The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Richard Sherman Podcast - Week 16 Reaction: Broncos firing Nathaniel Hackett, Packers-Dolphins, Eagles-Cowboys, 49ers' win

Episode Date: December 27, 2022

Richard Sherman reacts to Week 16 in the NFL and the Denver Broncos firing head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Richard gives his take on Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks' losing streak after dropping another game to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers continuing their hot streak after another huge game from Nick Bosa, Tua's second half struggles against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, and Russell Wilson suffering the worst loss of his career to Baker Mayfield's Los Angeles Rams which led to the firing of his coach. Does Richard believe in Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys after beating the Philadelphia Eagles? #volume #herd #colincowherdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Call 1800 gambler. The volume. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman podcast. Another week, Mitchell. It's coming down to the stretch. It sure is, Rich. This weekend was a cold one. I mean, first off, happy holidays.

Christmas, there was a big game down in Dallas. Philly, you know, a hot as a skillet, dealing with adversity late in the season. Jalen Hertz, shoulder injury, no one knows how long it's going to linger, but Gardner Minshue stepped up, played a very, very good game, but the Eagles defense just could not keep them off the scoreboard. Mitchell, that's when you get concerned when you hear about Jalen Hertz shoulder injury, because initially you hear, you hear collarbone, and then everybody backtracks on it. And understand this, people. Football players are really, really, really tough individuals. Nobody misses a game unless you have to miss a game.

Nobody misses multiple games unless you have to miss multiple games. You can tear your rotator cuff. You can tear this, tear that. If you can play with it, especially in non-throwing shoulder, you can shoot it up or something guys are going to play. The fact that he didn't play and the fact that collarbone was ever even mentioned, somebody gave it to somebody and they told him not to say it. And they said it.

They should have said just shoulder injury. But when you say collarbone, it's a lot more severe and serious. Now, maybe it's not a broken collar bone. Maybe it's just a stress fracture. But it's a lot more serious than they're letting on. And I respect them for not letting that on. But the injury that's more serious to their playoff hopes. And I mean, not their playoff hopes, but their Super Bowl hopes is Lane Johnson.

And Lane Johnson has been, I mean, everybody's talked about, you know, the lack of saxies giving up, how crazy is Iron Man streak is, and how incredible he's been all season. but an abdominal injury to an offense alignment, anything in the core is serious and is going to linger throughout the playoffs, whether he plays or not. So this game, I mean, they took the loss on the scoreboard, but the bigger loss might have been on that offensive line. Well, they've got something to play for down the stretch here, Rich.

I mean, everyone kind of assumed that they would be the number one seed in the NFC. And now, you know, having come off this loss, I mean, they play the Saints next week, which I know, you know, They're a five and nine team or six and nine team now, but, you know, they have something to play for as well with their division on the line. Where does this all net out for the Eagles? How concerned would you be as a fan? I'd be really concerned. I'd be really concerned. It's been our year. It's been a fantastic year. And you kind of see the will falling off a bit at the end. Not totally falling off. You still got a lot of guys, a lot of playmakers, a lot of veterans, a lot of great pieces.

but your quarterback being banged up, your best offensive lineman being banged up, that's tough going down a stretch. Now, you would hope that the Saints would be tough either way. But them having something to play for is going to make it even tougher of a game. Gardner Minshue played really well. I mean, I mean, for what you expected him to play in that game, he played well. Nobody, nobody, I don't think the Eagles were expecting him to play as well as he did in that game. He had 24 for 40, 355, two touchdowns through two interceptions. Devante Smith had one of his best day games of the season all day, always open.

A.J. Brown had a good game. Hassan Reddick got named a pro bowler, two sacks again. Josh Sweat, pick six, sack and a half. But for the Eagles, you're concerned because your defense wasn't injured. They weren't beat up. They weren't without anybody, and they gave up 40 points. That's concerned. Like, you can talk about the offense.

and what you weren't expecting from them, if they would have struggled a bit offensively, you would have been like, okay, okay, you know, no, you know, they don't have hurts. But their defense giving up 40 points is a point of concern, and that's why they're going to move down on the rankings because you can't do it. Like down the stretch, you want to be playing your best ball,

you want to be playing your most effective ball, you want to be bawling. To give up 40 points in week 16 is a call us for concern. Well, there was one play that happened at a crucial time, third and 30, and T.Y. Holt, and sneaks behind the sleigh in between sleigh and the safety for a 52-yard reception. How does something like that happen? Because it seems to me that those are the type of plays that are just the massive knockout punches that end up in else.

