The Kevin Sheehan Show - Redskins Keys To Going 6-2 Plus Scott Van Pelt

Episode Date: November 2, 2018

Kevin gives his keys to a Redskins' win over the Falcons on Sunday. Scott Van Pelt comes on the show for a conversation about the Maryland situation plus a preview of the College and NFL weekend. He also gives his thoughts on the 5-2 Skins. Friday Football Quick Picks, the Smell Test, and Andy Pollin with a look back to the 1991 Seat Cushion game along with a Skins-Falcons pick. <p> </p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You want it. You need it. It's what everyone's talking about. The Kevin Sheehan Show. Now here's Kevin. I'm here. Aaron's here. This show's presented by Window Nation. If you're in the market for Windows, call 86690 Nation or go to Window Nation.com and tell them we told you to call. No mention of the NFL game last night on this podcast yesterday for obvious reasons. A lot of Maryland discussion yesterday. Not as much today, except when Scott comes on. He's expected to join us in a few minutes, about 20 minutes. That, you know, S show continued yesterday. Tom got it right.

I mean, Tom definitely got it right. James Brady, the chairman of the Board of Regents. He's gone, which is exactly what Tommy wanted and got. And the great news about that is we don't have to read it in Tommy's columns anymore about James Brady and what his resume is and why he's a loser. So that's good. He got fired. One of the reasons

there was no mention of the NFL game last night is you had two one-win teams. And it was definitely a game in which I felt there was a lien and I ended up playing the Niners last night, especially when all the money went on Oakland with the quarterback change

and the books couldn't lay off the action. They couldn't lay off any of it last night. They had a side last night, the house did. They needed the Niners, especially the late money that came in on Oakland. But I'll tell you what, the game that I really wanted to give out yesterday, and I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't, was Temple. It wasn't a smell test pick, and that was the game of the night. None of you watched it. I get it.

You know, it was undefeated UCF, 21 wins in a row now, and they are into the tougher part of their schedule. I love when people say, well, UCF is really entering their tough. part of their schedule. And it's Temple, Cincinnati, and South Florida. Now, when they play Houston in that league championship game, that's probably the game they'll end up losing. I actually thought they had a chance to lose last night. And because we got so wrapped up in the Maryland thing, I didn't give the Niners out as a lien and I didn't give Temple out as a lien. I would have given Temple out much stronger. I will confess that right now and admit that if we had gotten around to Thursday night football, I would have given Temple out, not as a smell test pick,

but as a lean. I liked Temple on more of what I perceived to be value. I've watched Temple a bunch. Saw them against Maryland. I think they're good. I think they're well coached. They were getting 10 most of the week. The line shot up yesterday briefly. So I grabbed Temple plus 11 and a half is where it got to. Somebody told me that it got to 12 in spots. I got it at 11 and a half. And they were up 3428 at halftime. It was one of those painful losses that those of you now, who will start to wager on sports in places where it's legal because you've never had access to doing it before, these are the kind of painful losses that you will have. I've got Temple getting 11.5 the entire night. It looks totally right.

They're up at halftime. They've got a chance to tie on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, down 424. They missed it, but still, they're only down two. two scores away, two scores away from losing the game. UCF scores to make it 4940, and I'm telling you, nobody got stopped all night long last night until Temple got stopped down 4940, which set up a field goal that was utterly unnecessary. If they just picked up three yards on third and three, they could need the game out. Instead, UCF kicks a field goal and wins by 12, 52 to 40. Painful loss last night, Temple Plus.

11 and a half. The Niners, if you did watch the game, and I didn't watch much of it, they crushed the Raiders 34 to 3. Every John Q Public better jumped on the Raiders at the end after Mullins was announced as the starter. And the Niners killed him, killed him with Mullin having the best debut by a quarterback, passer rating-wise, since 1970. He was 16 of 22, Nick Mullins was, at a Southern Miss, for 269 yards and three touchdowns, ended up with a passer rating of 151.9. And it became the highest passer rating by a 49er quarterback since Alex Smith's 157.1 passerating on October 29th, 2012.

You know what I think of passer rating. I think it's, you know, I like the QBR a little bit more. I don't love either one of them. I've mentioned once or twice this year that I don't think the Niners are nearly as awful as their record indicates. I liked C.J. Bethard as a quarterback had no idea what to expect from Mullins last night. I just knew that the House would need the Niners and the House won last night. It doesn't always happen, but it happens more often than you would think. I will say this, those damn Shanahan's, boy, they know how to run the football.

And when they get that running game going, the boots and the play actions off those zone run schemes, a defense is lost. The Niners scored on five of their first six drives and one going away 34 to 3. John Gruden, however, after the game says the Raiders are in the midst of building a championship football team in Oakland. It'll happen in Vegas if it ever happens. It's not going to happen more likely than not in Oakland. And it's tough to believe that right now about the Raiders. All right, let's get to the Redskins beat Falcons if.

All right, this is a big game Sunday. for the five and two Redskins against an Atlanta team off a by week that's won two in a row and is very capable offensively. I'm really hoping that Sundays, the first super electric dominant Redskins crowd at FedEx Field. I think the three wins in a row and the way they've done it deserves hopefully a response and a reaction that will indicate that people are getting excited about this football team. I am. I think this is a team that can make the playoffs now after the last three games. It's not a dominant team, and it's certainly not a team that I would favor to win the NFC championship or even get to the NFC championship game. It's not that kind of team. But I think

there's a chance that where they are weak, they will get incrementally better week to week, and that is throwing the football. And defensively, I think they're going to continue to get better as well. But this game on Sunday really is, as I've mentioned all week long, the retake of the F that they got on the test in New Orleans on that Monday night. This is a real offensive team that they're facing, a team that can really shred you with receivers and with a very good quarterback, and don't look at their rush offense numbers. They are still a threat to run the football. The Redskins will beat the Falcons if. And this is what the formula's been, right, for the last three weeks. Stop the run, run the ball, win the turnover battle. This is

it for them right now, a winning NFL formula. And the only one that for them can work right now, they're not going to win a 38, 35 game. They're not going to get down two scores more likely than not in come back. They haven't trailed in their five wins. They haven't led in their two losses. Looking at Atlanta this year and the way they move the football, you might say, why worry about stopping the run. They don't run it that much, and they don't run it that well when they do try to run it. I think Atlanta's rush offense, which is really this Shanahan, outside zone, inside zone, rush offense, the boots and the play action off of it. I think it's still very capable. They haven't had Freeman, but they've had Tevin Coleman, and Coleman is a good back. He's still, even only at 3.8 yards per

carry, he has still had some big runs, though. He's had several runs, I think six runs now, 15 plus yards on the season, even though, again, the average overall is 3.8. I think the Falcons are one of those teams that seemingly don't even need results in the running game for their boots and their play action to still work. I've always found that interesting. Like, if you're not running the football, why are you falling for play action? Why are you falling for bootleg over and over again? Well, when you have a quarterback that is a really good ball handler, and Matt Ryan is that, when you have a running attack that defensively your coaching staff has said, no, no, no, forget the numbers, it's capable, then boot and play action's going to work.

If you sell it hard enough, it seems to work even if you're averaging a yard and a half per carry. When their running game does work, of course, when it does, they are very difficult to cover. The skins still have to stop the run in this game, and they'll have to do it playing in nickel a ton of the time. They've already been in nickel the significant majority of the time on defense this year. Atlanta is one of those teams that will run it on second and ten against nickel and dime defenses. And the skins have had a dominant defensive front and they'll have to stop the run in those defense, in those defensive setups, nickel dime, to really have a chance against Atlanta. Their dangerous Atlanta is even when they're one-dimensional,

they're impossible to stop if they've got everything working. Stop the run. Run the football is obvious in this game, right? You run the ball, you keep Matt Ryan on the bench, you win the time of possession battle, all that stuff that always works in the NFL. The Falcons have been run on this year. They are allowing 4.8 yards per carry, 26th in the league right now. And the skins have run it well in their wins. I love the counter stuff out of shotgun. I love the zone stuff out of shotgun now that they've got going. Peterson is their entire offense right now, but don't. Don't discount the involvement of Alex Smith in the running game. When you get, and Mike Shanahan taught all of us this very well, but whenever I've had conversations with him over the years, it's always about presenting that quarterback as a run threat. When you have the ability to do that, you have the ability to get to 11 on 11 in the running game.

