The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Richard Sherman Podcast - Week 15 REACTION: Titans-49ers, Colts-Seahawks, Lions-Rams, Bills-Patriots & Packers-Broncos | Richard Sherman NFL

Episode Date: December 15, 2025

Week 15 shook the NFL to its core, and Richard Sherman breaks down everything you need to know. From Brock Purdy’s strong performance in the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Tennessee Titans to ongoing defensive concerns, Sherm explains where the Niners really stand heading into the playoff push. The Seattle Seahawks pull off one of the strangest wins of the season without scoring a touchdown, while the Los Angeles Rams stun the Detroit Lions and tighten the NFC West race. This episode also covers massive, season-changing injury news, including Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL and the Kansas City Chiefs officially missing the playoffs. Richard reacts to what this means for Mahomes, the Chiefs’ future, and a wide-open AFC. Plus, Micah Parsons suffers a torn ACL, dealing a devastating blow to the Green Bay Packers and their postseason hopes. From Drake May vs. Josh Allen, Bo Nix’s breakout for the Denver Broncos, and the Chicago Bears surging behind Caleb Williams, to dark-horse contenders emerging across the league, this Week 15 breakdown explains why this NFL season has become completely unpredictable. All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.

you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs.

We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Real talent is defined by what people can do, not where they learn to do it. So by stopping at the education section of a resume, you might throw away the perfect hire.

Skills first hiring helps you see talent others miss, like more than 70 million stars, skilled through alternative roots. Let their story unfold and gain a competitive advantage because hiring managers who start with skills are 60% more. more likely to find a successful hire. Higher Skills First. Learn why at tear the paper sealing.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. You think you're in control until you realize you're not. As they're having this gun battle, thousands of feet up in the air, many of the bullets start to puncture the aircraft. I thought we were going to die then. The Knife is a podcast about the moment ordinary lives take an unexpected turn.

Real people, real stories, and the split. second that changes everything. New episodes drop every Thursday on the Exactly Right Network and the IHeart Podcast Network. Listen to The Knife on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody. I appreciate you joining us, as always. You guys are phenomenal. You're the best in the world.

You're watching the Richard Sherman podcast. But if you could do me a huge favor and hit that sub button, it would be greatly appreciated. You would do a service for your boy, Sherm. And I tell you what, I got your back. You got my back. All love. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman podcast and an incredible amount of action in week 15 for the NFC West especially because that's what we're paying attention to, Mitchell. I know, I know. I was watching NFC West and your Detroit lines. It was a rough one. They were right there for so long. It looked like they were in control of this game and then they let it go. The 49ers beat the Titans. That's an expected result. And Brock Purdy plays well in this game.

Three touchdowns, the defense left something to be desired. And the Seattle Seahawks don't score a touchdown on the day and somehow win the game. I love it. But we'll start off with the San Francisco 49ers. Brock Purdy, 23 of 30, 295 yards, three touchdowns. Also 44 yards rushing a career long rush in the game. Brock looked good. He looked under control, in command, whatever you want to say about it.

look fantastic. CMC, 22 carry 73 yards, got a touchdown in the game. Ricky Persol, this might have been his best game as a pro, six catches for 96 yards. And the thing I love about this game, they got my guy, George Kittle

involved early and often, made an impact on the game, eight catches for 88 yards in a touchdown in this game. It was beautiful offensive game. Juan Jenny's three catch for 37 yards, but got two touchdowns in the game and, of course, impacted it, blocking and just attitude throughout the game.

I enjoyed the game. I'm sure Niners fans felt good about the game, especially going into the fourth. Once you got into the fourth, the Titan score, I think 14 unanswered or 14 points in the game in the fourth quarter. And the defense, it was just leaky, leaky yards in the run game. dropped the interceptions, no interceptions on the game, but it could have been three, maybe four interceptions on the day, and that's just inexcusable. When you put in position to make the plays, you've got to make them. Even in a win like this, you've got to be critical

and you've got to take a hard look. Mustafa had one, I think it was right before to have. Jair Brown had an opportunity where the balls are just hitting them right in the face. Pause. The football is hitting them right in the chest and you got to have them. You got to have them. When the ball hit you in the chest, Kyle Shanahan said it.

If we just catch the balls that are right there that come to us, we'd be in good shape. And the guys just didn't do it in the second half. And that's one of the frustrations in this game. And an otherwise really, really good game for the San Francisco 49ers. You look up and you feel good about every phase of the game, but you would feel a lot better if we caught those interceptions. If you got those interceptions, we didn't get sacks in the game. Cam Ward did a great job. avoiding sacks. I thought we got a number of pressures in the game. But Pollard, 14 carries for

104 yards, is that acceptable? And that's something they got to clean up. There's no question about it, Richard. That's where my eyes go to is Tony Pollard 14 carries for 104 yards on a touchdown. I mean, let's be real. The Tennessee Titans are 2 and 12. I know we're going to hype this one up, but at the end of the day, I mean, the San Francisco 49ers are up against these L.A. Rams, who I just saw firsthand tonight. And if you want to win this division, you're going to have to play at a lot higher level than this. That's my opinion, Richard. But, I mean, we'll keep that to myself, I suppose. Right, right, right. I mean, Brock Purdy had the fumble on the game on a Simmons sack. It was a controversial, but it was a fumble. But those are the plays where you hope in a game like

this you could build on. You hope, hey, man, the defense, we got multiple interceptions, two interceptions, three interceptions in the game against the team that's struggling. When you have no sacks and no turnovers against the team that's got two wins on the season and offense that's been really bad all season long, you start to scratch your head and you're like, hey, you're going to look into the draft to replace some of these guys. You're going to look in a draft to strengthen these positions. You're going to have to look in a free agency to get some guys in these positions that can make the plays because, I mean, those are, those aren't like talent plays where you're like, hey, man, he made a heck of a play.

He needs to do those are, you got to have them. Those are NFL. You play in NFL, you're a professional, make the play. And that's, I'm sure Kyle Shanahan and Robert Sala are going to take a hard look at this defense, especially on plays like this. You know, I think Mustafa and Jaya Brown have had great moments where they played really good football. I thought Jaya Brown played an awesome game last week.

but those are plays you expect an NFL player to make. And so you don't want to be critical in a win, but you got to be. You got to take a hard look at everything. And that's what I'm doing. That's what I'm doing. I thought the special teams were impactful as they have been as of late, especially this season in the return game. I thought it was great they didn't punt this game.

Morstead didn't punt. They had a missed field goal in the game. Thank goodness it didn't match. matter and it didn't count and they got another, he got, Panero got another shot at it. So he stays, let me just make sure, he stays perfect on the season. Sky Moore, an 18-yard return in a punt return game. He's having a really impactful season.

I'm sure they're excited about his addition. They made some really good additions at the trade deadline. But more news in San Francisco 49ers land is Brandon I. You being put on the reserve, left the squad list. people have been speculating what the issue's been after he was missing, not seeing on the sideline, not seeing on the sideline at practice for a couple weeks. And now we know what happened. You know, he's left the team.

I can't speculate on where he is right now. I don't know if he's gone home, if he's gone somewhere else. But they're saying he's left the team. And now, you know, you could get into a conversation about voiding guarantees, voiding some of the the signing bonus that he's being given. You know, we don't know how that's going to all shake out, but it looks like his time with the San Francisco 49ers is coming to an end. I have a hard time seeing a way to mend this relationship,

to mend this partnership at this point for me the sign. Brandon obviously feels slighted and frustrated. And for the life of me, I could not understand why. They paid him a lot of money to play receiver in a national football league. Obviously, you get injured, you feel frustrated. There were some speculation about him getting traded before he got paid. You know, it just seemed, it didn't feel right when it got signed in the first place. It seemed like a situation that was a trade was inevitable.