Well, it's one of those plays that you don't expect them to ever throw. I think they were in a form of two and, you know, Slay's getting depth, safety's getting depth, and you can't have those. You know, I think it's a play they'll obviously learn from. But with 30 to go, you keep everything in front of you, keep it in front of the sticks and let the D-Line hunt and hope they get home. But there were a lot of uncharacteristic errors in that game, you know, coverage bust. And I don't know their scheme good enough to say, hey, it was this fault or his fault, his fault, because they have a lot of adjustments. They're really creative in their scheme. When it looks like they're running three or three match, you know, there's carry sometimes

in a nickel. And so I don't know totally what they were running. But there were uncharacteristic bust left and right and left and right. And Dack Prescott took advantage of them. a lot of times he threw for 347. He was pretty efficient most of the game, three touchdowns. But it's only his first 300-yard passing game of the season. Zeke, again, they're, I think they're like 18 and 1 when Zeke has 16 rushes or more.

Pollard was relatively ineffective on the ground, but effective in the past game. C.D. Lamb, best game of the season, best game of maybe his career, 10 for 1, 20, two touchdowns was cooking. And that's a cause for concern because these teams may meet up again. We've got to go out to the NFC West.

I know you have a big affiliation in Seattle, rightfully so, but this is a team that is struggling. They need a win. Like as bad as anyone else in this league needs a win. And unfortunately, they had to go to Kansas City to try to get it. And what are they net, 18 yards in their first 15 plays? Get down 17 to nothing right out the gates. Talk to me about the Seahawks.

I mean, is there any hope with this team? There's still a fighter's chance, but is there any hope that they land themselves in the playoffs? Well, it's concerned. I mean, they've lost five of the last six. They can still make it. You know, the two last games against, you know, I thought they would struggle in this game. You know, Kansas City is rolling. They're hot. They're a championship team. They know how to play in November and December. If they'd Seattle won this game, that would have been a big time statement that they're here and they've arrived. But Gino played solid. As you said, they struggled early on. Gino is a pro bowler. I can't wait to see how that pans out for him.

I got to fill in the two New York teams will be calling, which is crazy because he played for both of them. But I guarantee you the conversation will be a lot different this time around. Kenneth Walker Jr., I mean, played better than he had in the past. They got a little bit from the run game, but Patrick Mahones was too much to overcome. You know, that D-line, Chris Jones, 12th sack of the season, him, you know, Quinn and Williams. You know, and now I've got to deal with Quinnon this next, the following week. And so that's going to be a whole other beast, very similar to Chris Jones and what he does. But it was always going to be tough, but it was a cold game.

You saw the receivers come out with no shirt on, you know, showing that they can handle the elements. But unfortunately, you know, they just didn't, they didn't execute well enough down the stretch. And, you know, that would have been a good one to have. Well, with the injury to Jalen hurts, does my home? have the upper hand for the MVP race at this point in your perspective? Yeah, it's Mahon's race to lose. You know, he's number one in just about every category, yards, touchdowns. Usually when you talk about MVP, it goes to the best player on the best offense.

And he is that, you know, they're number one offensively and scoring yards, efficiency, you know, yards per play, red zone, third down. I mean, the list is very long at what, you know, the Kansas City Chiefs. are the best in the National Football League at right now. But I still think everybody's saying, you know, remembering them, you know, kind of manhandling the 49ers defense, which nobody else has come close to even remotely doing, I still want to see that Super Bowl matchup.

