The Kevin Sheehan Show - Only QB Elites In Final 4

Episode Date: January 18, 2021

Cooley and Kevin recap all four of the NFL Playoff games. They scrutinized every play and coaching decision including Andy Reid's 4th and 1 game-ender. They also talked about the Alex Smith "60 Minutes" interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it, but you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Cheyenne Show. Here's Kevin. Brady's going to take it. Touchdown. Tom Brady has got the touchdown on the carry from just outside the one. And the lead is extended to nine with the extra point coming up.

And yes, Tom Brady is heading to his first ever NFC, championship. Cooley, his 14th overall conference championship game. He is one win away from quarterbacking in his 10th Super Bowl. That's really freaking amazing. He got his 32nd playoff win yesterday. That's twice as many as number two, Joe Montana at 16. Is there any other? There's everything about it. It's amazing. He's the greatest. Like, how can we even debate this, really? The other amazing aspect of this is what a change for Brady to go to Tampa this year.

Anybody could play the game that it was all Brady. And it would, trust me, it's a lot of Brady. But what a smart decision to go from a completely depleted roster to that roster in Tampa. I mean, and that defense. in Tampa. I mean, that said, he made throws, dude. He's so good. He's so patient. He knows what he wants to do with the ball. Now, he could have been picked a couple times where he wasn't in this game. Could have changed a little bit on him. You know, I remember when we were having this conversation, and I said, and I forget what your position was. So if it was the same, then you get as much credit.

But when people were talking about Chicago or, you know, San Francisco or there were other teams. I'm trying to think Denver, Indy. I was like, Tampa is the one that makes the most sense. That team is ready to win and win big. All they're missing is a quarterback that won't throw 30 picks and they're going to win 10 or 11 games. and he ended up going there and, you know, obviously, look, this game, and what we're going to do this morning is we're going to go through all four games. That's basically going to be the show.

We'll talk a little bit about Alex Smith, you know, update you on the skins, GM search, maybe talk for a second about Deshawn Watson. We'll probably save that for later in the week. But there was so much to all four of these games. And let me just say this, Cooley, I hate when this weekend's over, because for me it always feels like football season is over. Like we won't have Saturday football now until next September. You know, there's no more Saturday football.

There's three games left, two games next Sunday. Then we've got to wait two games for a Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is always anticlimactic for me. I think championship weekend is sort of anticlimactic from the last two weekends of, you know, 10 games in two weekends. But anyway, I digress. We're going to go through each one of these games, but I wanted to start with the Bucks and the Saints and just say Tom Brady was outstanding, and he was obviously a big reason why they are there.

But this game came down to one thing more than any other. You cannot turn the ball over four times and beat a team like Tampa Bay. It just can't – it won't happen unless they give them back to you and they didn't. They were plus four in the turnover margin. that was the number one reason for their win. I would put Devin White, by the way, as a close second. He was awesome. He was awesome.

He's a baller. And he didn't play last week. No, he didn't play last week. Yeah, the Cook fumble was so costly. You know, the first Breeze pick was bad to Murphy Bunting. The Cook fumble was costly. I thought Cook had a chance to get the second pick on the out and up. White tipped that a little bit.

It looked like white might have tipped it a little bit. The cook fumble to me, look, they had four turnovers. The first three led to 21 points. You know, when you turn the ball over three times and you give up 21 points, I think that's pretty much the most you can give up unless they start going for two. It's nice if you cough it up three times to give up 17 or maybe 13 or maybe nine or maybe none. but 21 is what they got off of three turnovers. And I think you're right.

The Jared Cook fumble, after he had made a catch for a first down into Tampa territory with the Saints up 20 to 13 in the third quarter, that was the one because the Saints were actually on the verge a bit of taking control of the game. Oh, yeah, they'd scored on the opening position right down the field. Yeah. And they're going to go down and probably, it looks like they're going to go down to score again. you got to cover that thing up kev but that said big play by winfield oh big field by winfield junior huge play on that on that no no doubt but that that's the one you know there were other

turnovers that were costly that's the one because the saints were on the verge of taking a two-score lead late third quarter and he by the way he did not tuck that ball away very well that ball was sort of exposed and loose and allowed for the windfield and then who was there to pick it up off the bounce, but old number 45, Devin White. And he returned that 20 yards. The interception that he had, he stiff-armed one of the receivers basically into 10-buk-2. Oh, my God. I was like, is this dude going to be the best running back in the NFL? That was- That stiff arm was awesome. Get off me. Yeah. God, he was good. He was so good. I heard somebody sent me, I think somebody sent me a tweet

that said, you know, pro football focus said that his nine inters, or nine sacks this year were all unblocked sacks. So just take that into consideration. I'm like, did you watch the game? This dude from the jump stood out. Like, I knew he was good, and I've watched some Tampa games this year, and I know people were saying that he was a massive pro bowl snub. When he was out last week, you know, for COVID contact tracing or whatever, I knew. it was a big plus that they weren't going to have to face number 45. I did not really until last night realize how much Tampa was missing defensively. The difference between him and Minter is huge.

Yeah, without him out there. But, you know, it's funny, Cooley. So the smell test was owing to the lock of the week was, you know, you got, unfortunately, you had the Mahomes injury that cost you probably what would have been a winner. Yeah, I'm walking that off. that doesn't count. I don't know it does count, unfortunately. You can't tell your book, hey, but Mahomes got hurt.

I don't have to pay, right? Buckker missed a P-A-T and a field goal that he never misses, so actually I covered. Yeah, hold on for a second. So wait a minute. You're telling me that the final score is 2270. I understand. I understand. By the way, the Chiefs went off as an eight-point favorite.

It went from 10 down to 8. I played it at 10 and ended up winning it. But it came down to 8. game time. Hold on one second. Hold on one second. This is how stupid this betting thing is. And I'm not even betting on the game.

It's just my luck of the week. But now I'm thinking like you're thinking. So I'm sitting there going, okay, fourth and one. Let's go no snap, no play. They'll pun it. The Browns at some point get to that throwaround play. And maybe the Chiefs can pick it up. Right.

Exactly. Like, don't get this first down. Yeah. That's just ridiculous. We got to get to that game because I don't, I'm definitely in, I think, a minority position on Andy Reid's decision. We'll wait on that. We'll get to that game in a moment. But the Bucks Saints game, look, the bottom line is I bet the Bucks going into it.

And I said I would take all four dogs. I didn't give all four out. I only gave the two that didn't cover on Saturday. I just smelled as fix. But I just, in watching Breeze, I've told you this a couple of times, it's just not there. And I know that it is at times, and he's so smart, and the ball comes out early, and he sees everything. But man, if you get any sort of pressure, he threw three interceptions in that game, and two of them were pretty bad. Two of them were bad interceptions.

That interception on the short pass in the first half. Was he trying to get a PI call there? I don't know. You know, it was really close to, you know, PI and, you know, OPI. It was, it was PI. It was very close to OPI. That was within five yards. But when Murphy bunting hooked him, I think the ball was out.

I think it was too. I think that probably, and, you know, it's funny because I think that there were a lot of penalties called in that game yesterday. I'm looking at up right now. 12 penalties. It seemed like there were more flags flying in that game than in a lot of the playoff games this year. But he just under pressure and watching him this year, look, this is an incredible turnaround from their last game. They beat the Buccaneers 38 to 3 and were up 31-0 in that Sunday night game a few months ago. They beat him in the opener. And look, without four

turnovers, their defense was awesome. The Saints defense, I think, was awesome. With two turnovers, they probably win the game. You know, losing the turnover battle minus two, I think they probably would have won the game. So I'm not saying that they weren't, you know, as good or maybe even a little bit better, but I just felt watching them this year. Great defense. Camara's great. Their receivers are good enough and, you know, even without Thomas. And, and, you know, And it's going to be breeze that does them in. And it was. Yeah, it was.

I mean, I'm just sitting here thinking about it. He missed in a couple other throws, too. He missed one throw down the field that he would never miss. He almost had another pick on a deep crosser, but it looked like his receiver didn't do the right thing. You know, the Camara pick, I think he's expecting Camer to turn around. The Devin White interception. Yeah.

Yeah. I think he's thinking Camara's got to be ready to have that ball on. him. Yeah. But he did miss a couple throws. He missed a couple other throws in this game. You know, as I'm watching this game, the Saints owned the first quarter. Owned it, and it was only 6-0. And it's 6-0.

And after that big return, they got a score. It should have been 10-0, potentially 14-0, and then Tampa's really in trouble. The Bucks defense was great, too, though. No, they were absolutely. They are a great defense. They were great. Yeah, much better than they were last week, and I would attribute that to white being in the game

as much as anything else. White being in the game is a huge part of that. There's no doubt about it. I mean, Michael, they covered Michael Thomas really well, too. Yeah, they did. But, I mean, to start this game, six nothing, it cost them. And then they get the ball back and they throw that pick to Murphy Bunting.

Yeah, that's the one. or that you think was a hook in PI? I do. I think it was PI. I don't necessarily, I like allowing the contact, but Bunting hooked him around his waist. And I think the ball was out before he let go.

Didn't they have, who's the, they had stare at Tor come on and said, yeah, it's close. Yeah. But I thought it was, PI.

I thought, but the thing is, is when it mattered as well, Well, New Orleans made big plays in this game. Like, they're tied up in the fourth quarter. It's a third and 11. And that catch by Tyler Johnson down the sideline. That was my guy, coolly in the draft.

I told you. Fifth rounder. Fourth rounder. He was a guy that I... It's a fifth on Wikipedia. All I remember is I remember saying when we were talking draft, I'm like, if they get a receiver and they want another receiver in the middle portion of this draft, I love the kid from Minnesota, Tyler Johnson.

and he's got fucking great hands, and he's smart. And, you know, Brady apparently loves him. You heard what they said after he made that catch, but they've got so much talent, he just hasn't gotten that much run. That third and 11 was huge, because the game was 20-20 at that point. That was the drive that ended up in the field goal to give him the lead.

But let me go back earlier in the game. I'm going to give you a play that I thought was really, really crucial. Because you talked about it. The Saints come out, has, I mean, this guy's been dangerous on punt returns all year long. And he has the big punt return. They only get a field goal. Then he has another 67-yard punt return that gets called back, and it was a good call.

