with, you know, real strong attention because it's Thanksgiving game and waiting for Lamar Jackson, the MVP that we've come to know to show up in Baltimore.
Starting point is 00:32:25 And there was no sign of that guy that I could see. And what do you know, Joey Burrow comes back from injury and leads the Bengals to an unlikely blowout win over a team that a lot of people had his preseason Super Bowl favorites. Like, how did Baltimore fall off the rails this badly, this? quickly. Yeah, I do wonder if there's something going on with Lamar's hamstring slash health. You know, since coming back, he just doesn't seem like the exact same guy as far as like the electricity on the field. And he doesn't seem comfortable back there.
Starting point is 00:32:59 I mean, the turnovers yesterday, generally Lamar has like a great feel in the pocket, knows when to escape, you know, knows when he's got to kind of tuck it, take a sack, whatever. And it's like yesterday, there was some bad turnovers. And I also thought it was a very tough day for Todd Munkin, their offensive coordinator, where it's like, I'm looking at that game yesterday, and I think HBO, Hayes, bro, and O, is that what you guys call yourself now? It might be, it might be changing after this week. We'll see. Yeah, I mean, all of us, we're currently as a collective ofer, and it looks like we're to continue that trend today. It's the O-Doddard, man.
Starting point is 00:33:34 If he's associated with anything right now, it's poison. The guy stinks. But I look at that and I go, okay, you got a very weak run defense in Cincinnati. That first drive, you know, you get the big scamper there by Henry. He goes and scores a touchdown. And then you're like, why isn't Henry playing more? Why doesn't he have more carries? Like, what is going on?
Starting point is 00:33:57 So it was a tough day, I thought, from a play calling perspective there. You know, Zay Flowers had one yard going into the final few minutes of the game in which he caught an eight-yard pass and then fumbled. Like, whenever your star-wide receiver, your number one guy has literally one yard, you've got to think it's like an offensive quarter, unless they're taking them away, like you're doubling them everywhere,
Starting point is 00:34:21 which this guy's not Calvin Johnson. Okay, with all due respect to Zay, I think he's unbelievable, but he's not getting doubled all over the field. So it's like, how do you have a game plan where Zay Flowers has one passing, sir, excuse me, one reception yard. Like, how does that happen?
Starting point is 00:34:40 It blows my mind. Well, there was a lot that came out of yesterday that blows my mind. And, you know, again, everything you pointed out is 100% accurate. Like, once they got chased in the game, they tried to, you know, they're going to get away from Henry a little bit once you get down double digits. But there's no excuse for him not getting way more touches the second quarter to start the third quarter. But now the AFC North, again, appears to be wide open. I think it's too late for the Bengals.
Starting point is 00:35:07 It's too late for the Browns. But Pittsburgh's got the bills at home this week. And as we know, the bills really struggle on the road. I don't know who's going to win that game. I lean Buffalo. But who wins the EFC North? Like, how would you handicap this? Steelers, Ravens.
Starting point is 00:35:22 Where do you stand on the EFC North? I still like the Ravens, but quite honestly, I don't feel good about it. You know, I really don't. They're not winning anything this year, the way they're playing. They're not winning anything. No, and it's one of those things where, like, you almost sit there and watch it and think to yourself, like, it's almost like who's going to lose more in the AFC North right now? You know, like the Ravens have the awful start.
Starting point is 00:35:49 They come back and you're like, okay, this team, like, they're in the driver's seat, and then they have five turnovers yesterday, and they lay an egg like that. It's just like, and now kind of opens the door for Pittsburgh. And I don't think Pittsburgh beats the bills either, but then, matchup there is kind of solid in the sense of you know you got a decent run-stopping defense
Starting point is 00:36:13 on the flip side like Pittsburgh likes to run the ball and you're going up against an awful run defense in Buffalo like I do think it'll be a tight game and if they you know if there's a turnover or a couple funky plays or Buffalo runs in the penalty issues like Pittsburgh
Starting point is 00:36:29 could easily sneak this thing out well that's where for me it gets a little greasy with the AFC North right now. And then you look at what happened in the afternoon game where Kansas City, they had ample opportunity they couldn't do it. I mean
Starting point is 00:36:44 Mahomes I think did everything he possibly could like he has at different times this year but now they're 6 and 6. And you look at Dallas, Dallas is 6, 5 and 1. And they're at Detroit, the team they're chasing now all of a sudden on Sunday night, I believe next week. That might be
Starting point is 00:37:00 actually next Thursday, I think they play. Next Thursday, yeah. Okay, next Thursday. Then they got Vikings at home, charters at home, at commanders, at Giants. Like, if Dallas can go into Detroit and win, there's a chance they went out here. They got a good shot. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:17 But here's the crazy part is, you know, you said they're 6, 5, and 1 right now, which, like, I, it's crazy to say this, but I think if you look at the schedules, it's going to take 11 wins.
