The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Divisional round game-by-game recap - the Chiefs, Bills, Bucs & Packers move on…what’s next for the Browns, Ravens, Saints & Rams?

Episode Date: January 18, 2021

An exciting weekend of NFL divisional round action has wrapped up with some huge storylines leading the way. What do the Chiefs do about Patrick Mahomes? What's next for Drew Brees and the Saints? How do the Browns move ahead? Robert Mays and Nate Tice review all of the games and look ahead to the conference titles on The Athletic Football Show.0:00- 20:42 - Bucs/Saints20:42-45:06 - Browns/Chiefs45:06-1:04:25 - Ravens/Bills1:04:25- Rams/Packers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays joining me tonight. It's my good friend Nate Tyson. How you doing, buddy? Doing great. There's a little countdown right there. Live from my apartment, it's Sunday night.

Yeah, trust me, I was not ready for all of this setup. But I'm very excited. I'm very excited to be coming to people live after the games. It was an exciting weekend of football. And we have a ton to get to. So we're going to start with the Sunday night game that we just watched between the Saints and the Bucks. Buccaneers end up winning this game 30 to 20. I think this game unfolded in a pretty similar way to what we would have imagined coming into it.

You know, we imagined that the Bucks were going to be really aggressive defensively in a way that they weren't the last time these two teams played against each other. They were. They forced Drew Brees into a few key mistakes in this game. So when you're thinking about the overall Bucks approach in this game, what do you think are the keys to ended up kind of putting them out in front. It was a lot, two man had its day today, both sides of the ball. It was kind of exactly how we thought we'd play out because there's not going to be a lot

of QB scrambling. So it was kind of how it played a lot of game, a swing of scores, you know, a lot of changes with that. You know, we thought a lot of lead changes. So we kind of thought this game was going to be close and it played out that way until pulled away at the end. But I mean, two of those interceptions were against two men. And we saw the whole day, both teams knowing that they're,

getting that trying to find ways to beat it because if the quarterback's not scrambling it's pretty dang hard so like that's that's why you know brady's force to throw back shoulder throws to johnson in the fourth quarter because that's a two man beater because the the corner has his you know back turn to him you know uh the first interception it was uh two man again and on that one the guy just undercut him and even after that like you know it was just it was exactly what the bucks are going to play we talked about before bulls is just going to run what he wants to run and when like He's going to run as two man. He's going to run a spot drop zone and he's going to bring some pressure.

It was funny because actually we said, you know, Breeze is going to shred any pressure. They brought pressure and he hit Treyquan Smith for the touchdown. It was like, you know, he just caught him when he had to catch him. But it was exactly what the bucks were always going to do. They're going to run their stuff. They're going to run their shit. And then they're just going to make you try to beat them. And Breeze didn't make enough throws.

Some of those throws were looking very loopy. You know, I said it looked like, you know, a Madden throw where he accidentally hit the button when you don't mean to. And so the ball just lobs in there. And that's what some of those throws looked like. So I was actually, for a while, they were going like, ooh, Breeze is going to have to do this out next week at Lambo. But the Bucs won. So don't have to have to have that thought, but we have to talk about Brees's retirement next or something like that.

It felt like if the Bucs really brought it to the Saints offense, that they weren't going to have the amount of firepower necessary to overcome aggressive defense, aggressive man defense, pressure looks. And again, it's counterintuitive to what you'd expect from Brees over the course of his career. He's one of those guys that if you blitz him, he's going to burn you. And that's just not what happened tonight. They were in the hip pocket of those Saints receivers the entire game. And that Murphy Bunting interception is pretty much exactly what I wanted them to do coming into this game. It was a five-man pressure with Devin White. They flush Brees out of the pocket.

They have Murphy Bunting in the hip pocket of Michael Thomas. He makes the interception nearly runs it back for a touchdown. Breeze finished this game, 19 of 34 for 134 yards and three interceptions. They just didn't have it. this version of Drew Breeze against a defense that was willing to dictate the game to him and the way that the Buccaneers did, I just thought it was going to be really tough for this Saints offense to end up overcoming that obstacle. And they couldn't do it. And I was not surprised to see this, but it still is kind of a bummer that this is the way we had to watch Drew Breeze in his 40s, clearly not 100 percent, you know, with weapons that really couldn't challenge a very good defense when they're playing the way that they want to. That's what we saw today. And it just, it's not. It's not. surprising, but it still is disappointing, especially if you're a Saints fan. Yeah, and the run game tried. Like, they, they're always going to have a good run game.

The Saints are always going to do what they have to do. But, you know, even the second interception that Devin White got, it was, you know, the miscommunication that happens on it. Yeah. And it's, you know, you could tell they, in between those plays because they were running choice routes with Kamara. They're going to run those every week. They adjusted.

And I guess, I think it was covered three on that play. So on that play, there is a design. And usually you see this, you see this like once a season, a team tries around this. and it'll be like it'll be an angle concept but then they just keep the running back up a seam as opposed to angling across he just goes right up the seam and you're trying to split it and it looked like there's a miscommunication on that play i don't know if brees just blanked on it because he looked really disappointed himself after and camaro looked like he was sure and what he was trying to do so like those you know that's what happened today like you said it was kind of kind of sad to see it go go down this way um fun kind of seeing the the gadget play still even with tasum hill not in there and jason and jason and jason James Winston just split out there. It was like I, I kind of compared it to like, you know, whoever the role in that, it's like, like, what's the same thing and no one blinked an eye because they were just like, okay, run the same thing. We'll have James out there. Even without the run through at Tastom Hill. And it's like switching to Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the Batman movies.

Like, you know, it's, hey, wait a man, you're different. Uh, yeah, why you, you seem different. Yeah, it's. And it was one of those things that I think that there was no way they were going to have any big plays down the field. The fact that the gadget play was the only thing they really did, I think is telling. It was their only complete. of more than 16 yards in this game, which isn't surprised, considering the way that the bucks were playing on defense. On the other side of the ball, this is the reason that the bucks went out to get Tom Brady. This is the vision of this team that they probably had in mind when they decided to do this.

And I remember the day they signed him, I was doing something, and it was working, and I stopped what I was doing to write about it. And when I wrote about it and when I talked about it afterward, even all through the preseason, My view of it was that this team was talented enough that they just needed a quarterback who wasn't going to actively detract from what they were trying to do offensively. They needed a quarterback that was going to keep things on the rails, that was going to avoid turnovers, that was going to avoid negative plays because they were talented enough. I thought offensively and defensively that as long as they had somebody that could keep this thing moving in the right direction, as long as they had somebody that didn't drag everything down the way that James Winston could in certain moments, that they were going to be a dangerous team. And that's exactly what we saw. Even beyond that, the guys that I really thought, oh, these are the final pieces were the draft that they had.

I loved them going to get Tristan Wherps in the first round, getting him where they did when you consider he was the fourth of those tackles taken. He might be the best one of that group. It's a steal. And when they drafted Antoine Winfield, I thought this is exactly what their defense needed. They needed a playmaker in the secondary who could have one of these swing plays. And then he gets the force fumble against Jared Cook. I loved that play. I loved it because obviously that's just a playmaking gene that guys like Peanut Toman and his dad had and things like that.

But waiting for Cook to secure the catch before he went for the punch. So it was going to be a fumble instead of an incomplete pass. That dude is just a savvy, savvy player. But this was it. This was the overall vision when you bring in Tom Brady and you think, all right, we need one, two, three pieces before we are a team that can get right there on the doorstep. And that's exactly what this was for the bucks tonight. of course you love cover two corners you're just like you know what it's junior is safety but getting raised on cover two and lovey smith and then watching

antoine woodfield his dad play in minnesota for as long as i did that is a type of football that is very very close to my heart nine 10 games the season used to just get all the cover two that you could get it was that was perfect for you um you know and just seeing like everything with uh with brady's doing and and i think the last couple weeks they've, I want to say last couple, I would say the last half of the season, they really figured out what kind of concepts they were really preferring with him. Today you didn't really see it because all the two men, but a typical typical past concepts they run out. So much of stuff was going progressing left to right, right to left. And even stuff like

Bruce Ariens, even as aggressive as his concepts usually are in his play calling, it's funny when how risk adverse he can be in like fourth down situations. And now he like figured out, you know, old dogs can learn new tricks because now he's figured out. that, oh, I got this cheat code known as the Tom Brady QB sneak. Okay, let's use it a couple times. And like even early in the game when they had a fourth and short on their own side of the field, he ran it. And it was good to see, you know, playoffs.

Please, thank God, you do this in the playoffs. But, you know, you see that stuff transition and you see the whole offense coming together a little bit. It's just funny. We talk about Evans. We talk about Godwin. We talk about Antonio Brown. And then it's Johnson and Scotty Miller making the huge plays against two men at the

end of the game. I mean, who was surprised about that? I certainly wasn't surprised by that that Scottie Miller would make the most important big play in the game for the bucks. Huge moment for Barrington High School. I was very happy when that happened. Very happy for Scotty. I got a text from Mike,

my high school football coach, who was his high school football coach. We're celebrating over here for Scotty Miller in the Barrington football program. It wasn't just like a go route. They were in a double move with them. It was like they were chalking it up for him because, well, that's, that's a two-man beater. It's you have to run double moves because you're trying to get the guys to bite on it or come up on it and that's what they did. And yeah,

it's just funny. I saw Scotty Miller and Brady just dropped it in. Scotty had enough time to look up, look at the safety, screaming at him and he was like, okay, I'm getting down right here. Almost drew the foul too, which, you know, I'll credit that to your high school coach. As you should. I mean, if you look at the numbers in this

game, it's not surprising. Brady went 18 of 33 for 199 yards. This Saints defense is really, really good. I was not impressed necessarily with just the approach that the bucks took. It was a lot of runs early downs, get behind the sticks, and then those our guys are better than your guys' sorts of plays that we talked about being a little bit frustrating when you're looking at this Buccaneers team

all week, or all season. But they still managed to pull it out thanks to some swing plays on defense, everything else. I want to kind of revisit something we talked about last week in reference to Brady because I think we need to really step back and understand how ridiculous it is that Tom Brady is back in the conference championship game. And I know I just got done saying that he took over a really talented team and all of this. But he played extremely well this season. And the idea that this 43-year-old guy is just waltzing back into another conference championship game like he does every single year in his first year with a new team.

It doesn't matter how talented they are. It's still something that I think we have to step back and be an absolute awe of. I mean, it just seems so normal at this point, one, for the Saints to lose a home playoff game when they shouldn't. And two, for Tom Brady to be in the conference championship. championship game. It felt so incredibly comfortable the way that game ended. And I don't think either of those things are things we should just take for granted or take it face value. Yeah. Even like how quickly he's hitting everything, it's like it's fascinating to watch because

it's like he is doing everything the epitome of it. Like every read is perfect. And it's like, yeah, he has talented guys around him. But it's like that ball gets out so quick on these deep concepts. And it's going to the right spot every single time. It is, it is freaky to watch. This really my only comparison is like, but the team was bad when this happened. It was Jordan with the Wizards. But it was like, but he put up 20 a game. But that's the same kind of thing. Like he is playing top of the line football right now.

