OverDrive - Willson on the NFL conference championships, the Bills' head coaching search and NFL picks

Episode Date: January 23, 2026

TSN NFL Analyst Luke Willson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NFL Conference Championships matchups, the Bills' head coaching search and Philip Rivers being a candidate, Hayes, Bro and O and Noodlleson's pick and more.

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Luke, place yourself, I guess, on the bills, all right? You're playing for the Buffalo Bills and you hear that Josh Allen is going to be heavily involved in the next coaching hiring. How would you feel about that? that. As a player, I mean, I like it, but that could mean a lot of things. You know, we're like reading into it a lot, I feel like.

Mainly, you know, it's like, hey, I'm in these meetings and Josh can be like, I really dislike one of these coaches. Like, I find that hard to believe, especially because he's going to have relationships with some of these guys for sure.

But this isn't really like college or, like, youth sports for you're like selling the dream you know it's like oh man if i come here i'm going to make you what an MVP josh has already got MVP so i i think it's being a little bit blown out of proportion more so just like hey you know i and even if i was josh i don't know if i'd be standing on table demanding that i get a certain coach so parts it's everything about this process what about what about if he comes back into the locker room and regardless of what you think of Brandon Bean, he comes in and says, guys, you should see this bozo being in some of these meetings.

He doesn't know what the hell is going on. It's just not a good scene. It's not a good scene regardless of how good your player is to have to be involved in some of this stuff. I agree. And again, this is where it's like weird when he's going to be involved. You know, as unhinged as the Biscotti interview was talking about, you know, the players and this going to the Ravens, when he was like they'll have input but they won't have power. I don't know if you guys remember him saying that line.

That's kind of more so where I see this whole thing going. Again, at the end of the day, like Josh isn't writing the coach's check. Josh isn't on a day-to-day communication, you know, with regards to the roster with Brandon Bean. So I definitely think it's important that he has input and it's comfortable and likes the idea, but I don't really know if I would let anyone, let alone, you know, Josh or anyone, drive the boss on what should and shouldn't be done at that level. What do you make of Philip Rivers getting an interview as that coach for the bills? Wild. Wild. Wild. You know, and again, that's one where I don't know, Philip. I didn't cross past him. He did beat us one year,

so that's fair, you know, tip your cap to him there. I just think that there's a pretty big, step before assuming a head coaching job in the NFL, you know, in the sense of as players, and I've seen this at a million times smaller level, but it's like as players, my job in there is to learn my playbook, understand what's going on. I didn't really care what the DB coach is preaching. I didn't really care about, you know, what coverage our defense is running this week, things like that. And then all of a sudden it's like, if you're the head guy, like you are responsible for what your defensive quality control coach is putting together. You know, you are responsible for these things.

So that's a big job. But as far as offensive football goes, I really think it'd be a great fit. I just, again, I almost wonder for Philip Rivers' sake, if he would want to be a coordinator for a head coach, make sure he kind of something he wants to do. Right. Yeah. And like, I just wonder also who's left. You know, I guess Mike McDaniel, who just got announced as the OC in L.S.

is going to still take an interview with the bills, which I felt. That's weird, though. Don't you think you're taking a job, but like, hey, I might go and take this job instead. Yeah, that seems really strange. And you know where I stand on McDaniel and Buffalo and Western New York. It is a new stadium. Maybe it'll be warmer in there. But I don't know, man. I just don't love the options the bills have right now.

Yeah. It is strange because I would argue that it's the most coveted job, you know, and seemingly they have gone a completely different direction. direction. And again, some of the bigger names have obviously accepted jobs elsewhere. But I really don't think the roster is that far away. You know, obviously, you look at the past few years, they've been knocking on the doorstep here. Josh is a year removed from an MVP. And I believe they announced that he was in the top five this year for MVP.

I believe that came out the other day. Yeah, it was. So it's like you've got an MVP at quarterback and you've got a run game that was the best, in the NFL, that's including the offensive line. Again, offensively, I don't think you're that many pieces away. You're probably a receiver or two away. And then defensively, you know, they were kind of middle of the road. Not a great run-stopping defense.