But they drive down and they get a field goal on that drive at 6-0. The bucks have started three and out, three and out, two punts. And now they are facing a third and one from their own 34-yard line. And I think it was Jones gets snuffed, and it's fourth and one. And are they going to punt it back for a third straight time and put in New Orleans back because I'll tell you in that moment I really felt like damn I am on the wrong side of this game and from their own 34 they kept Brady out there and they snuck Brady for the first down and I thought that was a massive decision and a real I mean look if they punt it it's three

straight three and outs and now New Orleans has a chance with the ball to go up two scores if they go for it and miss it the Saints are already in field goal range and I thought that that was a Bruce Ariens feeling a little bit desperate early in the game, but doing 100% the right thing because it was about a half yard, not a full yard. And Brady kept it. They got the first down and that sparked a 15 play nearly seven minute drive. They only got three on the drive, but it was like, okay, they are in this game now. And then they got the pick to take the 10-6 lead, etc. But I thought that was a crucial moment in the game. Even though I think ultimately the Bucks defense was going to make some plays in this one,

three straight three and outs would not have felt good. Look, the Saints defense is outstanding. Really, really good. No, they're really good. And they did a great. I love how they played Tampa. They played them in two high safeties. And basically, they squatted inside and said, you're going to throw it over the top on our corners. Yeah. Brady did take a shot. Godwin had a couple more drops, too. Brady took a shot right at the end of the half and Godwin dropped one in the back of the end zone. But I'm watching this game, Kevin. You know, I'd said to you, you could play too high and six under. Like, there's a variety of things you could do. You could place five up front. I like the way the Saints played him. But we couldn't have played him that way. I don't think that. Because I don't think that you can truly. trust your corners outside. Well, and that dude, Latimore, is awesome.

He's awesome. He's great. The Saints are really good on defense, and they get pressure, and they stop the run. They get pressure. That was pressure on Brady yesterday. I mean, even when he didn't get sacked, there were a couple times where he had to, he had to throw it away. I mean, look, he barely completed 50% of his passes in that game. He was, you know, I don't know, I'm looking through statistically. to see how many times he was hit. He wasn't hit a lot. But there were a lot of times where he was hurried. But you're right. Like the third and one deep shots on the outside is, you know, he took

some shots early, and they were off the field because of it, because they weren't completed. I thought that Fournette once again, you know, he has found new life in this postseason because playoff Lenny. He just, playoff Lenny. He was not that way during the regular season, and they got Ronald Jones back, and he was huge in this game. Did you think he completed that catch? Yes. There was a touchdown down on the five-yard line. That was to tie it up at 2020.

He bottled it. They never reviewed it. They said that it was never reviewed, but I don't think that there's any chance that would have been overturned. I need to, I'd have to go back and look at it again. There's a lot of times you can say it's never reviewed, but somebody could see it quick enough upstairs and say it's good.

Right. Well, it's like I remember, you know, I was going to mention, you know, the Saints and Breeze and, you know, the reports that Breeze is going to retire. Glazer had that before the game. And look, Breeze is one of the all-time greats. I mean, he is a phenomenal quarterback. He's a Super Bowl champion one time, an MVP, you know, all-time yardage leader with over 80,000 yards, second-most touchdowns, five-time all-pro, 13-time pro bowl. or led the NFL in passing yard seven times. But I think people are going to look back on his career.

And not in the same way. Peyton ended up getting a second Super Bowl. And it wasn't his Super Bowl as much as it was Von Miller's. But they're going to feel like New Orleans sort of underachieved in the postseason. His playoff record is nine and nine, you know, career. Sean Payton, you know, having a part of all of that. And for three consecutive years, they went out as a favored team at home. You know, they lost to the Rams in that controversial title game two years ago.

They lost to the Vikings last year in overtime. And by the way, that was a play. The touchdown passed to Rudolph in overtime. That's not a breeze play. That said that people said, did that even get reviewed? It was reviewed for the offensive PI, remember. but they didn't say it on the broadcast. So my point, like, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fournet was just a quick look and say,

yep, you know, done. And then they went out at home yesterday. Three straight years at home is a favorite. That's a rough ending. Look. This one was on, a lot of this one was on Drew. No doubt. I thought last year he got rattled in that game against Minnesota.

He was pretty good, I think, in the Rams title game. But, um, yeah. Look, I mean, we can have this conversation when he does retire. The next step for him, if he does retire, is obviously Canton in five years. For me, when it comes to the Breeze conversation, he's not on the short list of the greatest of all time for me. Like, I'd personally put 8 to 10 quarterbacks minimum in front of him, and he probably would land somewhere in the 10 to 15 range. But it doesn't matter. He's, you know, he's one of the best to ever do it.

Yeah, when you look at the career in some of the wins and losses in the playoffs, you've got to start to count winning and winning Super Bowls when you're saying best of all time. Now, that said, give me Drew Breeze circa 2009 against anybody else in any given game or Drew Breeze circa 2009 to 2017. I might take Drew Breeze over almost anybody. He's probably in my top five to play a game. You mean from those years? Yes. At the height of his success, the way he

played the game and how good he was, you might not find five quarterbacks that you take over him. You're not going to find 10. I'll tell you what. I would agree that based on some of the success in the playoffs, but you look at the Minnesota game where they scored on the

what the last play, the crazy last play, the Rams play that should have been. I mean, there's some bad luck. that he's had too. True. Look, I never, Marino to me is a top five or six quarterback of all time, and he went to one Super Bowl and lost it. So I'm not one of those guys that judges these quarterbacks on Super Bowls. I don't do it unless I'm just having fun with Clay about Tony Romo. The truth is that Breeze is an all-time great. I just think that there are eight to ten quarterbacks that I could probably just name right off the top of my head that I would put

in front of him. And it's more of a qualitative thing. It's not, we got to watch Drew Breeze's entire career. I mean, Brady, Manning, Marino, Montana, Elway, Young. I'm just thinking out loud here. I'm sure, I mean, I didn't get to see some of the guys like Unitas, some of the guys like, you know, that would be. So it's more my era of 70s on watching football. But how many did I just rip through there?

Six or seven. So I got him probably, you know, if he's in the top 10, it's barely in the top 10. You just listed five. Brady Manning. For me, the Mount Rushmore is Brady? Elway. Okay, Elway was always my number one. Manning, Marino, Montana, Young. Rogers, to me, is a better all-time quarterback than Breeze. Why? I think Rogers, by the time he's done, we're going to have him.

I think he's already ahead of Breeze. But what is he to say that he's better right now? I think he's... This is another conversation. It is. We're getting sidetracked here. We're getting sidetracked here. We're getting sidetracked. Anyway. That said, in a huge game, he threw for 134 yards and three picks. And maybe two of them were not his fault.

You know, the one that got tipped on the sideline to Cook. That's a, the ball's a little bit late. Cook wins on an out and up. He should catch it. He should catch that ball. I think so. There's definitely a choice made by Camara there that Breeze didn't expect. They run that.

It's common for them. It's a choice concept. He chose to go vertical and thought he was going to clear it. And he hadn't looked. So two of them, I'm not fully putting on Drew. But that said, Drew missed some other throws, Kev. He did. Yeah.

Did you see the shot of him walking out of the stadium at the very end? And waving. He waved to people. Well, he's going to retire. And then it was really cool the way he just stopped when he got to the front of the tunnel and then turned around and just looked up. at the stadium and then walked in. And then there's a video out there of him and Brady on the field with Breezes kids after

the game in Brady. There's like a Nerf football that Brady's throwing to one of his sons. I mean, in meantime, we're barely even acknowledging the goat. I mean, I just don't, how do you even fathom what this man has done? And a lot, there's a lot of people to get credit for it. obviously in New England and a coach. But the Brady versus Belichick argument is not looking great for Belichick today, but it's brutally unfair.

Belichick had a massively changing team this year, and Brady went to a star-laden team. But it's just remarkable that he is going to play in his 14th conference championship game and has a chance to play in his 10th Super Bowl. And he just quarterbacked his 43rd, 43rd playoff game, I mean, he's got 32 wins. And the next closest. Yeah, he's got 32 wins.

The next one with Montana was the next closest for like 14. 16. Montana's got half the number of playoff wins. Come on, dude. Come on. It's really... This guy has double the amount of wins that any other quarterback in the history of the NFL has in the playoffs. Yeah.

Come on. Yeah. And keep in mind, they were the division champ every year. So it wasn't like they're playing three. The one seed. Yeah, right. which gave him the opportunity to at least have a chance, a better chance of getting to the Super Bowl,

but he wasn't playing three playoff games a year or four playoff games a year. I mean, I'm looking at Montana. Montana was 16 and 7. Montana, you know, and he did it obviously in two places too. Didn't get to the Super Bowl with the Chiefs. In his first year in Kansas City, like Brady's first year in Tampa,

He made it to the championship game and they lost to the bills in the 94 season championship game. The 93 season, I'm sorry, 94 championship game at Buffalo 30 to 13. And then his final playoff game was the next year and they lost in the wild card round of Miami. I thought Brady did, I thought they were balanced. By the way, I think Cooley against Green Bay, if they can stay balanced like they were against the Saints. They ran it 35 times, ran it, you know, threw it 33. Fournette and Jones is a combination where 30 carries 125 yards. He used Fournette really well as a pass receiver on a couple of big third down, you know, makes.

Godwin had a couple more drops yesterday. You think that that ball in the end zone, he should have caught that at the end of the half? I'm not saying should have, but I think he can. I think Gronk had a chance to catch one on a corner out in the end zone that hit his hands. Right. It would have been an amazing catch. They could have caught. I mean, there were a couple drops in this game.

It wasn't bad. You know who's a... Godwin had two or three drops again. Antonio Brown obviously was banged up a little bit and not feeling great, but he's sort of been a non-factor except for that touchdown. He had a reverse, I guess, last week. No, he hasn't. He's had some plays.

Not yesterday. He was maybe a non-factor in this game a little bit, being banged up. Only one reception, but in the last three weeks, he's been a factor for them. One last thought. I mean, it's just crazy. Like, and you mentioned they stay balanced. Here's the thing I like the two things I like maybe the most about Tom Brady. They stayed balanced because they played two high safeties in a light box.

So he ran it. Yeah. And he'll check him into those plays. I love that. He doesn't care how he wins. No. He doesn't care if he throws for 390 or 199. Does not care.

He'll. do it when he has to do it, but until he has to do it, he's going to do the right thing. Two, I love anytime somebody makes a mistake for Tampa, just how upset Tom gets, how accountable he holds everybody. The false start, yeah. The false start. He's just, I mean, he did it a couple times in our game, or in the Washington game. Right.

