The Josh Innes Show - Crappy NFL Playoffs

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

The NFL Playoffs have been about as boring as the early stages of the College Football Playoff. How the hell is this possible? I get where colleges have the have's and have not's, but pro football should be at least slightly more competitive. I think the Rams are a legit live dog at Philly this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, friends. What's going on? It is Tuesday. Glad you are listening to the podcast. Glad you continue to listen. Glad you tell your friends about it. It's awful kind of you to do so. I'd appreciate it if you would keep telling people about it and get more people to the pod. That would be greatly appreciated. I would think that'd be super. That'd be swell. Watched the playoff game last night, which was another snooze. So there were six playoff games this weekend. Five of them were pretty much dreadful football games, which I don't understand how that happens. I don't understand how professional football teams go out and just get their dicks knocked off by other professional football teams. Like, I get it in college, because in college you're dealing with real haves and have-nots.

Like, I get why Indiana gets the doors blown off of them in a game, and I understand why Boise State gets the doors blown off of them. Like, I get that. That makes sense. Because, you know, and maybe this year isn't the best example, but a Georgia, a Texas, an LSU, like those, Ohio State, those places are getting like elite level talent and they spend elite level money to get elite level talent. Like it is a clear cut, like haves and have nots.

You have to try to keep up with the Joneses. So even though a team like Indiana might sneak in because they pick up a transfer quarterback that they pay a couple bucks to, Indiana, even in this world of NIL, while they might become more competitive, they will never be Ohio State or Michigan or LSU or Bama or Georgia or Ole Miss.

They're never going to be at USC, Penn State. They will never be those schools. So it makes sense that when you tune in to the early playoff games in the new college football playoff 12-team format, it makes a shitload of sense that you would see some real disparity and you would see some real blowouts and some ass-kickings. That makes sense, right? It stands to reason that those teams will not be able to

compete at the highest level they can beat some teams that are on their level or lower and they might be able to sneak up and upset someone they shouldn't beat and look like I'm all for like the idea that NIL creates some level of of parity and I do think it makes things a little bit closer to level. But the reality is all that's happening now is these schools that have more money and more resources are paying the big-time players more money than the small schools are. And they're still the haves and the have-nots, right?

It still exists. This idea that we've created this amazing universe where college football is now somehow balanced out because Indiana can go out and compete now and get to the college football playoff. Indiana will never spend the money that Georgia spends. All that's happened here is they, like, let me give you an example of how ridiculous this whole setup is, right? Look, I'm all for it. I've grown to enjoy the transfer portal.

I root for LSU. LSU loses out on a five-star quarterback recruit, Bryce Underwood. What do they do? They go sign 17 transfer portal dudes who are all seemingly pretty accomplished football players. So you're getting veteran players that have played versus spending $12 million on some guy who's a complete unknown. So I'm all for it. I'm not against the transfer portal. I think there need to be rules. I think you need to regulate it a little bit better. I think there need to be more

contractual obligations of these players. Like most people at a real job, if you sign a contract, you don't just leave after one year. It's not really how it works. There's no responsibility on the end of the players. It's the wild west. So I get that. I'm not saying they shouldn't be able to move. I'm saying you've got to put some level of rules in place to prevent it from being you know these situations where a guy plays at five schools in six years that's fucking ridiculous but whatever but then you see a guy like Carson Beck who last year was this kind of like everybody thought oh Carson Beck could be a high draft pick comes back to Georgia this year and for all metrics,

pretty much sucked, especially for a guy who's the quarterback at Georgia. Georgia's supposed to win national championships. If you don't want to say he sucked, fine, but you can't say anything other than he regressed in a major way, right? Fell off a cliff this year and just wasn't good and now transfers to Miami and gets paid $4 million to play a season at Miami. And you say, Josh, who cares? Good for him. Get the bag, bro. Totally with you, 100%. But all that does when a school like Miami pays $4 million to a quarterback, who, by the way, isn't all that great like Carson Beck, that just sets the number for other elite players at other schools even higher. So at the end of the day, do you think Indiana or Rutgers is going to

ever pay $4 million? No. You know who's going to pay $4 million for quarterbacks? Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Ohio State, USC, the usual suspects. So yes, there is an element of equality now because everybody can go out and if you can find the resource to pay a player, you can pay a player. And that's why you can get a situation where like a Diego Pavia, who by the way, not like he came from a major school. He was at like New Mexico State or wherever he was. But like Diego Pavia goes to Vanderbilt, a school that is a loser program and will really always be a loser program. But Diego Pavia goes in there and gives them a little bit of hope and they win a few more games than they normally do. They upset Alabama and it's nice. So really what the transfer portal does is it helps lower end schools maybe kind of rise to the middle and it helps the power schools continue to just grow as power schools