Those balls are coming out perfect, going right to the right spot. I mean, I'll say it again, this throw to Scotty Miller. But even the one, the short throw to Evans for the touchdown, you know, he missed Gronk a little bit in the corner of the back, but the ball is going again to the right spot and he's missing in the right direction. You brought the point that he's not putting the ball in harm's way. as much as James was or anybody in the arian's offense. He only has a dozen or so interceptions on the year. And to be this aggressive and that's all the damage you've done,

I mean, that's so hard to stop. And if the run game's going to do enough like they did last week and they did a bit today, it's like that's a talented team. And it's really, really, really tough to stop in the playoffs. It's a little thing. But the touchdown he threw to four net, I think is so telling. He goes low on pretty much all of those balls near the goal line over the middle of the field. Even in the middle of the field in general, he errs.

on the side of putting it down because he knows that if he misses high, that's how you throw interceptions. It's just little stuff like that where he's just so good at taking care of the ball. So obviously, this is just one more step and one more brick in just this unbelievable edifice that Tom Brady has built in his entire career and the greatness that he has just displayed over and over and over again. On the flip side, this is probably, I think if you listen to most people, you know, Jake Glazer, semi-reported it before the game, that this would be the last game that Drew Breeze ever plays. And that's a sad, sad way for Drew Bleas to go out. But I also think it's an important thing to step back and really consider what Drew Breeze has been. And I know that they only won one Super Bowl in New Orleans. And I think that everyone is probably a little bit disappointed. We'll get to how all in they were in a second.

But I also think it's really incredible to just consider the breadth of what they accomplished. push down there. The fact that it was a top 10 offense essentially, I think every single year but won by DVOA during Drew Brees and Sean Payton stay down there and how consistently relevant he made them even when they had historically terrible defenses. It's hard to overstate how impressive the job they did there was. And when you talk to people around the league every year, you know, everyone does their offseason projects, right? Where you go and you study these specific things. Everyone just treats studying the Saints with Peyton and Breeze is a given. The tone they use with it is like, oh, and of course I went back and I watched everything the

Saints did because that's what they are. And the fact that that era could be over and that era was so synonymous with excellent offensive football for so long, it's a tough thing to stomach as well, the football fan, and I'm sure for a Saints fan, but it really does feel like we've reached the end of the road. And the road was magnificent for almost the entire stretch. When I was in college at Wisconsin, we watched Saints film every summer. Yeah. And the clip I still remember. And this also speaks to kind of the evolution, the Peyton Bree's offense has gone through in this last decade plus is like originally it was so much heavy play action with deep overs.

They had the era of Jimmy Graham there. And so they're isolating him and running him stuff where they go 12 personnel and put him in a slot and doing like the play I call St. saint, but it's, you know, a slow going one side on the seam. They're running stuff like that. And then now the current, and they always had angle routes. They have some reason, Sean Peyton always just can find the guys that can run choice routes.

Gee, I wonder why. But, you know, they have sprawls and then they, you know, now they have Kamara and they, I mean, they just get these guys for them, but it's just so cool seeing the different iterations of kind of the same offense, but different emphasis every couple,

a couple of years as the supporting cast changes. And, I mean, the play, I'll never forget, but this is how different these quarterbacks. And we look at, even you and I, and a lot of people probably listening, have watched Drew Brees throughout his whole career. And you forget sometimes what they used to be and when they're in their prime. And there's a throw. We watched the film at Wisconsin and Drew Brees is run out play action. And he play fakes with his right hand.

He puts the ball on his left hand and he wipes his right hand off as he's setting up the throw. And then launches a bomb like 45 yards. I corner out for a touchdown. And we laughed because we were like, is that actually, that just happened? And then he did it again later in the game. And he like an overrout on another play action where he took his hand off the ball, wiped his hand and then hit the back of his drop and threw it. And you forget, oh yeah, this guy just wasn't used to dink and dunk master.

This guy was a master of everything. And yeah, he's a phenomenon. It was so much fun watching him and whatever the team, whatever the makeup was, him and Sean Peyton put together these game plans and just these efficiencies and explosiveness in different ways. And it was like you said, it was always concepts that everyone else watched because it was always just run so well. and Breeze was always going to be teach tape because the ball was always going to go to the right spot.

And kind of stinks seeing them now. I make jokes about it like, hey, it looks like, you know, the Madden throw or, you know, just a lollipop throw out there. But guess what? He's still putting a lot of those throws on the money. So it's kind of sad seeing maybe a chapter close. And a chapter closes for the Saints, too. I mean, we've talked about it the entire year. I mean, this team was as all in as you can be.

You know, I forgot that they traded away their third round pick. I mean, this team has a little. limited amount of resources in pretty much every single way in ways that always sneak up on you. It's like, oh yeah, I forgot they traded away that pick for whatever reason this was. And that's what they've done. You know, that's what they've done consistently over the last five years. They've known this. They've known this was the window.

This was their chance to really try to maximize this version of the roster while Breeze was still there. And they went as far as you could possibly go in that direction. As things currently stand right now in this moment, this is what Breeze still on the roster. So with Breeze not on the roster, it goes down a little bit. But in 2021, if Breeze retires, they are currently set to have $263 million in total cap liabilities, which puts them $82 million over $175 million cap. You're going to have to do some stuff with that. You're going to have to do some stuff with that.

They got Mickey Math, man. They got Mickey Math. That's the they can do it however they want to. And there aren't that many guy. Quat Alexander is going to, you know, that's an easy. cut. There's no guaranteed money left on his deal. But outside of that, you know, Ryan Ramchak is somebody that has no guaranteed money left, but they want to keep him. They just signed Thomas and Camara. And a lot of the guys on this team that are aging and could possibly be off the roster

are really important players. You know, guys like Cameron Jordan, guys like Taran Armstead. Toronto Armstead was an all pro tackle this year. The guys that are expensive are guys that if you lose them, you are no longer the team that you were. And that is now the question that the Saints are going to be faced with. What does this post-Breeze era look like? You know, Taysam Hill is sitting there with a $16.2 million cap it next year. I don't know what is going to happen. I don't know what should happen, but we have definitely not only closed the chapter. We have slammed the one shut and lit the book on fire. That's where we are with the New Orleans Saints. And we got to see the Taysam Hill experience this year. And it was the same offense that

the Bears ran with Trubisky. So is that what he wants to build around? And that he's got maybe put his money where his mouth is because he, you know, hyped him up so much this off season. So it's more of a, uh, not even just a rebuild, but it's, it could go down the path of a full nuke, like, of just what they have to do with everything. And it's just, you think, and even you just lay laying it out like that. It's not just the cap stuff. It's not just breeze retiring. I mean, that's a tough combination as it is, but it's just this hodge, hodge pod of parts they kind of got going. It's an existential question. Yeah. It's what do we want to be? It's what. Yeah. What does the next version of the Saints look like? And they're in a tough position. If the cap doesn't go down and if COVID never happens and if the cap keeps rising by $10 million every single year, they would be not fine, but in a much better position than they are right now. This is a team that I think when your owner is willing to spend to the cap and you have the cash on hand to keep giving out bonuses and keep kicking the financial can down the road, I think it was an inefficiency in terms of adding talent. and it was one they consistently exploit it.

Unfortunately for them, now they're in a spot where that inefficiency has vanished based on things that are completely out of their control. So it's a tough situation, but this is the one that they face. I mean, they have a hard, hard road and a lot of really difficult questions to answer. But I know for me, as a football fan and as someone who has watched the NFL grow and change and evolve over the last decade, last decade and a half even, those Saints teams were at the forefront of that often. And it wasn't these crazy innovations, right? That's not what they did. It was all of these tiny little tweaks. And let's do it from this formation. And let's play with how many

formations and personnel groupings were using. Let's play with receiver splits. It just was the perfect way to understand quiet, subtle innovation. And that's exactly what they were on a consistent basis. And we'll see if Sean Payton can keep it going. All right. Let's get to our next game here. Chiefs Brown's 2217 final. It's hilarious how little that score and that sentence describes what happened during that game. So obviously the headline here is Mahomes going out. After that happens, you know, that's going to be what people take away from this game. But he went out in the middle of the third quarter.

And this was still, I think a nine point game when he left. I think I want to say it was 19 to 10 when he got out of this. there. And the Browns did a decent job, I think, of keeping this close for the most part. Obviously, there's that play at the end of the half with the fumble out of the back of the end zone. That's going to be a huge deal. But this was a fairly close game for most of it. And then Mahomes gets hurt. So let's talk about how Andy Reid handles this at the end of the game, because I think that's the other headline here. The fourth and one play and them deciding to go for it, first of all, just the balls to do that. And not only did he do that, but he went to

for it on Fort Down a couple times in this game in semi-questionable moments. But I think it is so incredibly telling how calm and quiet they are, even with Mahomes out of the game, in some of these high leverage moments. And the fact that they're willing to say, we're going to end the game right here because we think we can. And I just think that that seems to permeate the entire roster in a way. And I think it really is a sign of a team that has seen all of this stuff before. They marched last year.

They finished the march last year. They did what everyone, they made it to the mountain top. That will give you confidence to run whatever the hell you want. But that's what's awesome about Andy Reid, for better for worse. He's going to run his stuff. Like he, they put Henny in. It was fourth and inches near midfield. They went for it on fourth down.

That was what I'm talking about. The fact that right, that was right when Mahomes got hurt. Right away. So Mahomes gets hurt and it's fourth and inches. And it was right after the Browns had just marched down and scored a touchdown. And they went for it on fourth and inches at midfield rather than giving the Browns back the ball. And they did that a couple times. There's the fourth and inches one.

And then there's the fourth and one one at the end. So that's, but that's how, that's how like just Andy's is going to do his stuff. Like he, he has just confidence in what they're running. And like after they even got the field goal, I'm sorry,

they kicked the field goal their next series. The Chiefs ran like a split zone RPO with a go to hill, the one that, uh, the Browns challenge, the Browns challenge. It's like he's still running it. It was split zone. RPO and it wasn't just the slant ones or they'll run the like a little stick one with it,

you know, nice and safe, five, six yards. No, it was a go route to Hill. So it's like he's still coming at it. He's still passing the ball in a four-man situation. They took a sack. But still, it's like, you know, like, hell yeah. Like, let's do it. It was kind of funny or like just off like hearing Henny try to emulate like Mahomes's cadence.

Like just going, why, why goal goal? And a false start happened on one because you, you could tell the guard was just not used to. Yeah, not used to it. He was just a little. He was trying. He was, I, I, I, I, I appreciate. appreciated that like as a lifetime backup quarterback. I appreciate that. But like just all these, all these things that, um, that read does, man. Like, you know, he's not expecting, of course,

you know, Mahomes had the ankle, but, you know, he's not expecting Mahomes to get a, a running bulldog on him, like a Chris Jericho running bulldog on him. So it was such a strange play. It's not because he didn't get hit head straight on. No. It wasn't the initial impact. And his head didn't hit the ground. So I think it was just the torque of his neck as he fell. It was a very strange play. I'm so glad he did not come back in that game or they didn't try to sell that to us. It's for better or for worse, I am so glad that we've reached a point where the discourse in a moment like that is, he should be done. And that is, it's accepted and it's normal and that's what football has reached because I just think that, remember when Jamal Adams,

or Jamal Adams, remember Jamal Charles left that game because of it? of a concussion several years ago in that playoff game against the Colts. And everyone was like, it's a playoff game. How could he leave the game for a concussion? And I think we've come so far after that that now it's just normal when Mahomes leaves the game after that. And I think that that's a really good step in the right direction, obviously. It is.