But again, like, you're not that many pieces away. So I'm surprised it hasn't been, you know, the first domino in this whole coaching carousel to go because more people would want to be there. Well, this is a guy that we have breaking news here. Al's Brother is actually in line to interview for the coaching job in Buffalo. Oh, yeah? So that's why his video's not working.

He's currently, I think, at one Bill's Drive right now. And do we have El's brother or no? There he is. A.B., did you meet with Brandon Bean? What did you think of Jerry Pagula? Did your meeting go well or what? Yeah, you know, we're in good gracious. I made sure to throw a couple guys under the bus.

I know he's into those things, so I made sure to do that. made him know that those picks that have gone wrong over the last couple of weeks, not my fault, not my fault. O'Dog wanted those guys, and we went with them, not my fault. But it's okay, because going forward, I think we're going to be making some right. Is that correct? I'm excited for the weekend. Is that correct, O'Dong?

All I got to say is I love all you guys, but next year, the super team will be formed. The super team, Al's Brothers commentary today, it stressed me out. It stressed me out. It's overbearing. He's like that. You know what he is? He's that AGM that will backstab the GM to take his job. That's what he does.

And that's what he's like. And I had enough of it today. But until the end of this season, we're teammates. And we have a real opportunity to have a big weekend. If I wasn't being humble, I'm being humble so I wouldn't say this. But I would call Al's brother scumbag for that comment. Yeah. But I'm being humble.

You're too humble to say that. Humble guy. Yeah, this is what I'm dealing with. Like, we have a magical season on our hands, and I have a mutiny between these two buffoons. You've got to be careful that, Hayes. Noodles, this guy, both of them see the world differently. One's up, one's down.

I know. You know, it's just, it's absurd. Okay, well, let us know what your decision is as far as who's doing what's game. Tell us. We got to figure this out on the fly here, because there's only two games. Who do you guys feel more adamant? Which game do you feel more adamant about?

because I think we're in line in terms of who we would pick in each game. Al's brother, you've been here the longest. Let me just throw us in there. I've already spoken to you on the phone. Al's brother, you can say your piece, and then, Brian, you've got to pick the game. Be a grown man. Go ahead. So here's my concern is the harder game for me is Ram Ceehawks.

I think that's the one that's more difficult. So that's one where, like, I got a slight lean. you know, maybe we see things differently, the O'Dag and I, in that one. So I feel like maybe that's where we give Luke the play, allow him to decide, do I want to roll with my guy, Maddie Stafford, or with my Seattle Seahawks? I think it'll be a difficult game for him to kind of sit there and look at. So the one that I think that we probably should go with is Patriots and Broncos. And I think we're starting to get on board here.

I think that we can find an understanding between the three of us on someone. to take in this game. Okay, and the line is minus four and a half. Still, right, on Fandau. Minus four and a half pats on the road. Is that right, Doogie? Yes, okay, thank you. And you guys, I believe, see this similarly, right? I know you do, O. You've made yourself

very clear here where you stand, right? You want to jump in and quickly point out before I was brother throws in some tremendous information. I don't want any pouting. I talked to you for half an hour on the phone today. You know where I stand on all the games. I told you, you have to just show some stones. and you have to make the call.

Go ahead, Al's brother. Tremendous information on that game, because we're going to lock in this game and we're going to give them the Rams and the Seahawks game. Go ahead, Oz, brother. Go ahead. So I think for this one, I think we can lock in the Patriots, guys.

I think we can lock in the Patriots. I don't want a big brain this one. I don't want a big brain. And I know he's satisfied. He's happy. I knew he would take the Broncos. But do we really want to roll with Jared Stidham over Drake May?

I almost big-brained it, but then I started to think to myself, why would we do that? And when you look at the numbers, guys, it really does start to side with the New England Patriots. Like Drake May, last week aside, amazing under pressure.

Let the NFL in yards, completions, touchdowns, and quarterback rating. So even if Denver decides to put some pressure on these guys, I still think that he'll be able to bounce back. The Patriots great on the road this year. Undefeated, 8-0 on the road. So they're going into a mile high, feeling good, 7-1 against a spread.