He was unhappy. He was frustrated. He was venting. He was filling away. You know, it was one of those situations where you take all the San Francisco 49ers stuff down, and then you put it back up and all that. And so it seemed like a split was inevitable at the time. And then maybe things mended a little bit and he got paid and everybody was happy.

But even the way his injury happened, I think he played four games and he got banged up and hasn't seen the field since. And everything that's come out of the 49ers camp has been pretty negative from that situation. And I think when you get to the situation where everything's next, negative, every conversation, every interaction is negative, then it's destined to be a split. And I know people feel away about, man, they voided this guarantee as soon as they could. The San Francisco 49ers did not want to avoid a Brandon Iuk's guarantee. And I know people feel away about the training staff and all that because all the injuries,

some of them are unavoid them. But you can train and you can rehab on your own. Nobody's against that. Nicholas John Bosa did it. He rehabbed on his own. Guys do that from time to time, and that's their right. But when you rehab on your own, there's certain expectations when you come back. And if you haven't been with the team the entire offseason, then there's an expectation that, hey, there's a report date for players that are starting the season on injured reserve, and there's a report date for teams that are, players that are coming in healthy and competing in training camp.

And when you're coming in on injured reserve, you come in about four days early. About four days early. Nothing crazy. It's not two weeks, three weeks. It's about four days, five days early. Just so they can check up on you and make sure nobody else is there to distract them away from you. Because when they get all these guys in, you get 90 guys in, it's hard to pay attention to the injured guys and get them situated in a way you need to. So in order to avoid that, they get the injured guys in there early.

They get them in there early. they could say, hey, I'm going to take my time. We're going to diagnose where you are. We haven't had a chance, especially we haven't had a chance to rehab you in the building. We're going to see where your knee is, how much atrophy, how much work we got to do before we can get you on the field. When they're paying you $30 million, when they're paying you anything in the National Football League, that's fair. That's fair. It's fair to expect you to come in early because you haven't been in the building.

When you don't, they find you. They find you. Hey, you don't come and you don't show up when you're supposed to show up. There are fines in the National Football League. And that was communicated. That's understood. When you show up, when everybody else does, then there's issues. Then there's issues that come up because they can't evaluate you in the proper rate.

Then they finally get to the point where, hey, they've evaluated you. They see where you are. They start your rehab process. And then it's almost like you're holding yourself back because you don't want to to show up for certain things. You want to go to certain things. You want to do things your way. And the team has a way of doing their own things. So again, there's frustration, there's miscommunication, there's misunderstandings on both sides. But eventually, Brandon decided that he wanted to, he no longer wants to be with the team. And the team decided to take his

bonuses and everything and take his guaranteed money for the next year. Not that he couldn't earn it back if he played and they continued their partnership. But that's what it looks like on that front. That's what I think happened. And it's unfortunate. But let's move on, Mitchell, let's move on to bigger and better things and happier things because the Seattle Seahawks somehow won a game without scoring a touchdown versus a 44-year-old quarterback that hadn't played in five years. Richard, I cannot believe what we saw today. Philip Rivers delivered somewhat greatness in that first half.

Every time I looked up, I'm like, holy cow. Seattle or the Indianapolis Colts are moving the football and it was Philip Rivers the dunkedowns, checkdown city with him but you know I mean I guess my question has got to be Riley Leonard

the rookie like how demoralizing is it got to be to be him knowing that the Indianapolis Colts are going with a 44 year old guy who hasn't played football in four to five years and spot starting him Richard, I would expect Seattle to blow this team out and that they did not.

Is there a cause for concern with you with that? Because, I mean, let's be real. Indianapolis could it easily won this game today? Yeah, I mean, first off, you've got to give Shane Steichen and Philip Rivers a ton of credit because anything he did in that game positive was impressive. So for you to not play in the National Football League for five years, then to step in late in the season. It's not even midseason.

It's past the midseason point and be effective, be able to diagnose against one of the best defenses in the National Football League. And that was something that I was concerned about because I was like, hey, Mike McDonald is going to throw crazy looks at him. The guy, the safeties, even Ryan Fitzpatrick was texting me during the game like, hey, these safeties probably aren't going to back up a step during this game because they know he can't push the ball down the field.

Peyton Manning late in his career, but they can still process and they can still hit the ball where it's supposed to be, and they can still be the defense. But when you expect that as a DB, I'm not backpedaling. It's either slant or out most times. And if I can read the split, maybe you'll get me once or twice, but eventually I'm going to feel comfortable breaking on these passes and making a play. And the Seattle Seahawks did not. The Shane Steichen and this offense kept them on their heels. They did a good job running the ball, giving Jonathan Taylor the ball, whether it's screens or pass plays. And he was getting gritty yards.

You know, if he was hit at three yards, he was pushing a pile for three or four more yards. And that was the issue. So, yeah, I think the Seattle Seahawks defense did a really good job because you got to think this is still a really good offense. This is an offense that we thought was one of the best in the National Football League early in the season when our guy Daniel Jones, Indiana Jones, was playing. some great football. We thought Jonathan Taylor was having an MVP season, so let's not get this twisted. They were playing good football early on, and this offensive line can move people, and that's what they were doing early on. But the Seahawks defense did a good job. They only gave up one touchdown on the game on that down's reception that it looked like, hey, they found a hole

in the coverage where one guy was manned up and everybody else was zoned. It was an interesting coverage. But they found a hole in it, and they were able to exercise. I thought Sam Donald played a solid game. He got the ball to JSCN. He had seven catches for 113 yards. Obviously, they didn't have a touchdown on the day, but he started to find Rashid Shaheed in critical moments where he knew, hey, they're going to respect his speed and his ability to push the ball down the field. So we're going to take what the defense gives us. I thought Rashid Shahid made a really big impact in this game. Again, and I know fans were like, oh, we fix the rushing issues. I see the game a lot different than you see it. Just because you get a few chunk runs here and there, it's not fixed. And when it's not consistent and it's not consistently there schematically, and it's not consistently blocked up good, you got issues. And today the issues showed again, 49 total rushing yards on the game.

And this is against the coach defense that's been solid, been stout, but without DeForest Buckner, without Tavarius Ward, without Sauce Gardner, without their big-time superstar players, and you're still only able to rush it for 49 yards, that's going to be the issue going forward. And that's the concern I have and has had throughout the season for the Seattle Seahawks, is their inability to run the football consistently and effectively from a schematic standpoint? Like, hey, it's something if you're saying, hey, we're getting three yards in a cloud of dust,

and we're getting stopped. Our guys aren't breaking enough tackles, et cetera, et cetera. Some of these plays aren't blocked enough for K9 or Charminate to get three, four yards untouched. And is that offensive line play? Is that scheme? I think it's a mix of both. But again, it's a win.

And the team played well enough to win in this game. And I think that's something to be said about that. Is playing well enough to win in the game, that's what champions do. It's like finding a way. Hey, everything's going wrong. Things aren't going the way we expected them to go. Can we still win the game? And I think the Seattle Seahawks and Mike McDonnell figuring out a way to win is huge.

