PTI - This Patriots defense is historically DOMINANT!

Episode Date: January 27, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Frank Isola discuss the Super Bowl matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks. Giannis next steps with Milwaukee, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. Jared Stidham isn't the only backup popping up on your TV. Now entering the game, Phil and Frank, folks.

So you and Stimim, you don't have a commercial, do you? No. That backup thing, that backup series of commercials, you come in for a family member. I think that's a brilliant series of commercials. And because on the backup, we're going to go for the early points. Oh, are you sure? We're going to take the field goal.

Yes. We got a coach just going to, like, not lose his money. We're going to think. We're going to have that. You know, I'm glad. Welcome to PTI. Tony apparently has better things to do. So I am joined happily by our great friend from the starting lineup on Sirius XM, Mr. Frank

I Solisola. Wow. I got cheered twice. Twice. There must be Seahawking's pictures. Let's begin with the Seahawks beating the Rams in the NFC Championship game 3127. Sam Darnold threw for 340. 46 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks for Seattle.

The Rams, meanwhile, muffed a punt that led to a score, and in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead, were stopped on fourth down from the Seattle six. Frank, what did you make of what the Seahawks did and how they did it? I thought they were terrific. I think Sam Darnold answered a lot of questions. You mentioned the numbers that he put up. I also thought when the Seahawks got the ball back after they stopped the Rams on fourth down, he threw for three first down.

So they were aggressive. He was smart, and it didn't kill the clock completely, but essentially ended the game. So I think for Sam Donald, the guy that was a high draft pick in New York, bounced around in Carolina, did go to the Super Bowl. It was a backup with San Francisco. He kept a year. Last year with Minnesota, well, you have a quarterback like that.

Why are you letting a guy go? And now he ends up in Seattle. I agree with that. How about the year that he had, the game that he had, and that wide receiver for Seattle, Jackson, Smith, and Jingba. How good is his? And how about some of the hits that he took?

If you had to pick a receiver to save your own life between him and Pooka and Naku. Who would you take? You wouldn't know. They're the two greatest things you've ever seen with all due respect to Jerry Rice. They take big hits. They make catches. And so Nakua catches a touchdown. It makes it 31.26.

I understand it's late in the third quarter. But the one thing about Sean McVeigh, what about going for it, going for a two-point conversion there? If you miss, you still need a touchdown. I think there was enough time. I don't believe. But Mike, if you make it, now you're only down three. There did reach a point where maybe it was something I'm sure he did consider. We're going to get to real second guessing of a coach and the next story.

Let's stay on Seattle for a second. I feel pretty good about this because the day, the trade deadline when the dust settled. I thought that Seattle was the best team of the league and they approved to do that. this had to be on the quarterback. This was a referendum on Sam Darnold, a guy who was just turned loose from multiple places. And last year it had to be

sort of an indignity. He had two bad games, but he also led the Vikings to something they couldn't reproduce this year. He was so humble. And he took the high road yesterday, interview after interview, and asked how he felt about his journey

having to take this winding road. And he, the way he handled himself, but I just thought, I kept waiting. I'm going to be honest about it. I was waiting. Okay, is he going to go Sam Darnold? Is he going to go New York Jets?

Sam Darnold? It's almost an unfair question to ask. He answered it anyway. And so Seattle's just, can we say Seattle's the best team? Seattle's the best team in the NFC. I think you're right. And, you know, we had the stat on Friday about when the number one scoring offense faces the number one scoring defense in a conference final

Super Bowl, the defense always wins. That's right. And it's the same thing when it's. the leading passer in the NFL plays the number one scoring defense, the defense always wins. And Seattle's defense, in the moment of truth, came up big, especially on the fight of the second of the last series by the Rams. When Stafford, give him credit, he drove them right down.

He's got those downs in. You think he's going to put the ball in the ears of one of those throws. You do not think that he's going to come up empty. That Matt Stafford's going to come up emptied him. By the way, going back to Seattle. When Los Angeles answered with a scoring drive, thrive. Yeah.