When the quarterback's not a run threat, it's 10 on 11, right? When the quarterback's running, it's 11 on 11. It's a huge advantage. The read options, the speed options. When he's in the gun, pistol, whatever the formation is, he's presented when he is in that shotgun as a run threat and because of it and because he's a legitimate run threat, the skins have that 11-on-11 possibility

and it puts the defense into a difficult position. It should make it easier to throw the ball with Alex presented as a run threat off-play action, but he hasn't been very accurate. But if they run the ball Sunday, like they've run it in their five wins, I think their chances will be very good. And of course, after you run it and you stop the run, win the turnover battle. They've done it in three straight games. Their plus seven right now is tied for third best in the league.

Their six giveaways are second best in the league to Atlanta. Atlanta's only got four turnovers on the season. Now, the Skins and Falcons have both played one game less than many of the teams who haven't had their buy yet, but that low turnover count on the season has been big for both of these teams. The Redskins, who probably wouldn't be anywhere near 5 and 2 with a negative turnover margin or any less than plus 7, look, Alex Smith has done a very good job of protecting the ball, even though he could have easily, easily last week been picked one or two times, but he's done a very good job of protecting the ball, and it's been a huge contributing factor to 5 and 2. So it's getting easy.

really with this team this year. The old-fashioned, run it, stop the run, win the turnover battle, let the other team self-destruct, and you're going to have a good chance, a really good chance to win the game. Redskins beat the Falcons if they are improved this week in the Red Zone offensively. They are 25th in Red Zone touchdown efficiency, not good. It hasn't hurt them against the three teams they have recently faced, but those three teams aren't as capable offensively is Atlanta. And it won't help that Chris Thompson may be out this week, and it's not going to help the Crowder's not back this week. They're going to have to scheme up some touchdowns in the Red Zone this week because a one-for-four or even a one-for-three kind of day in the Red Zone

is not going to get it done against the Falcons. It's not. The Redskins will beat the Falcons Sunday. If they get some of those calls and breaks from officials that sometimes the winning team men's up with. And I'm talking about a holding penalty that when you see it on replay, you're like, that's holding, but it makes it second in 20 or second and 15, or that offensive PI that looks questionable that puts Atlanta back into a third and 16 instead of a first and 10. Those are the calls that derail drives, and they're so important in a game like this for the Redskins, where it will seem at times this week, unlike the last three weeks, it will. I'd be surprised if it doesn't seem at times this week, that the defense, as good as it's been, is on its heels a little bit

and needs a break, needs one of those questionable calls you might get at home to create a second and 20 after a first and 10 in completion. Because Atlanta, you know, is one of those teams. They're going to move the chains unless they beat themselves. Or if the Redskins get some help in the form of a few calls that you don't really think were correct. Lastly, the Redskins have to get past rush pressure on Matt Ryan. Interior pressure has been the key for them. It's enabled the edge rush pressure to be more effective with Carrigan and Smith. Ryan's been sacked 20 times this year, you know,

and after last week, the seven sacks against the Giants, the Redskins have 21 sacks now in seven games. getting to Matt Ryan, especially on third down, will be decisive in this game. And the reason is simple. I don't think the Redskins can cover consistently against Atlanta's pass catchers. Jones, Sunoo, Ridley, Hooper, Coleman. Those guys are going to get open, and Ryan, with time, will throw it to them. So they've got to get consistent pass rush pressure this week.

I think this is a week where Greg Minusky gets super aggressive in spots, because if you can get to Ryan quickly, that may be the key. Because even if you get pressure, if it's late pressure, it's too late against Atlanta. People are open, and they're open quickly. Quentin Dunbar should be back. I think that'll help. I have no idea what to expect from Haha Clinton Dix. Minnowski said he's a quick study. I would expect him to play, but the news yesterday was that Montaigne-Nickleson was back

and should be healthy and ready to go as well. The Redskins are favored in this game on Sunday. I'll tell you right now, it's not going to be a smell test pick. The action is pretty much split across the board in this particular game. The Redskins right now at about minus one and a half. I've seen some minus ones out there, but we'll see what happens. I don't expect the line to change significantly between now and kickoff. on Sunday. But the Redskins, minus one, minus one and a half. I don't like the game either way,

but I do think the Redskins have a chance to win this game. I don't look at Atlanta, and of course, they're favored. Vegas thinks they've got a chance to win the game. But, you know, I know a lot of skeptical Redskins fans look at this five and two record and think it's a bit fraudulent and that a team like Atlanta will show what the Redskins really are, which is perhaps an average team, not a good team at 5 and 2. We'll see. I think the Redskins have a chance to win the game Sunday. I would not be surprised if we're sitting here early Monday morning, and we'll have the podcast out early again on Monday as a post-game recap of not only the Redskins Falcons game, but the league and the weekend as a whole. But I would not be surprised if the Redskins are sitting here

Monday at 6 and 2. Let's get to some Friday football quick picks. Everything you need to know for your football weekend. It's Friday Football QuickPix. All right, the games of the week. Let's pick the games of the week. And this is really and truly the best football weekend so far of this season. If you combine the college games of import with the incredibly important and compelling matchups on Sunday, this is probably the best football weekend we've seen all year.

Saturday, look, the game of the weekend, if it's not, There are a couple of them, right? Ram's Saints and Packers Patriots, but Alabama in Death Valley Saturday night, I can't wait for this. I had the opportunity, many of you know, to see Alabama LSU in Death Valley four years ago, I guess it was now. And it's a top three, top five sporting event I've ever attended. I don't think I've ever felt electricity sort of as the kickoff was approaching like I did that night in Baton Rouge. It was incredible. And it was a great game that night, too.

Went to overtime that night. It was Leonard Fournette's freshman year. That was that year. So it may have been more than four years ago now. But Alabama is a 14 and a half point favorite at LSU. You know, there was so much discussion about what that number would be as this game approached. And I sort of felt like I don't know if they can make a number high enough to get people. off Alabama, but they have. They've made a number high enough to get people off Alabama because this action's pretty much split in this game Saturday. A lot of people are giving LSU a chance to win this game on Saturday night at home. And it's for obvious reasons, it's that home field advantage. It's that Bama hasn't played anybody. They played A&M. That's the best team they have

faced all year. They've had a real beneficial schedule in the SEC, while LSU has played a death march of opponents. Now, some of those wins that LSU has don't look nearly as good, I guess, in hindsight. The Miami win to open up the season doesn't look nearly as good. The Auburn win at Auburn doesn't look as good. The Florida loss after Florida got some, sort of run, although that game was much more competitive than the final score indicated last week in the swamp against Georgia. May not look like a great loss. I think it's a quality loss. I think it was a very good football game. One of the better games I've seen start to finish all year. Their big win is Georgia, you know, completely smoking Georgia, who went away from the run game early, and I have no

idea why they did that. And the Mississippi State win, just in case you don't know, is an impressive win. Mississippi State they beat in their last game before the buy week last week 19 to 3. Meantime, you know, Bama opened with a Louisville team who's terrible. You know, the only game on their schedule, really. In fact, I think you could argue that Missouri may have been the best team they faced, but A&M record-wise and probably power ranking-wise, if you believe in that stuff, is probably the best team they faced and they beat them pretty handily at home 45 to 23. I thought that there was a number that I didn't think there was going to be a number big enough to get people off Bama. But they're off them a little bit.

This action sort of split according to some of the people that I've talked to. I know some shops offshore have a little bit right now of an LSU play from the public. But in most places it's pretty split. I don't like a side in this game. I can't wait to watch this. game. I can't wait to watch one of the better defenses in the nation in LSU's defense. Go against maybe Nick Sabin's best offensive team. It's the official, who is Tua? Is Tua a great college quarterback? Or if he decimates LSU? Is he a future all pro in the NFL? He's going to be facing

four NFL first round draft choices, including a defensive back in Greedy Williams, who you know, Alabama just hasn't faced that kind of opponent yet this year. What a scene it will be in high definition on CBS Saturday night at 8 o'clock. And that game follows the game that will decide the SEC East. Georgia right now is an eight and a half, nine point favorite at Kentucky. I think Kentucky got very lucky to win that game last week, very lucky to win that game at Missouri. There was a defensive pass interference call on the final play of regulation that should have been OPI. It was a terrible call.

It gave Kentucky an untimed down, and they won it on the next play 15 to 14. Missouri was a smell test pick last week. Didn't work three and three on college last week. They were favored by seven. They couldn't move the football. I mean, here's the thing. Kentucky defensively is good, very good. Missouri had hung 65.

