PTI - Who's the stronger #1 Seed?: Seahawks or Broncos

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debate which team is the strongest No. 1 seed, break down the biggest moments from this past NFL weekend, and discuss the most notable coaching changes around the league. 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 Wilbaugh, and it's our first show of the new year, Tony. What's your resolution?

I'm Tony Kornheiser. I want to become even more humble. There we have it. Either that or stop stealing the packages off the next guy's stooped. Either that, one of those. It's not like the commercial where the guy stole the cotton candy from the kid

in the ballpark. I love that commercial. I don't make any resolutions, ever. Why? Because I'm not going to keep them. Really? No, I don't want to make yourself less angry this year? No.

waiting to see if you want to be less angry. You're too angry. I like you. Come back. Welcome to PTI boys and girls in today's episode. The Steelers Nip the Ravens. College football's final four is set and Pete Carroll leads a list of NFL coaches to get the boot. But we begin today with the number one seeds in the upcoming NFL playoff. Seattle got the number one seed in the NFC by smothering San Francisco in San Francisco on Saturday. Denver got the number one seed in the AFC by dispatching the charges yesterday. A charges team that rested multiple starters.

including Justin Herbert. Wilbon, which number one seed looks stronger to you? Oh, Seattle. Seattle. You know, I've been on Seattle since the trade deal. That's right. That's right. No, no. Seattle looks like the real deal.

Seattle, a week after the 49ers would score 200 points in that shootout with the Bears, Seattle said, have some of this. And they're starting to look like the Legion of Boom. They are. They're starting to, not necessarily the same style, don't have the big hitting in the secondary that those teams, Richard Sherman's

teams had. But I tell you what, Tony, I like Seattle. I know a lot of people out there, me included, we're waiting for Sam Darnold to sort of turn into Sam Darnold. But that hasn't happened. And I'm not rooting against him. I think Sam Darnold, even some games where he hasn't played great, hasn't taken his team out of it. So I'm not looking for a redux of Minnesota last year. And I think if Sam Darnold is pretty good, Seattle can win the whole thing. Yeah. So I'm going to agree with you on Seattle because it's the correct answer. They look stronger at the moment relative to their opposition than Denver does relative to that.

And what they did, they obliterated a 49ers offense that had scored over 40, two weeks in a row. And in fact, in fact, had gone 37, 48, 42 in three games. They held them to three. So, yeah, I would say that I have, I'm not going to talk about confidence, but I would say Seattle looks like that team. But there is a caveat here. And there's a caveat that we have talked about all year long, which is every time we identify a team that looks like the frontrunner, particularly in the NFC, they lose the next game. They go, oops. Green Bay, Philadelphia, the Rams, the 49ers, even Seattle losing to the Rams eight weeks ago, same thing happened. And by the way,

the close game. The defense was great, but they only scored 13 points. And that's all they scored was 13. So I don't have a lot of confidence in Seattle, except for this one weird sociological fact. Stay with me on this one. In 2005, there was a new Pope, Pope Benedict. That year, Seattle went to the Super Bowl. In 2013, again, a new Pope, Pope Francis, that year Seattle won the Super Bowl. Hello, Leo. I'm just saying, hello, Leo, this could happen again. But this Pope is from the south side of Chicago. I understand. So we're not having that Seattle stuff. I don't want to hear about them, they're an interesting, like, I think people look at it and they don't want to believe that Seattle's legit number one.

And Denver, I'm trying to look at Denver, and do I believe if Denver and New England play, no matter where that game is, they would be in Denver, that Denver would somehow have an advantage. I don't know. I think Bo Nix is better than people are giving him credit for being. He doesn't have to be John L. I look differently at the AFC. Because of the surprise teams like Jacksonville, like New England, like New England, like Jacksonville, Houston.

So to me, and I root for Buffalo, I know you told me this morning you think Buffalo's going out in the first round. Right out. So other than the Chargers, who I don't think are a team that can win the Super Bowl, it would not surprise me if any of the AFC teams got there or if they went out early.