Jason Myers was named Special Teams Player of the Month for the month of November and then goes on to win this game. He himself scored more points than the Indianapolis Colts. Six field goals made 18 points. Wins the Seattle Seahawks the game on, I think it was a 58-yard field. or 56-yard field goal. Clutch performance by him. Obviously, they couldn't have won this game without him. He deserves a ton of credit.

This might be a Pro Bowl season for him, and that's incredible with some of the kickers and some of the things we've seen this season. But for him to come through that way in a critical game for the Seattle Seahawks was huge. They are now 11 and 3 and got a primetime matchup on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams that I'm going to be there and you better be there,

or you better be tuned in because it's going to be electric. You know I will be tuned in. There's no question about it. Richard, I do not leave this game with the same optimism you do, though. I mean, Philip Rivers, let's be real. I know the Indianapolis Colts, they tout a record at 8 and 5. They've been one of the best teams. Shoot, what were they 7 and 1?

We were talking about them as one of the best teams in the AFC, not the best team in the NFL. And now, I mean, Richard, let's be real. Let's talk about this. If I were to wake you up from a coma four weeks ago, Indiana's Colts at 7 and 1 best team in the NFL, and I wake you up and say, hey, Richard, Philip Rivers is you now starting quarterback.

You'd be like, what are we back in 2020? I mean, let's be real here. We've got to call a spade to spade. Seattle played well defensively. They did not play well offensively. I know Indianapolis has got a good defense, but I expect more out of this team. I like Seattle.

I genuinely do, but I got to see more, especially going into L.A. They got bodied by L.A. last time they played. This is a huge game for them. Let's see how they mold and let's see how they turn the tides because, Richard, this is going to decide the division. And you called it going in.

You said it was going to be Seattle and San Francisco. Well, it's looking like it's going to be Seattle, L.A. and San Francisco. And this same L.A. team took care of my Detroit Lions. I hate to say it. But God bless it, Richard. They look good. 41 to 34. They took care of business against my Detroit Lions.

Richard, I want your thoughts on this game because I am emotionally unstable because of this game. Detroit had so many opportunities did not take advantage of her. Bottom line. Yeah, but I'm not under the same impression. I'm not under the same some mindset that you are about the way the last game between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams went. The Los Angeles Rams won that game. Seahawks missed Jason Myers, didn't have enough leg on a 60-something-yard field goal

that would have won them the game. But you got to remember, Sam Dernal, or play maybe the worst game of his life, four interceptions in that game. The Seahawks defense gave them a chance, gave them a chance, kept getting stops. Obviously, you're dealing with Matt Stafford having an MVP-like season in one of the best seasons of his career and two receivers that are potential Hall of Famers. And for the defense to be able to keep this game competitive like they did, it was a two-point game. They lost by two points in this game.

The Rams were only able to score 21 points with four turnovers in the game. So, again, I don't expect Sam Donald to turn the ball over four times again. Maybe he will. Maybe he'll turn the ball over four times and it'll be a blowout. But I highly doubt Sam Donald's going to play that bad in this game. A issue that I think is going to come up that wasn't an issue last game was what is Devante Adams going to be? What is his status going to be?

I'm almost guessing he's for sure out of this game. I don't know what he pulled up lame on a route in this game against the Detroit Lions. And I wonder how that impacts the game. Because when you have to deal with both of them, both of them, when you got to deal with Pooka and DeVante Adams, you can't double either one of them. You've got to play it straight up or pick your poison, et cetera, et cetera. But when you only have to deal with Pooka Nekua, he has a very particular skill set. It makes it a different game plan going into the game.

Now, still, you got to stop the run. you've got to stop Stafford and his ability throughout the game. I think they're going to bring more pressure in this game, but I can't wait. It's going to be a chess match between Sean McVeigh and Mike McDonnell. You better stay tuned. But I feel good. And I think the Rams feel really good. I would say they played really well against your Detroit Lions.

I thought Detroit had this game in hand. They were in control for a lot of this game. And I think they were up, what, 10 points at one point? Was it 24-14? Jared golf was playing really well. Alman Rock caught that pass, got a lot of yak, 13 carries catches for 163 yards, two touchdowns. He was having a day.

Jamison Williams was having a day. Had a touchdown, seven catches, 135 yards. But in the end, Bouging the court, nine catches, 181 yards. Matt Stafford, getting the job done, moving the ball. They got it done on the ground. Kyron William, 15 carries, 78 yards, two touchdown. Blake Corm got involved on the action, got him an 11-yard touchdown in the game. You've got to find a way.

This was a complete performance and a complete showcase by the L.A. Rams, and that's what's going to make this so exciting on Thursday night. What way are they going to attack the Seattle Seahawks defense? Is it going to be Kobe Parkinson, five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns in this game? Finally, Matt Stafford, finally finding the big Stanford target in the end zone multiple times. But Devante Adams, the loss of Devante Adams is going to be huge. It's going to change the dynamics of this game for sure. The one thing that I find interesting with L.A., especially watching the last couple of weeks,

is they've moved to a running back by committee. Blake Corum's getting a lot more carriers now, and you see Kyron Williams get freed up more. You saw that today. I mean, it was every rush was five yards, at minimum. And these guys dominated. It was like they were unstoppable defensively. and I know Detroit's battling injuries. Trust me, Richard.

If there's anyone that knows injuries, it's the Detroit Lions. They've been battling them for the last couple of years. You know, specifically in the secondary, but their run defense was always so dominant. They had struggles today. Both Blake Corum and Kyron Williams dominated today. You know, Richard, I left this game thinking, hey, the L.A. Rams may just be the best team in the NFL.

I don't know if I've seen personally firsthand. Anyone better offensively than this, this season? Maybe that's them. Detroit's got a lot to clean up. They still have an opportunity to get into playoffs and get another opportunity against the L.A. Rams. But they're going to have to win out, bottom line. Yeah, but this is the division game.

And one thing that was pretty consistent throughout the season for the L.A. Rams was their defense. They were arguably statistically, one of the top. top defenses, top four or five defenses in the National Football League throughout the season. And you look up now, they give up 34 points. This defense for the Rams had been playing really well. They only gave up 17 to the Cardinals, but you look at that Carolina Panthers game where they gave up 31 points in the loss in Carolina. They're showing some vulnerabilities that they didn't show earlier in the season,

and they give up 34 to the Detroit Lions, or the Seattle Seahawks and Jackson Smith and Jigba going to be able to expose those same in-King. consistencies in this defense. I'm going to have two receivers go for over 130 yards in the game shows that there are some holes in this defense. And the Rams only being able to only being able to sack Jared Golf once in the game, this has been a defense blind that has gotten a lot of acclaim

and a lot of credit during the season for Jared Burst. And this Rams' defense. has gotten a lot of credit for their for their for their past Russian promise. Um, Colby Turner, uh, Jared verse, uh, what do I always? There's, who's the other brain fist? Fist, okay. Yeah, this defensive line for the L.A. Rams all throughout the season has gotten a lot of credit. Jared first, uh, Byron Young, um, uh, Puna Ford, uh, Braddon Fis. I'm not going to be able to make that point.

But are they going to be able to be effective against the Seattle Seahawks? Are they going to be able to get to Sam Darnel and create the kind of chaos they created in the first game? That's going to be the story of the game. No question about it. I can't wait to see it. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. The holidays are here. And the sports schedule is packed tighter than Santa's gift bag.