Starting point is 00:37:31 Like, it's unfortunate, but in the NFC, it's a lot tougher right now, but it looks to me, like, I do believe Seattle gets to 11, and I think Sam Fran gets to 11. So now you look at that final wildcard spot, and that's assuming the Eagles don't puke all over themselves consistently. And it's like, okay, you've got to basically catch some, you know, one of the NFC North teams. So I'll say this, you know, their playoffs for both teams, I think, that Thursday game this week, Detroit versus Dallas, it straight up is a playoff game for both teams. Losers done, in
Starting point is 00:38:06 my opinion. Losers knocked out of the playoffs. And what's crazy, though, is the winner, especially if Chicago holds on to this thing, the winner still probably has to continue to win out. Yeah. Well, you're right. I mean, the Bears, this was the statement game. Like, there's still a half to be played. We'll
Starting point is 00:38:22 see what happens in this game. But the Bears pull this off. They're up to nine wins. They're nine wins. Yeah. Like, they're right there. So again, that's why I said, like, 11's probably the magic number. Like, you're telling me the pack aren't getting to 11. Have you seen their schedule all coming? Let's say they split with the bears. Both teams are going to get to 11 wins.
Starting point is 00:38:40 Luke, when you look at the Chiefs, I mean, six and six, this is the team that's been to five of the last six Super Bowls, they've got their three rings. I mean, are we seeing like a transition year here where they're going to have to move off some of their older guys? Obviously, Kelsey is heading off into Swiftyland sooner rather than later. But, you know, Mahomes is still a stud at age 30, but they don't seem to have enough around him, or how do you interpret their struggles in a year where I think their playoff probabilities now are
Starting point is 00:39:08 like 30%. Yeah, I'll say this. They have to win out to get in, especially because their tie break right now is the bloodbath. But two of the teams in front of them, they play the next two weeks, and both those games are at home. So they lose
Starting point is 00:39:24 another game. To me, they're cooked, done. Sure, they'll be a probability, but if they lose one more, I think they're jammed. But you look at their upcoming schedule. It's the Texans at home, which matchup-wise, I think that Steve Spagnol's defense should dominate Houston's offense. So if Mahom, like that to me has like a 1916 vibe written all over it. So you look at that and then you got the chargers right now that are really beat up also at home. Both those teams are in front of them. And then you end up with
Starting point is 00:39:56 the Titans on the road, which has got to be a must win. They got to get that one done. And then it comes down in their last two games, which is Denver at home. in Las Vegas on the road. So I'll say this. You go back to yesterday, beyond like the age of this team, these guys have 10 penalties for 119 yards. Yeah. And quite frankly, in this guy, you know,
Starting point is 00:40:16 we're always pump his tires in the show, but Steve Spagnol had a very, very tough night yesterday. So I think what's got to be frustrating for Kansas City is like a lot of that is self-inflicted. Again, you can't beat anybody. I mean, you can, but it's very tough when you spot them 100. 19 penalty yards.
Starting point is 00:40:35 So. Yes, House, brother. Just storming through the line of scrimmage and cutting Luke off. Like, just cutting him right off at the line of scrimmage. I love that play by here. I do have a follow-up question, though.
Starting point is 00:40:52 I'm actually legitimately honest, Luke. Like, you talk about the chiefs at Mahomes and the situation they're in now, and they could possibly lose in the plot. Like, how much would that impact his legacy? Like, we're talking about him being in the Brady Stratosphere the last couple of years, but you look, the offense hasn't looked all that great.
Starting point is 00:41:08 Think back-to-back seasons. They've ranked 15th in points, and they fall that up with missing the playoffs. Like, what does that do for his legacy, you think? I'll be honest with you, boys. I'm watching this game right now. Watching the Eagles makes me want to puke sometimes. It makes you want to
Starting point is 00:41:24 puke. It's not even listening. What's the matter? These guys. I can't even focus. They stink. But it's a valid question out, brother. It's a valid question. Outside of when Brady tore his ACL, he wasn't playing, Matt Castle still won 11 games that
Starting point is 00:41:38 year. They went to the playoffs every year. They won the F.C. East every single year. And here's Mahomes. And they're top ten and scoring every single year. Even when they had no high-end talent around them. And yeah, it looks like Kansas City might miss the playoffs, which is something that Brady
Starting point is 00:41:54 never did. I mean, you say that, but in the same breath, like, I think if they missed the playoffs one time compared, I mean, has, has Mahomes ever not been in the AFC championship? Every year he has been, yeah. Every year, like, at this point. And if they go 10 and 7 and miss, you're like, all right, we can live with that. We can, he's got a lot of time left, too.