I love that, man. There's no, you don't make a mistake. You know if you make a mistake, you got to come back and look at Tom, go, sorry buddy he's great that's great that is I mean that is that is real leadership you can't just walk out as a young player and do that well I mean he's 20 years older than some of those people like taking some credibility yeah I mean he's old enough to be you know a an uncle or a father in some cases um to some of these young players it's it's such a great like to see brady versus breeze and now have brady and rogers in the nfc championship game um I'll

tell you what, I guarantee the ratings last night were through the effing roof for that game for Brady versus Breeze on a Sunday night in mid-January. Oh, God, the NFL, I mean, had to eat that up last night. Do you have any more thoughts on this one? We'll move to Brown's Chiefs, if you're ready to do that. The only thought I had as I sat and watched that game is I really wish that New Orleans had a chance to go down the field in the two-minute drill. I was really hoping that they would find a way to score again. That dude, Cook may it cost him the game. It was, it was massively, massive cost because they really were starting to take control.

And not necessarily I didn't think because of Breeze, but because of their defense, their defense was really outstanding. I'm also surprised that they didn't attack through, the middle of that game, the middle of the field of Tampa, more like Washington did with Heineke. They really just never attacked 15 to 20 yards in between the hash of numbers. And I thought that's where Tampa was the weakest defensively. And maybe White changed that some.

I think White did change that some, don't you? Yeah. I mean, I think the other thing, too, is that the, um, I don't, I'm not about to sit here and tell you that Taylor Heineke was more impactful in the game than Drew Brees was last night. You're not going to sit here and say that he would be in another game, but you are going to sit here and say that he was in that game. Well, I guess. Maybe not more impactful.

He didn't. I guess he was. Drew was impactful. He threw three picks. Yeah. He threw three picks. Again, two of them I'm not fully putting on Drew. Okay.

Let's get to the next game. Oh, I had one last thing about that game. You know the play where they brought in James and little razzle-dazzle touchdown? Oh, yeah, the play that they stole from the Bears. The Bears tried to run against them, exactly. You know, by the way, just as another aside, they weren't very impressive last week against the Bears on offense. Now, I know the Bears are really good defensively, too,

but they didn't turn the ball over last week. A Hill had the one fumble, I think, on that pressure by Mingo, I think. it was. But they weren't overly, like the Bears that was a 7 to 3 game with like two minutes to go in the third quarter. And so that's why I just had this sense that I thought

the Saints were exceptional defensively, but I just thought offensively there was something missing. Yeah, there was. There was a few things missing. Yeah. But like Michael Thomas having zero catches was missing. That was weird. And he was missing. dazzle play though that was hilarious Troy's sitting there and Joe Buck they're sitting there

talking about. They love this guy Peyton because he'll stay up till 2 in the morning drying up these plays. And everyone watching is like dude the bears just ran that play. They just literally ran the exact same play. Stay up till 3 in the morning drying plays.

No. All right. Let's, uh, that's a good play. Let's run it against them next week. I loved it. My prediction is James Winston is the starting quarterback. I think Sean Payton's going to like James Winston, and I think the Saints will be good.

And it's probably good for him to have a year with Drew. He probably was. All right, we'll get to the crazy game yesterday, the early game, the Chiefs and the Browns with an incredible decision by Andy Reid at the end, right after this word from one of our sponsors. Back in the 19. There's Kelsey at the 10. Leaps for the touchdown.

Travis Kelsey. You know, Cooley, first of all, I love these games and sitting down and watching them. And when you have a little bit on the line like I did with the Browns plus 10, I told you they went off at plus 8, but I played them at the end of the week plus 10. You just get this sense, you know, at some point, like, do I have a chance or not? And I never thought I had a chance. And when Baker Mayfield opened up the second half already trailing 19 to 3 and he gets picked off Honey Badger by Terran Matthew, it's like, okay, I can go do something else now until the Buck's

Saints game begins because this one is over. And as it turns out, and this is the great thing about sports, but really the NFL is the craziness was just about to begin. Because I don't, I can't imagine that anybody watching this game thought when Mayfield through the pick to open up the second half at 19 to 3, that there was any chance Cleveland had of winning the game or even covering, you know, because I was convinced it was about to be 26 to 3, and we were headed to like 40 to 10. That there was no chance. And it hurt a little bit because in the first half, I thought Cleveland made some plays and, you know, we'll get to the Higgins play at the end of the first half, the fumble for the touchback and

the missed call and the helmet to helmet on Sorensen. but it was over, except that it wasn't, because Butker misses a 33-yard field goal. The Browns decide, hey, we can run the football. Let's start running the football. And before you know it, it's 19 to 10, and then Mahomes gets hurt. And it's like, whoa, wait a minute. Chad Henney's in the game.

And it's 20. Now, they got a field goal after Mahomes got hurt. But then it was on. and there was just so much to the game. I don't know where you want to start. If you want to go chronologically, you want to start with the end of the half, the Higgins fumble into the end zone for the touchback?

I think you've got to start with the end of the game. Fine. Let's start with the end of the game then. I don't think you bury the lead on this one. Fair enough. Fair enough. Dude, first of all, that run by Henney? I know. come on

third and 14 after he takes a sack and by the way how much trust they had in handy to come out throwing the ball a little bit second and eight they threw it they threw it on two second and eight second eight they throw it but how

smart is it by handy to just take the sack you're fine just take the sack it's not the end of the world you can punt there you don't want to throw an incomplete pass that's for sure don't want to stop the clock don't want to throw a pick it's fine you take the sack

comes out he gets the third and 14 scramble. Romo is going ballistic, which I'm not buying totally. And then it's fourth and one. Dude. What do you mean you're not buying? You thought Romo was to what? You think he was really that excited about,

Henning? I don't know, man. I can tell you this. He's awesome. I can tell you this. They are by far and away the best of the number one cruise. Not even close. And I know that, you know, for some,

Romo is a little bit too much or whatever. the number one crews have gone down in my eyes. In terms of somebody really knows and can tell you what's going on, Romo is great. And Nance is a perfect play-by-play for him. But the Henny, Cooley, first of all, on that drive, okay, they threw the ball. Keep in mind, Cleveland does not have any timeouts. It's second and eight with 2.30 to go, and they drop them back to throw. like Andy Reed, let's call it what it was.

Andy Reed was treating the end of that game as if Patrick Mahomes was still in the game. And I love that. I'm going to tell you why I didn't on the fourth down here momentarily, but I didn't. Obviously, he knows Henny better than we do, and he was going to win the game on offense with Henny. So I don't have a problem with that. But the second and eight, I think, was more surprised. Well, they both were surprising because the second and eight snap, you know, that gets you to third and something at the two-minute warning.

And but they went for the first down there and he gets sacked. So now you're third and 14 at the two-minute. And you're going probably should have handed it off there. And on the third and 14, I'm thinking at that point, they are definitely going to run the football here. And Ramos sitting there telling you, well, they're 100% throwing. Patrick Mahomes is in the game. Second and eight, they're throwing. Third and 14, they're throwing.

Probably run it here. Nope, it's a throw. Drop back pass. Oh, there's no doubt with Mahomes in the game, they're throwing to get the first down to win the game. But with Henny in the game, what did you think on the third and 14? I thought they were going to run the ball, maybe run a draw, maybe run a bubble, but they're going to make sure when they punt this thing that there's a minute 20 left and no timeouts and a significant portion of the field that they're going to have to go to get this thing. because third and 14 with Henny is what 10% 15% 20% I guess with Tyree kill on the field Travis.

I think so. I think you're telling Henny just don't take a big sack and don't throw an incompletion. Try not to take a big sack. Yeah. You know, if you take a sack for four and third and 18, we punt and it's the same. I mean, it's eight yards difference field position if you were to run it and get three or four. He picks up 13 and a half and leaves them with a fourth and inches. And by the way, they did a great job on the spot on the field.

I actually thought he got it when I first saw the replay, but then, you know, the elbow down where the ball was. What a good spot. It was a great spot, as it turned out. It was a great play by him, and it created this incredible situation of fourth and inches from their own 48-yard line. after they, you know, did the replay, they rolled the clock again.

So tell me what you were thinking in the moment. No snap, no play. Me too. As was everybody else watching the game, as was the Brown's defense. If that was practiced, just so we're clear, if that was practiced as fake no snap, no play, and then run a play, The thought that went into that by Reed is awesome.

The situational practicing of something is unbelievable. I'm just going to tell you right now, it's amazing. Again, that is the old school Joe Montana, Bill Walsh, West Coast, Sprit, right, run it. So get it to your best receiver. The Browns didn't expect it. They didn't think it was coming. I'm sitting here wondering like, does Andy Reed go back how many games and say, hey, look, if we get a critical spot where they think we're going to just go no snap, no play, anywhere on, like any time in the game, how do the Browns prepare for that? Does their defense look set against a fourth and one, right in a situation where you're probably just going to try to draw them?

I don't, if that doesn't work, that's a disaster. So what did you think? I don't know if I got the balls to go. I don't know, Kev. If Andy Reid, let me put it to you this way. If Andy Reid didn't win a Super Bowl last year, he's punning that ball. So do you think he made the right call? Well, yes, but I think there's context to it.

I think he understood that he would get the Browns off guard. That's fair. I think he believed that Henny could make the play. If you're asking that. Now, if the play's covered, that's a different situation. I mean, let's keep in mind, not only did they snap the ball, they snapped it and threw it. It's fourth and inches. It doesn't matter if you run it or throw it.

You just have to get the first down. Yeah, I understand that. But inches, the odds of a QB sneak with a pretty big dude. You know, Henny's a big, right? He's like 6'4 and he's big and thick. like he's a pretty decent chance he's going to convert on a sneak and yet he had him throw it. So let me tell you what I thought, okay? First of all, I like you, I was shocked that they snapped the ball.

By the way, they snapped it with still six seconds left on the play clock. Well, that's what you have to do. If that was part of the genius behind it because they, you know, the defense is waiting for them and doesn't want to be drawn off sides and is waiting for the whole thing, you know, kudos to him. Here's my overall thought. First of all, I love whether it's been Sean Payton over the years or Andy Reid over the years. I love and I prefer to win the game on offense. But the context to this is that Kansas City, by snapping that ball, in my opinion, provided Cleveland with their best chance to win the game. that a punt that lands inside the 20, maybe inside the 15, maybe inside the 10 from there, with a minute to go and no timeouts is a massive long shot to win that game.

Like you're talking about best case is probably a Hail Mary at the end. That's if they can get it to midfield or get it into Kansas City territory. But with no timeouts, you know, more likely than not well inside your 20-yard line, and a minute to go, the game is pretty much yours. And what he did there by snapping it and throwing it is he brought all of this other stuff into play. Look, the chances that they're going to make it are very high, especially going to sneak. But the chances they're going to make it high with, you know, Tyree Kill and his feeling of the play and the way they set it up are pretty high. but the chance for Cleveland to win the game was for Kansas City to snap it there and for something to go wrong,

which it could have with Chad Henney. With Mahomes, I don't think anything's going to go wrong. And with Mahomes, I absolutely think they're going to snap the ball. With Henny, I didn't think they would snap the ball. And when they did, I'm like, oh my God, I'm shocked. And then I thought about it. And, you know, people just were praising Andy Reid and calling him, No other coach would do this.