And you can already see like all those rules in high school and college because it's even stricter in college with the head hunting and, you know, forceable head contact. Like they, even know, Scottie Miller throw, we get three minutes. matches of Scottie Miller on this podcast. Oh, maybe five more by the time we're done. Yeah, on that one is, you know, they threw the flag and then they picked it up. So they're rounding up. They're saying, hey, even if it's tiki tack or close, we're going to call it.

But that stuff leads to the player safety. And you can start to see the trickle effect of guys being more self-conscious about using their heads. And it's great to see it. But it's it's so like even the last, the fourth downplay to win the game. Like, it was just a sprint out. But like this is what like Andy Reid does. like he they're empty and they bring the back the back split out all the way weak and they bring them back into the back field and rather than lining them up on the weak side they bring them strong

towards the three receiver side and they run the sprint out so like on a normal play like that like a sprint out why that back strong being to the three receiver side is something to hide is because that's a giveaway for a sprint out or certain types of runs and so having that little splashing the water they're not doing a little short motion to the play side they had it from coming from the backside going all the way across. So, okay, a little bit disguised. There, especially in a high, tense situation, but they just did everything so laxedaisical. They're just like, uh, yeah, we're just running a fake play here.

Don't worry about it. Like soft cadence, like Henny's little fake stupid cadence. He was just emulating. And then all that laxidaisical, all that like windows, you know, water splashing onto the backside, bring it here. The Brown's just kind of softened. And Tyrake Hill doesn't need much. And he got an extra inch there and it was just all over.

But it's just, I just love that. Fortune favors the bold. And they just played on football tropes there. And I love when guys play on football tropes, either like doing like a quick cadence when somebody's looking at the sideline or just playing on substitutions. Like we'll talk about the Packers doing this later. But just I just love when teams do that. And Andy Reid does it all the time. I loved all the.

I mean, that play was so funny because I can't remember if it was Romo or Nance. One of them was like, just look at the body language. They're not snapping the ball here. There's Roma. And the fact that they were playing it with it like that was just incredible. And obviously the motion really helps there. and they knew that they were in man in part because of the motion that they used. So it's just little tiny things helping them out again in those high leverage moments.

Similar, the couple different plays, one of my favorites was the little speed sweep they ran to Hardman. They did the same thing where they were playing with the yo-yo motion to get the linebackers moving. They got the ball on the edge. They do such a great job of figuring out how to get the ball horizontal by using those motions and using formation. It's just a consistent thing from the chief. So speaking of player safety and speaking, Speaking of rules, let's talk about that play at the end of the half for the, for the Browns, the one that Sorensen, where he hit Higgins and fumbled.

So first of all, the touchback rule is ridiculous. I mean, I'm the 10 millionth person to say this, but it just makes no sense that there's so many ways you can handle this that would make it less punitive. And I think those should happen. If the ball comes out to the 10 and you lose it down or whatever, it just seems like there's a lot. better way to do this. But I think the other side of that, and considering that they called it in the Saints game for leading with the crown of the helmet, I don't understand why that isn't reviewable. I don't think it should be challengeable because I think then you get into some flippant challenges and you're worried off flow of the game, everything else, and those are bang, bang plays. So I don't know if you should be able to challenge that as a personal file, but if you're reviewing the play anyway,

and it's clear, isn't the goal of replay to get the call right, even if it's not the specific thing that you're looking at in that moment? I just don't understand that. I don't think it should be challengeable, but I think it should be reviewable.

If that makes sense. Maybe that's a can of worms that they're not really willing to open because I understand that that can be a slippery slope, but they do it in college. I just feel like it should probably be reviewable. If you can do it between If not challengeable.

If you can do it between Akron and Bowling Green, you can do it an NFL playoff game. That's, I mean, you know, it's like they can handle it. You know, if you can handle it a Mac game. I know we're talking about the player safety, though, but I want to talk about the Hardman back and forth motion again because, like, they had a passing playoff. They ran their fun little all-go runoffback seam.

They ran to the boundary, but on it, it's just, they just hit a little swing route to Hardman, got like a 14-yard gain on it. But on it was so cool with the design. was their formation was into boundary. They ran the jet sweep motion with Hardman. And that makes sense.

They're making the formation balance as opposed to the boundary with overloaded. But then he paused. The Brown's defense flopped because they're in a spot drop zone and they had to put the nickel to the passing strength. So this was in 12 personnel and then the passing strength is considered the two receiver side. So the Brown's defense completely flops over. And then as they're doing that, they run Hardman back on a jet motion coming the other way. and you can see the nickel on this play like just look it on YouTube or something you can see the nickel on this play on the other side he's in the field and you can see him going oh no like and he doesn't know what to do he just drops in the hook he has no he's left by himself so the chiefs had four guys with three of them running vertical I think on three defenders and I'm just real quick through the swing it was an easy first down but it's just so funny because it's so funny when you can see a defense doesn't happen on offense so much sometimes you see a run back on like I don't know who to pick up but like a defender just going like a defender just going like a defender just going like oh, we're in some shit right now.

And that's what that was the that was the realization the Brown's nickel had right there. But I, I, yeah, the, but going, going back, you know, the Andrew Reed stuff. And it's just, it's so cool when he throws these wrinkles in there. I know we're talking about player safety, but I just want to just keep gushing about this stuff. And I also think that, you know, on the other side of the ball, I thought that the Brown's offense played fairly well today. I actually thought Baker had some really nice throws in this game. Obviously, you know, if that Higgins touchdown stands, his line looks a lot different.

if a couple different other things happened. But there were a couple, there was one really key play where Teller got called for a hold in the first half where they would have gotten down, I think inside the 25. That comes back. This is a team that just has trouble playing that far behind the sticks. And I think you saw that a lot in this game. And then obviously at the end of the game, we could talk about even if their offense played well and the play calling was pretty decent for most of it. Situationally, at the end, I think they had some issues. So the challenge you talked about from Stefanski came at 1103 on that ball to Hill.

I can understand challenging that. It happens right in front of you. His back was turned to you. It looks like he probably dropped it. You don't have the benefit of the five slow motion replays that we've just gotten to watch that hadn't happened by the time you have to throw it because they're playing fast. So you lose the time out there, which is a problem. But still, I can understand Henny's in.

You don't think they're going to be able to move the ball. And that chunk suddenly becomes really important because that's second and ten, they're behind the sticks, you can get the ball back there and potentially try to put this thing away. But losing that timeout ends up being a huge deal. And then eventually, the chiefs were removing the ball on that drive and then Henny built them out on the interception. So then the Browns get the ball back. They get the ball back with about eight minutes left from their own 25-yard line. There was not enough urgency on that drive for me.

There were letting 40 seconds essentially take off between plays. they had a first down run to set up their last series set of downs. Chris Jones just blew it up. And they absolutely blew it up. And then third down, he beats Teller right off the snap and forces Baker to check it down

into the flat to hunt. And they eventually punt on fourth and nine. Fourth and nine is tough. Yeah. I mean, that's one of those things where you really hoping to when you dump it off there to hunt, you pick up half of it and you can maybe try to pick up the fourth down. Fourth and nine, I think, puts you in a slightly different, more difficult spot.

He decides to put it for the pressure because, yeah, it's like the defense can't sink. You get those checkdowns with the defense sink, sink, sink, sink, sink. Rogers hit one actually where he purposely did it. But it's he there's no time to let him sink. That was a panic, almost hot throw. He's like, oh, screw that because Chris Jones won so well. Sorry, yeah, keep going. But it was just like.

But that's exactly right. I mean, Chris Jones and that you don't want to throw the ball to Kareem Hunt there. No. You're trying to push the ball downfield. And Jones won instant. And I think that I want to point out that because obviously, you know, we know the chief skill position players. We know that, I mean, Hill and Kelsey both had eight catches for about 110 yards in this game. I want to talk about that in a second.

But on defense, they had a couple of guys that were huge. They all, I thought their defense played well overall, especially against the run. I thought their guys in the front seven did a really good job against the Brown's offensive line. But a couple different guys, Jones makes those plays. And he had a few just splash plays in this game. Matthew, same deal. He had a couple incredible plays against the run, stringing stuff out. And the interception, when you see that kind of pick,

sometimes it can be a guy just being in the right place at the right time, where Baker doesn't see him, he throws it to him. They were running that coverage a ton today, which is like a cover two look where Matthew drops down as a robber in the middle of the field. So on that play, if you go back and watch the replay, he's doing that. He's just sitting there in the middle as kind of a floater. he carried the tight end vertically up the field,

let him go, came down and floated there where Higgins was, Red Baker's eyes, and picked it off. It was an incredible play. I mean, that is just exactly why you have him in that space. But that's not a Baker threw it to him because he was standing there thing. That's him doing exactly what he needs to do in that moment. And that coverage all day was giving them trouble because they were trying to hit some of those play action shots.

And the chiefs were essentially saying, we're not going to let you beat us over the top in this game. We're going to sit back in that. We're going to have Mayfield sitting there or have Matthew sitting there to try to get one from you. And that's exactly what happened. And I also thought Ward was awesome. He made a couple really nice plays against the run.

He's just a night. They really do have a few guys on that defense that one, two, three, five, six splash plays. That's all they need. And they have the talent on that side of the ball to do that now. They're willing to bleed a little bit to try and punch you back. Like they're willing. just willing to take those hits. Like they're just like, okay, that's fine.

That's fine. That's fine. Like, yeah, you got us there, you guys there. But they're willing to bet that one of their studs will win, be it, you know, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Matthew, or that they'll just catch you in a blitz. And before you do enough damage and that their offense will just keep trickling points up the scoreboard. And they're just going to say, okay, by the time you finally figure us out, it's too late.

Here comes all the blitzes that we want to throw at you. God, but also like on the flip side, like, how good is Nick of them, Kareem. I mean, they're incredible. I had a couple. And the problem was that game script got away from them a little bit. I mean, those guys combined for, I mean, they only had 19 runs combined the two of them. And they average 5.3 yards per carry.

It's just because they had to. Yeah. When you go down two touchdowns, the beginning of the second half and you have to start throwing the ball around, that's a difficult spot for this team to be. And they still almost won this game. Obviously, Mojama's being out is a huge deal. So you said something earlier today that I wanted to touch out. They were talking a lot on the broadcast, reasonably so, about how the chiefs do such a good job getting Tyree Kiel on those overrouts, those deep overrouts from the slot in those three by one sets.

And Kelsey is a big reason why those can happen because he's a true number one receiver when he's lined up as a single receiver on the backside of those. So just talk me through how Kelsey sets uphill in those moments for you. So what the chiefs have basically done is swap the tight end and the extra receiver in their formation and their three by one formation. I just offenses I bit around. We call that one by three when the tight end or nub you'll hear it also called where the tight end is the lone receiver on one side. And there's three receivers on the other side. But on it, because Kelsey is just a 260 pound extra receiver. He can run everything.

We saw a couple beautiful routes today. Oh, we're going to talk about it in a second. Yeah. Oh, my God. Just gorgeous. But when your tight end can legitimately do that, it's unlocked so much. So it's just putting guys, good coaching, putting guys in the right places to take advantage of their skill sets. So in these one by three formations, these nub formations, first off, it gives Mahomes the easiest run pad or a coverage re indicator on the pre-snap.