And I still have Nicholas John Bosa in the 49ers coming away to win. Well, Rich, let's keep our focus on the C-Rex. They've got a huge game against your JETS, Jets, Jets, Jets. I know you had fun covering them this Thursday against the Jags. And my God, that quarterback under center, who I know you love, I know you love him, Rich. I did not have fun. I know he did not look very good. And now people are potentially calling him one of the biggest busts in NFL history,

especially with the quarterbacks that were drafted after him. I mean, could you imagine Justin Fields on this Jets team, Rich? Just take a moment to imagine it. No, I'm not going to imagine it. Just take a moment. Because I had to watch it. I've said everything I had to say about that quarterback. Thank goodness.

The reports are in that Mike White will be starting this week. That, you know, that makes this a lot more watchable football game. Gino in this offense need to get on track. They need to be more efficient. You know, losing Tyler Lockett was a huge loss because they get to double team D.K. Metcalf, you know, but there were some just uncharacteristic plays, drops, and, you know, miscommunications. You know, it was one play on the interception where it looked like Marquis, ran out, and Gino thought he was going to continue down the field.

Either way, it was a bad decision, and Thorne Hill intercepts it. So they need to tighten things up coming into this game because it's going to be a dog fight. You know, I think these teams, the Jets defense coming off a game where they got embarrassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the worst games of the season. Obviously, they tightened it up in the second half. But to give up 19 points, they've been a good defense all year. And I'm sure they are raring to go and getting those corrections. And Seattle Seahawks are raring to go.

And so it'll be a good matchup, but there's still something to play for. Santa Barclay is coming to town, and he's delivering $20 million in gifts this holiday season to all Fandual customers. It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice. St. Chuck has something for everyone. Just check your Fandual app for no sweat, same game parles, bonuses, and all sorts of stuff that'll fill you with holiday cheer. New to Fandual, now is the perfect time to sign up and remember.

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$10 for supplies required. Bonus issued as non-with-drable free bet that expires 14 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook. Fandul.com. Gambling problem? Call 1800 gambler. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard,

but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford. Talk Podcast Network on TikTok. Well, sticking in the NFC West, I know you love the Niners. You've already said that. But they played against the commanders. A team, again, another team absolutely desperate for a win.

Every game matters to these teams down the stretch. And San Francisco didn't care. You know, San Francisco dominated the game from start to finish. They forced them to pull Tyler Heineke. I know you love Heineke. Heineke. I know you love Heineke. But Rich, we're back to Carson Wentz.

We're back to Square 1. I'm like, this late in the season, why do you make that move if you're Ron Rivera? I don't know. I think he felt like the team needed a spark. You know, I'm sure he had conversations with Carson about getting him another opportunity if things didn't go well. Obviously, the San Francisco 49ers are a tough team to play against, but they must have saw something on film where he missed a couple guys or, you know,

just not getting them into the plays where they, you know, not having the success that they were expecting. Carson came in there, gave him a definite spark, was 12 for 16 for 123, had a touchdown, was efficient. Terry, you know, scary Terry played well. But against the San Francisco 49ers defense, number one in the league in total yards, number one in a lot of categories, it was going to be tough. But it's just tough. You know, I think Ron Rivera saw something. He wanted to make a change, and he did. We'll see what they do in the next game.

Well, they got the Browns next. It's a huge, huge game for the commanders. They got to win one of these games down the stretch. As much as I would love for him to lose out being a Detroiter, unfortunately, the Lions got absolutely boat race this game. But as much as I would love for Washington to lose out, I think they got a winnable opponent against the Browns there. But Brock Purdy, we talked about it, Mr. Irrelevant,

going to be very, very irrelevant down this stretch. And you talked about it a couple weeks ago. You said, what kind of conundrum would the 49ers organization be in, the fan base be in, if not Trey Lance, not Jimmy G, but Brock Purdy was the golden child to bring this organization another Super Bowl. Richard, he is the second quarterback ever to win his first three starts with multiple TD passes. The first being Kurt Warner, Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. I mean, this guy has now entered conversations with Kurt Warner, Rich, he looks extremely capable. The Niners have not skipped the beat.