The Broncos, they're 500 against a spread in their last 10 games overall. And here's the kicker for what really kind of has me leaning patriots now. Salivating, we'll call it. Salivating, we're salivating, we'll say, sure. And you're just look at how Denver won a lot of their football games. A lot of comfort behind victories. They had an NFL record 12 wins coming from behind,

which means Bo Nix had to do some special things. Sure, the defense came up big as well to get some turnovers and some big fourth-down stops. but I believe in this offense of the Patriots, and you look at what they're able to do in the first half of games this year, number one offense in all of football, averaging 17 points per game. If they can continue to put up points early, I don't think they'll let it slip away,

and I don't see the Denver Broncos led by Jared Stidham, who has four starts in his NFL career, eight interceptions in those starts, being able to lead the Denver Broncos to another come from behind victory. I think the Patriots get, get up early and continue to put the kind of pedal to the metal. I think they have an opportunity to kind of run away with this thing. I think Patriots should be the play.

All right. Oh, where do you stand on that? My thoughts are when you hear people like my old Parsi there talk about this matchup, no one is really given consideration into Drake May being awesome. Everyone's like, oh, he's young, he's this and that. Maybe he's going to be dynamite, and maybe he's comfortable now, and maybe he's just going to dominate a football game. Everybody, all I've heard from the likes of my partsy over there is this guy's young,

crack under pressure, if they get to him this and get to them, maybe he's just going to dominate, and that's exactly what I want to see. All right. No, I believe on the road this year to the Patriots, they love to travel, man. How about that? Hey, he's locking in. We're locking in the Pats, locking in the Patriots, laying the points on the road. Lock of the century.

Lock in the Patriots. Parti, do you have any feelings on what we just described there? Honestly, without being humble. Honestly, I like the Pats to win, but four and a half in an AFC championship game is you guys are criminally insane. There's no logic. Everything that Al's brother just said might have been, I mean, it just disgusted me. It was so useless. Okay, these, the idea that you guys just gave us.

Yeah, exactly. Everything you just said. The idea that you guys just gave us four and a half points while Denver is at home. Okay, recency bias here. What happened last week? You could not protect Drake May. I love Drake May. I think the guy could potentially win MVP, but you can't protect them.

And I got bad news. You don't have the same run game. Buffalo. So I'm just comparing the Houston defense excuse me, the Denver defense of Buffalo. So it's like you've got a better all-around pass rush in Denver's front seven. And

I do think they're going to run the ball well with Stevenson, but not as well as Cook ran against them. This has field goal game written all over it. You got a great coach in Sean Payton. Stidham is a veteran guy who has been there for a while. He just needs to scheme up plays. Again, I like to ask them to win.

Easier. I've seen that. Four and a half points. I hear you, dude. Come on. Here's the thing with Stimbing. You guys are in shambles. Here's the thing with Stim.

He hasn't thrown a football at a meaningful game against first-ring offenses since 23. Yeah. We're in 2026. I think it's really substantial. You don't think Sean Payton knows that? But what does that mean? They don't have what,

RJ Harvey Harvey's going to get 35 touches? What is he, Barry Sanders in his prime? Absolutely not, but we scheme this up. Hey, this is going to be a possession game all day. All day. No,

I think it's the right. They'll take their shots and they need it. I think Jerry Stadham throws picks and absolutely soils himself. I think he's trash. Yeah, well, we'll see. We'll see. All right. Well, anyway, it's weird, boys, because at Al's, bro, maybe you can explain that if this is so easy,

why is the plus four and a half minus 120? It's a trap. It's a trap. People think that the Denver Broncos is going to keep this a close game, but it's not going to happen. I think people are big-braining this one, and we're not going to stand for it, and we're not going to do it. The one other piece of information that I got here since week 10 onward, the Patriots defense ranks 7th and weighted DVOA, which is adjusted for strength of opponent,

which is actually better than what the Broncos have been able to do defensively in the same 10-game stretch here. I believe they rank 12th. So defensively, the Patriots have been playing a lot better in the back half of the season, ranking 7th in the league, and the Broncos 12th in the back half of the season. So you couple that with the fact that they got the number one offense in the NFL. I really do think that the Patriots can run away with this one. Thank you. There's Billy Madison.