Donald goes right down the field in Seattle scores as if he'd been doing this all his life. Yeah. So how about this, too? USC who's had all those great tailbacks, obviously over the years. Yeah. Sam Donald, the first USC quarterback that's going to start a Super Bowl. That's a stunning, not believable stat, which I heard an hour or so ago.

I think of all those great players, Marcus Allen, back in the day, Charles White. But at tailback. Yep. And not all of those guys made Super Bowls either. No. The college game was a completely different game. game first U.S. a pro-gainback.

They've had so many great players. Never a quarterback started a Super Bowl. Hard to believe. It is. And by the way, this notion is somehow Matthew Stafford, his future is in question. What? He's coming. What?

He's the MVP. What a great player. It's a totally great player. It's a totally great player. That's why they shouldn't have run the ball on second down late in the game. Over in the AFC, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl without anyone named Belichick or Brady, head coach Mike Brable, quarterback Drake May, and a tough defense, help the pads, edge the the Broncos in the mile high snow 10-7.

Denver head coach Sean Payton said he regretted his decision to pass on a field goal in the first half that would have put the Broncos up to nothing. So Michael, what stands out to you about this result? The snow and Sean Payton. That's it. That's all. I'm not going to go with a backup quarterback. I'm not going to go to Stenham. That's just almost unfair.

I mean, we knew he was going to struggle. If you didn't think he was going to struggle against a defense as sophisticated as doing. England's, even if it was dry out, you're not paying attention. No, no, no. It's the weather and it's Sean Payton. Sean Payton's a great coach. Who wouldn't want to have Sean Payton? He is also as arrogant

as a summer day in Alaska is long. Okay? He doesn't have the stones apparently to just say I am to blame. I didn't kick the field. It's my call. I got to live with the decision. No.

No. It's it. Like it's a third person. Sorry, dude. And I think about all the times he made Russell Wilson look bad. He went after him. And he's got a bully. Got that Parcell's bully jeans somewhere in him. And then he blew

it. You got a backup quarterback who's going to pass in 11 years. You got weather. You know what the conditions are and you're a damn good coach. But no, your arrogance took you there. That's what took Sean Payton there. And I'm glad he's got to live with this. So we all on the East Coast, most of the country, we spent a couple of days knowing that a snowstorm is coming.

So we prepare in advance. Shouldn't the head coach of the Broncos know that a storm might be rolling it to Denver? It's a little different. It's a little different. You say it's a little bit different. It comes quick. It comes faster in Denver over those mountains of the Rockies. You have to consider something like that.

And the fact, it's a backup quarterback. Yes. Up to that point, the Patriots hadn't done anything. I could hear Bill Cowher, take the points. You take the points. You go up 10-0. Does it mean you're going to win? Maybe not.

But Drake May didn't have a great game pass. No, he didn't. You gave the Patriots their opening. And after that, after they didn't convert on fourth down, they had three field goals the rest of the game. I'm talking about Denver. Yeah. And 54 yards. Their offense didn't do anything.

So then the weather comes in. Three first downs. Three first downs. Three first downs. Then if you look at what happened to the Patriots, Drake May, the biggest plays that he made, Mike, were. His feet. Exactly. And his hand.

He scored a touchdown after, which would have been a crime. if they didn't score because why are the referees blowing the play dead? Let the play play out. That's ridiculous. Not enough discussion about that either. He converted a fourth in one. He had the 28-yard scramble and then how about the bootleg at the end of the game? And yet, and yet, if you kick the field goal, Sean Peyton, you've got the points and you don't give them a short field to score.

They're only touchdown on. So Sean Payton's got to live with this. He was chasing that field goal the rest of the game. Of course he was. just kick it right there. Go up 10-0 with it. But you know what the problem, too, is in today's NFL, everyone goes from 4th down, which is fine.

Yeah, because everybody's got some analytics monkey on speed dial that's telling them what to do and sometimes using common sense. The analytics can't take into account whether you've got Stittem, ninth-string quarterback, or Joe Montana. The analytics can't tell you that.