I mean, frankly, I mean, the resurgence of George Kittle down the stretch. You know, he kind of had a couple pedestrian games there until Brock Purdy took over under center. What is Brock Purdy winning due to this organization's QB issue? It makes it a lot tougher, Mitchell. It exacerbates the issue of sorts. The only quarterback whose jersey isn't being sold in the stores is the one that you got to worry about. Mitchell, that's unfortunate. But it's fortunate.

You know, it's one of those things where it's a, you know, it's a good problem to have, I guess. He's been playing well. He's been playing confident, obviously bringing George Kittle back into the foe. We talked about that when Debo Samia went out, that George Kittle would be obviously utilized a lot more. And he has been. Brandon Iuk has been steady the entire season, been rock steady on his way to potentially a thousand-yard season. And Mitchell. The defensive player of the year.

Frontrunner, Nicholas, John, Bosa. Of course, two sacks. Of course, one of the sacks leads to a forced bumble and a turnover for his team and obviously leads to points. Mitchell, every week, they need a big time play. Nicholas, John Bosa makes it. 17 and a half sacks on the year. My goodness.

And my boy, Jimmy Ward, had to get him another pick. They say, hey, we need to get a playmaker out there. They kept the two safety. He's the same. Talanoa Hufanga and Tashon Gibson had too much chemistry, but you cannot take Jimmy off the field. And this is the reason why I made a heck of a play. Oh, my God, this defense is going to be fun to watch down the stretch in there.

Getting better by the moment, Javon Kinlaw, welcome back to the fold. Huge goal line stand. Got in there, huge play by him. Him and Eric Armstead are going to be tough to run on in the playoffs. That's why it concerns me if you're the NFC East, if you're the Dallas Cowboys, or you're the Philadelphia Eagles and think you're going to run the ball on this defense,

you got another thing coming. If Nick Bosa hasn't reached out to you to inquire about hiring you as his hype man, I think he should because you've been pumping his tires from the inception of this podcast. I mean, you called it when we had our opening segment. You called him the defensive player of the year. And he's proven that week in, week out. I mean, the guy leads the league in sacks, another two sacks this week. Nicholas John Bosa, I mean, Rich has to off to you.

Another thing you called from the beginning of the year. And I know these are muddy waters that you don't necessarily want to trek in, but we have to now, Rich. You called the downfall, not the downfall, but you raise some red flags. You small smoke in Denver when the trade was made with Russell Wilson. You said this is a type of trade that either it works out if they know the guy that they're getting under center or it's going to cause people to get fired. As we are on the podcast today, Nathaniel Hackett has just been released of his duties as head coach. I want your thoughts. Mitchell, I think it's the first of any firing because when things go this bad after you take such a colossal risk, a lot of people get fired.

It's the head coach, the GM needs to be looked at, potentially fired. Because it was a monumental mistake, it seems. Like you made a mistake. Maybe you made a mistake in hiring the right coach. you made personnel mistakes. But when a season goes this bad, when you have the expectations, you do. When you have the defense that they did, the defense played really well. I mean, in this game, it looked like the defense is like, hey, you're going to blame us for

the loss, whether it's nine to six to nine or 50 to 14. So you got it. You're like, go ahead. We're done. We're done taking the blame and taking the bullets for everybody. And they're going to have to do some introspection, Mitchell, some, some, some, some, some looking inside, some retrospection, they're going to have to figure it out because I don't see a way out of this contract. They're going to have to ride this thing out unless Russell retires

or something like that. They're going to have to ride this thing out and they're going to have to find answers. And it's going to be hard to sell this team to the next potential coach. You know, everybody's talking Sean Payton, but there will be other opportunities for Sean Payton or are you wait a year. You know what I mean? Because I don't know what they're doing in LA if the charges don't make the playoffs. If they do, there will be other opportunities. That's just it. I mean, what up-and-coming head coach wants to take this job? You know, I mean, you look at a guy like Sean Peyton, he's not going to take this job. I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but why would he take this job? He could really have his pick of the litter. And then you look at, you know, rising stars in this league, like the O.C. in Detroit, Ben Johnson. There's a number of big ones. I mean, the Miko Ryans in 49ers territory. Like, why is a rising DC or O.C. would you want your first job to be. so far behind the eight ball. I mean, this is not a team like the Jags

that have a bunch of young talent. You know, this isn't a team like the Texans that have a bunch of draft capital. This is a team that has an overpaid quarterback with no draft capital, very limited roster flexibility, and probably a bunch of disgruntled defensive stars that are questioning whether they want to be in Denver anymore.