I know it was on Memphis the week before, and they couldn't move the football. I think they punted on eight consecutive drives to end the game against Kentucky. And they lost that game 1514, which sets up an SEC East showdown for the SEC East birth in the SEC championship game between Georgia and Kentucky. I would be surprised if Kentucky won this game with Wilson and company with that offense. I don't see them scoring enough to beat Georgia on Saturday afternoon. There's your double header right there. you don't have to turn it from CBS.

Georgia, Kentucky at 3.30, Bama, LSU at 8. But there are other really compelling college games. West Virginia is in Austin this week to play Texas. Penn State's at Michigan. Michigan's laying 10 and a half. That's a big number. If you've been listening to this podcast, you know I am a big believer in Michigan.

I think they're going to be a playoff team when all is said and done. I tend to lean towards the great defensive teams, even in this era, even in college football, and the best defense is right. right now are in the SEC and then Michigan's defense. I think Michigan's going to work Penn State Saturday afternoon at the big house. Notre Dame at Northwestern. Northwestern coming off that win last week over Wisconsin.

They were a smell test pick getting a short number at home and they beat Wisconsin outright. A lot of people are giving Northwestern a chance to beat Notre Dame. I'm not. I think Notre Dame wins this game. Notre Dame's much more dynamic offensively than Wisconsin. and I think Northwestern is going to struggle stopping Notre Dame. On Sunday, how about this lineup? Redskins Falcons in the 1 o'clock window.

Steelers at Ravens in the 1 o'clock window. Then you get a 405 game Chargers at Seahawks. We're going to find out here. The Chargers have five wins against not great opponents and two losses against two really good opponents. Now they go to Seattle. Seattle may be flying a bit under the radar in terms of how good and how capable they are.

They really put it on Detroit last week. week at Ford Field. That surprised me. They're the only team that had a legitimate shot to beat the Rams. Green Bay, of course, last week. But before last week, the Seahawks had the Rams, you know, on the ropes in that game. They lost by two in that game. Then you get Rams Saints 425. Maybe the two best teams in the NFC. Right now, I think they are the two best teams in the NFC. And will the Rams winning streak, and will the dolphins be able to crack the champagne on Sunday at about 7.30? It seems like there's a lot of people that think the Saints are going to win this game. A lot of the experts on all of the networks think that this is the game the Rams lose.

I don't know about that. Packers, Patriots, and all of the talk about Rogers v. Brady on Sunday night. And you know what? The Monday night game, at least for NFC East purposes, the Cowboys at home against the Titans. That game really may determine whether or not the Cowboys stay in this NFC East race. They're 3 and 4. They win that game. They get to 4 and 4. They've won their home games.

They're a 5.5 point favorite, I think Monday night. I think I like the Cowboys a little bit to win that game. I think the Cowboys are good defensively. I think they're underrated defensively. We'll see Amari Cooper's debut Monday night as well. The teams, picking the teams

that I'm most interested in watching this, weekend. Well, at the top of the list list per usual are the Redskins and the Terps. The Terps for sure, though. Come on. After this week, you're not a little bit curious to see how this football team plays on Saturday? What kind of crowd they end up getting? I'll tell you what, the masses were getting together to protest

and we're really into the protest of Durkin coming back. How about showing up for the game students? How about the fact that you got a 12-noon kick in a game against a Michigan State team that if you win your bowl eligible, Maryland hasn't had a home crowd all year long. It would be nice to see it in support of these players who have been through a lot, a lot. I mean, they've read columns this week that would make them think that their life has been threatened at the University of Maryland by just going to class. I'm really interested and very curious to see what Maryland does. They could be in the smell test. The smell test coming up shortly.

I'm interested to see Notre Dame. I think this is a spot where they can really basically make a statement. A lot of people think Northwestern's got a chance to hang in there. I think Notre Dame offensively is really good. And I think this will be a one-sided beatdown Saturday night at Northwestern. Obviously, Bama to see them play their first legitimate defensive opponent of the year. On Sunday, I'm interested to see if the Ravens can make a season of it. I've picked them all year long to go deep into the postseason.

They can't go deep into the postseason. if they don't make the postseason. They've got three straight home games starting Sunday against the Steelers. It would complete the sweep of the Steelers this year and put them in a really good position if they can win this game. I'm interested to see how they bounce back off the worst loss of the year, which followed really the most heartbreaking loss of the year after Justin Tucker missed the PAT against the Saints. I'm interested to see what the Chargers look like on the road in a tough environment against Seattle. And as I mentioned, I think this is an interesting spot on Monday night for the Cowboys. This will be a telltale, I think, as to whether or not they're going to be

in the race with the Redskins and the Eagles in the NFC East this year. If they lose, they drop the three and five, and they're in a bit of trouble at that point. They've won those home games. I think they'll win on Monday night. Let me tell you about Window Nation. Harley and Aaron from Window Nation are fans and believers in this podcast, and me. I want you to trust in them. I've purchased Windows from Window Nation now multiple times. They are my favorite window company. I think it should be yours too. Let me just say this. If you're skeptical, there's no risk to just call Windonation at 86690 Nation, 86690 Nation. You'll get a free estimate. They'll send somebody out to your home. You'll get a free estimate. You can do with that free estimate, whatever you want. You don't have to move forward,

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today and tell them I told you to call. Let's bring in Scott Van Pelt for his weekly visit. We didn't get to him yesterday. We get to him today. And I know a lot of people, my friend, have been anxious to hear you. And they've seen you, the last two of the last three nights, very eloquently sort of state your position on the Maryland situation. You are one of the voices, I think, that people, Maryland, people certainly want to hear from in situations like this.

and you don't want many situations like this because it has been a shit show of the highest order this week. But just give me sort of as we sit here on Friday morning after all that's happened the last several months, but in particular the last couple of days, your thoughts? Well, it's really difficult because it's a place that I love that you love that's been a part of our lives from the beginning. you know, like me, you're the son of a guy that's a Maryland guy. And, you know, for people that have grown up there and who love the place, it's just been gut-wrenching. And I just, it just feels like so often throughout this process from the moment that Jordan McNair fell ill

through this week with the Board of Regents that the wrong decision was made at each step. And that leadership has just failed. to lead in a way that makes sense or makes you proud. And it's just, it's just been incredibly difficult to go through. And they've, they've magnified problems it feels like throughout. And so it's,

it's just, it's just incredibly, incredibly difficult. And, um, I mean, I'm not a guy that's a, uh,

you know, scream at the top of my lungs and people have to go and this and that. I'm not. In fact, as I said last night on the show, out of respect to the situation, I've tried my best to just not insert my thoughts into the situation until you get to the end and you realize, well, you know, how has this been handled? You know, how is this group that let us hear going to lead us out of it? That's the problem. That's where you, that's where you have I personally, and I can't tell you, Kevin, how many people have reached out to say thank you, you, you articulate exactly how I felt throughout this, that there's a, there's a lack of

faith in an ability to lead out of a mess that in many ways was magnified by the leadership that led us there in the first place. So it's, it's just, you know, it's, it's a place that nobody would ever want to be. And again, I say this, even though I assume it's understood, that, you know, the most important thing is, is, and the most tragic thing, obviously, is that a young man doesn't come back. This two shall pass. I know you've said this as it relates to Maryland. But that young man's life ended.

Of course. And everyone understands that, I hope, but I always make sure I say it, just so it's clear. But, you know, it's been an incredibly frustrating and in many ways embarrassing episode after episode. Why couldn't they get it together from a public relations strategy standpoint? I have no idea. I mean, it's really an indication, you know, on some level.

And I've been very careful to say that, you know, I'm not into the people that moralize without all the information, even though in sort of my line of work even more than yours, but you're a strong opinion person too and have to have sort of strong takes. Sometimes you have those strong takes because that's what you do and you have a hunch without all the information. But in this particular case, I mean, there were 200 pages plus of information.

But I just can't figure out why, you know, someone there didn't realize the ramifications to any of these decisions that they made from a piece. standpoint because clearly they cared about the public relations backlash. It would be one thing if they said, we don't care about the PR backlash. We care about doing what's right and we've got more information than you do. But they didn't, right?

Because they did in about face within 17 hours. Right. Well, I mean, we've seen episodes where schools have run into problems. And again, I'll make the point clear that's obviously. so that you don't have to make it for me. It didn't involve the loss of a life. But we've seen schools where things got sideways, and those schools essentially stood by coaches

as if to say to the public that would judge them, we don't care. This is what we're doing. And in Maryland's case, it was as if they were trying to win the public relations, um, uh, war, so to speak.