Week 16 football, college football playoffs, NBA, college who, hockey, the whole sports slate is loaded. And on hard rock bet, there's always something to unwrap and bet on. New customers can sign up and bet $5 on the game. If it wins, you'll win $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings stuffed in your stocking. Now, that's what we call holiday magic. If you're not sure what to place your bet on, Hard Rock Bit, just launched a brand new for you page making it easy to find all your favorite teams players and leagues all in one place

the hard rock bet sportsbook app is the only legal sportsbook for whenever you're in florida and it's also live in arizona how about ohio new jersey indiana tennessee virginia illinois colorado and my home state of michigan coming soon to more states too and look i played cornerback my whole life. And even I can't stop what Hard Rock is doing. They're letting promos run wild. You'll find new ones on the app every day. Download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit today. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a

But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad. Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves,

I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night bases on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the fly. Man, he running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, IZAD, you figure it out real quick.

Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet.

Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian, and recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast,

Hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends

as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary.

Oh, cream of chick. Hey, cream cream of chicken soup. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Pulura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcast presents soccer moms.

So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later, we're still. joined at the hip, just a little bit bigger hips, wider.

This is a podcast we're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drink. Sidebar, why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar something here? Just hit it. Oh, what are y'all doing?

Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Come on. Can you move? I would buy it. Cut through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict.

You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are. I'm lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Keith Gianmanca seemed like a mild-mannered suburban dad. But secretly, he became someone else.

a master of disguise who went on a crime spree. At the time, did it seem like a crazy idea? It seemed very crazy. But I felt so desperate that I felt it was the quickest, easiest way out. Did you allow yourself to think about how it could go wrong and what that might look like? No, I didn't want to manifest that. I was trying to manifest success.

Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. This is going to change my life and my family dynamic forever, because everything that had existed prior in my reality is now untrue. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let me tell you about ready or not.

The tactical SWAT game where you take command of a SWAT team and fill the weight of the badge. Recently, I reunited with my Legion of Boom teammates, Cliff Avril, Cam Chancer, Michael Bennett, and Walter Thurman. We partnered with Ready or Not to go through actual SWAT training and film the whole experience. Watch it now at the Richard Sherman podcast YouTube channel. Here's what makes this game different. It's not just mindless running gun, just like the Legion of Boom built an elite, defense on strategy and teamwork. Ready or not demands the same mentality. You're commanding a SWAT team, clearing rooms, protecting civilians, making tactical calls as a coordinated team. With 18 missions

that challenge you in completely different ways, every operation demands that same discipline and teamwork. Best part, try it for free for a limited time on PlayStation and Xbox. Go solo, or squad up with five players in full crossplay support. If you want strategic, high stakes action that rewards elite tactics and fast thinking, then this is the game for you. Try ready or not for free today on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Richard, there was a barn burner. It was time for Drake May to shine.

These New England Patriots, we talked about it all year. They were 11 and 2 coming in this game, but let's be real. Their strength of schedule had to be near the bottom of the NFL. And we called it. I mean, shoot, we called it like eight weeks ago. Look at the runway for New England. They might not lose until they play the bills the next game. Well, Richard, they lost.

But that being said, they were very, very good in this game. They lose 31 to 35. The bills with a huge win. Richard, let's talk about these Patriots, though, because they look good. They were in control for the most of this game until Josh Allen took over in that fourth quarter. New England, are they back? Is it safe to say they are back as a franchise? I think it's definitely safe to say they're back.

I think this was one of Drake May's worst games. The bills did a great job of keeping Drake May contained, keeping his patented deep ball and deep passing contained in this game. But it was your guide, Travion Hendrickson, Henderson, Trayvion Henderson, who had a huge game and had multiple explosive runs, 14 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He was the reason that the Patriots were in control of this game and up 21, nothing at one point in the game, because that's how they were getting it done.

They were imposing their wheel, and then it stopped. And that's something that they're going to. to have to get, get picked. It looks like the Buffalo Bills found a way to, found their mojo, found the answer. In the second half, the Buffalo Bills found answers, found ways to stop the New England Patriots, and then they scored 28 points in the second half after being down 24 to 7 going into the halftime. You got to think, Josh Allen's going to find his way to win. He's going to find a way to get his, but it's when you let James Cook get going. It's when teams struggle. is when teams have issues.

And James Cook got going in a big way in the second half. He had 22 carries for 107 yards, two touchdowns, had a receiving touchdown. Josh Allen had three touchdown passes in the game, and he added a number of ways. And the defense also stepped up in the second half. They had three sacks interception in the game. They came back from 21 points down in the game to win. So I don't think this says the New England Patriots aren't who we think they are. I think they are.

But this says the Buffalo Bills aren't going quietly into the night. And you've got to respect that. This is a team that's been to AFC championships. They've got an MVP candidate that quarterback. You don't expect them to not be competitive in a division that they've won the past, I think, five years. But I still think the New England Patriots find a way to win this division, end up getting a two-seed.

And in the playoffs, anything can happen. This has been a chaotic year on a number of fronts. You don't know who's going to win and where they're going to win. You don't know what's going to happen. Now, anybody that thinks they're going to predict what's going to happen in these playoffs is fooled. We have, I think they have four of the top five quarterbacks. Maybe some would say five of the top five quarterbacks in the National Football League on the AFC side. And it looks like three or four of them, maybe five of them are going to miss the playoffs.

Outside of Josh Allen, Joe Burrell won't be there. It looks like Lamar is fighting for his life. It looks like they'll be there. Josh Allen will be there, but Mahones for the first time in a long time won't be in a playoff. So you look up and you're like, hey, the AFC's wide open, the NFC's wide open. It's going to be a fun playoff. It's totally different. We've not had this moment in six, seven, eight years.

I mean, it seems like the same teams repetitively have been in it. And now we see it with these New England Patriots having an opportunity under Drake May. You know, Richard, they were down. I mean, they had this game in hand. Let's be real. As a viewer, the Buffalo Bills were down and out, and credit to Josh Allen taking over this game, relying on James Cook. I would say the Buffalo Bills have got to be the team to beat in the AFC right now. If they're going to play with this on the road in New England, imagine playoff time.

Because New England, I don't know if they're ready for it. I mean, today's game, it might be indicative of how the rest of the season is going to, unfold. Let's talk about the Denver Broncos, another huge game, playing the Green Bay Packers. Denver Broncos, what are they number one in the AFC right now, 12 and 2, hosting the Green Bay Packers on the road. And Green Bay had this game, I would say, relatively in hand, a double digits going into that third quarter. And then we see the injuries take place. Christian Watson out. with the shoulder injury. I don't know what it is.

And then you see Micah Parsons came up lame on a pass rush there, non-contact knee injury, and ultimately the Denver Broncos come up with a huge win. Richard, Bo Nix, four touchdown passes today. I mean, you've got to love to see it against a great Green Bay defense. Your thoughts on this Denver Broncos team? Well, this is Bo Nix's best game. of his career, I believe.

Four touchdown passes. He was 23 or 34, 302 yards, and he just was doing it in a number of ways. We talked about his accuracy, and we watched him play live against the Raiders, and he struggled mildly with his accuracy. He threw multiple interceptions. They were like, maybe he's the issue for this team,

a team that you think could be potential Super Bowl contenders, like maybe he'll be the thing that holds him back because they have an incredible defense, really good corners, one of the best corners, in the best corner in National Football League in Patrick Sartan in an underrated corner in Riley Moss that gets really, I mean, I think he gets, I think it's a lot of bias working against him right now. He gets a lot of unfair pass interference calls and another one today.