Agreed. Or if they went out early. For different reasons, in the NFC as well and beyond the number one seeds, we had a number of compelling, really compelling outcomes among them. The Steelers beating the Ravens in that frantic feet.

finish featuring a Steelers missed extra point and a Ravens missed 44-yard field goal that would have won the damn game. And the Eagles surrendered the NFC's second seed to the Bears by losing to your commanders. Not mine. Well, not mine. Tony, how sat those number one seeds? The biggest result to you was what? So the temptation is to say the Steelers beating the way to get into the playoffs. A game that was pretty dull for a half and then had one of the great fourth quarters anybody has ever seen where both teams scored two touchdowns.

As you say, an extra point is missed by a guy who hadn't missed since 2020, right? Setting up the possibility of a game-winning field goal, the Ravens get in position for that. The kid misses a 44-yard field goal. And I think a lot of people heard that voice in their head saying, well, what if they had Justin Tucker? Okay. But let me go back to the Steelers for a second. He has fallen off before his fall off. I don't think the Steelers are going to win any playoff games.

I don't think they're a threat. Much as I don't think Carolina, which didn't even win over the weekend, are going to win any playoff games. Carolina, Tampa Bay has to sit there and watch as they get hosed by Atlanta. So you get... Tampa Bay had lost seven of them. I understand, but they won that game. So you have Carolina winning a division, getting a home playoff game with an 8 and 9 record.

How do you think that sits with the Rams and with the 49ers? It's terrible. It's terrible. Every few years. Well, okay. So if you're asking me what's the biggest result, I might actually say the Eagles losing. The Eagles decide to rest players.

They lose. They play Washington. The team doesn't even belong on the same field with them. And they lose that game. That allows the bears, your bears, who also lost, to keep the number two. And if I'm not mistaken, it sets up the possibility of the Eagles having to go to Chicago in the second round, whereas they could have had that at home. It had been some eventful games between the Bears and Eagles and the playoffs in Chicago over the years, the fog ball, double doink. Oh, is that? Yeah.

So we sort of one in one in those situations. Tony, the biggest outcome was Steelers Ravens. It was because the drama and the people involved Aaron Rogers, Lamar Jackson, Mike Tomlin, Harbaugh, the people involved in what their futures could be or not. I was hanging on every single development of that game. And I think that the Ravens ought to feel bad because they should have been in control of the game.

It should have been more than 10-3, when it was 10-3. Yeah, yeah. They, of course, missed the field goal at the end of the game. I feel bad for him, both kickers, because they got to live with that stuff.

Kickers have to live with it. It's worse than missing a big putt, because it's still your putt is just you. You've let your entire locker room down. Yeah, when you missed. The entire city, you know, Steeler Nation, Raven Nation, whatever that garbage is.

I think that was the game. The Bears and Eagles are interesting. One, you know, the Eagles can win wherever they play. They don't need home field. They don't. No, I think the Bears do. They've proven that over time.

They've proven it. They can be champs again. And then we're all of these people who spent all season dissecting every little thing about the Eagles. Where are they going to hide in? Just tell you this one thing. It's way off topic. The New York Jets were terrible team. They had no interceptions this year.

They have a defense of head coach. They had, how is it possible? The damnedest that ever. 17 games, no interceptions. The Bears have. One dude with seven or eight interceptions. That's unbelievable. One guy.

When I heard that, I honestly couldn't believe it. Let's move to college football in the ongoing playoffs. This week we will see Miami play Ole Miss and Indiana play Oregon. Miami got there by beating Ohio State soundly. Ole Miss beat Georgia in a thrilling game. Indiana pounded Alabama, 38 to 3. And Oregon shut out. Shut out Texas Tech 23-0.

Wilbon, which of the four final teams have the most impressive win? Indiana. and I could say Miami. Miami's legit. Anybody want to answer Miami? Give that as an answer to that question. I'm fine with that. Because Miami, wow.