Zone man match coverage read on the pre-snap. But on it is, so since Kelsey could be used as an extra receiver essentially, and you got Tyreek Hill. all. The chiefs started running this more and more when they're facing like the Chargers twice a year. And even us when I was with the Raiders because we ran a little bit of a single high, they were doing this to have Kelsey tie down and then Tyreek Hill going over the top. And if he doesn't go over the top, they also have a deep dig like Hardman or Watkins coming on the back side. All those times you see Mahomes kind of drifting and then hitting something cross body over the middle of field. It's usually Watkins or a hard man coming on a dig or something or an over. And on it is the tie down with Kelsey and then you just get Hill going over the top.

And all those, if it's a match coverage, you have a corner on Kelsey. If he doesn't win, you high, low it. You're creating a high low. And on those match coverages, the linebacker to safety has to turn and run with Tyree Kill. And that's not very fun. If you watch the national championship game, you saw what happened when Devante Smith got put on a linebacker, tough Borland. And on that, it's the exact same premise. That's what the chiefs do over and over.

And since that's such a base concept for them, because they run it several times a game, they'll just run variations of it. You saw Romo bring up the point that he, the hill stopped on one of them. They allow him to read on some of these. If the defender, the safety just catches them. That's the term. Because you need to try to be beating him to the spot.

And when you're overcompensating for that, you can just sit down. And that's the thing is they all, they have so many little tiny wrinkles. Yep. To hurt you on this. So the biggest one is, we saw it in the playoffs last year.

The was the, is the tweak off of this concept because you got Kelsey's out. Exactly. Looks like he's running it over. Everyone's screaming to cover that over route. and then he just turns it back the other way. That's what Wasp was.

It was a playoff these types of concepts. The touchdown that Kelsey scored, okay? I was looking for the dots replay on my computer. This is part of the challenge of doing this live. And I couldn't find it. But the way I'm seeing it right now is I think he was the single receiver backside in a three by one set. And I want to say it was some sort of zone coverage,

but Ward is locked onto him because he's the single receiver there in that situation. So you have a top five pick who is a very good cover corner, a really good player on a 260 five pound tight end in de facto man coverage. And Kelsey just leaves him in space. I mean, that is not a sitting in a zone. He happens to be the closest receiver sort of thing. That is a 260 pound guy breaking ankles against a corner that was good enough to be a top five pick and has played. played like it since he came into the league, just toasting him. That was one of the more ridiculous things I can remember a tight end doing.

That guy is on an entirely different level as a receiver. I bet you the Brown's coaches were, okay, we're okay over there. Mahomes probably going to go to the field, you know, probably work it over there. Oh, oh. Not expecting a double move and not only a double move, him just actually just breaking him off. It wasn't like he shoved him or anything. It was like a classic just broke him off with a crossover. it's it's not fair it's not fair and not only that he catches it and then he finishes

it scores a touchdown it's amazing it's yeah that's a whole another level i mean obviously this is one of those things where i've said this a million times but that moment is a perfect example and a perfect reminder of it it's just the perfect convergence of talent and scheme and just understanding how to use these queens on the chessboard that they have and the ways they use Hill and Kelsey and Mahomes and not only the ways they use them, but the ways those uses complement one another. It's beautiful when it's all working in concert. And in those moments, that's where you see it. So the Chiefs get by without Mahomes in the third quarter and the fourth quarter of that game. We'll see what happens this week. I mean, I think that they're going to need

him against the bills. I mean, this bill's offense can absolutely go punch for punch with this team. And they're going to need Mahomes in this game. So, I mean, there are no guarantees when you think about the concussion protocol and everything else. But that's a conversation for later in the week. We can do a quick post more to mind the Browns here. This season is house money. I mean, I think you have the coach of the year. Obviously, there were a couple moments today where he could have made some different

decisions, but I think that what he's done for that team all the season has been remarkable. I think that what they've done with Baker Mayfield and the steps that he's taken, offensively, they're set. You know, this is a team that just drafted their left tackle in the first round this year, Conklin, they just signed to a contract. You know, Teller is going to be cheap for a little while longer. They still have Jay C Trudder. We'll see what, I mean, Betonio is going to be there.

Their offense, those pieces are all in place. We'll see what happens with Higgins. I believe he's a free agent. That's really the only piece they might lose, but they're getting back and back, getting Landry back. That's set. Defensively, there's some work to be done. So Sheldon Richardson has a big deal.

I assume he won't be there next year just because of price. We'll see what they happen. We'll see what they do to revamp the defensive line. line. The one spot that they desperately need to get better is linebacker. And I think that that was pretty obvious today. The chiefs took advantage of BJ Goodson in space a couple times. Same with Taki. Taki. There was that one, I think, really high leverage third and five where Kelsey just left him in space. And they just don't have guys in the middle of their defense that you really want to play with right now. And then we'll see what happens in the second. Obviously, Grady Williams was

hurt all season. Grant Delpit missed the entire year. So this is a defense that was banged up. They were healthier today than they've been for most of the season and they still weren't close to 100% when you thought about the guys they wanted to bring into the year. So I think the Browns fans have a lot to be excited about. I really do. Yeah, this is such a positive year. Not only 10 wins, not only that, I know they might more than that, but more than 10 wins, making the playoffs, winning a playoff game against your rival. Like, like you said, houses money. And yeah, the linebacker stuff is really needed. Like props to Chad, Chad Henny for like pulling out the win and everything

and the whole Chief's team. But like even it's the long conversion to, oh shoot, to the runnerback though, but it was out into the flat and Henny found him on the backside. The linebacker, it was man coverage. They dropped eight and he just lost the runnerback.

That was his assignment. And it's like, on a play like that. That's so huge. And you need, that's where the good players need to step up. And when you have a poor player there, it just looks even worse.

Teams have been going to that so consistently where they're running. off coverage on that side, floating the running back out into space there, into the flat, and just hitting him and trying to say, all right, 10 yards to go, we're giving you four yards short of the sticks. You make this happen.

The Bucks did it today, too. We've seen that all season. The Colts have done a great job of doing that this year. Well, they'll clear out that side and just have the running back spill out into the flat. They'll hit it to him. It's like, all right, make a play in space. And that was that play, and that's happened all the time this year.

Sometimes it's the best matchup you have in space is you're running back on some stiff lineback. Like that is one of the best matchups on the field. Like I know for years, the one of the best plays the Vikings had for my dad under my dad's teams where they run four virts for Kelly Cam and Randy Moss and they just run a checkdown to Moly Moore, Ontario Smith or Moe Williams or something. And that he would just take a run for 20 yard game. God, Moelty Moore. I love him. One of my favorite football players ever.

Wasn't sure we've been mentioning Moelty Moore on this show. I do we'd get five Scotty Miller mentions in, but I didn't know we'd get to Mulady Moore. Let's get to yesterday's games. 1713 bills Another disappointing exit for the Ravens You and I were talking about this before we started recording It feels like this game was completely out of reach The entire time for Baltimore

But until that pick six happens They're in this game Mostly because their defense was playing fantastic You know they were really able to kind of go toe to toe With that bill's passing game Because they could play with them in man coverage And we thought that might be the case coming into this game The bills hadn't played against the team

with this collection of corners. Obviously they played against Miami earlier in the season and torched them, but Byron Jones went out early in that game. So they haven't played a team with three legitimate cornerbacks like this team has. And the Ravens were able to kind of keep pace with them on that side of the ball. But eventually that pick six ends up being a backbreaker, changes the entire complexion of the game.

Lamar has to come out. But if you're looking at offensive, I guess let's start here. what element of this Bill's team yesterday jumped out to you the most? Because I think obviously we knew the offense was great, but the defense ended up playing a really good game against Lamar Jackson and this Ravens offense. I would say that's more impressive. The bills have done enough on offense. I'm not worried about them.

And Davel does enough where he changes up the game plan and what they run. It was pretty crazy that the start with 19 passes and start the game with 30-mile-hour wins. I want to talk about that, though. I'm fine. Whatever. Go for it. Because it's not as if they were throwing the ball 30 yards downfield. all the time.

They had a third down clear-out play out of an empty set to Devin Singletary. They tried to run a couple screens. I mean, they're just using their passing game as an extension of their running game. They don't. I don't realize why it's such a big deal that they decided to throw the ball that much. When your passing game is a ball-controlled passing game in the right moments, it's okay to throw the ball that much. Yeah, it's the original pass to replace the run. Yeah, and especially the bills, you know, they couldn't hit anything over the top, even with Allen's arm,

because the wind was so crazy. And I think the Ravens knew that. So they're like, okay, we can be aggressive. And that's, you know, just these abs and flows that one thing, we see another. But like, Dave will just, they did these bills just set some cool little fun band beaters. There's nothing like totally crazy. But right off the bat, they ran like a mirrored whip route. They hit digs on a dig or an over, you know, something behind it.

They do that all the time out of empty. They run those two little whips inside against man cover. It's one of my favorite place because you get digs and Beasley running whips, two guys that are insanely good in space like that. And that's a matchup for them that they can win consistently. And that's a counter that's a counter. They ran against the Cardinals. It's off a mesh.

Like that looks like mesh. It looks like crossers with a dig behind it. And that's all they're doing. They're going, nope. And we're making it look. We actually call that play Moses when I was at Wisconsin. That exact play we called it Moses. Because it parts like the Red Sea.

Yeah. Yeah. So we call it. Yeah. So sorry, coach. But it, but you know, they ran that and they,

you know, he doesn't listen. But they had another play where, you know, the motion. the motion digs in and the Ravens. I tweet this clip. You can see the Ravens. They give a top hat coverage.

And then that defenses and man coverage have different checks, just like an offense does. Every defense has checks versus formations. You know, there's about three or four variations. You can drop any ones. Three or four, I know. One of them is called top hat. And in that is the corner that's on the press or on the stack point man, he's pressed up on him. He actually is man coverage with the guy that's off the ball.

So on this play, it was the first play. of the third quarter actually coming out of the half. Alan, it's first and 10 hits Alan on, or Alan hits John Brown on a corner route with the bills ran there. Beautiful throw, by the way. Beautiful throw in the wind.

He cut right through it. That's where arm strength comes in. In the NFL, you have to worry about weather. Like you do. I know there's a lot of games in domes and stuff, but like, hey, you're playing football in December,

January and it's not like the bowl game is always going to be in Miami in Tampa and California and stuff like in Texas. You have to worry about whether. That's where arm strength comes through is because you cut through that shit. But so, They motioned a stack on this, and it was just great opponent scouting as they knew that they're going to run top hat. Every team usually has one check that they run with. See the signal.