But they have an incredible pass rush and Cooper and Bonito, really good interior defensive linemen, good lineback in play. So they're a complete defense that's going to give up a lot of teams trouble, especially in the AFC in the playoffs. you expected that. But on offense, if they play like this, if Cortland Sutton plays like he did in this game, if Troy Franklin plays like this, like he did in this game, if little Jordan Humphreys plays like he did in this game, Mims was banged up a little bit, but came through in the clutch when they needed him, they're going to be a tough team to beat. R.J. Harvey, 19 carries for 65 yards.

They were able to control, do enough on the ground to keep Green Bay honest. But they made a lot of big plays down the field. There were a lot of plays where Bo Nix trusted his arm, put the gave his receivers receivers a chance, and they made plays against this really good Packers defense. And the pass rush was getting there, Micah Parsons, they were getting there. They were putting pressure on Bo Nix, and he was finding a way to avoid the sacks and extend plays with his legs, and that was huge. But his accuracy was the tail on this game. And if he plays like that in the playoffs, they're going to be a really tough team to beat. They're the number one right now for a reason and they earned it. This was the kind of game statement game that you need

to build your confidence going into the playoffs. And that's what they did. For the Packers on the other side, it's concerned. It's concerned on a number of fronts because Jordan Love, your franchise quarterback, who you believe in, who you think struggled down the stretch. He was looked really good early on. In command, pushing the ball down the field. Then Christian Watson gets hurt. And again, just like last season, they get hurt. These receivers start to go down. You don't know who you're going to have out there. Safety blanket, Tucker Kraft out for the season now,

you don't know where that's going to, where is safety blanket and the consistency is going to come from down the stretch. How long is Christian Watson out? The offense looks totally different when Christian Watson's in the lineup versus when he's out of the lineup. And it looks like he had maybe a collarbone or AC joint injury. He got injured on a deep post of Patrick Sertan that was intercepted on Patrick Sertan that was intercepted.

and you hope he's healthy, but if you lose Christian Watson and you lose Micah Parsons, who has really turned this defense into a lot of what they've been, they were really good before. Let's not, let's not bat an eyelash at that. Let's not lose sight of that. They were a really good defense without him. But he takes them to another level, obviously, and they paid him a lot of money, and they used a lot of draft capital to get him. So if they lose him for the playoffs, that would be devastating.

And if it's, you know, you hope it's not ACL or anything like that, but non-contact injuries usually aren't great. And if they lose him for an extended amount of time, that's going to be devastating for this team's chances in the playoffs and long term. Well, Richard, I hate to be the one to report this. But according to Adam Schaefter, it is a torn ACL for Micah Parsons. He's done for the year. Richard, this is a huge deal for the Packers.

We hate to see these type of injuries go on, but in your opinion, like, how does this impact the Green Bay Packers the rest of the season? I mean, we had to view them as somewhat Super Bowl hopeful, at least. I mean, they've been relatively dominant, especially defensively this season. I know there were question marks with Jordan Love, but defensively, this team was anchored by a guy like Micah Parsons with him out of the lineup, what do you think their hopes are the rest of the season? I don't know because we just don't know what they look like really without them this

season. We know what they look like last season. They were able to still get things done, still generate pressure, but it's going to be different. Two of their most dynamic players and Christian Watson and Michael Parsons are out. That changes this team. And it's going, the bears are now leading this division after you lose this game. And you've got to play them next week. And now you've got to play the Bears again, and they're going to be feeling good. Obviously, they lost the last game, but there was a play there where you look and you say, hey, man, if he hits DJ more, maybe they win that game. And think about how bad of a situation that would be for the Green Bay Packers, they also lost that game. So they're going to be fighting

for their playoff lives. And with all the expectations going into this season, with all the expectations and everything they did acquiring Michael Parsons, you know, paying Jordan love and all the hope that you had going into this season to miss the playoffs would be really devastating for a team with Super Bowl aspirations coming in. And Super Bowl, myself, I was calling them a Super Bowl contender because of what they had built. And to fall all the way out of grace like that would be incredibly devastating. So we hope the best for this team. But we're going to keep an eye on it because you go from the darlings to the ducks really fast in this league. No question about it.

Speaking of darlings to ducks, we're going Cinderella to ducks. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, Nick? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, a pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's the one's... extra special. So how do we

actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down?

Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas. and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows, without Luca and Austin Reeves,

I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the fly. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick.

Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet.

Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become. quite the helper myself.

And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice.

Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice.

One ring is too scary. Cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream of chicken soup. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcasts presents Soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah.

This is my best friend Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later. We're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast.

We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drink. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? Just hit it.

What are y'all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Can you pull. I would buy it. Cuts through the defense like a hot.

A hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are. I'm lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team, and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on.

Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is. getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is, getting a new one put up in its place. As long as there's a politics of race in America, there's going to be a politics of remembering the Civil War.

To get to school, I had to go down Robert Lee Boulevard. Get to the grocery store, I had to go down Jefferson Davis Parkway. If you're an historian and you leave out half of what the history is, you're not doing your job. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 goes deep on both of those things. the fights, the politics, the people who won, and my personal campaign to add something to the Kentucky State House that's actually worth the wall space. We are more than our bodies. We contain essence. We contain spirit. How do you represent that?

They are just fueling a fire that is really catching. You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Kansas City Chiefs are going to miss the playoffs. Richard, this is unheard of. I cannot remember the last time the Kansas City Chiefs have missed the playoffs, and it comes with some major news. Patrick Holmes, tears his ACL today.

That is gut-wrenching to this franchise. Kansas City, if you want to make a bad season worse, you have your starting quarterback, Terris A.C. Richard, this is big time for the Kansas City Chiefs. Now six and eight, missing the playoffs. Your thoughts, first off, before we get into the game, let's talk about the overarching picture here. Patrick Holmes, ACL injury.

Your thoughts on how this affects this team going forward? Well, first off, I mean, it's a devastating injury. And you want to tip your cap off to the consistency that the Kansas City Chiefs have shown over the years 11th. straight years, 11 straight seasons making the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes had never seen a season where he didn't make the playoffs and you hate to see it happen in such devastating fashion with him hurting his ACL and tearing his ACL, which a lot of times means he's going to miss time going into next season. We're into December right now. You tear your ACL in December. It means you probably

miss the start of next season, which you hate to see for one of the best players in the National Football League, really has been the face of the National Football League for the last few years. I mean, since Tom was going, you know, there's a lot of conversations about who Patrick Mahomes is in terms of the league and the greatness of this league. But you really hate to see it for this team. You know what's going to happen eventually. You know a team actually is going to eventually miss the playoffs. For a lot of teams, it's a yearly conversation. A team, the teams that go to the Super Bowl, you talk about Super Bowl hangover. Are they going to have to hang over? Are they going to miss the playoffs? And for five of the last six years,

they have not had a hangover. They've been in the AFC championship games seven years straight. So it's a testament to the team. Their focus, their concentration, their wherewithal, their dedication to their craft. So you want to give them all the credit in the world. But in this game, in this division, you also want to give the Chargers a lot of credit.

They're 10 and 4 now. And they've dealt with devastating injury after devastating injury throughout the season. You lose both of your tackles. You lose Joe Ault, who's been fantastic in this lead. You lose Rashon, later, I believe in training camp. And for them to fight and claw and scratch to a 10 and 4 season is incredible.