We all is from medicine. They had to reach into the stat of DVOA since week 10. All right. Eric. Eric, you're on the clock now. Eric. The whole world is big-braining this. Not us. Not you guys.

We small-brain things. All right. Ram, Seahawks laying two and a half. Go ahead. well very very tough matchup very tough matchup you guys definitely stuck us with the harder game um as you guys know i'm a big believer in the seahawks team the seawks organization john snider that's my guy yeah that being said we're taking the rams noodles and i knewles and i had this discussion we did talk about it today two and a half

points we talked about it today and i think the seahawks probably could win this game, but I like it just like the last one. 3837 was the last one. It's a one-pointer, boys. This is too close to call. And before we jump on, I want to talk about big-braining, because I'm sure you guys went on Twitter and everyone's saying, oh, Seattle's the best team ever. I saw that today. You look at some of Seattle's last games. They have a two-point win against Philip Rivers, the future head coach of the Bills, at home. They have a one-point win they had no business winning statistically, should have been nowhere near winning that game against the Rams.

What about trashing the 49ers, dude? The 49ers defensively are absolutely junk. They've been junk. They were able to stop the 49ers. And that's the thing. The two dominant wins are the last few games they played against a team that is playing guys that have been there for two weeks. Again, I like Seattle here, but if you're going to give me two and a half points,

I'd like this to be one of those things where it's a last second field goal to win by one either way. I had to take the points. It's that close to me. I think Seattle wins. I think it's, again, I'm betting it's under three points. No. I love it. I love it. Listen, Donald scares me. He still terrifies me.

But the Rams defense down the stretch gave up a lot of points. Last week it was, you know, they got cooked by Carolina. Last week was about the weather. The weather was crazy. Caleb couldn't get going. You know, this Seahawks team, they're rested, they're ready to go. They're going to punish Matt Stafford, too. They're going to hit him and they're going to make him feel it. I like this.

I think worked out the way we wanted it to, right? Exactly. This is exactly the scenario we dreamed up where we get both of our selection. 7-5. Small-braided all the way to 75. The feeling is mutual, boys. The feeling is mutual, boys. If you would have given any other game,

I was taking Denver 10 times out of 10. That to me was the layup of the week. Okay. It all worked out beautifully for everybody. How about that? The picks are in. HBO? Laying the points.

New England, four and a half at Denver. Nudelson, taking the points. Rams, two and a half in Seattle. What a matchup we have on Sunday. And then it's off to the Super Bowl. And that's what I'm going. Can I ask you a quick question? Can I ask you a quick question?

Go ahead. Do you guys feel like this is a must-sweep weekend for you guys? Pretty close to it. Yeah. It's close. 7-5, we're right. If it's 9-3, we're in big trouble. 7-5.

We're right there. Yeah. 9-3 you're in 9-3 you're cook. 8-4 we can live with. 9-3, we're in big trouble. Big trouble. We'll hit the Patriots pick. I think we'll hit the Patriots pick.

I'm not really worried about that one. Promise me when we get to the Super Bowl, though, there's not a bunch of junk. Oh, it's props and tons of points on line. But I'm saying, you know what it's like. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, we're not doing that. Yeah. We're not doing, you know, the color of the Gatorade for five points.

None of that stuff. It's legit. You got to use your brains. Two points for the spread. Two points for the total. That's been established, and then every prop is worth a point. So there's a lot on the line. It's like singles at the Ryder Cup.

And we might be trailing, but I think we can come out hot, man. Miracle at Medina. I think it'll be the miracle of Medina. That's probably what it's going to be. Well, I think it might be, right? It better be something. Oh, you can be my Justin Leonard. You will be my Justin Leonard.

You're my Martin Kimer. Noodles. I just appreciate the trust noodles. I appreciate the trust. All right, boys. Hey, we'll just stay humble and Hayes. Stay humble, boys. Stay humble, boys.

Stay humble all the way through, all the way to the Super Bowl. We stay humble. That's our saying. We've always said that. All right, boys. We'll catch you guys later. How's brother and Luke Wilson joining us. I'm Luke Wilson.

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