now in 10 years if indiana is a power and if south florida is a power and uh well nebraska's unfair because they have been a power before but you know like colorado if they're a legit power not just oh coach prime is here we're cute but like if they're a legit like schools like that like if they can really keep up in that way then more power to them right if Cal can re-emerge as a player you know schools like that but at the end of it you know what it's going to come down to the Ohio States the LSU's the Bama's the like the big time power conference schools that spend money and what did we learn like I love that we have a playoff but what do we learn in these playoff games, at least in the first couple of them, is they sucked. Then you get down to a situation where you could argue

only putting four teams in a playoff is probably the route to go because the games before them were terrible. There might only be four teams that are worthy of playing for the championship. Maybe. But that's kind of what you got from that with those early games I'm glad those existed they were fun to bet on but if you're truly looking for the best way to crown a champion is the best way to crown a champion by putting 12 teams in like nine of whom legitimately have no fucking shot of winning the thing eight of whom

seven of whom Indiana didn't have a fucking chance in hell in winning that thing you can say well Josh it's like March Madness. Well, it's a lot easier to show up on one day of basketball and catch a team on a bad day, and you've got five seniors, and they've got a bunch of dudes that are one-and-donners, and they just don't show up that day, and you have the best game of your life. And the 15 upsets the two, the 14 upsets the three. That happens pretty frequently. That's nothing new.

You're not going to get into a situation where the magic happens in some shitty 12 seed like Indiana goes in and is going to upset a major school it's not going to happen that way so there's got to be a different way to go about doing that what does that have to do with anything right well I was talking about the fact that the NFL playoffs uh first round came to a conclusion last night and for the most part the NFL playoffs have sucked and it's just amazing to me that that these these teams these franchises that pay so much money to pay professional players still get their dicks knocked off in the playoffs that the Pittsburgh Steelers get worked and I get that there's always going to be better teams. Like I get that they're all pros, but there are better pro teams than others.

There are the Ravens and then there are the Raiders. Like I get it. I understand it. But it's wild to me that you play six playoff games and only one of them is competitive. One. And when I say not even competitive, like the game last night wasn't even remotely competitive. The Ravens game was not remotely competitive. Like the game last night wasn't even remotely competitive. The Ravens game was not remotely competitive. The Bills game was not remotely competitive. They were not competitive games. The Texans game for the first half seemed somewhat competitive. Then they kind of put the,

put it into a next gear and just dominated. But these games have sucked. I'm glad they exist. I'm glad I can bet on them, but they've sucked. And it's just amazing to me that that's possible. And part of this comes from putting more teams in and that's the conundrum. The more teams you put in the playoffs, the more franchises stay interested and cities stay interested throughout the season. If there weren't a seventh playoff spot, Cincinnati wouldn't have been all that jacked up for week seven to week 18 rather because their season would have been over. Miami's season would have been over right so I get it I understand it but the dilemma is you're going to put in an extra team that some years might be great it might be

a team that deserves to be there that won 11 games and is a wild card sometimes it's not happens in baseball like that's the the huge decision that these have to make and really they're not even huge decisions they put everybody in the playoffs if they could because playoffs is more money. It's more broadcast money. So they're never going to be in a situation where they want fewer playoff teams. They're never going to take playoff teams away. But if you're truly looking to get the best quality entertainment on the television, sure as fuck wasn't this year where five of the six games were dog shit

or in the college football playoffs where the first two rounds were essentially dog shit. Anyway, no offense to the dogs and your shit. Let's play some commercials and look at this game last night. All right, if you're ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs, you got to check out pick six from DraftKings. When it comes to basketball payouts, DraftKings pick six posterizes the competition, including prize picks. It's a very simple concept. Hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on pick six, plus even more cash if you outscore the competition. Pick six is available in most states, including Missouri, California, Texas, Georgia, and more, and I absolutely love it.

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that expire in 14 days. Limited time offer. See terms at picksix.draftkings.com slash promos. All right, so that game, look, I've taken it. I mean, just a royal beating over the last three or four days betting-wise. Part of the problem is I think I'm just putting in too many props. I'm just putting in too many. Instead of focusing on ones I really like, I'm just like, well, I'm sitting around all day.

Let's put in a bunch of prop bets so I always have something going. Don't do that. That's how you're down big money like I am the last couple of days, by being a dipshit that's like, hey, I want to have a bunch to root for, so let's go out and put like 13 prop bets on this game, which is stupid. Find the shit you like. But last night was a particular dick punch. In a similar way that taking the overpassing yardage for Jordan Love was a dick punch,

when he needs six more yards and decides to throw a 50-yard bomb that's intercepted. Last night, I had the passing yards for Stafford needed 250, had 120 in the first quarter. Motherfucker didn't get to 250. Why? Because there was a damn defensive touchdown. Like, everything was set up in place. His passing yards, 500 passing yards in the game. Puka Nakuda have a catch in every quarter.