And this is why Andy Reid is Andy Reid. And I get it. And I love Andy Reid trying to win games rather than playing not to lose games. But I think here in this particular situation, I think he should have punted it. I mean, there could be here. First of all, let me just give you this. Almost every quarterback can make this throw. Sprint right at a gun.

You're trusting that Henny can make the throw. So what you're saying if you're Andy Reid is, does Territi, kill separate or what are they what's the coverage here you get the browns lined up in straight man to man man man and then you get your guy hill hill lined up on mj stewart junior in the slot yeah he was in there's a chance kev that you could have a no snap no play or a delay a game or you can tell your quarterback and your guys if we get the look we want we're running the play sure but that's not what they said afterwards. They said they were running the play. They decided. Because remember with the replay on the spot, on the scrambling. I'm not telling anybody that I might check out of that.

Okay, that's fine. That's fair. But they, um, they had a lot of time there because they replayed the spot on the scramble by Henny. Sure. The other genius to this is you think that no snap, no play, play might work next week? You go with the hard count and you better be ready to play it. All I'm saying to you is a punt pretty much won the game, would have won the game too. Pretty much. Unless Matt Stafford's back there. Unless Matt Stafford.

I mean, I'll tell you what, you know what? I've been impressed with Mayfield the last, you know, couple of months. Made some throws in this game, Cove. Made some really good throws in this game. They had the ball down 2217. I thought there, you know, Stefanski's challenge on the Tyreek Hill thing cost them a timeout. I actually didn't have as much of an issue with that because they had missed an opportunity to challenge earlier in the game on a catch. The one that killed them was, you know, after the, by the way, let's not forget that Henny had thrown a ball into the end zone to like four Cleveland Browns waiting for it.

And Carl Joseph intercepted it. So that's another reason that I didn't think they were going. What are you doing? Right. That was another reason I didn't think they would snap it. But the really bad timeout by Stefanski was when they, on fourth and one, you pick it up with Mayfield on a sneak. And you got to have a play. You can't burn a time out there.

It's not like you're waiting for receivers to come back from the other end of the field and it cost you time and you didn't get the personnel. That's a fourth and one sneak. You got to have a play. and they ended up burning their second time out there, which by the way, you know, also kind of ruined their momentum a little bit. And, you know,

several people tweeted me and said, would you have gone for the fourth and nine with like 420 or something left? If Mahomes was on the other side of the field. Exactly. I would have considered it with Mahomes because they were down to one time out. They might have a better chance to win there.

Yeah. And you know what? And if you don't get it, then you have a short field where maybe you give up a field goal, but you're only down eight. So I would have with Mahomes on the other side on fourth and nine, definitely. But fourth and nine from your own 32, 420 to go in Henny, I would not have gone for it. But I, that was a terrible.

Also, I don't like the play. I don't like Baker throwing that check down there on that third and 14 or whatever it was. I don't remember the play. It was third and long because it was a play that preceded it. Oh, yeah. Right? Yeah. The third down play with Baker.

Yeah. I thought he got rid of it too quick. Okay. I thought he got rid of the ball too quick. And I think Romo is talking about he had pressure in his face. But I thought he needed to move and try to make a play down the field there or run. He got way too quick to the checkdown. And maybe you're hoping the checkdown gets you to a fourth and five.

Yeah. But I thought he got rid of it. of that ball too quick. For a guy that's become, that's really kind of a gunslinger that makes those types of throws. I'm looking at the play right now. I really think. He did get some immediate pressure right off the defense's left side.

It was third and 11. He got immediate pressure, but you're right, he could have stepped to the left and maybe even made a big play with his legs. I guess, I mean, on Mayfield, I think what I was not a fan at all. Like I thought this had bust. This is why you just got to wait on quarterbacks, man. You just got to wait on quarterbacks. Sometimes it takes the right coach.

Sometimes it just takes the right scheme, the right coach, the whole thing. He made some big plays in that game. But I really did think when they got the ball back off that interception, they were going to go down and take the lead. I thought Kansas City was in deep, deep trouble. And it really was the best of this weekend when you have a heavily favored team at home. And there were fans at Arrowhead.

There were fans at Lambo this weekend. There were fans in Orchard Park. There were fans at Arrowhead. You could hear them. Which was kind of cool the whole weekend. But I thought the Browns were going to go down and win. And obviously it would have been Mahomes' injury that cost them the win. But it was a compelling, you know, hour.

When Mahomes got hurt and it's 19 to 10, And then they make it 2217, and then they get an interception. You're like, wow, the Chiefs may be out. The Browns may be playing the bills in the AFC title game. Anyway, there were other things from this game. I mean, they made some price too. Gosh, that Hooper catch on fourth and two. Oh, that was a great catch.

Great catch. They had a couple of fourth down conversions on that drive, right? I know. So the, let's go back. to the first half on the play on the Higgins fumble into the end zone. Here's my bottom line.

Stop doing that. Okay? Stop trying to reach the ball out and extend the ball to the pylon unless it's fourth down or the clock is going to expire and you have no other choice. It's just stupid.

And the well-coached teams in this league, rarely do it. Belichick apparently nobody does it on New England's team. Like this is a major point of emphasis. We are going to protect the ball at all costs because the reward is nowhere near. You know, the risk is nowhere near worth the reward of that. You've got first and goal inside your own one. Stop it. We see it all the time. He won't be the last. They just, they need to score. They need to score. And I had people say, you're playing the Chiefs, you're playing Mahomes. It's going to be first and goal inside the one-yard line.

There was plenty of time left. Minute 50. By the way, if anything, it would have benefited him not to score, and they could have taken some more time off the clock because Mahomes is going to score on the other end after you score. But anyway, protect the ball at all costs unless you don't have a choice. Now, for those that say, that it's a stupid rule.

Okay, fine, but it is the rule. It's the rule. It's the rule. Now, there's no doubt that Sorensen went helmet to helmet with Higgins. I don't, I think there's doubt. You do? Here's what I hate. Okay.

Just so we're clear. Yeah. Higgins is not defenseless. He is going to score if Sorensen doesn't throw his body. And if you watch this 10 times in a row in slow motion, of course, helmet gets into the play. But he is trying to turn and throw his right shoulder with his right arm as hard as he can. And he turns his body. Completely, Sorenson completely turns his body. They do hit helmet to helmet. I understand that. I'm not going to argue that with you. But that is a football

play by Sorensen. That is a big time football play by Sorensen. I got no problem whatsoever with the hit. if you make that a penalty, it's, Kev, it's, it changes the game. And here's the other thing. I would tell Sorensen to make that play every single time because you're preventing a touchdown.

Yeah, no doubt. Yeah, he's going. You're still preventing a touchdown. You have no choice, but to make that type of tackle. Yeah, and by the way, if you do get flagged and the ball doesn't scoot through the end zone for a touchback,

it's half the distance to the goal. Like you're going to get a six-inch penalty called against you at the end of that play. So ESPN's been doing a pretty good job on ESPN.com. Kevin Seaford, who's one of my favorite writers on ESPN.com, has been doing this thing throughout the playoffs about the controversial calls and going back and explaining them and looking at the rules. So obviously, the touchback rule, that was correctly called. If you don't like the rule, whatever. They're not, that's the rule that was a touchback. Stop extending the ball out to the pylon on a play that's going to result in a first and goal inside the one-yard line.

It's just, it's a stupid risk to take. The play, the Sorensen lowering his helmet, okay, is, according to the referees that he talked to, a clear violation of the rule, the NFL instituted in 2018, where, you know, you, you're lowering your helmet and leading with that helmet to initiate contact. However, however, only 40 penalties for the entire season were called on that. It is such a bang, bang, call, and so hard for the officials to call that. So it's not unusual that that didn't, that that wasn't called this year. You know, in hundreds and hundreds of games, you had it called 40 times.

I bet it happened 500. 400 times this year. So it's not something that they pick up on a lot. And I don't have a problem with that. That's a football play. I agree with you on that. But I do think it was a penalty. But I'm less upset that it wasn't called.

And more upset with the whole notion that somehow the penalty caused the touchback. No. What caused the touchback was him extending the ball out. because if he tucks that ball away and gets hit, he's just going, he's being hit out of bounds. If that ball's in his, tucked under his right arm and tucked away, he's not fumbling the ball through the end zone. He fumbled the ball through the end zone because he was hit hard,

but the ball was extending out towards the end zone. In the history of football, that's an amazing defensive play, that's an idiotic offensive play that's hard because instincts tell you to reach the ball out. Kev, though, if that's a penalty, the Browns keep the ball. Yeah, exactly. The Browns keep the ball. The Browns keep the ball right there. Right at the spot of the foul.

Well, no, actually, if that is called a penalty. It's from the spot of the foul. I think it would have been first and goal from the three-inch line. that that doesn't make sense to me it makes sense to me that it would be i guess i guess you're right it wouldn't be the chief's ball at the 20 obviously um yeah no you're right she sort of never got the ball yeah it would have been yeah exactly caused the fumbled and that's right browns would have kept the ball yeah i just didn't i personally don't think that it was um a helmet to helmet i i don't think it's a hit on a defenseless receiver look the helmet to helmet

stuff, I think it's almost got to be really purposeful, like a spearing type of deal, where I think Sorenston is not attempting to go helmet to helmet there. He's doing anything he can possibly do to make a tackle to save Wiggins or to keep Wiggins from getting into the end zone. And Wiggins is clearly able to defend himself in that situation. Helmet is going to hit other helmet on 60% of tackles to some extent. It just is. Because this is an important. packful play doesn't mean we should have called it. Right. But technically by rule, that is a penalty on Sorensen.

It just doesn't get called a lot. Right. So maybe. And it's not for you. I think you got to amend the rule to helmet to helmet to helmet with the intent of spearing or the intent of lowering the crown of the head to hurt, to injure. Look, the rule is really iffy. They made the right call.

Okay. There's just, I think you have to understand there's, gray area. And we'll write that rule because that makes moms feel good about football for their little kids. But that's a football player. He lowers his head and goes in helmet- front. He can't not lower his head. Wiggins went down. He lowered his body in a diving attempt. What do you want to do? How do you get your body down without your head down? Look, I hate this. Do you explain that to me? I hate this too. Get your body down without lowering your head. It's impossible. He goes in helmet first, period. He goes in. It's a

should he have thrown his hip in there? I think he's just the head's got to come up and he's got to use the rest of his body and his arms. We're just giving up a touchdown. Well, this is the hardest position to play in the sport right now. It should have been called. It was fine. I loved it.