And Stidim, he hung in there, but the turnover in that first effort was killing. I don't want to blame him. But you can't do that. But you can't do that. that. Mike, just take the sack. There's one person to blame, and we've done it. At least I have. So, in two weeks, we'll have the Seahawks and Patriots facing each other in the Super Bowl. Super Bowl 60. The same two teams have met in the Patriots dramatic win in 2015.

Frank, what are your first blush thoughts on this matchup? Well, the number 60 certainly applies because both teams went into the season as 60 to one favorites, or that were their odds, win a Super Bowl for both of these teams. So it's a great story for both of them. I think when you look at Seattle, you tend to always go with the defense. And their defense has been outstanding. Mike McDowell, you look at him, you know, the two years in Seattle,

they've ranked first in points allowed. Last year they were 11th. Last two teams in Baltimore were both in the top five in terms of points left. So defensively, they're... Superior. They're terrific. Yeah. And you still are dealing...

I like the Drake May story. It's unbelievable that the Pages are back in his story. Super Bowl with a new head coach and a new quarterback, but he's still a little unproven. I like his toughness. I think he has a chance to be great, but it wasn't like he was throwing the ball all over the field during the playoffs. I know whether it has something to do with it. We have two weather games.

All right. But Mike, if Seattle has a lead, especially late, you're going to side with Seattle. I'm siding with Seattle already. I've been siding with them since October. Yeah. Because I just think that Seattle has the goods. And if, okay, so now, I guess it could go the end. the way, that's why these games are so great.

But Sam Darnold, if you feel that all these questions are behind you, and you can just go in with a clear head, and you've got these two weeks, and let these coaches, let this staff that you praised. So I thought it was very genuine when he talked yesterday, postgame, about the teammates and the staff of coaches that sort of propped him back up, given his journey and given the bumps in the road. So if you're Sam Donald, do you ever go into a game more confident than you go into the Super Bowl, given what you've just come off up to get your team there?

I don't think so. And you have that defense. How about New England? 9 and 0 on the road. The schedule is that hard. You still have to go to Buffalo to wins. Yeah, no. You still had to go to Denver.

On the road, wins are big, no matter what. And I know quarterbacks, it's not baseball pitchers, but Drake May, he's played in three playoff wins. That's as many as Lamar Jackson. It's one more than Dak Prescott. He's accomplished a lot in just a second year. in the NFL. We're taking a break. When we come back, what's the word for the Steelers hiring of Mike McCarthy as their next head coach?

And will injuries to Yana Santacumpo, Jha Morant, and Jonathan Caminga, keep them from being traded? Sean Payton just texted. He wants to talk to you. Yeah, let him answer. Let him. I'd like to. He should have kicked. He's not calling too many people.

Okay? Because he knows he's wrong. He's wrong. He knows it. He's a great coach. Yep. He's a great coach. Sean Payton is on every level, but he blew it.

Time for the viewers to honor us with their emails. Let's get the first one, Frank. I'm going to read it to you if I can get it open. Mail time. Mail time. First email. It's on McCarthy. The Steelers McCarthy.

What's the word to describe the Steelers' hiring of Mike McCarthy? I think it's smart, and I understand that some fans don't like it. I guess on social media, it's being panned. Look at the two coaches in the Super Bowl. One is a first-time head coach and Mike McDonald, and then you have Mike Rable, who obviously got experienced. There's nothing wrong with the Steelers hiring experienced coach, who, by the way, is 174 and 112.

I was going to say. And his 11 playoff games. If he was some dude, that'd be one thing, but he's not. And let me ask you this. Have the Pittsburgh Steelers done a pretty good job hiring coaches? They have. You would think that family would get the benefit of the doubt over anybody hiring a head coach in the league,

considering they've only had now, what, four in the last, you know, 50-some years. Yeah. Joe Starkey in the Pittsburgh Tribune, it was pretty interesting. He said it's kind of similar. Mike McCarthy, Mike Tomlin, it's kind of similar. Earlier in their careers, you give them an A-plus for what they accomplished Super Bowl. Maybe the latter years, a C-plus, which is fine. But, you know, Mike McCarthy had some good years in Dallas.