You know, I mean, it's one of those situations. You can't say he lost the locker room because he hasn't said anything egregious. You're still playing hard. You know, guys can still, you know, you might be frustrated, but you can still respect the guy going out there and playing hard and doing his best, you know, even if it's not working out well. You might get frustrated, but, you know, it's not like the situation with the Jets

where a guy just was like, hey, it's not my fault. It's their fault. And guys don't respect it. You know, they're going to respect. He's going to work every day. He's putting the work in. They see him putting the time in, putting the effort in. And it's just not working out.

Now, you might see a situation where they promote from within that. That is the most likely scenario I would imagine. Edirot Eevero, the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, has done a phenomenal job this season. If he got the head coaching job, it'd be, you know, you're like, hey, you know, it's not the best opportunity to walk in, too, but I guess if you're going to continue to man that defense and think you can get it figured out offensively, you take the job.

But what about Baker Mayfield? What about Baker? What about Baker? I think a lot of people were wrong about Baker. Baker seems to be excited to have this opportunity in L.A. and he looks like a fit. I don't know what's going on with Matthew Stafford. I know he's got some injury issues and I know he's got a young family. I mean, who knows?

But Baker seems to me to be a guy that's rejuvenated his career overnight. Really? I mean, that, like, what in the world? Mitchell, instant oatmeal, Mitchell Baker, Mayfield, with the resurgence. Mitchell, I had to say it when he made the comeback to 98-yard. comeback. We had that game. And I had to say it, I was, I was burying Baker. I'm a Barry Baker guy, you know, and Mitchell, he came out there and said he and Sean McVeigh are a match made in heaven and we can turn it around, a la Ryan Tannahill with the Tennessee Titans. I mean, I don't

know too many turnarounds where a guy just got with the right coach and it just looks totally different. Yeah, it certainly does. I mean, the only question again is where does he go over? from here because if Stafford's the guy going forward, he's not going to want to back up role. But, you know, obviously he's still a very capable starter in this league. He's in a, he's on a contract year. He's on house money. He had nothing to lose playing out of his mind right now at the perfect time. He'll be a free agent.

And if he's smart, he says, hey, doesn't look like Stafford will be, you know, I mean, he may play a couple more. He may play one more. But you take a one year deal with the Rams, likely. you know, and say, hey, this guy has really put me in position to really showcase my talent in the best possible way that anybody has my entire career. I don't think he ever leaves the Rams. Or if he does, you know, there'll be a few people that run this scheme that'll take a better look at him than they would have before this run. No question.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from back. basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Another team that is just kind of, it's kind of been treading water all season, but is resurging at the wrong.

right time and they always seem to do it is the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rogers and the Packers have won 15 straight games in December. And then they're making things very, very interesting down the stretch in the NFC with the final two wildcar spats up for grabs. I think bigger story here, though, is the Miami Dolphins continue to sink. You know, this is a team that was cruising. You know, they were on cruise control all season. I know they kind of top off, you know, I don't know what wearing your top five.

They were, but they were moving the ball well, and they started this game, 20 to 10. You know, they thought everything was under control. Then Rahim Oster fumbles, you know, Green Bay scores right before the half. And then Tua, I mean, how does this have three picks in the fourth was, how does something like that happened to a guy that looked so good in the first half? Mitchell, it looked like he was on space jam, Mitchell, and the aliens came and took his powers in the last three drives, Mitchell. I don't know because it wasn't like the defenses were disguising and it was a crazy look and they just got him or he got pressured or blitzes in his face.