And that said. That said Higgins, players, stop doing this. You need to know. Fourth and goal, sure. Of course. Understand the situation. Understand. that's the last play of the half and it's three seconds left or it's fourth down, of course,

but not on a play that you pick up 25 yards and it's going to be first and goal inside the one. And you cannot convince me that Sorensen caused the fumble. I mean, caused the touchback. He may have caused a fumble, but it would have been a fumble out of bounds with a player going out of bounds had the player tuck the ball away. and if he had tucked it away, the helmet wouldn't have hit the ball. So it just, anyway, the other thing from this game, which was unfortunate from Cleveland standpoint, was, and actually there were two players this weekend, it was really unfortunate to see. Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald basically both really didn't and couldn't play at the level that they're used to playing at.

That was unfortunate. You know, they finally just went to Garrett on past situations only. Aaron Donald was a shell of what he was last week before he got hurt. He probably could not move. Couldn't move. And I felt awful because, and I actually thought the Rams still at times were okay. But they played way too passively, I thought, without Donald. You know, they just relied on their front four to get pressure until they finally came with some pressure in the second half.

But we'll get to that game coming up here. But any other thoughts on Brennan? The better team won. No doubt. And oh, well, what we didn't talk about is the Mahomes play. Oh, I didn't. He ain't playing next week. You don't think he's playing?

Dude, he did not go out. Here's what I think. Just on past history with that type of hit and that type of reaction. You go out cold, it's the best thing. you get up not out cold wobbly and out of sorts not good why it just i don't know why it's just it's better to be knocked out completely if they go out yes 100% i'm not this is is this a neurologist trainers you can ask any trainer around the league ask anybody we've talked about this you go out lights out and take a little nap better you get up out of sorts not good he ain't playing this week i'll bet

you he does not clear and if he does it's questionable you know the team can't clear him it's an independent neurologist that does this the league doesn't clear him the team doesn't clear him the league has independent neurologists in these situations that either clear the player or not there's no there isn't supposed to be any influence from anybody. Now, what you heard from Andy Reid and others is that they didn't think it was a concussion. They thought that he, you know, got sort of choked around the neck, which made him wobbly. But the way he got up, I mean, he looked out on his feet, even though he was trying to get up. And he looked like, you know, a boxer trying to get up.

and so And if you're officiating that fight, you're stopping it right there. Yeah, it's over. Yeah, you're not letting this guy continue. I have no idea if he'll play or not. It's going to be, you know. If that was a concussion, not choked by the neck, and he clearly did not clear concussion protocol

because if he's choked by the neck, he's going to go in and they're going to ask him what day it is and how many fingers and all the, they're going to do all the little deals. I mean, he's out. I'm watching it right now. He ain't choked by the neck. He is.

Here's the problem. That stumbled down. He's out. He's out. Here's the problem I have. He's not out cold. The problem I have is he was already injured in this game. He injured his foot.

He was limping around. Why is Andy Reed running a sprint option on third and one where Mahomes potentially keeps it and gets hit again? He's already, you know, we've already seen him not at 100%. He had a foot injury during this game. It's third and one. First of all, Williams is making yards. Secondly, the Chiefs on third and one with Mahomes throwing it, it's like a 95%, 98% make. We got the first down, didn't he?

No, they came up short. He came up short. Actually, he did. And Henny's first play was them going for a fourth down in their own territory. He did come up short, you're right. He's out. I'm watching this. He can't even walk.

He ain't choked. Don't you think, I mean, it was a little bit, they didn't have to run this shit. What's weird is his head never hits the ground? Yeah, it's never a direct head hit shot. That was, yeah, when we saw the replay, I'm like, where's the headshot that knocked him out? I mean, these things are weird in the way they happen.

Who knows? It was, anyway, that game, really was interesting. And God, I hope Mahomes is available to play in the AFC title game. You don't want to see Henny just roll? Well, I just think that, you know, Josh Allen versus Patrick Mahomes. I have a feeling we're going to see that a few times in the next few years. He did get up and jog off the field. He jogged in through the locker room. He was sprinting. He moved through the locker room. Yeah. All right. Let's talk about the two Saturday games when we come back, right after this word from one of our sponsors.

in the block. Jackson fires, and that will be intercepted in the end zone by Johnson, Karen Johnson, and only Jackson can stop them now. Too late to the end zone. Touchdown. Tehran Johnson, 101-yard interception return on a third and goal, and that was pretty much it. The next drive, Lamar Jackson took a snap way over his head. The center had issues all night long, ended up getting concussed as he chased that ball down in the end zone and the Ravens lose 17-3 in a weird game, Cooley, start to finish. First of all, the wind was really wreaking havoc in this game.

I mean, you had four missed field goals, two by a Hall of Fame kicker and Justin Tucker, which, by the way. Both uprights. Both uprights. Hard to do. Hard to do. Those were huge misses, too, in the game, because I really felt like it could have changed, you know, the way, I mean, he missed two field goals in the first half.

It could have been nine three. Now, Buffalo missed two also one in the first half. Anyway, the wind was wreaking havoc on the game. Both defenses were outstanding in this game, and this was the first game we've watched the bills in three months where they really didn't look the same offensively, the way they have looked, which has been unstoppable. Because the wind was blowing 30 miles an hour. Yeah, but they also just... If you were to sit here and say, look, Alan missed

a couple throws that he doesn't miss. They did. Why didn't they tried or... There was one point in the first half where it was 16 throws in one run. Yeah, they hadn't run it. I mean, this is a team that was rolling up. They had 220 yards of offense. They were terrible in third down. I mean,

they made enough plays. I thought, you know, they they benefited significantly, significantly from penalties to the Ravens. Big, you know, Ravens had way too many penalties in this game. I had the Ravens, so I'm watching this through the lens of, I just need them not to lose. Can we lose by three? You know, the 10-3 drive is a really good drive.

The third and 13 or wherever, the Jackson picks up on a run, and I'm like, all right, this is the drive. And the third and goal play, Cooley, like, you're fine kicking a field goal there. You can't force that. Like, what do we think of Lamar Jackson? Like, he's one and three in the playoffs. You know, when he has to make a third down throw without extending the play and creating time from the pocket, especially, it just doesn't always go well.

I love him, and I love the way they play, and I love the way they committed to playing with him a couple of years ago. But can they win with him? You keep saying you think they can run their way to... Yeah, I do. I think they can... The Super Bowl. I mean...

The problem is, is once they really have to pay him, they can't surround him the way they've been surrounding him. That was a good football team this year. That was a good defensive football team. That was a team with backs. you know, one they got in the second round in Dobbins. You know, Hollywood Brown's really becoming a legitimate deep threat, something they haven't had there.

Mark Andrews is a baller that Doyle got hurt earlier in this year. Andrew, Nick Boyle got hurt earlier. Andrews is really good. Really good. Andrews is really, really good. So why are they out? Yeah, I mean, look, he's got to be able to just, he's got to make better decisions.

And here's the thing. First of all, you got to credit Buffalo. He had nine runs for 34 yards in this game. Jackson. You hold Jackson under 50. You're probably winning the game. No doubt. They really did. I thought he wasn't very decisive, as decisive as he usually is.

I also thought on a lot of the read options that he kept, they were big mistakes. It was almost like they were waiting for him. and Gus Edwards was going to get four or five yards, Jake, you know, on every single give, if he had just kept it with Edwards. It looked like a night for him to play decoy the whole night. So true. I mean, you're talking about the third and 13.

The first and goal, he fumbles the snap. Bad snaps all night. And then he takes up and tries to run it. And maybe Edwards are, or I think it was, I think it was Edwards in there. I don't think it was Dobbins. Maybe he gets tackled for two. But gosh, I mean, when they're playing the edges like that

and playing him the way they did, you don't have to win the game yourself running the ball. Give it. I mean, and then, yeah, like you said, they're down 10-3. They're going to make it 10-6 going into the fourth quarter. You can't. You cannot turn.

turn it over. And by the way, I thought he made a poor effort chasing Johnson down. Like, I, how is it the Lamar Jackson didn't catch Johnson by taking, he cut inside, like, he took a terrible angle on the tackle. He just decided he was never going to run through white. He just had, all he had to do was play over the top of white. Right. I'm going to be really liberal on my quarterback tackling skills here. So the problem is, is that that cost him the game, because if he can somehow stop him, then Baltimore's defense has proven that they can hold them to maybe three or maybe nothing, you know, at that point.

And it's still a ball game. But it's a weird attempt by Jackson. I just pulled it up. I'm looking at it again. And, I mean, that's Lamar Jackson. I mean, he's the fastest guy on the field. And he sort of gives up. Sort of gave up on it.

Well, he had a chance. Yeah. He just made the wrong decision to play through the block. The thing that's just wild is he's done this all year where it's third and goal. And he's, you don't have it. He didn't have it. They had a bracket right there on Andrews. Yeah.

And Johnson's really bracketing Andrews spying. Lamar, he's probably not going to run for a touchdown there. But you got to understand. In this type of game, the win the way it is, the offense, the Buffalo is playing, that's where some of these guys that, you talk about Tom Brady, he knows he doesn't, Phil goal's good here. Yeah. Philgo's fine here.

Field goal is fine there. You have answered their long drive, which was a very impressive drive to take a 10-3 lead to open up the second half, and you have answered by keeping the ball for a, How long was that drive? Hold on here for a second because it was long. 15 plays, 66 yards, 8 minutes and 48 seconds. So you have answered, you've refreshed your defense, you've kept Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs on the sideline, and okay, we kick a field goal, it's a 10-6 game. You know, there might be a chance to win this game 12 to 10 with two more field goals.

This is the kind of game this is. You know, so it's funny because they, you know, at 173, the backup quarterback to Guy Huntley that came in had had Brown wide open on that fourth down play. That was a throw Allen missed. And Allen had missed that exact same throw earlier. And you could see Huntley's reaction. Like, how did I miss that throw? That would have been awesome to get it to 17. He was surprised.

He was surprised he missed the throw. Yeah. So you could tell the win picked that. I mean, that was a heck of a route by Hollywood Brown on that. Like you said, I mean, Kansas. He gave him a chance. It wasn't terrible. He gave him a chance.

Kansas City was the better team. You know what? Buffalo was a better team than Baltimore. And they are a better team than Baltimore. And Baltimore, I think, is really good defensively. I think they were very well coached defensively. I thought it was very interesting on a windy night, how Buffalo basically decided not to run the football.

But you know what? If you watched Baltimore last week hold Derek Henry to 40 yards, you probably said, I don't really care. We can't run the ball. And, you know, Cooley, that's like a whole other conversation. And I was having this conversation with a friend of mine via text during this game Saturday night. And he's like, you can't win, just throw in the football.