Miami, who certain people didn't even have in the playoffs. The college football committee didn't have them in the playoffs for five straight weeks. But you wanted Notre Dame in there. Yes. Do I think Miami's legit? Of course I do.

But if I'm Notre Dame, I'm thinking, wow, we could have done this too. Well, they couldn't. Yeah. So beating Ohio State. like that. Going out early, 14, nothing. But Indiana. Yeah, you're right.

Clubbing. It's Indiana. It's Indiana. And you knew what was going to happen. Two weeks after they said, oh, it's fine. Kailin DeBore, he's fine here. He's not going to Michigan. We don't want him to go anywhere.

You knew when they got beat down like that, that debate was going to start anew. So you're right. It's Indiana. Indiana was the only buy team to win. Indiana is the only buy team over two years. seven out of eight lost. Two years to win. So something is wrong there. You cannot ask a team to sit out for 25 to 30 days and then play a team, a top 10 team that just won the week before. So you got to go to 16. We don't want it, but you got to go to 16. There's no other choice in this.

And so it's definitely Indiana. Much like you, I'm sure, I root for the story because I'm a sports writer. I think a final between Indiana and Old Miss is the proper final because the stories are so good. Indiana was the worst team in college football for what, 80 years, right? And Old Miss, with a coach nobody ever heard of, named Golding, I believe? If they were to win the national championship

so that the old coach, Lane Kiffin, is sitting in a chair at LSU I'm rooting for me. Watching it, right? Yeah. Watching it. Yes. Because they went to LSU because he thought it would be a better place, an easier place to win a championship. The irony that would be spectacular. It would be. It would be. But the

reason I'm rooting for Miami, a couple of reasons. I know you and I know a lot of former Miami players. We like them. Michael Irvin is on the silent. We've known these guys for forever, Vinete, Tess and a long, long time. But Tony, Miami once upon a time was James Madison. I know, because I covered their ascension. And so people, like you, who don't really want James Madison in.

You don't want, you don't think there's any Cinderella quality like there is to the basketball tournament. I do. I don't think that you. was ever that. Oh, the U was indeed that. I was coming the same thing. I was side by side with you. What are you saying? How was Schnellenberger? Nobody had that.

They quickly, they very quickly accepted and they stayed there. Can I ask you one question about your big ten boy, Kirk Signetti? Why is he so angry all the time? Why are his eyebrows in a permanent scout? Of course you do, because you're angry all you time. When you ask him a question, his answer is basically this.

What do you do when he asking me that question? No, no. I love him. He runs it up. He runs it I love him. He coaches to win. Oh, he coaches to win. And win big. I like that. Do you know what he allegedly said when he was introduced at the Indiana press conference, the original one?

I win. Google me. Let's take a break. Coming up, where today's firings of NFL head coaches deserve? And what's the word for the sack that got Miles Garrett that single season record? Don't tell me that Vinny Testa Bertie and Bernie Kosar and Michael Irvin and people like that. Wherever James Madison, because they weren't. Big time.

The program. Jimmy Johnson was a big time. It wasn't. Howard Schnellenberger made it big time. He made it. They didn't want to let him in. Only the Fiesta Bowl being a rebel and being ambitious gave Miami a place to play. It is time to take the pulse of the populace and mail time.

Let me see what's first. Put on my glasses to read this. Here we go. The Falcons canned Rahim Morris. The Browns dumped Kevin. Stephansky, the Cardinals dismissed Jonathan Gannon, and the Raiders fired Pete Carrey after just one season, were

all of these firings deserved? I don't know about deserved. They were all understandable except one, Rahim Morris. The Atlanta Falcons, and the GM handed him a stupidly complex situation. That's right. Made of his own you know, I don't know, arrogance

when they did the quarterback situation that they did, they go out and they sign Kirk Cousins to $800 billion, and then they go and draft the kid out of Washington. So Rahane Morris, no, you went four in a row. Don't tell me you're blaming me. Because these guys are playing for me. They are.