At each step, while they were doing something that would arm them with information that were if it if at the end of it they thought you know what this was a tragic accident but here's what actually happened but it took so long and there was just no way to even if you chose the information that that you had as your reason to bring him back it was never going to work and and that was clearly evident this week but but that I don't know who is in charge of formulating the strategies of the ideas to begin with. I have no earthly idea. And I use the term fiefdoms and tug awards and whatever that went on. And clearly, Maryland, those of us that know it and love it are well aware that that's been part of our university for a long, long time. But far before Wallace Loews was the president. I mean, there's a lot.

It's political. There's a lot of things that get involved and people that get involved. And then what ends up happening in a situation like this is where I think so many people. And again, I can't even tell you how many people just said, thank you. Because I think that there's this thought, there's this belief rather that in the end, is it like one booster whose opinions get served here? I mean, the university belongs to lots of people. And so many people have felt powerless.

And like no one even knows who has their hands on the wheel here. that everyone is incredibly frustrated when, you know, you look around at the end of this and this is where we've got. And that's where you ask, okay, so are the same people that have been in charge of leading and in charge of PR going to continue to be the ones that lead? Because how can they, how can they extricate us from this? you know so the again this is not to be repetitive and everybody understands this if you have any sort of reasonable thought or empathy the tragedy in all of this is that there was a preventable death and it's just so sad that jordan mcnair passed away when it was so utterly and obviously preventable it's it's incredible still to me that

in this day and age on a football field that a player in distress with trainers and doctors all over the place wasn't taken care of. But beyond that, and there really isn't much beyond that, but we're going to have a conversation about this anyway. I am curious about a couple of things. Number one, now that they've done what everybody thought was the right thing, what are the consequences going to be to the university from an economic standpoint? because clearly one of the drivers in the initial decision to keep him was economic.

Right? He's going to cost a lot of money to get rid of. Evans is going to cost money to get rid of. You've got to hire new coaches. You may have donors that were in big support of Durkin that now won't donate. You're going to have potential costs exceeding revenues leading to budget shortfalls, leading to jobs being lost and programs being cut. Is all of that in play right now?

What do you think the consequences to the decision that we think is final at this point? I don't think Durkan's coming back now. What do you think those consequences will be? I have to believe that the economics were part of it, whether it had to do with the amount of money that they presume to settle with the McNair family with over what happened. And then you add to the fact that Durkan is going to cost. this and if they fired him, that he could sue as well, whether there were donors, it said, well, wait, I'm a Durkan background. I don't, I don't know the specifics of these

things. Again, I think a lot of times there's presumptions made that, well, you must know what's going on. I haven't got one clue. Nobody's asked me. No one reached out to me. Nobody at any point from the university board. I don't know, I don't know folks on the board, although I do believe, I might have misspoken. I said, I don't know anyone in the board reasons. I believe Barry Gonson. Yeah, he is. You know Barry.

Right. Okay, well, then I misspoken that way because I do know who Barry is. Obviously, everybody does. He's a well-known and massive supporter of Maryland. But what are they? I wouldn't know. I don't know where they stop. I don't know what the number of dollars would be.

I don't know what role that played. I don't know what the shortfalls could potentially be. I don't know. But, I mean, my fear is that, again, leadership was, was, were they held hostage by finances? And if that's the case, if you're making decisions in a situation like this based on dollars and cents, then is that, was that the prudent leadership to begin with? So obviously there are going to be significant, significant costs associated with this monetarily to the people that they'll end up having to pay. But again, I don't know them.

I'm not privy to them. But at some point, the adults in the room would need to come to grips with the fact that whatever the number of dollars and cents are, the costs to not do what ultimately makes the most sense for the university are far greater if they're not done. And in this case, again, they get magnified because how, how? what happened and then what Dr. Lowe did on his own of his own volition to do what many in the end believe was correct. What's that costing it? I don't know. It's just, as I said, something that went on for so long and was so poorly handled in terms of how it was outwardly projected.

and then in the end you land in a place like this where you know you had this press conference the other day that, you know, how did that play? You know, how was that consumed? And then, you know, I mean, obviously the stories that have been written since and, you know, I believe you and I agree on Sally Jenkins, who's, you know, a brilliant writer

and made points that many would agree with, but I thought did so in a way that was just unnecessary as it related to a university. I mean, I don't know. I don't know. She is something else. And I said to Tommy yesterday, and I'll preface it with, I like Sally Jenkins. I find, even when I disagree with her, I mean, she can be a wicked, you know, devilish sort of writer that makes you just, you know, shake your head and smile, especially when you agree with her.

but I thought she took the school and lumped it into the football program and called it a salvage yard because she couldn't come to calling it a campus. And we both know, we're not, neither one of us is obviously anything but biased in this particular discussion towards the school. But it's a wonderful university and anybody without a horse in the race will tell you that. I do find one thing interesting. Here's the one thing that's interesting is all of the people, people, their default is, well, when somebody dies on your watch, you're out. Like, there's no other, there's no recourse. Like, it's just over. Why didn't the university understand that? Well, there are examples like Notre Dame where the coach wasn't out when he put, you know, a young man

up on a lift in 50 mile an hour winds and, and Declan Sullivan fell to his death. I mean, that was on the watch of the Notre Dame coach. So it's not always that way. And I do believe that there are probably people on that Board of Regents that beyond the economics of being involved in leading them to the decision that they reached initially, which was for Durkan to come back, I bet there are people that think after having all of the information that it wasn't just to fire him. I'd love to hear why they feel that way, but my sense is when you have that result against all of the obvious sort of common sense that says he can't come back. Somebody spoke up and said, it's wrong to fire him.

He was not responsible for the kid's death, and he's got the program headed in the right direction. That kind of conversation. But anyway, what do you think about the – But if that's the case, if that's the case, when the president acknowledges moral and legal responsibility and puts the coach on – on suspension, and it goes from the summer until November, and there's no way to go back. Had they said that while we will stand by him

because we don't believe that this was his responsibility as we go through, and maybe that's not possible, but we've seen it in other cases and other schools where they've stood by the coach during it, then there's no way to go back on this in the end. There's just as we've seen. There's no way you can convince anyone that this was the right decision. And there's also, I mean, this is the way things operate now when it comes to, you know, the public and the outrage and whatever.

There's just, there's no way you can stand your ground on the face of it. And, you know, I'm not saying that they should have. I'm simply saying that that's just, that's the reality of how this works. I mean, it was a day after the fact. And as I said, I don't show the other night. There was just no way for DJ Durkin to come in and do this job. There was no way it could have been done, given the reaction, none. Apparently, there was a lot of passion among students on campus this week,

you know, from a lot of the students that haven't been to one football game, not just this year, but in recent years, will there be a crowd tomorrow for Michigan? state, and the line reeks a little bit, doesn't it? Yeah, well, I mean, I said as much in the winter segment that I've liked Maryland all year in this spot, and I like them as far as the game is concerned. Look, those young men have done an incredible job of maintaining solidarity and togetherness, and they fought for each other, and they fought for their teammate, and they deserve support. They really do.

The students haven't shown up all year. I mean, Maryland's got the worst student section in the country. The worst. when it comes to support in P5 programs. It's incredible, just incredible. And if the students really do support Dijon-Ren, then it'd be cool if they showed up to support them as they tried to win a game.

But, you know, look, I think they showed up to support them on campus this week. And, look, this entire conversation has been frustrating and exhausting and, you know, embarrassing for so many people. just to see how poorly so many have managed to handle it throughout. And, you know, how they, so many, you know, never missed an opportunity to throw the others under the bus throughout and leak information. It's just the worst sort of examples of leadership because it isn't leadership. It's the opposite of it. And, you know, I just, I just, I hope for our universities' sake that whatever happens and it,

whoever is in charge. If it stays status quo, then I will support those that remain where they are and hope that a better job collectively is done because it has to be. All right. Who were your winners last night? I wanted to give out the board. I loved so many teams. I gave out, hold on, I'm trying to picture the card in my head right now.

Maryland was on the list, obviously. I gave at LSU a general principal. That doesn't necessarily fit, but it's just its general principle. I gave out Kentucky against Georgia. The fear there is if Georgia scores 21 points that Kentucky can't score more than 10. I gave out, who are the obvious ones that I'm missing off the top? My Cal, SMU, there was so many. Wake Forest.

How about Baylor? I didn't see bailing. How about Michigan? And I liked them, didn't get him out. How about Air Force? I mean, I don't want to give, my smell test is coming up. I mean, Maryland, to me, is the one, but it's crazy because you don't really know what to expect. But that's one of those games, too, where the line could completely change between now and kickoff tomorrow.