And it's a testament to Jim Harbaugh and their coaching staff and everything they put together over there in a division that's been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs. And in a year, in any other year, you'd be talking about, hey, man, they're fighting to win this division. But of course, it's in a year where the Denver Broncos are really just handling business. business and doing everything they can, winners of 11 straight. So the AFC West is really an incredible division right now and outside of the Raiders and what they're dealing with.

Hopefully my guy Pete Carroll gets that turned around. I mean, how big of a threat do you view this L.A. Chargers team as in the AFC? It's all up in the air right now. Everything's up in the air. Everybody's a threat. Everybody can win. Everybody can beat everybody. because that's what it's been this season.

The teams that I'm most, if I'm going into the playoffs that I'm most nervous to run into are the Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans. Because if you have those pass rushers, defense wins championships. And those guys can disrupt and ruin a game plan in a split second. Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson and Cooper and Benito. Guys like that are the nightmare fuel for a lot of these offenses. So I expect, you know, these teams to factor in. But I think the Chargers are a really great story.

Their defense is playing well down the stretch. They had five sacks of Patrick Mahomes in this game. The guy they traded for midway through the season, O way, two sacks in the game. Chargers got two interceptions in the game, one by their superstar safety, Derwin, James. And they're peaking at the right time. I think their defense is playing well at the right time. So there's a lot of things going well for this team. You just never know what you're going to get this playoff season again.

we're sorry to hear about Patrick Mahomes and his injury. You hate to hear about any injury news in the National Football League, especially to the best player, one of the best players in this game today, one of the faces of the franchise, one of the faces of National Football League. We wish him quick healing and everything that means, hopefully he has a quick surgery and everything goes according to plan. This was a physical game. And you can tell by Jeffrey,

Tony Jefferson getting ejected in the game for a bang, bang play that I thought, I hate the narrative around the game sometimes. I really do. I get frustrated with the narrative. Every physical hit is dirty or every physical hit is, oh, man, he should have done this. He should have done this. It's hard for anybody that hasn't played in the National Football League and in secondary, not even just played in the National Football League, because I would argue that offensive linemen, it'd be hard for them, though, well, offensive linemen. because you see a lot of offensive line talk about it.

And they're like, oh, man, they shouldn't have done that. That was dirty. That was this. Hey, it's bang, bang out there. It's bang bang. I couldn't argue how tough it is to play offensive line or defensive lines because I've never played it. I couldn't tell you some of the plays and how difficult they are to block somebody or to hand fight or to keep your hand out of somebody's, you know, too high up or whatever the case may be.

But in a secondary, I know how fast things happen. I know how quick decisions are made when you see a receiver about to catch a ball. pass and you aim for a spot on his body that you can contact and you can, hey, commit to and run through. And you also know how quickly they are, you know, whether they brace or take a snap or whether they hit you with a juke move, you have to put all of that into consideration when you're hitting somebody. And Tony Jefferson in a split second aimed for a guy's chest that ended up being his helmet. And guys are saying, oh, man, that was a dirty play. But he hit, he hit Rashid Rice the same way earlier in the game on a slant route,

but Rashid Rice didn't embrace. He didn't brace on the play. That play, he just was allowed to run straight through him. Rashi Rice stayed up, took the hit, it was a clean hit, and Tony Jefferson hit him the same way. He led with the same part of his body. His head always leads his body. It just went across Rashid Rice's face.

I mean, it went across his chest and his shoulder went through him. Instead, on this play, when you lower your head and lower the target area, the same exact hit looks more violent and they kicked him out of the game and I just don't like it. I don't like the call because it's happening too fast. Things are happening too fast out there. If he goes low, they're calling him dirty. If he hits him in his knee and blows the guy's knee out, they're saying, why did you hit him in his knee? You should have hit him higher. Well, it's this much space. It's this much space and it's moving. It can go up, it can go down, and it's moving in a split second, and people are judging them, and they're like, oh, man,

he should have done this. Well, you couldn't have done it. You've never been in that situation. I want you to go outside, and I want you to take your kids or your niece or nephew and just walk through the movement. And I want you to lead and then tell them to juke, catch the ball real quick, and I want you to try to hit them and try to take your head out of it. Try to hit them with just your chest or try to hit them with just your shoulder, but don't

leave with your head. And then see how that works out. It's not a realistic thing to do. a realistic possibility. It's not a realistic action, but people are trying to talk about it online like they know something. You don't know. This is a violent game. And these, if it's a dirty hit, you can call it a dirty hit, but that is not a dirty hit and they shouldn't have kicked them out of the game for it. And the football gods know what they're doing. No question about it. When he, when he was in that moment, you could see his head was already aimed at it at Thornton's

chest. And when Thornton ducked his head down, his head was already going towards his chest. Thornton's head just happened to be there. Richard, this is one of the things in the game that's always going to be there. It doesn't matter how much we talk about it. It is what it is. I do not know how a defensive player cleans that up anymore other than playing with their head up.

Like you just said, there's nothing they can do. They're just going to have to take this on the chin and move on to the next game. I'm with you. I do not think that was a bad play by any means. Let's talk about the next game here. Let's talk about the Houston Texans. You've already talked about them. I believe they're the hottest team in the NFL, let alone the AFC.

I think this team might be the best team in the NFL, the way their defense is playing. Richard, you've been talking about them for the last month, month and a half. Their offense has been so-so. But now that they got CJ Stroud back, I mean, let's talk about these Texans. How big of a threat do you think they are in the AFC? right now. They're a huge threat. They've won seven of the last eight and the one loss they took was to those deep Denver Broncos in a defensive battle that could have went either way. I think this is a team that's catching their stride at the right time. And I always trust the team

with a great defense. CJ Strout was banged up throughout the season and they found a way to continue to win. Davis Mills held down the fort. But Stroud is starting to find his rhythm. He threw for 260 and three touchdowns against the Cardinals team that hasn't been great this season. But they're finding their stride at the right time. And they play the Raiders who haven't been great and look really awful, looked awful today versus the Philadelphia Eagles. And you expect that they're going to factor into these playoffs. And I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the AFC championship game in a weird year like

this where you don't have the top quarterbacks. You don't have the top teams that you're used to see in any situation. and you'll run into a situation where they run into a young team and find a way to get a win, find a way to make some plays down the stretch and get a win. It's going to be a lot of inexperience in the playoffs. So you really never know what could happen. But the Texans are currently the seventh seat.

They've been battling their way to start the season, 0 and 3 and to get to 9 and 5 with winnable games down the stretch where they can play the Raiders, the charges who've been playing good football, two 10-win teams playing when they play the charges. The Colts with Phillip Rivers at the helm, I feel really good about this team going into the playoffs. If they get into the playoffs,

they're going to be a tough matchup for somebody. And if you say, hey, the New England Patriots are playing the Houston Texans in New England, I don't think, I'm not sure they feel great about that. I'm with you. It comes down to defense. And bottom line, we've been talking about the last handful of weeks.

This team defensively, in my mind is the best team in the NFL. You look at this team, you straddle them up against one of the best teams in the NFL. Put them against the L.A. Rams. I believe this team neutralizes that team. And C.J. Stroud, I mean, he's got a lot to prove that his sophomore slump last year is resonating in a lot of folks' heads. Let's see how he responds this year. Three touchdowns against the Cardinals.