And, you know, it was a, he threw into cover to a ball that wouldn't even got to the receiver or to the tight end, even if the DB didn't pick it. It would have hit it would have hit him in the feet. And so you think about I'm perplexed, you know, I'm concerned because his decision making, it's like his confidence has been drained. And if you don't have confidence going into playoffs, Mitchell, it's over with. Just go ahead and wrap it up. That's the hardest thing to ever get back. When you lose your confidence, Mitchell, my goodness, the wall starts closing in on you. And he's lost his confidence.

How much is this the moment being too big for a young quarterback into it? When you're going against a guy that's intimidating like Arod, you know, this is a guy and Aaron Rogers. You know, people love him, people hate him. But this guy has an ability to win. And that's all he wants to do is when he wins with whatever rosters in front of them. This was considered one of the weaker Green Bay Packers squads. And here they are rolling down the stretch. You know, they seem to be clicking on all cylinders.

Arod is speaking things in the existence. You know, three weeks ago, he's talking about a roadmap for this team to make the playoff. Certain things need to happen. Fast forward now, he says, you know, we need a couple things to happen. The lions lose. The commanders lose. The Giants lose. The Seahawks lose.

Everything they needed to happen. has happened. I mean, is Aaron Rogers' career still in a position where he can do some more damage, possibly make a little run in this playoffs? Mitchell, anytime you got the four-time reigning MVP. He's still the reigning MVP of the National Football League. He just won it, you know, and people have lost their mind counting him out. Now, the team, counting the team out is different, you know, but counting him out, if he has and his weapons and he's developed a better report with receivers. I mean, early in the season, it was disastrous. I think they would have a better chance going to the parking lot and getting somebody. And now they, you know, Christian Watson is

coming to his own and has played really well for him. They're running a ball really well. They're finding ways defensively to create turnovers and make big plays. And I mean, that's, that's fun and dandy. You know, he's going to be dangerous down the stretch. But I think it's going to be tough for them to beat any other contenders. But if they sneak in the playoffs, Aaron Rogers in the playoffs, I mean, You don't give somebody some stress. I'm going to lead our next topic with one word. Kirko.

Curco! The Minnesota Vikings, Rich, and Kirk Cousins. This is their 11th one-possession win on the season. That's the most in NFL history. I mean, they just keep winning. They keep winning. Justin Jefferson keeps in the ball. T.J. Hawkinson, 13 receptions, two touchdowns.

I mean, I don't believe in them. I don't. I just watched the Detroit Lions dismantle them, but they just keep winning. How does this team keep doing it? There's a rabbit's foot in somebody's drawer right now, Mitchell. I don't know if somebody isn't changing their draws, Mitchell, but they are living by some luck that I have never seen before, Mitchell. They are getting breaks and bumps, and they're getting the jump.

Like, you talk about the games they've won and how they've won, you know, the last second wins, the, you talk about the Buffalo Bills game where Josh Allen, fumbles in the end zone. Like from the one-yard line, how do you come out of that game? But you talk about Justin Jefferson. Justin Jefferson, 24th 100-yard game the most through any player in first four seasons. He hasn't even finished his third, which is insane. I mean, he's working on the receiving record, Calvin Johnson's receiving record.

But you've got to give Kirk a lot of credit. People don't want to say he's top 10. They always talk about how volatile. He doesn't play well in big games. right now down the stretch give him his credit they get into one possession game if this was Aaron if this was Tom and they were winning one possession games every game you'd be like well it's time it's Aaron so give Kirk give him his respect I mean he threw for almost 300 three touchdowns like he's not no he's not just 150 yards or 180 yards he's stolen for

300 yards three touchdowns like he's the reason daniel hunter welcome back Patrick peterson fourth interception of the season playing well turned back the hands of time t j hawkinson his best game as a Minnesota Vikings, 13 receptions, 109, two touchdowns. They're clicking at the right time. And I mean, but in the playoffs, I mean, you need that experience, but I just, I don't know. Kirkgo. Kirkgo, keeps it moving. And that same division, the Lions, my hometown team, man.