But I've liked Maryland all week. I mean, this line's short. Yeah, you and I are not, some of the games you. gave out, I can see. But I don't really like LSU. The actions really split. I mean, I talk to our guys, and they said it's pretty much split. I get it. Like I said, sometimes, sometimes it's just a matter of, I think that LSU in much the same way as Maryland and Duke in the heyday, I think that LSU is the one team that looks across the field and sees Alabama's Jersey and thinks, let's go. And doesn't find, it doesn't have fear in their heart. They just, they, they

want to fight. And I think back in the heyday of Maryland, Duke, when, you know, 2000, 2001, 2002, when those games were as good as college basketball can be played, I think Maryland was wired that exact same way. They weren't better than Duke, but they were not afraid, and they beat them on more occasions than their peers did. And I feel like LSU is similarly wired in that way. Yeah. And I laughed, as I said last night. They might really be wrong. I mean, this two, Tootong of Aaloa dude and this Alabama offense, they're so much better than Nick's ever had at Alabama. And they still have that really rugged defense. Like, it's a joke what they do.

But they also haven't played anybody close in terms of talent to LSU. Not close. It might not matter. But I didn't, you know, I didn't take it because it's, you know, so it's such an obvious deal where everybody in their mother's on one side. I took it because I, you know, LSU at night catching more than two touchdowns just felt like a place I should. should be on principle. So I did. You know, I, um, I love the analogy. And you told me earlier this week that you had that conversation with Ryan Clark, right? Yeah, I sure did. Yeah, Ryan, Ryan Clark's apparently a big Duke fan. And you, you, you, what you just said, you said, you know,

LSU's the team that looks at Alabama and fights back and isn't afraid. And it is a good analogy. And it's obviously an analogy that's close to us. But for a decade, Maryland was the only team in the ACC that fought back against Duke and didn't fear going to Cameron Indoor and won many times with Gary Williams several times anyway at Cameron Indoor. And it's a good analogy. You know what's interesting about LSU and I sort of forgot about this, but you reminded me of it. They weren't supposed to have a big year. You know, they were an underdog in that opener against Miami. I think they were barely ranked to start the season.

This was supposed to be sort of an off year for LSU, but they've gone through the gauntlet. Now, Miami and Auburn, those wins don't look as good now as they did when they happened, but they, you know, they blew Georgia out. And, God, the schedule they've had, the schedule they've had compared to Bama. I mean, they're in the same league. They're in the same division of the same league, and they've had two totally different schedules thus far. Yeah, because they've had to play at Florida, they've played Mississippi State. They were home with Georgia.

I mean, I'm with you that the Miami and the Auburn wins aren't as good, but the Georgia wins is plenty good. Plenty good, the Georgia win, because the manner in which they did it was so impressive. And you're right about the season. Joe Burrow transferring from Ohio State was obviously a giant game changer because they weren't ranked based on not knowing what they had at quarterback. And Burrow was a kid who had sat at Ohio State for years behind Barrett waiting to get a change. chance in the local youngster, Dwayne Haskins obviously got the job. We've seen why he got the job.

We've also seen, by the way, why it's a bummer he didn't honor his commitment to Maryland. That's a whole different story. But anyway, he just didn't know what Burrow was going to be. And then Burroughs shown that he's, you know, he's capable.

But, you know, being capable and then being able to do it when it matters are different. You know, he's not Tua. That guy is just astonishingly talented. And they've been so, efficient on offense. I mean, he hadn't played a snap in the fourth quarter this year, which is amazing. You're talking about a Heisman frontrunner who hasn't taken one's

not one. Not one. I know. That's, I mean, it's November. It's November and you had, it's like peewee football, and they're the team full of guys that are actually like, you know, 17 years old. And you're like, you know, those guys have mustache. Should they be playing against a 12-year-olds? That's the way they've played. You know, the one thing about this game in recent years, even when BAM has won it, is it is taken a lot out of both teams. A hell of a lot of both teams. I'm sorry?

I said it always does, and it's always interesting to watch these teams the week after, because what's required of you to survive these games is amazing. So, you know, it'll be, I hope, worth watching in the fourth quarter. What did you tell me that Tommy Tuberville once told you coaching Auburn? Oh, it was about LSU when Auburn and LSU played. And, you know, he was, he just was, it was amazing how he said, you know, what he said was, basically just the essence was that, that when those two played each other, that they were never right for, you know, for a week after.

And, you know, Tubbs had this sort of, you know, well, he actually, the story he told about LSU that was my favorite of all time is that some LSU fan, They have that eagle that flies down on the field before games at Auburn, and they said, yeah, some old, some old boy from Ellis, you threw a beer on an old spirit. He's still in jail. It was like a week after the game. It took a dim view of people chucking cocktails on the bird. He just explained that you don't realize what is required and what's asked of you physically

in those moments and in those spots, and that the bounce back is often, you know, slow to develop. I really thought the game last year in Tuscaloosa, which ended up being a 24 to 10, I think, win for Alabama, was the most physical game I watched all year. And Bama wasn't right. Now, they got right after they had the three weeks to rest and get ready for the playoff. But, you know, they barely beat Mississippi State, I think it was, and then they lost to Auburn, you know, at the end of the year. And they were not right after that game, a game in which they won, in part because LSU just could not score last year. But I actually think Joe Burrow, and the numbers probably don't bear it out, but I think they're much more capable of throwing the ball down the field this year than recent LSU teams.

I hope we see a great game tomorrow night. One last one. Do you have any feel on our five and two Washington Redskins and in first place in the NFC East with a big game against the Falcons Sunday? No, not really. I mean, I think the Giants team, they played horrible. That Giant O-Line is a sieve. But I think that, I do that, well, hold on, I said, no, I don't have any idea. I think defensively, and I loved that they went out and got Ha-ha Clinton Dix.

I think that's, even if it's a rental, so be it. I mean, you're five and two, you lead a division, and you need some safety depth. Go get a guy that they can play at a high level. I think defensively, they're real. I really do. they'll be tested by Ryan and that Alabama, Alabama, and that Atlanta offense, they're very capable. They chuck it all over the place.

But I think they're good on defense. I think the Eagles ultimately are going to figure it out and be the team that does stress them and push them. They still have two games remaining with them. But, you know, I get that the buy-in there's probably a little bit hesitant maybe, but I think they're good enough on defense in a league where if you can play just a little defense, it's different than most. And that Carolina win looks better now than it might have even then. So I think they're decent, but I'm still hesitant to say, good, you know?

Is that, does that mirror you? Yeah, I mean, I think that everybody has this sense right now that they are a really good defense. Now, they failed miserably at New Orleans when we thought that the defense was really good. So this is the biggest test since that New Orleans Monday night game, Atlanta, you know, can really spread you out and can really, really hurt you offensively. And they haven't been a team offensively that can fall behind and keep pace with a team like Atlanta. But they can run the ball and they stop the run and they've been winning the turnover battle, which is, you know, as Ken Beatrice used to say, MaGames are lost than one. One more thing. Actually, not the last one was the last thing. This is the last thing.

What do you make of the conversation? And I meant to have this conversation with Tommy yesterday, and we went 50 minutes on Maryland yesterday. And he predicted that Brady would get fired within 24 hours, I think, and he was right. But what do you make of the conversation where people say about Brady and Rogers on Sunday night? We're watching the goat against the guy who's actually a better quarterback. Well, you know what was really interesting to me?

I know, you know, Cooley told you about him before he became the guy that everyone's fawning all over in the NFL, Sean McVe. I read the comments from Sean McVeigh and from Jared Gough after the Rams beat him. And they talked about Aaron Rogers like he was an alien. Like, they, like McVeigh, go back and read the quotes. It was a silver article on NFL.com. Okay, well, if you read it, then you know what I'm talking about. Like they talked about the way the ball comes out of his hand, his ability to place it.

It just, you know, what's his, McVeigh said it's not real life and used the word. Like they called him freakish. Just I defer to the guys who do it for a living when they just basically bow down in awe to the talents of somebody. And we're talking about Aaron Rogers here. You know, Brady's been remarkable. He's been, it's just the incredibly consistent. competitor and whatever else. But people talk about Rogers differently than they talk about

anybody else. So, I mean, that's all I can do is sort of look to people that would know better than I would what they're seeing and can't really even make, they can't even process what they're seeing. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's, it's the same way I think a lot of people talked about John Elway, you know, and Elway didn't, and this is before he actually won those Super Bowls. just he was a freak athletically. He threw from every different arm angle.