Everything was shaping up. And then the Rams did not throw the ball in the fourth quarter, you sons of bitches. But I can't blame them. They're trying to win a game. Who I can blame is the dog shit Minnesota Vikings who suck. Look, you want to talk about frauds and everything all year? As it turns out, all this talk of,

oh, well, I guess they really got to kind of ride with Sam Darnold and Sam Darnold needs to make a few extra bucks and they can have him play while J.J. McCarthy learns. Maybe they should trade J.J. McCarthy and ride with Sam Darnold. As it turns out, Sam Darnold is a pumpkin. He has turned back into a pumpkin. If this is Cinderella, he is a pumpkin. The clock has struck midnight.

Darnold sucks. Now, in his defense, the offensive line, abysmal. You don't get sacked nine times because you're a shitty quarterback. You get sacked nine times by a combination of you're a shitty quarterback. You get sacked nine times by a combination of you're a shitty quarterback and your offensive line is dreadful. And his offensive line is stone cold terrible in that game. And the Rams, we told you yesterday, the Rams had a great chance to win that game. The Rams are one of the scarier teams in the league. Veteran quarterback, aggressive on defense, secondary is strong like fun fact you

know how many catches justin jefferson jets nflsu had in the second half of that game i know for a fact how many he had zero zero because i took him to have 25 receiving yards in the second half zero zilch notata so that Rams defense and two months ago two and a half months ago they were going to sell everybody it's over Cooper Cup is

he's done all this and now here they are a legit viable threat and I said that before the playoff started like Jilly was asking me hey who do you think is kind of like a team

that could surprise people well I mean Baltimore ain't going to surprise anybody Buffalo ain't going to surprise anybody Kansas City I certainly didn't think the Texans, by the way they were playing, were going to be a surprise. The one that I circled and said this team has the most legitimate chance to be a surprise in the postseason is the Rams. Why? Veteran quarterback who's won a Super Bowl. You've got elite playmaker in Puka Nakua and Cooper Cupp, who's been on a milk carton basically most

of the year, but he's still there. They've got Higby back. Now, I don't know what his injury status is, but Higby's not elite, but he's a good security blanket underneath at tight end. They've got dynamic guys that can go vertical down the field like Demarcus Robinson. Tutu Atwell, who was a huge part of things when they were dealing with injuries, he's not even a factor anymore. Really good running game with Kyron Williams, who had a huge running day yesterday as well.

Veteran at quarterback and a defense that's solid. You want to tell me that team can't go into Philadelphia and steal a game? Of course they could. You ain't playing against dipshits here in Philly. Now, I think that should be a good football game. And again, what it comes down to for Philly is if they can control the ball running the ball, they can really work on the clock. This should be a better game than the Packers game. Packers were dealing with a ton of injuries, suffered more injuries in the game.

Not that the Eagles didn't. They did as well. That's setting up to be a really good game. Let's take a look at some of the early lines here. I was looking at them last night, but let me see if I can pull these up for you really quick. Let's go to the NFL, where the Texans are a seven and a half point dog to the Chiefs. They are a live dog, kiddos. I get that the Chiefs are rested and it's Pat Mahomes and more than likely they're going to win.

I think the Texans have a shot. I don't believe they're going to go in there and get their dicks knocked off. I think they have a legitimate shot to go into Arrowhead and win. Will they? Probably not. But this is not just a, like, this isn't like Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh had no chance to beat Baltimore. No one looked at that game and said, look out for Mike Tomlin and Rusty Wilson and the Steelers. Nobody. You knew Baltimore was going to kick the shit out of them, right? This is a live dog situation. Texans trying to get to their first conference championship game ever, and it would be after defeating the two-time defending champs. It would be fucking sweet. It's not going to happen, but we'll see. Lions are an eight and a half point favorite at home against the Commanders. I do think they can beat the shit out of the Commanders. They do struggle

defensively. I get their battling injuries. That game has all the makings of a shoot out. That's why the over under you want a comparison that game, 55 and a half in the over under Texans game is 41 and a half in the over under that's a two touchdown difference. So this could be a situation where you get into a shootout and the commanders are able to move the ball down the field on you too. But the lions are going to win that you got the field on you too, but the Lions are going to win that. You've got the Ravens and the Bills. The Bills are a point-and-a-half dog at home. I think I'm taking Lamar.