Starting point is 00:42:16 They just, if they, if they're transitioning here. It's not him. There's been no, like, this isn't a Jalen Hertz situation where you're like, wow, he looks awful, you know. I thought he looked amazing yesterday. It just had a team that didn't quite look amazing at all. Well, that represents N. HBO, for that matter. I can't put my figure on what's changed the last couple of days,
Starting point is 00:42:39 but all of a sudden, we can't pick winners. Something happened. Something happened. And anyway, somehow we're playing Niners Browns, Al's brother, because Doogie is trying to do everything he can to jam us here. We had a lock in the previous game we were going to play. Houston Indy. Like, Al's brother and I saw that beautifully.
Starting point is 00:42:59 as clearly as you can possibly see it. But Niners laying four and a half at the Browns. Hell's brother, tremendous information. Where do you stand on this? Yeah, it's a much tougher game. So it makes sense that they had to put us on the tough one. The problem is, like, well, what are the Browns? You know, like they got a really good defense, but what are they exactly?
Starting point is 00:43:21 They are winning at the line of scrimmage a lot. So that's ultimately what I'm looking at. I'm looking at them. I'm looking at a game where I think it's going to be horrendous weather. I think it's going to be sleet and snow. Brock Purdy does not play well in bad weather. I think it's going to be a low-scoring game, ultimately. Four and a half points might be a bit too high of a spread.
Starting point is 00:43:39 So I hate it so much, but I think I lean Browns here, Hayes. My instincts say Browns, too, just because the weather and Purdy's been so bad. And I just, this feels like 1916, 17, 14. It feels like the Brown's defense, get after Purdy, force him into trouble. McCaffrey on a slippery field. I don't like it. He's good for him. I don't know, man. I think Judkins has himself an afternoon on the
Starting point is 00:44:06 other side. I think it's just a run game. It's a special team's game. I think the home team getting points with a very stout defense. I think we take the points here. And Shradour has himself a night. Traditionally, he's been great against Kyle Shanahan offense. He's limiting the
Starting point is 00:44:21 Niners to 15 points per game and under 300 yards in each of the three times that he's face Shanahan's offense. So I think you add in the bad weather. Should be a close tight game. We'll take the points. All right, we'll take the points here. We feel good because we know this guy's about to lose the Eagles pick.
Starting point is 00:44:36 So it's all good. Like we're just shambles. Yeah, shambles. No one's got one right this. Shambles. It's awful. It's the O-Dog curse for everybody. All right, bills minus three at the Steelers.
Starting point is 00:44:47 Team Noodleson. It's weird because I really think that the Steelers should cover this, but I'm going the other way. I'm taking the bills. you know the bills have been bad on the road but i you know you look at the run game i i think that this this steelers team gets jammed up here and i think the bills actually roll they're due man the sealers defense is not very strong that's just if you watch this team of secondary's week okay i do think they'll get the run game going and the only hope especially if buffalo gets a lead early they'll be chasing like crazy so i'm going to go uh i'm going to go bills
Starting point is 00:45:22 minus three okay i don't know noodles will love that pick man noodles will not be happy with that pick. He's an Aaron Rogers guy. Noodles is an Aaron Rogers guy. All right. You guys want to bills laying points on the road. That's tough. Without both starting tackles, I might add. And JJ Watt, screaming down,
Starting point is 00:45:40 they gave up eight sacks last week. J.J. Watt's can have a field day. If J.J. Watt, if J.J. plays, then we really got to split. You know, you guys are right. You guys are right. We'll switch the pick. We'll switch the pick. Wait a minute. No, no, no. No, no. Let's go in the Steelers.
Starting point is 00:45:54 No, no. Doogie just said it's lost. Lock it. Duke, no way. Duggy. Bills are in. I want the Steelers. You can't steal my tremendous information to make your decisions.
Starting point is 00:46:05 I want the Steelers. I just got the text from the team president. He said take Aaron Rogers. Oh my God. This is a controversy waiting to happen. Wow. There's a protest. Doogie, you make the call, man.