They run double outs with digs and brown. Beautiful throw hits it. Just all these man coverage stuff. And the second half, too, they hit a third one. It was a zone read RPO. Knox on the play releases inside on his flat as opposed to sprinting. If he sprinted straight, last week we talked about RPO's and you're asking like, hey, why is it maybe not so great against man coverage? If it was man coverage on the play,

if Dawson Knox runs straight to the flat, the safety's just going to run right with him. Knox releases inside. So what does the safety do? He looks to see what the run play is because he's like, oh, my assignment's going inside. He looks like he's blocking. Is this the RPO where he topped,

when he popped over the top? Well, he blocked, didn't he? He went into block for a second. All he did. Oh, he didn't. He just stepped inside. But that's just because he didn't have to fake that he blocking. His release is all to tell that I gave

because it's such a, it's a third one. It's a, you know, bang, bang play. So the safety looks inside. And then also, I think he sees Alan get ready to throw and he looks back. And like on the play, Diggs is meant to block him like almost like a, you know, picket fence. And it didn't even need to happen because the safety was just dead in the water. And, you know, they ran like a four strong sale concept where like with a motion, it was a three by one formation, the back speed motions.

And because they're in man, the Ravens were running a pressure here. It was man coverage, though. It creates just a natural pick. And Diggs used it and just runs a little sail route. And he's wide open against outside leverage. And it's like, oh, my God. They're just, they just threw all the good man stuff out there. And the old line was blocking so well.

They can run a five-man concept or five-man protection with a concept like sale, which is usually a six-man protection concept. It's, you know, when you're that confident, you're doing that in the wind and you're just putting these 15, 18-yard throws out there. I know you're saying like, hey, yeah, it's a safer throws of those first 19 passes. They still push shit down the field. And it's pretty impressive to see a team do that. against a team that's just saying, hey, we're running man coverage and we're sitting on everything.

And the bill still found ways to create, you know, explosive plays in the passing game in a shitty situation with weather. I mean, that's really cool stuff. I mean, they only scored 10 points offensively. I mean, I think that all that stuff is completely true. And they did a great job of just setting up that man beating stuff. I also thought that digs had a couple of ridiculous plays in this game. He, his ability to push vertically and come back and just leave guys is.

insane. It doesn't matter who it is. It could be Marlon Humphrey and it was a couple times in this game. I said this earlier today. He leads the league in plays where he catches the ball in the TV copy and you're like where's the guy guarding him? Where is he possibly? Because you can't see him because he's pushed so far up the field

and Diggs has left him with like five yards of separation. That guy is a superstar. Like that trade is was a transformative move. It's unbelievable what he has given them and just how good he is in this role. But the defense is absolutely what stuck out the most.

Leslie Frazier and what they did, and the way that those guys played on that side of the ball was incredible. So I wasn't sure coming into this game. And even I think Larry, or I was going to say Larry Hughes. Speaking of the Washington Wizard, it's the second time I mentioned them on the podcast today.

So Jerry Hughes said earlier this week that they were going to do something different against Lamar this time around. They really didn't. I mean, especially the way they lined up their base defense. they lined up with a four-man front with three linebackers for most of this game. And it worked.

The linebackers were playing really far off the ball, I assume, in order to kind of sift through the trash a little bit. I think that might have been a little bit of an adjustment. But they lined up in a four or three defense for most of this game. They did bring more pressure. But outside of the pressure looks, I think the biggest thing they did in this game was play really physical at front

and get some really nice plays from their defensive backs in both run support, and in space outside the numbers on some of those RPO's. I thought that the Trey White had a few really nice plays in this game. Taryn Johnson, a few really nice plays. They did that stuff consistently where their guys were making plays in space and playing physical and tackling,

just really nuts and bolts type stuff that you needed to do against the team that was going to have to run the ball and string plays together. And the Ravens just weren't able to do that. And so I wanted to, when I was rewatching, watching this. It was something that last week we were watching the Titans, they ran they run almost like a 3-3 stack against the Ravens because they want so many guys off the ball and they're running an odd front with a head-up, head-up nose or maybe a little shaded, but basically a three down front, three-man front. And something kind of obvious I didn't even think about was the bills are a four down front and they like to almost be old school four three stack where they're all, like you said, all three guys are off the ball. That is a natural counter. Their base defense, they run a 4-25 nickel more than any. team in the NFL. They essentially flipped out the nickel corner this week for a third line. That's

what they did. And it was old school four three. It's like what you picture four three. That's what they're running. And that's a great point. They always they always have their mic about two yards deeper. That is that is something to do because sometimes I think it's because it's too high stuff. They want to run. They want to give them an advantage to make the the run pass read. Give them an extra yard to kind of work with. I know kind of a lot too high defenses prefer that. But the Ravens were killing teams with the counter, especially the GT counter. We've talked about three weeks in a row now. And the Ravens had to make an adjustment on it because that, that, how they want to run it with pulling both the guard and tackle, that's, you only can really do that against a three man front.

You can do it against four, but it's better against a three man front just because of the angles. Otherwise, you leave a guy on block that yada, yada. This week, the Ravens had to change that and they had to pull the center and the tackle. And it became like a counter trap. So the center was kicking out the end and then the tackle was pulling up. but because that's just that little difference, it was hitting differently than how we have been seeing it. So they weren't getting these edge plays that we were seeing.

It was more up the shoot. It was more B gapish as opposed to C gapish. And it was something kind of obvious. I was rewatching it. I was like, man, I didn't even think about that. Like, they're going to have to change what play they run because they're not facing the three down fronts that a lot of teams use. They use kind of like hybrid-y fronts now.

Old school four three stack. It's a natural deterrent to that run game, even though the Ravens did some stuff on offense. But also the pick six. We talk man coverages. We talk match coverages all the time. That was like just an old school red zone spot drop coverage. And Red 8 was most like what the call was.

And you don't really, with match coverages, man, makes sense. The guy's going to be locked on as man. Everyone's going to run with it. Match coverage is these guys have to play rules and they have rules in their heads. So they're really looking at maybe the two receivers there in front of them going, all right, how am I passing this off? How am I passing this off? Spot drop, these guys can keep eyes on the quarterback and really just how the ebbs and flow

of the plays going. It's a tight zone anyway, so you can get away with not having to pass everything off. So everybody has eyes on the quarterback, and the bills do it so well, and they just confound on the ball. Like, everybody was on the ball,

and that's how, you know, generate the pick and everything. But it was just kind of cool. We talk match all the time. That's really what most teams run, seeing an old school spot drop coverage turn into a huge pick six for the bills. Just kind of funny,

like there's always a tool in the toolbox for these teams, and you just have to, if you have the right one at the right, time. It can turn it to a great play like this, especially everyone's so well coached like the bills are. And they just keep improving. This defense has really picked it up since their by week. Here's another week where they just look great. A ton of credit to the bill's defense. I think they had a really nice plan. They mixed it up enough. You know, they blitzed more than they typically would. They had a couple seven man pressures in

this game, which is like, Jesus. You don't see that very often where guys are bringing seven guys. And they did that. A lot of defensive black backblitzes in this game. I assume there were certain things that were triggered. Remember Levi Wallace coming down after a jet went away from him or two him. I can't remember now. But it seemed like he was reading what was happening and that was just a call. They were doing that several times. And I think that Johnson had a similar one where he came off the edge.

Hyde had one where he came off the edge. They were really just kind of heating up the pocket. And I honestly think that was the way to play against this team because they forced the Ravens into a lot of negative down distances they don't want to be in. and they force them into being a drop-back team. And I think that version of the Ravens offense, you really saw the cracks. Beyond the snaps,

which is an entirely different conversation, I mean, that was a really big deal in this game, how much they were getting behind the sticks because the center couldn't snap the ball to the quarterback. But even beyond that, the offensive line was a problem in this game. I mean, you saw Jerry Hughes take advantage of,

there's Tyree Phillips or J. Fluker. They were rotating it right to out. whoever was in there. Ben Powers had a rough, rough day, both as a run blocker and as a pass blocker. I mean, that's what you saw. You had a lot of inexperienced linemen playing for the Ravens in the second half of the season.

They'd made it work because of how much they were setting things up with scheme, how much they were running the ball, the angles they were creating in the run game. But when you have to play as a drop-back passing team, and you have a bunch of offensive linemen that they've never really played in the NFL before at a high level, and especially in a playoff game against a guy like Jerry Hughes or Quentin Jefferson who had a decent game.

They were outmanned. And the bills were getting pressure consistently because the Ravens were having to play a style of football. They don't like to play. I mean, all the Ravens best plays, pass plays were Lamar go do something. I mean, holy shit. Greg Roman has zero passing concepts. It's like a couple of four by one empty stuff. Everything's so static, which is just so weird.

I feel like they would want to put everybody on the move because Lamar's going to extend plays once he's off his first read. So might as well just create a natural scramble drill for him. Like they even had to play like in the second half. It was a switch verticals concept. And they end up running like a six man slide protection with it. And so they run a switch verticals. And of course, Hollywood Brown on it settles.

So they just like everything static in this offense. And so they have no controller underneath. This is the same shit that I got mad about Cliff Kingsbury doing to Kyler. You're making all these shot plays for him. And then you put nothing underneath for him to, work with. And it's, you don't get the pull that you need because then the defender that's underneath can just run with the deep route. They don't have anything that's threatening them underneath. And that's not good. It's, it's 2021 now. It's like, you know, this is stuff that you should

have in your, in your toolbox to call. So that play becomes just a three man concept for them. And it just turns into bad stuff. Like they need, like, they should just watch 2012 Redskins and just watch RG3, like, and just what they did there. Like, I mean, I think it will Mark and easily do exactly that not everything obviously but just some stuff out of shotgun splitzone or splitbacks and running some of that zone read stuff that you know shanahan was doing that unleashed on the league that year but i mean they need they need something because that stuff was simpler and lamar i think can handle some concepts i get what they're doing they want to lean into the run game and and really build around that but now every one of these losses we have said the exact same thing haven't we it was

just oh wow i don't know they can't pass the ball they can't drop back and now we're on two seasons of it. And it's like, all right, got really have some self-scout evaluation period this off season because that is stuff that it's like, you can't keep losing games this way. You have to have at least something in your back pocket. Like, you just have to. It's something they need to work on. I mean, or make a change. But it's just one of those things where it's just, it just doesn't look pretty. It's not easy. It's not making it easy for Lamar, other than him being Lamar and creating things. And it's just, it's just not fun to watch at times. So obviously you get Ronnie Stanley back next year, which is going to be huge for them.

Yeah. Just kind of locking that down. You need to move Orlando Brown back to right tackle so your tackle problems are solved. We'll see what happens in the interior of the offensive line. I think that the other thing they need desperately is just another receiving option. I mean, this is just the team that Willie Sneed is their most reliable, let's get open in a high leverage third and seven moment on this entire team. And that's just not going to happen. You know, Marquise Brown, I think I had a couple of nice plays in this game where he came back

to the ball a couple times, made a couple in traffic physical catches we didn't normally see from him. but they need a real receiver that can get open in space and make some plays. That is their number one thing they need to address this offseason, I think, on that offense because the tackles are going to be okay. So, I mean, it's just so obvious that their dropback game and their personnel need some significant tweaks. And maybe a crowd noise for once got to the Ravens O line. I mean, I actually think some of that. I mean, that was like the first time I've really felt crowd noise in weeks and weeks and weeks and it makes sense.

Bill's hosting it. you know, they had those wagon circled. So it's, but it's, you know, it's just one of those. That could be it too. People are human and it's a high stress situation. Like you said, those are inexperienced guys all of a sudden in a pretty stressful situation being asked to do that and, you know, stuff happens. People are human.