I got so fired up, Rich. But for me, the line, you just, you never believe, right? You always just kind of hope, you hope, you hope. And until they prove me wrong, I'll always kind of think they're that same. team, but I just thought this team was different. I was a little surprised to see them get absolutely run out the building in that first half. I mean, 320 rush yards, Rich. Well, Chauva Hubbard and Deontay Foreman had over 100 yards at half. I think they had four 30-yard rushes in the first half. I mean, these are not things that teams do over the course of a month or two months, you know,

but 320 rush yards. And to me, and we talked about it before we got on air, it was cold in Carolina. reminded me of a game in the backyard you're playing with your buddies that no one wants to touch each other because they're so freaking cold. The Lions front four, front seven, they weren't touching anybody running through those holes. The Anti-Forman wasn't getting contact until five yards after the safety had to run them down. So your thoughts on the Lions. I feel bad for Jared Goff because Jared Goff is having a heck of a year and he had a heck of a game. He was 25 for 42, not the most efficient, but he threw for 355, three touchdowns. He even read it. Ran it from 15 yards. So like lay at the lines and rushing.

Jared golf leading the lions and rushing. That's a problem. But you're trying to figure out like what happened. And it was like nobody wanted to tackle. What you said, Mitchell, for two running backs to have over 100 yards in the first half, didn't they already fire the coordinator? Like, what are you going to do now? Like, who are you firing now?

Like, it's going to be hard for you to fire anybody else. You got to find out, like, it was heart check, it was gut check. It was, and guys should be ashamed of themselves. for you to let guys run for, I mean, 300 yards? Like, good night. Like, you don't have any pride about yourselves. And I thought this team, you know, this has been a team that everybody wrote off. So as they traded Christian McCaffrey that, hey, they're just folding it in.

And then they gave us hope. They were like, hey, the Panthers are like, okay, we're going to show you guys that we care. We're going to run the ball down everybody's throats. And Detroit, again, a team we wrote off. and we're like, again, make us believe again. And they made us believe this game, I'm done with Detroit. I'm done. That pains me, Rich.

But now the Panthers. The Panthers are in it. And that's what I think a lot of people, you know, especially Detroiters, they kind of were looking past this game. But the Panthers had a lot to play for. That division is wildly up for grabs. The Buccaneers had a hell of a comeback last night, down 10 points in the weaning minutes of that game and Brady does his thing, you know.

But talk to me about we have to do it. Every week, the volume forces us to talk about the NFC South, and we have to talk about them again. Who do you like out of the NFC South, Rich? Work hard and be nice to people. Okay. I like Tom Brady. If he's going to be in it, Mitchell,

and he's winning the division in the last two weeks of the season. I like Tom Brady. He's the only one that could get in the playoffs and do any kind of damage. And I just don't understand what they're doing in Tampa. because throughout majority of the game, every week, they're like, uh, nostalgic. Like they're like on offense, it's boring. It's predictable. And then you get to the fourth quarter and you're like, bang, bang, bang, big play, big play, big play.

Explosive, efficiency from Tom. You're like, wait, what are you guys doing different right now? What do you guys run that offense? Run the fourth quarter offense the whole game. Like if it's hurry up, if it's getting on the ball fast, like what do you got to lose at this point? Like, because every time their defense is keeping them in ball games and allowing it to come down to the last couple positions. And they're finding ways to get it done from time to time. But it's like, why don't you start the game this way?

I mean, Leonard Fournett is dealing with a foot injury. So that's going to be a big loss if they lose him. But I would think, you know, with two games to go, I would think Tom Brady finds a way to get back into the playoffs again in some historic way. Brady being Brady. And Rich, the last game I really want to touch on here is the Cincinnati Bengals and the Patriots. This was a game, you know, frankly, I shut it off. I think the Bengals, you know, 22 nothing at half. There's no way.

And then I flip it back on. I'm like, what in the world's going on here? 22 to 18, you know, Patriots with the ball inside the red zone down the stretch, stretching a turnover, a fumble. But Cincinnati, nonetheless, was able to squeeze out a road win against a new. England team, another team desperate for a win. How high are you on the Cincinnati Bengals team going into the last leg of this regular season going into the playoffs? Well, I'm really high on them.