Maybe he's on the right track. Richard, I like the Houston, Texans. I believe they are that. our course in the AFC that could take over. We shall see. That being said, a team that had an abundance of opportunity, especially seeing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose on Thursday night, Richard, that you were at,

that Carolina Panthers go on the road to New Orleans and fumble it, big time, losing 17 to 20 against the New Orleans Saints who have nothing to play for. Richard, who is going to win the AFC South? let's be real here. Why is this even a division anymore? I mean, do I end with that question, Mark? I don't know. I don't know. You got to give credit to Callum Warren and the New Orleans Saints. They're fighting. They're battling. They're not giving up. They're not mailing the season. And that's back-to-back wins for this team in the division, just showing, hey, we can win in this division.

And I think that builds confidence for the future. You can talk about building, winning habits. and just showing your team that, hey, within this conference, we can do, within this division, we can do our job. Tyler Shaw playing another good game. It was 24, 32, 272, a touchdown. Also doing it with his legs. Again, 32 rushing yards. Chris Olabe did his job.

They won on a game winning field goals back-to-back games. That's confidence building. But the Carolina Panthers in a game where they could have took the division lead, could have felt really good, got some help the other day in the game where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins gives you some help and gives you some breathing room. They failed to capitalize, so they're going to have to find a way to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in two of the games when they play them. They play them twice in the next three games and they're going to have to win both of them. Whoever wins those games is likely going to go on to win that division. They also have a tough, tough game against the Seattle Seahawks who are fighting for their point.

playoff lives as well. So in a game where you probably should have won, you could have won, and you lost, oh, I know, I know that's frustration. I know that's real, real life frustration. And in NFC South, I don't know, it just seems like it always happens this way down the stretch where the teams that are supposed to win don't win and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find a way to sneak off with a division championship at the end of the day and end up in the playoffs and competing. And it was delivered to the Carolina Panthers on a silver platter. Let me deliver you this silver platter here. All you got to do is beat the New Orleans Saints.

No. And that's where we're at with this division. So, so be it. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news.

We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide. range of podcasts throughout there.

But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey Jonas, and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever. play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano.

You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian, and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives,

helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One Ring is too scary. Cream of chicken suit.

Hey, cream, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet.

Hey. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. now a redacted amount of years later. We're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey.

With all the snacks and drink. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white color or something here? Just take it. Oh, what are y'all doing?

Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you imagine? I would buy it. Cut through the defense like a hot night. through sponge cake.

That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You're lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Keith Gianmanca seemed like a mild-mannered suburban dad. But secretly, he became someone else, a master of disguise who went on a crime spree. At the time, did it seem like a crazy idea? It seemed very crazy. But I felt so desperate that I felt it was the quickest, easiest way out. Did you allow yourself to think about how it could go wrong and what that might look like? No. I didn't want to manifest that.

I was trying to manifest success. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. This is going to change my life and my family dynamic forever, because everything that had existed prior in my reality is now untrue. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

want to talk about a team that's rising to the occasion. Let's talk about these Chicago Bears 10 and 4. Shout out Ben Johnson. As much as I hate to say it as a Detroit Lions fan, I always knew he'd be a successful coach. I wish you were not in a division that we also subsided. But here we are. Chicago Bear is 10 and 4. You see the Green Bay Packers suffer a loss today. Michael Parsons out with the injury. Christian Watson potentially out for, we'll see how. long. But this Barris team delivers a 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns.

And I know the Cleveland Browns are not anything to write home about, but the reality is they've been keeping offences in check. They did not do so against the Chicago Bears team today. Caleb Williams threw for 242 yards. He had two touchdowns. I mean, we

saw DeAndre Swift run all over the yard for 98 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Moore had 69 yards and two touchdowns. I mean, Let's talk about these Chicago Bears, Richard, as much as I hate to talk about them. Yeah, I mean, right now they're- You view them as a true threat in this NFC right now? I don't know.

I don't know. Again, it's a strange year. So you've got to view them as a true threat. They're leading the NFC North right now. Obviously, a lot can change between now and the end of the season, but they're finding ways to win. Caleb Williams, 17 to 28, two touchdowns. He did fumble in the game, but this is a dominant win.

and again, D'Andre Swift, and 18 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. And a couple of those touchdowns, he made a lot out of a little bit. It looked like he was stopped, four or five yards down the field. He broke a tackle, made some plays and got going. Him and Manangai are two of the most dynamic backs in the National Football League. And when they need to, they lean on them and they've been impactful. The defense, five sacks, three interceptions in the game. Again, I trust good defenses.

and they're getting healthy at the right time. They're getting healthy at the right time. Jalen Johnson comes back in their foe, gets an interception in the game. I think Al Harris is going to get major consideration to be a defense coordinator in this league. It just somehow happens that the teams that he's coaching get a lot of turnovers. It happened when he was in Dallas multiple years where they were either leading the league or amongst the league leaders in turnovers per game or turnovers. And now with the Chicago Bears, they're leading the league in turnovers

are amongst the lead in turnovers. And every time, every single time that you turn on tape, they're making plays. Their D.Bs are making plays. Whether it's no Sean Wright, who had five interceptions, whether it's a guy like J-Lan Johnson, or Kevin Byard, who's been really good in this league, but having a stellar year,

with, I think, six interceptions right now. You've got to give them credit. He's getting these guys prepared and they're making plays. Caleb Williams, the fewest interceptions on 1,000 passes, pass attempts in NFL history. You only have 12 interceptions on 1,000 pass attempts. And you've got to give them credit for that. In a league that's tougher to play in, I mean, I think it's more efficient than ever

because the quarterbacks are protected. But you've got to give him credit. He's gotten a job done. Ben Johnson has done a great. job surrounding him with talent and putting him in a system that showcases his abilities. And he made an incredible pass today to DJ Moore. I mean, he threaded the needle on that way. He had a couple of where you just scratch your head. You're wondering how he got that pass through the defenders like he did. But right now, the bears are doing what they need to do.

There's going to be a lot of change. They're the number two seed right now. Are they going to end the season on the number two seed? I don't know because there's so little margin for error between the number seven seed and the number two seed. Every week it could change. One win, one loss here, two losses here, and that can change. But the Browns, on the other hand, Shador Sanders, 18 to 35, 175, and 3 interceptions. It looks really bad. It looks really bad.

But if you watch the game, and I got a chance to watch the game, a number of these passes, you know, one of the interceptions get tipped up in the past, tipped up in the air, and he gets intercepted. That happens just bad luck. One of the plays, he hits Jerry Judy in the hands, in the end zone. It goes through Jerry Judy's arms to Jalen Johnson for an interception in the end zone. And I don't want to be the one to talk about Jerry Judy. I think enough has been said about him. But when you go to the sideline and you fuss out your quarterback, you've got to be a guy.