But yeah, it's curious to see what the Ravens. I, you know, I'm glad Ronnie Stanley got that extension too before that injury happened. Like, just like one of those times it worked out finally for a guy. You know, I mean, just where a bad look strikes and getting, getting a way with it. Bactiari was the same way. I mean, both the two arguably the best left tackles in the league got paid before they missed the playoffs.

So with the Ravens, do you think they need to kind of start over here offensively? I mean, would you, do you think that there are tweaks that can happen with Roman that could take them where they need to go? Or do you think that the kind of middle period where they figured out what they were offensively with Roman, what he did for the run game and everything else, that version of it has stalled out and it's time to figure out where we could find some other. answers? They need to do the classic passing game coordinator like role. They need a guy that just handles the passing game. Romans run stuff's good. And it's just that he had Harbaugh and San Fran.

You know, that we just gave him some passing game second set of eyes, you know, and I, that's what he needs. He just needs something that is if it's that guy's just, that's just, that's just his title or if he's a receiver coach or a quarterback coach in passing game corner or something. But I think David, Culley right now is technically their passing game coordinator. Okay. So they have one. Okay. Well, is it, yeah, is it what Roman wants? You know, you need somebody that maybe just, you'll sprinkle in something a little bit new because what they're doing is not, it's not good.

It was, it was, some of it's cute, but it's just not going to consistently get it done. And I feel like this is the fifth time I've said that this year, said it last year. I'm going to say it again this year. It's just the exact same shit. And it's definition of crazy. But, yeah, if they don't want to make a change there, that's why I think is the best way. They have to get a new set of eyes just for the passing game. I think the run game, they haven't figured out.

They make enough adjustments that I never think that's ever going to be an issue for them. And I think the defense is pretty damn good. And so I think that's the one, one big tweak they'll have to make. And finding that ball winner, you know, they're going to go, they should go after a receiver I love. Screw route running. Just win those 50, 50 balls, baby. That's what I think. That's what they need, though.

I mean, you said God went back when and they may not have the money for it, but he is the exact type of guy that could just be huge for them. He's just supercharged Willie Sneed. That's what he is. Yeah. Chris Godwood is the best possible version of Willie Sneed's career. That's just, that's the exact type of player. Operates from the inside. He can play outside if he needs to.

Yep, he's the perfect guy for him. All right. Let's get to the game that I was at on Saturday. Packers Rams, Packers 32, 18. I can't say enough about the performance that the Packers offense put together. Bravo. I mean, we've talked so much on this show about the Rams defense. and Brandon Staley and everything that they do.

Obviously losing Donald, losing Donald at full strength is huge for this defense. They rely on him so much to kind of change the math. Rogers was clean the entire game, I think in part because Donald wasn't on the field. That absolutely played a role here. But I also think that if you watch the game plan that Packers had against this defense,

it was perfect. LeFleur and Rogers were pulling every single right lever at every single right moment for the entire game. So the first play of the game, I want to point this out. So the first play of the game, they come out in a three-by-one, that nub set you were talking about, the tight end is the single guy on the right. It was Mercedes-Lewis in line,

and they had Adams in the slot. And they had Adams motion out of the slot to the right side, and they ran a little quick out to him. And they were just seeing how the Rams would respond when they were in that formation and they had Adams in that spot. And Troy Reeder, excuse me, this was the first time they did this.

Troy Reeder followed him into the slot. So Reeder left the middle of the field so there was no one in the middle of the field. They did everything they did on that first drive. All teams do this, but I thought the Packers were extremely efficient at it. Everything they did in their first 15 was designed to extract information

for how they would be able to set stuff up later. And I just thought that, again, the buttons they were pressing and the ways that they were getting that information to use it later in the game, it was just masterful. I mean, we said coming into this game, they were going to need to take the cheapy plays

because those are the ones that were there. And Rogers is the perfect guy to do that. I mean, he averaged 3.5 air yards per attempt in the first half, and they looked unstoppable. That's so incredibly hard to do. And I just think that there are so few teams that could thread that needle in the way that the Packers did yesterday. Not once, even with that three and a half yards.

that stat, the three and a half yard stat, it's not once was like, man, Roger's just dinking and dunking. It was like, no, my God, they are marching on them. So that's how shows how productive these plays were. Like you said, early and on,

early and off in the first 15 plays, they were poking and probing. Figure out what they, I mean, they went tempo, which, I mean, you could tell every aspect of this game plan was thought out.

They started to see that Aaron Donald was getting rotated. They went tempo. And because the team has to sub a lot, that's how you catch them. So they're just catching them in these situations. They ran twice in the first,

first drive and it was just it was just beautiful and not even the past game and there's a couple plays i want to talk about i can't wait uh but there's a couple run like run plays just simple they were they were going splitbacks either 20 personnel or 21 personnel but splitbacks three wides and they'd run the orbit motion and they just run a simple zone uh to to to the running back and they were doing it all the time they had jones four times probably and they would run and they would run dylan back into it i also think that they were using that exact formation. So shotgun was splitbacks. And they were motioning one of the guys out.

They were doing that also just to vacate the middle of the field. I want to say that was the slant to Devante was out of that formation with Jones coming back across so they could create more space over there. It's like, you've fallen into my trap. This is exactly what I was about to talk about. No, that's exactly it. It was they're setting it up, sent it up. And the runs were working. I think they hit it like four of them.

we saw last week we talked about we said Schottenheimer and the Seahawks they're what they're trying to do to beat these match coverages wasn't bad like they were doing speed motions they were trying to overload stuff the ball just maybe wasn't finding the right guy or the guys were just getting locked up when you same exact thing they're packers ran similar concepts uh they ran a shit ton of four by one I mean so many times but on it you have Devante Adams beating Jaylin Ramsey one on one breaking them off like that's a big advantage and the ball was going there. Like Rogers wasn't scared to take that man matchup where as opposed to maybe I wouldn't say

Russell was scared about it, but it was maybe not looking to it or just he just gets so befuddled as soon as like it just didn't look spaced out as it did in practice. Like these are little tweaks like they did like I mean, not only just the man beating speed motion touchdown that they had to Adams. Like just a simple play like if you watch it, NBS had a play. I would say about 14, 15 yard gain. It was past, it was about the 40 yard line. They ran like a return crosser with him. And on that play, it was a switch verticals concept with speed motion, another match beater. I've seen this play. We ran a ton of it with the Raiders.

Love it. We call it swipe. It's just kind of like the all-go RBC, but it's a two-by-two version. So you have to switch verticals and you have a swing route. So they run it. We've seen the Packers run this. And on it, as opposed to MVS, what I've run it before is either mirrored or you have kind of like a now route that is your hot throw that you can also hit against cover

two. I'm going way too and deep to it, but whatever. And on it, so on it, but what the Packers do on this plate, I haven't seen this tweak and I loved it was NVS runs the crosser, which is still the hot read if you need it. I'm just guessing how they read this. Rogers ran, read the switch vertical side, didn't have anything. He came back and because they returned the crosser route back to the field, it timed up so well on this. So Roger was able to, they made this play what I've only seen as a half field read really. They made it into a full concept. read or a full progression read and they hit MBS goes like a 15 year a game. I haven't seen that tweak. And I know it's not, it doesn't sound crazy or anything like that, but that's really cool. And they had, they have the faith in their old line to keep winning. And when Aaron Donald is not in there, he's only played, what, 54% of his snaps? Like, they were able to get to this stuff. And that's, that's the dynamics that they were able to bring. Just stuff like that's so, so cool. Like, I mean, that is just not something that you see every day. You see that play the ball getting it out quick or someone just thrown to a swing right away. But nope, Rogers hung in there, read it out. and turns into an explosive play, but that's what they did all day.

The way the Rams defense was put together is to limit explosive plays. That's what they've done. They had allowed one 50-yard play the entire season before this game. They allowed three in this game against the Packers. But beyond the 50-yard plays, it's not the 50-yard place.

It's the six-yard place and the seven-yard place. And Rogers is both patient enough to consistently take those, and he has the ability to make the right choices when there's a 50-50 situation. If you're going to sit there and have one more guy in the box than you need to, he's going to throw that alert on the RPO to the outside. If you're not, he's going to run it.

And Matt LaFleur said this after the game, and I think that it's something overlooked with quarterbacks in general, but especially in this moment, is how important it is to have a quarterback that puts you in the right situations all the time and that knows the offense inside and out. It knows every single wrinkle and every single layer. And that's what Rogers was in this game.

He was willing to just take what was the, there the entire game. And if you're willing to do that, the offense always is going to have an advantage. You always need the offense to make a mistake if you were the defense. And he's just not going to make a mistake. There are no negative plays with this team or very few compared to other teams. You have a quarterback that is going to play a mistake for it. He didn't get sacked.

And they had very few tackles for loss in this game. I think most of the stuff that they had was a penalty. And so they had three plays in this game, a third and seven or more. Three. and they were 8 of 12 on third down. The three, one of them was the St. Brown tempo play that they had a completion on. The other two, the Rams finally were able to get in some of these pressure looks and heat up the pocket. But they weren't able to do that the entire game because they were never in third and seven or more.

So they can't play like that. And that's exactly what this game was. So two of the plays where they were a little bit behind the sticks. One was that slanted Devante on a second and 14 that was just disgusting. I mean, it's just the release is unbelievable. That's why he's great. He was almost like a breaking case of emergency player in this game. And that was a breaking case of emergency.

And he made it happen. Another one was down. It was like a second in 17 when they were down in the shadow of their own goalpost. So the Rams had a chance to get in one of those pressure looks again. They ran mirrored stunts on both sides. And Jenkins and Lizley just did an amazing job picking it up. And that's the thing is even in those moments. moments where they're not in an avatious spot and they have to be pressing a little bit.

They have the offensive line to hold up, especially when Aaron Donald is out of the game. And it was just a remarkable job. I want to talk about the run game just very briefly here because I thought that the Rams game plan was interesting. Because obviously this is a team that is based in zone runs, you know, similar to the things we see the Niners do, all of that stuff. So the Rams came out and they were running a lot of five-man front in this game with Reader as the only second level defender. And the Packers responded by just running downhill at them over and over and over again. If you look at that first play of the second half where Jones had that 60-yard run, what happens

is they have Reader as the only second-level defender, and they actually motioned him out like we talked about with Adams in the slot. So there was no one there. And at the snap, Johnson has to come down from his safety spot and fit the run. and Lindsay just got up on him and there was no one there. So they were spread out five across in order to limit them being able to hit the edge. So the Packers just said, screw it, we're just going to run downhill with you the entire second half. And that's what they did.

And then in the moments where they'd run a four-man front and have that head-up tackle that they always have is the guy in the line of scrimmage, the Packers were just running this little counterplay right to the outside where they would wash it down. So every single thing they wanted to do, the Packers had an answer for it, the entire game. And then the final extension of all of this, when we're hitting you with all these downhill runs over and over and over again, and now you're saying, God damn it, they're going to hit another one of these on us.

I think Jamal Williams said an 11-yard run in the second half. That's where, like we talked about last week, you start creeping down, creeping down, creeping down, and on the Lizard touchdown, there it is. Johnson is all the way down in the box, and Fuller is two yards further up than he should have been because it's a play-action throw.

Flores said after the game, we were essentially just running the same running play over and over again. And that's the play action shot off of it. They tried to run earlier in the game, but they wanted it against quarters. And they had gotten to want a single high look. But the touchdown to Lizard, it's quarters, four steps down, Hill's got his eyes in the back field, easy. And that's it.