You got to run the football. I'm like, nah, that's just not true. Now, Buffalo wasn't generating a lot of offense with an unbalanced run-pass ratio. They ended up with one of the worst offensive days of the year for them. But, you know, if they had lined it up and run Singletary a bunch of times at 2.5 yards per carry, they weren't going to win that way either. No. Your best player, your two best players you decided you'd feature and you'd go down.

with them, even if it meant without balance against a good defensive team, because Baltimore was just outstanding in their run defense the week before. I mean, they had been outstanding in their run defense the whole final few weeks of the season. Like, nobody was running the ball against them. Nobody was. Well, the other dude was out. The other back was out for the bills. Which back was out for the bills? The other guy that's a rookie this year. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like Singletary. Yeah. You know I love Singletary.

But yes. I do too, but the other guy's been great since he came in midway through the season. What's his name? Zach Moss, the guy from Utah. Yeah, Moss. Yeah, from you. Moss was out. Yeah, he was out.

Look, I mean. And Alan's a big runner. He continues to make enough plays. Yeah. Yeah, but he only, I mean, he only had three yards in this game. I know. He didn't, he was the only last week against the Colty. He ran five quarterback draws in the field.

Right. That was weird. Again, the crazy thing about the AFC is it's clear that the two best teams are in the championship game. No doubt. But I think it's right now in the NFC, it's hard to debate that the two best teams aren't in the championship as well. I agree. The campus stumbled through the middle of the season a little bit. I agree.

With some banged up receivers. I mean, there was a point where Scotty Graham was their number one guy. My Super Bowl, my preseason Super Bowl pick was Tampa, Kansas City. You're getting pretty close. You're not going to get that one, though. Mine was New Orleans, Kansas City. And as I watched the New Orleans game, after I watched Green Bay, which we'll talk about, I didn't think New Orleans could have beaten Green Bay.

I had Casey over Baltimore and Tampa over Seattle in the championship games, and I've got Casey over Tampa Bay. I actually think Green Bay is going to win. That's my first blush on that. game is it just seems to be an Aaron Rogers kind of a year. And we'll get to that game in a moment. But Baltimore, you know, it's just interesting where they are. You know, you said they're going to have to make the decision on him. They can't win a Super Bowl until he starts throwing the ball more efficiently. And here's why I believe that. Because you're, look at the defenses right now as you get to this point in the playoffs.

other than Kansas City. Who's not, I mean, they're not the worst defense in the league. But look at the defenses. When you talk about the Rams, Packers are good defense. Saints, really good defense. Tampa, really good defense. Buffalo, good, I mean, you're going to play against elite defenses.

And the thing is, other than the Rams, you're going to, who used to be good on offense, you're playing against teams that are good on both sides of the ball. And I just don't think when you're playing against a really good defense with an offense that can score a little bit, that you can front run your way to Super Bowl. I don't. I think it's hard. The best chances, I mean, being the one seed, there's a better shot.

One less game to front run. Do you know this guy is 34 and 12 in games that he has started in the regular season, Jackson? I do know that. And let's also call it what it is. A lot of the reasons for those wins have been Jackson. I mean, and a lot of those wins have been runaway front running wins. I don't want to suggest to you that he's not a great player. They won last week because of defense, but because of him.

And they came from behind last week against Tennessee. Uh-huh. I don't know, I don't have an answer on this one. I mean, obviously, if you told me... He's not going to front run his way to multiple Super Bowls. Let me just put it to you that way. If it happens to be one, then it'll be well deserved. I think it's really hard to front run your way to a Super Bowl

when you can't throw the ball efficiently. And it cannot. You understand that. I think a lot of people have a hard... I think he makes more plays as a thrower than we're giving him credit for. I don't want to say that he's, he doesn't, he can't, I'm telling you right now, he can throw the ball really well, he can throw the ball accurately, he can't throw the ball efficiently throughout a game, throughout a course of a four game span against great defenses. The other side of this, that's not how Baltimore is built. Right. That is the other side of it. It's not the way they're built. They're not built in the red zone on third nine.

they're built for him to run it on third and nine. I mean, how many third and sevens, third and eights, and third and nines do they pick up with his legs? But he, you know, he's at his best throwing it when he's off schedule, throwing it. And it's harder to be, that was really a painful throw. That was a painful throw. That was a stare down throw ball game over. Can't make that throw if you're going to be a winning. postseason quarterback. You have to develop beyond that. You've got to understand. And by the way,

the play before that, he's got Brown open if he can just create a little bit more time off that number 55 Hughes's. Yeah, Hughes is a good player. They're really quick defensively, very quick. By the way, Kansas City, remember that game. I'll never forget that game earlier this year because that was that game played either on a Monday afternoon or Tuesday afternoon. These games are rematches from earlier in the season. And Kansas City played the bills in that game. And the most amazing thing about that game is Buffalo played soft. And Kansas City just ran it.

Like they're like, really, you're only going to keep six in the box? We're just going to run it. We're going to run it on every single play. And Edwards O'Lear, remember, had that massive game. I'm pulling it up right now because I want to know exactly what the numbers were. because I remember thinking, wow, Andy Reed, Patrick Mahomes, they don't care. They're just going to do whatever, you know, whatever the defense shows them, wherever their weaknesses, that's what they'll attack. Here it is.

In that game, they won it 26 to 17 over below. 46 carries 245 yards on the ground. Edwards-Alaire, 26 for 161. Mahomes had 10 carries for 36 yards. Mahomes also threw it for 225 and two touchdowns. But they dominated. What was the time of possession in this game? 3745 to 2215.

They ran 73 plays to the Bills 50. The Bills have some good team speed. I guess that was one of those games where they're like, you know what, Tyree kills really, really good, but we're not going to let him just sort of take this game over. We're going to make you run it forever and then see if we can hold you to some field goals in the red zone. Right.

You're right. Two best teams in the AFC. Two best teams. Hopefully Mahomes will be ready. Let's get to this final game and a few Washington football notes when we come back right after this word from one of our sponsors. Play fake here, the Rogers going for it all. Looking to bring it open. And that touchdown pass from Rogers to Lazzard basically ended the game. The Rams made it a game.

It's funny, Cooley. It wasn't identical to the Cleese. Kansas City game, but the score was 19 to 10, as it was in that game. There was a point in which it seemed like the Rams had no chance. And then there they were in the fourth quarter down, 2518 with the ball. And I'm like, come on, because I had them plus seven. So I'm like, just please get it down the field, burn some clock. It'd be great to tie it. And I actually had a little bit of faith after they, because I thought the Rams offensively weren't as

bad as I thought the potential existed. I actually thought golf at times was decent. And Acres, you know, had a decent game. But they just couldn't stop the Packers who, you know, rolled up nearly 500 yards of offense. They were 75% on third down.

Rogers is playing at a ridiculously high level. He's unbelievable. He's just the thing with Rogers, the release is so quick and accurate with big time velocity and ability to get the ball down the field from like the tightest little pocket, tightest little window.

I mean, he makes a throw back to up in the end zone. And you're just like, God, it just flicks it out. Here it is. It's out. No one does that, man. This was an interesting game because the Rams battled back in a couple of spots. I think if you're a real Rams fan, this is a really hard game to watch. Really hard game to watch because the Rams are down, what, 16-3,

and they come down the field and they end up scoring. Big touchdown. Yeah. And then Rogers takes them down the field and two-minute drill right before the half and they get three. Two-minute drill. It was the 32nd drill. Well, you call it in two-minute drill. It was under 30-second.

Hey, guys, we're going to practice the two-minute drill. And then after that, we're going to practice the 32nd drill. It's amazing. Like, I knew when they scored the touchdown. touchdown, and I was thrilled that they scored that touchdown. By the way, I thought Van Jefferson did a really nice job for Cooper Cup. I was a big fan of his at Florida. But I was like, you know, my son and I are watching the game, and my son loves Aaron Rogers,

and he's like, do you think they'll go for it? I'm like, they're 29 seconds left. Of course they're going to go for it. And he's going to get him in field goal range. You know, this is going to be Mason Crosby with a chance to make it 1910 at the half. And that's exactly what it was. That's what it was. But then they come out and they score in the opening drive of the third quarter.

order. Easy. Yeah, went right down the field. Easy. And now it's 25, 10, the game's over again. By the way, stupid to go for two there. They were chasing points in that game. I don't know why they thought, you know, like, take 2610. There's nothing wrong with 2610 up 16. Do you think the Rams? None. And don't you think you're going to score again? I felt the same way, by the way, about the Browns down 19 to 3. Like I had a friend of mine going, oh, they missed out. They They should have gone for two there, right, Sheehan? And Romo and Nance were debating it. I'm like, no, there are nine and a half minutes left in the third quarter.

Do you really think the Chiefs aren't going to score again? Do you really think like this is a 193 game where it's two touchdowns, two two-point conversions, and it's 19-19? No, unless you are absolutely convinced you've got like three or four different two-point conversion plays that are going to work. And by the way, the Rams had a great one on that little. Literally my new favorite play of the year. That was so well schemed up by McVeigh.

But a nice take on the college play, isn't it? It is a little bubble. And then the bubble says, hold on, let me flip it to my running back who will go in untouched. You know, that's a great two-point play. But my gosh, if that, worth a goal from the one.

If you get that play in the field, yeah, that could go a long ways, buddy. Well, I mean, just any, you know, situation where you've got to get yards, like, that's a great fourth and two play or, you know. That's a great first and 15 play. If you're like down 25 to 10, you're trying to find a way to create points. Yeah. That's a great early down and distance play. So that'll, I wonder, you know, I'm sure he saw that somewhere because that's where it all comes from. want to find where that came from, but that's a great little play. Look, Aaron Rogers is just overwhelming.

I'm watching this game, and there's some plays. Like, he runs a keeper, the keeper game. And he did this two or three times where he just got it out in the flat to Tanya. And there's one where he gets it out of the flat to Tadion. He's rolling right, and we've watched all the keepers. Watch this last year with DeWain where he's got to do this weird, awkward jump backwards throw and stuff. Rogers just flicks it with pure velocity on Tanya in perfect accuracy.

Normally that little down flat's going to be a three-yard gain, and it's thrown perfectly to turn Tanya and up the field. Rogers doesn't hesitate. He's got so much velocity on it. And like, this guy's amazing. He literally is amazing. He is so good. I mean, the pump fake on Floyd down there where he runs it in.