He was elusive. He killed you with his legs. He created more. It was all the stuff. To me, that's always been for me the comparison. Like, we're talking about a level of greatness, but it's just different greatness. Brady's and Rogers, you know, greatness.

To me, Rogers is a comparable to Elway. And Elway was always sort of my number one for a long period of time. But would Brady be comparable to Montana just because of the volume of titles? No, I think Brady's better than Montana. I think for whatever reason, Brady because he's unathletic, you know, when people talk about Aaron Rogers, that's when you'll hear, well, Rogers is the better quarterback.

I don't necessarily believe that. I was just comparing Rogers to Elway. The comp for Brady, I guess, is more marine. know. But Brady to me does a lot of things inside the pocket to create more time, to make throws at different arm angles sometimes. And I think his brain is so far ahead, football-wise, of anybody that's ever played the game with maybe the exception of Peyton Manning. I think those two are in that class. I will say this about the game last week. I can't believe that Sean McVeigh, who I love, I can't believe.

leave that he played for the field goal at the end. I didn't think, I thought that that was a losing strategy. Obviously, it worked because Ty Montgomery made a tragic error and a selfish error, as we found out after the fact. But I just couldn't believe that they ran the ball twice and kicked a field goal. In that moment down two, did anybody think that the Packers weren't going to win with a walk-off field goal? No, but I think having watched the game, it was obvious to that. them that they're what they've been able to do against basically everyone else they've played this year, which was, well, we'll just get a touchdown if we want to. Green Bay's defense was, Green Bay was a better team for the larger portion of that game.

And it seemed to me that McVeigh was just playing for the lead, any lead, because getting a touchdown wasn't just as easy as, well, which touchdown played do you want to run? Oh, no, it was second and 20. I mean, after the holding penalty, it wasn't going to be easy. But to me, 2927 was a losing strategy. They not only needed to score a touchdown, they needed to make the two-point conversion. Let's also keep in mind the Rams had a 10-point lead in that game.

I mean, they got rolling in the second half, and I thought Goff really had a good second half after struggling for the first time. Who do you like in that game, Ram Saints? That's a fair point. Saints, Saints. I think it'll be a high-scoring game. I think the Saints outscore. You know, the breeze is awesome in that building, as we saw.

You know, Redskins off. Redskins' defense has been a very different defense in every other game other than when they showed up on Monday night and didn't show up. So I like the same. God, it seems like everybody does. Yeah, I know. That's my one fear. Hey, listen, maybe the Rams really are this wrecking ball. You know, I mean, they've been the most consistent in terms of week-to-week effort.

And, you know, I mean, if they show up and give it to them and hang, you know, 38 and win, which they're more than capable of doing, then great. I just think Saints in that breeze rather than that Saints' offense are good enough to be the Rams' first loss of the year. All right. No more questions. You can leave. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. You will. Talk to you soon. Ferris, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep in 321. Thanks to Scott. Let's get to Ferris Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Fairfax. Kevin Ferris, Ralph Perkins, friends of mine for over a decade, if you're in the market for something new and you are looking for a new vehicle, Farish a chance. I promise you you won't be disappointed. Go into Farish. They're right there in the heart of Fairfax, Fairfax Circle. Ask for Ralph Perkins. He's in the store every day. Tell him I sent you

and Ralph will connect you with their best sales person at Ferris. Ferrisch Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Fairfax. It should be on your list if you're considering something new. If you want to just check out what they have, go to their website, Farish Cars.com. This is one of those indications I think that should shows and reflects why Ralph and Kevin are so smart. It's because they get their customers. They don't have one of these websites with a bunch of different categories and vehicles and you can't figure out what's what. You go to their website and there are three big bars, new inventory, used inventory, or

schedule service. The three things that you would want to do, you hit the button and you move forward from there. They get their customers. They really do. And their sales team, they've been there most of them for over 20 years. inventory right now, lots of it on the lot. Whatever you're looking for, you will likely find it in the make, model, and color

and be able to drive it off the lot. If you're thinking about Jeep in particular, Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, Ranglers, really good deals on all of them, and the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, the deals are as good as you will get all year long. If you like this show and you're thinking about something new, I give you my word that you'll be taken care of

if you head out to Farish and Fairfax. Just ask for Ralph. Perkins. As mentioned, they're located right there in Fairfax Circle. Ask for Ralph when you get there. Tell them, I sent you. You can also find out everything Farish has right now, including live inventory and pricing at ferrish cars.com. Let's get to the smell test. Kevin looks where the John Q public is putting their cash and does the opposite. It's time for the smell test. Scott and I usually have a lot of the same sides because we think about it the same way. I don't think we have a lot of the same sides this week. I was four. and seven last week, 49, 44, and 3 on the year. Eight out of the last 12 years, winning seasons.

Got to make it nine out of the last 13, but I've had two rough weeks in a row. Five and seven the week before, four and seven last week. Got some work to do. This text from a friend of a friend, actually. Kevin, do you like Kansas City and a teaser this week? All they've got to do is win the game. It's one of my favorite things that I hear from, a lot of friends of mine that have bet over the years,

taking, you know, like an eight and a half, nine, ten point favorite and throwing that team into a three-team teaser, where the answer is, all they have to do is win. Those should be words, honestly, that should stop you dead in your tracks from playing that team in a teaser. One of my favorite things over the years

is to find the all they've got to do is win teaser, you know, the nine, ten point favorite, that is a big public play, and not only play the underdog, but play the underdog on the money line. Seriously, I can't tell you how many times I've done it over the years and it's worked out. Look, the NFL is a fine line league, right? It's not college football where there are large disparities in talent. 10-point underdogs win in the NFL. You know, the 10-point underdog is probably equivalent to the three-touchdown underdog in college,

where you never see a three-touchdown underdog win. college, but you see it happen in the NFL. And that leads me sort of back to teasers. Look, I've mentioned this so many times over the years. And I know this is hard because discipline is not usually sort of something that is said in conjunction with a gambler. But it is often said in conjunction with a gambler that at least occasionally wins. And your best chance to win is to play straight wagers, same amount, and don't give some sort of weighted star thing to your amount of wager, like, oh, this is a five-star player, this is a three-star play. You either like the game or you don't. Same amount, straight wagers, and try to go 53%, 54%, win a little bit of money. You're not always going to

do it, but you're probably not going to get killed going in that direction. Here's the thing that'll kill you is when you take that team that you like, let's say it's the chiefs this week, laying eight and a half or nine, and you throw them into a three-team teaser into like five of them, and they lose the game outright to Cleveland. I don't know if that's going to happen this week. I'll get to my picks here in a moment, but when you get into all of the props and the exotics that look really good, trust me, it's like one of those things at the end of the weekend. I've done it. I've been there, done that before. Lots of parlies, lots of teas, lots of teas, lots of teas, lot of futures bets, lots of halftime wagers, lots of quarter wagers now. And you get to that

point at the end of the day and you're like, if I just stayed on just the teams that I liked as straight wagers, I would have gone five and four. But then you look at your, you know, your sheet and you've got like seven, you know, you got like 37 bets with all of those eight games that you liked or nine games that you liked. And you lost a lot of the teasers. Look, I've spent time off I have. All right. And I've been in some of the larger offshore shops. Teasers are called profit margin.

All right. They don't fear three-team teasers. They encourage them. All right, let's get to the plays this weekend. I have no idea what Maryland football's psyche is for this game against Michigan State on Saturday. I just know that the public believes that the Spartans laying two and a half is short. It's too light.

Michigan State's a big public play. And the line has gone actually in the opposite direction, from three down to two and a half. It's bounced around with the Durkin is in, Durkin is out news, but it's an indication that the House doesn't mind dropping that line to two and a half if they keep getting Michigan State plays. Give me Maryland, plus the two and a half. Have no idea and no feel for what this line will do between now and kickoff tomorrow. I usually do. I don't with this one.

I'd be worried if it came back the other way, but I'm going to play Maryland. Hopefully at plus three, even if I have to buy that half point. Said this before, when you buy a half point, look, straight wagers, you shouldn't be paying consistently minus 110, all right? You shouldn't. You need to shop it and find something much better than minus 110 on a lot of your plays. And when you buy half points, even critical half points, you shouldn't be, somebody told me they're paying minus 140 on half point purchases to get it to three or seven

or 10, you shouldn't be paying minus 140 on that. Minus 115, you can find. I hate it at minus 120 or worse by and a half point. I hate paying minus anything, which is why a lot of times I'll just, hey, you like them? I like the other side. Let's just do it together. Let's get to the rest of Saturday.