When you're willing to take those six yard gains over and over again and you're willing to commit to the running game and you start gashing them, it's human nature. eventually we thought this whoever blinked first was going to be in trouble and the Rams ended up blinking first because the Packers were moving the ball consistently enough with this death by a thousand paper cut sort of offense they got impatient and Rogers ends up hitting him over the top

he missed a couple earlier in the game in the second half similar reasons they're double move to MVS they're just starting to sit on stuff because they're tired of watching guys catch ball six yards in front of them That's exactly what happened. And it was just such an incredible cat and mouse game back and forth. I think no differently of Brandon Staley or Jalen Ramsey or anything on that defense, I just thought this was the perfect game plan and the perfect execution from a Packers offense

that was better set up than anyone else to attack this defense in the few weak points that it has. Yeah, it's the cliche that run set up the past. But like you said, that's such great. That was a great process of what the coaches think. It's like they, they have these plays in their back pocket the whole game. And then they're like, okay, now, oh, okay, that's why they have the Microsoft Surface tablets. I'll get the sponsorship there. That's why they have the tablets and they look at them.

And in between Sears and they're like, okay, the last time we ran this, that safety was at seven yards guys. Okay, hey, we got shot dialed up. Hey, hey, everyone got, hey, you're running on that. Like, you coach it up on the sidelines or, you know, a little communication. Sometimes you don't want to jinx it. You don't say shit. But, you know, you're talking to these guys. But when the runs aren't zero yards, two yards, like they have been for the rants.

And like you said, they're six, seven, eight. That gets annoying. When all of a sudden it keeps being second and two, that's annoying for the defense. And that's what happens. Like you said, it's human nature that these guys, we talked way early in the season. It was a Titans Vikings game. And we said, you know, why isn't that guy cheating in the box to try and help the run? You know, or why is he not like playing out to the flat right there?

It's because probably the last time you had the run. It was because Derek Henry probably need it. him in the face and the guy didn't like that. So next time he's going to make sure that he's going to try and really fit up the run this time. That's why the play action works for them. Same thing. It's just human nature.

And that's in a quarter's coverage is that's the strain that gets put on those safeties. That's why those guys have to usually be very intelligent. They also have to be physical to fit up the run. It's because they have to play both. They have to be the plus forced defender in the run game. They also have to play the pass, play the pass and be, you know, the quarter's defenders. When all of a sudden those runs become six, seven, eight, nine yards and they're

getting like you said, Lindsay is freaking climbing up to him at seven yards. Like, I mean, you don't see that. You don't see the center climbing to a safety. And the fact that the Packers did that over and over. They were catching them,

even when the Rams one time early, we're trying to bring maybe more of a pressure look on a rundown. Even the zone run that the Packers ran was, it just blocked it to the hill. And Jones hit the cut back and it went for like a 12 yard gain. And, you know, we got to see some duo.

The Packers were willing to run duo. Like they were just, run everything so well. I love offenses like this. They don't have, this is my concept. This is what we do. You know, the Rogers has his stuff, of course. But it's like, they're like, hey, that's a cool concept. What's run that? Hey, that's a cool concept. Let's run that.

And they make it theirs. And it's really fun to watch them week in, week out. And they're just clicking on all cylinders. The fact that they made this defense play on their heels an entire game. And I get it. Aaron Donnell wasn't playing that much. But it's like still. They had some trouble tackling. I mean, Troy Hill had some bad moments where he doesn't typically.

But I do think that they're, were in their heads. And by the end of the game, especially, I think they had them. They played with so much confidence the whole game. It was just, you could feel it. Like if you, you watched that first quarter, that first drive was like with a purpose. Every play had a purpose. And it was like after a while, it was after, even when the Rans came down, they had a

beautiful drive to end of half. It was, you know, maybe too little too late because then Rogers comes right back down against the field goal. Almost got picked twice. Don't, don't forget that. The next thing is like, but that's, he's going for the fuck you touchdown in that moment when he really wants it. And I understand wanting to go for it there.

Like that's those are times where it's almost worth throwing an interception. I'm not Nagar Rogers because right before that, he blacked out and he had the scramble play to Robert Tanya and that was unbelievable. Ridiculous. And yeah, it's just they played out of their minds and they keep doing it. They've only had a couple bad games this year. And other than that, they just look phenomenal every week. And yeah, we get to see him again.

And it's going to be awesome. You know, we haven't talked about the Rams offense yet, but yeah. Well, so in a second. It was good. I remember when I talked to Staley in December, he said something. We were talking about the running game and how you defend the run when you're playing in those light boxes. And obviously having Aaron Donald to take up a gap and a half or two gaps helps.

But they were able to defend the run even when Aaron Donald wasn't on the field this year because of the structures of some of the ways they did things. And what he essentially said was, and this makes total sense, when you're playing with that light of a box, you need to muddy it up. You need to not get hit flush with these runs. You need to kind of clog it up just enough to give your guy. time to get there. And that's why having these quick hitting downhill runs where you can catch them flush the ways that they were. That's why it was working because you're not allowing these things to

develop slowly in the way that you would with an outside zone run where it's a little bit easier to muck it up. Hitting them right in the jaw by running straight downhill was the exact way to do this, especially because the way the Rams were lining up. I just thought it was a perfect game plan in every way. and Rogers was so in control. I mean, just had absolute, just his finger on the pulse of the game the entire time and getting his guys in the right place, everything. It was a masterful performance.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams ran the ball pretty well, and I thought that they were going to be able to. You know, that drive they had at the end of the half when Pet was doing his pet and stuff, and he's like, we're just going to line up, because they came out in those five-man-based looks. Yep.

And obviously in the two-minute drove, it's a little bit of a different consideration. But the Rams are like, oh, whatever. It doesn't matter if it's too-metro. We're to keep running the ball anyway. And they were just gashing them down the field. So the run game was as effective as we thought it might be. The difference in this game, though, is every time the Rams had to drop back, the Packers seem to really heat up the pocket and make golf uncomfortable.

And they did such a good job of bringing well-timed pressures and also some nice games. they took advantage of Whitworth a few different times on inside moves. And I think they understood he probably wasn't 100%. That was the way to go after him. But that pass rush package they have with Darius Smith, Rishon Gary, and Kenny Clark on the field all at the same time. The type of stuff they can do. That's why I had, and obviously they have Jair Alexander and Amos.

They have two real key players in the secondary too to help that stuff. but I thought the talent they had up front in those sorts of third and long, third and medium plays, they were going to be able to do some stuff when we got into the playoffs. And that's exactly what you saw. I mean, the sacks were drive-enders for the Rams. And that was the thing. The Rams had a ton of negative plays. The Packers had no negative plays.

And that was the difference in the game. And the Rams had a decent plan, like not even just a run game. And they were getting into empty, which is if golf's not hitting his first read on that, it's hold on to your hat as well. we saw. You know, the Rams were in that two-minute drill. They're going into empty and they're running high,

low corner, like smash routes. So like just flat corner smash routes, which is like a day one install kind of thing. And, you know, Goff's hitting them one after another. And then they would go empty early on the first quarter.

They went on the quick. I'm sorry, on tempo and everything because Packers are trying to get, they have long play calls because they have pressure calls. And they do some sobbing because they get some place packages in there. They run dime, you know, put in there. Rams, column and base, they went there in 12 personnel. What that does also is

puts Preston Smith dropping into coverage as opposed to rushing the passer. So that, you know, helps them just a little bit to be in that 12 as opposed to 11 personnel, uh, when Preston Smith will kick on down against 11 when they're in sub. And so since the Packers were staying in too high, like in those, uh, in a two eye coverage usually gets empty or something, uh, the mic will push to the passing strength, you know, like that's what he prefers. Even if it's two by two, he'll go to a two receiver side. If it's three by one, he'll go to three by one side. If it's empty, he goes to the three receiver side. And the Rams took advantage of it twice in the same drive. I think it was a throw, another play, then another throw, all in tempo. They ran the little double move. I believe it was to

Jefferson. I think it was. But anyways, you know, just well, oh, it was to Reynolds. And you ran kind of like a stick nod right around the mic, right around the mic. And then play later, they hit Woods on a bender. And it was like, okay, they have something here. And then even before the two minute drive, during the two minute drive, hit the, corner route, they go tempo. And I don't know if this is their concept, what exactly this is. It might be the signal for it, but it was mirroed stick. So they run that and they run mirroed stick.

They hit the touchdown of Van Jefferson. And it was like, okay, the Rams got something. Like they know what they want to get done. They want to get done. But Packers kept scoring. They were holding the ball for forever. They couldn't get, you know, like boom, boom plays where it's like score three and out, score again.

You know, those can really swing the game for obvious reasons. They just got the ball deflated. it on them. Like they just couldn't get the drives going. It's just it's hard to live in empty like that, especially at halftime when the Packers adjusted. They say, hey, all right. I don't know if they did every snap, but they're like, we're getting heated up when they go empty and we get caught running too high because they're just when a defense is getting caught and they don't know what they're called. They'll just, they have a couple just basic checks. So if they're empty, they're like, okay, you know, two, two, two, whatever their word is for that. Sky, sky, whatever they want to say.

And, and on that, it's like at halftime, they adjusted a little bit or at least they got put in situations and then you saw golf having to double clutch the ball and he's not creating anything with his legs and it was kind of like game over after that it's they just couldn't keep up and then when the defense isn't kind of generate these short fields or getting the ball back quickly it's just it's too hard for how they want to operate and you know so they couldn't keep the run game going throughout the whole second half because they were just you know bad game script just like how the browns happen same thing of browns happened so the rams have a lot of questions now i mean we'll have a lot of time to talk about that but staley just got

hired as the Chargers head coach, which shocking, but not that shocking. I think that the job he did this year, and we said it on last week's show. I knew that as soon as he got in some of these rooms, he was probably going to get one of these jobs, just by the way he was going to present himself and just the way he would be in that interview. I felt confident about that. That's exactly what happened. So now you're starting over with there. I assume if I were to guess that Albury Pleasant should be hired to get that role. He should be. They're second. secondary coach should be promoted to get that role. Jalen Ramsey was talking about that today. I think that when you watch the job, he's done with these guys and with those guys on the back end consistently, that would make sense. But now, this is another team that their chips are pretty much all in here. I mean, they're set to be $22 million over the cap for next year. We'll see what happens with Whitworth. Obviously, you know, he'll be in his 15th year, 16th year if he's going to come back. But Aaron Donald's set to make $28 million next year. Jalen Ramsey is set to make 22 and a half, and golf is set to make 35.

This roster, for the most part, is set, and they're losing starters and key starters. John Johnson III is a free agent. Troy Hill is a free agent. Austin Blythe, their center is a free agent. They have a lot of holes. Darius Williams, who's had a fantastic season for this team, is a free agent. So they're really going to test this theory defensively, where it's, we have these two. two stars, what are we going to put around them?