You know, I think they're a team nobody wants to see an AFC. I don't think Buffalo wants them to come to Buffalo and deal with them. The chiefs, especially after last year, don't want them to come to Kansas City and have to deal with them. But heck of a game for Kendrick B. Welcome back. You know, I had him a hundred yard. catches, a tug, but they were winning 22-0 at half and, you know, didn't score again.

So that's a concern. Patriots, defensive touchdowns. But something I want to talk about, the Mack Jones play where he dove at Eli Apple's knee behind the play. Like, the league should spend people for stuff like that. First off, it's a flag in a normal game. Like, it's an obvious flag. If somebody's running the ball, running backs down the field, and the old lineman just cut somebody

or somebody's returning a pick in a D-Liman. Like if Eli Apple had cut Matt Jones like that behind the ball in a pointless way, hey, it's pointless. This isn't even part of the play. You know, we'd be up in arms. It'd be replayed over and over and over. And we just keep letting Matt Jones get away with it. Like he slides and kicks somebody into growing.

And we'd just say, oh, well, he was probably kind of scared. Like, what do you mean? He was scared. The dude was jumping over him. Like, this dude was not involved in the play. He didn't go after the ball carry. The ball carrier ran right by. and he turned unnecessarily and ran into a guy's knee.

Like, that, that has no place in the game of football, and that doesn't make sense. And the fact that they're not talking about suspending him is crazy. If that, I mean, we talk about dirty plays. You talk about, you know, when Bontes Burrhic, you know, will make a play. Everybody, it's all over ESPN. They're talking about, arrest him, you know, for assault. And this dude, you're like, oh, well, I mean, what about what they did?

No, I know, what about what they did nothing? Like, that's unnecessary play in this football game. And he has too many of them stacking up. Well, it's something I'm sure the league off is going to keep an eye on moving forward. And there might be a little piece of mail heading his way. We'll see. I guess we shall see. Rich, we're at that point in the season where things are really heating up down the stretch.

This playoff run, these last couple wild card spots, and both the AFC and NFC are wildly up for grabs. We've got a big game tonight, chargers, in a much-win situation. But if you look at the AFC, I just want to start there, we talked about it a little bit. The Jets are a team that I know you love. They got Mike White under center now. And the next couple games are very winnable and they're going to be playing against the Dolphins, a team that hold the final spot down that stretch. Who do you like?

Because we got a logjam of Chargers, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, and Titans. The league knows what they're doing. They made all the division games at the end, which is perfect, you know, from what you're expecting. I mean, the Patriots play the Dolphins. The Patriots play Buffalo. Buffalo plays. I want to say Buffalo plays the Dolphins.

like it's going to be crazy down the stretch. The Jets play Seattle and then they play the Dolphins. It's going to get wild down the stretch. But I think it's going to be fun to watch. You know, I can't predict anything. This league has been weird, very weird this year. But if your team in a national football league, at least half the team's got a chance to make the playoffs,

if your team doesn't have a chance in the playoffs, start looking at the draft, baby, some good prospects out there. Unless you're a team like the Rams in the Broncos, in the Broncos who are losing a lot of games and don't have a top five pick that'll go to somebody else. Congratulations. Orish, I got to ask, NFC, Giants, Washington, Seattle, Lions, down the stretch, you got to pick two of those teams and the Packers. Two of those teams, two of those five teams, who do you like?

I guess Seattle and the Giants at this point. I can't say Detroit after what they just did. They didn't want to, because they didn't want to play D. Defense, Metro. They don't want to play defensive. I respect it. I respect it. Well, we got a lot to look forward to, Rich. I know you're going to be in Tennessee this Thursday for, you know, the final Thursday night football game of the season, right, against the Dallas Cowboys. Rich, I will let you sign us off as we conclude. What week is this? Week 16 now? Week 16, Rich. Yep, week 16. We're back at it again with next week. It's been fun. It's been a fun year. Enjoy the last couple weeks. I know everybody talks about bad games and being frustrated with me. matchups, but remember what you got to deal with when there's no football. So enjoy the last couple of weeks. We'll see you next week on Wednesday with a special guest. Appreciate you joining us. Hope your holidays are good. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanza. Whatever you celebrate.

Enjoy it. See you next time. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it

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