They have not let go of the rope to use that cliche. Gannon, Carol, Stefansky, yeah. You know, you understand it. This is the profession they've chosen. You know, I mean, Stephansky was a two-time coach of the year. But they look so awful. Seems like he's going to get a job right away. Pete Carroll should be saying, who I'm relieved to get the hell out of here.

Yeah. So I'm going to piggyback on what you said. I'll tell you a guy that deserved to be fired. That is the Atlanta general manager. Yes. He made an unbelievable mess out of the quarterback situation. He spent a lot of money on Kirk Cousins. Then you antagonized Kirk Cousins by drafting Michael Pennings.

This year they told Kirk Cousins just sit down, get out of here, and they gave the job completely to Michael Penning. Who was three and six when he got hurt. Cousins came in when five and three, including, I believe, the last four in a row, proving that he should have been the quarterback all along. So firing that guy was fine. I would not have fired Rahim Morris either. I understand it.

They're sweeping clean. I wouldn't have done it. Pete Carroll, I get it. That franchise is completely lost. I would have changed in Arizona, but I absolutely would not have fired Stefanski because the ownership there put him in a terrible quarterback situation for years. And it looks like Shador Sanders is a pro quarterback

or can be a pro quarterback. It can be, but they got picks and they're going to go get another guy to play quarterback. By the way, there's a guy named Watson. who they owe $74 million next season. You think he won't be first on the depth chart when they get to whatever it is, OTAs? Yeah, that's what it do. Yeah.

Here, this is for you. I have no good asses going to read. They can pull it off. It's all right. Sack record, Joan. What's the word for the sack that got Miles Garrett, the single season record? My word is turtling.

It appeared that Joe Burrow thought he had a shell on his head, and he just sat down. This was not necessarily Brett Farr, two, but it was close enough. Now, Miles Garrett is a great player. Miles Garrett has more sacks at the age of 30 than Reggie White did. 17 more sacks. He is a legitimate MVP candidate if his team had won more games. But this was not an artistic sack to get for the record. So I hope he breaks it again next year with something more aesthetically pleasing. And part of me wishes he was

somewhere other than Cleveland, where again, the ownership had just destroyed the office. where the sack record itself, not him, but the record seems irrelevant. Because you don't, you know, you really have to find Miles Garrett on a Sunday to see him play. And that's too bad because one of the great players, maybe the best offensive player of his generation. But Tony, you know what? It's interesting. I had Uber producer Matt Kelleher, New England's own, look up the number of times Tom Brady had been sacked in his career. You realize this, how many would you say, by the way?

Well, he played 20 years. How many times did you say Tom Brady sacked? 80. How about 560? No, I would never have said 560. 560? Wow. I have those 560. How many times did he sit? You realized that Tom Brady did that Joe Burrow thing?

Yeah, that's right. 500. Okay, but did anybody have a record on a sack of Tom Brady? That's what you remember. You remember the straight and a record. Yes, you remember because it breaks the record. But then, I mean, Joe Burrow needs more injuries. Joe Burrow can't just go down and say, pull the flag. That's fine.

I'm just saying that from an aesthetic standpoint, what you want is somebody come in, wrap up and like that. By the way, I know you're watching, you know, Red Zone. That's my last week. Red So on Tom Brady. Do you listen to, do you watch a whole game with Tom Brady? I have heard him. I think he's good.

Great. I think he's very good. I think he's very good. Great. Enough female. Let's take one last break still to come. Who's the big winner of the college quarterback Carousel? And what are we to make of the once-embeatable Thunder now that they've lost

five of 11. Kurt Warner's really good, too. I love listening to Kurt Warner. Red Zone is done for the year. I can't tell you the loss that I feel. I love Red Zone. Watch a game. What are you, a millennial?