Starting point is 00:46:17 All right. Final pick before we figure out exactly what the hell just happened there. Broncos minus five and a half at the commanders. This game stinks too. like a Sunday night football. Why is Washington? I get what they did last year. Flex them.
Starting point is 00:46:31 Get them off Sunday night football. That's terrible. It's sickening that they're playing in primetime. Alice, brother, where we are. It's got to be Broncos, right? Like, I hate, it's a sick line. It's gross, but I think we're on the Broncos. Broncos big, too.
Starting point is 00:46:45 Like, the commander's stink. Like, they've lost six in a row, and they've failed to cover in all six of those games. They've lost by an average of 15 and a half points. And you got, you got Bo Nix, Sean, Hayton coming off a buy. He got one of the best defenses in football against Marcus Marriota. Yeah, I mean, I think the Broncos are going to win this one big.
Starting point is 00:47:05 I'm surprised it's only at five and a half. It was at six and a half for a majority of the week. I don't know why it's being bet down the other way, but I'm taking the Broncos big here. Yeah, I think it's the Broncos. Last night threw me off, man. That was such a Bengals cover. We should have known better.
Starting point is 00:47:20 Short week, borough back, divisional game. We know that house, brother. I preach that all the time. Why are you flying with the flog out of? Remind us again why you picked the Ravens? O-Dog, that's why. The O-Dog, he got in my head. He got my head, and he said, oh, big bounce
Starting point is 00:47:35 back for Lamar and the Ravens, and I took his word forward, and I shouldn't. If we should have stuck to the process of Hayes and Brol, like we have all season long. O-Dog, O-Dog wanted to go Joe Burrow. He's a huge Joe Burrow guy. He's a poltergeist. He's a poltergeist. He's killing. Now he's a patch
Starting point is 00:47:50 fan again. I mean, everything the guy represents is just crushing. All right, picks are locked. Picks are locked. Browns, Bills, Bills. Bills. I want the Steelers. Talk to Doogie. We'll figure it out before we. We'll tweet out the official picks soon. This guy's a fraud. It's so fraudulent. It's so fraudulent. All right, boys. Have yourselves a great weekend. Bye, boys. There it is. Luke Wilson and Al's brother. Emily Kaplan, Jack Armstrong, coming up. Overdrive continues. T.S.N. 1050 and on T. T.S. Sun Plus. My name is
Starting point is 00:48:28 Maria. Okay, I lied. It's Mary. But I just got back from a European-style holiday on MSC Cruises, and it made me want to be more European. Oh, the restaurante. I mean restaurants. Nightlife and shops in La Galleria. Sorry, sorry. Even North American stuff like water slides and a sports
Starting point is 00:48:44 bar and the views were bellissima. Okay, this is a problem. Book and save. Get drinks and Wi-Fi included. Visit MSCruises.ca, or contact your travel agent. Let's holiday. Restriction supply. Ships registered in Panama. in Malta. Can my Wi-Fi connect all my family's smart stuff at once?
Starting point is 00:49:01 Let's see. There's the smart TVs, five smartphones, laptops and tablets, smart speakers, smart vacuum. Huh, what else? A smart toaster. It was a gift. Smart salt shaker. Yeah, that's a real thing. And a smart nine-speed cheese grater.
Starting point is 00:49:13 Okay, I made that one up. All the tech, one connection. Yeah, this Wi-Fi can. Switch to Wi-Fi 7 on Bell Pure Fiber, Canada's fastest internet awarded by Ukla. Visit bell.com to check availability. Bell, Connection is everything. All right, Lisa in action this afternoon. Max Domi, not playing.
Starting point is 00:49:31 Micelli's going in. Wow. So you got William Nielander sick, not playing tonight, and Domi's still coming out. I think it's the right play. I think it's long overdue. He's had a terrible year. If you're going to send a message to Joshua and Micelli,
Starting point is 00:49:43 you've got to send it to him too. I think it's the right play. And I think he's a guy. He needs a spark. Like, he needs to play with life. When he does, he can be very effective. Oh, yeah. But it just hasn't been there for Max.
Starting point is 00:49:54 this year. It's just, he's not alone. A lot of them have had down years, but he's got to get going here, and he's out today. I'm sure they'll put him right back in tomorrow. We'll see what he's got. But we'll be tracking that, tracking the football game, bunch of hockey games going on today. Emily Kaplan, Jack Armstrong, Best Betts, Dear Hasey B, coming up, Overdrive, continues. TSN 1050 and up on YouTube live. You've been listening to Overdrive, powered by Fandul. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score.

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