I don't know why. Just first thought that came to my mind was Lamar, taking Lamar on that one. Of course, we're already in the midst of the great race battle of this week, talking about the MVP, and it's only going to get worse as the week goes on. And then the Birds are a five-and-a-half point favorite at home against the Rams. Here's where I struggle with looking at the Birds as a five-and-a-half point favorite against anybody, and I get that they just won by, what, 12, so what do I know? The quarterback position is a miss. Jalen Hurts is not very good. He's fine.

Like, I think at some point you might actually have to look at Sirianni and go, you know what? The guy's kind of coached well. He's weathered the storm. He's doing this with a quarterback who's not great. He's doing it with a wide receiver who clearly dislikes the quarterback who isn't great. And we didn't even talk about that, the reading the book on the sideline. And maybe A.J. Brown does read books on the sideline every game. And maybe he's always reading his self-help book. Maybe. I feel like that would have been known by someone or seen by someone at some other point. Don't kid yourselves and don't be dopes and don't be naive.

That was a message. That was A.J. Brown who wasn't getting targeted in the second half of the game for the most part. Had a chance at a big play on the fake. Tush push. Way overthrown. That is a message. Because I feel like if this guy were legitimately reading a book like Jonathan Moxon on the sideline. The Mox quarterback.

Coyotes. If he's sitting on the bench over there reading that over the last couple of years, somebody would have noticed that at some point and nobody has ever noticed it. No one has ever said anything publicly about it. Of course he's doing that to be a dickhead. So we're in the A.J. Brown dickhead era.

So one of two things is going to happen. It's either going to be a total wash offensively throwing the ball or they're going to go at AJ Brown a lot early in that game to try to get him involved. Cause that's clearly a fucking message. Like even though they were winning, your boy wasn't getting involved. So, but that's also where I'm skeptical of the Eagles. Cause, and I see people getting trashed. If you ever questioned Jalen Hurts, Jalen Hurts

is okay. He's fine. If you took Jalen Hurts and put him on another team that wasn't the Eagles, how good would Jalen Hurts be? If the Raiders today were like, we need a franchise quarterback and we'll do anything to get Jalen Hurts, what is Jalen Hurts doing for you? Is he changing their franchise? And the answer is no. If you put him on the team, think of teams, the Jets. If you went to the Jets today and you're like, hey, we're going to dump Aaron Rodgers

and bring in Jalen Hurts. Is Jalen Hurts making them that much better? If you put Jalen Hurts on the field with the Vikings from last night, are they that much better than they were? They actually might be because Darnold is truly dog shit. But like, what if?

Like, that's not a guy. Like, a lot of people like to rip dudes because they lose a playoff game or they haven't won a Super Bowl. So Jalen Hurts has been to a Super Bowl, so we blow him because he's a guy who's been to a Super Bowl. Joe Flacco won a Super Bowl and won the MVP and people still shit on the guy. Jalen Hurts has been to a Super Bowl, so you can't be critical of him. You know, Justin Herbert hasn't won a playoff game so you can shit on him. Anybody in the world would probably take Justin Herbert over Jalen Hurts. If Justin Herbert were the quarterback of the Eagles, I believe the Eagles would be a no-doubt slam dunk.

Jalen Hurts is part of the issue, especially when he's not able to really get out and run when they get him hemmed in, which happened against the Packers. The Packers were competent at all on offense, and really that's not fair to the Packers, although they were dealing with injuries. Give the Eagles defense a ton of fucking credit because they're dogs out there. So if the Eagles defense wouldn't have shut him the fuck down,

who knows what happens in that game. But if you are someone who is skeptical of Jalen Hurts, you are fair and right to be skeptical. He's got to go out there and do it, which sounds ridiculous for a guy that just wins most of the games he plays. But it's the same thing about being skeptical of the coach who wins 14 games. City was fucking skeptical of Andy Reid. Now they claim him because he's won a couple of Super Bowls at Kansas City. But anyway, that should be a good game. And I think the Rams are a live dog. Plus five and a half, they could win that game. It's just a matter of, you know,

you cannot let the Eagles control the game running the ball. You have to force Jalen Hurts to defeat you and you cannot get into a situation where they can sit on the ball in the fourth quarter. Like, by the way, the Rams want to do the same thing. Rams got out in the fourth quarter yesterday and just, I mean, it was third and 30-ish. It was like second and 30

after three consecutive offensive penalties. Like second or third, I think it was first and like 30. Run, run, not even a fucking screen pass, run three times and punt. They were not scared of the Vikings at all. And they were not going to allow themselves to do anything stupid to allow the Vikings to get back in. That's what they want to do. It's two similar teams in that way. They'd be quite content to never throw the ball in the fourth quarter, both of those teams. So it's about who can get the lead in that situation and rely on their running game to end it.

So it should be good. All right, more to come.