You can only watch. I don't want all the commercials. I don't want all the commercials, Mike. I want to see the action. Happy time. People happy belated 22nd birthday, Victor Wembeeniam. This was yesterday. In his third NBA season, the Spurs Phenom,

is averaging 24.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.9 blocks. Wimbaniama has already led the league in blocks his first two seasons. Wembeiyama is shooting 52.5% from the field, 36.5 from 3, though his three-point attempts are less than half of the 8.8 attempts he took per game last season. Wembeiyama is a great talent. His problem may be the most important ability availability. Last year, Wembe Nama played just 46 games because of a blood clot in his shoulder.

This year, Wemba Nama has already missed 14 games. 12 games earlier this season with a KF strain, currently out with a hyper-extended knee. For a league that is soon going to lose, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant. All-timers, all-times. You have to have that kid because he's the best. I would take him if you put all the players on the board

in the league right now and say, who do you want? How are you going to win by Yama? You got to keep him healthy. You got to keep him healthy. Let me ask you this. You think Oklahoma City. wants to see him in a seven-game series. Not the way they're meeting him so far.

They don't. Happy anniversary, Eric Dickerson. Around this day, 40 years ago, the Rams star running back set an NFL postseason single-game rushing record when he went for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' 20-0-0 victory over Dallas in the divisional round. That 248 still the record. Dickerson also holds the NFL season single-season rushing record, 2,1005 yards set in 1984.

Dickerson is ninth all-time in career yards, led the NFL in rushing four different times. He was equally prolific at SMU where as part of the Pony Express backfield with Craig James. Dickerson rushed for over 3,000 yards combined in his junior and senior season. Well, on Dickerson averaged seven yards per carry his senior season. Dickerson became a personal favorite when he nicknamed himself the Rambassador. Got I know Eric Dickerson a little bit over the years. I like him tremendously. He's underrated.

But after that game you mentioned, somebody said to Mr. Dickerson and the Rams, let me introduce you to number 50, Mike Singletary. How'd that go? Okay. I'm just saying. When he was in college, Dickinson's underrated. Why would you ever pass the ball if he's averaging seven yards of Gary? And Craig James.

Come on. Happy Trails, the last night's game for the Thunder. Oklahoma City let its 18-point second quarter lead slip and fell to your sons, 108, 105 on Sunday. It was the Thunder's fifth loss in 11 games. Phoenix Guard, Devin Booker, nailed the winning step back three. Over two Thunder defenders with 0.7 seconds left. It was the eighth time in Booker's career that he had a game winner with less than two seconds to play.

After a 24-1 start, the Thunder are now 30 and 6. Wilbon, what is this 11-game stretch from the Thunder telling you? The same thing I told you on the eve of the season. There's going to be no repeat. The league's too good. There are too many good teams. It's taking a while to figure out Oklahoma City, which is the best team. Right.

But can you go through Houston and San Antonio and Denver and I don't know. Can I ask you a question so you don't think they're going to be 80 and two? You don't still hold out any hope? I had no hope of that. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. Four college quarterbacks switch teams in a transfer portal, which one stands out. That kid soars me from Cincinnati going to Texas Tech for reportedly like five million years.

They had zero last week, Texas Tech. They need this. They need him. The Giants will keep GM Joe Shane. despite a four and 13 season. Does that make sense to you? No, let me repeat that. No.

The unrivalingly second season started today. Are you intrigued? No. Let me repeat that. No. Two-time heavyweight champ Tyson. Coming out of retirement to fight again for a fifth time, I know you can't possibly be surprised.

No. Is he going to fight Jake Pol? I hope not. Because that would end Mr. Polk through. It could be a death certificate situation. Lianthe Wilder, FCS, National Champion. championship tonight Montana State Illinois State who you got to have my home state I got

to have Illinois State who's the most few versus you know from Illinois State you know that they are unseated and they've already beaten the number one at number one yeah we're out of time we'll try to do better than next time and I'm Tony Corrinheim I'm Mike Wilbon we're on the dues tomorrow knuckleheads and now here's sports I almost forgot my flag don't want to do that