He got a little unlucky in the place. I thought he did a pretty good job developing the quarterback. Now, he did have Aaron Rogers in Green Bay. By the way. But Aaron Rogers, he might even be on the team next year. I have another word if Mike McCarthy hooks up with Aaron Rogers again this time in Pittsburgh. That I don't care to see. Mike McCarthy, first of all, he's very deserving.

He's a worthy coach in this cycle of NFL coaches in terms of what he has done in a couple of different places, not just one, where he rode only one quarterback, that quarterback, whose name shall not be mentioned. But he had the good years in Dallas as well. He won 12 a couple of times. Rooney and the Mara families are connected through marriage, the Steelers and the Giants. And the way they went about their coaching hire is pretty similar. The Giants won't with the experienced coach and John Harbaugh, and obviously Pittsburgh High and Mike McCarthy. I like the hiring.

I like the hiring a lot. And I bet you like it a lot more because social media doesn't like it. I think I'm paying attention to social media. With the injuries to Janice Santacumpo, John Morant, and Jonathan Kaminga, what has it done to the trade deadline? It eliminated the trade. The trade deadline is irrelevant. Because if you're not talking about at least two of these dudes, what are you talking about? You're talking about some minor trades that will still go down.

And also, you're talking about a season that has been reduced. I mean, Kaminga, I realized that Kaminga, it hasn't worked at Golden State, but it can work somewhere. Kaminga's two talented a player. And he's only with 23. He wears a championship ring. Don't tell me that Kaminga's not worthy of someone's time. He was their leading score when Steph Curry went down against Minnesota. He was their leading score.

And so now he's just going to, what, just going to sit? And Janus, like, they need Janice in Milwaukee? No, no, Janus needs to be gone from Milwaukee. I'm not saying he needs to demand a trade. That's not his way. Good for him. But the Milwaukee bucks are going nowhere with Janus. Yeah.

So Kaminga's got a bone bruiser. They're saying he's out indefinitely. Bone bruise, that could take a while. Janice is saying himself like he's a doctor. He said four to six weeks, which not only makes him unhealthy for the trade deadline, he will not be available for the All-Star game where they're going to have U.S. team or two U.S. teams playing their national team. That's another story. Then the injury to John Morant is an elbow which doesn't appear to be as serious.

My thing about John Morant would be this, though, Mike. The Washington Wizards essentially stole Trey Young from Atlanta. They didn't give up a lot to get him. Would a team now with jaw injured, with all the issues that he's had, would you try to lowball Memphis and think, you know what? We'll take him now when he gets healthy. He'll be good on a program.

I'm not giving a personal picture. You want John Morant in the DMV. Really? No, no, I didn't mean, I didn't be Washington. I meant what Washington did. Oh, well, Washington did. Yeah. Another team doing that.

There's certain places I'm not bringing John Moran into. Okay? We've got to be honest about John Morant and the influence that he's susceptible to and that he has. And so the fact that Jaws become irrelevant, it's sad. That's why you can steal them. That's why maybe you could steal. I mean, for very different reasons, he and Zion, who should be two of the faces of the league.

I know. They're not relevant. Unbelievable. And I think Yonis will get traded, but I think Milwaukee waits until after the season. They know which teams like where they're drafted, like what position they're going to draft in. Because you're trading Yonis, you better get young players and draft picks back. They got to wait. Yep.

It's the trade deadline. What happened? Next week, next Thursday. Yeah, wait, yeah. Thanks for your email. Let's take one last break. When we come back, the impressive freshman, A.J. DeBanza, gets a huge test tonight. And we'll react to the latest highlight from Lameen Yamal.