Oh, yeah. How do you not bite on that? He's right now, he's playing at a high level. Three of these, all four of these guys are, Brady is two. If they were playing anybody but Brady and a defense with playmakers and the fact that, remember, Tampa defense. Tampa Bay, no, I think Green Bay would have absolutely annihilated New Orleans. The Green Bay got run by Tampa this year. You know, they made Rogers look average.

They lost, who'd they lose to this year? They lost to the bucks. They lost to the Colts. And they lost to the Vikings in that game. where Dalvin Cook, they could not stop the run. And Cook had like 175 yards. I really, I don't know, I think this is just just feeling like an Aaron Rogers year, the way it's going to end with two wins, like Sunday and then in the Super Bowl.

And even if it's against the Chiefs, there's something about the level in which he's playing. And by the way, the other part is this. first of all, since they've gone to, you know, the Shanahan stuff with Lafleur. Remember early last year? They weren't scoring. They were really struggling. And you could tell Aaron Rogers was frustrated. Well, this is as good as he's looked throughout his career. Number one. Number two is, explain this one to me. Aaron Jones, by the way, is one of the most underrated backs in the league. But I was talking about this with my son, too. He's like, when did Devante Adams become like a, truly one of the top three, four, five receivers in the game? But that's a really good question because the first few years of his career, was Devante Adams ever considered to be like a potential star in the making?

I don't think so. He's almost uncheckable. He is so good. And is obviously, I mean, I don't want to say a late bloomer because I looked up his stats earlier this morning. and he was having seasons where he was having 75 catches, 74 catches, you know, 12 TDs, 10 TDs. But we didn't really, we didn't think of Devante Adams until this year, I don't think, as an elite receiver. Would you agree with me on that or not? No, because in 2018, he had 111 receptions.

Yeah. And then in 2019, he missed four games. and still had almost a thousand yards. Right. And then this year, he's been unbelievable, and he's missed two games. He's almost uncheckable right now at this point. Devante Adams is a top five receiver.

No doubt. I mean, like, he's always been good. But I mean, like when they had Randall Cobb, you like consider- ball down the field with McCarthy in those last couple years. That's another part of why Rogers was so frustrated. Yeah. It was just all nickel-dime offense.

And Rogers had more short throws than anybody. He's got a shitload of weapons. The point is that this is all come together for him. It's the right coach. It's the right scheme. They can run the football. They can stay balanced. How about this?

36 throws, 36 runs. You know, against the RAM defense that, look, that was not the RAM defense from a week ago because Aaron Donald was really not. You don't have the MVP of the league. You're the top three players of the league. Then you're different. Yeah, so they were not the same defensive team. They were last week through the first three quarters. The Aaron Donald injury really did impact the game.

There's no doubt about that. But they weren't going to win anyway. And the last thing I'll just say. I mean, there's a debate on that because if Donald makes some of the plays early in the game that he can make, there's a debate. It's certainly Donald, not having them is a massive impact. Look, Jared Goff made some throws in this game and made some plays. His ball's just diving.

Oh, my God. He throws an ugly ball, and man. He's got a broken thumb. I know. There's no one worse than the league at holding on to the ball as long as he, to too long. No doubt. How many sacks did he take in this game? It's just so frustrating if you want the Rams to keep it competitive on third downs.

How many sacks he takes? He got sacked four times in this game. And they just, um... He got sacked in a critical situation, too. A couple of them. 2518, he took a sack, I think, in a big spot. Yeah, when they had to punt, yeah, second and 10 from their own 32, they had made a first down.

You know, they're down seven. They got the momentum, and he took a quick sack. You know, and then he's frustrating. I can't imagine. What's his contract situation? It's probably not a good one for the Rams. You cannot play this guy. You can't, he's a lower, he's between 24 and 32 among starting quarterbacks in the league.

I think you're right on that. And I know Sean knows that. What do they do? Because I'm pulling up his contract. No, is dead money in 2021, $65 million? Yeah, you can't, you can't do anything about it. You paid him. And you spread that thing out too on the, on all the, the, uh, on all the, uh, the signing.

and well, you've got a lot of loss. And you're not going to get what you want out of a trade. No. So you're going to live with Goff another year. And then, I mean, it's still 30 million dead in 2022. It's a painful situation for them. And they don't have a good cap situation either if my memory serves me correctly from looking at that the other day. No, and that was one of the things that I was worried about with the Rams was, you know, what would that cap look like?

with some of the guys they had to pay because they gave up a ton for Ramsey. Who's a baller? He is a baller. But they paid him. They gave up a ton and paid him a ton. Right. Yeah. You know, they had to pay Donald a ton.

Right. I mean, what are they? Sean's done a really nice job there. You know, I mean, think about his ears there. He gets to the playoffs. first year loses in the first round to the Falcons. The next year he goes to the Super Bowl and loses. The next year, which was last year, they didn't make the playoffs,

but they weren't terrible either, right? They were nine and seven last year. Okay, nine and seven. But golf couldn't win games. And then this year, you know, they get to the playoffs as a 10 and 16. They beat, you know, a rival Seattle in a playoff game and lose to the Packers when they, you know, I think they're going to lose this game anyway. You don't have to have watching it.

Aaron Donald obviously healthy would have made a difference. But man, like, you know, golf is less than Garoppolo. Like San Francisco's defense was so great last year. And Garoppel had some good games. Gough, actually, Gough has had some good games, but man, I don't know, man. He would frustrate the hell out of me if I were a Rams fan. You know, no doubt. If I was the Rams coach, if I was a Rams fan, if I was anything.

The Rams are, you know, the other things Sean's really struggled with is he's lost coaches every single year, dude. How about the Stanley getting the Chargers job? Look at what Brandon Staley did with that defense this year. Number one defense in the league. But that's a surprise hire, don't you think? I didn't think so. Really? No, I think Staley's really.

really good. And they were also saying that O'Connell, who was the O'C, is probably going to go with Staley. So he's going to lose O'Connell as well? So you're probably going to lose O'Connell, maybe. I mean, if you're O'Connell, Staley's going to say you're the O'C with play calling duties for the Chargers with a baller quarterback. And Sean's going to say, I'm calling the plays here. I can't imagine Sean giving up play-calling responsibility to keep O'Connell. So now he's got to go find a new O.C. And he's got a problem with his quarterback. He's got a major problem with his quarterback.

And I know the quarterback had a thumb injury, but you're not, they got, look, I say that, they got to a super bowl. He's had a long enough time to develop. He's either there or he's not at this point. I think he is what he is. and I think your best case is he's the 15th to 20th best quarterback in this league. You know what I'm telling you, like the Rams could be one of those teams in the market for like a Ryan Fitzpatrick,

a one year, you know. They can't. They can't not play golf. Why? No, you're right. You're just going to eat a boatload. You're going to eat a boatload, but you got to cut him, but you got to cut him or trade him then.

I don't think you can cut him with, your salary cap situation. I mean, it's not playing him as the same as cutting him. No, it isn't because of the acceleration on the bonus money and what it would do to your cap. I mean, I could see them easily being in the market for, you know, like the Ryan Fitzpatrick one-year deal. I mean, six, seven million.

You know, you give it to him and you're like, come on, man, let's do it. would Fitzpatrick be a good West Coast Fitzpatrick's a good any coast He's good on any coast I mean they could also be a team That would be potentially going to draft a guy like Mac Jones

Yeah well you know what that's really the way to go You know that that's that's the way to go Wait a minute I thought their picks are gone in the first round What is there? They are Yeah so you're not going to get Mac Jones Dude Let's not play that just yet

Okay, Drew Locke was a top five guy. I know, but what my point is is that a rookie quarterback does make sense because of the contract in a late first, early second. But I got to see where they're – yeah, they traded – their first round pick went to the – went to the Jags for Jalen Ramsey. I mean, look, Ramsey is elite. They gave up a lot and paid him a lot. 22 really struggled Hill. Hill really struggled. That throw to,

that throw Rogers made. It was over Hill and the safety on the run action pass to Lazzard. Come on, you guys, they can't compete with that. Hill was expecting help there from Lazzard. They're playing quarters on that side. Lazzard, or the safety wasn't there. He got caught up in the run.

Where are the Rams? The Rams don't draft until late second. Is that their first pick? Yeah. I mean, they've really, you know, I mean, look, they've had some good seasons. There they were in the, you know, second weekend of the postseason. I mean, you can't. I'll just tell you right now, at the Rams will make the playoffs next year, Sean McVeigh is doing a heck of a job.

He is doing a heck of a job. You're going to keep losing guys. I know he is, but I mean, he's got an uphill climb. Yeah, he does. We'll save some of the GM talk, all the GMs that are coming in and being interviewed by Washington, for, you know, maybe later in the week. I did want to just say this. The 60 Minutes story on Alex Smith last night, I did record it and watch it.

First of all, I don't know why 60 minutes would run that piece opposite a playoff game on Fox. Like football fans want to see it, and you can see it in a lot of different ways. Obviously, I didn't have to watch it live. But still, I would have thought that would have been a perfect piece for, you know, after championship weekend and before Super Bowl. Anyway, Alex Smith in the interview with Nora O'Donnell on 60 Minutes said two things. Said, number one, that, or Nor O'Donnell reported it, that Smith suffered a bone bruise to a surgically repaired leg.

It wasn't a calf injury that, you know, sidelined him in the San Francisco game and cost him to Seattle and the Carolina games and then the playoff game last week. It was a bone bruise to the surgically repaired leg. And if you recall, last week, Alex Smith did say that the injury was, you know, and I'm paraphrasing here, it was more like complex than just a calf injury. So obviously, for whatever reason, they didn't want to say what it was. And then he said at the very end of the interviewist, in terms of his future, I'm emboldened, you know, by what happened this year. And there was no indication from wife or Alex Smith that he's going to hang this thing up.

Like there's more of an indication that he wants to keep playing. So we'll see. I still believe, and I'm out of the business of just predicting on him because I've been wrong at every turn. But I don't think it makes sense for Washington to bring Alex Smith back. I don't. I know you don't. Yeah. But it does. It does make sense. Why?

It's 13.13.5 million dollars in cap savings. I know that, but there's still a hit to it. No, it's a savings. You don't have to pay that. Is it just pure savings? Yeah. It's it's dead. It's base salary minus dead money equals savings. I mean, you're not going to pay him the base next year. Like he, if he's on this roster next year, unless you restructs, structure and he's willing to restructure and take, you know, a lot less or tear up the, what's left to the deal, you, you know, you've got a chance if you release him or if he retires to save big money in the cap. And, you know, the cap's going down. Washington's in a

great cap situation. I think everybody understands that. But anyway, I, um, I, if you cut him post June 1, it's even bigger in Cap Savings. Okay. So here's the thing. If you really think that Heineke can play, or you think there's a chance, or you think that there's a chance that Kyle Allen can play, is it the worst thing to have Alex Smith next to him?