You've got to be a guy. You can't be the guy fumbling. You can't be the guy dropping passes. be the guy making mistakes in the game and going there and telling the quarterback what he should be doing, especially a rookie quarterback. If you're that guy, you have to be a respected, established veteran who's really showing up for him in a big way. You can't be the one with multiple drops in the game. You can't be the one, hey, he hits you right in the hands and you drop a touchdown pass that ends up leading to an interception. It's hard for a young quarterback to trust a guy where you

throw it and it hits him in the hands and it ends up in an interception and your stats suffer. And that's what's happened. They aren't doing themselves any favors right now. But he's definitely not doing himself any favors right now. And I think early on, I think people obviously coming out of Alabama had high expectations of Jerry Judy and what he could possibly be in his league because of how dynamic and explosive he is. But he's going to have to do a lot to change that narrative. Coming from Denver, he got a fresh start with the Browns. and I thought he had a really solid season

in his first year, in his first year. But right now he's struggling, and when a young quarterback needs to make a play, you can't be the one that's costing him. And I think that's going to be the story of the game. Obviously, Shador's completion percentage and the three interceptions are going to look awful. You watch the game,

they could have done a lot more to help him out and make some plays for him. He has to find a way. Congratulations to Miles, Gary, getting closer and closer to the record. is going to be big time. I think he's going to break it this year. And for a guy who's playing on a defense that doesn't have much to play for,

continuing to play at a high level, continuing to fight, obviously I think he's a runaway defensive player at a year because of how he's played. You come close to breaking records in his league. Usually they give you other rewards, no question about it. But it's just unfortunate the way this game went for Shador Sanders in his offense. No question about it. Richard, before we leave this game, I got a question to pose.

to you. Is it safe to say, you know, looking at last year's draft class, I guess two years ago draft class, would you pencil in Drake May as the best quarterback out of that draft considering you had Jaden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Drake May? No, I wouldn't have penciled it, man, but I think a lot of people did have Drake May really scouted as a high-level prospect. And a lot of, and a lot of of things change year to year. Right now he's having a fantastic year. He was in the MVP race. He was MVP favorite at one time or another during his season. But you look at last year and Jayton Daniels second his team to the NFC championship game. Every year is something different because last year you'd be saying Jaden Daniels is the best quarterback in his division. This year you're saying

Drake May could potentially be. Maybe later on down the line you're talking about Caleb Williams being the top guy in his draft class. So every year is its own adventure. No question about it. I mean, Caleb Williams has certainly stood his ground and he has Chicago right at the crest of potentially winning the NFC outright this regular season. Let's talk about the Philadelphia Eagles. Taking on the Las Vegas Raiders, nothing to really talk about here. 31 to nothing. I mean, kudos to Jalen Hertz, 175 yards passing, three touchdowns.

We saw a little bit of Sequin Bartley. You know, nothing too impressive. 22 carries 78 yards on a touchdown. Richard, have the Eagles, well, I guess I don't even want to say have the Eagles found their ground because they played the Las Vegas Raiders. Do you view the Philadelphia Eagles as a true threat in the NFC right now? I don't know.

I don't know. I mean, you can't judge that awful how they played the Raiders. Their defense shut them out. Jalen Hertz was efficient through three. touchdowns. AJ Brown got a touchdown in a game. Dallas Goddard had some had a drop but had two touchdowns in the game. The defense played really well. They had four sacks and interception, but I don't know if this tells you much. We won't know until the playoffs for a lot of this. They play the commanders twice in the next three. They played the Buffalo Bills.

You know, maybe that'll tell you a little bit, but right now, I don't know. I mean, they're in NFC East. They're the third seed right now. The NFC South is obviously going to be the fourth seed and doesn't look like anybody wants to win that division. So I don't know if we learn a lot into the playoffs with the Eagles. No question about it. And we've got to move our focus to the AFC North. I mean, this division is up for grabs, and we saw the Baltimore Ravens take care of the Cincinnati Bengals today.

Richard, before we get into this game, we got to talk a little bit about Joe Burrow. I mean, I don't know. Do you view his future in Cincinnati? or do you think it's going to be elsewhere? I don't know. I don't think if he stays in Cincinnati, I don't think his career lasts as long as people would expect it to. I think you have an Andrew Luck situation where the guy retires early

because he's not having fun and his body's breaking down on him and he keeps getting injured. But I think, you know, the only way to renew his love and he had that press conference where he spoke about it is to give him a fresh start somewhere else. I know that's going to suck for Jamar Chase and T. Higgins, who he's grown and built a rapport with. But in order for him to have real longevity, he has to go somewhere else. This organization hasn't done a great job protecting him.

And I know they spent draft picks on it and done whatever they've done, but he's been banged up every season for a reason. And they'll have to do something. He'll have to do something to help himself. his mindset be better going down the stretch. But the Ravens, this is a huge win for them. Lamar Jackson only completed eight passes for 12 yards for 150 yards, two touchdowns. Derek Henry, fourth player in NFL history to record 3,000 rush yards in the first two seasons

with a new team. So congratulations to him having another phenomenal season. It looks like they're going to find a way to win the AFC North. And, you know, Lamar in the playoffs, he's a dynamic player and their defense, if they're playing well down the stretch they're going to be a dangerous team. Richard, you're going to make some Pittsburgh Steelers fans real mad with that proclamation. But I think you're right. The Baltimore Ravens at the end of the day are probably going to rise to the top of this

AFC North Division. I guess we shall see. That being said, Joe Burrough said, I guess being a team guy, there's no team in the NFL that would have won today if I was a quarterback. I would beg to differ with you there, Joe Burroughs. I think the New York Jets would probably have loved to have you. Speaking to that, Richard, I don't want to talk about it too much, but I got to ask you, you have not loved Trevor Lawrence's game too much,

but he showed up today, and these Jaguars have seemed to arise to a new level. Do you view the Jaguars any level of threat in the AFC? I hurried he threw five touchdown passes against the Jets, so congrats to him. I think their defense creates enough turnovers that they'll give them a chance. But I don't know. I don't know if the Jags will be competitive. We'll see they might get a favorable matchup in the first round and have a chance, but it depends on who their matchup is.

Fair enough. All odds and lines come from our partners at Hard Rock. bet. We've got the dolphins at the Steelers on Monday night football tomorrow. Hard Rock bet has the Steelers as a three-point spread in this game, and I think that's accurate. This game could go either way. The dolphins have played well at times. You know, it depends on which Tua-Vaila-Lewa shows up, but it also depends on which Steelers' defense shows up. So this game could go either way, but I think a three-point spread is fair. I do feel like the Steelers can pull this one out, Mitch. I agree with you in that, Richard. I have the Steelers,

win this game, albeit I think it's going to be a close one. Miami has been coming out of late, but the reality is Steelers have a lot more to play for. I think it's going to be a high-scoring game. You know, Miami can put some points on the go board, and I think Steelers are going to have to put a lot of points on the board for the Steelers, Jaylon Warren and D.K. McHaff, and I've got Devon A. Chan.

I mean, bottom line, the guy's been an absolute stud. So if you've got to pick a couple touchdown scores, I've taken Jalen Warren, D.K. McHaff, and Javan A. Chan is to get in the end zone in this game. Sounds good. I think A. Chan, I mean, he's found away every single game so dynamic, so fast. He'll definitely, I would definitely agree with that. Yeah, we're in week 15, and we appreciate you joining us, as always. You could be anywhere in the world, but you're here with us, and we sincerely appreciate it.

I hope you have a beautiful holiday season with your family and friends. give as many hugs as you can, buy as many gifts as you can, enjoy it. All love. Howdy? Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin.

And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called the 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to him. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Most people out here think that taking care of one another is important.

And most people would step up for a neighbor going through a tough time. Most people around here help out friends and family when they need it. But the funny thing is, most of us won't look for help when we need it. Talk to someone if you're struggling with mental health because most people out here really care. Find more information at loveyourmindtay.org. That's loveyourmindtay.org. Brought to you by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council. Sometimes a suspect is found guilty before a verdict is ever read in court. On the Wicked Words podcast, I talk with the writers who dig deep into the cases that changed history, including Marsha Clark,

who went from prosecuting one of the most famous murder cases to writing crime fiction. It doesn't matter that you didn't take part in the murder. If you were at the scene at all, you're guilty of murder. Every week, the real story is revealed. Join us every Monday for new episodes of Wicked Words. Listen to Wicked Words on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.