Going to be a big star at the World Cup. Arizona Worthy Number One team? Yes. Yes, very much. I've watched them only three to four times, though. I want to see them some more. Tonight it'll be a good test. Yes.

Against B.W. Happy people. Happy 65th birthday, Wayne Gretzky. The great one no longer holds the NHL goals record. That was broken by Alex Ovechkin, of course, last April. But Gretzky's points mark will never be approached. He finished with 2,800 points, more than 900 more than 2nd place Yarmier-Yager. In fact, you could subtract every goal Gretzky ever.

scored and he still have the most points in the NHL's history, Bob Ryan. Gretzky put up 215 in his best season to give you some context. Connor McDavid, who currently leads the league with 90 is on pace

for 139. Wayne Gretzky reached 200 points four times in his career. The rest of the NHL, zero. Lameau. Lemieux did get to 199 in that same year. Yeah. Gretzky had 168. Slacker. 168. Not good in You really don't want to go.

Just see, you covered sports at a time when Michael Jordan was playing and Wayne Griskey. Got to see them both. By the way, Wilt Grisky when it comes to record book. Yeah, it's nuts. Happy anniversary, Chicago Bears. By your head, Frank. On this day, 40 years ago, the Monsters pummeled the Patriots in Super Bowl 20, 46 to 10. My Bears dominated the entire season, thanks largely to their 46 defense.

They lost just once all season in a December Monday night game. in Miami, but still thought highly enough of themselves to record the now infamous Super Bowl shuffle the day after the loss. These bears were filled with so many great characters, and I'm lucky enough to watch this season's games, many of them, with guys including Otis Wilson and the Hall of Famer Richard Dent. Okay. In my lifetime, I think that is the best defense I've ever seen.

They were dominant. We showed the highlight in the Super Bowl, and Mike Dickett talks about all the time, handing the ball off to William Refrigerated Perry. I know instead of Walter. And not giving it to 34. Walter Payton's got to get it. We don't want to talk about that in Chicago. Oh, and now that the Patriots in the Super Bowl,

the Bears have been back to the Super Bowl once, Patriots, 11 times since then. I know. We can get that this year. We'll see. I'll rub it in just a lot. Happy trails to any wait for Scotty Shepter's first win of the season. He already got it.

Yesterday in the first tournament he entered, the American Express at La Quinta. Sheffler birdied half his holes. and going from a two-shot deficit to a six-stroke lead before winning by four. It's Sheffler's 20th career win on the PGA tour. All in the last four years, Frank. He joins Tiger and Jack as the only players in history to have 20 wins in four majors before turning 30, though it took Sheffler 56 more starts than Tiger and 24 more than Jack to do it.

18-year-old Blades Brown, by the way, started the day time for second. with finished tied for 18. Schaffler also joined an exclusive club. Career earnings, $100 million. Would you say he's the most underrated big-time player? I mean, everyone knows who Mahomes is. Everyone knows who. I'll answer tomorrow.

The San Diego Union as we go to the big finish. Let's get to it real quickly. San Diego Union Tribune reports, U. Darvish plans to retire, though he says he's yet to make a final decision. Are you surprised? He's going to have elbow surgery. He's out for the whole season anyway. But Ozzy Open defending chat, Madison Keyes, got knocked out by Jess Pagula.

Your reaction? We'll see it over and over all summer, two of the top of the players in the world. Men's College Hoops, number one Arizona versus number 13, BYU, and AJ DeBancet tonight. I know you're going to watch this. I'm looking for today. AJ DeBance had 43 the other night against Utah. Greg Poppich appeared at a Spurs G League game. Your thoughts?

Just hoping that Pop is doing well. Last one, Barcelona's Lemino Mall had a scissor kick goal Sunday. You're touched by that, I know. I'm touched by everything that he's. He does. How about Man United beating Arssel? Back-to-back weeks, he beat Man City. And Arsson, I know you were locked in for that. We're out of time. Thanks for watching. I'm Frank Isola. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, Knucklehead's Lakers Bulls tonight in Chicago. Don't miss it. Here's SportsCenter.