It's hard for me to imagine this defense without Johnson because of how smart he is and the things he does. Ramsey came out today and said that he's the smartest, most well-rounded safety he's ever played with. So now you remove pieces like that, you remove the guy who was the architect of the defense, that was the number one defense in the NFL, what does it end up looking like? And I don't think anyone thought coming into this season that the Rams are going to be real Super Bowl contenders.

and I think that Donald being hurt and some of the other breaks and the limits of their offense, you could argue if they were or not. But now the best thing they did this year was what they did on defense. And there are a ton of question marks about what that defense is going to look like, both coaching and personnel-wise next year. So they're in a really interesting spot. I mean, obviously, golf is the guy and he's going to be the guy. But this is one of those moments where you're looking at that contract,

you're looking at the amount of resources that you have and you kind of sit there and think even when he can do some nice stuff, which he did on Saturday, where are you if he has that sort of deal in a down year for the cap and you have all these holes on the rest of the roster in part because of it?

And I think that that's kind of a reality that they're going to have to face this next year or so here. Yeah, they really set themselves down a path. Like you said, they have to test their own theory. and Bryce Rossler had a great tweet and he said golf seems to really spiral after taking a sack. He did some digging, found out he averages 4.1 yards per attempt on the next dropback after a sack, which is the second worst in the league among 40 qualifying quarterbacks. So if your veteran quarterback is spiraling that much, if he takes a sack,

if they're going to put in these situations, like I don't know what it is with him. Like you said, he does enough nice things. you know, when he's on, he's on that pocket. It's like, I don't know. It's just a bunch of disclaimers.

When I want to talk about how good he is. And I hate doing that and considering a guy pretty good, but he's not. If I have to do that, you know, I have to go like, well, if the pocket asks me get it.

Well, he's not creating his own place. Well, you know, McVeigh is helping him with that. So we'll see what they're doing with his team. That's the problem. It's just disclaimer after disclaimer.

And it's the argument for, it's the argument against giving a guy that contract. If you think in any way, he has to be the product of his circumstances. Yeah. And that's the problem. Guy has to be scheme proof to give money to. And he doesn't seem like he is.

And I like Jared Goff. I think that Jared Goff has done some really good things. I think that Jared Goff is a much more talented quarterback than people seem to think. I think that at his best, he can make throws that very few guys could make. And I think we forget that every once in a while, especially with the way this offense looks now and how dink and dunk it is and how horizontal it is and just the ways that it's changed, The passing game is just way less explosive than it was when they gave him that contract. And it's just kind of, I don't know, it's changed the tenor of the conversation around him and the offense.

I think that started to happen last year. And when you look at the financial realities of it, it's only going to get louder and louder. And that's where the Rams are going to be. I think that they've done a really good job of figuring out ways to be competitive and relevant, whether it's changes in the coaching staff, the ways they've deployed some of these players, especially their start. but I do think that it's going to be a tall order to do something similar on defense next year. I don't think you're going to be able to quite catch lightning in a bottle like they did this season with Staley. And if you can't do that, and let's say you're a top 12 defense because you can't fill some of these holes and regression comes.

Schematically, you don't have as many advantages. What are you? And I don't know what the answer to that is for the Rams right now. And I don't either. It's, it's, I, that's why I like Sean McVeigh. He, he took a chance on Staley and look, you know, and he bet right. And, you know, it seems that he has a great, I know he's not making all the GM decisions, but he has a great way of kind of seeing where he's at. I think he has a great way of self-reflecting and he, self-awareness to him. And I think, I trust what he, he decides to do. I, I've never met Sean McVeigh. I just have seen the, uh, I just have seen the, decisions he has made over the last couple years. But it is interesting. I was really high in this team this entire season.

I've never been shy about that. I have seen this team just be well coached on both sides of the ball and just doing, I love guys that just look at the game and just go, hey, this is where it's going. And both of these guys, I think, do that. But it's just going to be so curious this next step. This next step is going to be, whether it's Aubrey Pleasant's defense coordinator or whatever. And that also brings up the iteration or the statement again, if you're going to give a

guy that kind of franchise money, like not just a quarterback, by any position, even if you're signing a guy in free agency, we've seen guys get signed for big money and they go to a different scheme and they're just like, okay, you know, an okay starter as opposed to a star. If you're getting that money, they have to be scheme proof. Coaches change all the time, as we're just seeing with Staley. Schemes change all the time. Year, I mean, mid-year sometimes, but year after year, it changes. Every two years it changes. If you want to give a guy star money, scheme proof, that when you're scouting a guy in the draft and you're taking a guy top 15, top 20, scheme proof. Because coaches are one year or two year guys.

Like they just move on. They're mercenaries. You're not going to get a system where it's like my guy had at Wisconsin where it's the same assistant coaches for over a decade running the exact same. They run the exact same verbiage that I did over a decade ago. It's not going to be like that. It's not that like an NFL. It changes year and year out. And I just think that it's a great way to look at team building because Jalen Ramsey and Aaron

Donald, yes, game proof. Jared Gough, not so much. But that's what happens. You're trying to make your quarterback happy, but that's what they buried himself with. A lot of questions, but one thing we do know is the field and what it looks like for next weekend. And I think it's the right four teams. I think it's the right four teams.

I think that we, it always seemed like we were cruising toward Buffalo and Kansas City in the AFC. It felt like almost an inevitability. And obviously some scary moments. there through Kansas City, but it ended up getting that way. And I do think that if you looked at the way that the Bucks offense was playing over the last, over the second half of the season and the way that the Packers were playing, that did seem like we were heading toward that matchup in the NFC championship game as well.

So, and that's where we are. You know, I mean, it's, we have Tom Brady against Aaron Rogers and we have two of the most exciting quarterbacks, young quarterbacks in the NFL on the other side of this. I was one more thing before we go, because I forgot to mention this when we were talking about the game. it's easy to get enamored with Josh Allen's physical ability. And I understand why people would. I mean, he could throw the ball out of the stadium and he's so big and so athletic.

The play he made where he fell down and then somehow got up and found John Brown on the sideline, that's ridiculous. I mean, it shouldn't be able to do that. And it almost, that's a specific example. But I do think that that game is a representation of how important it is. to have quarterbacks that can erase negative plays for you. It doesn't matter if you get a hold, anything like that. Both of those guys can overcome that. But I think the other thing about Allen,

and it honestly reminds me a little bit of Mahomes, is how in control and calm he seems to be and how much they trust him. The autonomy he has, the line of scrimmage in certain moments to make the right decisions and have that passing game become your running game, how in control he was and just how completely in sync he was during the two-minute drill in that game.

was really impressive to me. And I just think that that is the step of his game I did not expect. The mental side to come along the way that it has, where he's getting them in the right plays, where he's calling the right protections, where he's able to kind of make these choices and be patient. The one he had to Singletary, we talked about that little three-by-one bunch thing

where they cleared out and he threw it to him a little short of the sticks for the first down to the goal line in the first half. He checked that down. He looked that off to come back to Singletary, And the patience he has in so many of these areas of the game, that is where I think that he's developed in a way that's as or more impressive to me than the accuracy and all that other stuff. And I absolutely think they're connected.

I don't think... I mean, it's the reason that he's more accurate, and I think is because he's playing so much slower between his ears. And you just see it consistently. And I just think that those two guys who have this unlimited physical talent, pairing it with this control and confidence and comfort within the offense, that's what you see in both Buffalo and Kansas City right now. I'm not saying that Josh Allen's as good as Patrick Mahomes,

but I am saying that the subtler parts of the position that you wouldn't normally ascribe to Josh Allen and certainly didn't ascribe to him coming into this season are the quiet areas where he's improved and made this team even more dangerous than the talent would seem to indicate. So that matchup is, we're going to get into a lot of it. It's an amazing game. Amazing. I cannot wait. It's Josh Allen, too. They run, what we say, Dable, and he changes week to week. I mean, they have their core stuff, but he is really willing to adapt his game playing and stuff every week. And you need a quarterback that can handle that verbiage and handle at least to make the play look competent. You know, sometimes guys are athletic enough or talented enough that they can just go, okay, I know what the number one read.

You know, when I was saying, actually, this was my detriment for Drew Locke was that he only knew what one route was on the play call. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, X dagger. Okay, I know I have X dagger on this play. I'm going to stare at that the whole freaking way. Trust me, I've been there. Like, I know when you get a new play, sometimes you're like, oh, my God, what was this one again? But Alan can handle all this. He doesn't, like you said, it's calm.

Like his heads, it doesn't look like he is truly frantic when he's looking left and right. He's blacking out every once in a while under pressure. But in fumbling in moments where it's like, oh, my God. what is happening right now. Oh my God, that happened again. I was like, I know this story.

Like, I've seen this story. This is like, this is version one. This is version one, Josh Allen. But like, speaking of versions,

like last year against, uh, against the, uh, he checked into a play and he said, Dalmatian. And it was a true audible. Uh,

there's no real true audibles like in, in play calling or, or how an operation happens. It's a killed play or a packaged play or a can can. You'll hear, uh, Shanahan. guys say. So there's not like a true, hey, we are not running this play. We're totally changing

everything. That's what an audible is. And last year against the dolphins, he, he audible to play. And I could tell because the line was going, looked at him like, all right, where are you telling us to go? And he was like, oh, and he told him what protection of Rani. He, like, told Feliciano and Morris. He's like, hey, you do this. But I remember seeing that last year. And I was like, okay, there's more in between the ears to this guy than maybe I gave him credit for. Like, he at least can operate. And like, he looks at the play clock. They don't get delayed games too much. So there is something to them. And like you said, I do think the accuracy stuff comes. The biggest jumps I've ever seen in accuracy doesn't come from a new throwing motion.

I think guys, you can't change your throwing motion once you have a certain age. You can tighten it a little bit. It usually comes with footwork and your guy becoming smarter and more aware and more comfortable in what they're running. And then the game truly slows down because then it's if you can anticipate things, then you're more accurate because you give yourself more room to create these throws. Exactly. Exactly. And that's what's happening.

And we just see this guy doing it to the nth degree. Usually it's just small, small little jumps, not what we're seeing with Josh Allen. He's just ultimate outlier, but it just speaks to him. This game is slowed down for him. It's really cool to see. It's awesome matchups. I cannot wait for next week. Well, we're going to have a lot of time to talk about those in the meantime.

So we will be back later this week on Wednesday. I actually don't know who's going to be on the Wednesday podcast this week. That's something that I'm going to have to figure out here in the next couple days. I've been very distracted by the playoff games. But you and I will be back on Thursday, previewing the conference championship games. We'll also have Lindsay on that show. In the meantime, please, if you guys would, rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice.

I would sincerely appreciate that. Somebody left a one-star review this week because we swore too much, which I absolutely love. Oh, yeah. It's because you said two F-bombs for the first time ever. You said two F-bombs. And I was, yeah. It was an indication of our lack of character is what it's at, which I actually really enjoyed. So that was very fun.

But joking aside, if you guys would leave a review, that would be awesome. Also, please subscribe to The Athletic. Theathletic.com slash football show. It's $3.99 a month right now. We're putting out so much good stuff. Sheal and Ted did fantastic game previews this week. I'm assuming that they're going to do some more going to the conference championship games. I have another story running this week. I also wrote about Brandon Staley last month. If you guys want to read that, if you're a Chargers fan, please check that out. I also heard a story about Brian Daibble and the Bill's offense last week. So we've got a ton of great playoff stuff on The Athletic. Please go check it out.

We will be back on Wednesday with our typical Wednesday show. Sincerely appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you later. This was the Athletic Football Show.