Maryland plus two and a half. Army is six and two. They're home against three and five Air Force, and they're laying less than a touchdown. it's six and a half. Give me Air Force Plus. It's two triple option teams playing against each other. They know how it works. I think this is an up and down, you know, track meet, not track meat in terms of throwing the football, but scoring meat. You know, probably ends up being 38, 35, you know, either way. I like Air Force Plus. The public's on Army. Army's having a good season. I'm going to take one of those dangerous anti-public flyers on Nebraska. It's not dangerous because I think Nebraska's got a chance to win the game. It's dangerous. because sort of intellectually I can think about this game and say, Ohio State's capable of winning this game 63 to 14. But the line is actually a bit short,

and it's down from like minus 21 to minus 18. Give me the Huskers plus the number. Baylor is playing Oklahoma State after Oklahoma State had the big win over Texas last week. On general principle, as Scott likes to say, I'll take Baylor plus the eight. I like Tulane plus the seven at USF. I think that line is short. I think that line should be more than a touchdown.

South Florida lost last week for the first time. I like Tulane plus the seven. They're actually a capable dog this week. Purdue's laying two and a half to Iowa. I don't know that the line's that wrong, but the public's backing Iowa. Give me Purdue minus two and a half. I really like Michigan laying 10 and a half against Penn State.

I think it's going to be really hard to score points against Michigan. And I think they are getting it together offensively. I think they're going to be a playoff team. I think they go to Columbus and win and then win the Big Ten title and end up being one of those four teams. This is Harbaugh's team defensively, man. They are good. You know, the Niners team that he got to the Super Bowl

was really good on defense. And then with Smith early and then Kaepernick late really got it going offensively. Shea Patterson's doing some good things. I like Michigan laying that big number. The public's on Penn State. How is Washington favored by 10 over Stanford after the way Washington's looked recently.

Give me them laying 10 over the Cardinal. Sunday. Minnesota's laying a short number to Detroit, who got hammered last week by Seattle. That number is at five. The public likes Minnesota. Give me Detroit plus the five. Kansas City is a big public play on Sunday.

Probably the biggest public play of the weekend. Lange eight right now at Cleveland. me the Browns plus the eight. The Ravens, I know I don't know what to say. I just like this football team, and I think they're going to get it together. And I was in Baltimore yesterday, and I'm listening to some sports talk radio, and they're down on the Ravens. And this is a huge three-game homestand. They've got the Steelers, and they've got the Bengals, and they've got the horrible Raiders.

I think that they can run the table here at home and get to seven and four and back. in control of the NFC North. Now, they've already beaten the Steelers once. And if you watch that game, it was a beatdown. It was also perhaps a different Steelers team in the moment. That was that Sunday night game in September where Baltimore won 2614, but they had a chance to really blow it open early and they fumbled going in at the goal line. The Ravens are two and a half point favorites and the public likes Pittsburgh a lot here. Give me Baltimore laying the two and a half. And then the stinko line of the week to me is Denver laying a point at home against Houston.

I like Houston as a team. I'm saying that right now. I think they're going to be a playoff team. I think they will win the AFC South. And I think they're going to be held a deal with because of their defense in the postseason and because they are at times dynamic offensively. They add Demarius Thomas from Denver pre-trade deadline. And Denver's laying a point at home.

The public likes Houston. Give me the Broncos Lange the one. Recapping, Maryland plus two and a half, Air Force plus six and a half, Nebraska plus 18, Baylor plus eight, Tulane plus seven, Purdue minus two and a half, Michigan minus ten and a half, and Washington

minus ten. I've got some favorites this week. On Sunday, the Lions plus five, Browns plus eight, Ravens minus two and a half and the Broncos minus one. So we're in our new digs here in Bethesda, and I want to tell you about launch workplaces, because if you live in the Bethesda Chevy Chase Upper Northwest D.C. area and you don't want a long commute,

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Call today for an exclusive free two-day trial. Call 240-86714. That's 240-86714, or go to launchworkplaces.com. All right, let's bring in Andy Pullen for his weekly segment. You've been sitting here for a while. I haven't even looked at you and even acknowledged you. I'm sorry about that. Well, you're always been a rude guy, so I'm not surprised.

I was looking at my computer and involved in that conversation with Scott. But Andy has been doing this thing on Fridays where we look back at sort of the past between the Redskins and their upcoming opponent. and then we'll do a red skin score and more to finish up the show. Yeah, when they have an opponent from the division or a long-time opponent, we do several games. But there's only one from this matchup against the Falcons that sticks out, and that's the seat cushion game. Now, talking about this over the years, Joe Gibbs has gotten it confused with the Dallas game.

He always insists this. Really? Yeah. I didn't know that. If you listen to talk about it, oh, yeah, we played the Cowboys. We had a seat cushion game. This was against the Falcons. It was a playoff game.

January 4th, 1992, and it rained, and it was, as Gibbs said, Redskin Weather. I was there. It was not Falcons weather. They ran that run-and-shoot offense, remember that? And Dionne Sanders said, it's like having a gun with only one bullet. They really couldn't do that in the slop there. And I guess they didn't put a tarp on the field in those days. Well, they did put tarps on the field, but that was a deluge.

So from the moment they took the tarp off, the field had no chance. And, Andy, the RFK field, when you... you got to January. We shot anyway. Yeah, right. It's just mud. So Redskins had played the Falcons earlier in the season, and that may have been Mark Rippin's best game.

He threw for 442 yards and six touchdowns. 5617, right? Yep, yep. Do you remember how it ended, how the last score of the game? They kept throwing it. Yeah, Falcons kept throwing it, and Andre Collins picked off Brett Farve for a pick six. But remember, the Falcons were upset because the Redskins kept throwing it

with the big lead, and Gibbs said afterwards, look, if you're going to load the box with nine on every play, we're going to throw the football. Right. And so Jerry Glanville was upset about that, tried to use it as motivation for its team. And before the game, he holds up a redskin helmet, like it's a trophy, you know, and he's in the huddle with his team. They're all around them. He's got Dion Sanders introduced.

Dion does a dance at the goal line. He's got on the sidelines, MC Hammer, Evander Holyfield, an ice cube. Right. I mean, it's just a total circus. Well, the whole too legit to quit thing was the theme of those Falcons, you know? And Hammer was on the sideline, I think, for much of the season. I think he may have been on the sideline for the first one at RFK, the 56 to 17 game. Yeah, I think so.

And so anyway, the Redskins eventually take control of this game running to football. It was actually a big game for Ricky Irvin. Yeah, that was sort of his coming out. Yeah, had over 100 yards in that game, 17-yard touchdown run, Charles Mann, forced to fumble. Gerald Riggs gets a one-yard run. Low Miller kicks a field goal on and on. Finally, they cinch the game with another Gerald Riggs touchdown. And I don't know why they had given out seat cushions at this game.

I've tried to look this up and figure out why there was a promotion for a playoff game. It's not like they're having trouble selling tickets like now, but they gave everybody a seat cushion. And when Riggs scored the clinching touchdown, somebody threw a cushion out of the stands, and then everybody threw their seat cushions out there. That's why it's known as the seat cushioned game. Here's a line that was in Bill Gilday's story after the game,

which if you listen to this and think about what FedEx Field is now, it's such a contrast. He says, the roar at the opening kickoff sounded like a space blast off and several times more noise, especially with the chance of defense, defense, reach similar levels. I mean, it's just if you were not at RFK for a playoff game, I don't think you can imagine how loud it was. You know what's funny, though, Andy, and this is my memory,

and I've talked to Doc and Rigo and Jake about this over the years. You know, when you got to 1991 and you had already won two Super Bowls and been to three, there was a little bit of fat and happy, you know, with the fan base. The real ridiculously over-the-top electric loud crowds were when they first were making that run. in 82, 83. I mean, you know, when they got back to it in 87, that Minnesota game at home, because they got the benefit of San Francisco losing to the Vikings, which moved the NFC championship game to RFK against the Vikings.

I remember that being a great crowd. I do remember the Atlanta crowd being outstanding, and I think it was part because of Atlanta's brashness, sort of coming into the game. But the following week against Detroit, when they blew the lions out, now there wasn't a chance for the crowd to really get into it. but it was a slightly subdued Redskins crowd when you got to 91. You know, there was a feeling of already being satisfied over and over and over again. They were done.