Or even Alex Smith playing. Matt Stafford. they're not. If he's available, Matt Stafford for a first rounder. If Matt Stafford comes available, shame on Detroit. We've had that conversation. I'm just telling you that right now. Okay, that's fair.

If he's available, Matt Stafford, not Taylor Finankeke, not Alex Smith, not Kyle Allen. It would be Matt Stafford with Kyle Allen backing him up for 800,000. That would be what I would do. I would also extend Stafford. But then you got to pay Stafford a boatload of money. We just went through this the other day. Yeah, well, I'm going to... You got $43 million in cap space.

I understand that. But just you've got to understand that that cap space is going to be eaten up real quick here in the next two or three years. That's why I'd extend them because the cap is going down this year. But, you know, theoretically, it will jump up significantly once we get through pandemic and fans start coming back and we get new TV deals in the offseason. So anyway. But you're going to eat up the cap very quickly. I have another question. It's dovetailing off of this.

The final four quarterbacks are the three front runners for the MVP, Aaron Rogers, who's going to win it, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and a six-time Super Bowl winner in Tom Brady. Can't win it without one, is what you're telling. No, I'm not saying that. I'm asking you if that just makes you, because there's a lot of conversation among Washington fans. Okay, we see it.

We got to go get a quarterback. Like, let's not dilute ourselves into thinking that Taylor Heinekees any one of these final teams. Then why would you want a new quarterback? Okay, Matt Stafford, I get it. Deshawn Watson. I get it. But let's say you end up drafting one.

It's clearly proven that Alex Smith is about the best player to be on your roster with the drafted quarterback. And if he had any part of Mahomes... What do you mean it's proven that Alex Smith? It's the best. It's not because he didn't help Duane. Oh, you're saying from a mentor standpoint. From a mentor, from on the roster, from a guy that provides stability. I'm not paying him $24 million to be, you know.

I don't know if he's going to demand that. Okay. Well, if you tell me you can restructure his deal next year and he's not going to, you know, cost me $24 million plus against the cap. But he can't. But here's what you would say. Here's the Alex Smith situation. Okay, Alex, you know, we know it's clear.

you're going to get one year anywhere in the league at best you're not getting a big deal if we release you no one's going to give you that restructure here work with mac jones work with you're probably not getting a dude from b yu probably not maybe tray lance work with tray lance work with this dude it'll buy you another year in the league you're not getting tray lance we don't know that whatever you're right we don't know that but i mean in general if you're drafting a guy and you can restructure it's look you know I've never been the biggest Alex Smith fan okay I'm not arguing this from the point that I've been

the biggest Alex Smith promoter I haven't I've been on your side with this but there's just something as a player as a as a producer at the position on the field the intangibles are absolutely his got that offense going this year I mean look, he was, he exceeded expectations, no doubt. And Alex is going to sit there and say, okay, well, give me Travis Kelsey and Turric Hill and I'll show you that I can produce. Right.

You know? Yeah. Give me a big time tight end and a, in another elite one. So I got Terry, another one and a tight end. I'll produce. That's what he, that's clearly what he's going to think. He did in Kansas City. By the way, I want to just add to the, you know, obviously when you get to a situation like this one with the final four being the quarterbacks, everybody, the default is, see, you can't win without them.

Well, you know, last year's final four, Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannahill were a part of it, okay? In 2018, the final four included Jared Goff and Nick, no, not Nick Foles that year, included Jared Gough. In 2016, in 2016. 17, Nick Foles and Blake Bortles and Case Keenham were among the final four. So it's, I think that, I think, look, if you're saying, I want to be a team that wins 10 games every year for the next five years and is in the 10 plus and is in the playoffs for those five years. And in two of those years has a really good chance to advance deep into the postseason. and maybe get to the Super Bowl and win it. I think the number one need is a franchise quarterback, you know, a really, really good quarterback, and they're really hard to find.

But you can get to this upcoming weekend without having one. It's been proven here in recent years. But I'll tell you one thing, not to take another knock at the Washington defense, but you've got to have a better defense than they had this year. You just do. And you probably have to have better quarterbacking play than the play they had this year. Yeah, you got to have better offense. Better offense.

Better offense is a better defense. Yeah, because Jimmy Garoflo had the defense in the running game. But this is a defense in Washington's that clearly I think needs some pieces. But it's a defense that had to play against a balanced offense in every single game of the season, except for maybe one or two, which was Dallas full times. Right. they were down in every game except a cup like two. Yeah.

You're playing full balanced offense every single game. Built as a defensive front that should really, really disrupt the passer up 10 points. Need better offense. Yeah, because the point, I mean, in mentioning some of those teams, like if you just go back to last year, the 49ers didn't have a top half of the league starting quarterback in Garoppolo, but they had a dominant defense and one of the best running games we've seen in recent years. The Titans may have had Ryan Tannahill, who you may not say is a top half of the league starting quarterback, but they had an outstanding defense and they

had Derek Fing Henry. So, you know, and then if you go back to the year before that, when you had Jared Gough, you really did have an explosive offense with guys like Gurley and others, you know, I don't know. Look, the bottom line is I don't want to sit here and go into next year and the year after saying we got a great defense. We got Anton. I mean, Gibson's really turned into something. Yeah, Kyle Allen or Taylor Heineke, you know, they may not be a top half of the league starter, but we can win. As long as they don't lose the game, we can win. You know what you're doing then? You're doing the thing Denver tried to do for a few years. And you might, you know, you're doing the thing that Bill O'Brien did in Houston. You might go nine and seven. You might win 10 games. You might win a playoff game. But you're probably not going to contend for a Super Bowl.

And by the way, your injuries away on your defense that's carrying you or a running game that's carrying you away from being 5 and 11, whereas Aaron Rogers is never going to allow Green Bay to be 5 and 11. Pat Mahomes, at this point, Josh Allen, the bills aren't. going five and 11 with Josh Allen anymore. And again, I know it's hard to find these guys. Like, it's not easy. So it's not like, oh, oh, so that's the decision. We got to go get a quarterback. We'll just go get one. I understand how difficult it is. But I just, to me, at least I'm getting a guy in the top half of the league that's going to give me a chance with a good defense,

even if it isn't delete, but it's really good. And maybe, you know, I want to be in that 10-plus win for a few years and have a chance. I don't know. It's a hard conversation because there's not, there are plenty of examples to say, well, you can get to this upcoming weekend without a great quarterback, even though this year it wasn't done. But we haven't seen it win a Super Bowl unless you wanted to say the last one was the Von Miller team with Peyton Manning, who was terrible. And Garoppolo did have a 10-point lead.

There's a lot of argument to that team because it's still paid many. And Garoppolo had a 10-point lead, and Goff was in a 6-3 game or whatever that was in that Super Bowl against the Patriots. Yeah, but Goff had a heck of a year that year. He did. That was an offense that people hadn't quite seen. Yeah, it was quick. That offense, that year was outstanding. But Goff also had Brennan Cooks that year.

Yeah. And they had Todd Gurley, who at the end of the year, remember, they stopped playing him. Yeah, well, that's true. But the first year, year and a half, Gurley was amazing. Right. Yeah, I mean, Gurley had a massive year, and I'm just looking through that year, like, golf, man, what a year he had. 28 touchdown, seven picks.

threw for 3,800 yards, 62% completion. He did take some sacks that year, but he had Gurley rushing for 13.05. He had Tavon Austin. They had Everett. You know, they'd cup. They had woods. That's right. They had woods too.

And Watkins. Yeah. And Watkins. Yeah. And Watkins. Anyway. They didn't have those dudes this year. Right.

Wentz isn't Rogers who can win with Valcans. as Scantling and Lizard. Yeah, and Tanyaan. And Tanya, who's actually a pretty good tight end. He is pretty good. All right, quickly, first blush on the championship games, obviously on Friday we'll have our picks. I like Green Bay to win,

and I think Buffalo has a legit chance to win. Obviously, that one's harder because we don't know about Mahomes' condition. But assuming that he plays, I think Buffalo has a legit chance to win that game. I think they're going to find it a lot easier to move the football and score points than they did on Saturday night. I think Kansas City wins that game. And I've loved Allen all year, but I've sensed some moments in the postseason where you can see he's pressing a little bit.

That it's not just the fun excitement that they had all year, him and Diggs, just jumping around, doing high five dances. I think that Allen is going to feel a ton of pressure to beat Kansas City, to be. Kansas City to beat Mahomes, to be the guy, to be the, I mean, not the guy for that team, but to be the dude in the NFL. And, you know, if he were to come out and win two games, the next two games, he's going to be the dude. Yeah. It'll be on him.

They're going to try to throw the ball against Kansas City. No doubt. But they can also, they can run it against him, too, more than they could against Baltimore. Like, I'm going to be really surprised if Buffalo doesn't score 24 points on Sunday. Yeah, Buffalo is going to score more than Cleveland for sure in this game. And Cleveland did a pretty good job. I thought Cleveland, they got down, but I thought they could have run the ball more. Now, both those guys, Chub and Hunt, who are, I mean, Cleveland's as good as it gets right now in running the ball.

Yeah. They averaged over five yards of carry against Kansas City. It's just everybody feels this. Chiefs are going to score. We've got to go score. Yeah. I don't think Buffalo will fear Kansas City. I think they're ready for it.

But I'm just saying, I'll tell you, if Mahomes plays, I think Kansas City wins this ballgame. I mean, as of today, I'm actually, I'm undecided, but my initial first blush would be with Mahomes, I like Kansas City. What about Green Bay, Tampa? Aaron Rogers will be so much better than he was the first game against Tampa. I think so, too. I think having lost the game, the way they lost that game and figuring it out through the rest of the season, the way and the relationship with Rogers. and LaFloor. You hear Rogers talking about LaFloor. He calls him Maddie. Like, oh, Maddie had some great plays. Maddie had a great sequence of plays here,

and we got this and this. And Maddie's did, they're in love with each other. I think Rogers right now with the dynamic, with the floor, with the weapons they have an offense, and to me, Kev, the way they've kind of figured it out a little bit on defense, I like Green Bay in that one. I do too. I do too. And I can't wait to watch that game. and snow is in the forecast for Lambo for Sunday afternoon. Maybe a lot of it is a possibility that obviously could impact it, but neither quarterback's phased by that weather. No, they're not phased by it, but you could say potentially that maybe Godwin and Evans are

phased by it. Sure, absolutely, because Devante Adams won't be. All right, that's it. We're done for the day. that was fun last full weekend of football we just completed and we'll have two championship games

to preview and pick on Friday Tommy's with me tomorrow have a great day