Yeah, although that's their greatest team, in my view. And they have done surveys of the Super Bowl teams. They rate that as the best one ever. Now, the Lions played the next day against Dallas, and Troy Aikman and the Cowboys were a year away, and they got clobbered 38 to 6. Right. So Eric Kramer comes in, and this was,

was as close as Barry Sanders ever got to a Super Bowl. Eric Kramer passed away, right? I think Eric Kramer recently in the last couple of years, Aaron looked that up, passed away. Might be or might be lost his son. I think there's, I think, yes, he did lose his son. And then I also think, I mean, there was some. Eric Kramer is still alive, so alive. Oh, boy.

You're buried another one. Jesus. Anybody else you like to kill before you get out of here? He did have some legal issues recently. So is it his son's passing that I'm thinking of? When did his son pass away? Maybe we got that one wrong, too. No, I think, I think, whatever it was.

Let's cut our losses at this point. But yeah, you're right. I mean, the two playoff games were just a coronation. Everybody knew that team was the best team in the NFC by far. They played Buffalo in the Super Bowl. And I think the bills have said of the four straight Super Bowls they lost. Redskins were the best team they faced. Even the two Dallas teams back to back.

And my friend Norm Hitzkis wrote a book saying that's the best team of all time. But they were just dominant that year. but it's just a clown show that Jerry Glanville brought in with all these celebrities on the sideline. And the 24 to 7 final score doesn't really tell you how long side it was. Dominant. And, you know, the thing about the 91 Redskins is that I think it's the greatest Redskins team of all time. I think it's one of the great Super Bowl teams of all time. I mean, there are a lot of numbers out there, DVOA numbers, et cetera,

that will tell you that the Redskins are the greatest Super Bowl winner of all time. But whatever, I think it's a much more, you know, non-quantifference. discussion. Did you watch all these things? And what do you think? It may not be the greatest Super Bowl winner of all time, but it's one of them. But the one knock against the 91 Redskins is that they had an easy playoff run in the NFC. They got Atlanta and Detroit. Well, you know, the great teams of the 80s, the 49ers, the Bears, the Giants, the Cowboys to a lesser extent. And this was Jimmy Johnson's first playoff year. They beat the Bears the week before losing to the Lions. in the divisional round.

But that's the one criticism, is that they did play what was perceived to be a really dynamic offensive, you know, K-gun team in Buffalo in that Super Bowl, and they destroyed the bills. Right. But, you know, the path to the Super Bowl was not what it had been. You may remember this. Early in the season, their biggest competition in the NFC was expected to be Philadelphia, and in the first game of the year, Randall Cunningham hurt his knee and was out for the year. So they not only didn't have the two big division battles with them, they didn't have the expected rematch in the playoffs.

But look, you can only play who you can play. No, that's right. And you have to be able to sort of understand how great they were despite the competitive landscape. The Cowboys, that was the first Jimmy year of getting them on track. The Eagles, you know, did end up finishing 10 and 6, and that was the Ray Handley year, first Ray Handley year in New York. because the Giants had won the Super Bowl the previous year with Parcells beating Buffalo on the Scott Norwood Miss. And, you know, in the NFC Central that year, it wasn't the Bears, it was the Lions, came out of nowhere.

And the Saints won the NFC West with the Falcons there. The 49ers at 10 and 6 didn't make the postseason. How about the dominance, though, the NFCEs, which you just mentioned. Giants win, then the Redskins win, and the Cowboys win the next two. Yeah. It's the heyday. Well, I mean, the NFC East has had a couple of haremes. days, but that's certainly one of them.

That stretch in the 90s with the Redskins, do it with the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys. All right, let's finish up the show with Redskins, score, and more. Time to settle the score is score and more. So I picked them to lose by a point against the Cowboys. That was wrong. I picked a tie last week against the Giants because I couldn't figure it out

because I was really, most people know this and were shocked that I didn't have the giants in the smell test last week, but I just thought it was too telegraphed. I don't have a great feel for this one, but I like the Redskins a little bit, but I'll let you go first. The offense right now, I know they're running the football, and if Adrian Peterson breaks down, the season falls apart. And I just think that they score so few points that the margin of error is so small,

they're facing a dynamic offense, which they haven't faced yet. I mean, this could be a Saints type of game for them. I mean, it could be. I'm not saying it will be. I'm kind of hedging here. But this could be a game where they give up 31 points. They could lose a game like this, 31 to 10 or something like that. Is that what you're predicting?

Why not? I mean, what do I have to lose? You know, I just, and they're not a good enough team to win consistently. And three in a row is a long winning streak for them. You know, they're not the, dominant. We were just talking about the 91 Redskins who darn near win undefeated. Now, there's nothing dominant about this team right now. And we're going to learn a lot about the defense.

Like we thought we were going to learn against the Saints and it didn't work out, but they played three very good games in a row. Look, the way they've shut down the run in these three games against some good backs, especially Zeke, it's been impressive. Yeah, but Falcons don't run. They got Devin Coleman from Indiana. You know what? They haven't run the ball necessarily effectively, but they can run.

And I like Coleman as a back. And I like their scheme. And it's one of those things where if the Redskins have, you know, if they're in nickel and dime for 80, 85% of the snaps, Atlanta's going to run the football a little bit. And that's where we'll really learn something about pain ionitis and John Allen. So 3110 Falcons is Andy's prediction. All right, I'm going to go Redskins 23 to 20.

in this game. I think they can win this game. I just, I think there's some good things happening. I thought Alex Smith made some marginal improvement a week ago. I think they can move the ball. I think they can run the ball against Atlanta. If Atlanta was better defensively, let me just say this, because I don't think I've said this all week, Atlanta can get after Alex Smith if he's forced to throw the football. Right, Vic Beasley is dangerous. McKinley can get after the quarterback. I just see the Redskins staying balanced, running the football, winning time of possession, not turning it over,

making Atlanta go 80 yards, which they can, shortening the game. Coach Gibbs, football. It's shortening the game and winning on a walk-off Dustin Hopkins field goal, 23-20. That's my footnote. Or it might be Chip Lomiller back from the dead. I mean, this is what we're talking about here is a team that is playing the way he used to win in the 80s.

And nobody else is doing this in the NFL right now. Is there any other team that's winning this way? Well, I mean, Dallas won this way a couple years ago. They didn't win in the postseason, but they won, what did they win the Dak and Zeke's rookie year? 13 games or 14 games or 12? It was so. I think it was 13. But they had big plays.

They had Witten. They had Des Bryant. They had guys who could make some big plays. They were running the football. They weren't turning it over. You can still win that way in the NFL. I don't know if in this particular NFC this year, you can win three playoff games in a row with two of them being on the road,

which is right now what the Redskins or the NFC East winner would be faced with, right? They'd have a home game in the first wild card weekend as the division winner, and then they'd have to go on the road for two consecutive weeks. I don't see them winning a game in New Orleans. I don't see him beating the Rams anywhere, even if it's a neutral field out in L.A. You got to get to the playoffs. Ten years ago, they were six and two. I'm putting cart before horse.

And the discussion was the same. It was Jim Zorn instead of a guy who's relatively proven in Jay Gruden. But the conversation was, we're really not that good. And as it turned out, you're playing teams like Pittsburgh and Dallas, and the season fell apart. And they finished eight and eight and didn't make the playoffs. And that's still possible with this team. It's still possible. 3110, Andy, Atlanta.

Yeah. And I've got the Redskins winning to get to 6 and 2, 23 to 20. All of these games, the way they play, if they win them, they could go either way. And the Giant game really couldn't go either way last week. Giants are horrible. But I think... Seven sacks. Yeah.

Seven sacks. And, you know, a lot of focus on, you know, ionitis is two and a half, and Carrigan's one and a half. And I talked to Cooley about this the other day because it seemed like this to me, that really almost anybody could have ended up with two and a half sex. Like a RACPO against the Raiders. They were all there. You know, they were all there against that horrendous offensive line.

All right, thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Andy will be with me every Friday, as he has been. I like the Redskins to win. It's not a strong feeling about the Redskins winning. And, you know, Andy's 310 Falcons, look, if they get behind by two scores early, it could go the other way quickly.

it could because the Redskins don't appear to be a team right now capable of being down two scores and starting to throw the ball all over the park to move it. But I like what they've done in keeping to this let the other team self-destruct, running the football, stop in the run, doing all those things that we've talked about over and over again over the last three weeks. Thanks to Andy, thanks to Scott Van Pelt, thanks to Aaron, who does such a great job producing the show, and thanks to all of you. We will have the podcast up early on Monday with the total recap of the Redskins Falcons.

So look for it first thing Monday morning. Take care. Have a great weekend. It's a great football weekend this weekend, starting tomorrow. So enjoy it.